Sci Fi Workshop story - Jumping Through Hoops
Created | Updated Jan 3, 2012
Jumping Through Hoops
The Ceremonial Hall of the Lunar Academy slowly filled with a trickle of chattering student decked out in their academic robes and milling around, telling colleagues of their latest experiences in the final year of training. Their families and friends, dressed in their finery and national costumes, keen to bag a front seat, arriving more than an hour early, formed into knots of old acquaintances, allies or national groups depending on how far removed they were from the Central System.
As the hall filled, the noise of a thousand different languages and dialects rose to a cacophony almost as loud and excited as the crowd at the annual Games – a tsunami of sound. The acoustics of the hall did not help, the waves echoing off the walls and ceiling adding to the din and increasing the volume of every speaker in the room. Some, wanting to keep their conversations private or simply in an attempt to catch nuances of discussion turned to their Aug loops and stopped speaking out loud altogether, relying instead on the silent speed of thought and artificial communication.
A hushed wave swept out from a side entrance as a group of dignitaries and academics entered the hall, among them the Chancellor of the Academy, Michael Slater and the leaders of the inhabited Solar worlds. Released as if from some thrall the voices rose to their former crescendo as people realised that there was another half an hour to go before the ceremony began.
Slater led his entourage and esteemed guests to a side door by the stage and through into a regally appointed preparation area. “Ladies, Gentlemen, colleagues, please make yourselves at home and enjoy the hospitality. I have a few matters to attend to before we begin, not least the polishing of my speech – never was very good at it.” He made a self-deprecatory chuckle at the chorus of disagreement from the room and turned to leave through a heavy, sound-deadening curtain at the back.
“Slater, old man. A word before you go?” Vice Chancellor Pringle, a thin, athletic man in his first century crossed the room in pursuit of the Chancellor. “I have some news that might add a frisson to your speech this afternoon” he called.
Slater, stooping to go through the curtained exit, turned to look at Pringle with a slightly exasperated expression born of more than a century of this type of interruption. He turned away, indicating that Pringle should follow him “Walk with me.”
Pringle caught up as the heavy curtain fell slowly back under the weak force of lunar gravity and ducked through the shrinking gap into the drab, bonded regolith corridor beyond. The Chancellor was already striding towards the lock at the far end and Pringle was forced to adopt a bouncing lope to catch him in the one sixth Earth normal gravity of the moon. Slater paused at the lock controls and waited for Pringle to catch up. “What news then, Geoff? You know I can’t include theory and speculation in what I say. If the press run with unproven speculation we will be in trouble again.” He looked at Pringle with an appraising stare, hoping that his longstanding colleague and friend would not let him down again as he had done three years ago with unfounded stories of alien contact.
Pringle alighted a metre from the Chancellor with balletic poise and returned the stare. “No Chancellor. This is nothing of the sort. The graduates are expecting something inspirational from you as usual and you never disappoint. What I have for you will, I think, raise your speech to new heights. They will be surprised and excited by what they hear. It will open new horizons for those that rise to the challenge presented by this development” He paused for breath and Slater waited for him to continue.
*
The Chancellor stepped onto the stage in the Ceremonial Hall and approached the lectern in the centre, in front of the seated dignitaries. An expectant hush overtook the thousands seated in the auditorium, a reaction that Slater still found slightly unnerving even after all the times he had stood in this same position. He wondered again, as he did on every occasion in the past, when had he become so important or interesting to all these people?
He closed his eyes momentarily, engaged his Aug loop and logged into the Hall system. Half the audience were suddenly in his public mind space – a vast landscape of avatars of every conceivable form. He ‘stepped out’ of the space leaving a live link and opened his eyes.
“Madame President, Dignitaries, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this 187th Lunar Academy graduation ceremony. Before I begin I should like to extend a particularly proud welcome to our final year students, here today to receive their honours after four years of hard work”. He paused for a smattering of applause and the odd hoot and wolf-whistle to die away. “I should also like to thank all the staff of the Academy for their sterling efforts in arranging this ceremony. We could not do our graduates such honours without you all”. This time the applause and cheers lasted longer. Slater waited patiently for them to subside knowing that it lent a sense of belonging to the staff who, he believed, were motivated by the recognition to excel every year. Slater well knew that the none academic staff were the bedrock upon which rested the towering edifice of scientific and engineering brilliance that was the reputation of the Lunar Academy. They deserved recognition and praise for their work.
As the noise died away he continued. “Yes indeed, thank you all. Now every year I spend a little time before the awards themselves setting the scene and in my own small way attempting to inspire our graduates to greater things in their future paths which vary greatly but are all launched after today. The young men and women in the hall today joined this great institution four years ago with hopes and plans for the future. Some have changed their plans as they progressed through their courses – something that is not unusual and, I am proud to say, supported by their tutors and colleagues in a spirit of unity. We are all part of one of the best technical institutes in the Solar System and flexibility allows us to maintain this position.”
“Now, most of you today will be taking up postings in the Naval Service of the Solar Alliance and in the services and industries that support them in their exploration of the local sector of the Spiral Arm. As you all know this is dangerous and exciting work which requires teamwork and collaboration to achieve great things. The list of achievements is too long to list here. Suffice to say that this spirit has led to many new discoveries, both technological and planetary.” Slater paused and looked around at Pringle. “Here is where I diverge from the usual form of my speeches to tell you all of some thrilling news conveyed to me by our Vice Chancellor.” He paused for effect. “To set the scene first, it is well known that travel between star systems is mentally and physically traumatic due to the effects of the quantum-gravitic engines that force vessels out of normal space-time and hurl them under the normal three dimensions to their destination. This twisting of space-time places strain on the physical being and the ur-dimensions accessed by the ships causes almost unbearable mental anguish such that crews of these star ships have to be sedated and placed in protective cocoons for the journey, relying on computer navigation and automated systems. This institution has played no small part in the development of these technologies, in fact it was a brilliant student some 35 years ago who, along with a group of his fellows, solved the equations in high energy quantum gravity leading to far more stable engine designs and cutting the loss of life in interstellar travel to almost zero. I believe his name was Geoffrey Pringle.” The Chancellor indicated to an embarrassed Pringle that he should rise and acknowledge the applause of the assembled audience.
“Now, after ten years of research and development work one of Pringle’s brilliant students and latterly senior engineering fellow, Clare Masters has finally solved the problems caused by engine technology by removing the quantum-gravitic engines from space vessels altogether. I had hoped that Clare would be here to describe her innovation to you herself. Sadly she is currently at the edge of known space testing the limits of her new system of Portals and cannot be with us. This being the case I will allow our Vice Chancellor to explain all.”
Pringle stood slowly and stepped forward to the lectern. He coughed self-consciously. Clare should be here to bask in the glory of her achievement, he thought, not me.
“Thank you, Chancellor and good day to you all. I feel that I am stealing Clare’s thunder here today. She and her team have worked extremely hard over the last ten years, work which paid off three years ago with the first Portal test bed and the subsequent construction of the network that allows much safer travel across the stars. This is now ready for use and all of you in the audience today will be the first to use it routinely.” There was a collective intake of breath in the auditorium and he waited for the noise to subside before continuing.
“Briefly, the new technology developed by Clare and her team has removed the QG engines for ships and builds them into structures which are then placed in gravitationally stable orbits around stars. These then open up Portals which are linked and form ‘tunnels’ in u-space which impulse powered vessels can enter and travel along. This prevents the ill-effects caused by QG engines from affecting ship and crew and travel time is, in fact quicker than before...”
*
The air of excitement was a physical thing on the command deck of the Trafalgar. Captain Gerard had invited the crew up to the observation section so that they could be a part of this historic moment. The Columbus class exploration vessel had been en route from the Moon to the L4 Lagrange point since the morning (Earth local time) and was due to make its historic journey at midday. As the ship entered the gravitationally stable orbital position the crew moved closer to the viewscreens, straining to make out the approaching structure against the background of stars. The new members of the crew, fresh from their graduation ceremony at the Lunar Academy had formed a knot and forced their way to the front of the observation area to get the best view.
There was a shout from one of the group and pointing fingers indicated an area at the top left of the screen. A glow in the near ultraviolet emerged out of the background of constellations and the noise increased. The androgynous voice of the ship AI cut through the din “Approaching Jump point. Navigation beacons acquired.”
The ship wheeled around in space and began to accelerate. The violet glow of the Portal began to expand and as the viewscreens adjusted to compensate for the brightness the size and shape of the structure became clear. A reflection of the Trafalgar suddenly appeared in the centre of the Portal as it powered up ready to accept the ship. As quickly as it appeared the reflection disappeared and the ‘tunnel’ opened, leaving the glowing Portal hanging in space, a monstrous hoop of crackling exotic matter. The ship shot into the ‘tunnel’ and Jumped...
Copyright John Chapple (AKA turvy) 2011
The Ceremonial Hall of the Lunar Academy slowly filled with a trickle of chattering student decked out in their academic robes and milling around, telling colleagues of their latest experiences in the final year of training. Their families and friends, dressed in their finery and national costumes, keen to bag a front seat, arriving more than an hour early, formed into knots of old acquaintances, allies or national groups depending on how far removed they were from the Central System.
As the hall filled, the noise of a thousand different languages and dialects rose to a cacophony almost as loud and excited as the crowd at the annual Games – a tsunami of sound. The acoustics of the hall did not help, the waves echoing off the walls and ceiling adding to the din and increasing the volume of every speaker in the room. Some, wanting to keep their conversations private or simply in an attempt to catch nuances of discussion turned to their Aug loops and stopped speaking out loud altogether, relying instead on the silent speed of thought and artificial communication.
A hushed wave swept out from a side entrance as a group of dignitaries and academics entered the hall, among them the Chancellor of the Academy, Michael Slater and the leaders of the inhabited Solar worlds. Released as if from some thrall the voices rose to their former crescendo as people realised that there was another half an hour to go before the ceremony began.
Slater led his entourage and esteemed guests to a side door by the stage and through into a regally appointed preparation area. “Ladies, Gentlemen, colleagues, please make yourselves at home and enjoy the hospitality. I have a few matters to attend to before we begin, not least the polishing of my speech – never was very good at it.” He made a self-deprecatory chuckle at the chorus of disagreement from the room and turned to leave through a heavy, sound-deadening curtain at the back.
“Slater, old man. A word before you go?” Vice Chancellor Pringle, a thin, athletic man in his first century crossed the room in pursuit of the Chancellor. “I have some news that might add a frisson to your speech this afternoon” he called.
Slater, stooping to go through the curtained exit, turned to look at Pringle with a slightly exasperated expression born of more than a century of this type of interruption. He turned away, indicating that Pringle should follow him “Walk with me.”
Pringle caught up as the heavy curtain fell slowly back under the weak force of lunar gravity and ducked through the shrinking gap into the drab, bonded regolith corridor beyond. The Chancellor was already striding towards the lock at the far end and Pringle was forced to adopt a bouncing lope to catch him in the one sixth Earth normal gravity of the moon. Slater paused at the lock controls and waited for Pringle to catch up. “What news then, Geoff? You know I can’t include theory and speculation in what I say. If the press run with unproven speculation we will be in trouble again.” He looked at Pringle with an appraising stare, hoping that his longstanding colleague and friend would not let him down again as he had done three years ago with unfounded stories of alien contact.
Pringle alighted a metre from the Chancellor with balletic poise and returned the stare. “No Chancellor. This is nothing of the sort. The graduates are expecting something inspirational from you as usual and you never disappoint. What I have for you will, I think, raise your speech to new heights. They will be surprised and excited by what they hear. It will open new horizons for those that rise to the challenge presented by this development” He paused for breath and Slater waited for him to continue.
*
The Chancellor stepped onto the stage in the Ceremonial Hall and approached the lectern in the centre, in front of the seated dignitaries. An expectant hush overtook the thousands seated in the auditorium, a reaction that Slater still found slightly unnerving even after all the times he had stood in this same position. He wondered again, as he did on every occasion in the past, when had he become so important or interesting to all these people?
He closed his eyes momentarily, engaged his Aug loop and logged into the Hall system. Half the audience were suddenly in his public mind space – a vast landscape of avatars of every conceivable form. He ‘stepped out’ of the space leaving a live link and opened his eyes.
“Madame President, Dignitaries, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this 187th Lunar Academy graduation ceremony. Before I begin I should like to extend a particularly proud welcome to our final year students, here today to receive their honours after four years of hard work”. He paused for a smattering of applause and the odd hoot and wolf-whistle to die away. “I should also like to thank all the staff of the Academy for their sterling efforts in arranging this ceremony. We could not do our graduates such honours without you all”. This time the applause and cheers lasted longer. Slater waited patiently for them to subside knowing that it lent a sense of belonging to the staff who, he believed, were motivated by the recognition to excel every year. Slater well knew that the none academic staff were the bedrock upon which rested the towering edifice of scientific and engineering brilliance that was the reputation of the Lunar Academy. They deserved recognition and praise for their work.
As the noise died away he continued. “Yes indeed, thank you all. Now every year I spend a little time before the awards themselves setting the scene and in my own small way attempting to inspire our graduates to greater things in their future paths which vary greatly but are all launched after today. The young men and women in the hall today joined this great institution four years ago with hopes and plans for the future. Some have changed their plans as they progressed through their courses – something that is not unusual and, I am proud to say, supported by their tutors and colleagues in a spirit of unity. We are all part of one of the best technical institutes in the Solar System and flexibility allows us to maintain this position.”
“Now, most of you today will be taking up postings in the Naval Service of the Solar Alliance and in the services and industries that support them in their exploration of the local sector of the Spiral Arm. As you all know this is dangerous and exciting work which requires teamwork and collaboration to achieve great things. The list of achievements is too long to list here. Suffice to say that this spirit has led to many new discoveries, both technological and planetary.” Slater paused and looked around at Pringle. “Here is where I diverge from the usual form of my speeches to tell you all of some thrilling news conveyed to me by our Vice Chancellor.” He paused for effect. “To set the scene first, it is well known that travel between star systems is mentally and physically traumatic due to the effects of the quantum-gravitic engines that force vessels out of normal space-time and hurl them under the normal three dimensions to their destination. This twisting of space-time places strain on the physical being and the ur-dimensions accessed by the ships causes almost unbearable mental anguish such that crews of these star ships have to be sedated and placed in protective cocoons for the journey, relying on computer navigation and automated systems. This institution has played no small part in the development of these technologies, in fact it was a brilliant student some 35 years ago who, along with a group of his fellows, solved the equations in high energy quantum gravity leading to far more stable engine designs and cutting the loss of life in interstellar travel to almost zero. I believe his name was Geoffrey Pringle.” The Chancellor indicated to an embarrassed Pringle that he should rise and acknowledge the applause of the assembled audience.
“Now, after ten years of research and development work one of Pringle’s brilliant students and latterly senior engineering fellow, Clare Masters has finally solved the problems caused by engine technology by removing the quantum-gravitic engines from space vessels altogether. I had hoped that Clare would be here to describe her innovation to you herself. Sadly she is currently at the edge of known space testing the limits of her new system of Portals and cannot be with us. This being the case I will allow our Vice Chancellor to explain all.”
Pringle stood slowly and stepped forward to the lectern. He coughed self-consciously. Clare should be here to bask in the glory of her achievement, he thought, not me.
“Thank you, Chancellor and good day to you all. I feel that I am stealing Clare’s thunder here today. She and her team have worked extremely hard over the last ten years, work which paid off three years ago with the first Portal test bed and the subsequent construction of the network that allows much safer travel across the stars. This is now ready for use and all of you in the audience today will be the first to use it routinely.” There was a collective intake of breath in the auditorium and he waited for the noise to subside before continuing.
“Briefly, the new technology developed by Clare and her team has removed the QG engines for ships and builds them into structures which are then placed in gravitationally stable orbits around stars. These then open up Portals which are linked and form ‘tunnels’ in u-space which impulse powered vessels can enter and travel along. This prevents the ill-effects caused by QG engines from affecting ship and crew and travel time is, in fact quicker than before...”
*
The air of excitement was a physical thing on the command deck of the Trafalgar. Captain Gerard had invited the crew up to the observation section so that they could be a part of this historic moment. The Columbus class exploration vessel had been en route from the Moon to the L4 Lagrange point since the morning (Earth local time) and was due to make its historic journey at midday. As the ship entered the gravitationally stable orbital position the crew moved closer to the viewscreens, straining to make out the approaching structure against the background of stars. The new members of the crew, fresh from their graduation ceremony at the Lunar Academy had formed a knot and forced their way to the front of the observation area to get the best view.
There was a shout from one of the group and pointing fingers indicated an area at the top left of the screen. A glow in the near ultraviolet emerged out of the background of constellations and the noise increased. The androgynous voice of the ship AI cut through the din “Approaching Jump point. Navigation beacons acquired.”
The ship wheeled around in space and began to accelerate. The violet glow of the Portal began to expand and as the viewscreens adjusted to compensate for the brightness the size and shape of the structure became clear. A reflection of the Trafalgar suddenly appeared in the centre of the Portal as it powered up ready to accept the ship. As quickly as it appeared the reflection disappeared and the ‘tunnel’ opened, leaving the glowing Portal hanging in space, a monstrous hoop of crackling exotic matter. The ship shot into the ‘tunnel’ and Jumped...
Copyright John Chapple (AKA turvy) 2011
