The Twins Paradox by Alan Gasparutti (best contemporary novels txt) 📖

Professor Wagstaff said again. “Have you been able to tell what happened to the remnants of the comet?”
“Not as yet, Professor, we're waiting for the remnants of the comet to settle before we can make precise calculations,” Sanchez replied. “However, we do know what the comet contained, and have made some assumptions.”
“I've been very busy just recently, so you wouldn't mind refreshing my memory of what they might be?” asked Professor Wagstaff.
“We believe that most of the ice from the comet will simply melt into water,” said Sanchez. “Mars is probably too cold to heat the ice to the extent where it rises as water vapour. We're pretty sure that the comet also contained Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Ethane, Ammonia and some Amino acids.”
“Can you keep me informed on events,” Professor Wagstaff requested. “Oh, and could you send pictures of the impact to my screen, there's a good chap.”
Professor Wagstaff then contacted Professor Schmidt, and invited him to his office, to tell him of the events.
”How is the mapping of Earth coming along?” Professor Schmidt asked.
“Quite well, actually,” Professor Wagstaff replied. “However, I've had to direct some resources to the Martian comet project.”
“Let me know where you require assistance, as my team has now completed the language monitoring,” Professor Schmidt suggested.
“Thanks ever so much, that would be super,” said Professor Wagstaff. “Have you found out much about that phenomenon we were discussing recently?”
“The Twin's Paradox, you mean?” queried Professor Schmidt. “I've searched on the World Wide Web for the Theory of Relativity, and it seems the more I read about it, the more curious this phenomenon becomes.”
“Oh, why's that?” asked Professor Wagstaff. “Isn't there much about this?”
“Quite the opposite, in fact,” replied Professor Schmidt. “I've found the original theory, but there seems to be a lot more recent information which doesn't exactly agree. In fact, I've come across some information which contradicts the theory all together.”
“Have you managed to use any of the formulae to come to any conclusion?” asked Professor Wagstaff.
“I've tried all the formulae, which all appear to be correct,” said Professor Schmidt. “I personally believe there is something missing which links them all, but I can't put my finger on it.”
“I've been thinking about this myself recently, in Earth terms of course,” said Professor Wagstaff. “Think of a star 5 light years away, and a ship travelling towards it at light speed. If the ship left Earth in, say 2000, after one year at light speed it would have travelled one light year, of course.”
“Yes, yes, carry on,” said an intrigued Professor Schmidt.
“Well, in 2001 the light from the ship will be one year old, and hence from 2000, as though from Earth, the ship and it's crew hadn't aged at all,” Professor Wagstaff explained. “By the same theory, when the ship reached the star after 5 years, in 2005, the light seen from Earth will be 5 years old, and from 2000, again.”
“So the ship will be the same age as when it left Earth?” queried Professor Schmidt.
“And the crew will not have aged at all,” said Professor Wagstaff.
“I've considered this too, but surely, if the ship returned to Earth, travelling at the speed of light, then after one year, 2007, it would be four light years away, and the light seen from Earth would relate to 2002,” commented Professor Schmidt.
“Yes, logically speaking,” acknowledged Professor Wagstaff.
“That would suggest that on approaching Earth, the ship will have aged two years in the space of one,” Professor Schmidt queried. “On that basis, by the time the ship reached Earth in 2010, the age of the ship and it's crew will relate to the same year and time, 2010.”
“Yes, but you haven't taken account of the fact that age is constant when travelling at light speed,” argued Professor Wagstaff.
Professor Schmidt thought to himself for a moment.
“I don't dispute that the ship will have returned to Earth by 2010, but because it was travelling at light speed, the crew will remain as young as they were when they left Earth,” said Professor Wagstaff. “This is all relatively speaking, i.e. relativity.”
“I think I see where you're coming from,” Professor Schmidt said to his colleague. “Everything is relative to Earth-time.”
“Precisely,” said Professor Wagstaff. “When something, or someone, is travelling at light speed they will not age in Earth-time. The Interstellar Pilgrim has been travelling at almost light speed for so long that, allowing for reduction of speed from time to time, people on board will have aged very slowly in Earth terms.”
“Have you clarified this at all, or calculated the average life on the 'Pilgrim?” asked Professor Schmidt.
“I can make some educated speculations, but I won't really know the true amount of distance the 'Pilgrim has travelled over the millenia,” said Professor Wagstaff. “Would you know?”
“Well let's calculate light speed in Earth-terms,” said Professor Schmidt, as he played with some figures on his spreadsheet. “I make it 669.6 million miles per hour.”
Professor Wagstaff looked at the engine records of the Interstellar Pilgrim, to see if he could find the average speed of the ship. He found the average speed to be 600 million miles per hour.
“That would mean that our average speed was 88% of light speed,” Professor Schmidt said to him. “But in life terms, if we live 88% of constant life, what is the constant?”
“I don't really know,” muttered Professor Wagstaff. “Surely everyone's life must come to an end sometime? Surely there must be a figure to go by?”
“Yes, but what is it?” asked Professor Schmidt.
“I don't think we should ponder too much about this for the moment,“ suggested Professor Wagstaff. “We have plenty more important projects to work on. Perhaps we should call one of those special scientific meetings.”
“What for?” queried Professor Schmidt. “I don't think the Commander or Major Retono would be too interested in this, do you?”
“No, but as I said, we have other things to get on with,” Professor Wagstaff told his colleague. “If we can convince them that this is the missing link we've been looking for, perhaps we can start to assess our next move.”
“What move?” asked Professor Schmidt. “Do you want to go to Earth, after all that we've found out?”
“Yes I would,” replied Professor Wagstaff. “I don't see myself living for eternity. Give me a villa on Lanzarote, where the sun shines and the sea is blue, I think I'd be happy.”
“Lanzarote? Which star system is that in?” asked Professor Schmidt.
“It's an island on Earth,” said Professor Wagstaff. “To some people, it may seem prudent to live elsewhere, but this is all relative, hence the Theory of Relativity. In interstellar time, our lives are as long as those who left Earth all those millions of years ago. ”
“I take your point Professor, but I want to take a closer look at this is theory,” Professor Schmidt told him.
“Oh do so by all means,” said Professor Wagstaff. “Let me know if you come up with anything different.”

Professor Schmidt, ever the man for detail and calculations, thought the theory over carefully. Using averages for times and distances, he put some statistics together, which roughly seemed to tally with Professor Wagstaff's suggestion.
Rather than looking deeper into the theory, he notified Commander Ondichi of what had been discussed. The Commander noted the new theory, which would be put to Council at the next meeting. In the meantime, he decided to call a special scientific meeting, to prepare for the final journey to Earth.


Ingleborough

It was during this period that the Martian comet impact results began to show. With a small atmosphere, the dust settled relatively quickly. It was noticed that the amount of water remaining on the planet was less than had been anticipated. Sanchez sent pictures illustrating this to Professor Wagstaff, to emphasise the point. They were baffled as to where half of the water had gone. The original data of the comet sent on the collision course were checked, and after this was double-checked over, they agreed that there should be more water remaining on Mars.
Professor Wagstaff discussed this with Professor Schmidt, but still they were baffled. They then searched the web for data about the surface of Mars, and discovered that this was covered with ferric oxide, known on Earth as rust. The Professors carried out tests, and found that this was caused by water dissolving on iron. They each suddenly thought perhaps this was what made Mars red, and that it had originally contained water, as indicated by what appeared to be river-beds. Perhaps further measures would be needed to create a new planet suitable for life.
This was discussed at the next special scientific meeting, with Commander Ondichi and Major Retono.
“What do you believe to be the preliminary difference between the surfaces of Earth and Mars?” asked Major Retono.
“Well, the surface of Earth is covered in carbonic compounds,” explained Professor Schmidt. “These include magnesium carbonate, which is referred to as chalk, and calcium carbonate, which I believe is referred to as limestone.”
“There are other carbonic compounds as well, but we haven't determined the exact formula as yet,” added Professor Wagstaff. “We know there is sulphur in some rocks, created following volcanic eruptions.”
“Yes, we're examining some compositions at the moment,” Professor Schmidt further added.
“Hold on, hold on a minute,” Commander Ondichi said to the Professors. “Can I get this into my head first? Earth's surface is covered with a variety of solidified carbonic compounds. If Mars were to be hit by an asteroid made of carbon, would that help in any way?”
“Probably,” said Professor Wagstaff. “Some of those asteroids beyond Mars may contain the right ingredients. Do you think we should send one to collide with Mars?”
“We'd have to take a close inspection first, in order to determine the best asteroid for impact, however,” added Professor Schmidt.
“Is this discussion really necessary?” commented Major Retono. “I said all along that the Martian impact comet was a bad idea. I think we should leave this item for consultation at another time. Can we discuss what we came here for initially, to consider planning future visits of Earth?”
“The Major's right,” said Commander Ondichi. “Now, I understand that the language project, as agreed at our last meeting, is complete.”
“Yes it is,” confirmed Professor Schmidt. “The Earth mapping project is almost completed too.”
Professor Schmidt contacted a member of his team, and ordered a full copy of the latest records to be sent to his computer. He would then link the meeting room screen to pick up the images.
“Professors, do either of you have anywhere in mind as to where on Earth we could land a small reconnaissance probe?” asked Commander Ondichi.
“I've noticed a lot of the information and intelligence on Earth comes from the United States,“ said Major Retono. “Wouldn't that be a good place to start from?”
“Logically, it would,” advised Professor Schmidt. “However, it seems as though it's governed by what some people would call a maverick, with little regard for it's people. It also appears to be at war at this moment.”
“I have to agree with Professor Schmidt,” commented Professor Wagstaff. “I think there are other locations on Earth more suitable to start a reconnaissance from.”
“Do you have anywhere in mind?” asked Major Retono.
“There's a nice little island near the west African coast known as Lanzarote,” Professor Wagstaff told the others.
Professor Schmidt stared suspiciously at his colleague.
“What's wrong with that?” Professor Wagstaff asked Professor Schmidt, who then raised an eyebrow.
“Is there something I should know, or have I missed something here?” Commander Ondichi asked.
“Oh no, no, no,” replied Professor Wagstaff. “We're merely in dispute as to where we