Deep Space Settlement - 6. DSS Chapter 6

“Sir, you are correct in assuming that Canada is the closest mainland, with a distance of 1204 kilometres to Halifax, Canada, and it is 1542 kilometres to the Flores Island, Portugal and 1680 kilometres to New York” one of the pilots called out.

“Has the United Nations received our message yet, and do we have any signal beacons onboard?” Lucas replied. “The message is being delivered as we speak, and yes we have 6 beacons onboard” the pilot replied.

“Good, I want one placed at the outer tip of each of the five islands, to warn any shipping in the area of the location of the island, and send a message to all ships in the Atlantic, giving the coordinates of the new islands, and tell them to steer clear” Lucas said as he returned to the shuttle and headed to the cargo bay, where two smaller shuttles are stored.

Each of them can hold two people, plus a small amount of cargo, and as well as flying, it can also go underwater to a depth of over 300 metres. Once he had started it up and let the engine's warm-up, he asked the crew to lower the rear hatch, so he can do some mapping of the area.

After 3 hours, Lucas had scanned the area within 500 metres around each of the 5 islands, and he had transmitted the information back to the main shuttle, before heading back, so see what it looked like as a topographical map.

Once back at the main shuttle, Lucas headed to the main flight deck, where the map was now on the computer display, and it was giving information about the area of each island, its maximum heights and that all of the islands are solid rock.

The northernmost island, is the biggest island, which faces North-South, is 26 kilometres long and 4 kilometres wide, with the top of it is quite flat, ideal for an airport runway, and the islands are spaced apart from between 32 to 96 kilometres.

After viewing the map on the screen for a few minutes, Lucas had it transferred over to his laptop computer, and he collected some supplies, for an overnight stay on the islands.

Once he was packed and ready, Lucas stored it all into the Mini Shuttle and once again left the main shuttle and landed this time on the most Western Island, before the main shuttle set off back to the Earth Base near New Zealand, where it will collect lots of supplies, and some personnel, to assist with establishing a small settlement, to establish ownership of the islands.

The mini-shuttle has space for a camp stretcher, and some basic cooking facilities, which is enough to get by until the main shuttle returns later the next day. Once the main shuttle had left, Lucas explored the Western Island on foot, which is an arrow shape, and that is what he named it – Arrow Island.

When he returned, he received a message from Earth Base, that the tsunami was only ½ a metre high when it reached the East coast of North America, causing only minor damage, from Cape May in New Jersey, up to the top of Nova Scotia, because of the early warning that was given. Bermuda being closer was hit by the tsunami affecting mostly just St Georges and St David’s Islands, including the airport, with minor damage, and minimal injuries.

Before settling down for the night, Lucas had one more look at the map that had been generated from his work earlier in the day, and the far eastern island resembled a horseshoe so he named that one Horseshoe Island.

The other two islands to the south, had no real shape to them so he named the western one – Tsunami Island, and the eastern one – Quake Island, and the northern island he named after himself, Durham Island because he couldn’t think of any other name for it.

After checking in with Earth base one last time, and checking that the warning beacons were working, now that it is dark, Lucas settled down to get some sleep, and see what a new day brings, after making the announcement to the UN about the new islands.

When Lucas woke up the next morning, he checked his messages, and found one from the International Space Station, via NASA, which was a satellite photograph of the five islands, and it showed the tiny shuttle on the island also.

A second message was from Earth base, “Royal Canadian Navy is sending a submarine to assist with protecting the island, ETA 1300 hours your time. Shuttle with supplies and people is due to arrive there at 1600 hours your time”. Lucas smiled when he read this, pleased that this discovery was being taken seriously.

Lucas smiled when he read the second message, pleased that he was getting some military support, and after a breakfast of rations, he set off in the mini-shuttle to explore the other islands.

While on Horseshoe Island, a plane flew over at low altitude, before turning and heading west in the direction that it came from, and what Lucas could make out, it was a US fighter jet, probably checking out the claim of new islands.

It was just after 1200 hours when Lucas had complete exploring the five islands, and he was on Arrow Island, having an early lunch when suddenly a submarine appeared just a few hundred metres from the island, and Lucas was pleased to see the Canadian Oak leaf symbol on the conning tower, indicating that it was a Canadian Navy submarine, and ten minutes later a dinghy with twelve men on board landed on the island.

“Good afternoon, and welcome to Arrow Island, I am Ambassador Lucas Denham, of the United Republic of Planets of Sahndrol,” Lucas said as the officers approached him. “Good afternoon, greetings from Her Majesties Royal Canadian Navy, I am Commander George Adamson, and this is my XO, Lieutenant Owen Tucker, and Petty Officer Kyle Andrews” the senior officer replied, making the introductions.

“Nice to meet you all, I had received word this morning, that you would be visiting, I have a shuttle arriving in about 4 hours’ time with more supplies and some people to set up a basic settlement on the island.

As I mentioned, this is Arrow Island, the island East of here is Horseshoe Island, the one to the north is Durham Island, the island to the south-west is Tsunami Island, and the one to the south-east is Quake Island.

If you wish we can take a ride in my mini-shuttle so you can get a quicker aerial view of all the islands, but there are only two seats” Lucas said to the officers. “If you don’t mind, I will send my XO to travel with you, I am not a very keen flyer myself,” the senior officer said to Lucas.

When Lucas and the XO returned to Arrow Island, a flag pole had been erected, and a Canadian flag was flying from it, and Lucas looked at it for a few moments. “When the main shuttle returns, we will be adding our Sahndrol flag to the mast” Luas said to no one in particular. “Our orders are to obey your directions Ambassador, so that is fine by us” the Captain responded.

“Sir, the flight in the mini Shuttle was truly amazing, it was like floating in mid-air, and the islands are all very much the same, bare hard rock, but there are a lot of cracks and still a lot of moisture on them, and as the Ambassador said when we left, Durham Island has a long flat area at the top, that we measured to be over 5,260 metres long, and 720 metres wide, so well above what is required for an airport runway,” the XO said, as we hear a distant sound getting closer.

“If that is the US Airforce, this is their second time they have flown out here today” Lucas commented as they heard the aircraft approaching at very low altitude, and it zoomed past turned and did a circle around the islands, before heading back the way it came from. “Now that he has seen our flag and the submarine, I highly doubt that they will return,” the senior officer said.

“You never know, these bloody Americans would like to get their hands on anything that is available, I recently learnt that a site that I was looking at for a building project on Bermuda, is an ex-US Naval Base, and they have left behind a huge environmental mess” Lucas responded, “Sadly, I agree with you there sir, they seem to spoil the environment where ever they go,” the XO said.

“Mr Durham, with your permission, we would like to stay a few days until your team is fully set up, then we will leave you 6 personnel with you and collect them in two weeks’ time, by then the US should have received the message loud and clear to stay away,” the Commander said, “Thank you, Commander Adamson, that would be appreciated” Lucas replied.

Later in the afternoon, not one but two shuttles arrived, and work began to unload a large number of supplies, everything from food, water, to crates of lightweight panels, that when put together form a series of shelters, from accommodation to dining and recreation space. One of the shuttles moved over to Horseshoe Island, to set up a second settlement over there, and on Arrow Island, the Sahndrol Flag was raised next to the Canadian Flag.

One of the interesting items that were brought along was 24 trays of a dozen seedlings from 8 different New Zealand trees and ferns, to be planted where suitable places can be found, and other items include a portable desalination plant and water storage containers, which were put to work right away, so as to water the seedlings and supply water for the settlers.

When everything had been unloaded from the two shuttles, including two more mini shuttles, the two cargo shuttles headed back to New Zealand, leaving behind two groups of 18 men and women from the Earth base, who had volunteered for this expedition.