William Forstchen: Article 23

He turned his head to one side and saw the curvature of the Earth sweeping away. All of Central

America and southern Mexico were clearly visible along with the turquoise blue of the Caribbean Sea. Feeling slightly dizzy, he turned to look straight back up and closed his eyes for a minute.

"Acceleration is complete. Please feel free to get up out of your seats," the computer announced. "If you should feel hungry, refreshments are being served on the bottom deck."

Justin gulped hard and waited for a moment but his stomach didn't give any signs that it wanted to rebel. He looked over at the gravity meter on the computer screen. As the ear climbed farther away from Earth, gravity would slowly drop away to only a fraction of surface gravity at the top of the tower. But the car would slowly continue to accelerate, holding at a steady 2 gee until final deceleration.

"Let's get some grub and watch the show down below," Brian said.

Matt, feeling a bit shaky, followed them over to the small spiral staircase rather than wait for the elevator. They went down the three levels to the bottom floor of the car, and as they stepped out Matt gasped in surprise. The floor was covered in plexishield, and the bottom cover had been retracted. Earth, now nearly three thousand kilometers away, was visible directly below his feet.

He stood there for a moment, absolutely amazed by the view. The entire sphere of the Earth was now visible, filling up most of space below, as was the long thin needle of the tower going straight down until it simply disappeared from view.

Matt shook his head and moved to join Brian at a table in the corner of the room but Justin found that he wasn't hungry at the moment. He was far more interested in watching Earth as it slowly dropped away.

The first-timers stood around like him, looking down, some of them nervous, others excited, while the old hands at space travel picked up the snack which was being served out by a ' bot and headed back up to their more comfortable seats on the main decks. Justin finally wandered over to join his friends and settled down into a reclining chair beside the table, ignoring the sardonic grins of Matt and Brian over his concession to the gee pull.

"A cadet has to look like an old hand whether he is or not," Brian said dryly. "Even if the sun should go supernova, don't get excited and don't stand there gaping like a tourist."

"Can't help it," Justin answered quietly. "It's just that the view is so incredible."

"You've seen it from the Academy all summer long."

"Yeah, I know. But just think, this tower is anchored on the ground and goes up thirty-seven thousand kilometers. It's incredible that we're riding on it. Sort of like we're still attached somehow to back down there. And besides, it's beautiful to look at."

Brian laughed softly and shook his head.

"You'll get over it."

"I hope I never do," Justin replied, looking Brian straight in the eyes.

A thin smile creased Brian's face.

"After it's scared you a couple of times it might not be so beautiful anymore," he said.

"Even then, I hope I don't forget how to look at it the way I am right now," Justin insisted.

"Ah, a poet here," Matt interjected with a laugh.

Brian shook his head.

"Plebes. Thank heavens I've grown beyond it."

Relaxing in the chair Justin half-listened to the stories Brian and Matt swapped back and forth, with Matt holding the upper hand when it came to yarns about his life as a solar sailor. The gee-load gradually lulled him into a stupor, and through half-closed eyes he wondered how Matt, who had grown up in a zero-gee environment, was handling it. His friend was obviously putting on a show of bravado in front of Seay, straining to remain upright. Over a cup of coffee Brian launched into another story, and Justin felt himself drifting away.

"All passengers please return to your seats for deceleration and docking with sky tower station."

Justin looked up, amazed that the hours had passed so quickly.

Matt and Brian gulped down their drinks and started back up to the main deck area with Justin tagging along. As they settled back in their chairs Brian and Matt were already into a boasting war as to which of the two had experienced the narrowest and most hair raising incident and Justin found himself feeling very much like an outsider. He strapped into his chair and leaned back.

"All passengers are now secured," the computer announced, and Justin's chair pivoted in a half-circle so that he was now hanging upside down, the back of the chair pointing straight up. The reverse-magnetic motors kicked on, pushing Justin up as the car started to slow down. From his window he could see

Earth far below, small enough now that if he held his hand out he could completely block it from view. Beyond it was the endless ocean of stars.

The long minutes of two-gee deceleration dragged out and he found himself drifting to the edge of sleep. Then the warning bell sounded to indicate that deceleration was complete.

"Prepare for docking at Geosynch Orbital Base Station, gateway to the solar system and beyond," the computer announced. "Have a nice day."

His chair rotated back to its upright position. When deceleration stopped, he felt his stomach leap. They were at near-zero gravity. He took a deep breath and waited, expecting his old enemy space sickness to kick in but nothing happened. He opened his eyes and saw Matt grinning at him.

"You're a veteran now," Matt said, "not Wee the first time."

"Don't remind me."

"Yeah, don't remind him," Brian growled behind them. Embarrassed, Justin looked back, remembering how he had thrown up all over Brian's dress white uniform. Brian looked at him coldly for a moment, then smiled.

"It's all right, kid, but some day I'll pay you back I promise!"

He reached out again and shook their hands.

"All right, plebes. Outside this ship there'll be hundreds of cadets waiting for the shuttle to the Academy. Out there I'm Senior Cadet Seay and don't forget it. And if you cross me, so help me I'll kick your butts from here to Phobos and back again. Got it?'

"Yes, sir!" Matt replied with mock seriousness.

A faint shudder ran through the car, and Justin spared a quick look out the window. The huge circle of the main docking station was straight overhead. It was nearly one and a half kilometers in diameter, and it appeared to float like a huge halo at the very top of the tower to which it was hooked by half a hundred support spokes. Hundreds of ships of nearly every description were anchored into the docking ports, everything from small express-courier ships and two-seater Strike Eagle defense craft to hundred thousand-ton bulk cargo-carriers. Hovering in holding patterns beyond the ring were more ships waiting for an open docking bay, and beyond them was a long necklace of solar power stations with panels ten kilometers across and zero-gravity manufacturing centers.

Space suddenly disappeared as the car entered a docking tube. The car slowed down, switched through several side tracks, and then came to a stop.

"Thank you for riding United Nations Skyhook Tower Number One, Earth's tower to the stars. Please exit by the nearest door. Please follow the flashing blue arrows to the baggage area to reclaim your luggage. To locate the docking bay of your connecting flight, please consult your computer monitor before leaving."

"It's Docking Bay B-47," Brian announced. "You guys have any luggage?"

"Just our tote bags," Justin replied.

"Come on then, I know the way."

Justin undipped his seatbelt and clutched his chair while Matt reached up to the overhead compartment and pulled down their bags. Brian was already out in the corridor and Justin struggled to keep up with his friends as they cleared the airlock and stepped out into the main arrival terminal. With a new ship coming in every minute, there were hundreds of passengers milling about. Justin threaded past a group of Benedictine monks wearing the plain brown robes of their order, who were drifting down the corridor alongside him.