eartheatenpart2ext
eartheatenpart2ext.docx
[****[Scene: ISS Command Room]
Captain Vega walked into the ISS command room.
Vega: “Commander Rhodes, can you get your crew together? We need to devise a plan.”
Rhodes: “Copy that.”
Rhodes turned to his intercom.
Rhodes: “Crew, this is Commander Rhodes. Meet in the conference room in five minutes. I repeat, in five minutes I need all crew in the conference room.”
A few moments later, the ISS crew gathers. Rhodes addresses them.
Rhodes: “Captain Vega will brief us on the current status.”
Vega: “Crew, as you know, our beloved Earth is gone. And unfortunately, this rock we’re on may soon depart as well. I believe we have about thirty days to figure out our fate. Again, as you know, Mars is heading toward the Sun, and we don’t know if we can stop it.”
Harris: “Captain, what about that Sloan chick and Uranus?”
Vega: “Yes, they want us to check on their mission, but we’ve got more pressing matters—like Mars’ orbit.”
Rhodes: “Sir, I don’t think there’s much we can do about Mars’ orbit.”
Vega: “Well, we can’t just sit around and wait to be sucked into the Sun.”
Harris: “Of course not, sir. It may actually be beneficial to go on this Uranus mission.”
Rhodes: “Are you suggesting we leave the colony here to die on Mars?”
Harris: “We can’t save the colony. We definitely can’t save Mars. Maybe a few survivors—but the ISS, nor your ship, Captain, can hold all those colonists.”
Rhodes: “So who chooses who survives? I guess that’s on you, Captain. You decide who we save.”
Vega: “Hey, cut that out. We won’t have to save anyone. I have faith. We can’t just leave for Uranus without helping, or at least attempting to help. We can’t leave not knowing the fate of the rest of humanity.”
Harris: “I agree… but I just can’t bear to watch Mars get eaten by the Sun. I’ve already witnessed Earth be devoured. I can’t go through that again.”
The large blue holographic screen hummed to life with precision tracking data. The room aboard the Solar Horizon dimmed around it, all attention fixed on the glowing orbital projections.
"Alright," Vega began, pacing before the crew. "Run that last calculation again, Ensign. Double-check Mars’ current trajectory. We need absolute certainty."
The crew worked with silent intensity. The hum of the ship’s systems underscored the tension.
"Final approach into Earth's former orbital path in... thirty-four days," said Lieutenant Harris, his voice tight. "Its velocity is increasing faster than previous models anticipated."
Vega frowned, arms crossed. "And the possibility of slingshotting past it?"
"Still on the table, sir. At these speeds, it may overshoot unless something slows it. If not, Mars may destabilize its trajectory, possibly even drift closer toward the inner planets."
Dr. Leneva tapped into her console. "We’re talking about a solar destabilization if that happens. Mars is not just a planet anymore—it’s our last chance to anchor civilization."
Commander Rhodes’ voice came in through comms, patched from the ISS. "The ISS is holding a stable altitude for now. We’re ready to deploy external probes to get more precise readings."
"Acknowledged," Vega said, then turned back to the others. "We need options, people. Plan A, B, and C. Get me gravity calculations. I want to know if anything, even a nearby moon or Venus, can act as a decelerator."
[]
Day 5 of 34 – Observation Deck, Solar Horizon
The stars were unnervingly still beyond the observation glass, but inside, hearts were anything but calm.
Vega: "Every day it picks up speed. It’s like watching a train with no brakes... and hoping the next hill is just steep enough to slow it."
Harris: "It's been difficult sleeping. I've run the simulations ten different ways. They all say the same thing—Mars is going to overshoot."
Leneva: "Unless something intervenes. Venus is our only hope. It's the only mass near enough, large enough, to alter the outcome."
Vega: "And it’s not even guaranteed it’ll pass close enough for an effect. What are the odds again?"
Harris: "Thirty-six percent chance of measurable gravitational assist. Only twelve percent chance of complete stabilization."
Vega: "Not great odds."
Day 15 – Engineering Bay
The hum of diagnostics filled the engineering bay. Crew members worked on external thruster models and magnetic pulse tests.
Chief Rennick: "If we could boost Mars just slightly—burn retrograde with something heavy—it might drag enough to adjust course. But we’re talking absurd amounts of fuel."
Vega: "I know. I just don’t want to be caught watching history crash."
Day 25 – Situation Room
An alert flashed red.
Harris: "Trajectory deviation detected. Small, but consistent. Venus may be exerting pull. We need more time."
Leneva: "It’s happening. Mars’ velocity is adjusting. I need an hour to confirm orbital drift changes."
Vega: [Quietly] "Come on, Venus... just hold onto her a little longer."
Day 30 – Orbit Watch
Rhodes (ISS): "Telemetry just confirmed gravitational assist... it's real. It’s working."
Harris: "Venus is slowing her down. I can’t believe it."
Vega: "Believe it. We just watched a planet save another... and maybe save us all."
Title: The Venus Braking Effect
Location: Aboard the Solar Horizon, 33 days after Mars began shifting inward. The crew is gathered in the command center, running simulations as Mars nears Earth’s former orbit.
Commander Rhodes (ISS): Solar Horizon, this is Commander Rhodes. We’ve got new telemetry—Mars is shifting again.
Captain Vega (Solar Horizon): What do you mean 'shifting'? Is it speeding up? Over.
Lieutenant Harris (Solar Horizon - Navigation): Negative, Captain. It’s… slowing down.
[The command center falls silent as data scrolls across the holo-display. A complex gravitational model unfolds in real-time, showing Mars caught in an unexpected interaction.]
Dr. Leneva (Solar Horizon - Astrophysics): That’s impossible. Mars should be accelerating, not decelerating. Something’s interfering with its orbital decay.
Harris: It’s Venus.
Vega: Explain.
Harris: Mars’ trajectory placed it in a near-alignment with Venus about two days ago. We assumed it would be a minor perturbation—Venus is smaller and farther away, but…
Leneva: But the gravity well effect is stronger than expected. The Sun’s pull combined with Venus’ relative position is creating a temporary Lagrange effect.
Rhodes: Meaning?
Leneva: Mars is getting a gravitational brake. Venus is acting like a slingshot—but instead of accelerating Mars, it’s dragging it into a slightly more stable orbit.
Vega: So what happens next?
Harris: If our models hold, Mars will still settle in Earth's former orbit, but at a more elliptical trajectory. The inward spiral will dampen over time. This could prevent Mars from slingshotting dangerously inward toward Venus or the Sun.
Rhodes: Are you saying Venus just saved Mars?
Leneva: In a way, yes. Without Venus’ interference, Mars might have become a runaway planet.
Vega: [Chuckles grimly] We just witnessed one hell of a cosmic coincidence. The first act of interplanetary mercy.
Harris: It’s not over yet. We need to confirm this trajectory holds. If anything changes—
Vega: We’ll be the first to know. Keep monitoring. And let’s hope the universe isn’t about to throw us another surprise.