Above the Clouds

Philip Benguhe

Description

Above the Clouds is a work of science fiction that explores how the history of humanity would have changed if instead of clears skies above, the planet was covered in a thick blanket of clouds. Without views of the heavens to drive the development of science and society, humankind turned their attention inward. The worship of volcanoes and the god Vulcan dominated religion and prevented society from looking upward−encapsulated in the religion's most famous maxim, "Everything you need is beneath your feet!"

With the election of a new progressive president, a group of scientists are now directed to build a probe to finally see what lies above. However, their efforts are frustrated by the work of religious radicals, betrayed loyalties, and changing political dynamics.

The main character, Jason, with the help of his friends and the team, must navigate these obstacles and risk his professional career to assure the probe is launched and its discoveries shared with the world.

Sujets

• Science Fiction
• Fiction

Informations

• Publié par: eBookIt.com
• Date de parution: 22 janvier 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781456632694
• Langue: English

Extrait

Above the Clouds
 
by
Philip Benguhe
 
 
 
Copyright 2019 Philip Benguhe,
All rights reserved.
 
 
Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com
http://www.eBookIt.com
 
 
ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-3269-4
 
 
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
 
 
This book is dedicate to all those searching for truth in a vast sea of ignorance and superstition–to the scientists and explorers who dare to look beyond what can be seen, only to see more.
 
 
 
 
For millennia, humankind has gazed upon the heavens with awe. Captivation with the sun, moon, and stars drove the development of our religion, culture, and science. But what if for most of our history a dense layer of clouds obscured these all from view? How would our society have changed and what would be the story of humanity ’ s efforts to finally see …
Above the Clouds
 
Contents
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHATPER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CHAPTER 1
As the numbers on the electromechanical clock slowly clicked to exactly seven a.m., a dull buzz raised Jason Pytheas from his uneasy sleep. Easing himself from his bed, he walked across the room to turn off the small nightlight he kept on each and every night. Its design consisted of a yellowish glass, golf ball sized globe covered in orange swirls with a single, miniature bulb embedded inside. He received the novelty as a young child from his mother, who died not long after giving it to him; and ever since then, he had not gone a night without it.
Standing in the shower, Jason let the streaming jets of warm water cascade down his face until they had washed away the remaining drowsiness from the prior night’s slumber. After quickly toweling dry and brushing his hair and teeth, he quickly threw on the clothes lazily draped on the chair across from his bed. He then walked to his small kitchen to make himself a cup of tea, a single fried egg, and a piece of toast. In a few minutes, he would leave his house and start the short walk to the tram stop that would take him to work. As he exited his front door, he abruptly stopped–quickly spinning around to grab the umbrella standing next to the door.
Once outside, Jason scanned the sky. Grey and more grey. Above his head rolling clouds of grey and off in the distance a horizon of grey. He often felt as though the clouds extended down from the sky to invade his very essence. As he started to walk to the tram stop, Robert, his neighbor who lived in the cottage next door, waved a friendly hello.
“Beautiful day today!” Robert shouted. “I’ll bet you can see for more than a mile…and the forecast is no rain. You shouldn’t need the umbrella.” “Better safe than sorry,” replied Jason. He thought about the number of times he had forgotten to take his umbrella, only to later be caught in a downpour. He never trusted the forecast, except in one key point. It would be cloudy, just as it had always been cloudy.
For the entirety of recorded history, the human race had lived in a world totally obscured by clouds. Sometimes they lifted a bit, and you could see a mile or so; other times they descended to a dense fog, and you could not see two feet in front of your nose. What lies above them? Many had asked and speculated, but no one knew for sure. However, with a bit of luck, that would soon change.
As Jason waited at the tram stop, the clouds began to descend obscuring his view down the tracks. He silently thanked himself for bringing the umbrella. He would probably need it later. The clanging of the tram’s bell interrupted Jason’s musings and signaled its approach long before Jason could actually see the car. About a minute later, the tram pulled into view and stopped a few feet from Jason. It had an exterior painted bright orange, with black trim and both side and front signal lights that switched from a flashing red to steady amber, indicating that it was now safe to board. After climbing the three corrugated rubber steps of the doorway, Jason quickly settled into one of the dark grey foam filled leather seats at the front. The doors closed and the tram slowly started to roll down the tracks. A few moments later, Jason closed his eyes and his mind drifted back to the monumental speech that now directed his daily activities, as well as those of countless other coworkers.
Although more than three years had passed since President John Fitzgerald had delivered his famous See Above The Sky inaugural speech and initiated the See Above The Sky (SATS) program, the words still played in Jason’s mind with perfect clarity. After first speaking about the common good and respecting the rights of all, the president concluded with, “And I firmly believe that to look forward, we must not just look beneath our feet but must look upward as well.” “Therefore, during my term as president, I am committing to using all of the scientific and technological resources at our disposal to send a probe through the clouds–to finally see what lies above.” Many thought this impossible, not just because of the technological difficulties but because it violated the most basic tenant of one of the major religious groups of the country, the Vulcanites.
The Vulcanites believe in one god almighty, Vulcan. He lives deep underground, bestowing his blessings on humanity by sending up crops to eat, cool springs of water to drink, and trees with which to build shelters. However, anger him and he responds by making the ground beneath tremble, or–in extreme cases–the ground itself would open up and belch forth molten rock, fire and brimstone. The Vulcanites strongly espoused the belief that everything mankind needed–or would ever need–came from within the earth, encapsulated in their most famous phrase, “Everything you need is beneath your feet!”
Earlier attempts to rise through the clouds proved disastrous. A century and a half ago, travelers brought back floating lanterns from their travels to the eastern part of the old continent. These consisted of thin paper bags with a small candle inside. The heat from the burning candle caused the bag to rise. These would never get too far up as the bags would dampen as they rose through the water laden clouds, or the candles would quickly burn out. However, it did spark a number of adventurous explorers to try and improve on the idea. They constructed larger bags made of silk and heated the air inside from fire pots held below. A few daring individuals built ones large enough to hold a person. However, these were hard to control; and the frequent rains often quenched the fire pots, cutting short most journeys. The Vulcanite clergy strongly condemned these activities, labeling these early pioneers as heretics.
Eventually, two brothers built a really large hot air bag with a special hood to protect against the rain and funnel the heated air directly into the chamber above. They rose up to a great height, deep in the clouds. As they ascended, they dropped brightly colored notes attached to rocks. All said the same thing, “Still seeing clouds, going higher,” with each message landing further from where they ascended. After a time, the notes stopped. People waited, but the craft did not return. In fact, only days later did the news arrive. A farmer had discovered it a considerable distance away. He watched in disbelief as the craft rapidly descended into the middle of his field. Once it landed, he went to investigate. What he saw inside sent a shiver down his spine. Both occupants lay huddled on the floor dead– frozen through–their bodies a strange bluish hue. He immediately threw himself down and kissing the ground exclaimed, “All praise to Vulcan!” “Everything we need is beneath our feet!” The Vulcanite clergy claimed that the two had invoked the wrath of Vulcan. They used this as justification to completely ban sky ascensions by people and significantly restrict even unmanned ones. To this day, only select members of the scientific community could engage in this activity and to a much-limited degree. Yes, few would have dared challenge the prevailing orthodoxy, but President Fitzgerald was something special.
From the start, he sought to separate politics from religion and have policy based on substantiated facts and principles. Besides being the youngest president at forty, he had a grace and charm about him that seemed to disarm even his staunchest critics. He stood lean and tall, almost six-feet-two, with wavy brown hair and calming azure eyes. Furthermore, he possessed an unmatched wit that allowed him to assuage the most difficult and tense situations. During a speech at a farm, he was continually heckled by a devote Vulcanite in the crowd with repeated shouts of “Beneath your feet!” He ignored the interruptions, but at the conclusion of his speech he calmly looked right at the heckler and responded by saying, “I am pretty sure I’m okay with what is beneath my feet but most certainly do not want what is beneath YOUR feet,” as he pointed to a large pile of cow dung just adjacent to where the Vulcanite stood. Everyone, including the Vulcanite, could not help but laugh at the comment.
Soon after assuming office, President Fitzgerald got approval for SATS. Two months later, the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST), began work on the program. Jason felt honored to serve as one of the team leaders. Although younger than the other members, his advanced