December 22, 2024 • 46 mins
Chapters 7 & 8
Dr. Daniel Scott informs Robert Pine that in order for a fully functioning time machine to be built, a special hydrocarbon is required for the machine.
Unfortunately, this hydrocarbon needs to be mined within the Kuiper Belt region of the solar system, an asteroid belt six billion kilometres distance away from earth.
Therefore a spaceship (Discovery 3020) with highly advanced technology requires to be built and a large crew are on a mission to acquire this hydrocarbon within a two year space travelling period, however if the crew risk travelling through a wormhole, it's assumed that the crew will reduce their space travel time by up to six months, but it's all theoretical as no-one has ever performed this previously !
However many members of the crew are nervous about this wormhole risk and a ballot is held to evaluate acceptance of the risk with Captain John Arrow highlighting the dangers & risks. They all decide to go for it, but how will this wormhole entry go for them in the end?
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Kuiper Belt Productions presents Kingdom by Phil McMurtry
(00:05):
Episode 3
Robert Pyne has now converted enough of his investments into the capital necessary to construct the time machine,
which he hopes will now proceed smoothly.
However, he is about to discover that Dr Scott has hit a problem,
a problem that requires a very complex and costly solution.
(00:30):
Dan, how are you? How's the time machine coming along?
Ah, I knew you'd cut to the chase.
We've got a bit of a problem and it involves some amount of space travel.
Space travel? What on earth are you talking about, Dan?
Let me explain. Our time machine requires a very special and rare compound.
I say rare because it's not available on Earth.
(00:53):
It's a special hydrocarbon and it simply can be synthesised on Earth,
as the process would be both time consuming and ridiculously costly.
Since we require a phenomenal amount of energy,
equivalent to thousands of nuclear explosions, it's very difficult to create.
Moreover, it will cost hundreds of billions of pounds, way outside your budget.
(01:17):
What are you proposing?
I've carried out a spectroscopy analysis of the solar system,
and this element is only available in one area. It's called the Kappa Belt.
Where? The K-what? You say belt?
Precisely.
So, this belt then, where is it located in our solar system?
(01:38):
Some area of the Moon? Venus? Mars?
Sorry, I'm not too clued up on astronomy.
If only we were so lucky.
Unfortunately, it's a lot further than any of those planets you just mentioned.
It's between 30 and 50 astronomical units away from the Sun,
or to put it in units of measurement, roughly 6 billion kilometres away.
(02:00):
Is this some kind of wind-up?
Because I really have lots to do today, you know.
Sorry, no wind-up. I'm dead serious.
With a conventional spaceship, it would take approximately just under six years
of travelling at 120,000 kilometres an hour.
What? Well, how is that going to work then?
Well, it's only a concept,
(02:22):
but the spaceship would have to be built with something called an IMT and TTTZ.
IMT is a bit like teleportation, and it stands for Instant Matter Transportation.
TTTZ is the cleverer bit.
It's a time machine, but can only go forward in time or back to when it was first started.
It stands for Temporary Time Travel Concept.
(02:46):
Combining the two technologies, it would take approximately two years to return to the Kuiper Belt.
The spaceship can return to Earth instantaneously once its mission in the Kuiper Belt has been completed.
I've calculated it to take 19.376 milliseconds. Genius, oh, wow.
All very clever stuff, Daniel, but two years is a real disappointment.
(03:10):
That's the best you're going to get. Take it or leave it.
We can't build your time machine without this special element.
OK, but how much would it take, Dan? What's the damage?
With a team of 30,000 scientists, engineers, designers and architects,
it would take 15 years to complete the spaceship at a cost of $300 billion.
(03:32):
This would involve building seven physical prototype ships as well as one design intent ship.
The spaceship would have to be constructed within the inner space, 900 kilometers above the Earth's surface.
Its construction is modular and hundreds of mini rockets would have to be launched from Earth into space to deploy all of its materials.
(03:53):
Its outer shell dimensions are 200 meters length by 100 meters diameter, which gives it a mass of over 600 tons,
thereby making it too heavy to launch from Earth, hence the necessity to build it in space.
This is much too long and too costly.
Build this in six years and slash the time and materials cost right down to 1.7 billion dallons.
(04:17):
No physical prototypes will be built. Implement thousands of virtual simulations instead.
Utilize only 8% of your original 30,000 workforces. Can you deliver, Dan?
Hmm, if my calculations are strictly correct, it'll certainly be a challenge Rob, but you always drive a hard bargain.
(04:38):
And quite annoyingly, you are correct most of the times.
Ha ha ha ha, yes, thanks Dan.
By the year 3020, the revolutionary new spaceship has been completed, on time and within budget.
It is christened Discovery 3020 and has had to be constructed in orbit far above Earth's surface, in full view of the eyes of the whole world.
(05:04):
From the ground it has been dubbed Earth's second moon and many popular songs and column inches have been penned, speculating upon its mission.
Robert Pyne and Dr Scott are meeting on launch day.
Well, Dan, when we said that the spaceship will be ready in six years, I didn't think we'd launch her exactly six years to the exact date to when we first kicked off the project.
(05:29):
You're truly a perfectionist.
One does try to achieve one's objectives. I can't lie, I do like a challenge and this has been the most challenging project that I've ever worked on.
I would like to do several more tests before launching her, but we've done enough computer simulations to do this trip several times over. Fingers crossed.
(05:50):
At least only our small shuttles have to break through our atmosphere to reach the mothership. Thank God that it's already docked in space. How far away is it from the ground?
Approximately 900 kilometers from sea level. Enough to miss our orbiting satellites, but the computer can also detect space debris and if necessary, overrides manual piloting and it avoids it within a minimum of 10 milliseconds, which is pretty fast.
(06:16):
It's getting busy up there these days. We still don't have a successful way of getting rid of the junk up there. It's been over a thousand years and no one has reached a viable solution yet.
There's a commercial opportunity for you there, Rob.
Maybe, but at the moment my target is fixed somewhere else. You know that well.
Robert, shall we meet the crew one last time before the shuttle launches then?
(06:40):
Let's do it.
Hey, team. John, Jason.
Robert, glad you could make it for the launch.
Wouldn't have missed it for the world. No chance.
I guess it's a big day for all of us as we'll be traveling in space for two years from now. Yep, when the time machine gets developed, we'll effectively wind back those two years again, as stated within our contract, right?
(07:11):
Well, there's no guarantees that the time machine will work, but if Dan's calculations are correct, then yes, you'll make up that time. There is a huge risk on all of us, really, but mine is more financial than time.
I guess time will tell. We're all very wealthy men, thanks to Rob, but we're all going to miss our families. 50 million pennons isn't a bad paycheck at all.
(07:37):
Glad to help there, at least. I wish you all the very best of luck. We will be in constant contact, on standby to put it bluntly. You're navigating uncharted space. You're the pioneers, really.
Those are the exact words we're looking forward to at this difficult yet also exciting time.
I couldn't have said it any better myself, John.
(08:00):
Good luck, team.
13 feet, 8 feet, 2 minutes to countdown.
T minus 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, and liftoff.
(08:35):
We're strapped in our seats, we're looking up at the sky.
10 seconds to blast off, rockets ignite to take us high.
Mission control, do you receive? We're looking good.
(09:02):
We've left our launch pad, our dangerous journey lies ahead.
Rocket booster sequence number one implementation good.
We're thinking of our families, we leave behind today on planet Earth.
(09:30):
We're bursting through the atmosphere, searching for children's life of fear.
The year is 3020, time will help us plan it, we're traveling to the cover bell.
The place is all around us, the moon in front of us shines bright.
(09:57):
100 years of travel, we keep on moving day and night.
We're floating round our ship, ship's music playing in our ears.
We'll make some repairs, so we'll improve our time by years.
(10:25):
Suddenly the ship is shaking, crew are thrown everywhere.
The damage report is not good, we'll have to improvise our way from here.
Long of all the haze was thrown, we dare to venture in the unknown.
(10:52):
The ship will surely bring us time to make a name for what's coming to the cover bell.
Seems that time has ceased and we're standing still.
Ten million miles per hour is showing on our screen.
The light is blinding us, it's insanity.
(11:15):
We have no concept now of what's reality. We don't know where we are, expectations run high.
The truth changed black and white as the lights fly by.
Is this the final frontier, have we reached our goal?
Is this our destination, have we left the world for?
(11:40):
The ship has held together through the world, the weather, we're traveling through the hypervent.
The ship has held together through the world, the weather, we're traveling through the hypervent.
Four shuttlecraft, originally used to ferry materials from the ground into orbit,
(12:05):
transfer the crew in stages to their new home 900 kilometers above the Earth's surface.
Discovery 3020 will now travel a total of 6 billion kilometers to reach the Kuiper Belt objects,
on which the shuttles will land and arrive at the Kuiper Belt.
They will travel a total of 6 billion kilometers to reach the Kuiper Belt objects, on which the shuttles will land
(12:30):
and ascertain which are rich enough to mine for the special hydrocarbons needed for the time machine.
Our captain, John Arrow, and his second-in-command, Jason Burns,
are on board one of the shuttlecraft heading to their new command.
So Jason, the time has finally arrived. How are you feeling?
(12:51):
I'm a little nervous, a little nervous, a little melancholic.
I've got mixed feelings flowing through my veins right now. How about yourself?
I'm no different. I guess the mothership is in control of our lives to a certain degree, right?
I don't intend to let go of the wheel too soon whilst in space,
although it's mostly traveling by autopilot, I guess,
and is being controlled by the million quantum computers running the software.
(13:15):
Not bad, considering it's all built to the size of a small computer rack.
Yep, that's a serious amount of quantum juice controlling everything.
And to think it's all possible to be controlled remotely from Earth as well.
All outstanding technology, really, and only with a two-nanosecond delay for every one billion kilometers that we travel.
Yep. There she is, Jason. Our ship, Discovery 3020, a namesake of the space shuttles from the 20th century.
(13:43):
Let's get on board now that the shuttle has docked with her.
So, what's on the agenda next, John?
What time is it? Hmm, ten o'clock.
We'll let the crew settle in for a few hours. Maybe we'll hold a 20-minute speech at 1400 postlunch, and depart towards Kuiper Belt at 1500.
What do you think?
(14:04):
Sounds good to me, John. I'll await your meeting to be scheduled and then settle into my quarters.
Until then, Jason. Enjoy.
I'll try.
As the last of the crew transfer from their shuttle to Discovery 3020, the mood is high.
Husband and wife Max and Sarah Stone were early arrivals and are relaxing in one of the bars onboard aptly christened Club Infinity.
(14:34):
You know, I'm such a lucky man. I've been married to you for 15 marvelous years.
Do you still think we've made the right decision, heading off to the Kuiper Belt?
Of course, darling. We always make the right decisions.
This is possibly the biggest decision of our lives, but should we think it's the wrong decision, we can always apply to get teleported back to Earth.
(14:55):
It depends on the approval, but we've always got that option, haven't we?
Yes, we do. Although, we should try and stick it out to the end, really.
Well, I know I'd never forgive myself if I quit.
Yeah, me too. There's a lot on our plate for the next two years, unless, of course, we do get a wee bit of a shortcut through that wormhole and cut it by six months.
(15:16):
I don't exactly remember what they said about that.
It's something mind-blowing like those sort of figures.
Yeah, I think the wormhole creates a rotational projection which over the course of a few nanometers, connects trillions of kilometers together.
Kind of like a secret shortcut, but isn't it just all theories? Still, uncharted waters, right?
(15:37):
Correct. I guess we'll just have to find out, won't we?
By then we should all have completed all three levels of the training in mining KBOs, space travel as well as piloting our shuttles.
KBO?
Kuiper Belt Objects. The asteroids in the Kuiper Belt region that we're supposed to be landing our shuttles on to mine this special hydrocarbon.
(15:58):
Oh, that's right. I remember now. What time is the captain's seminar?
It's 1400 hours, I believe.
Oh, plenty of time then. You want another mocktail? It's all free after all.
Oh, go on then. We've got hours left. Then we'd better get settled in our cabins.
Yeah.
In anticipation of their imminent launch towards the Kuiper Belt, Captain Arrow summons all 300 of Discovery's crew to the main theater for a final briefing.
(16:31):
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard Discovery 3020, the number representing our year of travel.
Ahead lies a journey of the greatest lengths that mankind has ever known with humans on board a spaceship, 6 billion kilometers distance, or approximately halfway through the Kuiper Belt's asteroid area.
(16:55):
This roughly equals 40 times the distance between Earth and the Sun. We'll be just one and a half billion kilometers shy of Pluto.
With conventional rocket space technology, this would take us a little over five and a half years.
But with our new nuclear and engineering technology called IMT and TTT-C, we'll reduce this down to just two years, which will be enough time to have intense training for all of our 300 crew members.
(17:26):
In that training, there will be three levels to become experts in mining, space travel, and piloting your shuttles onto these icy Kuiper Belt objects, the largest objects being approximately 100 kilometers in length.
The KBOs have very little gravity. Therefore, upon landing, each of the shuttle's landing pads will drill into them to remain fixed on the surface.
(17:52):
You will also do a geological survey to find the best KBOs with the highest density of hydrocarbons.
Then you will deploy your mining drills to extract the important hydrocarbons from the rocks. It is simple in theory, but extremely challenging in practice.
Most of you will have trained for many years prior to this, but you will have refresher training courses in all of the faculties I've already mentioned.
(18:18):
You all have an important purpose in this mission. We're only as strong as the weakest link, so strengthen yourselves as much as possible.
We're fraught with dangers such as high space traveling speeds, avoiding dust, and KBOs. On the plus side, we do have a protective shield.
Our gravity generator is of the highest quality, and on a lighter note, there are plenty of leisure activities aboard the ship, ranging from swimming pools to bars, pubs, clubs, restaurants, cinemas, and more.
(18:49):
We shall depart at 1500 today. The 25-strong bridge crew are to report for duty at 1445 latest. Any questions so far?
Are we definitely going to approach and fly through this recently discovered wormhole between Saturn and Uranus?
We have reason to believe that this is a relatively safe option, albeit new and uncharted territory, but it would possibly save us six months of travel, so it's worth some serious consideration.
(19:19):
Well, you say relatively safe, but how can one know if one has never flown through such a wormhole before?
Our computers on board shall be scanning for gravity fluctuations 30 trillion times per second. If they detect any danger to the ship's hull, we will automatically be teleported to 1000 kilometers before the entry of the wormhole.
(19:40):
Should this present any further difficulties, the ship would be transported a further 9000 kilometers away from the entry to the wormhole until we get back to safety again.
What if the computers fail?
We have thousands of computers all carrying out the same activities in parallel. Should one or more fail, which is highly unlikely, the next will perform its task. They are all connected on different power sources too.
(20:07):
Dr Scott's thought of this, and we've been through thousands of simulations emulating this disaster scenario. Does that help?
Yes, it does. So long as no one's life is put at risk there.
You think I don't want to return alive?
I guess so.
Leaving the main theater, Captain Arrow proceeds to the bridge, where he must brief the bridge crew.
(20:34):
Welcome to the bridge team. I'm sure most of you will have some pertinent questions about the trip, but before we go there, if any of you have any points we've not already discussed, please state your activities for the launch, which will happen in a couple of hours. Jason, can you go first, followed by the person to your left, then continually clockwise around the bridge?
(20:56):
Okay Captain, I've checked all the trajectories from the computer scan. Do you want to go for the quickest route and switch on the ship's shield and fly through the space debris?
Let's keep the shields off for the time being so that we don't waste any of the nuclear energy. Let's circumvent the debris. Is that it?
Okay, thanks. Actually no, I've got one more question. I've checked the IMT and TTTC and they're displaying a charge level of 98%. Is this enough energy to abort the mission in an emergency operation?
(21:27):
So long as we don't consume any more energy, 92% of full energy capacity is the absolute minimum required to teleport back to Earth, or 10% is required to teleport back a few thousand kilometres. Does that help?
Yes, that completes my questions for the day.
Anyone else?
Captain, sorry to mention about the wormhole again. I see some scepticism in the ranks about going through it. People are stating that perhaps our computers are powerful, but what if the computers on board just can't understand what's happening? We end up lost in some kind of transition that we can't leave.
(22:04):
Max, we must not lose more than 10% of our crew for us to mine the KBOs for those hydrocarbons, but if people want to abandon the ship before going through the wormhole, then they must apply for this exemption through the proper channels and they will be teleported back to Earth. But they will only get 15% of their bonus if they do bail. The choice is theirs. Now, 99% are up for travelling through it. I will keep a close eye on the matter though.
(22:32):
That's 100% clear now. Thanks, Captain.
Anything else? Right then. Everyone at their stations see you in 15 minutes. We're to leave at 15 hundred.
And so, at 15 hundred hours on the 28th of March, 3020, with the crew at their stations on the bridge.
(22:56):
Jason, fire up the engines and advise when they're fully charged. 90, 95, 100% fully charged up, Captain.
Max, initiate the engines in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, now.
Engines initiated.
Jason, accelerate please. 100 metres per second, 1000 metres per second, 2 kilometres per second, 5, 20, 37, 44, Captain.
(23:30):
We're at maximum normal engine capacity. We are now travelling at 33 kilometres per second or 120,000 kilometres per hour.
Do you want me to initiate the IMT?
Negative. Let's leave her in this state for 24 hours, double check all of the system settings and then switch on the IMT.
Captain, I've already checked the settings and zero error reports have been detected.
(23:55):
Is there any validation to it, Max?
I've checked the IMT seven times, tested her seven times and I've found zero errors.
Impressive, Max. In that case, there's no time like the present. Everyone ready?
Totally ready, Captain.
Dear crew, we are about to switch on the IMT much earlier than we had originally expected.
(24:18):
Please note that you will feel a surge in acceleration of 7 Gs, so everyone to be fully strapped into their station seats within the next two minutes.
Failure to do so is at your own risk. Many thanks.
Max, please initiate the IMT.
IMT initiated, Captain.
(24:39):
Jason, please keep me informed of the ship's speed.
35 kilometres per second, 40, 50 kilometres per second. We're at full speed.
Captain, permission to initiate the shields urgently, then I'll…
Affirmative.
Shields initiated.
Well done, Max. Reconfigure the computer to recognise this issue from now on.
(25:00):
Will do, Captain. We're good to initiate the 3TC. Do you give permission?
Assuming you've done the same checks as previously?
The same checks, Captain.
In that case, affirmative.
3TC initiated, Captain.
Jason, speed.
55 kilometres per second, 60, 90, 95 kilometres per second. We're at full speed, Captain.
(25:26):
Well done, everyone. Isn't it nice that all the engine noise has completely disappeared as well?
Yes, Captain.
The first six months of the trip have passed relatively quickly, and so far only one member of the crew has dropped out of the programme.
They were transported back to Earth through the technological process called Instant Matter Teleportation.
(25:51):
Unfortunately, this is a one-way process, and so there is no opportunity to change one's mind.
And at a table in the Club Infinity bar, Carl Norton and Wendy Smith are sharing a coffee.
So, what do you think so far?
What about Carl?
This space travel mission or project, or whatever you want to call it, are you going to be on boarded until the very end?
(26:18):
You must be missing your husband, right?
Missing him? Like a hole in my head? No, I'm missing my dog and my cat.
Now that I can testify to. You?
Can't miss me entire family. And drop it out, Wendy.
No, Carl, are you serious? Who are we going to have a social drink with for the next 12 months then?
Well, that's if we don't go through that blasted wormhole they keep talking about.
(26:41):
Can I change your mind?
No, I've already applied.
You've already applied? Tell me this isn't true. It's a joke, right?
No, Wendy, I'm miserable out here and I'm leaving at 17.15 today.
What? All right, well, this is a complete shock. Why didn't you tell me you were unhappy?
Couldn't I have done anything to change your mind?
(27:03):
Oh, I've let you down. Pretty badly, haven't I?
Well, I guess you think you know someone until something like this happens.
However, you're not happy with this and even I wouldn't want that. So you have my reluctant blessing.
Thanks, Wendy. I knew you'd understand. Well, I guess I should wish you a successful trip ahead
and hope that you all mind for lots of this special hydrocarbon on the KBOs.
(27:27):
I'm the only one, by the way, who's dropping out early.
I'll only get 15% of my entire wage, but it's so much better than not kicking the teeth.
Good luck, Carl.
Thanks.
Back on board Discovery 3020, now many kilometres distant from the Earth, social life in deep space has continued.
(27:49):
There have been some minor brawls between some of the livelier characters on board, but in general, morale remains high.
Training of the mining crews is progressing satisfactorily, and now it is the turn of the shuttle pilots to practise the close quarter manoeuvring
that will be required to successfully operate within the Kuiper belt.
(28:10):
Novices have already progressed to level one, but all of them must reach level three by the 12th month on board.
However, a few more crew members have been tempted to drop out, four in total, all of whom were missing their families.
Captain Arrow has called Jason Burns to the captain's quarters.
(28:32):
I'm concerned, Jason.
What's the matter, Captain?
I've had a further four mission abort requests from our crew.
It states from Graham, our on-board psychologist, that they are all suffering from SPDE.
From what?
Space Psychological Disturbance and Effects.
It's a combination of where people get an anxiety from permanently being enclosed in a confined area, in this case the spaceship,
(28:58):
with the addition of a constant thread of feeling close to death, for example if the ship's hull were to be compromised we'd explode,
followed by artificial air conditioning systems missing Earth and their families.
So, in layman's terms, claustrophobia, anxiety and paranoid attacks, no fresh air and homesickness, right?
(29:19):
Yep, something like that.
Well, I guess I can actually relate and understand a lot of that.
We all miss our families, but this mission is not going to go on forever.
It's just a few months, and if we didn't have this IMT and 3TC technology, it would have been several more years.
However, at the end of the day, it's all down to character and where those people's strengths lie.
(29:41):
Yes, true. But that means we are only sixteen people away from aborting this entire KB mission,
and I am concerned that we're starting to follow a trend now.
Sixteen people? Why sixteen?
We must have an absolute minimum of 280 people in order to mine enough hydrocarbons in the time period allocated.
(30:05):
We are, after all, under contract with Karma Space Enterprises, aren't we?
There's no point worrying about it, and what we've got to do is to motivate the rest of the 295 crew members to stay,
and I know just the man to do that.
Oh yes, who?
You, Captain. You. Who better than to come from the leader of this ship?
They need a mentor, a guide, a leader.
(30:28):
You reckon?
Yep. Look, over half the crew have passed their Level 2 training the first time around,
the remainder the second time around.
Only Mack Stone has failed twice. He's now been summoned to the board where his wrists will be slapped.
He's either got to pass the exam third time, or be teleported back to Earth,
or become an administrator on board our vessel.
(30:51):
The crews are two-thirds way through their training.
There's only Level 3 to complete now, plus we're approaching the wormhole rather quickly.
This could knock off six months off our journey.
You've got to motivate them into believing that they are close to success, that they can almost taste it.
You're right. I'll call the crew to the main theatre today. We can't waste any more time.
(31:15):
On the 30th of December, 3020, Mack Stone is summoned to the boardroom aboard Discovery 3020.
Mack has failed his Level 2 exam for the second time,
and Sam Malloy, the Head of Training, is about to lead a meeting which explains the options available to Mack.
(31:37):
We noticed that you failed your Level 2 exam twice. Here are your options.
Repeat your exam for the third time. If you pass, you'll be allowed to stay aboard and then continue your training for Level 3, the final training.
If you fail, you'll have the option of getting teleported back to Earth.
Really?
Aye, really and without any hesitation. We don't need any of our crew to hold back on progress of this mission.
(32:03):
Or you could stay aboard and become an administrator. Is that perfectly clear?
Well, what does the role of administrator involve?
Administration. That can involve everything from paperwork to cleaning the lavatories. It depends on the timetable really. Are we clear?
I guess so.
(32:24):
What does that mean?
Well, it means yes.
Good. Your re-examination shall be in a week. Please study hard for it and don't let us and yourself down.
What did they say in the boardroom?
Well, they've given me some options.
What sort of options?
(32:45):
Don't worry, it'll be fine.
I don't understand.
They've said I've got to pass me Level 2 for the third time or else I'll become an administrator or I'll be teleported back to Earth.
Oh, Max, that's terrible news. Well, you'd better pull your socks up and pass this exam. Don't let us down.
Have you studied well in the last week since the board saw you?
(33:07):
Yes, I have. I feel much more prepared now.
Good. Now knock them dead and don't repeat this ever again. You know you are as good as the rest. You've just got to believe in yourself. I believe in you, Max.
You're such a sweetie. I do love you.
I love you too. Let me know how it goes, won't you?
(33:29):
I will, darling.
One week later, Max has retaken his Level 2 exam.
How did you do?
Well, not as well as I'd hoped for.
Oh, what does that mean? You're worrying me.
I only mean 98 percent. I've got a distinction.
(33:50):
Oh, Max, you're an absolute terror. You had me worried. That's brilliant.
I know, and... I know.
By now, Discovery 3020 has passed the orbital plane of Saturn and is fast approaching the wormhole. And no one on board has the slightest idea of what to expect or what the outcome might be.
(34:21):
So, how far away is this wormhole, then?
According to the UDSAS, it's an empty area, although we have no proof whether it's a wormhole. It's only theoretical.
So, what does that acronym stand for, then?
It's basically a Deep Space Scanner, Max. The UDS stands for Ultra Deep Space.
(34:42):
Oh, right. And the AS bit?
Oh, God, you are a pain. Analysis Scan. It's a space scanner. Let's just leave it at that, OK?
You know I'm always interested in picking up new bits of info. It's in my nature to be inquisitive.
Yes, indeed. Like I said, you're a flipping pain.
Back to my original question, then, which you still haven't answered. How far away is it from us?
(35:09):
Only a stone's throw away in relative terms to our speed. Only 55 million kilometres, or approximately 160 hours away. Seven days away, Max. We've all got to cast our vote to the ballot.
Electronically, of course. And if 78% of the crew votes in favour, we're going through it. What day is it today?
Well, relative to Earth, it's Tuesday. Although that's a little bit irrelevant out here in space.
(35:36):
We must all cast our vote by Saturday. And if it succeeds, we're going through it on Sunday.
And how do you feel about it?
Because of our computer's safety mechanisms? I'm comfortable with it. Like the captain stated in his speech all those months ago.
We're not going through it as guinea pigs in laboratory. It's more like an exciting new exploration. It's a very calculated risk, really.
(35:59):
I don't like it, but, well, what do I know?
Let's see what happens with a vote on Saturday, shall we? If you don't want to go, you can always get teleported back to Earth.
But, on the positive side, it will take six months off our journey time, in which case we'll be at our destination.
Nah, I'm going to brave it out.
Good lad.
(36:20):
Captain Arrow summons the entire crew to the main theatre on Saturday to announce that they must vote for or against going through the wormhole.
Team, we have travelled for a whopping period of 46 weeks and have covered 2.6 billion kilometres since leaving Earth.
(36:43):
During this time we've all learnt about mining, space travel and flying our shuttles.
We are not the same people today as we were a year ago. We have become better.
We now have a chance to make ourselves proud by slashing the timeframe of this mission down to just a few more days by flying this mothership through the wormhole tomorrow.
(37:05):
If, of course, it does exist.
On our UDSAS it's showing up as an empty spot, so the assumption is that the scanner can't detect it fully. No one knows.
Tomorrow we will decelerate our ship's speed from 95 km per second to a slight fraction of our normal speed, only 10 km per hour.
(37:29):
We shall approach it at that speed from exactly 10 km away to get a feel for what is about to happen to the ship.
So it will take us an hour to approach the mouth of the entity.
Then we shall increase our speed but not to its full capacity.
Today I ask you all to cast your vote to the ballots, either in favour or not, as to whether we should fly through the wormhole tomorrow on 17 February 3021.
(37:59):
The majority must be 78% or greater for ground control on Earth to give us an approval to act upon this.
If everything goes to plan, we should be smack bang in the middle of the Kuiper belt, a miracle right before our eyes.
If we experience massive gravity force fields and the ship's hull or crew find ourselves being compromised,
(38:22):
our IMT shall teleport us back to where we were when we approached the wormhole, that is 10 km away from the mouth again.
We will then try it with a different approach until we get it right.
If you all vote no to enter the wormhole, then we shall bypass it and carry on to the Kuiper belt as per our Plan B.
(38:44):
It's all up to you now to decide.
Please cast your vote before midnight and we'll all know the results by the morning, first thing.
Rest assured, whatever you do decide, I shall honour and respect your decision,
regardless of whether it goes for or against my belief of what we should do.
That's all folks, many thanks for all your time.
(39:08):
The crew are in the main theatre again to hear the result of the vote.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to announce the results of your vote.
96% of the vote are in favour of flying our ship into the wormhole.
The remaining 4% have voted not to fly our ship into the wormhole.
(39:33):
Could those who voted no, please state electronically what your intentions are now.
All 4% have chosen to get teleported back to Earth.
Your intentions shall therefore be honoured.
Please pack your belongings, say your goodbyes to your crew members and kindly go to the IMT teleportation room.
(39:58):
Many thanks for your contributions.
We are sorry to see you all go, but your minds are made up.
Good luck to all of us.
On 18 February 3021, the spaceship Discovery 3020 is about to enter a wormhole at a speed of 95 kilometres a second.
(40:19):
It is something that no human has ever experienced before.
Captain John Arrow is giving instructions and receiving feedback from his crew.
Jason Burns is second in command.
Jason, please take the IMT and 3TC down to a third of capacity.
(40:41):
This should make the wormhole transition smoother.
IMT and 3TC set to a third, Captain.
But should we not increase this as we may experience gravitational turbulence from the wormhole?
I understand that it's all theoretical and we are essentially the guinea pigs for wormhole entry.
But what if that's the correct way?
Like you said, Jason, it's theoretical.
(41:04):
How many seconds to wormhole entry?
20 seconds, Captain, and counting.
19, 18, 17, and 17.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Why hasn't anything happened yet?
There is silence amongst all on board the spaceship and then suddenly, without warning, the spaceship jolts to the right then the left.
(41:37):
What on earth was that? Could it be the gravitational turbulence?
Perhaps. Take the IMT and 3TC to a higher setting like you said.
Are you sure? Jason, do it now!
Time, light, space and sound appear to stand still.
Black and white colours beam around the spaceship.
(41:58):
The present, past and future within a five second tolerance is happening in ultra slow motion.
Jason and Captain John Arrow are seen gasping in horror.
(42:35):
What on earth is going on?
Look all around you, tell me what do you see?
Where are you heading now?
All you want to be free?
(42:56):
You're looking for the answers.
You're dreaming of the future.
Why don't you tell me what you wanted to be?
You couldn't place the truth, so you're destined to be asking the same old questions.
Not knowing your direction.
(43:19):
Tell me what you're thinking.
Are you out of your mind?
You can be confusing.
Are you out of control?
Stop playing those mind games.
(43:43):
You're playing mind games.
Damn, you can be a maniac. You're moody and you're changing like the wind.
You never knew where you were heading.
(44:04):
You couldn't even make a living.
I wouldn't hurt you if you knocked on my door.
I'm damned if I take the chance just to gamble for more.
You never knew what you had.
You turned from good to bad.
Tell me what you're thinking.
(44:25):
Are you out of your mind?
You can be confusing.
Are you out of control?
Stop playing those mind games.
(44:47):
You're playing mind games.
(45:17):
Say you want me, say you need me, say you love me for all of time.
Say you want me, say you need me, say you love me for all of time.
(45:47):
Say you want me, say you need me, say you love me for all of time.
(46:17):
In this episode of Kingdom, Robert Pine was played by Michael Tanzer and Captain John Arrow was Bob Finch.
Jason Burns was Chris Sheldrick and Dr. Dan Scott was played by Thomas Horton.
(46:39):
The narrator was Alec Newman.
Studio production was by Phil McMurtry and the programme was directed by Robert Finch.
This has been a Kuiper Belt production.
Kuiper Belt Productions presents Kingdom by Phil McMurtry
(00:05):
Episode 3
Robert Pyne has now converted enough of his investments into the capital necessary to construct the time machine,
which he hopes will now proceed smoothly.
However, he is about to discover that Dr Scott has hit a problem,
a problem that requires a very complex and costly solution.
(00:30):
Dan, how are you? How's the time machine coming along?
Ah, I knew you'd cut to the chase.
We've got a bit of a problem and it involves some amount of space travel.
Space travel? What on earth are you talking about, Dan?
Let me explain. Our time machine requires a very special and rare compound.
I say rare because it's not available on Earth.
(00:53):
It's a special hydrocarbon and it simply can be synthesised on Earth,
as the process would be both time consuming and ridiculously costly.
Since we require a phenomenal amount of energy,
equivalent to thousands of nuclear explosions, it's very difficult to create.
Moreover, it will cost hundreds of billions of pounds, way outside your budget.
(01:17):
What are you proposing?
I've carried out a spectroscopy analysis of the solar system,
and this element is only available in one area. It's called the Kappa Belt.
Where? The K-what? You say belt?
Precisely.
So, this belt then, where is it located in our solar system?
(01:38):
Some area of the Moon? Venus? Mars?
Sorry, I'm not too clued up on astronomy.
If only we were so lucky.
Unfortunately, it's a lot further than any of those planets you just mentioned.
It's between 30 and 50 astronomical units away from the Sun,
or to put it in units of measurement, roughly 6 billion kilometres away.
(02:00):
Is this some kind of wind-up?
Because I really have lots to do today, you know.
Sorry, no wind-up. I'm dead serious.
With a conventional spaceship, it would take approximately just under six years
of travelling at 120,000 kilometres an hour.
What? Well, how is that going to work then?
Well, it's only a concept,
(02:22):
but the spaceship would have to be built with something called an IMT and TTTZ.
IMT is a bit like teleportation, and it stands for Instant Matter Transportation.
TTTZ is the cleverer bit.
It's a time machine, but can only go forward in time or back to when it was first started.
It stands for Temporary Time Travel Concept.
(02:46):
Combining the two technologies, it would take approximately two years to return to the Kuiper Belt.
The spaceship can return to Earth instantaneously once its mission in the Kuiper Belt has been completed.
I've calculated it to take 19.376 milliseconds. Genius, oh, wow.
All very clever stuff, Daniel, but two years is a real disappointment.
(03:10):
That's the best you're going to get. Take it or leave it.
We can't build your time machine without this special element.
OK, but how much would it take, Dan? What's the damage?
With a team of 30,000 scientists, engineers, designers and architects,
it would take 15 years to complete the spaceship at a cost of $300 billion.
(03:32):
This would involve building seven physical prototype ships as well as one design intent ship.
The spaceship would have to be constructed within the inner space, 900 kilometers above the Earth's surface.
Its construction is modular and hundreds of mini rockets would have to be launched from Earth into space to deploy all of its materials.
(03:53):
Its outer shell dimensions are 200 meters length by 100 meters diameter, which gives it a mass of over 600 tons,
thereby making it too heavy to launch from Earth, hence the necessity to build it in space.
This is much too long and too costly.
Build this in six years and slash the time and materials cost right down to 1.7 billion dallons.
(04:17):
No physical prototypes will be built. Implement thousands of virtual simulations instead.
Utilize only 8% of your original 30,000 workforces. Can you deliver, Dan?
Hmm, if my calculations are strictly correct, it'll certainly be a challenge Rob, but you always drive a hard bargain.
(04:38):
And quite annoyingly, you are correct most of the times.
Ha ha ha ha, yes, thanks Dan.
By the year 3020, the revolutionary new spaceship has been completed, on time and within budget.
It is christened Discovery 3020 and has had to be constructed in orbit far above Earth's surface, in full view of the eyes of the whole world.
(05:04):
From the ground it has been dubbed Earth's second moon and many popular songs and column inches have been penned, speculating upon its mission.
Robert Pyne and Dr Scott are meeting on launch day.
Well, Dan, when we said that the spaceship will be ready in six years, I didn't think we'd launch her exactly six years to the exact date to when we first kicked off the project.
(05:29):
You're truly a perfectionist.
One does try to achieve one's objectives. I can't lie, I do like a challenge and this has been the most challenging project that I've ever worked on.
I would like to do several more tests before launching her, but we've done enough computer simulations to do this trip several times over. Fingers crossed.
(05:50):
At least only our small shuttles have to break through our atmosphere to reach the mothership. Thank God that it's already docked in space. How far away is it from the ground?
Approximately 900 kilometers from sea level. Enough to miss our orbiting satellites, but the computer can also detect space debris and if necessary, overrides manual piloting and it avoids it within a minimum of 10 milliseconds, which is pretty fast.
(06:16):
It's getting busy up there these days. We still don't have a successful way of getting rid of the junk up there. It's been over a thousand years and no one has reached a viable solution yet.
There's a commercial opportunity for you there, Rob.
Maybe, but at the moment my target is fixed somewhere else. You know that well.
Robert, shall we meet the crew one last time before the shuttle launches then?
(06:40):
Let's do it.
Hey, team. John, Jason.
Robert, glad you could make it for the launch.
Wouldn't have missed it for the world. No chance.
I guess it's a big day for all of us as we'll be traveling in space for two years from now. Yep, when the time machine gets developed, we'll effectively wind back those two years again, as stated within our contract, right?
(07:11):
Well, there's no guarantees that the time machine will work, but if Dan's calculations are correct, then yes, you'll make up that time. There is a huge risk on all of us, really, but mine is more financial than time.
I guess time will tell. We're all very wealthy men, thanks to Rob, but we're all going to miss our families. 50 million pennons isn't a bad paycheck at all.
(07:37):
Glad to help there, at least. I wish you all the very best of luck. We will be in constant contact, on standby to put it bluntly. You're navigating uncharted space. You're the pioneers, really.
Those are the exact words we're looking forward to at this difficult yet also exciting time.
I couldn't have said it any better myself, John.
(08:00):
Good luck, team.
13 feet, 8 feet, 2 minutes to countdown.
T minus 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, and liftoff.
(08:35):
We're strapped in our seats, we're looking up at the sky.
10 seconds to blast off, rockets ignite to take us high.
Mission control, do you receive? We're looking good.
(09:02):
We've left our launch pad, our dangerous journey lies ahead.
Rocket booster sequence number one implementation good.
We're thinking of our families, we leave behind today on planet Earth.
(09:30):
We're bursting through the atmosphere, searching for children's life of fear.
The year is 3020, time will help us plan it, we're traveling to the cover bell.
The place is all around us, the moon in front of us shines bright.
(09:57):
100 years of travel, we keep on moving day and night.
We're floating round our ship, ship's music playing in our ears.
We'll make some repairs, so we'll improve our time by years.
(10:25):
Suddenly the ship is shaking, crew are thrown everywhere.
The damage report is not good, we'll have to improvise our way from here.
Long of all the haze was thrown, we dare to venture in the unknown.
(10:52):
The ship will surely bring us time to make a name for what's coming to the cover bell.
Seems that time has ceased and we're standing still.
Ten million miles per hour is showing on our screen.
The light is blinding us, it's insanity.
(11:15):
We have no concept now of what's reality. We don't know where we are, expectations run high.
The truth changed black and white as the lights fly by.
Is this the final frontier, have we reached our goal?
Is this our destination, have we left the world for?
(11:40):
The ship has held together through the world, the weather, we're traveling through the hypervent.
The ship has held together through the world, the weather, we're traveling through the hypervent.
Four shuttlecraft, originally used to ferry materials from the ground into orbit,
(12:05):
transfer the crew in stages to their new home 900 kilometers above the Earth's surface.
Discovery 3020 will now travel a total of 6 billion kilometers to reach the Kuiper Belt objects,
on which the shuttles will land and arrive at the Kuiper Belt.
They will travel a total of 6 billion kilometers to reach the Kuiper Belt objects, on which the shuttles will land
(12:30):
and ascertain which are rich enough to mine for the special hydrocarbons needed for the time machine.
Our captain, John Arrow, and his second-in-command, Jason Burns,
are on board one of the shuttlecraft heading to their new command.
So Jason, the time has finally arrived. How are you feeling?
(12:51):
I'm a little nervous, a little nervous, a little melancholic.
I've got mixed feelings flowing through my veins right now. How about yourself?
I'm no different. I guess the mothership is in control of our lives to a certain degree, right?
I don't intend to let go of the wheel too soon whilst in space,
although it's mostly traveling by autopilot, I guess,
and is being controlled by the million quantum computers running the software.
(13:15):
Not bad, considering it's all built to the size of a small computer rack.
Yep, that's a serious amount of quantum juice controlling everything.
And to think it's all possible to be controlled remotely from Earth as well.
All outstanding technology, really, and only with a two-nanosecond delay for every one billion kilometers that we travel.
Yep. There she is, Jason. Our ship, Discovery 3020, a namesake of the space shuttles from the 20th century.
(13:43):
Let's get on board now that the shuttle has docked with her.
So, what's on the agenda next, John?
What time is it? Hmm, ten o'clock.
We'll let the crew settle in for a few hours. Maybe we'll hold a 20-minute speech at 1400 postlunch, and depart towards Kuiper Belt at 1500.
What do you think?
(14:04):
Sounds good to me, John. I'll await your meeting to be scheduled and then settle into my quarters.
Until then, Jason. Enjoy.
I'll try.
As the last of the crew transfer from their shuttle to Discovery 3020, the mood is high.
Husband and wife Max and Sarah Stone were early arrivals and are relaxing in one of the bars onboard aptly christened Club Infinity.
(14:34):
You know, I'm such a lucky man. I've been married to you for 15 marvelous years.
Do you still think we've made the right decision, heading off to the Kuiper Belt?
Of course, darling. We always make the right decisions.
This is possibly the biggest decision of our lives, but should we think it's the wrong decision, we can always apply to get teleported back to Earth.
(14:55):
It depends on the approval, but we've always got that option, haven't we?
Yes, we do. Although, we should try and stick it out to the end, really.
Well, I know I'd never forgive myself if I quit.
Yeah, me too. There's a lot on our plate for the next two years, unless, of course, we do get a wee bit of a shortcut through that wormhole and cut it by six months.
(15:16):
I don't exactly remember what they said about that.
It's something mind-blowing like those sort of figures.
Yeah, I think the wormhole creates a rotational projection which over the course of a few nanometers, connects trillions of kilometers together.
Kind of like a secret shortcut, but isn't it just all theories? Still, uncharted waters, right?
(15:37):
Correct. I guess we'll just have to find out, won't we?
By then we should all have completed all three levels of the training in mining KBOs, space travel as well as piloting our shuttles.
KBO?
Kuiper Belt Objects. The asteroids in the Kuiper Belt region that we're supposed to be landing our shuttles on to mine this special hydrocarbon.
(15:58):
Oh, that's right. I remember now. What time is the captain's seminar?
It's 1400 hours, I believe.
Oh, plenty of time then. You want another mocktail? It's all free after all.
Oh, go on then. We've got hours left. Then we'd better get settled in our cabins.
Yeah.
In anticipation of their imminent launch towards the Kuiper Belt, Captain Arrow summons all 300 of Discovery's crew to the main theater for a final briefing.
(16:31):
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard Discovery 3020, the number representing our year of travel.
Ahead lies a journey of the greatest lengths that mankind has ever known with humans on board a spaceship, 6 billion kilometers distance, or approximately halfway through the Kuiper Belt's asteroid area.
(16:55):
This roughly equals 40 times the distance between Earth and the Sun. We'll be just one and a half billion kilometers shy of Pluto.
With conventional rocket space technology, this would take us a little over five and a half years.
But with our new nuclear and engineering technology called IMT and TTT-C, we'll reduce this down to just two years, which will be enough time to have intense training for all of our 300 crew members.
(17:26):
In that training, there will be three levels to become experts in mining, space travel, and piloting your shuttles onto these icy Kuiper Belt objects, the largest objects being approximately 100 kilometers in length.
The KBOs have very little gravity. Therefore, upon landing, each of the shuttle's landing pads will drill into them to remain fixed on the surface.
(17:52):
You will also do a geological survey to find the best KBOs with the highest density of hydrocarbons.
Then you will deploy your mining drills to extract the important hydrocarbons from the rocks. It is simple in theory, but extremely challenging in practice.
Most of you will have trained for many years prior to this, but you will have refresher training courses in all of the faculties I've already mentioned.
(18:18):
You all have an important purpose in this mission. We're only as strong as the weakest link, so strengthen yourselves as much as possible.
We're fraught with dangers such as high space traveling speeds, avoiding dust, and KBOs. On the plus side, we do have a protective shield.
Our gravity generator is of the highest quality, and on a lighter note, there are plenty of leisure activities aboard the ship, ranging from swimming pools to bars, pubs, clubs, restaurants, cinemas, and more.
(18:49):
We shall depart at 1500 today. The 25-strong bridge crew are to report for duty at 1445 latest. Any questions so far?
Are we definitely going to approach and fly through this recently discovered wormhole between Saturn and Uranus?
We have reason to believe that this is a relatively safe option, albeit new and uncharted territory, but it would possibly save us six months of travel, so it's worth some serious consideration.
(19:19):
Well, you say relatively safe, but how can one know if one has never flown through such a wormhole before?
Our computers on board shall be scanning for gravity fluctuations 30 trillion times per second. If they detect any danger to the ship's hull, we will automatically be teleported to 1000 kilometers before the entry of the wormhole.
(19:40):
Should this present any further difficulties, the ship would be transported a further 9000 kilometers away from the entry to the wormhole until we get back to safety again.
What if the computers fail?
We have thousands of computers all carrying out the same activities in parallel. Should one or more fail, which is highly unlikely, the next will perform its task. They are all connected on different power sources too.
(20:07):
Dr Scott's thought of this, and we've been through thousands of simulations emulating this disaster scenario. Does that help?
Yes, it does. So long as no one's life is put at risk there.
You think I don't want to return alive?
I guess so.
Leaving the main theater, Captain Arrow proceeds to the bridge, where he must brief the bridge crew.
(20:34):
Welcome to the bridge team. I'm sure most of you will have some pertinent questions about the trip, but before we go there, if any of you have any points we've not already discussed, please state your activities for the launch, which will happen in a couple of hours. Jason, can you go first, followed by the person to your left, then continually clockwise around the bridge?
(20:56):
Okay Captain, I've checked all the trajectories from the computer scan. Do you want to go for the quickest route and switch on the ship's shield and fly through the space debris?
Let's keep the shields off for the time being so that we don't waste any of the nuclear energy. Let's circumvent the debris. Is that it?
Okay, thanks. Actually no, I've got one more question. I've checked the IMT and TTTC and they're displaying a charge level of 98%. Is this enough energy to abort the mission in an emergency operation?
(21:27):
So long as we don't consume any more energy, 92% of full energy capacity is the absolute minimum required to teleport back to Earth, or 10% is required to teleport back a few thousand kilometres. Does that help?
Yes, that completes my questions for the day.
Anyone else?
Captain, sorry to mention about the wormhole again. I see some scepticism in the ranks about going through it. People are stating that perhaps our computers are powerful, but what if the computers on board just can't understand what's happening? We end up lost in some kind of transition that we can't leave.
(22:04):
Max, we must not lose more than 10% of our crew for us to mine the KBOs for those hydrocarbons, but if people want to abandon the ship before going through the wormhole, then they must apply for this exemption through the proper channels and they will be teleported back to Earth. But they will only get 15% of their bonus if they do bail. The choice is theirs. Now, 99% are up for travelling through it. I will keep a close eye on the matter though.
(22:32):
That's 100% clear now. Thanks, Captain.
Anything else? Right then. Everyone at their stations see you in 15 minutes. We're to leave at 15 hundred.
And so, at 15 hundred hours on the 28th of March, 3020, with the crew at their stations on the bridge.
(22:56):
Jason, fire up the engines and advise when they're fully charged. 90, 95, 100% fully charged up, Captain.
Max, initiate the engines in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, now.
Engines initiated.
Jason, accelerate please. 100 metres per second, 1000 metres per second, 2 kilometres per second, 5, 20, 37, 44, Captain.
(23:30):
We're at maximum normal engine capacity. We are now travelling at 33 kilometres per second or 120,000 kilometres per hour.
Do you want me to initiate the IMT?
Negative. Let's leave her in this state for 24 hours, double check all of the system settings and then switch on the IMT.
Captain, I've already checked the settings and zero error reports have been detected.
(23:55):
Is there any validation to it, Max?
I've checked the IMT seven times, tested her seven times and I've found zero errors.
Impressive, Max. In that case, there's no time like the present. Everyone ready?
Totally ready, Captain.
Dear crew, we are about to switch on the IMT much earlier than we had originally expected.
(24:18):
Please note that you will feel a surge in acceleration of 7 Gs, so everyone to be fully strapped into their station seats within the next two minutes.
Failure to do so is at your own risk. Many thanks.
Max, please initiate the IMT.
IMT initiated, Captain.
(24:39):
Jason, please keep me informed of the ship's speed.
35 kilometres per second, 40, 50 kilometres per second. We're at full speed.
Captain, permission to initiate the shields urgently, then I'll…
Affirmative.
Shields initiated.
Well done, Max. Reconfigure the computer to recognise this issue from now on.
(25:00):
Will do, Captain. We're good to initiate the 3TC. Do you give permission?
Assuming you've done the same checks as previously?
The same checks, Captain.
In that case, affirmative.
3TC initiated, Captain.
Jason, speed.
55 kilometres per second, 60, 90, 95 kilometres per second. We're at full speed, Captain.
(25:26):
Well done, everyone. Isn't it nice that all the engine noise has completely disappeared as well?
Yes, Captain.
The first six months of the trip have passed relatively quickly, and so far only one member of the crew has dropped out of the programme.
They were transported back to Earth through the technological process called Instant Matter Teleportation.
(25:51):
Unfortunately, this is a one-way process, and so there is no opportunity to change one's mind.
And at a table in the Club Infinity bar, Carl Norton and Wendy Smith are sharing a coffee.
So, what do you think so far?
What about Carl?
This space travel mission or project, or whatever you want to call it, are you going to be on boarded until the very end?
(26:18):
You must be missing your husband, right?
Missing him? Like a hole in my head? No, I'm missing my dog and my cat.
Now that I can testify to. You?
Can't miss me entire family. And drop it out, Wendy.
No, Carl, are you serious? Who are we going to have a social drink with for the next 12 months then?
Well, that's if we don't go through that blasted wormhole they keep talking about.
(26:41):
Can I change your mind?
No, I've already applied.
You've already applied? Tell me this isn't true. It's a joke, right?
No, Wendy, I'm miserable out here and I'm leaving at 17.15 today.
What? All right, well, this is a complete shock. Why didn't you tell me you were unhappy?
Couldn't I have done anything to change your mind?
(27:03):
Oh, I've let you down. Pretty badly, haven't I?
Well, I guess you think you know someone until something like this happens.
However, you're not happy with this and even I wouldn't want that. So you have my reluctant blessing.
Thanks, Wendy. I knew you'd understand. Well, I guess I should wish you a successful trip ahead
and hope that you all mind for lots of this special hydrocarbon on the KBOs.
(27:27):
I'm the only one, by the way, who's dropping out early.
I'll only get 15% of my entire wage, but it's so much better than not kicking the teeth.
Good luck, Carl.
Thanks.
Back on board Discovery 3020, now many kilometres distant from the Earth, social life in deep space has continued.
(27:49):
There have been some minor brawls between some of the livelier characters on board, but in general, morale remains high.
Training of the mining crews is progressing satisfactorily, and now it is the turn of the shuttle pilots to practise the close quarter manoeuvring
that will be required to successfully operate within the Kuiper belt.
(28:10):
Novices have already progressed to level one, but all of them must reach level three by the 12th month on board.
However, a few more crew members have been tempted to drop out, four in total, all of whom were missing their families.
Captain Arrow has called Jason Burns to the captain's quarters.
(28:32):
I'm concerned, Jason.
What's the matter, Captain?
I've had a further four mission abort requests from our crew.
It states from Graham, our on-board psychologist, that they are all suffering from SPDE.
From what?
Space Psychological Disturbance and Effects.
It's a combination of where people get an anxiety from permanently being enclosed in a confined area, in this case the spaceship,
(28:58):
with the addition of a constant thread of feeling close to death, for example if the ship's hull were to be compromised we'd explode,
followed by artificial air conditioning systems missing Earth and their families.
So, in layman's terms, claustrophobia, anxiety and paranoid attacks, no fresh air and homesickness, right?
(29:19):
Yep, something like that.
Well, I guess I can actually relate and understand a lot of that.
We all miss our families, but this mission is not going to go on forever.
It's just a few months, and if we didn't have this IMT and 3TC technology, it would have been several more years.
However, at the end of the day, it's all down to character and where those people's strengths lie.
(29:41):
Yes, true. But that means we are only sixteen people away from aborting this entire KB mission,
and I am concerned that we're starting to follow a trend now.
Sixteen people? Why sixteen?
We must have an absolute minimum of 280 people in order to mine enough hydrocarbons in the time period allocated.
(30:05):
We are, after all, under contract with Karma Space Enterprises, aren't we?
There's no point worrying about it, and what we've got to do is to motivate the rest of the 295 crew members to stay,
and I know just the man to do that.
Oh yes, who?
You, Captain. You. Who better than to come from the leader of this ship?
They need a mentor, a guide, a leader.
(30:28):
You reckon?
Yep. Look, over half the crew have passed their Level 2 training the first time around,
the remainder the second time around.
Only Mack Stone has failed twice. He's now been summoned to the board where his wrists will be slapped.
He's either got to pass the exam third time, or be teleported back to Earth,
or become an administrator on board our vessel.
(30:51):
The crews are two-thirds way through their training.
There's only Level 3 to complete now, plus we're approaching the wormhole rather quickly.
This could knock off six months off our journey.
You've got to motivate them into believing that they are close to success, that they can almost taste it.
You're right. I'll call the crew to the main theatre today. We can't waste any more time.
(31:15):
On the 30th of December, 3020, Mack Stone is summoned to the boardroom aboard Discovery 3020.
Mack has failed his Level 2 exam for the second time,
and Sam Malloy, the Head of Training, is about to lead a meeting which explains the options available to Mack.
(31:37):
We noticed that you failed your Level 2 exam twice. Here are your options.
Repeat your exam for the third time. If you pass, you'll be allowed to stay aboard and then continue your training for Level 3, the final training.
If you fail, you'll have the option of getting teleported back to Earth.
Really?
Aye, really and without any hesitation. We don't need any of our crew to hold back on progress of this mission.
(32:03):
Or you could stay aboard and become an administrator. Is that perfectly clear?
Well, what does the role of administrator involve?
Administration. That can involve everything from paperwork to cleaning the lavatories. It depends on the timetable really. Are we clear?
I guess so.
(32:24):
What does that mean?
Well, it means yes.
Good. Your re-examination shall be in a week. Please study hard for it and don't let us and yourself down.
What did they say in the boardroom?
Well, they've given me some options.
What sort of options?
(32:45):
Don't worry, it'll be fine.
I don't understand.
They've said I've got to pass me Level 2 for the third time or else I'll become an administrator or I'll be teleported back to Earth.
Oh, Max, that's terrible news. Well, you'd better pull your socks up and pass this exam. Don't let us down.
Have you studied well in the last week since the board saw you?
(33:07):
Yes, I have. I feel much more prepared now.
Good. Now knock them dead and don't repeat this ever again. You know you are as good as the rest. You've just got to believe in yourself. I believe in you, Max.
You're such a sweetie. I do love you.
I love you too. Let me know how it goes, won't you?
(33:29):
I will, darling.
One week later, Max has retaken his Level 2 exam.
How did you do?
Well, not as well as I'd hoped for.
Oh, what does that mean? You're worrying me.
I only mean 98 percent. I've got a distinction.
(33:50):
Oh, Max, you're an absolute terror. You had me worried. That's brilliant.
I know, and... I know.
By now, Discovery 3020 has passed the orbital plane of Saturn and is fast approaching the wormhole. And no one on board has the slightest idea of what to expect or what the outcome might be.
(34:21):
So, how far away is this wormhole, then?
According to the UDSAS, it's an empty area, although we have no proof whether it's a wormhole. It's only theoretical.
So, what does that acronym stand for, then?
It's basically a Deep Space Scanner, Max. The UDS stands for Ultra Deep Space.
(34:42):
Oh, right. And the AS bit?
Oh, God, you are a pain. Analysis Scan. It's a space scanner. Let's just leave it at that, OK?
You know I'm always interested in picking up new bits of info. It's in my nature to be inquisitive.
Yes, indeed. Like I said, you're a flipping pain.
Back to my original question, then, which you still haven't answered. How far away is it from us?
(35:09):
Only a stone's throw away in relative terms to our speed. Only 55 million kilometres, or approximately 160 hours away. Seven days away, Max. We've all got to cast our vote to the ballot.
Electronically, of course. And if 78% of the crew votes in favour, we're going through it. What day is it today?
Well, relative to Earth, it's Tuesday. Although that's a little bit irrelevant out here in space.
(35:36):
We must all cast our vote by Saturday. And if it succeeds, we're going through it on Sunday.
And how do you feel about it?
Because of our computer's safety mechanisms? I'm comfortable with it. Like the captain stated in his speech all those months ago.
We're not going through it as guinea pigs in laboratory. It's more like an exciting new exploration. It's a very calculated risk, really.
(35:59):
I don't like it, but, well, what do I know?
Let's see what happens with a vote on Saturday, shall we? If you don't want to go, you can always get teleported back to Earth.
But, on the positive side, it will take six months off our journey time, in which case we'll be at our destination.
Nah, I'm going to brave it out.
Good lad.
(36:20):
Captain Arrow summons the entire crew to the main theatre on Saturday to announce that they must vote for or against going through the wormhole.
Team, we have travelled for a whopping period of 46 weeks and have covered 2.6 billion kilometres since leaving Earth.
(36:43):
During this time we've all learnt about mining, space travel and flying our shuttles.
We are not the same people today as we were a year ago. We have become better.
We now have a chance to make ourselves proud by slashing the timeframe of this mission down to just a few more days by flying this mothership through the wormhole tomorrow.
(37:05):
If, of course, it does exist.
On our UDSAS it's showing up as an empty spot, so the assumption is that the scanner can't detect it fully. No one knows.
Tomorrow we will decelerate our ship's speed from 95 km per second to a slight fraction of our normal speed, only 10 km per hour.
(37:29):
We shall approach it at that speed from exactly 10 km away to get a feel for what is about to happen to the ship.
So it will take us an hour to approach the mouth of the entity.
Then we shall increase our speed but not to its full capacity.
Today I ask you all to cast your vote to the ballots, either in favour or not, as to whether we should fly through the wormhole tomorrow on 17 February 3021.
(37:59):
The majority must be 78% or greater for ground control on Earth to give us an approval to act upon this.
If everything goes to plan, we should be smack bang in the middle of the Kuiper belt, a miracle right before our eyes.
If we experience massive gravity force fields and the ship's hull or crew find ourselves being compromised,
(38:22):
our IMT shall teleport us back to where we were when we approached the wormhole, that is 10 km away from the mouth again.
We will then try it with a different approach until we get it right.
If you all vote no to enter the wormhole, then we shall bypass it and carry on to the Kuiper belt as per our Plan B.
(38:44):
It's all up to you now to decide.
Please cast your vote before midnight and we'll all know the results by the morning, first thing.
Rest assured, whatever you do decide, I shall honour and respect your decision,
regardless of whether it goes for or against my belief of what we should do.
That's all folks, many thanks for all your time.
(39:08):
The crew are in the main theatre again to hear the result of the vote.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to announce the results of your vote.
96% of the vote are in favour of flying our ship into the wormhole.
The remaining 4% have voted not to fly our ship into the wormhole.
(39:33):
Could those who voted no, please state electronically what your intentions are now.
All 4% have chosen to get teleported back to Earth.
Your intentions shall therefore be honoured.
Please pack your belongings, say your goodbyes to your crew members and kindly go to the IMT teleportation room.
(39:58):
Many thanks for your contributions.
We are sorry to see you all go, but your minds are made up.
Good luck to all of us.
On 18 February 3021, the spaceship Discovery 3020 is about to enter a wormhole at a speed of 95 kilometres a second.
(40:19):
It is something that no human has ever experienced before.
Captain John Arrow is giving instructions and receiving feedback from his crew.
Jason Burns is second in command.
Jason, please take the IMT and 3TC down to a third of capacity.
(40:41):
This should make the wormhole transition smoother.
IMT and 3TC set to a third, Captain.
But should we not increase this as we may experience gravitational turbulence from the wormhole?
I understand that it's all theoretical and we are essentially the guinea pigs for wormhole entry.
But what if that's the correct way?
Like you said, Jason, it's theoretical.
(41:04):
How many seconds to wormhole entry?
20 seconds, Captain, and counting.
19, 18, 17, and 17.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Why hasn't anything happened yet?
There is silence amongst all on board the spaceship and then suddenly, without warning, the spaceship jolts to the right then the left.
(41:37):
What on earth was that? Could it be the gravitational turbulence?
Perhaps. Take the IMT and 3TC to a higher setting like you said.
Are you sure? Jason, do it now!
Time, light, space and sound appear to stand still.
Black and white colours beam around the spaceship.
(41:58):
The present, past and future within a five second tolerance is happening in ultra slow motion.
Jason and Captain John Arrow are seen gasping in horror.
(42:35):
What on earth is going on?
Look all around you, tell me what do you see?
Where are you heading now?
All you want to be free?
(42:56):
You're looking for the answers.
You're dreaming of the future.
Why don't you tell me what you wanted to be?
You couldn't place the truth, so you're destined to be asking the same old questions.
Not knowing your direction.
(43:19):
Tell me what you're thinking.
Are you out of your mind?
You can be confusing.
Are you out of control?
Stop playing those mind games.
(43:43):
You're playing mind games.
Damn, you can be a maniac. You're moody and you're changing like the wind.
You never knew where you were heading.
(44:04):
You couldn't even make a living.
I wouldn't hurt you if you knocked on my door.
I'm damned if I take the chance just to gamble for more.
You never knew what you had.
You turned from good to bad.
Tell me what you're thinking.
(44:25):
Are you out of your mind?
You can be confusing.
Are you out of control?
Stop playing those mind games.
(44:47):
You're playing mind games.
(45:17):
Say you want me, say you need me, say you love me for all of time.
Say you want me, say you need me, say you love me for all of time.
(45:47):
Say you want me, say you need me, say you love me for all of time.
(46:17):
In this episode of Kingdom, Robert Pine was played by Michael Tanzer and Captain John Arrow was Bob Finch.
Jason Burns was Chris Sheldrick and Dr. Dan Scott was played by Thomas Horton.
(46:39):
The narrator was Alec Newman.
Studio production was by Phil McMurtry and the programme was directed by Robert Finch.
This has been a Kuiper Belt production.
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