The Planet 1.1. & 1.2

Jimmy Loong     

15 Oct 2015

1.

1.1 The discovery

‘DSV Madeson, Z-100 proceeding to designation 101.’

Z-100 was one of the fifty exploration units deployed on the surface on Planet M-1098. The unit was a designed saucer top with a circumference of fifteen feet with four major tentacles extrusions that extend eight feet below it to the surface. Each tentacle at the end of its stand held the receptors. Each tentacle served as collectors on the surface and the data will be channeled to the seventeen processors inside the saucer main unit at the center. Located at the bottom, there was probing light that was the main probe which does more; it reads the underground composition as deep as five miles across a radius of five miles. It moved across the surface on it anti-gravity discs that were mounted at the bottom. The speed it was moving at was about forty miles per hour. It will then moved diagonal for ten miles and then resumed its return direction. It keeps on moving like that until it covered the assigned area of five hundred square miles.

Where there were high or obstacles in its way, it will hover higher and then lowered to the desired height after it is passed. It was programmed to register a list of minerals and on that occasion it found what it wanted to find. It was not east to move with the wind on the surface that could reach sixty miles on a normal condition to two hundred miles on those stormy conditions. When that happens, the probe will compensate for it by adjusting its height and speed. If the wind velocity moves too high for it to compensate, it will release a series of eight anchors on the hard surface. It will remain anchored until the wind was manageable before it gets retracted back.  When it’s anchored, the probe will cover itself with a magnetic field that will repel any physical items like stones that may be hurled by the wind.

The wind condition was not the only danger there. There was also the acidic rain which was rare but its corrosive nature had worn down one of the fifty exploration units coating and caused a breakdown in the unit. The experts then recalled the units to apply a new coating that managed to counter the corrosive rains.

There were no living creatures on the planet. Not even a microbe; only metal minerals.

It was the center probe that confirmed it the rare finding.

‘DSV Madeson, Z-100 reporting identifying a new element.’

That was the first report.

Three weeks later, the same area was surveyed and then more probes were introduced.

‘We have located the main layer.’

The center probe began relaying the data for further analysis.

One week ago, the probes were all removed. It was then the new element was given a new identification designated L 391.

It was not only rare but the element had unique properties that made it viable for some highly valued uses. It triggered off the mining corporations interest but the planet was off limit. It did not stop the mining corporations to begin their probing.

It was then the Earth Office of the Minerals Rights stepped in.

“The planet was off limit to all. Anyone attempting to land there will be subject to violation rule 104.” Violation Rule 104 was the harsh punishment of delisting and banishment from the mining rights. No mining corporation will risk that on normal conditions but element L 391 was very tempting.

1.2.

Rule 104.

The Earth Office of the Minerals Rights was a tall solitary tower that reached eighty levels high with a hexagonal design. It was the command center that managed the mining rights. On that particular morning, it was the center of furious activities, with the whole building under tight security. There were scores of securities personnel there, and they were maintaining a cordon around the building. A perimeter was maintained to prevent any intrusions but most of the assembled were not there to intrude but to see the one they seek will step out.

It was all about a data leak from the Earth Office that happened five hours ago.

The leak of the discovery caused the commotion with the mining corporations rushing in to verify the findings but they were all stalemated at the cyber doorstep. When that did not work, they went physical.

The Chairman of the Mineral Rights barricaded himself to the Office since then and refused to see anyone. The corporations tried all the options but they had not made any progress. Not even the cajoling or influences of the influential from the elite Councilors and Statesman.

The pursuit of the matter did not end there, and even some have gone further to retrace the Deep Space Vessel that could have launched the probe. It was the era of cyber data super links but the large data was not making much headway. There were a dozen of the Deep Space Vessel that were out there, and tracing the right one took longer. The search for the finite value soon discovered DSV Madeson.

It was all in the containment of the data server.

The DSV identified and an assorted of rag tag fleet of corporation’ was launched to intercept. With the advanced development in hyper warp, the planet was soon besieged but it was also protected since the discovery.

“Anyone breaching the line will be retaliated without warning will be a violation of Rule 104.” That was a fair warning but the arsenal behind the warning was more than fair. It was protected by the Mineral Rights Enforcement Fleet which was a formidable force of several heavily fortified frigates. No one dares to challenge the fleet.

 “You found the planet but can’t touch it.” Chairman Ian Finney of Earth Office of the Minerals Rights made the announcement to the mining corporations.  He was on the video conference screen surrounded by a half dozen guards.

 “I know all of you are keen to mine it but it will have to be by the rules. Within the stipulated rules, I am now opening the bid for the mining exploration of the new discovered named Element L 391 with immediate effect. The bidding process will close its bidding window in exactly one hour.”