Laurence Dahners

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About Laurence Dahners
Laury Dahners lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and enjoys composing and recording music as well as painting. Recently he's become interested in writing novels. For a day job he worked (retired now) as an orthopedic surgeon and taught at the University of North Carolina Medical School, Department of Orthopaedics.
Webpage:
http://laury.dahners.com/Stories.html
Goodreads blog:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/14472882-starting-a-blog?type=authorblogpost#rating_103171738
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Titles By Laurence Dahners
$3.99
This hard Sci-Fi novel is the first book of the “Time-Flow Stories,” a series of tales about Witt Ryllin, a young man who abruptly gains the ability to psychically control the flow of time.
In it, he navigates the plights of his senior year in high school. At the same time, his mom and family are struggling with issues arising from his parents’ recent divorce and the financial problems caused by his father’s drinking and subsequent loss of employment.
Witt first realizes he has a talent for controlling the flow of time when one of the football players throws a punch at him—for the sin of talking to the big guy’s girlfriend. Time slows around Witt and he suddenly finds himself easily able to dodge the blow.
Witt’s aptitude for science and math stands him in good stead as he tries to understand why colors change and light dims when his personal time-flow speeds up. It also helps him understand some of the things his new ability might enable him to do.
He sets to work, figuring out how to use his new gift to help his family and perhaps even improve his college prospects. This is far from as easy as he’d first hoped.
Through all this he must deal with his sarcastic friend Jesse. A friend who’s sometimes helpful, but at least as often a big part of the problem.
Oh, and Witt’s got girl trouble!
In it, he navigates the plights of his senior year in high school. At the same time, his mom and family are struggling with issues arising from his parents’ recent divorce and the financial problems caused by his father’s drinking and subsequent loss of employment.
Witt first realizes he has a talent for controlling the flow of time when one of the football players throws a punch at him—for the sin of talking to the big guy’s girlfriend. Time slows around Witt and he suddenly finds himself easily able to dodge the blow.
Witt’s aptitude for science and math stands him in good stead as he tries to understand why colors change and light dims when his personal time-flow speeds up. It also helps him understand some of the things his new ability might enable him to do.
He sets to work, figuring out how to use his new gift to help his family and perhaps even improve his college prospects. This is far from as easy as he’d first hoped.
Through all this he must deal with his sarcastic friend Jesse. A friend who’s sometimes helpful, but at least as often a big part of the problem.
Oh, and Witt’s got girl trouble!
Other Formats:
Paperback
The Mistress of Space-Time (The Stasis Stories #7)
Oct 12, 2021
$3.99
This hard Sci-Fi novel is the seventh book in the “Stasis Stories,” a series of optimistic tales of technological innovation in the near future. This one is about Kaem Seba’s daughter, Zaii, a young woman who, like her father, has extraordinary math talents.
Eager to do her part in the war against the aliens from Epsilon Eridani, she becomes a Space Force ROTC cadet. Soon after that, she’s proving to be a superb young officer. However, as she studies potential warfighting strategies that might be used against the Eridanis, she realizes that the defenders of Sol system have a problem.
The humans won the first battle against the Eridanis by using the technical advantage afforded by the invulnerability of stasis. But, the Eridanis jump and biowarfare technology could easily allow them to wipe out the human race on Earth and thus win the war.
Offered the opportunity, she sets out to study the wreckage of the Eridani ships from the first battle. She hopes to figure out how jump works, thus appropriating that technology for human use and evening the playing field.
Can she figure this out in time to keep the Eridanis from exterminating homo sapiens?
It turns out to be a lot harder than she’d hoped; and to require help from someone she tries to avoid asking…
Eager to do her part in the war against the aliens from Epsilon Eridani, she becomes a Space Force ROTC cadet. Soon after that, she’s proving to be a superb young officer. However, as she studies potential warfighting strategies that might be used against the Eridanis, she realizes that the defenders of Sol system have a problem.
The humans won the first battle against the Eridanis by using the technical advantage afforded by the invulnerability of stasis. But, the Eridanis jump and biowarfare technology could easily allow them to wipe out the human race on Earth and thus win the war.
Offered the opportunity, she sets out to study the wreckage of the Eridani ships from the first battle. She hopes to figure out how jump works, thus appropriating that technology for human use and evening the playing field.
Can she figure this out in time to keep the Eridanis from exterminating homo sapiens?
It turns out to be a lot harder than she’d hoped; and to require help from someone she tries to avoid asking…
Deep Space - Hidden Terror (The Stasis Stories #6)
May 21, 2021
$3.99
This hard Sci-Fi novel is the sixth book in the “Stasis Stories,” a series of optimistic tales of technological innovation in the near future. They follow Kaem Seba, a young man with extraordinary math talents. With his friends, he’s come up with a device that allows time to be stopped within limited volumes of space-time.
In this 6th story, the company Kaem, Arya Vaii, and Gunnar Schmidt founded to commercially develop his time-stopping discovery is working with NASA to move into deep space.
Using the space tower from book 5 they launch large payloads into orbit to start building a rotating wheel space station and launch a successor to the James Webb Space Telescope. Then they put a space-launch tower on the moon that’s aimed at sending craft all over the solar system.
Unbeknownst to them, the Haliq, a race of aliens in the Epsilon Eridani system is launching its own ships to the Sol system with the intent of finding more space for their burgeoning population. When they arrive, they’re alarmed to find intelligent beings in the system they’ve come to populate, but their obvious solution is to exterminate the problematic humans.
The aliens have an advanced technology that lets them jump across interstellar and interplanetary space.
But they don’t have stasis…
In this 6th story, the company Kaem, Arya Vaii, and Gunnar Schmidt founded to commercially develop his time-stopping discovery is working with NASA to move into deep space.
Using the space tower from book 5 they launch large payloads into orbit to start building a rotating wheel space station and launch a successor to the James Webb Space Telescope. Then they put a space-launch tower on the moon that’s aimed at sending craft all over the solar system.
Unbeknownst to them, the Haliq, a race of aliens in the Epsilon Eridani system is launching its own ships to the Sol system with the intent of finding more space for their burgeoning population. When they arrive, they’re alarmed to find intelligent beings in the system they’ve come to populate, but their obvious solution is to exterminate the problematic humans.
The aliens have an advanced technology that lets them jump across interstellar and interplanetary space.
But they don’t have stasis…
Transporter (an Ell Donsaii story #16)
Apr 9, 2020
$3.99
This is the sixteenth book in a series of near future Hard-SciFi Thrillers. Their heroine Ell Donsaii has a nerve mutation that’s rendered her a genius as well as providing astonishing athletic abilities. Her genius has let her revolutionize our world with a number of inventions, including instantaneous communications and trans-dimensional portals that deliver fuel, water, and food all around the world
In “Transporter,” Ell and her friend Roger have now found a way to transport people without the pain and seizures that have plagued such attempts in the past. This is going to change the world in untold ways.
Having left the country to get away from all the attention brought by an attack on Zage (Ell’s son) in the last book, they find themselves confronted by debt-slavery in the Dominican Republic. Rather than (as so many of us do) just pretending it isn’t happening, they decide to do something about it.
Zage’s working to evaluate his promising test-tube Alzheimer’s results in an animal model. But while this is being done, Ell’s grandmother is becoming more and more demented. The ethical question of whether or not to try an unproven treatment in Gram presents them with a terrible dilemma.
In “Transporter,” Ell and her friend Roger have now found a way to transport people without the pain and seizures that have plagued such attempts in the past. This is going to change the world in untold ways.
Having left the country to get away from all the attention brought by an attack on Zage (Ell’s son) in the last book, they find themselves confronted by debt-slavery in the Dominican Republic. Rather than (as so many of us do) just pretending it isn’t happening, they decide to do something about it.
Zage’s working to evaluate his promising test-tube Alzheimer’s results in an animal model. But while this is being done, Ell’s grandmother is becoming more and more demented. The ethical question of whether or not to try an unproven treatment in Gram presents them with a terrible dilemma.
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The Thunder of Engines (The Stasis Stories #2)
Jun 11, 2020
$3.99
This hard Sci-Fi novel is the second book in the “Stasis Stories,” a series of tales from the near future. They tell us about Kaem Seba, a sickly and financially destitute young man with extraordinary math talents. He’s developed a theory and an electronic device that allows him to stop time within limited volumes of space-time.
In this story Kaem and Arya are trying to sell “stade,” which is what they call a piece of space-time that’s in stasis. Stade has phenomenal mechanical properties because it essentially can’t be altered (time’s stopped within it). It’s stronger than any known substance because, unlike matter, stade cannot not melt, burn, bend or break. It’s also a perfect insulator and reflects all radiation.
Though it’s the perfect material for thousands of different purposes, they’ve initially focused on selling it to companies that can use it to build rocket engines. Stade truly shines under the extreme conditions of rocketry, and that renders it precious. He and Arya are struggling to negotiate the best prices they can, while simultaneously fighting another company’s bid to preempt their patent.
As if those struggles weren’t sufficient, Kaem’s beloved father develops cancer. Kaem must try to help his family through that crisis while simultaneously attempting to save the new company they’re calling “Staze.”
In this story Kaem and Arya are trying to sell “stade,” which is what they call a piece of space-time that’s in stasis. Stade has phenomenal mechanical properties because it essentially can’t be altered (time’s stopped within it). It’s stronger than any known substance because, unlike matter, stade cannot not melt, burn, bend or break. It’s also a perfect insulator and reflects all radiation.
Though it’s the perfect material for thousands of different purposes, they’ve initially focused on selling it to companies that can use it to build rocket engines. Stade truly shines under the extreme conditions of rocketry, and that renders it precious. He and Arya are struggling to negotiate the best prices they can, while simultaneously fighting another company’s bid to preempt their patent.
As if those struggles weren’t sufficient, Kaem’s beloved father develops cancer. Kaem must try to help his family through that crisis while simultaneously attempting to save the new company they’re calling “Staze.”
Other Formats:
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Terraform (an Ell Donsaii story #15)
Nov 29, 2018
$3.99
This is the fifteenth book in a series of near future Hard-SciFi Thrillers. Their heroine Ell Donsaii has a nerve mutation that makes her a genius as well as providing astonishing athletic abilities. Her genius has let her revolutionize our world with a number of inventions, including instantaneous communications and trans-dimensional portals that are delivering fuel, water, and food all around the world
In “Terraform,” AJ—Ell’s soon to be brother-in-law—gently takes her to task for not being bold enough to undertake the terraforming of Mars. They begin the first steps to initiate that massive undertaking.
Ell’s son Zage, a prodigy who’s now turning six, is continuing to follow his interests in biology and genetics by working in Dr. Reggie Barnes research lab. There he’s become interested in Alzheimer’s disease.
Unfortunately, Zage’s friend Carley is having trouble with her newly found brother. Eli’s proving to be an abusive alcoholic like his father. Zage and Carley wonder if there might be a genetic basis for Eli’s problem, and if so, whether they might be able to do something about it.
Meanwhile, a man named Jason Stackhouse has taken exception to the fact that Ell’s company ETR is mining an asteroid he claimed on a website years ago. He’s declared war on the company and travels to ETR, intending to teach them a lesson—by killing someone…
In “Terraform,” AJ—Ell’s soon to be brother-in-law—gently takes her to task for not being bold enough to undertake the terraforming of Mars. They begin the first steps to initiate that massive undertaking.
Ell’s son Zage, a prodigy who’s now turning six, is continuing to follow his interests in biology and genetics by working in Dr. Reggie Barnes research lab. There he’s become interested in Alzheimer’s disease.
Unfortunately, Zage’s friend Carley is having trouble with her newly found brother. Eli’s proving to be an abusive alcoholic like his father. Zage and Carley wonder if there might be a genetic basis for Eli’s problem, and if so, whether they might be able to do something about it.
Meanwhile, a man named Jason Stackhouse has taken exception to the fact that Ell’s company ETR is mining an asteroid he claimed on a website years ago. He’s declared war on the company and travels to ETR, intending to teach them a lesson—by killing someone…
Other Formats:
Paperback
A Tower in Space-Time (The Stasis Stories #5)
Jan 6, 2021
$3.99
This hard Sci-Fi novel is the fifth book in the “Stasis Stories,” a series of optimistic tales of technological innovation in the near future. They follow Kaem Seba, a young man with extraordinary math talents. With his friends, he’s developing a device that allows time to be stopped within limited volumes of space-time.
In this 5th story, Kaem’s newfound physical fitness is letting him perform at an astonishing level in physical endeavors such as soccer, and martial arts.
The company he, Arya Vaii, and Gunnar Schmidt founded to commercially develop his time-stopping discovery is making money hand over fist. Currently, their profits come from their use of the phenomenal physical properties of a time-stopped segment of space-time to build rockets.
But now they’re building their space tower. Taking off at a thirty-degree angle from eastern Virginia, it’s 200 kilometers long and a hundred kilometers high. By placing the interior of their spacecraft—and its passengers—in stasis they can accelerate launches at fifteen gravities, reaching orbital speeds before the craft leaves the rail. This lets them put payloads in orbit for a thousand times lower cost than a rocket!
The world, and some unscrupulous people, are turning to Kaem and his company to further our exploitation of orbital space…
In this 5th story, Kaem’s newfound physical fitness is letting him perform at an astonishing level in physical endeavors such as soccer, and martial arts.
The company he, Arya Vaii, and Gunnar Schmidt founded to commercially develop his time-stopping discovery is making money hand over fist. Currently, their profits come from their use of the phenomenal physical properties of a time-stopped segment of space-time to build rockets.
But now they’re building their space tower. Taking off at a thirty-degree angle from eastern Virginia, it’s 200 kilometers long and a hundred kilometers high. By placing the interior of their spacecraft—and its passengers—in stasis they can accelerate launches at fifteen gravities, reaching orbital speeds before the craft leaves the rail. This lets them put payloads in orbit for a thousand times lower cost than a rocket!
The world, and some unscrupulous people, are turning to Kaem and his company to further our exploitation of orbital space…
Bioterror! (an Ell Donsaii story #14)
Oct 6, 2017
$3.99
“Bioterror!" is the fourteenth book in a series of near future SciFi/Thrillers. Their heroine Ell Donsaii has a nerve mutation that makes her a genius and provides her some astonishing athletic abilities.
In “Bioterror,” Ell’s son Zage, a five-year-old prodigy, is continuing to follow his interests biology and genetics in keeping with his aim to eradicate what he perceives to be an obesity epidemic partially driven by communicable viral diseases. His mother gets him permission to skip ordinary primary and secondary schooling and enroll in university, studying molecular genetics. He’ll be working in Dr. Reggie Barnes research lab where he hopes to learn how to take his ideas to the next level.
Unfortunately, a talented virologist has joined a radical Islamic splinter group, promising to help them wipe nonbelievers from the face of the earth. He gets access to a forgotten smallpox culture and sets out to modify the already horrific disease into an even more lethal version, one which won’t be prevented by standard vaccinations and is resistant to antiviral treatments.
Zage has been working on a way to predict the proteins in viruses and recognize antigens in the viral shell that antibodies might be formed against. He’s hoping to immunize people against obesity viruses, but there’s no reason his new algorithm can’t also be used to stop the modified smallpox virus… if he can work with the CDC to make his vaccination available.
In “Bioterror,” Ell’s son Zage, a five-year-old prodigy, is continuing to follow his interests biology and genetics in keeping with his aim to eradicate what he perceives to be an obesity epidemic partially driven by communicable viral diseases. His mother gets him permission to skip ordinary primary and secondary schooling and enroll in university, studying molecular genetics. He’ll be working in Dr. Reggie Barnes research lab where he hopes to learn how to take his ideas to the next level.
Unfortunately, a talented virologist has joined a radical Islamic splinter group, promising to help them wipe nonbelievers from the face of the earth. He gets access to a forgotten smallpox culture and sets out to modify the already horrific disease into an even more lethal version, one which won’t be prevented by standard vaccinations and is resistant to antiviral treatments.
Zage has been working on a way to predict the proteins in viruses and recognize antigens in the viral shell that antibodies might be formed against. He’s hoping to immunize people against obesity viruses, but there’s no reason his new algorithm can’t also be used to stop the modified smallpox virus… if he can work with the CDC to make his vaccination available.
DNA (an Ell Donsaii story #13)
May 8, 2016
$3.99
“DNA" is the thirteenth book in a series of near future SciFi/Thrillers. Their heroine Ell Donsaii has a nerve mutation that makes her a genius and provides her some astonishing athletic abilities.
In “DNA,” Ell’s five-year-old son Zage has become interested in the effects of certain genes on obesity. He’s obtained permission to do research in a university lab where he hopes to test some of his ideas.
Work is being done to evaluate the possibility of terraforming the planet Mars by using Ell’s port technology to bring in water, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen from various other worlds in the solar system.
Ell’s robotic probes have found intelligent aliens on the third planet of 61 Virginis. Although these aliens appeared to be completely non-technological, it turns out that they are far ahead of Earth in the manipulation of DNA. Can we safely trade technology for some of their DNA know how?
Finally, some of Ell’s old enemies have decided to have one more try at kidnapping her in order to obtain some of her secrets…
In “DNA,” Ell’s five-year-old son Zage has become interested in the effects of certain genes on obesity. He’s obtained permission to do research in a university lab where he hopes to test some of his ideas.
Work is being done to evaluate the possibility of terraforming the planet Mars by using Ell’s port technology to bring in water, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen from various other worlds in the solar system.
Ell’s robotic probes have found intelligent aliens on the third planet of 61 Virginis. Although these aliens appeared to be completely non-technological, it turns out that they are far ahead of Earth in the manipulation of DNA. Can we safely trade technology for some of their DNA know how?
Finally, some of Ell’s old enemies have decided to have one more try at kidnapping her in order to obtain some of her secrets…
Comet! (an Ell Donsaii story #5 )
Oct 12, 2012
$3.99
"Comet!" is the fifth in a series of near future SciFi/Thrillers whose young heroine Ell Donsaii has a nerve mutation which has rendered her a genius and an athletic phenomenon. In “Comet!” she and her team begin exploring outer space using the wormholes she produced in "Rocket." Unfortunately Comet Hearth-Daster is on a trajectory to strike the Earth. Though it is smaller than the object that wiped out the dinosaurs, it still weighs 300 million metric tons and if it hits it will wipe out civilization and may render the human race extinct.
Excerpt:
Walking to the machine shop to talk to Manuel, Ell passed behind Brian and Fred walking across the room. A shock went through her. Brian had a pistol in his hand! Horrifying images of a disgruntled employee gone wild and shooting people flashed through Ell’s mind. She felt herself slipping into the zone. Heart throbbing slowly in her ears she slid up behind Brian and, grasping his index finger with her right hand, plucked the gun from his hand with her left. As she did so she was somewhat relieved to note that his finger had been outside the trigger guard and, as she brought the Smith and Wesson toward herself, to see that the safety was on.
“What the hell!?” Brian shouted as, to him, the gun was ripped out of his grip. He turned wildly to see Ell holding it, eyes laser focused on him. The look on her face, usually so friendly, was deadly fierce. In somewhat of a panic he remembered that—at the Olympics several years ago—this girl had taken a weapon away from one of a group of seven hardened terrorists and shot them all!
The popular descriptions he had heard of the episode and about her shooting had been hard to countenance at the time, but now he felt his heart thumping wildly in his chest. Without difficulty, she had ripped the gun out of his hand so quickly that his fingers were stinging. He suddenly had no doubt whatsoever that she could kill him before he could even begin to stop her. His hands slowly went up in surrender. “What?”
Fred found himself stepping away from Brian, more frightened by the unfamiliar and terrifyingly intense young woman in front of him than he would have dreamed possible.
Quietly Ell said, biting the words off one at a time so that her speech would be slow enough to understand, “Why, do, you, have, a, gun?”
Brian waved his hands placatingly, “We’re worried about another terrorist application of the rings… That’s all... Really!”
Ell aggressively tamped down her zone. She narrowed her eyes. “What?”
“We’ve been brainstorming things terrorists might do with ports. We got to supposing, ‘what if a terrorist carried a port onto a plane.’ He could point the port at someone and have his buddy terrorist back home shoot them through the port!”
Ell said, “Wouldn’t work” her voice grating like a steel rasp. Her eyes narrowed, “Why do you have a gun here?”
Fred said, “We were going to try it and find out.”
“Oh my God! Where?!”
“In the dangerous reaction room where we tested the rocket motors.”
“OK, I’ll grant you it should be tested, but not with a gun! The math predicts that as the velocity of an object entering a port increases, the energy drawn to keep the portal open increases. At first it should increase so slowly that you hardly notice it but it increases exponentially starting at about…” she looked up at the ceiling, “at twenty two meters per second it should begin to get noticeable.
Excerpt:
Walking to the machine shop to talk to Manuel, Ell passed behind Brian and Fred walking across the room. A shock went through her. Brian had a pistol in his hand! Horrifying images of a disgruntled employee gone wild and shooting people flashed through Ell’s mind. She felt herself slipping into the zone. Heart throbbing slowly in her ears she slid up behind Brian and, grasping his index finger with her right hand, plucked the gun from his hand with her left. As she did so she was somewhat relieved to note that his finger had been outside the trigger guard and, as she brought the Smith and Wesson toward herself, to see that the safety was on.
“What the hell!?” Brian shouted as, to him, the gun was ripped out of his grip. He turned wildly to see Ell holding it, eyes laser focused on him. The look on her face, usually so friendly, was deadly fierce. In somewhat of a panic he remembered that—at the Olympics several years ago—this girl had taken a weapon away from one of a group of seven hardened terrorists and shot them all!
The popular descriptions he had heard of the episode and about her shooting had been hard to countenance at the time, but now he felt his heart thumping wildly in his chest. Without difficulty, she had ripped the gun out of his hand so quickly that his fingers were stinging. He suddenly had no doubt whatsoever that she could kill him before he could even begin to stop her. His hands slowly went up in surrender. “What?”
Fred found himself stepping away from Brian, more frightened by the unfamiliar and terrifyingly intense young woman in front of him than he would have dreamed possible.
Quietly Ell said, biting the words off one at a time so that her speech would be slow enough to understand, “Why, do, you, have, a, gun?”
Brian waved his hands placatingly, “We’re worried about another terrorist application of the rings… That’s all... Really!”
Ell aggressively tamped down her zone. She narrowed her eyes. “What?”
“We’ve been brainstorming things terrorists might do with ports. We got to supposing, ‘what if a terrorist carried a port onto a plane.’ He could point the port at someone and have his buddy terrorist back home shoot them through the port!”
Ell said, “Wouldn’t work” her voice grating like a steel rasp. Her eyes narrowed, “Why do you have a gun here?”
Fred said, “We were going to try it and find out.”
“Oh my God! Where?!”
“In the dangerous reaction room where we tested the rocket motors.”
“OK, I’ll grant you it should be tested, but not with a gun! The math predicts that as the velocity of an object entering a port increases, the energy drawn to keep the portal open increases. At first it should increase so slowly that you hardly notice it but it increases exponentially starting at about…” she looked up at the ceiling, “at twenty two meters per second it should begin to get noticeable.
Wanted (an Ell Donsaii story #10)
Jan 30, 2014
$3.99
“Wanted" is the tenth of a series of near future SciFi/Thrillers whose young heroine Ell Donsaii’s nerve mutation makes her a genius and provides astonishing athletic abilities. In “Wanted,” President Stockton continues her efforts to imprison Ell in order to protect the world from some of Ell’s dangerous new technology. While the President rightfully wants this technology to be restricted, she wants it to be controlled by the government. Ell doesn’t want even the government to have the terrible destructive potential of a technology that can cut through absolutely any material in the world! When the FBI and CIA prove to be unable to find and capture Ell, the President instructs them to imprison Ell’s friends. However, the President hasn’t considered just how many technological advantages Ell would have in any effort to spring her friends from prison.
Rocket! (An Ell Donsaii story #4)
Jul 29, 2012
$3.99
"Rocket" is the fourth in a series of near future SciFi/Thrillers whose young heroine Ell Donsaii has a nerve mutation. This mutation’s rendered her a genius and an athletic phenomenon. In “Rocket!” she works out the enormous potential of the wormholes she discovered in "Lieutenant." Though they only provide small openings through the 5th dimension, these wormholes will prove a tremendous boon to humankind. Feeding fuel to little rockets will let them fly all the way up into space.
Excerpt:
Excitedly Ell started picking up the components and laying them on the surface of the big table. The happy babble around her quieted as one by one the team members turned to watch her lay out a number of metal tubes. She heard them speculating,
“What is it?”
“All those tubes. Some kind of plumbing project?”
Ell laid a pointed cap at the left end and a conical device at the other, “A rocket?” someone asked.
Ell grinned up at them, “Yep, a rocket.”
Ben said, “Why a rocket? I thought we were going to replace rockets with instantaneous transfer of materials through ports to the satellites and to the space station?”
Ell smiled even more broadly. “Well, first we have to get our ports up to orbit where we want to transfer those materials, right? And before you say we can just send them up on the rockets that already go up there, think about why those rockets are so huge?” She looked around the group. “Right? Because they have to carry so much fuel! For the first part of the mission they’re mostly just launching fuel for the next part of the mission. It’s horribly inefficient!”
The group stared at her as they pondered her words.
Fred scratched his head, “Are you thinking this little rocket,” he waved at the parts on the table, “because we can port it fuel, could make it all the way to orbit?”
Ell waggled her eyebrows, “All the way to the space station!”
Eyes widened around the group. Someone said, “Then we could ‘port’ them supplies!”
Ell said, “Yeah! So, full speed ahead! I think we should bust our asses trying to prepare a rocket that can get to the ISS and deliver ports that we can supply the astronauts with. If the Chinese fail their resupply mission to the Station we need to be ready! I’m sure you guys realized that if the Chinese fail to deliver supplies, the folks on the station are going to be in very serious trouble. All their other backups have already failed. As Epaulding said, ‘They’re in the midst of a perfect storm of problems.’”
Excerpt:
Excitedly Ell started picking up the components and laying them on the surface of the big table. The happy babble around her quieted as one by one the team members turned to watch her lay out a number of metal tubes. She heard them speculating,
“What is it?”
“All those tubes. Some kind of plumbing project?”
Ell laid a pointed cap at the left end and a conical device at the other, “A rocket?” someone asked.
Ell grinned up at them, “Yep, a rocket.”
Ben said, “Why a rocket? I thought we were going to replace rockets with instantaneous transfer of materials through ports to the satellites and to the space station?”
Ell smiled even more broadly. “Well, first we have to get our ports up to orbit where we want to transfer those materials, right? And before you say we can just send them up on the rockets that already go up there, think about why those rockets are so huge?” She looked around the group. “Right? Because they have to carry so much fuel! For the first part of the mission they’re mostly just launching fuel for the next part of the mission. It’s horribly inefficient!”
The group stared at her as they pondered her words.
Fred scratched his head, “Are you thinking this little rocket,” he waved at the parts on the table, “because we can port it fuel, could make it all the way to orbit?”
Ell waggled her eyebrows, “All the way to the space station!”
Eyes widened around the group. Someone said, “Then we could ‘port’ them supplies!”
Ell said, “Yeah! So, full speed ahead! I think we should bust our asses trying to prepare a rocket that can get to the ISS and deliver ports that we can supply the astronauts with. If the Chinese fail their resupply mission to the Station we need to be ready! I’m sure you guys realized that if the Chinese fail to deliver supplies, the folks on the station are going to be in very serious trouble. All their other backups have already failed. As Epaulding said, ‘They’re in the midst of a perfect storm of problems.’”
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