It was the year 2013 when Captain Anthony Stone had received the great honor of being the first astronaut to test the new nuclear pulse near light speed engine for the United States Air Force. On an early overcast morning without any fanfare, Captain Stone had launched his spacecraft into orbit. His mission was to test the nuclear pulse engine by circling the moon and then returning to earth.
Captain Stone was chosen from among hundreds of candidates because of his stellar physical condition, courage, skill and calm under extreme pressure. After breaking through earth’s atmosphere, Stone could feel the rush of weightlessness surround him as the safety straps kept him firmly in his seat. Communication with ground control was clear as he positioned his craft in Earth’s high orbit. All systems checked out in preparation for the near light speed tests scheduled to take place over the next three days.
The whole mission was top secret and the only person who knew he was in space and who also knew his family was his commanding officer, General Allen Morse. General Morse took a special interest in Stone when he was a senior at West Point, he followed his military career over the past five years until finally offering Stone the opportunity to apply for this test mission on Stone’s 27th birthday.
With all computer systems showing green lights, Stone communicated to General Morse that he was ready to begin tests on the nuclear pulse engine. Stone’s last message from General Morse had informed him that he would be out of communication while he was traveling near light speed. The ships course and trajectory had been designed to sling shot him around the moon, using the moon’s gravity to further accelerate the ship’s speed nearer to light speed. The test results would give strategic technological advantages to the United States weapons programs, especially to its nuclear missile capabilities and delivery systems.
Captain Stone had remained calm during the countdown sequence, the nuclear pulse engine was armed and ready to be fired, it was during the last few moment of the countdown, “5 — 4 — 3 — ” that surprised Stone. He had thought of his girlfriend’s last text message to him, “I have wonderful news of a new little star in your life,” she had said. A gut wrenching feeling of epiphany over took him and it was at that moment that he realized what she was talking about. The new little star was a baby! The nuclear pulse engine fired, and for a fraction of a second Stone’s body felt like he got hit by a truck and then, nothing. No feeling, no pain only his awareness of lights flashing around him.
Abruptly the lights ceased, Stone felt as if he had just come out of a dream, he tried to focus on the countdown. It was then he realized that the engine had fired, but what had happened? Did he black out, did the engine fail? Stone went over his instruments looking for errors, but he found everything was in order. What had happened? The ship had stopped behind the moon and he would be out of communication for another 4 hours.
Stone tried to figure out what had happened and why the engine had ceased. He began to examine the data that was collected from his short journey. A short journey he estimated to be about 15 minutes, but as Stone began to examine the data he realized that he had actually only traveled less than two minutes. How could he be at this distance in an orbit around the back side of the moon in less than two minutes? Stone began to frantically go over the figures working out the trajectory and speed that he must have gone.
It had been almost four hours until he came to a horrific conclusion to his situation. The Earth now would be visible in less than 15 minutes and for the first time in his life fear had taken over him. The nuclear pulse engine had worked. It fired and then fired again! The second blast from the engine had greatly accelerated his craft, which caused the engine to cease, leaving him in his current position orbiting the moon. Stone’s skin chilled at the realization that he had traveled more than twice the speed of light, how fast exactly he could not determine. But from examining the data he estimated that more than 150 Earth years may have passed.
Stone remained in a state of shock for almost 5 minutes as he began to look out his ship’s window, the Earth’s silhouette started to appear behind the right side of the moon. So bright the Sun’s reflection of light coming off the Earth, it was beautiful. But, as the Earth began to appear from the moon’s horizon, it was becoming night on the face of the planet that was facing him. As the Earth became visible, an eerie darkness covered the planet’s surface. Stone could see no city lights. No man made illuminations could be seen. Although, Stone could make out some volcanic activity, he couldn’t tell where though on Earth those were located.
Time became a haunting entity as it pulled at his every thoughtful moment, Stone was overwhelmed, what had happen to the Earth, to his family “My God, what has happened to humanity?” he said to himself aloud. His mind gravitated to the last time he and his girlfriend, Jane had been together intimately. Her soft hair and rose scented skin, he knew she was the one. He had planned to marry her when he returned. A smile crossed his face as he reflected on their moments together as he looked out at the stars and said to himself, “a new little star in my life.” His smile quickly faded as frustration and anger filled his heart, how could this have happened!
The light side of the Earth had now begun to show its face, the blue Pacific Ocean glittered into space. Then Stone started to see strange dark cloud formations, and unusual weather patterns. His mind became quite as dark craters patched the California coast line began to be revealed. His mouth opened, “Oh my God!” “They have really done it, those dam idiots!” It was apparent that a nuclear war had taken place. Craters left from nuclear explosions had taken the place of where there were once America’s major cities. As the Earth rotated, Stone could see that the Middle East and also Israel had been hit. Most of Europe’s major cities were also destroyed along with the majority of Russia’s cities.
The Earth now had a greenish hue, no doubt from massive amounts of radiation released into the atmosphere, and then Stone wondered if anyone had survived or is surviving. What of Jane and our little star, “I wonder where they are?” He said aloud. Did I have a boy or a girl, did Jane marry, when did this war happen? Stone estimated that the nuclear pulse engine of his craft could fire again. He had enough food and oxygen to last a month. What could he do, where could he go? Then he had an idea. He reasoned that there was no use trying to land on the Earth now at this time for the Earth was now toxic. He reasoned that if he could travel into the future then maybe he could return to the past before all this could happen, then he could change things and save Jane and their child.
Stone redirected his craft, reset a reverse trajectory and began checking the ships systems. Two things could happen he thought as the countdown sequence could be heard “5 — 4 — 3 — ,” either I will change the past or I will be thrust into the future, either way this is no place like home. At that moment the nuclear pulse engine fired, then nothing, no feeling, no pain only his awareness of lights flashing around him and the thought of Jane and of their little star.
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