Under Surveillance - chapter 1

 “Camouflage ready,” said the tactical officer.

“Proceed,” replied the Captain.

“Camouflage”, an adaptive camouflage system, is one of four systems aboard the Chameleon that help make the vessel invisible. The concept is simple. The system scans the area on one side of the spaceship and projects it onto the other side. If the craft is on the ground, Camouflage scans the ground below and projects the image above. Looking from above, one sees the ground below and has no idea that anything else is there. Flying through space, Camouflage scans the stars on one side and projects them on the other side. It can simultaneously do the same on all four sides of the ship. Camouflage can also project a fixed image.

The “Transparency” system prevents Chameleon from detection by radar-type or light-return systems. Radar works by reading the echo of a wave bounced off a solid object. A light-return system bounces a laser off an object. If Chameleon is hit by an electronic wave or a laser, instead of bouncing it, Transparency captures it and transmits it out the opposite side. 

The third system, “Lightbender”, is a cloaking system. Gravity and other factors may cause light waves to bend. This is a common phenomenon when observing stars. As a result, you may be able to see some celestial objects blocked by others. By deliberately bending light around an object, it can appear to disappear. Lightbender bends light around Chameleon.

When Chameleon is on the ground of a planet, it leaves a huge trail when it moves of when it lifts off. “Eraser”, the fourth system, erases any trail left behind by restoring the disturbed area to its original state before Camouflage rolled over or landed on it. 

Chameleon is a large ship, approximately 1,000 feet in length, 250 feet at its widest, and 80 feet at its tallest, including seven decks. That is why Chameleon utilizes all four systems to conceal itself and minimize the risk of being detected. Because of its size, Chameleon rarely moves on a surface. Therefore, Eraser is seldom needed.

Chameleon is also a fast ship. Using its conventional engines, it can reach a speed of fifty percent the speed of light. Its faster-than-light (FTL) engine is capable of 512 times the speed of light. At top speed, Chameleon can cover 1.4 light-years in a single Earth day. With Earth only 22 light-years away, Chameleon can reach Earth from Aquina in about 17 Earth days.

Chameleon is a multi-purpose vessel. It is used for deep space exploration, focused on finding, exploring, and mapping previously unknown star systems. Its science and research capabilities concentrate on understanding the physics and biology of the universe. It can focus on gathering intelligence and on analyzing and reporting information on the activities, intentions, and threats posed by alien entities.

Chameleon’s primary task is diplomacy, such as first contact with alien societies. Like all non-military vessels from Aquina, Chameleon carries a small military contingent for defense purposes. Unlike its military sisters, Chameleon is armed with a limited contingency of weapons. Although small, the armament is sufficient to annihilate an Earth-sized planet within a short period of time. Except for testing, training, and simulations, Chameleon has never fired its weapons.

Forty-one percent of the Moon’s surface can never be seen from Earth. For the last six months, Chameleon has been stationed on the surface in that area. The United States, Russia, China, and the European Union, contrary to their claims, all have at least one base in the region. Despite that, Chameleon quietly snuck by them and parked itself within the hidden area. Now, thanks to Camouflage, Transparency, Lightbender, and Eraser, Chameleon is slowly moving to a location visible from Earth.