Orbiter (comics)
Encyclopedia
Orbiter is a graphic novel
by Warren Ellis
and Colleen Doran
, published in 2003
by DC Comics
under their Vertigo imprint
.
It is a hard science fiction
story set in the early 21st Century about a team of specialists employed to understand the mysterious reappearance of the space shuttle
Venture. The shuttle crashed back to Earth after disappearing ten years earlier with its crew missing, save for the catatonic pilot, and alien
technology on board.
Ellis and Doran are both space flight enthusiasts and dedicated Orbiter to the "lives, memories and legacies" of the astronauts who died in the 2003 Columbia disaster.
published a British softcover in June 2004 (ISBN 1840237244)
, which has been turned into slums as a result of its disappearance ten years earlier.
Three professionals are drafted (rather eagerly) to determine the cause of the incident.
As the study begins, mysteries continue to appear. Cost passes out while re-experiencing the Ventures disappearance, and medical examination determines he has no microgravity damage. The Venture is physically incapable of landing on Mars. Marx theorizes a bias drive, and is present when Robeson begins dismantling the Venture.
Answers lead to more questions. The "skin" the craft is covered with is found to both absorb radioactivity and reinforce the craft's superstructure. The Space Shuttle Main Engine
has been replaced with a ball of exotic matter
originating in the theoretical island of stability
. It seems to create an alcubierre field
, meaning that it avoids relativistic effects
.
Under hypnosis, Cost describes effortlessly using the drive to land the Venture on Mars. Not only that, but when he decides to leave the craft, the "skin" envelops him, acting as a symbiotic EVA suit.
All these facts together drive Bracken to make a final, impassioned attempt to communicate with Cost. She tells him of Robeson's despair at losing space. She tells him of Marx's genius, wasted in a time where few dream of space. And she tells him about herself, how she wanted to experience the wonder of spaceflight through the eyes of astronauts.
Cost is pulled from his catatonic state, and tells all. Just before Ventures disappearance, he compares the limits of the Shuttle program to the glories of the Apollo program. "We get the map. They got the distance. The perspective."
That's when it happened. The Venture was swept from Earth orbit to the Moon's shadow. Cost panics. He orders a course back to the International Space Station
that will almost certainly ruin the craft for future flights. And then, contact
.
For an unknown length of time, an alien race has observed Humanity's expansion into space, waiting to be contacted, eagerly anticipating "playmates" with which to share the universe with. When manned spaceflight slowed, they thought something had gone wrong. When Cost spoke of past glories, they acted. They took the Venture so they could speak to humans for the first time.
The aliens modified the Venture with technologies that would permit humans to truly explore space. But, they needed a human to communicate their message to the world. The crew chose to stay with the aliens, and learn. Cost chose to return to Earth and make the introduction. In response to his desires to see the wonders of the universe, the aliens programmed the craft to make a "grand tour" of everything Cost ever dreamed about.
This is why it took ten years for the Venture to return to Earth. It is also why Cost was catatonic upon his arrival, having long since been overwhelmed by the sheer majesty of his experiences.
Robeson's team has unlocked all the Ventures secrets save one – how to operate it.
Because only Cost could do it. Now, he takes Anna, Michelle, Terry (and Ali, one of Robeson's team, upon whom he was developing a crush) aboard the Venture "to meet them".
Orbiter is a graphic novel
by Warren Ellis
and Colleen Doran
, published in 2003
by DC Comics
under their Vertigo imprint
.
It is a hard science fiction
story set in the early 21st Century about a team of specialists employed to understand the mysterious reappearance of the space shuttle
Venture. The shuttle crashed back to Earth after disappearing ten years earlier with its crew missing, save for the catatonic pilot, and alien
technology on board.
Ellis and Doran are both space flight enthusiasts and dedicated Orbiter to the "lives, memories and legacies" of the astronauts who died in the 2003 Columbia disaster.
published a British softcover in June 2004 (ISBN 1840237244)
, which has been turned into slums as a result of its disappearance ten years earlier.
Three professionals are drafted (rather eagerly) to determine the cause of the incident.
As the study begins, mysteries continue to appear. Cost passes out while re-experiencing the Ventures disappearance, and medical examination determines he has no microgravity damage. The Venture is physically incapable of landing on Mars. Marx theorizes a bias drive, and is present when Robeson begins dismantling the Venture.
Answers lead to more questions. The "skin" the craft is covered with is found to both absorb radioactivity and reinforce the craft's superstructure. The Space Shuttle Main Engine
has been replaced with a ball of exotic matter
originating in the theoretical island of stability
. It seems to create an alcubierre field
, meaning that it avoids relativistic effects
.
Under hypnosis, Cost describes effortlessly using the drive to land the Venture on Mars. Not only that, but when he decides to leave the craft, the "skin" envelops him, acting as a symbiotic EVA suit.
All these facts together drive Bracken to make a final, impassioned attempt to communicate with Cost. She tells him of Robeson's despair at losing space. She tells him of Marx's genius, wasted in a time where few dream of space. And she tells him about herself, how she wanted to experience the wonder of spaceflight through the eyes of astronauts.
Cost is pulled from his catatonic state, and tells all. Just before Ventures disappearance, he compares the limits of the Shuttle program to the glories of the Apollo program. "We get the map. They got the distance. The perspective."
That's when it happened. The Venture was swept from Earth orbit to the Moon's shadow. Cost panics. He orders a course back to the International Space Station
that will almost certainly ruin the craft for future flights. And then, contact
.
For an unknown length of time, an alien race has observed Humanity's expansion into space, waiting to be contacted, eagerly anticipating "playmates" with which to share the universe with. When manned spaceflight slowed, they thought something had gone wrong. When Cost spoke of past glories, they acted. They took the Venture so they could speak to humans for the first time.
The aliens modified the Venture with technologies that would permit humans to truly explore space. But, they needed a human to communicate their message to the world. The crew chose to stay with the aliens, and learn. Cost chose to return to Earth and make the introduction. In response to his desires to see the wonders of the universe, the aliens programmed the craft to make a "grand tour" of everything Cost ever dreamed about.
This is why it took ten years for the Venture to return to Earth. It is also why Cost was catatonic upon his arrival, having long since been overwhelmed by the sheer majesty of his experiences.
Robeson's team has unlocked all the Ventures secrets save one – how to operate it.
Because only Cost could do it. Now, he takes Anna, Michelle, Terry (and Ali, one of Robeson's team, upon whom he was developing a crush) aboard the Venture "to meet them".
Orbiter is a graphic novel
by Warren Ellis
and Colleen Doran
, published in 2003
by DC Comics
under their Vertigo imprint
.
It is a hard science fiction
story set in the early 21st Century about a team of specialists employed to understand the mysterious reappearance of the space shuttle
Venture. The shuttle crashed back to Earth after disappearing ten years earlier with its crew missing, save for the catatonic pilot, and alien
technology on board.
Ellis and Doran are both space flight enthusiasts and dedicated Orbiter to the "lives, memories and legacies" of the astronauts who died in the 2003 Columbia disaster.
published a British softcover in June 2004 (ISBN 1840237244)
, which has been turned into slums as a result of its disappearance ten years earlier.
Three professionals are drafted (rather eagerly) to determine the cause of the incident.
As the study begins, mysteries continue to appear. Cost passes out while re-experiencing the Ventures disappearance, and medical examination determines he has no microgravity damage. The Venture is physically incapable of landing on Mars. Marx theorizes a bias drive, and is present when Robeson begins dismantling the Venture.
Answers lead to more questions. The "skin" the craft is covered with is found to both absorb radioactivity and reinforce the craft's superstructure. The Space Shuttle Main Engine
has been replaced with a ball of exotic matter
originating in the theoretical island of stability
. It seems to create an alcubierre field
, meaning that it avoids relativistic effects
.
Under hypnosis, Cost describes effortlessly using the drive to land the Venture on Mars. Not only that, but when he decides to leave the craft, the "skin" envelops him, acting as a symbiotic EVA suit.
All these facts together drive Bracken to make a final, impassioned attempt to communicate with Cost. She tells him of Robeson's despair at losing space. She tells him of Marx's genius, wasted in a time where few dream of space. And she tells him about herself, how she wanted to experience the wonder of spaceflight through the eyes of astronauts.
Cost is pulled from his catatonic state, and tells all. Just before Ventures disappearance, he compares the limits of the Shuttle program to the glories of the Apollo program. "We get the map. They got the distance. The perspective."
That's when it happened. The Venture was swept from Earth orbit to the Moon's shadow. Cost panics. He orders a course back to the International Space Station
that will almost certainly ruin the craft for future flights. And then, contact
.
For an unknown length of time, an alien race has observed Humanity's expansion into space, waiting to be contacted, eagerly anticipating "playmates" with which to share the universe with. When manned spaceflight slowed, they thought something had gone wrong. When Cost spoke of past glories, they acted. They took the Venture so they could speak to humans for the first time.
The aliens modified the Venture with technologies that would permit humans to truly explore space. But, they needed a human to communicate their message to the world. The crew chose to stay with the aliens, and learn. Cost chose to return to Earth and make the introduction. In response to his desires to see the wonders of the universe, the aliens programmed the craft to make a "grand tour" of everything Cost ever dreamed about.
This is why it took ten years for the Venture to return to Earth. It is also why Cost was catatonic upon his arrival, having long since been overwhelmed by the sheer majesty of his experiences.
Robeson's team has unlocked all the Ventures secrets save one – how to operate it.
Because only Cost could do it. Now, he takes Anna, Michelle, Terry (and Ali, one of Robeson's team, upon whom he was developing a crush) aboard the Venture "to meet them".
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
by Warren Ellis
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis is an English author of comics, novels, and television, who is well-known for sociocultural commentary, both through his online presence and through his writing, which covers transhumanist themes...
and Colleen Doran
Colleen Doran
Colleen Doran is an American writer/artist, film conceptual artist, and cartoonist. She has illustrated hundreds of comics, graphic novels, books and magazines, and dozens of stories and articles, including works written by Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, Anne Rice, J...
, published in 2003
2003 in comics
-January:* January 2: Kid Colt artist Jack Keller dies at age 80.- April :* Action Comics #800: Double-sized anniversary issue, "A Hero's Journey," by Joe Kelly, Pascual Ferry, and Duncan Rouleau...
by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
under their Vertigo imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
.
It is a hard science fiction
Hard science fiction
Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by an emphasis on scientific or technical detail, or on scientific accuracy, or on both. The term was first used in print in 1957 by P. Schuyler Miller in a review of John W. Campbell, Jr.'s Islands of Space in Astounding Science...
story set in the early 21st Century about a team of specialists employed to understand the mysterious reappearance of the space shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
Venture. The shuttle crashed back to Earth after disappearing ten years earlier with its crew missing, save for the catatonic pilot, and alien
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
technology on board.
Ellis and Doran are both space flight enthusiasts and dedicated Orbiter to the "lives, memories and legacies" of the astronauts who died in the 2003 Columbia disaster.
Publication history
The graphic novel was first published as a hardcover by Vertigo in April 2003 (ISBN 1-4012-0056-7) and as a softcover by Little Brown in May 2004 (ISBN 1-4012-0268-3). Titan BooksTitan Books
Titan Publishing Group is an independently owned publishing company, established in 1981. It is based at offices in London, England's Bankside area. The Books Division has two main areas of publishing: film & TV tie-ins/cinema reference books; and graphic novels and comics reference/art titles. The...
published a British softcover in June 2004 (ISBN 1840237244)
Plot synopsis
The story begins with the crash of the Space Shuttle Venture into the area around Kennedy Space CenterKennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
, which has been turned into slums as a result of its disappearance ten years earlier.
Three professionals are drafted (rather eagerly) to determine the cause of the incident.
- Michelle Robeson – biologist and the last living astronaut – is assigned to supervise the team studying the craft itself – and why it seems to be covered in skin.
- Terry Marx – a physicist employed by the severely-reduced Jet Propulsion LaboratoryJet Propulsion LaboratoryJet Propulsion Laboratory is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center located in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The facility is headquartered in the city of Pasadena on the border of La Cañada Flintridge and Pasadena...
– is assigned to determine how the craft made its ten-year trip – and why there is sand from MarsMarsMars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
in its landing gear. - Anna Bracken — psychiatrist formerly in charge of vettingVettingVetting is a process of examination and evaluation, generally referring to performing a background check on someone before offering him or her employment, conferring an award, etc...
the astronauts – is assigned to analyse the sole remainder of the craft's crew of seven, John Cost – starting with his catatonic state.
As the study begins, mysteries continue to appear. Cost passes out while re-experiencing the Ventures disappearance, and medical examination determines he has no microgravity damage. The Venture is physically incapable of landing on Mars. Marx theorizes a bias drive, and is present when Robeson begins dismantling the Venture.
Answers lead to more questions. The "skin" the craft is covered with is found to both absorb radioactivity and reinforce the craft's superstructure. The Space Shuttle Main Engine
Space Shuttle main engine
The RS-25, otherwise known as the Space Shuttle Main Engine , is a reusable liquid-fuel rocket engine built by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne for the Space Shuttle, running on liquid hydrogen and oxygen. Each Space Shuttle was propelled by three SSMEs mated to one powerhead...
has been replaced with a ball of exotic matter
Exotic matter
In physics, exotic matter is a term which refers to matter which would somehow deviate from the norm and have "exotic" properties. There are several uses of the term....
originating in the theoretical island of stability
Island of stability
The island of stability in nuclear physics describes a set of as-yet undiscovered isotopes of transuranium elements which are theorized to be much more stable than others...
. It seems to create an alcubierre field
Alcubierre drive
The Alcubierre drive, also known as the Alcubierre metric, is a speculative, but valid solution of the Einstein field equations. It is a mathematical model of a spacetime exhibiting features reminiscent of the fictional "warp drive" from Star Trek, which can travel "faster than light", although...
, meaning that it avoids relativistic effects
Time dilation
In the theory of relativity, time dilation is an observed difference of elapsed time between two events as measured by observers either moving relative to each other or differently situated from gravitational masses. An accurate clock at rest with respect to one observer may be measured to tick at...
.
Under hypnosis, Cost describes effortlessly using the drive to land the Venture on Mars. Not only that, but when he decides to leave the craft, the "skin" envelops him, acting as a symbiotic EVA suit.
All these facts together drive Bracken to make a final, impassioned attempt to communicate with Cost. She tells him of Robeson's despair at losing space. She tells him of Marx's genius, wasted in a time where few dream of space. And she tells him about herself, how she wanted to experience the wonder of spaceflight through the eyes of astronauts.
Cost is pulled from his catatonic state, and tells all. Just before Ventures disappearance, he compares the limits of the Shuttle program to the glories of the Apollo program. "We get the map. They got the distance. The perspective."
That's when it happened. The Venture was swept from Earth orbit to the Moon's shadow. Cost panics. He orders a course back to the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
that will almost certainly ruin the craft for future flights. And then, contact
First contact (science fiction)
First contact is a common science fiction theme about the first meeting between humans and extraterrestrial life, or of any sentient race's first encounter with another one....
.
For an unknown length of time, an alien race has observed Humanity's expansion into space, waiting to be contacted, eagerly anticipating "playmates" with which to share the universe with. When manned spaceflight slowed, they thought something had gone wrong. When Cost spoke of past glories, they acted. They took the Venture so they could speak to humans for the first time.
The aliens modified the Venture with technologies that would permit humans to truly explore space. But, they needed a human to communicate their message to the world. The crew chose to stay with the aliens, and learn. Cost chose to return to Earth and make the introduction. In response to his desires to see the wonders of the universe, the aliens programmed the craft to make a "grand tour" of everything Cost ever dreamed about.
This is why it took ten years for the Venture to return to Earth. It is also why Cost was catatonic upon his arrival, having long since been overwhelmed by the sheer majesty of his experiences.
Robeson's team has unlocked all the Ventures secrets save one – how to operate it.
Because only Cost could do it. Now, he takes Anna, Michelle, Terry (and Ali, one of Robeson's team, upon whom he was developing a crush) aboard the Venture "to meet them".
Orbiter is a graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
by Warren Ellis
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis is an English author of comics, novels, and television, who is well-known for sociocultural commentary, both through his online presence and through his writing, which covers transhumanist themes...
and Colleen Doran
Colleen Doran
Colleen Doran is an American writer/artist, film conceptual artist, and cartoonist. She has illustrated hundreds of comics, graphic novels, books and magazines, and dozens of stories and articles, including works written by Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, Anne Rice, J...
, published in 2003
2003 in comics
-January:* January 2: Kid Colt artist Jack Keller dies at age 80.- April :* Action Comics #800: Double-sized anniversary issue, "A Hero's Journey," by Joe Kelly, Pascual Ferry, and Duncan Rouleau...
by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
under their Vertigo imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
.
It is a hard science fiction
Hard science fiction
Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by an emphasis on scientific or technical detail, or on scientific accuracy, or on both. The term was first used in print in 1957 by P. Schuyler Miller in a review of John W. Campbell, Jr.'s Islands of Space in Astounding Science...
story set in the early 21st Century about a team of specialists employed to understand the mysterious reappearance of the space shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
Venture. The shuttle crashed back to Earth after disappearing ten years earlier with its crew missing, save for the catatonic pilot, and alien
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
technology on board.
Ellis and Doran are both space flight enthusiasts and dedicated Orbiter to the "lives, memories and legacies" of the astronauts who died in the 2003 Columbia disaster.
Publication history
The graphic novel was first published as a hardcover by Vertigo in April 2003 (ISBN 1-4012-0056-7) and as a softcover by Little Brown in May 2004 (ISBN 1-4012-0268-3). Titan BooksTitan Books
Titan Publishing Group is an independently owned publishing company, established in 1981. It is based at offices in London, England's Bankside area. The Books Division has two main areas of publishing: film & TV tie-ins/cinema reference books; and graphic novels and comics reference/art titles. The...
published a British softcover in June 2004 (ISBN 1840237244)
Plot synopsis
The story begins with the crash of the Space Shuttle Venture into the area around Kennedy Space CenterKennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
, which has been turned into slums as a result of its disappearance ten years earlier.
Three professionals are drafted (rather eagerly) to determine the cause of the incident.
- Michelle Robeson – biologist and the last living astronaut – is assigned to supervise the team studying the craft itself – and why it seems to be covered in skin.
- Terry Marx – a physicist employed by the severely-reduced Jet Propulsion LaboratoryJet Propulsion LaboratoryJet Propulsion Laboratory is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center located in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The facility is headquartered in the city of Pasadena on the border of La Cañada Flintridge and Pasadena...
– is assigned to determine how the craft made its ten-year trip – and why there is sand from MarsMarsMars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
in its landing gear. - Anna Bracken — psychiatrist formerly in charge of vettingVettingVetting is a process of examination and evaluation, generally referring to performing a background check on someone before offering him or her employment, conferring an award, etc...
the astronauts – is assigned to analyse the sole remainder of the craft's crew of seven, John Cost – starting with his catatonic state.
As the study begins, mysteries continue to appear. Cost passes out while re-experiencing the Ventures disappearance, and medical examination determines he has no microgravity damage. The Venture is physically incapable of landing on Mars. Marx theorizes a bias drive, and is present when Robeson begins dismantling the Venture.
Answers lead to more questions. The "skin" the craft is covered with is found to both absorb radioactivity and reinforce the craft's superstructure. The Space Shuttle Main Engine
Space Shuttle main engine
The RS-25, otherwise known as the Space Shuttle Main Engine , is a reusable liquid-fuel rocket engine built by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne for the Space Shuttle, running on liquid hydrogen and oxygen. Each Space Shuttle was propelled by three SSMEs mated to one powerhead...
has been replaced with a ball of exotic matter
Exotic matter
In physics, exotic matter is a term which refers to matter which would somehow deviate from the norm and have "exotic" properties. There are several uses of the term....
originating in the theoretical island of stability
Island of stability
The island of stability in nuclear physics describes a set of as-yet undiscovered isotopes of transuranium elements which are theorized to be much more stable than others...
. It seems to create an alcubierre field
Alcubierre drive
The Alcubierre drive, also known as the Alcubierre metric, is a speculative, but valid solution of the Einstein field equations. It is a mathematical model of a spacetime exhibiting features reminiscent of the fictional "warp drive" from Star Trek, which can travel "faster than light", although...
, meaning that it avoids relativistic effects
Time dilation
In the theory of relativity, time dilation is an observed difference of elapsed time between two events as measured by observers either moving relative to each other or differently situated from gravitational masses. An accurate clock at rest with respect to one observer may be measured to tick at...
.
Under hypnosis, Cost describes effortlessly using the drive to land the Venture on Mars. Not only that, but when he decides to leave the craft, the "skin" envelops him, acting as a symbiotic EVA suit.
All these facts together drive Bracken to make a final, impassioned attempt to communicate with Cost. She tells him of Robeson's despair at losing space. She tells him of Marx's genius, wasted in a time where few dream of space. And she tells him about herself, how she wanted to experience the wonder of spaceflight through the eyes of astronauts.
Cost is pulled from his catatonic state, and tells all. Just before Ventures disappearance, he compares the limits of the Shuttle program to the glories of the Apollo program. "We get the map. They got the distance. The perspective."
That's when it happened. The Venture was swept from Earth orbit to the Moon's shadow. Cost panics. He orders a course back to the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
that will almost certainly ruin the craft for future flights. And then, contact
First contact (science fiction)
First contact is a common science fiction theme about the first meeting between humans and extraterrestrial life, or of any sentient race's first encounter with another one....
.
For an unknown length of time, an alien race has observed Humanity's expansion into space, waiting to be contacted, eagerly anticipating "playmates" with which to share the universe with. When manned spaceflight slowed, they thought something had gone wrong. When Cost spoke of past glories, they acted. They took the Venture so they could speak to humans for the first time.
The aliens modified the Venture with technologies that would permit humans to truly explore space. But, they needed a human to communicate their message to the world. The crew chose to stay with the aliens, and learn. Cost chose to return to Earth and make the introduction. In response to his desires to see the wonders of the universe, the aliens programmed the craft to make a "grand tour" of everything Cost ever dreamed about.
This is why it took ten years for the Venture to return to Earth. It is also why Cost was catatonic upon his arrival, having long since been overwhelmed by the sheer majesty of his experiences.
Robeson's team has unlocked all the Ventures secrets save one – how to operate it.
Because only Cost could do it. Now, he takes Anna, Michelle, Terry (and Ali, one of Robeson's team, upon whom he was developing a crush) aboard the Venture "to meet them".
Orbiter is a graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
by Warren Ellis
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis is an English author of comics, novels, and television, who is well-known for sociocultural commentary, both through his online presence and through his writing, which covers transhumanist themes...
and Colleen Doran
Colleen Doran
Colleen Doran is an American writer/artist, film conceptual artist, and cartoonist. She has illustrated hundreds of comics, graphic novels, books and magazines, and dozens of stories and articles, including works written by Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, Anne Rice, J...
, published in 2003
2003 in comics
-January:* January 2: Kid Colt artist Jack Keller dies at age 80.- April :* Action Comics #800: Double-sized anniversary issue, "A Hero's Journey," by Joe Kelly, Pascual Ferry, and Duncan Rouleau...
by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
under their Vertigo imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
.
It is a hard science fiction
Hard science fiction
Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by an emphasis on scientific or technical detail, or on scientific accuracy, or on both. The term was first used in print in 1957 by P. Schuyler Miller in a review of John W. Campbell, Jr.'s Islands of Space in Astounding Science...
story set in the early 21st Century about a team of specialists employed to understand the mysterious reappearance of the space shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
Venture. The shuttle crashed back to Earth after disappearing ten years earlier with its crew missing, save for the catatonic pilot, and alien
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
technology on board.
Ellis and Doran are both space flight enthusiasts and dedicated Orbiter to the "lives, memories and legacies" of the astronauts who died in the 2003 Columbia disaster.
Publication history
The graphic novel was first published as a hardcover by Vertigo in April 2003 (ISBN 1-4012-0056-7) and as a softcover by Little Brown in May 2004 (ISBN 1-4012-0268-3). Titan BooksTitan Books
Titan Publishing Group is an independently owned publishing company, established in 1981. It is based at offices in London, England's Bankside area. The Books Division has two main areas of publishing: film & TV tie-ins/cinema reference books; and graphic novels and comics reference/art titles. The...
published a British softcover in June 2004 (ISBN 1840237244)
Plot synopsis
The story begins with the crash of the Space Shuttle Venture into the area around Kennedy Space CenterKennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
, which has been turned into slums as a result of its disappearance ten years earlier.
Three professionals are drafted (rather eagerly) to determine the cause of the incident.
- Michelle Robeson – biologist and the last living astronaut – is assigned to supervise the team studying the craft itself – and why it seems to be covered in skin.
- Terry Marx – a physicist employed by the severely-reduced Jet Propulsion LaboratoryJet Propulsion LaboratoryJet Propulsion Laboratory is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center located in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The facility is headquartered in the city of Pasadena on the border of La Cañada Flintridge and Pasadena...
– is assigned to determine how the craft made its ten-year trip – and why there is sand from MarsMarsMars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
in its landing gear. - Anna Bracken — psychiatrist formerly in charge of vettingVettingVetting is a process of examination and evaluation, generally referring to performing a background check on someone before offering him or her employment, conferring an award, etc...
the astronauts – is assigned to analyse the sole remainder of the craft's crew of seven, John Cost – starting with his catatonic state.
As the study begins, mysteries continue to appear. Cost passes out while re-experiencing the Ventures disappearance, and medical examination determines he has no microgravity damage. The Venture is physically incapable of landing on Mars. Marx theorizes a bias drive, and is present when Robeson begins dismantling the Venture.
Answers lead to more questions. The "skin" the craft is covered with is found to both absorb radioactivity and reinforce the craft's superstructure. The Space Shuttle Main Engine
Space Shuttle main engine
The RS-25, otherwise known as the Space Shuttle Main Engine , is a reusable liquid-fuel rocket engine built by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne for the Space Shuttle, running on liquid hydrogen and oxygen. Each Space Shuttle was propelled by three SSMEs mated to one powerhead...
has been replaced with a ball of exotic matter
Exotic matter
In physics, exotic matter is a term which refers to matter which would somehow deviate from the norm and have "exotic" properties. There are several uses of the term....
originating in the theoretical island of stability
Island of stability
The island of stability in nuclear physics describes a set of as-yet undiscovered isotopes of transuranium elements which are theorized to be much more stable than others...
. It seems to create an alcubierre field
Alcubierre drive
The Alcubierre drive, also known as the Alcubierre metric, is a speculative, but valid solution of the Einstein field equations. It is a mathematical model of a spacetime exhibiting features reminiscent of the fictional "warp drive" from Star Trek, which can travel "faster than light", although...
, meaning that it avoids relativistic effects
Time dilation
In the theory of relativity, time dilation is an observed difference of elapsed time between two events as measured by observers either moving relative to each other or differently situated from gravitational masses. An accurate clock at rest with respect to one observer may be measured to tick at...
.
Under hypnosis, Cost describes effortlessly using the drive to land the Venture on Mars. Not only that, but when he decides to leave the craft, the "skin" envelops him, acting as a symbiotic EVA suit.
All these facts together drive Bracken to make a final, impassioned attempt to communicate with Cost. She tells him of Robeson's despair at losing space. She tells him of Marx's genius, wasted in a time where few dream of space. And she tells him about herself, how she wanted to experience the wonder of spaceflight through the eyes of astronauts.
Cost is pulled from his catatonic state, and tells all. Just before Ventures disappearance, he compares the limits of the Shuttle program to the glories of the Apollo program. "We get the map. They got the distance. The perspective."
That's when it happened. The Venture was swept from Earth orbit to the Moon's shadow. Cost panics. He orders a course back to the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
that will almost certainly ruin the craft for future flights. And then, contact
First contact (science fiction)
First contact is a common science fiction theme about the first meeting between humans and extraterrestrial life, or of any sentient race's first encounter with another one....
.
For an unknown length of time, an alien race has observed Humanity's expansion into space, waiting to be contacted, eagerly anticipating "playmates" with which to share the universe with. When manned spaceflight slowed, they thought something had gone wrong. When Cost spoke of past glories, they acted. They took the Venture so they could speak to humans for the first time.
The aliens modified the Venture with technologies that would permit humans to truly explore space. But, they needed a human to communicate their message to the world. The crew chose to stay with the aliens, and learn. Cost chose to return to Earth and make the introduction. In response to his desires to see the wonders of the universe, the aliens programmed the craft to make a "grand tour" of everything Cost ever dreamed about.
This is why it took ten years for the Venture to return to Earth. It is also why Cost was catatonic upon his arrival, having long since been overwhelmed by the sheer majesty of his experiences.
Robeson's team has unlocked all the Ventures secrets save one – how to operate it.
Because only Cost could do it. Now, he takes Anna, Michelle, Terry (and Ali, one of Robeson's team, upon whom he was developing a crush) aboard the Venture "to meet them".