The Twins Paradox, Alan Gasparutti [online e reader txt] 📗

object in the solar system.
“What do you think it might be?” Steve asked Dermot.
“I'm not really sure,” replied Dermot. “I was hoping you may be able to help me in that respect.”
“I'm not really sure either,” said Steve. “It's probably too large to be a comet.”
“And it's traveling too fast to be an asteroid,” added Dermot. “Are you sure it's not a large comet?”
“I can't really say for certain,” replied Steve. “Have you projected it's course, at it's current speed and distance?”
“From what I can make out, it will come within 20 million kilometres of Earth,” Dermot told him. “Do NASA have any plans when this thing heads our way?”
“We may have to develop some sort of contingency plan, but that will be dependent on how close this thing comes,” Steve replied. “Do you have any plans or projects?”
“Well, I'd be grateful if you could keep this close to your chest for now, particularly as only a few other senior ESA staff are aware of this,” said Dermot. “We considered sending a rocket to examine it, but this would mean we may have to inform our national leaders.”
“I don't think that would be a wise move,” Steve suggested.
“Why ever not, may I ask?” queried Dermot.
“Well, with due respect to many leaders, it seems very easy to leak information to the press and media in some parts of Europe,” expressed Steve.
“I know the United Kingdom is very bad for leaked information, but not all countries are like the UK,” replied Dermot.
“It isn't just the UK, though, is it,” insisted Steve. “Look at Germany – the Pope made a brief statement last year in a Christian church from a reading which has Mohamed and evil in the same sentence. Twenty-four hours later, the whole of the Islamic world are aware of it and burning figures of the Pope.”
“What has this got to do with Islamic extremists?” asked Dermot.
“Nothing, it just underlines the fact that information is leaked too easily in parts of Europe,” emphasised Steve.
“I take your point,” Dermot agreed sadly. “How about the President? Is he aware of this mysterious object?”
“I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to say,” replied Steve.
“If the President is aware, which is what I presume from your statement, then surely European heads of state must also be made aware,” insisted Dermot.
“I can't instruct you not to inform your heads of state, but if this gets out, it's only going to cause panic and scaremongering,” suggested Steve.
“I know, I know,” Dermot sighed reluctantly. “Surely though, if we make it clear that this thing is not likely to come closer than 20 million kilometers from Earth, people shouldn't start to panic?”
“Oh I wouldn't be too sure,” replied Steve. “Besides, there are people who may want to cause panic and scaremongering.”
“Who, like terrorists?” asked Dermot. “There are enough of them around already causing panic.”
“Which is why we don't want anymore reasons to panic about,” insisted Steve.
“We'll have to tell our leaders about this sometime,” Dermot told Steve. “And I don't want to be around when they find out they were being kept in the dark.”
“As I said earlier, I can't instruct you not to inform your heads of state, but please don't do anything too rash just yet,” said Steve. “Perhaps you can inform your heads of state when we're a little more certain of this things’ course.”
Dermot acknowledged, rather reluctantly.
“I've got some reports to look at so I'll have to go now, but keep me posted on developments at your end,” requested Steve.
“Okay,” agreed Dermot. “But please let me know what's going on at NASA. After all, we don't want Gordon Bear finding out about this from the President. Good day to you.”

It was just gone 2.00 pm in the afternoon when Professor Marshall came to Steve's office.
“Hi Steve, can't stay long, I've got a flight to catch in a few hours,” said the Professor. “Have you got today's reports and documented the satellite images for the asteroid yet?”
Steve printed copies and gave them to the Professor.
“You may notice that today's image for the asteroid shows it very slightly out of sync,”
Steve informed the Professor.
“I can't look into it now, but is it closer than projected or further away?” asked Professor Marshall.
“Slightly behind where we would have anticipated,” said Steve. “I would have notified you earlier, but I knew you were busy. As it was only by a fraction out, I thought I'd leave it for now, see what tomorrow's images tell us.”
“Perhaps the time it was taken was slightly out of sync,” suggested the Professor.
“I've checked that,” Steve informed him. “Both today’s and yesterdays images were taken at the same time to the minute, 24 hours excepted of course.”
“Perhaps the timer on the International Space Station is slightly out,” suggested the Professor.
“Not according to the crew,” said Steve. “They said there was no problem with the timing. The thing is, if the timing was out, all of the other images would be out of sync, too.”
Professor Marshall pondered to himself for a moment.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking, Frank?” asked Steve. “It could mean the asteroid coming closer to Earth than we currently estimate.”
“I don't have time to look into it now, Steve, but keep me informed,” he ordered. “At least it may give us a bit more lee-way with the President for now.”
Precisely how much lee-way, Professor Marshall didn't appreciate at the time, before changing the subject.
“How did you get on with Dermot O'Hagan?”
“Well, only a few people at the ESA are aware of the asteroid, at the moment,” he told Frank. “They do intend notifying the European heads of state at some time, though.”
“I hope you told Dermot all the trouble it will cause if the ESA do tell their leaders about this,” Professor Marshall queried.
“Oh I told him alright,” said Steve. “He seemed to realise that as soon as you inform European heads of state, it's as good as going public on the matter. He accepted how much information is leaked and that once you inform one leader, they all have to be informed.”
“Do they have anything in mind to deflect the asteroid?” asked the Professor.
“They're not considering deflecting the asteroid at the moment,” Steve explained. “The ESA are more interested in sending a probe to it.”
“What!!!” exclaimed Professor Marshall. “Do they know how close that thing's going to come to Earth?”
“Apparently so,” said Steve. “Dermot's projections are similar to mine.”
“Well they must be having a laugh, because the European heads of state will still be debating how much to fund such a project when the asteroid goes past Earth,” Professor Marshall commented.
“Was there anything else I should know about before I leave?” asked Professor Marshall.
“Nothing serious that you don't already know about,” replied Steve.
“Good,” said Professor Marshall. “I'll speak to you tomorrow morning then, before the flight to Moscow. You can tell me then that you'd just heard from the ESA about the asteroid.”
“What, like it happened tomorrow?” queried Steve.
“That's the idea,” said the Professor. “I don't think rumours about this asteroid are going to get around in 24 hours. Oh, and by the way, can you put that spreadsheet with the asteroid projections onto your laptop - I may need to contact you at short notice.”
“Like at 3.00 am in the morning?” queried Steve.
“Well, the time is 9 hours ahead of us, in Moscow,” Professor Marshall pointed out. “I'll see that you get paid on-call. I may call you tonight, but otherwise I'll speak to you tomorrow.”
“Best of luck,” Steve wished the Professor.
“Thanks Steve,” said Professor Marshall, “I may need it.”

The Professor now had two hectic days ahead of him. First of all, he caught the 16.30 flight to Washington DC. Though this was only a two-hour journey, Washington was an hour ahead, and after getting through customs at a time of high alert and catching a bight to eat, it wasn't until 21.00 that he booked into the airport motel.
Professor Marshall couldn't afford to stay up too late, either, as he had an important flight to catch the next morning. After he had breakfast at 7.30 he booked out, and by 8 o'clock he was at the airport again, waiting to meet the President and Secretary for Defence, Fred Luddolmans, in the Departure lounge.
“Professor Marshall!” he heard a shout from nearby. It was Fred. “Come this way.”
As Professor Marshall walked towards Fred, he noticed four bodyguards with him.
“Hi. How are Clint and Corny getting along?” Fred asked the Professor, as he led him to a door marked 'private'.
“Air Commander Williams and Major General Smith?” queried the Professor. “They've been meeting NASA Engineers and are in the process of designing a new missile to use in space.”
“Good,” remarked Fred, as he led the Professor past the private door and into a passageway.
Three of the bodyguards then followed Fred and the Professor past the door, while the remaining bodyguard stayed behind and locked the door.
“What's the latest with the asteroid?” Fred then asked.
“Well, we may not be in imminent danger just yet,” Professor Marshall told him.
“How close will the thing come to Earth?” asked Fred,
“Some images suggest the asteroid may not come to within 12 million miles of Earth,” replied the Professor. “Images from the International Space Station have been somewhat eratic, though, so we're constantly reviewing the situation.”
“That's a fair distance,” commented Fred.
“It sounds a fair distance, but believe me, it's not much in astronomical terms,” the Professor informed Fred. “If our projections are out by less than one per cent, the asteroid could smash into Earth.”
“Hhmmmm,” muttered Fred as they came to another door. “It sounds like we need to keep a close eye on this one.”
“To make matters worse, sir, yesterdays images were slightly out of sync with our projections, too,” added Professor Marshall, which gave him a reminder. “Can I make a call to NASA?” he requested.
“You'd better make it quick, as the President's plane is waiting outside,” Fred told him.
Professor Marshall then contacted Steve, who, unbeknown to Fred, was at home getting ready to go to work.
“Hi Steve, Frank here, what's the latest on the asteroid?” the Professor asked.
“I've just had a call from another guy at the European Space Agency,” said Steve. “It seems like the Europeans are aware of the asteroid.”
“Have you received today's images and reports from the 'Space Station yet?” asked the Professor.
“No, not yet,” replied Steve. “I'll let you know when I hear something.”
Professor Marshall then turned to Fred and asked if he could leave his mobile on during the flight.
“I don't think so,” Fred told the Professor. “You can check that with the President though.”
“I probably won't be able to contact you until late this afternoon,” he then told Steve on his mobile. “I'll have to go now, so have a nice day.”
Fred then opened the door in front of them, from where a strong gust of wind blew into the passageway. Outside was a cordoned-off runway with the President's plane. As Fred led the Professor towards the steps, two of the bodyguards followed them, whilst the third stayed behind and locked the door. They then boarded the jet, where the President was waiting on board.
“Hi, guys,” he said to them, then looking towards the Professor. “You must be Professor Marshall.”
The Professor simply smiled and greeted the President. After they had sat down, there was then an announcement from the cockpit that all doors would be closing, and instructing passengers to be seated and to fasten