CHAPTER 15-at Molinari Space-Dock

CHAPTER-15
OUTPOST, for Tom Luong Films
By Julian Phillips
Jan. 23, 2010

Work is work, whether in space, back on Earth, or wherever
people must survive, Lila Meetek was thinking. Space-travel, in films and TV shows, or books from past writers, has been portrayed for whatever reason as very fancy and up-scale, even decadent. Artists have dreamed that Mars was occupied by six-legged horses, ten-foot tall green men with tusks and four arms, or beautiful princesses who lived in elegant and extravagant palaces complete with servants, silk pillows, wine and food, or massive artwork collections and amazing adventures (‘John Carter on Mars’, by Edgar Rice Burroughs). Or that star-ships were so limitlessly provided-for, as to resemble Paradise Cruises, with kushy malls and bars, gardens and astronomy view-patios, gymnasiums or holo-decks for amusement, wide hallways and automatic doors, and of course beautiful stewardesses, mixed drinks, and endless exotic visitors. Not to mention perfect, if not absolute safety, unless the ‘bad guys’ attacked for some reason, usually with lazer-beams. Perhaps, thought Lila Meetek to herself, later, as her work routine began again, now back for another six months at the Molinari Space-Dock---perhaps it was because of the perception that space-travel, if it were ever to be a reality, would be very costly, or expensive, given the reality of rocket-launches and air-locks or high-tech space-suits and computer navigation systems. And of course, it wasn’t cheap. But fancy? A Las Vegas-style romp? Lila had to laugh. As-if.

Yet, had the designers of the Molinari station, the base on Mars, or other ships and bases (like the one on the Earth’s Moon, known as PlanetView-2), created environments that were very harsh, dark-and-dank, military, metallic or inhospitable for heat, steam and vapors, and so on---no real residency would be possible, or not for any length of time. Lila’s workplace was somewhere in-between. The Russian-Islamic Eastern-block space-program was known for much harsher environments inside their ships and cabins on stations, etc. They could be like cramped iron diving bells, intended only for survival in extreme conditions, without so much as view-ports or windows or bed-cushions. But much to the pleasure of Lila and her co-workers, Molinari was not really uncomfortable at all, and had many creature-comforts, and accommodations, that made long stays tolerable, or even quite nice.



And the great thing about the work they did at Molinari, was that it was inevitably slow-paced, with a bird’s-eye view of both Earth and Mars, and beyond, so that much of what they did was to monitor various instruments and telescopes or scanners, for indications of changing conditions that would effect inter-planet travel. Earth’s solar-system is a fairly active place, but also of course vast, and even giant meteors like U-2356b (Big Baby Bertha), moved very slowly, given the distances involved. So it was all very stately and graceful, and also un-changing, or like a vast machine, set on it’s clockwork path from an original Source of Virtue and Miraculous Provision and Creativity. Comets, meteor-showers, solar-flares and heat-flares from the Sun, planetary orbits, moon-orbits, planetary conditions, even gamma-rays and neutrinos, or other cosmic phenomena---truly a celestial dance and endless wonder, vast beyond the scope of the mind of Man (or Woman).

So, Lila settled into her ‘shift’. Six months and possibly longer, monitoring her slate of scanners and telescopes, radios, and communications, and other chores. Lila’s specific tasks included: 1) planet-corridor ship or vessel transport logs and monitoring or tracking. This was done much as any space-launch would be tracked from Earth, such as the old ‘Houston Mission Control’ would keep track of the Apollo voyages. It was essential, and it was also how Lila came to be intimate with Guy Reisling, whose transport ship command caused them to be in regular contact. 2) Lila was required to organize and handle various day-to-day communications relays. And yes, this resembled the job of the fictional character ‘Uhuru’ (with respect to actress Black American Nichelle Nicoles, who made the role famous), from the now ancient and laughably inaccurate Star-Trek TV shows and films. Lila handled ‘calls’ from Earth to Mars, from ship-to-Earth or Mars, and in routed person-to-person contact along numerous various paths, linking-up much-needed information sources by radio-signal. She was not the only person who did this job, but it was among her assigned tasks. 3) Lila’s other job was to track and log ‘weather conditions’ in space, specifically those originating outward from the Sun (rather than any coming ‘inward’ from beyond Mars, or the outer planets). So this meant she watched for all kinds of changing conditions, the heat-flares or solar alterations and variations in fields of meteor-flecks the size of pebbles, also in orbit, like marbles on a skate-rink, round-and-round---and many other things the scientists felt needed to be watched, which also changed as new things were learned about the astonishing space-environment.

Lila and all the other Molinari also had many other much simpler and easier duties associated with life on the space-dock. Health-matters for any crew were essential, so many details were logged daily. Any virus or infections, even a common cold, could wipe them out. Crew maintained their own housing-quarters, articles of clothing and equipment (like the magnetic hallway slippers and gloves or butt-pads), and also grooming, diet, entertainment or studies. Anyone working at the base was considered a science-researcher by default, and indeed they were. They all knew their jobs were of that nature, and that their lives were not their own, in a sense---so every hour at the base took some form of service to the greater purpose, and nothing was wasted, as we might have thought in the imaginary world of space-travel that more resembled resorts or casinos, or luxury-hotels, with wine-and-song, hot-spa treatments, etc. The outer-space environment was indeed suitable to such functions, very serene and beautiful, exotic, full of wonder. And no doubt within a few centuries, enterprising corporations or business-interests on Earth would develop exactly those kind of uses. A space-bordello? An orbiting space-station religious cult? A deep-space health-club for anti-gravity athletes? An artist colony?

Molinari had telescopes that were the envy of Earth-based astronomers, and the view was unique. The famous orbiting Hubble-telescope from the early 2000’s and late 1990’s, had expanded the astronomer’s view of the heavens in ways that Galileo or Copernicus, or Issac Newton and other science-pioneers, would have much-enjoyed. Molinari had several similar space-telescopes, and a staff of highly qualified attendants and astronomers. In this way, the Universe Creation, galaxies and stars in truly limitless variety and species, worlds beyond worlds, heavenly formations to boggle the mind, could now be viewed and photographed, cataloged. Mankind was slowly and tediously becoming a citizen of the galaxy, at least as far as awareness was concerned. Whereas the writers of early Earth’s Abrahamic Bible, Saint Paul, or even Christ, or Moses, may have enjoyed believing in a very simple misconception, such as that the Earth’s atmosphere extended endlessly beyond the mountains and lakes of Giaia (Terra), by the time Lila was again working at Molinari in 2076, those comforting assumptions could no longer be appreciated. Any high-school or college-student on Earth was now forever a heretic, by virtue of the scheme of things observable to anyone ‘with eyes to see and ears to hear’.


Yet, spirituality was encouraged at the Molinari Space-Dock. Traditional forms of worship, and also more esoteric sorts, such as yoga, Zen-meditation, Buddhism, and a variety of credos and expressions---each was permitted and allowed, with meetings as well, music, even ‘priests’, though in reality formal services did not occur. But it wasn’t banned or outlawed, and in general, work in space was thought by most of them to be a deeply moving and transcendent experience. Both Molinari and Mars were visited by spiritual leaders or visionaries, who enjoyed the view as well, in their natural appreciation of a newly available platform to celebrate belief, or to expand consciousness for art-works, inspiration, etc. Most of the astronauts and space-workers, being dedicated science-researchers, kept a distance from these types, feeling they may become deluded under the heady influence of space-itself, weightlessness, the endless dark and stars---a sort of Darth-Vader ‘warning’ or doubt, such as megalomania, delusions of grandeur, and similar ‘G-D’-consciousness effects of the human creature. The planners knew it was a danger, psychologically, sad but true. But for the sake of health-and-wellness overall, and morale, there was no real strict prohibition. So most of the space-jockeys preferred the athletic model---big strong guys, husky and buff, pink with vigor, sexual, modest in opinion, laughing at it all, and likewise the women.

Eve Morton, Lila’s University of Illinois-originating gal-pal, had a word for her, about a week later, harvested from the daily logs. “Lila, listen to this,” Eve said, moving from her own work-station to where she found Lila three hours into her shift, there in the pod-like
Earth-Mars Traffic and Environmental Monitoring Work Room.

Lila’s station had no ‘window’, other than electronic screens. It was as big as a household bedroom or living area, even only Lila’s area, and each of the other work-stations were similar, connected by short ramps and catwalks, and not closed or locked-in by doors. Inside, it was crammed full of detection gear, computers, communications-links and so on---desks, chairs, hand-rails, and Lila’s personal decorations (in her case, a very nice collection of stuffed toy-penguins and penguin-art). Even in her work-outfit, Lila was a nice dish of womanhood, having recently died her hair green, and outlining her eyes with green-and-purple cosmetics.

“What-cha’ got, Eve?” Lila said, turning in her chair. Eve literally floated into the room, pulling herself towards Lila by hand-rails in the exquisite anti-gravity, like Ariel, or Uriel, a somewhat absurd-looking image---a large, healthy female human creature floating towards her like a very large and very odd fish. Eve had a plastic binder with some files inside. As she reached Lila she deftly pulled herself into a vertical uprightness, then held herself down with the magnetic slippers.

“Vandenberg launch schedule for the next nine months,” Eve said. “And guess what? Guy’s transport is slated for launch four months from now.”

Lila smiled. “Wow, really? That means he would be here in about ten months.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll be back by then, I mean, from your next furlough,” Eve said. “What are you going to tell him about Tommy. You know?”

Lila winced. Tommy was a Molinari regular, one of the external-hull repair guys. A true astronaut, Tommy’s job was indeed perilous. Any work outside Molinari---minor repairs to the hull or exterior of the base, adjustments to the fixtures or joints, things like solar-panel up-keep, and even sometimes emergency work---anything like this, and Tom Bordino, along with ten other fully-equipped and trained men, were called into action. They were basically the Molinari Space-Walk Team, and it was every bit as demanding as any other space-work, if not moreso. So of course they had the suits, lines, rigs, oxygen, mission assignments, and so on.

Tommy and Lila were somewhat regular sex-partners. It was inevitable, to an extent, and sex among the workers at Molinari was not prohibited, within reason. But it was between life-partner lovers like Guy and Lila, for obvious reasons common at all ages of Man. Lila and Guy had even talked about marriage and children, and she was much more serious about Guy, for reasons only they understood. They thought themselves mature enough to allow ‘other partners’ along the way, if only for freedom and health. But the jealous beast within never really rests, and Lila was loathe to tell Guy about Tommy. The fact that Eve and others at Molinari knew about Lila and Tommy didn’t help matters.

“That’s not the question,” Lila answered Eve, who now had re-positioned herself and was floating upside down near her, or slightly sideways, still holding the files. “What I’m really worried about is what you or anyone else here who may know about me and Tommy, will tell him. You know---gossip. What I may or may not decide to tell Guy is my business, girl.”

“What’s to tell? Sex is sex. Big deal. He’s not really like that, is he?”

“No,” Lila said. “He has girl-friends, too. There’s this food-worker at Vandenberg he sleeps with, and she has big boobs and a big butt, too. But, he does get his feelings hurt, I guess.”

“Love hurts,” Eve said. “Anyway, this came over on the launch-schedule from Earth yesterday, then I realized Guy’s ship was listed. I’m glad he got his ship back. I never felt he did anything wrong, when they brought him up on charges like that. He could have lost everything, as far as his job.”

“It will be his first flight after the board-review,” Lila said.

“What choice did he have? The data on the solar flare was incomplete, and he had to protect the ship and crew. So he changed his flight path and fuel-type. Anyone would have done the same thing.”

“It just screwed thing up back on Earth for the navigators and re-entry crews,” Lila said. “But I agree. Of course, I’m not a pilot.”

Eve handed the file-binder to Lila. “Back to my cave. I’m watching the progress of a comet that won’t be within a million miles of us for ten years. But—uuuuh---it’s a living, right?”

“Thanks, Eve,” Lila said. “And please, don’t talk about me and Tommy. Especially not with Guy.”

“Didn’t you know Tommy put your last romp on video and sent it over the satellite?” she laughed. “Not really.”

Lila frowned. “Just float yourself out of here, bitch,” she said.

They both laughed. Lila opened the file-binder with the California launch-schedule, as Eve pushed herself the other way down the room, shoving off from a wall. The computers and machines and monitors buzzed and bleeped and winked all around.


--Julian Phillips
2,318 words