Chapter 36: Martinez

T-Minus 10 hours to launch.

Captain Martinez strolls into the engine room, deftly avoiding the scurrying bodies rushing to and fro. Searching for Commander Moore, the Captain smiles as he takes in the industrious work taking place all around. The large EmA Drive hums, its wires strewn around the deck as bodies squirm in and out of its guts.

Spotting the Commander shoulder deep within the drive, Captain Martinez leans against a blank wall waiting. Commander Moore can be heard shouting orders as person after person comes to his side. Finally, he withdraws from the engine, his body arching and stretching to work out the kinks. Spotting the Captain leaning against the interior wall he walks towards him.

"Hello Captain, come to check up?"

"How is it going Joshua? Please tell me it's all going to be in working order." Captain Martinez asks as he moves from the wall, his arm waving to encompass the insanity surrounding the engine. "If I'd known you had to mess with the engine I probably wouldn't have allowed it."

A laughing Commander turns and takes in the view. "Not to worry Captain. Everything's going to plan. The upgrade is, if I might say, inspired! I'd really like to meet whoever came up with this plan. The simplicity of the design, the ease with which the changes can be made is awe inspiring." Turning back towards the Captain, Commander Moore smiles. "At a guess I'd say the upgrade will be finished within the next two hours. Several hours ahead of schedule, which means I'll have plenty of time to do some testing."

"Good. So what's been done?"

"Well, as you know the EmA drive works by heating anti-matter, which in turn generates electricity to power the electromagnetic portion of the drive." Commander Moore points to the huge cone shaped chamber in the centre of the room. "That electromagnetic energy then bounces around this cone shaped chamber, which somehow provides enough thrust to get us nearly four and a half light years in only six years instead of thousands. Bloody amazing!"

"Commander Moore. I know all of this, so why the lecture? And what does this have to do with the new Shield upgrades?"

"Well, you see. That's the fascinating miniature EM drive part Sir. The shield emitter on each ship is powered by its own EM generator. However, the power of the main drive is through the antimatter portion, that allows for more electromagnetic strength. By splicing the main shield emitter to the main drive we can send a stronger pulse throughout the shield with no lessening in its effectiveness. In fact, if my calculations are right then this shouldn't just improve the effectiveness of the shield, but double its strength."

"But wouldn't that reduce the effectiveness of the Drive?" Captain Martinez asks curiously.

"You'd think that wouldn't you, but all of the calculations show that any lessening in effectiveness is negligible. And when I say negligible, I'm talking less than 0.01% in drive reduction. If we're unlucky it'll add a few days onto our journey." A smiling Commander leans, arms crossed against the wall. "Well worth it I'd say Sir."

"Well, let's just hope nothing goes wrong." Captain Martinez replies. A curious look passes across his face and he turns, his eyes taking in the large Drive. "Commander, a thought comes to mind. Of course I have a basic concept of how the drive works, but, what about waste? Looking over the design I fail to see any exhausts. So where does the waste go from the process?"

"Ah yes, well, that's because there isn't any Sir." Commander Moore says, a wry smile on his face.

The Captain's eyes close, a pained look flitting across his face, before opening his eyes and looking back at Commander Moore. "Please explain how that's possible Commander. I know enough about science to know that for every reaction there is an equal and opposite reaction, meaning anything we create that has thrust, has some form of waste. Surely the same applies for this Drive. After all science is science."

"Yes I agree. However Sir, the EmA Drive violates Newton's Third Law."

"How can it be violated? It simply is, it's a fact of nature."

Commander Moore sighs and stands upright. "Okay, I'm not sure how to explain this part Sir. You know of Newton's Third Law of course, anything that generates thrust, say for instance a jet engine, The engine generates thrust by expelling hot gases backwards, which in turn moves the jet forwards."

"Yes Commander, I know how Newton's Third Law works. That doesn't explain how the Drive can violate it. That's not possible Commander."

"The EmA Drive doesn't expel anything at all, there is no opposing reaction. As the electromagnetic energy bounces around and collides with the chamber's walls they propel the device forward and as  the Drive propels forwards, so too does whatever it is attached to. The effect is cumulative Sir, so the longer the Drive is active the faster we go. Of course there is a limit, but it's fast enough to get us where we need to go in years rather than generations." Commander Moore explains.

A deep sigh emanates from the Captain's lips. "And again, that doesn't explain why there's no exhaust waste Joshua."

"Honestly Captain, this drive is beyond our scientific knowledge. No one knows exactly HOW it works, just that it does. Beyond our wildest dreams." With a negligent shrug of his shoulders Commander Moore moves away from the wall. "Maybe someday we'll fully comprehend the inner workings of our finest creation to date. In all honesty if this world wide disaster hadn't knocked on our door we'd never have used something we didn't fully understand." Another negligent shrug and Commander Moore sighs." Needs must when the Devil drives."   

A voice pipes over the Comm system. "Captain, please report to the bridge."

"Very well Commander. Inform me when the upgrade is complete please. Needs must indeed Commander." Captain Martinez replies as he turns and walks away, heading for the Bridge.