How to Herd an Asteroid

Geology Can Be Fun

Hey Jack, wake up! Natalie Rodriguez had been watching the gauges and noticed a faint change in the gravimeter on the starboard side. She decided to investigate and altered her course slightly. Once she got close enough for a visual she opened the eyes of the ship facing the object, (the eyes being hundreds of receptors similar to old fashioned fiber optics that transferred images to a holographic projecting array inside the ship.) The view was breathtaking. A black starry sky with Jupiter appearing as large as the sun appeared. This view of space seemed to extend right into the bridge, although the walls and instruments were still visible in a transparent sort of way. The colors and stark contrast were unbelievable unless you had seen the view many times before. You're going to like this! she called.

Jack Robinson had been having a great dream where he was sliding down a natural rock waterslide into a river somewhere on earth. It was a little disorienting to wake up floating above his bed. Just a minute he mumbled and reached for the disconnect buckle to remove the safety net that was keeping him from floating away. In a minute or so he had launched himself through the doorway and across the 60 feet separating the sleeping area from the bridge. He slowed and redirected his flight by grabbing a few of the many grips located everywhere on the inside of the ship. Coming right behind her the chair-back helped arrest his motion. Jack held the chair and put his balding blond head near hers so he would see what had gotten Natalie's attention.

What do you think of that? she pointed.

That is, without a doubt the ugliest rock I've ever seen.

Very funny.

Let me scan it. Did you get a density yet?

There appears to be some porosity but it's not consistent. What are the white patches?

I'm working on it. What kind of mass are we looking at Natalie?

It's big but nothing we can't push.

The spectrometer is showing carbon type but there appears to be water ice in those white patches as well as methane and some other compounds. I don't think this thing qualifies as a C type asteroid. It's really complex.

Let's move in and take a sample. Strap in please Jack.

Already headed that way. he sailed over to the chair next to her and buckled in.

She maneuvered Bold Endeavour, a Class 5 Space-Tug, their home-away-from-home and livelihood, close enough to the strange asteroid for the prospecting tool arms to reach out and take a sample or two. Jack then went to work manipulating the proper tool into place at the end of one of the arms. A core sample seemed like the best idea so the abrasive diamond bit was put into place. First though, Natalie brought out three stationary bits and secured them to three huge anchoring arms to grapple the rock for a firm hold. The arms were designed to anchor the Space-Tug to asteroids so they could be moved without harming the anchorage arms or ship. The arm-end stationary bits melted into the rock with the help of the nuclear heated liquid metal pumped through the bits. Once the rock was secured, Jack proceeded to take a core sample. This took an hour or so because they wanted a fairly deep sample. During that time Natalie used her instruments to determine the rock's center of gravity and other useful information. Jack concentrated on the drilling. Once completed, the sample was brought into the ship through one of the smaller ports near the tool area. Air was pumped into the chamber once the port closed and the sample was automatically transferred from the chamber to the conveyer and then to the lab.

I'll be back in a few minutes. Jack unbuckled and launched himself toward the Lab.

Natalie continued her calculations on the mass of the asteroid and its current speed and direction in relation to Mars and the Earth's Moon, their primary customers. Anything going to Earth needed to go into the Moon's orbit first to be inspected and then handed over to the companies licensed to transport things to Earth. This helped to insure that someone didn't send an asteroid burning through Earth's atmosphere, damaging or destroying people and places.

Bold Endeavour was built by the Lockheed Martin Space Craft Branch based in Earth-Moon orbit. The massive factory will customize its Class 5 Space-Tug for purchasers who must have the proper licenses for interplanetary shipping and transportation. The license required does not include earth landings, but does include landings on other planets and objects in space and is obtained from the Federation of Nations on Earth or their affiliates in New India on the Earth's Moon.

Because the Class 5 Tug has one of the most powerful nuclear engines ever built, it is overpowered by far compared to most other space craft that people can buy. This extra power makes them capable of pushing much larger objects around in space, much like Tug Boats on Earth pushing big ships into places that they can't go on their own power. The main difference is that the Class 5 Tug sometimes alters the speed and direction of an asteroid and sends it on its way toward a location where a planet or moon will be, (sometimes months or even years later,) without accompanying it to its destination. The trajectory and ETA information is sent ahead using radio communication so that a partner or buyer can intercept the asteroid and deliver it. Any rocks that are allowed to crash directly into the destination planet or moon are cleared two ways with any governing personnel or entity controlling that space and that target mass so that no one is caught unaware. A rock arriving without advanced warning could ruin someone's day, not to mention their life. A message is sent from two different sources from the Tug's company and must have validation both times from two of the target's governing entities along with the deposit credits in the company's holding company before the rocks are even sent.

A side benefit of all this raw power is that Bold Endeavour can travel very fast and can accelerate at one G or more through half of the trip and decelerate at one G or more through the second half. This simulates an Earthlike gravity which helps people stay healthy and makes things more convenient or at least more like what we are used to. Simple things, like drinking water from a cup without having to suck it out with a tube, make artificial-gravity a pleasant side effect of acceleration.

Natalie communicated with Albert, the ship's computer, concerning their present location and the mass of rock they were investigating.

Albert, what is the Earth weight of this rock?

It appears to mass about 400,000 Earth tons, more or less.

How many Earth days to push it to Mars?

Because of Mars' relative position, longer than you're going to want it to take.

Let me be the judge of that. Sometimes Albert's personality program was a little exasperating.

About 180 Earth days.

Oh, she muttered, how long will it take to reach Moon orbit?

Should take about 30 Earth days.

How long will it take to get to the outer camp in the belt?

About 7 days to the Rock Pile.

Thank you Albert.

The pleasure is mine, Natalie, would you like anything else?

Not until I talk with Jack.

Jack is coming your way, we have finished analysis of the core sample for now.

Thank you.

Albert is a fourth generation computer. He has no moving parts unless you include his vibrating transducers used for vocal communication or the ship and its numerous moving parts. Albert's voice sounded masculine and comforting. His circuitry, within the ship's computer, is actually grown with crystals. His personality programming was done to help entertain people on long voyages although his sense of humor can get a little tedious at times. He has self-awareness, from programming and from his task of maintaining the whole ship including himself, which is an unusual attribute among computers. Albert was given a virtual body with a face that could be described as friendly and relatively handsome. People on long voyages stay healthier with friendly company. He can and does calculate the complex trajectories and voyages to and from most places within the solar system and a bit beyond. Knowledge of the positions of all the planets and the Sun relative to the position of the ship at all times is an extremely useful tool. Without Albert, life would be very difficult indeed.

Jack floated in and Natalie said, Well, what have we got?

Almost like you knew I was coming.

Albert told me. she said.

I'm surprised he didn't tell you what the core contains.

I think he enjoys a little mystery! she chuckled.

This rock is worth millions of credits, more than anything our group has ever found!

Well, we certainly don't want to just launch it toward somebody else.

Yeah, especially with the reports I've been hearing on the news about asteroids being intercepted by rogue tug captains. Jack winced. Rustling's a serious problem between Mars and Earth!

Albert says it's about 7 days to the Pile. It'll be great to catch up with the gang and the gossip! she smiled, Flowers, trees, waterfalls and wildlife will sure be a pleasant break from all this sterile technology, no offence Albert.

None taken, said Albert in a strangely subdued voice, I have a request, may I interact with the Sanctuary computer system? I would really like to experience your non-sterile environment.

I don't see why not Albert. Jack answered. I'll give Fred a call and let him know we're coming. It'll probably take about 6 minutes for the message to get to him.

Jack switched on the phone and punched the button for Fred. Fred, this is Jack on the Bold Endeavour. Natalie and I are bringing in a big ugly rock, about 400,000 Earth tons. The thing is about the size of a small old earth supertanker, only shorter and fatter. ETA about 7 days. Please have a designated docking position for a big rock destined to be sold fairly soon. Albert will give you the size and configuration.

The Rock Pile is a grouping of asteroids, some valuable and some not worth much, that have been carefully arranged in a pattern spaced around an open core where a gigantic enclosed ecosystem called Sanctuary has been built and spun fast enough to simulate earth gravity on its outside walls or floors and an interior climate similar to earth where crops can be grown and animals raised. Sanctuary is a huge steel chamber built by the Tug Gang and subcontractors for Air Head/Heavy Metal Incorporated, a subsidiary of Hindu-International, an India/U.S. Amalgamated Mining Company.

Within Sanctuary, plants orient themselves toward the light source in the center much like plants on earth following the sun. The gardens, trees, lakes and wildlife create an Eden-like refuge in the desolate stretch of space where the Tugs search out the rich minerals and gases sprinkled around the Belt in the form of asteroids big and small. The asteroids in the Pile had been spaced apart, but placed in such a way as to protect the interior space from dangerous radiation, meteorites and other particles from the sun and other sources coming from any direction. Nothing can make a straight flight through the asteroids protecting the ecosystem unless it is too big to stop. The more valuable rocks awaiting sale were positioned where their removal wouldn't affect the protection the other rocks provided.

Jack! Natalie sang from somewhere above him."

Huh? he looked around.

Jacky!

He looked up and behind him. Natalie was floating past without a bit of clothing on. She was moving like an Arabian Belly Dancer, drifting horizontally toward the recreation room which had padded walls, ceiling and floor. Her shoulder-length, dark brown hair was flying free in zero gravity and her much curlier brown hair and superbly formed body were calling to Jack, making things hard for him to ignore. He laughed and rapidly removed his own clothing, similar to a light gray sweat-suit, and launched himself toward his partner for a zero G romantic rendezvous. There had never been a time that he regretted teaming up with Natalie, especially at times like this.

They didn't notice, but Albert had dimmed the lights and added a little blue light to the interior of the ship. Mood music might have been a bit too obvious and could have interrupted the frolic. He also discretely turned off his sensors in the rec-room and continued watching everything else on the ship. He constantly searched for anything from communication waves to meteorites that might have an influence on them all.

The return call from Fred was recorded by Albert and information necessary for placement of the huge rock was sent back to Fred along with a greeting to Fred's computer from Albert. It seems that these fourth generation computers actually enjoy interacting with one another although any information concerning their resident humans is avoided, unless directly required by their own humans. They do refer to their humans in an always respectful, almost fond way.

One has to wonder if all of this is programmed or if something very similar to life is guiding some of the computers. Albert was customized with an Intuitive Logic program that is a nonstandard experimental program just barely approved by the Board of Space Craft Safety in conjunction with Lockheed Martin Space Craft. The only reason it was approved is because of safeguards put into place limiting the program to communication with the owners and no active response unless endorsed by the owners or pilots given the authority by the owners. The protocol dictates the behavior of the computer in a situation where the intuitive conclusion points to a dangerous situation that might occur. The computer is programmed to gently suggest that a problem might happen and state the reason but not to push the issue and to follow instructions absolutely. There are, of course, a few exceptions where safety is concerned.

Albert is the only known computer with a program of this nature, (other than the computer on the ship Lone Star), and was named after one of the great physicists of the 20th century. Chuck Ishida, his main programmer, developed an obvious preference for Albert's peculiarities and spent way too much time with his personality program. Much of his humor is reflected in Albert's inventions. Jack and Natalie are friends with Chuck and occasionally he asks them how Albert is doing…then they ask Chuck if Albert was programmed that way or if Albert decides to act on his own. Some of his more complex programs allow Albert to choose the answer he determines is most appropriate depending on the circumstance. The result many times makes Albert appear almost human and in some cases he seems almost magical.

Hey Jack and Natalie, Fred called, when you get done with whatever it is that stopped you in the middle of this conversation, please answer back. I have some information that might interest you.

Jack finally got back to the communication center and radioed back. Hi Fred, sorry about the delay but I had a serious biological condition that had to be attended.

Right, Fred muttered, about 130 earth pounds of beautiful, enthusiastic energy bouncing around in a weightless padded environment. Could create a bumpy ride!

Alright already, Fred, what's the news?

Kimo called us to let us know that there is a serious problem with asteroids disappearing not just between the Earth and Mars but into some areas of the Belt as well. The rocks are missing, but the transponders that had been attached to them were apparently reattached to worthless rocks and sent off on the same trajectory so no one would notice the valuable rocks were stolen. The only problem with that is that the transponders continually send their positions and when the recorders are checked, the time and place that the transponders were moved can be seen in the change in time and position. It is just hard to see unless a person is looking for a discrepancy in the details.

Not good! Jack groaned.

To make matters worse, one of Hard-Water International's Tugs was missing for a while and when Kimo followed the recorded transponder path, he found a debris trail, presumably, the missing ship and crew.

Kimo Sorenson is a Federation of Nations Special Agent and has been working as an investigator and officer for over 30 years. He is of mostly Hawaiian and Scandinavian decent with very large, intelligent and violent ancestors. He has kinky brown hair, bright blue eyes and dark skin. He is very gentle, unless you are perceived as doing something illegal. He has protected people from the bad guys on Earth and in space for most of his life. Kimo has a very dry sense of humor and would give you the shirt off his back and is on friendly terms with everyone in Natalie and Jack's gang or company group.

Ten years ago, he was severely injured while investigating an asteroid theft. The thieves or Rustlers, as they are now referred to, found him floating against one of their stolen asteroids looking at a brand that they had altered. (Brands are used to help identify the asteroids so that there will be no question to their ownership. The brand is applied by using