Earthrise: 2176 [Published - Sample Only]

Chapter 2.1 - The Discovery (Part 1) V2.1

Chapter 2.1 - The Discovery (Part 1) V2.1

2166, early spring. Pasadena, South California. North American Alliance.

Professor Robert Scott adjusted the instrumentation on the experimental device and said to his lab partner. "Okay Mynah, how's the data feed?"

The tall woman looked up from her instruments and gave her friend a beautiful, yet intriguing smile. "Five by five, Bobby. Let's give it another try."

The exotic material they were testing was a combination of rare earth metals and a heavy element matrix assembled atom by atom by nanobots. When electrical and magnetic fields were applied to this material it was theorized that it should produce gravitons the same way a conventional semiconductor produced electrons. Mynah was the genius behind programming the nanomachines to assemble the exotic materials in the way her partner Dr. Scott had envisioned. Without her, the experimental gravitational plate would never have made it from the whiteboard to the lab for testing.

"Power coming up, 10% and holding steady."

"Okay, ramp up to 20% and hold."

Mynah checked her console again. "Okay, 20%. Still steady."

Scott checked the reading on the strain gauge connected to the five-kilogram test cylinder it read: 5.0000.

This was their first full power test on the grav plate. Professor Scott had theorized that the threshold would be reached at 50% of rated power and that a small gravitational field would start at that point. The test plate could theoretically develop a ten g field.

Mynah checked her instruments once again. "Still steady at 20%, the square wave generator is within tolerance, consumption at 10 Amps, 550 Volts DC."

Scott checked the strain gauge again. "Still at decimal four zeros, go ahead and push it up to 30%."

Mynah entered the increased voltage and amperage settings into her keyboard. "30% and steady."

Professor Scott checked another gauge. "It's definitely taking the power; temperature is up by three point three degrees. Let's run steady at 30% for ten minutes to check stability."

Mynah sub-consciously adjusted the long black ponytail over her left shoulder and responded. "Got it, hack set for 10 minutes."

As Scott walked by the test apparatus to Mynah's station he saw the strain gauge fluctuate between 5.0000 – 5.0001 – 5.0002 – 5.0001. The instrumentation of the unit was so sensitive that even his footfalls caused a reading. He stood next to Mynah and looked over her shoulder at the readouts. He could not help but notice how good she smelled...Mynah's ten-minute clock counted down to zero. "Hack," she said confidently.

Scott returned to the test apparatus. "Okay, just like the simulation, one percent a minute and let's see what happens..."

Just after Scott heard Mynah say, "42%," The strain gauge readout changed from 5.0001, 5.0002, 5.005...5.1, 5.2.

"Mynah! Come here and check this out, it's working! There is definitely an artificial gravity field building."

Mynah smiled briefly and again checked her station. "50% and steady, no anomalies."

She calmly walked over to Scott and marveled at the strain gauge which read a steady 5.7140kg.

"Congratulations Doctor Scott, you did it! By my calculations that is a steady field of almost 1.15g."

A beaming Robert Scott turned to his friend and partner and hugged her. "Congratulations to us Mynah."

They both seemed to enjoy the short embrace a little more than just colleagues normally would.