2388


    Low Earth orbit. Inside the Hera.


    “Jain, I am having hard time believing it. We are done,” said Alex with excitement.


    Jain’s eyes were wide open. Shaking her head, she replied, “I don’t know if I


    should believe it either. We are done. Thirty-four years in the making, and the last


    system is online.”


    Juuda entered the room and smiled at them. “Guys, the crew is waiting for


    you at the hall.”


    They stood and walked toward the hall.


    Alex entered the hall with Jain, and they were greeted with smiles and the


    occasional cheer from Gakuto.


    Alex took a deep breath and said, “Hello everyone! Most of you know each


    other since you worked on this project, one way or another. Some are new among


    us. I will give you a rough briefing of the mission objectives and the technologies that


    some of you might not be aware of yet. Details about them can be found on your


    individual e-boxes.” There was excitement in the room. “I will start by briefly


    mentioning some magnificent technologies that will help us on this voyage. Our worst


    enemy in space, radiation, has been transformed into our best friend. The skin of the


    ship, along with our one-square-kilometer solar sail, are capable of absorbing cosmic


    rays and turning them into useful energy. This system also shields us from radiation.


    Our acceleration will be done with said solar sail, but with an added boost. A group of


    solar-powered satellites in orbit around the sun will be shining beams of light toward


    our sail, helping to boost the acceleration. This cuts down on travel time to just under


    three thousand years. We are also equipped with thrusters and nuclear explosives,


    which will give us an initial boost, but they are only being used to test the systems.


    Those will be our means of decelerating and maneuvering the Hera after we arrive at


    Solis. Now for the fun parts.” He looked around with a faint smile. “Our food will be


    composed of standard bug and nutrient shakes, like back at home. The added flavors


    are courtesy of our friend Gakuto, who made it possible, probably by accident.”


    “It was completely deliberate” answered Gakuto with a comedic frown;


    “Now to the new and exciting technologies. The Hera is the first ship of its


    kind. It is … alive!” After pausing for a second, Alex added, “In a sense. The ship has


    its own immune system. It is currently swarming with nanobots made of various


    materials, ready to defend against any change to its morphology. Any scratch, dent,


    or hole will be patched automatically. Those nanobots join to form alloys and can


    weld each other to repair virtually any damage. They can replenish their numbers


    automatically, and in theory, if an energy supply is always there, then it can run


    indefinitely.” After another short pause, he continued. “Finally, to the biggest


    development we have achieved. Probably the biggest development in our history


    since the COD. We created another limb for us. We are finally entering the dream


    world of cybernetics. The nanobots that so far worked to protect us from aging and


    disease have been updated to function as something more. Something way more.”


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Any noise in the room was silenced at that point. Everyone was eager to hear exactly


    what he was talking about. “We can now use our nanos to enhance our strength or


    reduce it. We reduce it by making movement harder than it would normally be. If you


    are wondering why this would be useful, I will explain. The different gravity forces we


    will experience will have a huge impact on us. From the spaceship where everything


    moves easily to the planets we will potentially see, our bodies are not suited for


    environments such as these. Now, however, we can visit anyplace, and we will feel


    as if everything has the same forces as it would be back on Earth. The most


    remarkable part, though, is that this happens with your mind. You control them as


    easily as another limb, after a bit of practice. Additionally, if you need to lift something


    heavy and you put all your force, you will have a larger range of forces to use that are


    reaching multiples of your original physical strength. The same applies for running,


    although it’s harder to get used to. It requires more practice.”


    Most were looking with a curious frown while others were in disbelief.


    “This is remarkable,” said one crewmember.


    “Is it safe?” said another.


    Alex calmed them down by saying, “These have been tested for a while, and


    everyone on the command has already fully integrated them. You will all be replacing


    your existing nanobots and begin training with the abilities of the new ones. These


    will also be able to harden your skin, effectively protecting you from impact forces


    and turning you into somewhat of a hero. In a few months, we will be leaving, so


    make sure to get used to them and report any uneasy feelings to Galen.”


    September 2389


    Inside the Hera


    From a window, the Earth looked like a white marble suspended in space. Slowly, the


    crew began entering their hibernation capsules. Jain looked at Alex and with obvious


    anxiety said, “I don’t think I want to be awake for the first part.”


    “This will be the most fun. We will accelerate in a way that we will never


    experience again,” replied Alex.


    “Yeah. That … I will get into my hibernation pod and follow the program.”


    “By the way,” said Alex, “I have barely checked the hibernation timetables.


    When am I seeing you again?”


    “Well … it’s made in a way that the crew will get to know one another in the


    span of the trip and minimize energy consumption. If all goes well, then not too


    often.” Alex looked at Jain with a frown, at which Jain continued, “But unexpected


    events and pregnancies will change this timetable, so we might get to see each other


    more.”


    “Yay,” Alex said sarcastically and kissed Jain before helping her strap into her


    pod.


    A few seconds after the initial chemical rockets turned on, nuclear blasts were


    being detonated behind the ship, turning explosive energy into forward motion. A few


    minutes after, and the ship was already traveling at about fifty thousand kilometers


    per hour. At this point, the solar sail took charge, and the ship began its calm trip with


    barely noticeable acceleration.


    The Hera had in its storage another thirty satellites that could be used in case


    the planets were not habitable. The ship would find a new destination or reverse


    course, and another three thousand years later, they could be back on Earth.


    A hopeful detail of the Hera was that it was equipped with special facilities for


    babies and mothers. It was expected that in the passage of such time, new children


    would be born, and since they couldn’t be placed in hibernation immediately, they


    and their mothers would need special care to simulate Earth on board.


    With only a thousand members to start, all genetically diverse as to not limit


    any potential first-generation couples, the Hera began its trip.


    And thus humanity kicked into deep space its last hope for survival.