The e-Magazine of the British Interplanetary Society NEW YEAR THRILLS Welcome to 2018, a year where we Richard Hayes looks at the Shape In our next edition, John Silvester will hope we will all get what we dream of Politics to Come with his regular be reviewing Julian Guthrie’s How for. In this, the fi rst edition of Odyssey Radical Vectors column, and uses to Make a Spaceship, while Richard for this year, we have a full calendar, one of David Hardy’s superb artworks Hayes will be taking us to ocean but should there be someone out to talk about a more unusual method worlds in fact and fi ction, as well as there who, like our President Mark of launching spacecraft. Richard has showcasing some more great art from Hempsell, has published their fi rst or also included, and I had no idea he Alex Storer. even tenth book and you would like it was doing this as you read his piece, reviewed and put in Odyssey, please an article on entering the War Zone. We at Odyssey hope you have a write to at our usual address, at the wonderful and exciting New Year. We bottom of each page. John Silvester reviews two books, start this edition with my story entitled, Spaceplane Hermes by Luc van den Absolute Zero. If you have something else you would Abeelen, an excellent book I must like to say or have us investigate, add, and Stone Spring, a work of Terry Henley FBIS then write to us. This year we are alternative history by Stephen Baxter. Editor starting with a story from yours truly, To accompany this, Richard has also (yes, I still write and you can fi nd my written about the idea of alternative books at Amazon). This short story is history as it features in science fi ction. entitled Absolute Zero. Absolute Zero by Terry Henley FBIS Denise started to scream. “Stop That morning John had started at the Because they were used on pushing!” she bellowed from behind a fi rm. He had been shown around a the exterior, the parts had to be tall crate of specialised equipment that few days earlier and then attended acclimatised to space temperatures, had to be conditioned near to absolute an intense safety course which lasted hence why these parts were subjected zero. She was pulling the equipment four hours. John was 21, Denise 25, to a temperature of -230º C not far trolley towards the blast freezer where and the moment he had laid his eyes above absolute zero. To accomplish nine trollies were already in their place on her, he knew she would be his by this, the room would be fl ooded with inside the fast freezing cubicle. the end of the day. The equipment a fi ne mist of liquid nitrogen. After which was made in the factory would ninety seconds, the room was then “STOP!” Denise screamed at the top go aboard the latest battleship, UFS subjected to high pressure verdian of her voice but the trolley continued Cardinal. The items being made were beams which would get into the to move. A small piece of her clothing specialised gun parts that were on the metal, tempering it and changing its was caught in the metal grid and she exterior of the battleship. molecular structure so it would not couldn’t move away from it. fall apart or disintegrate as it was Odyssey: The e-Magazine of the British Interplanetary Society: Issue 51 www.bis-space.com 1 used in the coldness of space. The alarm bleated across the room telling the bar moved again. Denise had parts remained at that temperature for everyone that someone was in managed to grab the coat but couldn’t one minute before the doors opened serious trouble. get it on so she pushed it around her and hot air fi lled the compartment, body. continuing the fi nal process for sealing “Come on Denise, just a coffee,” the components. John shouted above the sound of the A person sized, thick, emergency claxon. blanket was pushed in as the door John had already spoken to Denise struggled to close and start its job. and she had rebuffed him before the A moment later Charlie, his More people were now crowding entire crew that worked at his station. supervisor, grabbed his shoulder and around the machine. One man When he saw her pulling the trolley, pulled him around to face him. pushed a thin plastic bottle into the he spoke to her again. machine which Denise grabbed. “What are you doing?” Charlie She recognised it immediately as an “Denise, that was unfair to put me shouted as the claxon stopped. oxygen breather. down before the entire crew earlier. Will you give me a try, come out with Another man, Ian, was running down She managed to get the pipe into me for a cup of coffee?” the aisle with a bar in his hand as her mouth and drop the plastic bottle Charlie heard a loud click. He turned down before her and then she did “John, I’m fl attered that you want to and looked at the fl oor. The trolley her best to wrap the blanket around take me out, but there’s something had passed the point of no return and herself. Just as the bar was pushed you don’t know. I study at night for a was locked in position as the door out of the door’s way, two pairs of pilot’s degree to fl y one of those huge closed. hands grabbed John and strapped his battleships we build the weapons for. wrists together. Also . .” she looked down to where Ian ran between the two men, pushing her clothes were caught on the trolley John to one side. “It’s only a bit of fun,” John shouted. as John started to push it forward again. “Hey, watch what you’re doing, she’ll “Fun!” Charlie retorted. “She will more be fi ne, I’ll pull the trolley out now.” than likely die in there.” “How about just for a couple of hours,” he retorted. He turned and saw the door was The bar was now hanging by the side closing. of Ian’s leg as the machine started “John, the answer is still no, I’m sorry its procedure. Ten seconds later all but . .” “Get me out of here!” Denise the windows frosted up. There was screamed. She knew what was about a terrible scream from inside the She felt the trolley jerk towards her to happen and all she had on was machine as a young man was pushing and push her into the freezer. She her thin blue overall. Her black boots his way through the crowd. tried to move to the side but John were trapped under the trolley, but kicked her left calf; she buckled and she prayed the door would be opened “Where is she? Is Denise out of the was inside the freezer. by one of the engineers. machine? Who pushed her in there in the fi rst place?” he shouted as tears “Denise, say yes and I’ll let you out, Eight men and two women were now started to fall down his face. say no, you stay here. The fi rst stage doing their utmost to help Denise of the cold air will cool down your inside the machine. The door was Denise screamed again as the temper, then I’ll ask again when the almost closed, and as soon as it did, machine commenced its second doors open before the second blast,” the operation to freeze the equipment phase. he seethed. would commence. “Noooooo!” Paul cried. “Denise, I love A CCTV camera was sited above One man removed his fur lined thick you,” he bellowed. each freezer door but the security jacket and pushed it through the small man was helping a colleague with a opening. The bar was being pushed “Hey, she’s going out with me tonight, camera problem. He turned to look out by the door as it continued to mate,” John seethed and laughed at at his screens, seeing something close. him. happening by unit FB18, but all he could see was a man wearing an “Why not let the machine go through “I’m Paul, her husband and she’s four orange boiler suit. He knew he was the fi rst process then get her out?” months pregnant.” a trainee, and as he switched to the John asked. camera that monitored the interior of “I’ll turn the power off,” one of the the freezer, he saw a woman being “There is no pause, it just goes from engineers said and disappeared, pushed further into the machine. one process to the next and doesn’t knowing that if he shut down the open the door until its completed,” Ian power, the components would be He pressed the red button in the shouted. “Charlie, get security down useless and scrapped, but a woman’s middle of his console. A high-pitched here, they…” he stopped talking as life was at stake. Odyssey: The e-Magazine of the British Interplanetary Society: Issue 51 www.bis-space.com 2 “Let us through!” a woman shouted to ordered. “Security, take John to the people standing by the machine. the police. You’d better hope she They turned to see a man and women survives.” wearing medical clothes with a hospital trolley. It seemed to take ages to bring her temperature up to normal.