Chapter 3 Part 2

Corn Goddess

It was early January 2246. Dag Harlow stood at the large virtual window in the common area of Ceres Station looking out at the nearby rocky surface of Ceres. He could see numerous robotic water extractors attached to its surface as it passed before him. The planetoids features though sharply defined were grey and shadowy in the twilight. It was a dead rock, but sensors showed a hint of creation energy in its depths. The virtual window stabilized the view as the habitat rotated. He looked but did not see much of what moved in front of him. He was in deep thought.  He had known from the beginning that the station had never been completed to enable it to function efficiently. Something had to change, and quickly. He had plans for an enhanced habitat but never submitted them as was required for approval. Instead, out of necessity and in frustration, he directed his team to modify the design of the Asteroid Processing Structure being built. By his initiative, it included a small Manufacturing, Assembly and Construction facility (MAC). With MAC at Ceres Station, he and his engineers would build themselves a new habitat. ESO be damned. 

His crew would eventually create the structural elements for an enhanced habitat for themselves. If they could complete the MAC as part of the Asteroid Processing Structure, they could essentially build whatever habitat they wanted. The APS would produce finished raw materials, metal ingots and such that, because of their reduced mass, could travel at higher velocity toward Ellie 5. This would reduce transit time. That is, if Ellie 5 built the second laser cannon. Or perhaps a microwave generator would be easier to build and maintain. He would need to investigate that possibility. The resources were there. With enough energy and the completion of the APS and attached MAC, the station would have almost no limit to what they could do. Dag had the scientists, engineers and skilled robots that he needed. 

 A reliable and powerful energy source for Ceres Station was provided by the single Laser Cannon at Ellie 5. However, it was not available when the laser was occluded by the Sun. When that happened all processing operations at Ceres Station shut down. The plutonium reactor attached to the habitat generated just enough power for life support. An added MAC facility would allow and his men to construct a new habitat for themselves. Dag and his crew of 24 engineers and scientists lived in quarters that were spartan and cramped. At times it was even too cold in their personal sections to sleep. The crew bundled up in heated blankets but sometimes the power failed even that modest draw. It was common for men with significant facial hair to awaken and find their faces covered in ice condensed and frozen from their breath. 

For a less staunch personality it would be a brutal situation. However, Dag had accepted duty at Ceres Station despite questions of ESO reliability. Lately less than expected deliveries were met with an expression of increasing hostility from ESO. Dag had chosen the assignment because of the engineering challenge but also because it was so remote. He was uncomfortable around groups of powerful people. Rubbing elbows with politicians and government authorities was for him, schmoozing with the devil. His isolation from that element suited him fine. In contrast, he was close to his crew. The one thing they all had in common was their respect for knowledge of engineering and science. The power wrought from application of such knowledge could successfully overcome many obstacles to human survival in space. They loved how those disciplines were so effective in confronting challenges. Problems that cropped up in engineering designs and applications stimulated creativity. Finding solutions to complex systems was their reason for being there. 

The scientists and engineers at Ceres Station were strong advocates for their lead scientist. Dag in turn, felt the support of his crew and would do whatever he could to make their lives better. The fact that he challenged ESO inaction in a way that flaunted authority added to his stature in their eyes. His unconventional style improved their morale. Dag suddenly came to a decision. He would need to coerce Virgil into constructing a 2nd Laser Cannon dedicated to Ceres Station. 

After his decision, he was ready to gamble that the ESO would not review with any intensity  the ongoing construction at Ceres station. Still, at the same time, ESO was monitoring its timetable.”  

 The addition of the MAC to the APS would delay its completion. So, what could ESO do? Fire and replace him? And in the unlikely event they did, what would his team do? Welcome his replacement a few years later? That is, if ESO could find someone willing to take his place in this lifeless frozen hell.  

The energy transmitted by the one laser cannon at Ellie 5 powered the whole Asteroid Processing Structure and the Station habitat as well. However, the Processing Structure was given energy priority. A Plutonium reactor provided supplemental and then replacement energy for their living quarters when the laser was eclipsed. Dag’s scientists had made minimal attempts to mimic Earth ecosystems in complexity and aesthetics. Fresh produce was essentially grown in enclosed hydroponic pods. Protein patties were constructed from what was isolated from tanks of bio-engineered bacteria and yeasts or grown from cloned animal cells. The constituent proteins then were assembled in an automated lab into a semblance of red meat, poultry, or seafood. There were no open water systems. Cyanobacteria consumed excess CO2 and produced oxygen as air was recirculated and bubbled through lighted tanks. That helped to maintain an atmospheric balance. The anaerobic fermentation used in food waste recycling removed most of the excess CO2 in the environment, produced fertilizer for hydroponic agriculture, and fed hydrogen to fuel cells. The resultant electricity was used to charge reserve batteries and those for small equipment. As a backup to keep the atmosphere safe, chemical scrubbers were also used to reduce excess toxic CO2. Water that had been captured from Ceres supported the station’s needs. It was also the source of rocket fuel. However, energy limitations restricted the amount of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen that could be produced. The Station still relied on shipments from Ellie 5. Much of the onsite fuel production was used by the  autonomous transport rocket motors and three small non-rotational spaceships. All used liquid hydrogen and oxygen as fuel. The spaceships were used to move among the nearby asteroids and tug them into position to be mined, fragmented or otherwise prepped to be attached to the transport motors and sent to Ellie 5. 

Dag and his lead engineers had a ritual every evening. Each day the 24 men and women looked forward to one highlight. They shared dinner together in the dining terrace. The kitchen was fully automated. However, the menu and recipes for each evening’s repast was planned by one of 5 rotating teams. The creative though limited menu was kept secret until served. Dinner was usually the only time all the scientists assembled and could have a face-to-face forum together. Discussions were not always serious, or work related, however. People lingered afterwards, perhaps for a glass of wine or to continue a discussion. In truth they often stayed because the dining terrace in the cylinder was the warmest place in the habitat. 

Life now was tolerable, even pleasant given the comradery. In another month the laser cannon at Ellie 5 would be occluded by the Sun and they would lose their major power source. The entire project would shut down. There was barely enough power from the plutonium reactor to keep the lights on in the habitat. It was an austere time at Ceres Station that lasted for about 2 months. Reading, recorded theater, games, astronomical observations, and cooking competitions using simple ingredients and creative spices occupied the crew during this dark winter period. However, Dag provided inspiration that made each day bearable. It was his ‘Island Design Study’ project. It was a conspiracy they all shared in.  

He had initiated the project without the knowledge or consent of anyone. Even Rhett at Ellie 5 was unaware of it. All the scientists and engineers at the station participated. There were no severe limits placed on the design. The guiding principle was to provide optimal environments and amenities that would enhance their lives. 

 There were two parts to this project; first, the best design that the collective envisioned, which they then edited to comply with engineering and energy limitations. Secondly, they needed an additional energy source. When the designers finally agreed to a final design, they submitted it to engineering for any necessary modifications. The goal was to produce a structure that would make a permanent life not just possible at Ceres Station, but desirable as well. Dag made sure that everyone understood the project would need to be built with no assistance from Earth. All the materials needed were at hand in the Asteroid Belt. They also need power for the project. A second laser cannon in or near Earth’s orbit was required. Only Ellie 5 had the capability to build one.  

The second Laser cannon transmitter had been officially designed to be placed at SEL 3 (Sun/Earth Lagrange 3) a mostly stable Sun orbit position in opposition to the Earth/Moon system. Whenever this Laser cannon was established, Ceres Station would have plenty of continuous power. When one laser was eclipsed by the Sun, the other would still be available. For most of the Earth year both lasers would be operational. However, Dag had been unable to move ESO ahead on the project. Their approved construction start date had been delayed by more than a year. He decided he needed to consult with Rhett. 

With Rhett’s help, the government would more likely approve the SEL 3 Laser project for earlier completion. With twice as much energy input, Dag could complete the APS/MAC project sooner. But there was a problem. Dag was not a good negotiator or even comfortable around people with power. In all his communications He had however, found Rhett approachable. His initial contact with Rhett was when Ellie 5’s final design was just being completed. It was also when Ceres Station had just been created from the Ceres spaceship soon after it had been positioned. 

Rhett Blackwood had a reputation for bringing space projects to completion ahead of schedule. Dag knew this but did not know Rhett usually accomplished this feat by beginning projects before approval. As a result, some projects were miraculously completed shortly after receiving the blessings of ESO. Unknown to Dag, Rhett had already finished assembling the Solar Array and the Laser Cannon was just a couple of weeks away from completion. Only the scientists at Ellie 5 knew this. Even folded the solar array was more fragile than the laser cannon. As a result of slower acceleration and deceleration it would take longer to travel to SEL 3.  If completed within Rhett’s schedule the Laser Cannon and its solar array could join up at SEL 3 about the same time because the solar array could be launched now.