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

the small planets were close to the side of the stars. He then waited for a tiny blob to appear to the side of the star.
Sure enough, the technique worked. At first, scientists at NASA tried to disprove Professor Wagstaff’s theory. After the technique was tried on a few more stars, however, each instant resulted in the detection of one or more small blobs beside the star examined. The technique was successfully tried by Russian, Chinese, and Japanese astronomers, until it was eventually accepted internationally that these were planets. Professor Wagstaff had suddenly become famous.
Unfortunately, Professor Wagstaff couldn’t realistically maintain contact with the Interstellar Pilgrim, otherwise his identity could be blown. He did, however, speak regularly to Henry Retono, who passed on information on Mars and the stars from Professor Schmidt indirectly. One day in May, Henry rang with some good news.
“I’ve just received official clearance from the DVLA that my cars are roadworthy and can be driven, and sold, legally,” he told Professor Wagstaff.
“That’s excellent news,” the professor replied. “I suppose you can go ahead with your original plans to produce new vehicles?”
“I may have to amend them a little,” Henry informed the Professor. “There’s been unrest on the Interstellar Pilgrim,”
“Why ever might that be?” Professor Wagstaff queried.
“Major Kong wanted to invade Earth,” said Henry. “Apparently he’d been trying to get support for a few months, but fortunately he didn’t get much. Not even many of the apes were in favour of his idea. As soon as the Commander heard about it he had Kong locked away.”
“Perhaps he should have sent him down here,“ the professor commented. “Perhaps he could have gone to Iraq!”
“The Commander’s let him out now,” said Henry. “He talked Kong out of the silly idea, ‘told him Earth was a dangerous place and that they didn’t have enough ammunition to invade Earth.”
“We have the technology to go invading other worlds, but we are not aggressive, violent people, and will only use our weapons to defend ourselves,” said Professor Wagstaff. ”Kong comes from a different ancestry.”
“That’s the problem,” replied Henry. “He’s okay when the ‘Pilgrim is cruising through the cosmos, but whenever we approach a planet with life he assumes we’re going to invade.”
“Remember when NASA sent that craft to destroy the ‘Pilgrim?” queried Professor Wagstaff. “You’ve seen what’s happening on some parts of the planet. Earth isn’t a planet I’d want to invade.”
“The thing is, the council have agreed that Earth isn’t the right planet for them,” Henry told him. “Professor Schmidt has also been telling everyone that they will live longer lives travelling through space at near-light speed.”
“Well I can’t speak for the people of the ‘Pilgrim, but I certainly prefer to live a life in the open air and with natural heat and light – not cooped up in a hollow asteroid with artificial ventilation.”
“Not everyone is as wise as us, Professor,” said Henry. “I don’t think anyone can fully appreciate natural life until they’ve experienced it.”
“Is anyone coming down to Earth to help launch your car production?” asked Professor Wagstaff.
“The families of my team were going to stay here on Earth, but that’s been rescinded,” said Henry. “They should be departing in the next few days. I’ll give them your regards.”
“Yes, please do,” said the Professor. “I’d better get back to my studies. I’ll keep an eye out for the ‘Pilgrim’s departure. Goodbye for now.”

Professor Wagstaff kept a close watch on the new moon, Jenna, alias the Interstellar Pilgrim. His main task, however, was to prove that the planets discovered could support life. This was going to be much, much harder. Professor Wagstaff considered informing everyone of what he knew, but the consequences would be either admitting to being an alien, or else the world would think he was mad, so he said nothing.
One evening he noticed the ‘Pilgrim was no longer orbiting Earth, but decided not to report anything. With the Interstellar Pilgrim now gone, he couldn’t afford to tell his employers of his true identity. There was now nowhere for him to escape to. However, Professor Wagstaff was happy in his new role. Besides, he knew someone else would uncover the fact that the new moon was no longer there.
The European Space Agency were very pleased with the professor’s work, and suggested he should go to the 2008 International Astronomers Convention, in California, to speak about his discoveries. He was quite happy to go along, until he realised that the disappearance of the new moon would be on the agenda. It was also suggested he should bring his digital car along with him.
Come July, Professor Wagstaff met Dermot O’Hagan, Director of Development, at Charles de Gaulle airport to catch a flight to Los Angeles. Once they had arrived, they spent a few nights chatting and celebrating the Professor’s discoveries, before travelling to San Bernardino, in the Professor’s car of course, where the 2008 convention was to be held.
After checking into a hotel on the morning of July 20th, Dermot took Professor Wagstaff to the conference centre where astronomers and scientists would meet. Then Dermot felt a tap on his shoulder.
“Well hello there,” Dermot said in surprise as he turned around. “It’s Professor Marshall! How are you doing these days?”
“Oh, I’m fine thanks,” replied Frank. “I hear you’re one of the directorate at the ESA these days.”
“Yes, indeed,” Dermot said to him. “I’m now Director of Development, overseeing our development of European Space Agency projects and resources. The position was vacated by Dr Ferguson, when he took up your old post at NASA.”
“Let me introduce you to my good friend, Clint Williams,” said Frank. “He was one of the astronauts who saved the world last year.”
Dermot and Professor Wagstaff each greeted Clint and shook his hand, before Dermot introduced Professor Wagstaff.
“You’re the chap who discovered those small planets, aren’t you?” Frank said to him.
Professor Wagstaff just smiled and nodded his head in acknowledgement.
“Well I think congratulations are in order, don’t you?” said Frank. “There’s a bar just around the corner, so why don’t we go and have something to celebrate Professor Wagstaff’s discoveries. They do food there, too.”
“What do you say, Arthur?” Dermot said to Professor Wagstaff. “We could do with watering our loins, if you ask me.”
Professor Wagstaff was in agreement, so the four of them proceeded to the bar.
“To be quite honest, my discovery wasn’t really spectacular,” said Professor Wagstaff. “The technique was basically straight forward – I’m surprised no-one tried that earlier.”
“Oh you’re too modest, Arthur,” said Dermot.
“Actually, I think Professor Wagstaff has a point,” said Frank. “The thought did cross my mind a few times. In fact, I remember suggesting a similar technique to one of my scientists at NASA several years ago.”
“Did he take up your suggestion?” Professor Wagstaff asked Frank. “By the way, you can call me Arthur.”
“I think he may have tried it once without success, and before too much longer, he was offered a job elsewhere,” explained Frank.
“The man probably never knew where to search,” commented Professor Wagstaff.
“Do you mean you knew where to search for Earth-like planets?” Clint asked.
“Erhh,…not quite,” replied Professor Wagstaff realising what he’d said and about to back-track his comment.
“No, what Arthur means is the right sort of star to look for,” said Frank. “Something like our sun.”
“Yes exactly,” said Dermot. “It would be futile to observe Betelgeuse or Antares and expect to see a planet like Earth, as they’re so huge they will have extended beyond a suitable orbit.”
“How about some of the more-local stars?” queried Clint. “Can’t we observe planetary objects around any of them?”
“A lot of the closer stars, like Sirius, Alpha Centauri and Procyon, are binaries,” Dermot said to Clint. “You know, where two stars, or indeed more in some cases, orbit each other. It seems that when binary stars are formed, something about them prevents small rocky planets from developing.”
“I recall suggesting something vaguely along those lines when we interviewed that guy’s successor, but it was overtaken by 9/11,” said Frank.
Professor Wagstaff didn’t know precisely what Frank was referring to, though he had heard and seen the events on TV. Perhaps that was for the better, as he may not have visited Earth otherwise. As the four of them approached the bar, Frank asked what the others wanted to drink. Dermot went to the bar with him to help with the drinks.
“So Frank, how’s retirement treating you?” he asked. “You certainly look all the better for it.”
“Oh I’m a lot fresher these days, though that’s partly due to living in the Colorado mountains,” Frank replied.
“I heard that you’d moved,” Dermot said to him. “What made you move there?”
“Basically, it was a compromise between my wife and myself,” said Frank. “She wanted to move to California, while I originally wanted to stay in Houston, or at least somewhere else in Texas. I think I got the better deal in the end.”
“Oh, why’s that?” asked Dermot.
“The location suits me, much better than Texas,” explained Frank. “There’s an observatory nearby, and if we want some ‘life’ we’re not too far from Colorado Springs. That’s where Clint’s from.”
Just then, a barman came along to ask for the order. Clint and Arthur meanwhile were talking at a table.
“Is this your first time here?” Arthur asked.
“Yes,” replied Clint. “I feel a bit out of place, to be honest.”
“Whyever’s that?” asked Arthur, who wasn’t used to all the fuss and hype, and was considering whether to testify who he really was and where he came from.
“Well, I’m no professor or rocket scientist,” said Clint. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m fascinated by the stars, but I think I’m out of my depths here.”
“Nonsense!” Arthur said to him, again considering whether he should ‘spill the beans’, before deciding to change the subject. “Tell me a little about that space mission of yours last year.”
“I was one half of the crew sent to save the Earth from an asteroid almost as large as the one that finally killed-off the dinosaurs,” explained Clint.
“Were you sent to destroy the asteroid?” Arthur asked curiously.
“Our task was really to deflect the asteroid,” Clint emphasised. “It could be dangerous trying to destroy such an asteroid. It would have broken up into smaller fragments, which may have smashed into Earth individually.”
“Yes, quite,” said Arthur. “If you ask me, we have enough to combat in this world today, what with global warming. I don’t think your president is doing enough to help this planet.”
“No, not in that respect, I grant you, but we have other matters to deal with elsewhere in the world,” replied Clint.
“And much of that was started by your president, too,” Arthur commented, before Frank and Dermot came along with the drinks, and joined in the debate.
“While we’re talking about green issues, have you seen Arthur’s new car yet?” Dermot asked Frank and Clint.
“No, does it have reduced emissions?” Frank queried.
“Does it have reduced emissions, he says!” exclaimed Dermot. “This automobile has zero emissions – it requires no fuel at all, tell them Arthur.”
“It’s actually digitally-controlled,” said Arthur.
“Arthur’s brought it along with him,” Dermot told Frank and Clint, who were rather astounded. “I’m sure he won’t mind giving us all a ride in it later today sometime, would you Arthur?”
Professor Wagstaff nodded in acknowledgement, though was becoming a little tired of being ‘advertised’. The four of them discussed how the digital motor was the perfect solution for global warming, and soon forgot about the car as the debate covered several other solutions. Before long, they broadened their discussion, as they sat in the bar and drinking