Chapter 3

“Welcome aboard this Landership. I am your pilot, but I am also your spaceship, so you will not see me. The ship will be taking off shortly, and we will begin our trip like an aeroplane, using the ship’s aerofoil attributes to rise through the atmosphere. At an appropriate point on our journey, our rockets will be engaged and we will push up into orbit around your home planet.

There, we will rendezvous with a larger ship, and you will transfer to it for the next stage of your journey. I will top up my fuel and then return to Earth for another load of settlers or other passengers. Enjoy your trip with The Personalia.”

The passengers felt a slight push backwards as the ship started its forward movement through angling its anti-gravity, so that the ship ‘fell’ forward. After that process, the ship lowered what was effectively a wide hose into the water and began sucking up water through electrical pumps. The water was impelled through the pipe to an outlet near the rocket motors, and there it was spewed out at speed, pushing the ship forward.

This technology only lasted a dozen or so seconds, until picking up seawater became inefficient as the pipe in the water became a drag, and it was retracted. Now the jet/ramjet engines were engaged, adding a much stronger push to the ship. The vessel started to angle upwards, gaining lift from its flat underside, and now the passengers could hear the dull roar of the jets being transmitted through the hull to them. Then the noise changed again as the rockets took over, and imparted a new strong push.

Shortly, though, the noise lessened as the air thinned to nothing and the vibration lessened as they approached space. At no time while they remained in the atmosphere did they feel much more than a bit heavier. It was nothing like astronauts had to endure in vertical take-offs. Indeed, it was much more like an aircraft flight until the rockets ramped up their power into the vertical for the climb to space.

At this point the gravity forces increased, but only to the uncomfortable stage. As soon as the spaceship had enough velocity to reach orbit, the rockets were turned off, and the ship coasted the rest of the way. There were many sighs of relief when the g-pressure left. Everyone expected to be in free fall now, but it did not happen. To their surprise, gravity returned to Earth normal.

The ship’s voice came on again in explanation. “Ladies and gentlemen, you do not have to experience free fall, as our anti-gravity equipment is able to act in a reverse fashion. It is now providing a standard one gee for your convenience, and the same will apply in the larger ship when you transfer, and also to the Landership that you will use for landing at Home Colony.

Thank you for travelling with The Personalia.”

This caused some giggles and a lot of pleasant chat among the passengers, including John and his ladies. John was amused at the resemblance to airline announcements. Catherine was being more practical, and declared, “I didn’t expect the aliens to be playing around with antigravity. This is phenomenal technology! I never thought space travel would be like this.”

Elizabeth responded, “Well, I am glad it is like this. I suspect I might throw up in free fall, or at least some of the passengers would, and the end results don’t bear thinking about!”

John laughed at her sick vision. “We’ll be thankful for small mercies, Elizabeth.”, then a thought struck him. “Oh, my giddy aunt: I have just thought about morning sickness as a possibility, if you ladies become pregnant.”

Elizabeth was positive and on message. “Morning sickness does not hit every woman, and the extent of it varies a lot. I read up on pregnancy once I committed to you, John. It is pot luck whether one gets it or not. Some girls get it for a week or two, others have it for months. For having a child of my own, I am willing to put up with whatever happens, my darling.”

John put his arm around her and gave her a hug and a kiss. This spurred Catherine to state, “John, I am just as keen to have your babies, and to put up with the discomforts as well.”

John took the hint, and gave Catherine the same treatment, so that both girls were satisfied. They settled back for rest of the ride to the rendezvous.

Without any more than a slight bump, the two ships met and engaged their hatches before opening them. Their pilot announced, “We are now connected to my base ship. Passengers should collect their luggage, and any children, and walk through to the other ship. Thank you for your cooperation. Have a pleasant journey.”

Being at the front, closest to the door, John and his ladies led the way through into another identical airlock, and on through into a cabin smaller than they expected. On the floor, fixed to what looked like a set of rails, was a train of seats without legs, in line astern with a base plate for each seat linking them together. “Please be seated, and hold your luggage in your laps. Make sure nothing rises higher than your head, for you will be travelling in a tube to the passenger cabin.”

The trio sat themselves down, John taking the lead position, and other passengers filled the train. As soon as it was full, it set off, and glided effortlessly towards a hole that had opened in the wall ahead. Catherine was entranced. “A maglev!” she uttered in delight. The train of chairs moved faster and entered what was to them a tunnel.

As the one train vanished, another appeared from an aperture at the other end of the cabin, and replaced it, ready for the next load of passengers.

The first train travelled in almost complete darkness, lit only by a small glow from the walls of the tube. It was just enough for them to make out themselves, and the fact that they were travelling at speed.

The trip took what seemed a long time, but was probably only a minute or so, and they came out of the tube into another passenger cabin with rows of fixed seating. The seat train drew to a halt near them, and the ship’s voice announced, “Please transfer yourself and your luggage to the fixed seating as soon as possible, so that the next batch can arrive.”

Everyone hurried to climb out of the seat train at floor level, helping each other to stand again and move over to the passenger seating. Everyone automatically sought the same position that they had been in during the flight up to orbit. They seemed to find this a comforting arrangement.

The voice stayed silent except for repeating its instructions to each train load as it arrived, until all the passengers were present. It now changed its message.

“Welcome aboard your Base Ship. A Base ship is a much larger version of a Landership, such that I cannot land on a planet. My Landerships do what is needed in that regard.

I shall be taking you through subspace to a transfer point in the system that you are moving to, and a similar Landership will take you down to the planet where Home colony is situated.

I have some general information for you about the colony. Earth’s representatives and The Personalia found that the planets of this particular solar system had recently been attacked by a fleet of what we call The Invaders. The ships of the incumbent civilisation had fought off the Invaders and defeated them here.

However, the settlers on this planet were afraid to remain, and insisted on being returned to their home planet. This left the planet empty apart from six standard cities which had been built for their settlement.

Humans being humans, they were not afraid to the same extent, especially when The Personalia offered to be their protectors if they wished to have a human settlement on the planet.

That settlement is called Home, and is your destination. The Personalia has mounted a permanent defensive screen so that the chances of a repeat attack by The Invaders is almost nil. Earth is supplying us with offensive missiles to enhance our capabilities. We expect to be able to defeat such enemies well before they can reach the planet.

The human settlement is by a river on a plain. The nearest abandoned alien city is several hundred kilometres distant, and so far, has not been explored or examined in any way. The priority is building the settlement and establishing farms to produce food. Some of you here may be part of that farming effort.”

There was a slight jar to the ship, and the voice apologised. “I am sorry for that slight disturbance. That was a minor error in the transfer through subspace. A small part of my structure was a fraction of second late in transferring, but is corrected now. We shall ensure that such an error does not recur in future.

As you might understand from my words, we have left your solar system and have arrived at the target solar system. One of the Landerships currently in orbit will collect you shortly and take you down to the Colony. The landing will take place on the river, for our convenience and to make your arrival simple.

May I remind you that the only living organisms permitted on Home are humans. Any pets or items such as cheese, eggs, yogurt, or wine must be abandoned at this point. We will dispose of them efficiently, thus no contaminant will be able to be let loose on Home. We trust you understand this. Should anyone have a pet of any kind with them, and do not wish that pet to be terminated, remain behind and you will be returned to Earth. This is the final opportunity for this to happen. Any organism that you land with will be immediately destroyed by the customs officers. You have been warned.

Enjoy the rest of the trip to your new life.”

One of the passengers stood up and declared, “I brought some cuttings of my favourite grape vine, for starting a vineyard on the new planet. Do they have to be destroyed? That seems a terrible waste.”

The ship voice came back with, “If you are prepared to put them at risk, we can try irradiating them to kill off bacteria and any organisms living on or inside the plants. We cannot guarantee that no harm will come to your plants, but that is the best we can offer.”

The man was quick to agree. “That sounds a lot better than nothing. I can tell there should be a market for wine produced in the colony, so I will take that risk. What do I do?”

A mechanoid is on its way. You will hand the pack of cuttings to the mechanoid and it will take them to our radiation chamber for exposure. Are you willing to wait behind until the operation is complete, and we can return them to you? You can go down in a later Landership.”

“That sounds reasonable. I agree to your terms.”

John and his girls listened to this negotiation with interest. John concluded that the colony was determined not to allow pests to become established on the new planet, and he approved. He was also impressed by the apparent humanity of The Personalia. They were very accommodating to humans, it seemed to him.

Seemingly moments later, the ship announced, “Transfer time, people. Your transport down to Home Colony is ready to receive you. Please make your way to the hatch.”

Everyone got up off their seats and prepared for another transfer; everyone except the man with the grape vine cuttings. He stood there, looking disconsolate, until the ship voice said, “The vine cuttings have been exposed to sufficient radiation to kill any pests. They are on their way back to you now. We can hold the Landership until they get back here.”

His face erupted in a massive smile of pleasure. As he waved to his fellow passengers who were filing out the hatch, he said, “I should be with you shortly, I hope. With a bit of luck, my cuttings have survived the treatment.”

Everyone was seated, waiting for the vine man, and eventually he clambered through the hatch, clutching his pack of cuttings as well as his baggage. His fellow passengers gave him a round of applause, at which he smiled graciously and nodded his thanks. He took the only vacant seat, and they were ready to go.

The hatches closed in their usual silent way, and the Landership disengaged from the Base Ship. They were off.

The Landership tilted forward, preparatory to firing its nose retrorockets to bring its speed below the orbital figure. From here, no power was required, except for steering to ensure the optimal angle for a safe descent.

The ride was smooth on the whole, except for some buffeting where the ship entered a turbulent air pocket, or a cross wind hit them from the side. The Landership swiftly corrected for any of these events, and the descent returned to its previously smooth ride.

A few minutes later, the Landership altered its glide path to a shallower angle to make best use of air braking, and this slowed the approach to the colony. To those on the ground, the Landership was just a dot in the sky, dropping as it came closer, until it resolved into the giant ship alighting on the river’s surface, upstream of the colony.

From there, the ship allowed itself to be carried by the current back to the landing point for arrivals. The great machine edged to the side, with its point facing up river as it slid onto the muddy sand by the river’s edge.

There it switched off its anti-gravity entirely and settled down to decant its passengers onto a set of aircraft steps that had been transported in sections on an earlier trip.

The newcomers stepped out and looked around at the new planet they had arrived at. There was little to see, for this was no more than a landing point and dock area. The settlement was off in the distance, on a small knoll of higher ground, where drainage could leave the settlement dry underfoot.