Clockwork - Part 2
Posted on 05 Sep 2026 @ 9:11pm by Lieutenant Commander Steven Remington
983 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission:
The Doldrums
Location: Astrophysics -- Arawyn
Clockwork – Part 2
// Science Conference Room //
Snip
[Steve speaking] …We have Cycle A, the planet; Cycle B, C, D and E, the four moons. We need to combine all our models: stellar, planetary, magnetic fields, satellites, plasma influence, and orbital dynamics… I’m gonna work on the development of a holographic representation of it all. I’ll send you each the link to that. Feed your data into that model and let’s see what we’ve come up with. Remember, we have another full show of this phenomenon coming up in 4 hours, 37 minutes, some-odd seconds, give or take a second. That may reinforce our findings or completely smash them to sludge. Regardless, good work people. We’ll get this figured out.”
End Snip
Everyone stopped what they were doing at 1515 hours and waited for the next resonance to occur at 15:22:17, give or take second.
They prepared sensors.
They waited.
15:22:17 arrived.
Nothing.
A collective sigh was all that resonated.
Gabriella Mindinoro, the astrophysicist, immediately began running a diagnostic on the model, assuming it needed refinement and hoping to find any discrepancy. First: instrument error. Data populated. Confirmed: sensor calibration, spot on. Timing synchronization, exact. Signal propagation delay accounted correctly. Ship’s position, verified. Computer clock accuracy, no variation.
Stellar astrophysicist, D’Nay Teris, reported, “I’ve compared the stellar wind variability. It matches our predicted model perfectly.”
Randy Smithers, planetary specialist, refined the moons’ masses, velocities and orbital positions and ran the model again. “The resonance should have occurred as predicted,” he said with conviction. “Maybe plasma density isn’t constant.” He adjusted the model and reran the diagnostic. “That helps a little; accounts for about 0.6% of the variation. Wait!” He was running it a second and third time, increasing the allowance for variation. “The discrepancy remains, but the error isn’t random.”
Steve spoke up. “Ok. This is the 5th time we’ve watched this thing not work as predicted. Suppose we go backward through the historical sensor data.”
Smithers set the parameters and the results appeared in colorful bands on a holo-graph. Steve and the others watched it growing.
“According to the history, which we can extrapolate, every eighteen cycles, the resonance occurs. But then the discrepancy increases, and the resonance decreases again. Eventually the event occurs, but late. Then that pattern repeats. Each time, after the resonance, the whole build up collapses before resonance can occur, for 17 cycles. That means something else has a periodic influence on the whole system.”
“What is it?” growled Gabriella.
“Patience. We just need to be curious,” counseled Steve. “If the error repeats, which it does, the error is part of the system.” He studied the graph and the holo-model for a long moment. “We’re clear on our numbers. We’re not looking for bad data anymore. We’re looking for another cog in the clock mechanism, and its out there.”
Everyone studied the holo-model with its luminous gas giant, tilted on its axis, and its magnetic fields defined by neon blue lines. The four moons in their respective planes of orbit were delineated by glowing iridescent green.
The volcanic Moon B put out inconsistent quantities, but predictable plasma additions into an orbital torus around the planet, represented by a sparkling golden ring.
Moon C, the metallic object with its own magnetic field swirling around the satellite, created a localized disturbance in the cycle when it moved through the planet’s magnetosphere.
Moon D, an unremarkable moon whose claim on the event was to slice through the plasma field of the torus/ring created by Moon B, causing a disruption in its passing wake. Again, predictable.
The planet’s magnetotail was expressed in the model by a smear of brilliant purple dust extending behind the planet in its orbit around the bright white star, with its stellar winds illustrated by ribbons of neon yellow light.
Moon E, a small far-flung moon which periodically crossed the area of the magnetotail, creating a small, measurable effect, but not enough to account for the inconsistent timing of the phenomena as a whole.
There had to be another variable, something they were not registering. Something very small.
“Ok, we need to search for gravitational perturbations, smaller satellites, ring structure, those variations in plasma density, magnetic anomalies, and orbital resonances,” Steve rattled off the list. Each scientist recognized their area of expertise and set about the deeper study.
Smither’s was baffled. There were just no more variables about the planet. It was a near constant in the equation. Steady in its orbit and barely reacting to any of its satellites. Something else was in orbit. He walked over to Gabriella’s station. “How’s it going?”
“I’m running comparisons on every satellite’s numbers for each of the 17 times the resonance built but collapsed before it could resolve,” she explained, as another smaller holo-image appeared above her station. “All the differences are displayed here in pink.”
Smither’s watched as the 17 different numbers appeared, when suddenly a bright yellow number appeared in the orbit of Moon E. Something had changed at that exactly moment that had affected Moon E.
Gabriella was breathless. “There is something influencing Moon E. It’s got to be tinier than Moon E and has to intersect its orbit at this location every 18th repetition of the Cycle. I think I can triangulate it.” Moments later she had a bright orange marker where the object should be seen. They shifted to the actual view of the planet and that location. On highest magnification, there was nothing there. The shift in mood was palpable.
“There has to be something there,” insisted Gabriella.
She paused the hologram display and tapped her comm. “Cmdr Remington, I’ve found something.”
Continued in Part 3
~~~
LtCmdr Steve Remington
Chief Science Officer
USS Arawyn
&
Lt Randy Smithers, Planetary Science
Lt D’nay Teris, Stellar Astrophysicist
Ensign Gabriella Mindinoro, Astrophysicist
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