Starquake.pdf

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"We've already started. Why don't you meet me at the assembly plant? I want to see the mock-up before they tear it down to make room for the real thing." The Web Construction Spacecraft Assembly Plant was right on the launch base grounds not far from the Space Center headquarters building, so Star-Glider was there before Cliff-Web arrived. "Have a nice jump?" Star-Glider asked politely. Cliff-Web paused. "It was ... interesting," he finally said. "Let's go see the mock-up." The scaffolding surrounding the mock-up could be seen in the distance. They entered through the security gate, then a small glide-car took them on a tour around the giant circular structure. "I had the engineers do a full-scale mass model on the mock-up so that we could get the stress scaffolding built correctly. Although the engine will operate in space, we have to assemble and stress it on Egg so that we know it can withstand the operating stresses when we turn it on in space." Star-Glider looked up to see a cheela gliding across a narrow beam high above him as easily as if she were on the crust. "How high up is she?" Star-Glider asked. "The thickness of the engine is 48 millimeters," Cliff-Web told him. "So the top of the scaffolding must be about 60 millimeters." "I don't mind looking down from orbit," said Star-Glider. "But I would never have the nerve to try that." "Few cheela do. We find the best ones are from the White Rock Clan. They spend most of their hatchling time playing around steep cliffs." The glide-car stopped near a break in the structure. One segment of the mock-up had been pulled aside. "The engine will be built in twelve segments," said Cliff-Web. "After stress testing, the segments will be launched separately and reassembled in space." The glide-car moved through the gap in the doughnut-shaped engine and they could see the complex of energy extractors, stress negators, and vortex generators that would manipulate the vacuum itself and extract energy from it, then use that energy to give inertia to the vacuum so that it could be used as reaction mass for the thraster to push against. The glide-car stopped near the scaffold elevator, and they took it up to the top viewing platform. Their bodies safely protected behind barriers, they looked down at the 144-millimeter diameter "bagel" with a bite taken out of it. "In a great of turns the mock-up will be replaced with the real thing," Cliff-Web told him. "Let's get that contract signed and get going," said Star-Glider. "The gravity tides are starting to cause noticeable distortions in Dragon Slayer." The fabrication of the twelve segments of the Jumbo Bagel was finished on time, but the stress test brought out a flaw in the design. A power connector failed when the superconducting shield was
activated. "There are 144 connectors in each segment, and there are twelve segments," said Cliff-Web. "The rework will take a minimum of 12 cheela-greats and put us 24 turns behind schedule." "I'll go to the Budget Sub-Group of the legislature and ask for an increase in funds," Star-Glider promised. "I warned them this kind of thing could happen if they delayed on the start. How much do you need?" "Nothing," Cliff-Web replied. "I'll pay the difference out of my own pouch. Just explain to them why we will be late." A half a great later the last of the segments were loaded into the spherically shaped launch cradles that were half scaffolding and half spacecraft. The sphere was hauled to the middle of an open field and placed into a depression at the center. Buried under the ground was a gravity catapult that first levitated the sphere about 100 millimeters above the crust so the inertia drive engines could be activated. Then, engines thrusting, the sphere was tossed into space by a short burst of gravitational repulsion from the gigantic coils buried in the ground. "Prom zero to one-third the speed of light in a blink," Cliff-Web remarked "yet because gravity forces were used, there were hardly any stresses." "Amazing for a machine that old," Star-Glider said. "Well, shall we follow it up?" "I want to inspect the progress on the Space Fountain first," said Cliff-Web. "I'll see you at the East Pole Space Station." Admiral Star-Glider took advantage of the launch of a newly commissioned scout ship to experience being catapulted into space. The gravity catapult wasn't used for ordinary travel anymore since it cost so much to operate. Cliff-Web checked out the work on the Space Fountain, jumped back to Bright's Heaven, spent a few turns gardening and playing with his pets, then it was back to the Jump Loop for a long jump up to the East Pole Space Station. He and Star-Glider went out on a small cruiser to inspect the installation of the Jumbo Bagel on a converted cargo carrier. They got there just as the last segment was put into place. "In a few turns my job will be done and yours will start," Cliff-Web said. "Good," Star-Glider said. "We're just in time. We have started to see some damage in Dragon Slayer's pressure hull, but it is still intact. The humans have abandoned the communications console and are retreating into the protection tanks." 06:54:00 GMT TUESDAY 21 JUNE 2050 The gravity tugs were getting worse. A metal drinking flask broke loose in the galley and came shooting up the passageway from the deck below. It flashed by Amalita and headed for one of the science electronics consoles set in the outer wall of the main deck between the portholes. The drinking flask
Page 1 and 2: STARQUAKE Acknowledgments
Page 3 and 4: Prelude Burrowing through the dark
Page 5 and 6: science instruments and consoles, w
Page 7 and 8: Please take a rest." "Doctor Wong,
Page 9 and 10: about half a day we will be in prop
Page 11 and 12: Amalita floated over to the table a
Page 13 and 14: One of her near eyes caught him loo
Page 15 and 16: "All you need to do is shrink the h
Page 17 and 18: Pierre spoke quickly to the robotic
Page 19 and 20: slid open. He entered the security
Page 21 and 22: Slinklings, and Cold, Chilly's mate
Page 23 and 24: page and didn't like what he saw. "
Page 25 and 26: He activated a conference link and
Page 27 and 28: egg-tending fever. Every time I see
Page 29 and 30: A glowing speck swung around the to
Page 31 and 32: "If only Dragon Slayer had some mea
Page 33 and 34: "That gives us four greats of turns
Page 35 and 36: "I see someone in the back." "Brigh
Page 37 and 38: with spots of different emittance t
Page 39: Web Construction is the biggest con
Page 43 and 44: With the X-ray illuminators in plac
Page 45 and 46: up and wait. Then there would begin
Page 47 and 48: 06:55:16 TUESDAY 21 JUNE2050 Quiet
Page 49 and 50: There was a loud clang from nearby.
Page 51 and 52: Hearing the decimal number for the
Page 53 and 54: walls made out of high quality supe
Page 55 and 56: It was turnfeast, and Time-Circle s
Page 57 and 58: "After the success with the three m
Page 59 and 60: "Renegotiate them," she replied. "J
Page 61 and 62: "Those machines produce both the an
Page 63 and 64: millimeters away it fades into the
Page 65 and 66: She started with the animals. Three
Page 67 and 68: idly to the surrounding crust. She
Page 69 and 70: 06:58:07 GMT TUESDAY 21 JUNE2050 Qu
Page 71 and 72: kilohertz gravitational radiation t
Page 73 and 74: "We're losing it!" Heavy-Egg shoute
Page 75 and 76: y the errant streams. Treads grippi
Page 77 and 78: "Less than a turn," said the Comm O
Page 79 and 80: "Our total space force consists of
Page 81 and 82: "Bright has cursed us all!" Hohmann
Page 83 and 84: straight toward her, moving rapidly
Page 85 and 86: You should be able to find more cag
Page 87 and 88: close. She could have done a good i
Page 89 and 90: "My plan is to use the robots on Eg
Page 91 and 92:
were mixed to produce an ultra-hot
Page 93 and 94:
and gravitational waves. Status 82%
Page 95 and 96:
"There is someone muttering nearby.
Page 97 and 98:
farming class how to tell ripe nut-
Page 99 and 100:
of engineers who can fix the damage
Page 101 and 102:
Eighty turns later, Qui-Qui returne
Page 103 and 104:
They worked their way through the m
Page 105 and 106:
other two read zero. Must be breaks
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Qui-Qui would arrive at each clan c
Page 109 and 110:
satiated, however, for he would nev
Page 111 and 112:
They charged, the mounted warriors
Page 113 and 114:
out that what was needed was a spec
Page 115 and 116:
"You must be Qui-Qui," Ferocious-Ey
Page 117 and 118:
stage' for our lander. We can store
Page 119 and 120:
"We are aware of that," said Plasma
Page 121 and 122:
"One," said Cliff-Web. "And an infi
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field. Cliff-Web had returned to no
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"There are flying animals on the hu
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nothing, tor the forces were gravit
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"We will need to have a new power g
Page 131 and 132:
"Good. Let's cut it up and haul it
Page 133 and 134:
The trade was made, with the captai
Page 135 and 136:
operation," said Power-Pack. "My se
Page 137 and 138:
"We would rather wait to taste the
Page 139 and 140:
"But she only has eight eyes now!"
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her whip-sword and urged her Swift
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for the Taker to come again." "The
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As if to punctuate his offer, there
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As he flowed up over the crumbled b
Page 149 and 150:
"Focus the laser on the landing bas
Page 151 and 152:
"It has been a long time since the
Page 153 and 154:
their quirrls sparred with each oth
Page 155 and 156:
"The humans take forever to do anyt
Page 157 and 158:
"That's the last of the HoloMem sto
Page 159 and 160:
to the Science Deck. Pierre looked
Page 161 and 162:
"Hey! Look at the sightseers," Abdu
Page 163 and 164:
choose will be a better name, anobl
Page 165 and 166:
The screen on the communications co
Page 167 and 168:
This was the first time there had b
Page 169 and 170:
"Coupling experiments successful,"
Page 171 and 172:
Manager-Director/5 set up a confere
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"The cheela are bringing them now."
Page 175 and 176:
"Mine," replied Abdul. "She's right
Page 177 and 178:
Amalita and Abdul in two segments o
Page 179 and 180:
15 min 31 g cheela generation 29 se
Page 181 and 182:
and behaves much like a young cheel
Page 183 and 184:
Ngw* 5. CI»ft-Wort Plant Upon reve
Page 185 and 186:
We wanted Dragon Slayer at a 406-ki
Page 187 and 188:
Figure 10. Gravity Catapult The wor
Page 189:
6. F. J. Tipler, "Rotating Cylinder
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