 
### Escape to the Stars!

### Book One: Eviction from Earth

By

Glenn L. Erickson

Copyright 2019 Glenn L. Erickson

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Unwelcome Wake-up Call

Chapter 2: Seeing the Future

Chapter 3: The Ultimate Elevator

Chapter 4: Lunar Orbit

Chapter 5: Moon-Base Charlie

Chapter 6: Lagrange Five

Chapter 7: Sabotage!

Chapter 8: Milestone

Chapter 9: Conspiracy

Chapter 10: Confrontation at the Space Elevator

Chapter 11: The Trip to Midway

Chapter 12: Vacuum Practice

Chapter 13: GenStar One

Chapter 14: Launch Day!

Chapter 15: Watching the End from Afar

About the Author
Chapter 1: Unwelcome Wakeup-Call

"Two minutes to impact!" Professor Keene stated quietly. "I'd hoped we'd have more time..." he muttered to himself.

The huge screen showed a massive solar-generated plasma-ball headed towards North Africa. There had been only a few days advanced notice to warn the targeted areas. The news channels showed scenes of panic and selfishness throughout the region. Many religious types were gathered at the base of the pyramids in Egypt, thousands of prayer rugs in neat rows.

The airports were empty now. All planes had already escaped. Air traffic around the world had ceased. Ships had fled the area. Cars, trucks, buses and even hand-drawn carts loaded with families jammed the roads towards the Sinai or towards South Africa. Their efforts were doomed.

"One minute!" someone called out. The atmosphere above North Africa was in turmoil. The winds at the surface were ferocious. The Northern and Southern Lights were visible all over the world. The temperature had risen well over 130 degrees west of Cairo, and it was only 9 AM!

"Impact!" All cameras near the point of impact flared and went dark. Those more distant showed an eye-searing blast of light. As the light faded, the shock wave radiated out from the impact site, leveling Cairo and rippling the ground for hundreds of miles. The North African Rift Valley responded with explosive eruptions and rivers of lava. The Nile boiled away, and the Suez Canal disappeared completely

Volcanoes all around the area answered the assault with eruptions. Everything within 700 miles of the impact site was seared. The Mediterranean Sea steamed and sent massive tsunamis to all shorelines. Deaths numbered in the dozens of millions and burn victims were numberless.

Stunned silence throughout the bunker bore witness to the immensity of the disaster. Some people sobbed quietly, and others just shook their heads in amazement. Professor Keene pushed away from his station and keyed his headset. "Okay people, we have seen the results, now let's see what we can do to get out an earlier warning next time."

"Next time! What the _hell_ do you mean 'The _next_ time'?" General Evers exploded, ripping his headset off and throwing it at his console.

Professor Keene eyed the pudgy officer with disdain. "I mean just what I said General. As our Sun grows more unstable, it will throw-off more CMEs. IF we are fortunate, they won't be aimed at _us!_ "

Seeing their dispute had attracted the attention of everyone in the bunker, Professor Keene glanced around and added, "What we saw today was just the first CME-to strike the Earth in recorded history. As they go, _this_ was a small one! We were _very_ fortunate the mass of the plasma-ball had mostly dissipated by the time it reached Earth."

"As the Sun becomes more unstable due to what scientists are calling the 'Contaminated-Fuel Effect,' we can expect more of these Coronal-Mass Ejections or CMEs. Earth may be hit again. Such mass ejections have already impacted Mercury and Venus. Venus lost its atmosphere. Both planets have more or less survived, but their orbits have been affected. We just don't know to what extent yet."

The General leaned on his console; his face paler than usual. Around the room, people absorbed his statement and weighed its significance. One woman burst into tears and was hurriedly escorted out by two others. Professor Keene turned away from the room and headed to the elevator. A quiet man he had noticed standing at the back of the room, joined him as the doors closed. As the lift started, he turned to the professor and said, "I heard what you said in there. That was a sobering assessment." Keene nodded absently, already thinking of what he needed to be doing next. He was still upset his warnings had gone unheeded. He hoped today's event would finally spur some action.

As the elevator reached the top level, the quiet man reached over and pulled the emergency stop button. Over the ringing of the emergency bell, the man showed Keene a badge and ID card. Unimpressed, Professor Keene slapped the button in, allowing the doors to open. He stepped towards the opening and then spun about to thrust his face into the shorter man's face and snarled "I am not interested in _anything_ you might have to say! The government _ignored_ my attempts to warn them! Now, after the fact, you're trying to tell me they are _now_ willing to act! Bah!" He turned abruptly and stalked away, missing the stunned expression on the other man's face entirely.

Professor Keene slammed through the entry door, startling the guards posted there. Ignoring them, he stalked to the driveway at the front of the building, jerked open the rear door of the limo he had arrived in, climbed in and then slammed the door closed. He slumped into the seat, dejected.

"Where to Professor?" the driver asked quietly.

He took several seconds to respond. It wasn't right to bark at the driver as the man had been entirely professional and responsive in seeing to the Professor's needs during the time leading up to today's event. "Please, George, just drive to somewhere where I won't have to see anyone for a while."

Nodding, George put the car in gear and pulled away from the curb. He guided the car past the angry protestors at the main gate and then took a small side-road leading away from the base. A couple of news vans tried to catch up to them, but George powered the limo around a corner and then ducked into a parking lot and hid behind a wall.

He watched as the news-hounds barreled past and then quickly backed out and turned the limo the other way. After a couple quick turns down side-streets, he powered onto the highway.

The professor quietly thanked him and settled back in the seat to watch the countryside glide by.

When several miles had faded behind them, George reached under the seat for his gift for the professor. He reached back over the seat and offered a paper-bagged bottle. Professor Keene, hearing the paper crinkle, glanced away from the window and saw the proffered gift. He smiled weakly and said "Thanks, George. You seem to know what it takes to soothe the savage beast."

"I may not know about space and the Sun and such, but I know that when things aren't going your way, it sometimes helps to drown your sorrows away from others."

Keen snorted and reached for the bag. He twisted the cap off and sniffed. It was a top-notch Scotch. Saluting George's back with the bottle, Keene took a careful sip. Hearing a clink in the bag, he glanced inside and spotted two small glasses. "Find a quiet place where we are not likely to be accosted by the police and lets' toast the stupidity of governments everywhere.

George chuckled and glided down the next off-ramp. Turning the car out of town, he pulled over at a scenic overlook a few miles later. Leaving the car idling to keep the A/C running, George turned to find a two-finger portion of scotch awaiting him. He took custody of the amber liquid and raised it to the professor. "To the Future!"

Professor Keene glanced at George to see if he was being sarcastic. All he saw was a sad smile. Responding to the salutation, Keene raised his glass as well and muttered, "Such as it is..."

A few minutes later, a dark SUV pulled up next to the limo. The man that had tried to talk to the professor in the elevator got out and knocked on the rear side window. Professor Keene glanced over and groaned quietly. Lowering the window, Keene was about to blast the man for interrupting his solitude when he noticed the man's serious demeanor. Swallowing the angry outburst he had been preparing, he asked, "What can I do for you Mr..."

"Jamison, Special Agent Kurt Jamison." Keene opened the door and invited the man inside. Jamison waved his driver away and then got in and closed the door. The SUV slipped down the road a short distance, and then pulled over to wait. Intrigued, Professor Keen waited for the agent to speak.

Offering the bottle to the agent, Kurt hesitated only for a moment and then took it with a quiet sigh. "I haven't touched the stuff in years. I guess today is as good a day as any to have a snort!" He wiped the opening with a sleeve and sipped. Lowering the bottle to his lap, Agent Jamison inhaled through pursed lips and said in a tight voice "That is good Scotch!"

George held out his empty glass, and the agent carefully refilled it. Offering to the professor, Keene obliged and watched as Kurt carefully tipped the bottle. "Sorry, we don't have another glass for you, Agent Jamison," George said quietly.

Kurt shrugged and said, "You didn't expect me."

Intrigued, Keene asked, "Not that I mind your company but, why are you here?"

Taking another small sip, Kurt sighed and answered, "I work for a little-known agency responsible for guiding individuals, groups, and corporations towards desired goals."

George glanced at the professor to see if he had understood the statement. Keene's eyebrows were getting tangled with his hairline with astonishment. "That is the most obtuse statement I think I've ever heard! Would you care to rephrase that? In English please!"

Jamison chuckled and said "That is the official response to any questions about our purpose. The funny thing is, we really do just that: we search for people pushing the limits of technology and help where we can with funding or information or whatever is needed."

Intrigued now, Professor Keene shifted around to face the agent directly. "That was clearer, but doesn't answer why you're here."

Jamison leaned back against the luxurious upholstery. "Our agency was founded nearly a hundred years ago with the express purpose of guiding humanity towards space and beyond."

Plainly puzzled, Professor Keene asked, "We're already in space!"

"True," Jamison answered. "But not far enough!" he said with a quiet smile.

Professor Keene and George exchanged glances. George responded first. "I guess I'm slower on the uptake than the professor here. Why not 'far enough'?"

Jamison frowned and replied, "The events of today show the Earth is doomed. We have no way to alter the Sun's continued deterioration, so, most likely, we will be hit by more of these CMEs, eventually." Professor Keen was nodding. "So, if humanity is to survive, it needs to, not just leave this planet, but this solar system entirely!"

Stunned, Keene sputtered and said "We haven't got the technology to reach Mars on a regular basis yet! And you say we need to leave the Solar system itself?"

The Agent agreed and replied, "You have probably been so caught up in recent events you may not have turned your thoughts to how humanity might escape eventual obliteration."

"Escape? How?"

Jamison responded. "A lot of people have known for many years that the Sun was becoming unstable. They have been quietly promoting certain technologies with the end-purpose of developing spaceships that will carry many thousands, perhaps millions of people to other planets."

Professor Keene grasped the importance of the statement immediately. George was a few beats slower, but his astonishment was apparent to both of the other men. He sputtered "Thousands of people?"

Agent Jamison nodded thoughtfully and answered "Hopefully, millions! And the sooner, the better!"

Silence reigned for a few heartbeats, each man pondering the significance of the agent's statement. Turning to face the agent, Professor Keene stated quietly, "That is a magnificent quest, but just how much time do you think we have here? The events of today are going to stall economic progress worldwide. How are you going to get humanity thinking of escape when we are facing almost certain extinction in the not too distant future?"

Jamison smiled. "We have been at this for nearly a hundred years Professor. With our continued investments in space science and research, we are at the threshold of ever greater space-related expansion. That will stimulate growth worldwide."

"How about giving me an example." The Professor asked.

"Well, we can now actually build things like the Space Elevator and even some form of tethered space platform. Once in place, we can begin to travel between Earth and the Moon quite readily. We can then establish facilities on the moon to supply raw and finished materials for constructing ship-building facilities at the Earth's Lagrange-points 4 and 5."

The Professor smiled sadly and said "The Space Elevator is a pipe-dream! And without it, our chances of ever accomplishing _any_ of the other things are nil! With our current level of technology, we will _never_ be able to build any ship capable of leaving this solar system with _any_ significant number of people!"

The agent pulled an envelope from inside his jacket and handed it to the Professor. Curious, the Professor held the envelope to the light and then tore off the end of it. He looked inside, dumped the contents into his palm, and then studied the black ribbon lying there. Glancing at Jamison, he stated quietly, "I've seen Carbon-Fiber ribbon before. It is an impressive technology but hardly relevant to our conversation."

Pointing to the bit of ribbon, Jamison said quietly "That is a cross-linked carbon nanotube fabric. It was recently developed in a laboratory and is more than twenty times stronger than any carbon-fiber technology we've seen."

George grasped some of what the agent said, but it was the professor's reaction that interested him. Wonderingly, the Professor looked at the agent and asked, "What can I do to help?"

George was mystified. How could a bit of ribbon change the Professor's mind and attitude so rapidly? "Uh, Professor? Please tell me why that piece of fabric is so significant."

Facing him with a distant look, as if he was already at work elsewhere, he said, "With commercial quantities of such a ribbon, the Space Elevator _is_ possible. Which means everything else which follows is also possible!" Focusing back on the driver, he added sadly, "We now have the opportunity to save humanity!"

George's glee was tempered by the professor's lack of enthusiasm. "That's good, Right? So, why the gloomy outlook?"

Smiling wanly, the Professor said, "You and I will not live long enough to see most of this come about."

"Oh." George responded, then he brightened and said, "But at least we can get things started! Our children will benefit, and humanity will survive!"

Agent Jamison nodded. The Professor agreed and then slowly brightened. Turning to Jamison, he announced, "Count me in!"

Jamison pulled a device from his coat pocket and spoke into it. The SUV pulled away, leaving them alone. Turning to George, he asked, "I assume you want to play a part in this too?"

Stunned, George said, "Uh, sure! But what can I do for you? I'm no scientist or anything so..." He shrugged.

Agent Jamison smiled at George's self-effacement. "This effort will take a lot of people, with a broad range of abilities. You already have the security clearance needed, and you know how to keep what you know to yourself. You will possibly become a behind-the-scenes facilitator, enabling the science types to work without distractions."

George nodded. "I can do that."

Jamison handed a slip of paper to him and said, "Enter those coordinates into your GPS, and we'll start immediately."

Settling back into the seat, Jamison reached a hand out to the professor and said, "Welcome to the future, Professor!" The Professor shook the hand and started asking about where they were going and who they would be working with.

The Agent raised his hands to stem the flow. "Patience, Professor! You will learn everything when we arrive at our destination. So, enjoy the scenery! You are likely to be too busy from now on to have the time to enjoy it. We have a lot to accomplish and an unknown amount of time to do it in!"

Nodding, but still brimming with questions, Professor Keene settled back and started a mental list of things to ask and people to contact. George volunteered "Settle back gents. We've got a couple of hours before we reach our destination."
Chapter 2: Seeing the Future

They arrived at a former Air Force base and were allowed through the front gate after Jamison produced his ID. He directed George to a large administration building, and George guided the limo neatly into a slot reserved for VIPs.

Jamison ushered them into the building and to a quiet, comfortable conference room. "We'll meet some of the people you will be working with soon, but first we'll give you a short history of what we have accomplished to date. Then a glimpse of what we hope to achieve in the future."

Closing the drapes and dimming the lights, Jamison activated a projector. The three men reviewed a high-resolution history of the agency and the results of their influence. Professor Keene recognized many of the products and processes he saw. His agile mind could predict follow-on uses and products these foundational processes and products could enable.

At the end of the presentation, Jamison restored the lighting but left the curtains closed. He invited his guests to help themselves to beverages and snacks. After a few minutes, Jamison cradled a mug of coffee and eyed the two men. "I have introduced you both to what we hope to accomplish. Rather than tell you what we want, why don't you tell us where you can contribute?"

Professor Keene seemed distracted and didn't answer, so George sat forward and said, "As I said earlier, I'm no scientist or whatever, but I can help others that can't take the time to do trivial things for themselves. I'd run errands; I can cook pretty well, and I can perform most household tasks." He snorted and added, "My Ex said I'd make someone a pretty good wife!"

The comment brought a smile to Professor Keene's face and a chuckle from Agent Jamison. "We can use someone with your abilities to keep essential people from being distracted by non-essential tasks. We seldom know what they will need help with so we keep some general-purpose people available to them to take care of things they forget or would unnecessarily distract them."

He pressed a button on the table top. A woman entered a few seconds later and escorted George from the room. Curious, Professor Keene arched an eyebrow at the agent. Jamison shrugged and said, "I have no idea what he will end up doing. He will be tested for his abilities and then put where he's needed.

Turning to face the Professor, Jamison said, "We now come to you, Professor. We've had our eye on you for some time, which is why I was in the bunker this morning. I was assigned to invite you to consider working with us."

Professor Keene nodded in understanding but didn't respond immediately. He swiveled in his chair with his chin resting on one fist. Jamison could tell he was thinking deeply, so he waited patiently for the man to respond in his own time. Experience told him people such as the professor couldn't be herded or rushed.

Realizing the room had been quiet for a while, Keene looked around until his eyes returned to Agent Jamison. Grunting, he sat forward and asked "My specialty is Solar Dynamics and Celestial Mechanics. How did you figure I could add to your departments' efforts?"

Jamison smiled to himself, relieved at the man's casual acceptance of the situation. It was best if he didn't have to try to 'sell' the prospect on the need for his or her cooperation. Sitting forward, Jamison said quietly, "We need you to re-examine the stars we have discovered which have habitable planets around them."

Puzzled, the Professor responded "There has been an on-going effort to search for systems with Earth-like planets for nearly 60 years. We have cataloged dozens of possible planets among thousands of planets discovered so far. Many very qualified people have been contributing to this effort." He leaned into Jamison and added, "Just where are my abilities needed then?"

Jamison could hardly hold in the glee. He loved working with intelligent people; they often defined their participation better than the individuals in charge. "We need you to re-examine their data to screen out solar systems that are not suitable."

Professor Keene nodded and responded "You want to avoid moving the human race to another dead-end solar system, where they face a fate similar to what we face here. Smart."

Leaning back, Keene smiled and asked, "Where do you need me?"

Jamison answered, "Stay where you are at the University and look for likely students to assist you. We will route all information gathered so far, from as many sources as possible, to you at the university. We will make sure you remain in the loop on all new information as well."

"We will also provide additional computers and software to aid you in sorting and analyzing the data. All expenses, within reason, will be subsidized and any other equipment related to your analysis provided."

Grinning widely, Professor Keene mentally rubbed his hands together, envisioning a computer lab with half a dozen grad students parsing data and narrowing the possibilities. Then another thought came to him.

"Knowing there are possible planets around likely stars is only part of the problem. How were you planning on getting people there? And, what happens if you get there and the planet either doesn't exist or is unsuitable?"

This time, Jamison couldn't contain the grin. "The ships will be equipped with powerful telescopes and analysis systems. As they approach, the solar system will be re-examined to verify the existence of suitable planets and the current stability of the star. If a system is determined to be unsuitable, the ships' course will be altered to head to the next system they were slated to explore."

Warming to his subject, Jamison added, "If a likely planet is detected, a robotic scout craft will leave the ship and make a closer pass. If the planet is marginal but possible, the ship retrieves the scout and leaves a solar-powered messenger-buoy in planetary orbit."

"If the planet is suitable, the scout maps possible colony sites. The ship takes up a solar orbit ahead of or behind the planet to give the colonists time to prepare for landing. After the colony is stable, the ship heads on to the next planet on the itinerary."

Astonished, the Professor burst out "The ship leaves the people on the planet? Who will replace those colonizing the planet?"

"The ships will be generational-style. They will take generations to reach even the nearest stars, so they will be designed to be maintained by the crew. As each colony reaches maturity, it will contribute volunteers to leave with the ship for the next planet on their itinerary. Those remaining aboard also continue to propagate to replace those who moved to the planet. When the ship is re-populated and deemed ready, it heads out to the next system."

Falling back in his chair, Professor Keene stared at the agent with amazement. Shaking his head, he said, "Your people have evidently thought this through pretty thoroughly." Then he grinned at the agent and added, "I guess the dream of Faster-Than-Light engines or warp-drive is not in the picture."

Jamison struggled to keep a straight face, but the Professor caught the flicker of a grin and sat up abruptly. "Really?"

Jamison raised a hand, "Not my area Professor. I can only hope the whispers I've heard are true."

Professor Keene was practically vibrating in his seat. Pounding on the arms of the chair in his eagerness, he said, "I need to head back now. I've also got a university president to convince to allow me more space!"

"We can help you there, Professor. We'll anonymously provide a grant in your name with the stipulation you have oversight over disbursement. That'll give you the leverage you'll need to requisition additional space."

Jamison grinned and added "Your biggest problem will be the envious staffers who learn you alone have the power over the grant. You will also suddenly find yourself availed of the best technology in computers and custom software if you need it."

Bouncing out of his chair, the professor paced the room while muttering to himself. Jamison pressed the button again, and the same woman appeared to lead the agitated professor from the conference room. Professor Keene paused long enough to shake the agent's hand. Alone, at last, Jamison moved to the window and opened the curtains. Sunlight flooded into the room. As the light warmed him, Jamison nodded to himself contentedly. He watched as the limo left the parking lot.

Sighing to himself, he returned to the table and picked up the folder the woman had left for him. He flipped it open and began reading about his next assignment.
Chapter 3: The Ultimate Elevator

Professor Keene, long retired, watched with satisfaction as the first Space Elevator and the tethered orbital space station were officially commissioned. Knowing he had been a part of the effort to promote the future of humanity had always been a great source of satisfaction to him. Many of his students had also been recruited to continue the effort. The University had gained a new department in his name, dedicated to cataloging the hundreds of new solar systems and planets being discovered.

Agent Jamison stopped by unannounced from time to time to encourage him and to quietly bring the Professor up-to-date on developments in other areas. These visits seldom failed to spur the Professor to greater efforts.

The greatest achievement humanity had ever made to that point was the development of practical Fusion reactors. The professor watched over the intervening years as first, coal-fired power plants, and then the nuclear power stations were decommissioned, one by one, all over the world.

With the advent of low-cost energy, the oil industry shrank to a fraction of its' former size. Coal mines were largely abandoned. Some remote areas still used natural gas for power generation. Electricity or Natural gas now powered all vehicles. Fuel cells had made significant inroads on larger vehicles.

Hyper-trains now connected all continents. A trans-Siberian link connected North America to Europe and Asia. Africa was the last to join the global rail network as only the southern areas remained populated. The volcanically-active Rift Valley had blocked access from the Sinai.

Airplanes were now mostly a part of history. With their passing, the Earth's average temperature dropped more than a degree as the ice-crystals, created by their exhaust, evaporated.

The combination of the CME's devastation and the severe reduction of oil revenue had reduced the Middle-East nations to tribal states again. With Israel destroyed, the excuse for most of the Middle-East's conflicts evaporated.

It was several years after the CME event before humans could go back into North-Africa. The impact had turned the sand of the Sahara into a vast, undulating plain of mildly-radioactive glass. Entire nations no longer existed. Sicily's volcano had buried the land devastated by the flash and shock of the impact. Plants were only now beginning to gain footholds in the crumbling lava fields.

The first Space Elevator was anchored in the bedrock of Central Malaysia, straddling the equator. A second elevator was started in Kenya once the area's radioactivity levels had dropped and the rift valley had quieted. There were plans for a third elevator in Brazil but the political strife there was delaying the start.

The completion of the Malaysian Space Elevator had allowed the development of low-gravity manufacturing. Processes impossible in full-gravity were now possible. Earth was soon benefitting from new materials and pharmaceuticals. Several lingering diseases were eradicated. Several new strains of grains resistant to heat and poor soil helped to reduce hunger worldwide.

Several more, even larger CMEs were observed, but all had missed the Earth by a wide margin. Mercury was not so fortunate; its orbit was now erratic enough to threaten Venus. Two satellites were positioned between Venus and the Earth to keep an eye on them.

A knock at the door startled him. "Agent Kurt Jamison is at the door Professor." The house computer announced.

"Let him in, Agnes!"

After a moment the computer announced, "Scan completed. No weapons detected."

A chuckle sounded from the visitor. "Hi, Patrick. Still paranoid I see."

Keene spun his wheelchair so he could face his visitor. A stooping and nearly-bald Agent Jamison hobbled towards him and stopped, swaying slightly. The Professor waved him to a nearby chair. It elevated and tipped forward as Kurt shuffled sideways and dropped gratefully into the self-adjusting cushions. The chair settled gently back to the floor.

"I love this chair!"

"It's yours then, Kurt."

Startled, Kurt stared at him and then settled back and squirmed around to fit more comfortably. "Thank you, Patrick."

"To what do I owe this welcome but unexpected visit?

"I just wanted to tell you I have retired. I would have just sent you a message, but we have worked together for so long I felt a vid-call was too impersonal. Besides, we're going to be neighbors, of a sort."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. When I visited you last time, I fell in love with this area, so I decided to buy a cabin in the woods overlooking the lake. I am about settled in."

"Well, welcome to the neighborhood. Update your profile so I can arrange to have the chair delivered."

"Are you sure you won't need it?"

A dry chuckle sounded. "The doctors have told me this wheelchair will be my permanent mode of transportation now. Even with all of the new miracle drugs, they still haven't cured osteoarthritis. Fortunately, they designed my transport vehicle with my handicap in mind, so I still get around fairly easily." He glanced down and added, "I am saving a fortune in new shoes, and no one hassles me about wearing my favorite slippers when I visit."

Kurt joined him in a comradely chuckle. They turned to watch a documentary on the Space Elevator, and both men were pleased to see their part in the venture remained untold.

When the show was over, Kurt excused himself and hobbled out. The Professor watched his friend until the door closed. "Agnes?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Retrieve Kurt Jamison's current address. Ship the recline-o-lounger to him."

"Yes, sir. Anything else?"

"Yes. Order in General Taos Chicken with white rice, please. Delivery in an hour. Have the maid prepare hot green tea just before the food is due. Done."

"Very well sir."

Turning back to the screen, he requested a replay of the ceremony. The meal arrived about halfway through the presentation.
Chapter 4: Lunar Orbit

"Standby for docking." The pilot released the intercom switch and concentrated on centering the reticle on the docking arms' target. A few judicious pulses of maneuvering thrusters guided the shuttle to a gentle contact with the arm. As the arm drew the shuttle against the docking port, the pilot slapped a series of toggles to power systems down.

His task completed, Pat popped open the hatch to the passenger compartment and floated through. Holding onto a handrail, he waited until the last of the passengers had departed into the orbital station. Jose', his co-pilot for the last couple of years, floated up and said "That's the last of them, Pat. I unlatched the cargo hatch, and they are unloading the hold now." Pat could hear the faint bumping as the handlers maneuvered the containers. Touching a control on his forearm, he said "Gently people! The hold needs to hold pressure. You need to treat the area gently like you would a woman her first time!" Chuckles echoed over his earpiece. A distinctly feminine voice said, "It's supposed to be gentle?"

"Oh shit." Pat hurriedly shut off the link.

Jose` chuckled and shook his head. "You always manage to put your foot in it when it comes to women, Pat!"

"Oh, shut up, Jose'. Let's get out of here. We only have a few hours before we need to head back to the tether. And I've got a vacation dirt-side I don't want to miss!"

Shaking his head again, Jose` replied, "I still don't understand why _anyone_ would volunteer to feel gravity full-time. And weather! Why can't you just spend a little time on the moon and practice flying Archimedes Cavern or dust-surfing on the surface?"

Shrugging, Pat couldn't offer a reason any Loonie or Spacer would understand. "I'm a first-gen Spacer, Jose`. I remember growing up dirt-side. I enjoyed watching thunderstorms up close and swimming in the ocean. My parents still live near Tahoe and have invited me to spend some time with them."

Waving to fend off the excuses, Jose' pushed off the handle and slipped neatly through the hatch leading into the station. Pat was irked Jose' couldn't understand and share in his enjoyment of activities on Earth. The only part he didn't enjoy was the time he had to spend at the Midway station on the Elevator to regain his dirt-legs. The two days spent walking about in Midway was boring and painful. It took a good night's sleep in full gravity to recover any equilibrium. Even worse, was remembering to put things on a surface! If you didn't, it would crash to the floor, sometimes disastrously.

Pushing off, Pat followed Jose into the station, pausing to close and lock the access to the shuttle. Heading to the Commander's office, he deftly avoided passengers struggling with zero-gee. Slowing as he approached the hatch leading to the command deck, he lingered out of sight, waiting for a verbal confrontation he heard coming from the area ahead to end. Soon after, a red-faced grounder fumbled his way out of the command deck and rebounded from the opposite bulkhead before inexpertly propelling himself away.

Popping his head around the hatchway, he scanned the interior for other potentially explosive situations. The commander spotted his furtive glance and waved him in. "Sorry 'bout that Pat. The grounder was upset a container in his case breached in flight and allowed cologne to leak out all over his stuff. I had to remind him all liquids were supposed to be in vac-u-tainers but he said it had been a last-minute gift and he hadn't had the time to put it into a vac-u-tainer. I had to have his case strapped to the outside until the liquid dissipates."

Pat was silently grateful he wasn't the reason for the explosion. He'd had his share of complaints from grounders that had suffered various indignities while passengers in his shuttle. Saluting casually, he announced, "Reporting that we have arrived safely. All passengers are transferred, and the shuttle is locked-down."

The commander acknowledged the report and said "Refueling is underway. You should have a full load when you head back. I figure you will have about ten hours."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll be ready. Permission to go EVA and inspect the shuttle. I noted an odd reading on a pressure gauge for the station-keeping thrusters."

"EVA's already underway. Cameras caught a wisp of vapor coming from your aft thruster area, and the Loadmaster wanted it checked out. It may be nothing but..."

"Understood Commander. Thank you! That will give me some more time to catch a few more Z's." Saluting lazily, he backed out of the compartment.

Pat pulled himself along the handgrips, heading to the crew lounge. Grabbing a packet of coffee, he injected water until the package swelled to standard size. He then placed it in the ultrasonic heater for a few seconds. It came out almost too hot to handle. Letting it cool a bit, he injected a dose of sweetener and flavoring. He shook it for a few seconds and then tasted the result. Satisfied, he grabbed a wrapped protein-pastry out of a floating mesh bag, and then pulled himself to a corner. There he slipped his feet into loops on the deck that allowed him to eat without floating into another diner.

A few minutes later, Jose' entered the lounge and headed to the coffee dispenser. Pat could smell the dampness from the shower he'd taken. Thus reminded, Pat finished his coffee and then pulled his feet from the loops and headed for the showers.

Once there, he closed the privacy curtain, stripped out of the paper flight-suit and stuffed it into the 'cycler. He floated into the curtained alcove and closed the magnetic seals on the curtain. He turned the fans on to their lowest setting and then used the hand-wand to wet down quickly. After shutting the water off, he eyed the gauge and was pleased to see he was well under the allotted amount. He squeezed the nipple of the body wash dispenser to get a palm-full of cleanser. Then he quickly rubbed the slimy stuff all over and scrubbed it into his scalp. He waited a short time for the foaming action to slow and then rinsed off. He clipped the wand into its holder and turned the fans on high-speed to collect the water and dry off. As he shivered in the blast, he wondered briefly why the designers hadn't added larger heaters to the system.

When he was dry enough, he punched the button to kill the air-flow, and then unsealed the shower curtain. Using a nearby squeegee with a vacuum hose attached, he vacuumed the compartments' walls making sure he didn't leave any water droplets lingering around to drift off. Satisfied, he ripped the plastic film from a paper lounging suit and slipped it on. After closing the adhesive fasteners, he opened the privacy curtain and headed into to the berthing area.

He found an open sleep alcove and strapped-in. He dimmed the lights and adjusted the air-jets away from his face, then allowed his body to relax. It drew up into a semi-fetal position as the tensions drifted away.

He was startled awake by a klaxon sounding an emergency. He burst out of the alcove and headed towards the shuttle. Jose' met him part way there, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"What's going on?" He asked.

Pat shook his head and continued his rapid progress through the station. Terrified grounders clung to anything at hand and babbled questions at them as they passed.

"Head to the lounge! Then you'll know more than we do!" Pat shouted at them over the blaring of the klaxon. The klaxon suddenly went silent, and the general announcing system crackled awake.

"Attention all crews! The Solar Observatory has detected a massive solar prominence headed our way! We have less than a day to move this station into moon-shadow. All personnel not assigned to an emergency station are to gather in the passenger lounge. All shuttle crews report to your shuttles and prepare to detach!"

Experienced crew-persons guided anxious passengers to the lounge and made sure they were sealed in. Jose' trailed Pat as he followed the florescent-yellow tape leading to their shuttle. He keyed the lock code, and the access hatch sighed open. Jose` led the way, ducking through, leaving Pat to reseal the hatch. The pair then opened the hatch into the shuttle and then re-sealed it once they were safely inside.

Jose' lingered at the hatch to watch the shuttle's detachment from the station. Pat popped through the hatch into the cockpit and sealed it behind him. He toggled switches in rapid succession, bringing systems online. A green light on the console told him the egress umbilical was detached. Another light went out once the power umbilical had detached. He keyed the intercom and said "Hang on, Jose'. I'm backing us away. Verify all umbilicals have disconnected visually." A pair of clicks answered him.

Pat joggled the joystick to the right minutely, and the maneuvering thrusters pushed them away from the station. Another pair of clicks told him he was clear of the station. Allowing their momentum to carry them away, he shifted the frequency to traffic control and said, "Shuttle Galileo clear."

"Acknowledged Galileo. Standoff one hundred meters and follow us."

"Ten-four." Pat killed their momentum at the requested distance and watched as the other shuttles detached and moved to station-keeping positions. The hatch popping behind him announced Jose's entry. Strapping in, Jose' announced, "All systems are green."

Pat nodded. They watched as the stations' thrusters flared on and the station began to move. Pat eased the aft thrusters on to match the maneuver. A few minutes later, the thrusters died, and Pat killed his aft thrusters as well. "All shuttles will maintain their current relative positions until further notice." Each shuttle acknowledged and then maintained radio silence. Pat adjusted his heading slightly to hold relative position to the station. As he waited for any further developments, he eyed the radiation counter, grateful to see it was still in the green.

It was several hours before the disk of the Moon eclipsed the Sun. The station continued to glide forward until it neared the center of the moon's shadow. The bow-thrusters showed blue cones of plasma as the station slowed. A few puffs of inert gas indicated it was nearing station-keeping. Jose' watched Pat match the maneuver with skilled ease. He had always admired Pat's skilled handling of their shuttle.

"All shuttles standby to re-connect. Shuttle Tiderion is cleared to approach."

Pat and Jose watched as small puffs of gas showed the other shuttle obeying the order. Two other shuttles were allowed to dock before Traffic-Control allowed their shuttle to dock.

Confined to the shadow of the moon until cleared by the Solar Observatory, Pat and Jose' headed to the Crew-lounge and gathered with the crews of the other shuttles to catch up. A deck of cards appeared, and several crew members belted themselves to the stools around the table to play. The cards were slightly magnetic, which allowed them to stick to a metallic playing surface laminated to the table.

Some of the other crew gathered around to kibitz or to place side-bets. Pat was unlucky at cards, so he contented himself with reading a book on his pad. Jose' was flirting with the female cargo-master. A screen on the bulkhead displayed the station's status and a graphic of the radiation detector. A sudden spike in the reading drew everyone's attention.

The value shot into the yellow area and then slowed. To everyone's relief, the indicator remained in the yellow band for the next hour before slowly falling back into the green. 24-hours later, they were cleared to return to their previous position.
Chapter 5: Moon-Base Charlie

"All Clear! Radiation values have returned to safe levels. All second-shift personnel report to your stations. Safety supervisors report status."

Minh unlatched the door to the bunker and allowed the people that had taken refuge there to leave. He unsealed a foil package and handed each person their new radiation badge, scanning their name badges to link the new badges to them. When the last person had exited the bunker, Minh took their old badges to the Radiation Monitor's office. They logged them in as he watched and then he headed to his cubical to sleep before his shift.

As he settled onto his air-mattress and closed his eyes, he felt the tremors as the EM-Launcher hurled materials at Lagrange Five. Their launcher was at the lunar North Pole. The other launcher was at the Lunar South Pole. It sent material to Lagrange Four.

A gentle tone awakened Minh an hour before his shift. He scrubbed the sleep from his eyes and swung his feet out from under the light blanket. Calling for the lights, a soft amber glow issued from the ceiling. Minh was relatively new to Moon Base Charlie and still had trouble remembering that, even though gravity only made him weigh about 20 pounds, he had been living in zero-gee most of his life. His legs still had trouble keeping him vertical.

Minh showered and shaved quickly. He wanted to beat the rest of the shift to breakfast. It was traditional for the kitchen to bake sweet rolls whenever the all-clear sounded after a solar event. He never learned when the tradition started; he was just eager to participate. He exited his room and walked carefully towards the galley. As he rounded the last corner, Minh was disappointed to see a long line of eager diners waiting.

He needn't have worried as the cook seemed to have anticipated the need for a treat after spending nearly two days confined to the bunkers. The coffee tasted better too. He was pleasantly surprised to see the orange juice dispenser was full.

Minh managed to snag a second sweet-roll as he left the galley on his way to his duty station in Launch-Control. As he passed the heavy equipment operators suiting up for their shift, Minh was once again grateful that he had taken those extra courses in mathematics. They had allowed him to score high enough on the placement tests to work in Launch Control rather than driving the loaders and scoops.

Although the cabs for the loaders and scoops were sealed, accidents happened often enough that all drivers had to wear pressure suits while operating the equipment. Eight hours sealed in a pressure suit was not a pleasant experience. You learned to bathe before each shift and _never_ eat gas-producing vegetables within eight hours of your shift. The suits didn't have carbon air-filters.

Minh relieved the second-shift launch-operator during a re-charge of the capacitors. As he seated himself, Minh scanned the gauges and read the trouble log. There was only one note that tech-support had replaced one meteorite-damaged capacitor.

Checking the schedule, he noted they had just over a dozen launches to make. That was a bit tight as it took nearly forty minutes to recharge the capacitors. They had to make up for lost time because of the solar event. Routine.

Minh sipped his coffee and nibbled on the sweet-roll as he watched the charge-level climb slowly out of yellow into green. He ignored the envious looks of the two techs working the switchgear in the pit below him. Food was not allowed at their stations.

The slowly-rising whine of the charging system alerted him to the system's readiness. The signal strobes began to flash, warning the drivers near the loading facility. After verifying the trajectory, Minh squeezed the paired releases. A shudder rocked his seat as the load reached 2,400 miles per hour in just under 5 seconds.

A green light signaled the cargo clearing the end of the launcher. Minh turned the strobes off, allowing the loaders to resume operation. With just over half an hour to wait, he locked his controls and headed to the nearby 'fresher. The coffee had hit. When he got back, he found that the remains of his sweet-roll had disappeared. He glared down at the techs, but they studiously ignored him. Remembering a previous incident, he sniffed his coffee carefully before tasting it. No solvent added, this time. He sat down and contemplated his revenge for the purloined sweet-roll.
Chapter 6: Lagrange Five

"Incoming! On-target!" The sultry female voice of the computer had once been a novelty, but hearing the same phrase day in and day out had erased the charm. Glancing at the incoming loads' trajectory towards the Hoops, Ahmed verified the load was on target. It was.

He verified the Hoop's or mass-catcher's rings were fully-charged and the levels in the propellant tanks for the counter-thrusters were adequate. Watching from a camera at the center of the Rings, Ahmed watched each deceleration-ring jerk as it slowed the load. The rotating magnetic field of the last Ring halted the load, holding it until he released it. A robotic arm retrieved the now-stationary load and handed it off to an automated barge that would take it to its destination.

Verifying the event hadn't upset the relative position of the Hoops, Ahmed reset them for the next load. He idly watched the screen tracking the incoming loads and wandered the paths of memory. His reverie was interrupted when a red highlight appeared around the next load. The display centered on the suspect load and updated the tracking information in real-time. The projected path showed it was going to miss the Rings entirely. If the cargo was critical, one of the tugs would chase it down and tow it back.

Glancing down through the port set into the floor, Ahmed could see the massive framework of the ship they were building gleaming in the light of thousands of huge glow-panels. The shipyard was an immense cylindrical framework, with the long axis perpendicular to its orbit around the Earth. A thin plastic solar-shield covered the outer framework of the shipyard. The plastic was coated with a microscopic layer of gold. The film reflected the infrared portion of the Sun's spectrum, leaving the interior of the shipyard far cooler. If you looked at the Sun through the sun shield, you would see a bright blue disc. When the shipyard was in solar shadow, the skin showed blue from the lights inside. It was visible from everywhere on Earth.

The living quarters and offices were at each end of the shipyard. Each housing unit could house nearly twenty-thousand workers. The ship itself was positioned vertically within the shipyard, parallel to the axis. The engines pointed at the South Pole and the nose at the North Pole. Ahmed gazed at the massive outline in awe.

He had heard about the effort to build these ships throughout his young life. A documentary on the CME event of nearly forty years earlier had spurred him on to excel in school and to apply for admission to the project. He had tested high in physics and ballistics, which landed him at the controls of the Hoops: the magnetic rings that slowed the incoming loads from the Moon. He hoped any potential spouse would also be a part of the effort. He had heard rumors that the children of those working on or for the project would get preferential treatment when they chose the colonists. He doubted that he would ever be chosen when the ship was ready, but hoped one or more of his children would be selected.

A rapidly-increasing beeping reminded him the incoming load was off-course. He quickly verified the trajectory, confirming it would indeed miss the station entirely. He sounded the alert and disabled the rings so their fields wouldn't affect the off-course load as it passed. He keyed his headset and said, "Reporting a missed load. No danger to the station." He had already reset the rings for the next load when a bored voice acknowledged his announcement.

* * *

Cho relaxed for a moment to allow the weld to solidify, and then inspected it with a scanner. Perfect. As usual. He moved on to the next section he had been assigned to and checked to see if the structural members had been tack-bonded correctly. He matched the three-dimensional projection of his scanner to the actual structure and noticed one member was slightly askew. He verified his position to the reference marks and saw again that the same member was out-of-position.

Slapping the scanner back onto the Velcro patch on his left arm, he jetted over to the suspect assembly and examined the welds. It took a couple of measurements from known-good references to show where the components hadn't been adequately secured before they were tacked into place. He used his hand-laser to soften the suspect bonds and re-positioned the parts. He allowed the bonds to solidify and re-checked the component's new position. Satisfied, he added a couple of additional welds with the laser before moving to the starting point for this section. If he timed it right, he would complete this section just before he was due to go off-shift.

Later, as he jetted back to his suit-station, Cho tried to picture the 10-mile long pair of cylinders, fully enclosed and filled with colonists, flying off to the stars. He hoped his children would be chosen to go. He paused before ducking into the hatch to look back at the Earth. The day-time terminator was over the Pacific, and Asia was brilliant with light.

He grabbed onto the ring above his assigned suit-station and swung around. Backing up, he wiggled a bit to settle the support pack into its seals. When the indicators all showed green, he released the ring and pulled his arms from the sleeves. Reaching down and back, he grasped both releases and waited while the shallow depression behind him re-pressurized. There was a brief hiss as the rear hatch opened. He wriggled backward until the docking assistant grabbed his belt and eased him out of the suit.

Nodding his thanks to the man, Cho closed the access cover and verified the suits' systems were connected. The diagnostics showed the power-packs were re-charging and the water and waste systems were purging. He retrieved the air filters and exchanged them with refreshed units from the slots above the hatch. Satisfied, he pushed off towards the ceiling and then somersaulted to push off with his feet towards the exit. Guiding himself with light touches as surfaces came within range, he ducked into the 'fresher and strapped-in. Using the sealed hand-washing station afterward, Cho delighted in the warmth of the water on his chilled hands. A few moments later his hands were dry, so he pulled them clear.

Cho decided to forego a shower until after he ate. He floated towards the hub and lowered himself towards the rotational section. Orienting his feet, Cho slipped his grip on the handrail and drifted "down" until he felt his weight return. He hit the cushion at the bottom of the slide and stepped away to allow the next person to use it.

He walked to the mess hall and joined the queue. Grabbing a tray, Cho followed the queue down the line, piling on the makings of a high-calorie meal. After filling a mug with iced tea, he headed to a corner table.

He and his shift-mates talked shop while scarfing down nearly 2000 calories. He carried the now-empty tray to the scullery and then headed to the showers. His sleep was sweet.

* * *

"Commander?"

Commander Lansing turned towards the young woman. "Yes, Ms. Treller?

"The weekly status meeting has gathered and is awaiting you, sir."

Commander Lansing nodded. "Thank you, Ms. Treller." He turned towards the passageway leading to the meeting room. He used the short walk to draw serenity around him like a cloak. At just over six feet tall and with a lean physique, he looked younger than his fifty years. Only the patches of gray at his temples betrayed him.

He paused outside the closed door to allow himself one additional moment of peace before facing the inevitable excuses and pleas for understanding. The recent solar event had added further to the delays his command was facing.

Lansing palmed the identiplate, and the door slid aside, allowing a gush of sound to wash over him. He stood there, waiting for the occupants to recognize his entry. The sudden hush almost caused the commander to stumble; as if a wind he had been leaning into had suddenly ceased. He strode to the head of the table.

Those assembled waited until the Commander sat down. Lansing took a moment to look at each person present to gauge their attitudes. "Thank you all for sparing the time to meet with me today. I realize the recent solar event has even further delayed our progress, so, what I want to hear today is what you are planning to do to get us back on schedule." He held up a hand to forestall the inevitable protests and pleadings. "Your various companies were informed when they signed on to this little adventure, that many possible events would delay progress, _and_ , they were asked to take such delays into their calculations."

"We also understand that what we are trying to accomplish here has never been done before, so provisions were made on our part to work with you to overcome every obstacle we face."

"That said, I fully expect to hear some very imaginative and creative stories." He paused to give weight to his next statement. "If you offer a reason for delays beyond the recent solar event, I also want to hear what you plan on doing to overcome the accumulated delays to-date. Clear?"

He nodded at the woman on his right, inviting her to speak. She nodded shortly and used the brief delay to glance at her notes. Her company ran the shuttle flights from the Orbital Tether, and they had been delayed just over two days.

"Shuttle flights have resumed. Passengers and cargo have been re-ordered to bring in supplies first, then critical personnel. We will be back on schedule in 5 days, four if we can restore one shuttle that has a damaged engine."

She glanced around the table as she finished speaking and was pleased that her report had apparently put some of the other contractors off. They could not now blame her company for shipping delays.

The Commander nodded and made a quick note on the pad in front of him and then nodded to the next representative. It took nearly an hour, but the meeting was subdued and surprisingly productive.

"Thank you all for the encouraging reports. I know we've all suffered setbacks, but I need to remind all of you that we are not in competition here; we are trying to ensure Humanity's survival. I'm glad to see most of you and your companies have stopped squabbling and are cooperating better. The more we work together to complete this project, the faster our children will be able to flee this solar system and carry the hope for our future out among the stars. Are there any other items to discuss? No? Then thank you all. This meeting is adjourned."

Everyone waited until the Commander had departed before leaving. Some people stopped to negotiate with their counterparts for favors or to offer help if a department had been especially hard-hit by the radiation storm. Others quietly observed the growing cooperative spirit with pleasure.
Chapter 7: Sabotage

"Commander! Major Miles has taken over in the Reactor Control room and begun to destabilize the station's reactor!" The announcement over the station's intercom startled the Commander just as he was about to fall into bed after another exhausting day.

Fumbling for the key, the Commander asked, "Where are the duty reactor operators now?"

"They are trying to get into the Auxiliary Reactor control room. Cameras inside both of the control rooms are dead. We have had no response to any attempts to communicate with the main reactor control room."

Thinking quickly, the Commander ordered "Send Security to all hatchways leading to Reactor Control and cut in the transfers to the auxiliary control room. Have the Senior Reactor Supervisor meet me at Aux Reactor Control."

"Yes, Sir!"

The Commander dressed quickly while reviewing the relevant emergency procedures for remote Reactor Shut-Down. You couldn't just flip a switch or open a breaker; the intense energies confined in the cores of such reactors had to bleed-down. If the controls for the cooling systems were upset or the confinement fields destabilized, the result would be a massive plasma explosion that would largely destroy the entire station. Even if they managed to avoid detonation, the damage to the reactor could take too long to repair, allowing the station to drift out of its stable orbit in Lagrange 5 and be pulled hopelessly towards the Earth or the Moon.

Striding to the Auxiliary Reactor Control room, the Commander met with the Senior Reactor Supervisor and a pair of top operators. They were trying to gain entry, but the flushed face of the SRS told him more trouble was afoot. Stepping back to allow the Commander at the pad, he gestured towards it and said. "Someone has cut power to the pad. If we don't find a way to restore power, we'll have to force our way in"

Turning to the intercom set into the bulkhead near the hatch, the Commander barked "Damage Control crews to Auxiliary Reactor Control! This is not a drill!" He heard the computer echoing his command in all circuits. A moment went by before they heard a click, followed by "Damage Control; Aye-Aye Sir!"

It took the DC crew nearly 20 minutes to unbolt the hatch into Auxiliary Control. Stepping into the darkened space, the Commander flipped on the light switches. The room remained dark.

"I'm sorry, Commander. There will be no lights in Aux Control, now or ever again!" A familiar voice sounded from an overhead speaker.

Dismayed, the Commander was glad the darkness hid his fear. The voice he heard confirmed that his second-in-command was in Reactor Control. He sagged as he realized, even if he resolved the situation, his friend's career was finished.

He'd had the unfortunate duty to inform Major Miles he had been passed over for command of the Lagrange 4 station and was facing forced retirement. The man hadn't responded well to the news, but no hint of this treachery was evident in his history.

The Commander moved over to the Senior Reactor Engineer, who had joined him in the control room. Glaring at the man Lansing hissed, "Get control of this situation NOW!"

Startled at the ferocity in the Commander's tone, the man stuttered "Aye-Aye Sir!" and turned to issue orders to the other techs in his department. The lights came on within a few minutes as someone replaced the damaged breakers. What greeted them were smashed control panels and mangled wiring. As they assessed the damage, a chuckle sounded from the speaker again.

"I told you, Commander; you cannot thwart me now! I have the only functioning set of reactor controls, and no one knows them better than I do. Say goodbye to humanity's chances of escape!" The speaker went silent. The Commander hadn't failed to note the shrilling of a cooling system failure alarm in the background.

Waving the Security Chief to him, the Commander ordered the Senior Reactor Engineer "Start replacing the damaged controls from the spares stored aboard for the ship. They are supposed to be identical so the ship's reactor operators would find them familiar. Commandeer any personnel or support you need!"

"Aye-Aye Sir!" The SRE hurried out of the control room, trailed by two operators while several techs began removing damaged panels and wiring. Pulling the Security Chief into a corner, he whispered, "I want options on how to neutralize this situation!"

The Security Chief was a hardened veteran of many space station posts. He'd had to deal with drunks, thugs, con men, and thieves over the years, but had never had to deal with the threat of the destruction of an entire station and nearly twenty-thousand people. He knew there was nothing written to cover this situation. It would take some fast and creative thinking. Looking at the Commander, he said quietly "Give me a little while to huddle with my people and the heads of Damage-Control and Reactor Operations. I should have some recommendations for you shortly."

Nodding curtly, the Commander stepped back, and the Security Chief hurried away. He turned to the intercom and toggled a switch reserved for emergencies. "Attention: all personnel! This is Commander Lansing. All personnel not actually working to resolve our current emergency will report to their evacuation stations!" He released the toggle and turned back to watch as the techs used a scanner to image the damage, the computer automatically listing every damaged component and subsystem. Leaving the men to their work, he headed to the main Reactor Control room to try and talk some sense into his now-former second-in-command.

He arrived to find armed security people blocking all access to the areas around the control room. They parted silently to let him pass, and he strode up to the intercom mounted near the only access to the control room. Pressing the TALK button, he said, "Charlie; It's me, David."

Silence was the only response at first. The Commander tried to picture his friend of nearly thirty years on the other side of the door. He wondered what had driven him to this extreme. He was also wondering how he was going to defuse this situation.

"I'm sorry Dave, but I can't go back to Earth. This project has been my life! No one has worked harder to promote it. I _deserved_ the command of Lagrange four!"

There was a short pause as he seemed to shift gears. "Besides, with Janet and the kids dead now, I've no one left to go home to."

The Commander empathized with Charlie. He had seen how his family's death had affected his friend. They had been best friends since their academy days. Charlie's family had been aboard an early-model Climber when the escape hatch failed.

He also had to acknowledge the unfairness of Charlie being passed over for command. He too felt the man that had been selected to command Lagrange Four was only there because he had supported an influential man on the Shipyard's Board of Directors.

"Just let us in Charlie. It's not too late to restore the cooling system and save the reactor." The silence was longer this time. "Please Charlie! I know you have faced some disappointments and were devastated by Janet's death, but why does any of that justify this? There are a lot of people on this station Charlie. Did any of them do something to you to deserve death?"

After an agonizing pause, he heard the speaker come on. "I have no future Dave. When I started this, I knew there would be no turning back." The speaker popped and then the voice went on. "I was a good officer Dave! I deserved promotion! I worked hard to earn command of Lagrange 4. But I was passed over for some political appointee because I didn't kiss some Board Member's perfumed back-side or didn't play the game the right way."

He seemed to pause to catch his breath or to organize his thoughts before he went on. "If this project can't reflect the best aspects of humanity, if politics still rules us even at this juncture, then maybe humanity doesn't _deserve_ to survive! Maybe we are just too primitive to merit survival! Have you considered that, Dave? Why should a primitive and violent race like humans be allowed to reach for the stars? Why should we be allowed to spread like a disease throughout the galaxy?"

Letting him rant to gain some insight into his mental condition, The Commander glanced around to gauge the reactions of the people listening in. All were concerned or frightened by the tirade they were hearing. He couldn't blame them; they were facing certain death at the hands of a man they had trusted. And, they depended on their commander to resolve the situation.

The Security Chief sidled up to the Commander and touched his arm. The Commander leaned towards him, unwilling to leave the area in case he heard an opening or possibility of negotiation from Charlie.

"I have polled the other Department Heads, and they have a few solutions, but none will allow us to regain control in time." Hesitating, the Chief then added, "I have a suggestion, but only you can authorize it." He faltered.

Raising an eyebrow, the Commander encouraged him to continue. Sighing, the Chief said "If we vent the room to space, and then restore the pressure. Anyone in the control room will become unconscious long enough for us to force the hatch. We will need some time though to set it up." Nodding towards the locked hatch, he added, "You will need to keep him distracted to allow us the time."

It only took a moment to approve the action. The commander nodded, and the chief dashed off, a group of techs and security people trailing along in his wake. Bracing himself for the deception, the Commander turned back to the speaker in time to hear the end of a question from Charlie.

The Commander looked at the group and whispered, "What did he just ask?" One of those standing nearby answered, "He just asked if you were still there."

Nodding his thanks, the Commander turned to the intercom and toggled it. "Yes, Charlie. I'm still here. I've been thinking about what you have been saying. I can see your reasons for some things, but I still don't understand how your being passed-over for a promotion is reason enough to kill everyone on the station and set the program back fifty years."

Releasing the toggle, he waited for Charlie's response. The silence stretched out agonizingly. Hoping he had scored a point or two, the Commander keyed the toggle again and asked "Is there anything you want to tell the people on the station, Charlie? I can arrange for you to tell them why you want to kill them all. Many of them have served with us since we were assigned here. We've eaten with them and watched their families grow up. We have seen their children marry and start families. Do you want to tell them why you suddenly have the sole authority to determine their fate?"

There was no response. Dave hoped he was getting through to Charlie. Feeling he had allowed enough time elapse, he keyed the toggle and added quietly, "Maybe the shrinks who evaluate us for command positions detected this possibility on your part and _that_ was why you were passed over. Think about it, Charlie; would you want _you_ in charge, knowing it would only take something as small as a missed promotion to send you over the brink?"

The Security Chief was hurrying towards him when the Commander heard the hatch behind him hiss and start to open. Holding up a palm to the Chief, who nodded and slipped out of sight, the Commander turned to face the slowly-opening hatch. As the heavy metal door clicked against the bulkhead and latched, the Commander saw Charlie slumped against the opposite bulkhead, staring listlessly at his hands, folded in his lap.

Stepping through, the Commander seated himself beside his friend and reached over to put an arm around his shoulders. Charlie erupted into heart-wrenching sobs and fell over into the Commander's lap, and curled up into a fetal position. The Commander just held him and then nodded to the Security Chief as he peeked around the hatch opening. "Secure the compartment and then bring in the Reactor operators and check on the reactor's status Chief. Recall the duty staff."

Nodding, the Chief pulled his head back, and several security officers dashed into the control room, followed closely by the Reactor Chief. It was only a short time later the Reactor Chief approached him and said, "The reactor is stable Commander. He must have restored the controls before letting us in."

Nodding his thanks, he slowly got up and helped Charlie to his feet. Head hung in shame; Charlie allowed the commander to escort him from the area. Waving help aside, the Commander slowly walked with his friend to the medical section. There, he conferred with the doctor, then had Charlie sedated and restrained.

Back in his office, he received reports on the status of the repairs to the Aux Reactor Control room and on the state of the reactor itself. The good news was the reactor, and the station had survived. The sad news was his friend of thirty years was ruined. Thirty years of faithful service, a promising career, trashed by an emotional reaction. Shaking his head in sorrow, the Commander locked his door and then stood staring into space with his hands clasped behind his back, tears wetting his shirt.
Chapter 8: Milestone

Turning to face the camera, Commander Harris cleared his throat and hoped his mouth wouldn't dry out during the important speech. At a signal from his aide standing behind the camera, The Commander gazed into the lens and imagined almost 14 billion people looking at him expectantly.

"I am Commander Harris, of the Lagrange Five space-yards. I have the privilege to announce to all the people of Earth: GenStar One has reached a significant milestone!" He paused a moment to allow the cheering in the background to die down.

"I was informed today that workers have sealed the last hull-plate into place. We can now begin pressurizing the interiors of both habitats. The main reactor is already providing the light and power needed inside the habitats. It soon will be producing heat as well!"

"Once the habitats have been tested air-tight, they will be spun-up to one-third gravity to allow the workers to complete the interiors without having to wear their space suits." He heard a loud reaction from the representatives of the ship-fitters.

"Many of these workers will live aboard GenStar One to allow them more time to work without having to transit between the station and the ship. GenStar One will soon host a population of nearly forty thousand workers, all working to complete the ship so humanity can sail among the stars!"

Looking off-camera to his wife, and then back at the lens, the Commander added, "I have been authorized to announce that the selection process for colonists will begin immediately." Loud cheering interrupted him. When he could make himself heard again, the Commander looked intently into the lens and said "All of the governments of the Earth have pledged to offer the best from their citizens as candidates for the program. It will be the task of others to screen all candidates. Only those that are the best fit for a position, regardless of gender, ethnicity or nationality, will be further tested for suitability."

"We here, and _all_ who have worked over these last 55 years to this point wish all candidates Good Fortune. Thank you and good day."

A signal from the camera-operator told him he was off the air. He slumped slightly and then headed towards his wife. She hugged him encouragingly and whispered up to him "That was a beautiful speech, Marty." He clasped her to him, knowing the announcement of the selection process would bring up old pains for them. Their only son had died in a traffic mishap while attending college. He had been tapped early on for participation in the project as an Engineer, and the family had discussed the best ways to prepare him for future candidacy in the colonization process. His death had been a severe blow to them.

Leaning back to look up at him, his wife added through a tight throat, "Jimmy would have been pleased too." He said nothing but hugged her tightly, oblivious to the general revelry around them. When he could do so, Harris guided his wife away from the throng and to their quarters. She had joined him aboard the station once his second-in-command had moved to the ship to oversee the onboard progress. She had taken over Major Dunn's quarters, and the Commander had the Damage Control crew put a private hatch between their adjoining quarters. He smiled to himself at the privileges his position sometimes granted him.

He wasn't alone with such an arrangement. Many of the officers and senior staff had brought their spouses aboard as space aboard the station was vacated. It was a temporary but significant morale-booster.

With the responsibility over the ship's completion in the hands of his second-in-command, the Commander oversaw the conversion of some of the space station's areas to transient quarters and training facilities. Much of the final training of the colonists would take place here. Temporary quarters allowed them to buffer the transfer of colonists while living quarters aboard the ship were made ready.

The Commander knew that neither he nor his wife would be selected to become colonists. It had been a sore point throughout the history of the project that service during the building of the ships did not automatically grant someone a greater chance of being selected. Besides, they were too old. His wife had sadly told him shortly after their son had died that she would decline to go if selected.

The debate about the selection process had been on-going since the project had started with the commissioning of the Malaysian Space Elevator. There had been acrimonious, and sometimes violent debates throughout the intervening years about who should be excluded or included. Scandals had rocked the selection committee as various individuals and organizations had sought to influence the selection process. Some wealthy and influential people had been exposed trying to get themselves or family members preferential treatment.

A copy of the Selection Protocol had been leaked to the public just days before the announcement. Riots had rocked many capitals around the globe when it revealed what types of people; behaviors or DNA characteristics would be screened-out. Many innocents had died during the protests. The furor continued to boil in many spots. The Commander pitied those tasked with the actual selection and screening process.

The Commander opened the door to his quarters and led his wife inside. He ushered her through the private doorway to allow her time to change and be alone. The commander headed to his terminal and ordered up a meal for them, to be enjoyed here in his quarters. While he waited, he mentally reviewed the schedule for the next few days, seeking to minimize his time away from the station to allow the maximum time to spend with Grace. He made a note to take her on a tour of many of the areas most civilians never got to see.
Chapter 9: Conspiracy

"Senator?"

The elegantly-dressed, middle-aged woman turned in the direction of the voice. She noted at once that the young man facing her was a reporter. "What can I do for you Mister...?"

Touching his badge, the man answered respectfully "My name is Samuelson, Henry Samuelson. I represent ENN. May I ask you a question?"

Glancing at her schedule projected virtually before her via her vid-tacs, she said truthfully "I can give you one minute. I have to meet the Chairman shortly."

Nodding, the reporter touched a contact on his temple-mounted recorder. A tiny blue light came on. "Now that the Selection Protocol has been released, what, if anything can be done to reconsider those judged unfit to emigrate?"

Sandra had known the exclusionary sections were going to be controversial, but had been appalled at the reaction around the world. Several nations had withdrawn their ambassadors from other nations' capitals. Others had threatened to withhold their citizens from serving to force revisions of the Protocol.

Looking into the tiny lens in the tip of the reporter's camera, she said quietly "The Protocol was developed scientifically to screen out tendencies towards certain diseases, or predispositions towards destructive habits. No one who smokes, uses drugs, or is addicted to alcohol, gambling or other destructive activities will be included. It also excludes felons. The possibility of revisions is there, but I doubt the Protocol will change."

Nodding, the reporter said, "Thank you for your time, Senator." He touched the contact again to stop the recording. Stepping back and to one side, he waved a hand graciously in the direction the Senator had been heading, inviting her to proceed. Smiling slightly at the gallant gesture, she nodded in return and promptly forgot the encounter. She sub-vocally called up her notes and reviewed them as she strode the short distance to the meeting room.

***

"Ah! At last! Senator Ramsey graces us with her august presence." The Chairman's gentle sarcasm silenced the group sitting around the table. Senator Ramsey took her seat and nodded at the Chairman. "I was waylaid by an ENN reporter."

Chuckles rippled around the table. Everyone on the committee now faced public outcry or curiosity. For years, they had worked out of the public eye, shrouded in obscurity. Their mandate had been agreed upon over 50 years ago when they broke ground for the Space Elevator. Now that their committee's efforts were public knowledge, they had all been thrust into the news and peppered with requests for interviews and overwhelming volumes of pleas for inclusion, changes or hate-mail.

The Chairman picked up a small mallet and tapped the crystal gong, announcing the start of the meeting. "This meeting is called to order. Any old business?" He waited a few moments before going on. "Any new business?"

"Uh, Mister Chairman..."

"No George, you may _not_ be excused from tonight's celebration. The Chancellor is expecting _all_ of us there. Besides, if I have to endure his speech, why should _you_ be exempt from the torture?" Genial laughter drowned out George's insulting reply.

"With that out of the way, I want to thank all of you and your predecessors for the quality work that has gone into the Protocol. While future generations will likely criticize many of our decisions, they _will_ have survived to criticize! Besides, none of us will probably be around to hear them gripe. Then, with the perfect hindsight of history, they will tell our descendants just how much better their choices would have been!" Chuckles sounded from nearly all present.

Leaning forward to emphasize his next remarks, the Chairman added "We will be accused of everything from simple prejudice to outright eugenics! We will suffer the slings and arrows of those not chosen, and immense political pressure to change the selection process."

The Chairman asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting, which was offered and seconded. The members shook hands with those around them and gradually vacated the room singly and in pairs. Sandra and the Chairman were the last occupants. He held out an elbow and Sandra slipped her hand through. She leaned into him momentarily and then he waved the lights off as they stepped through into the private hallway leading to the parking garage elevator.

Sandra stopped the Chairman as he reached for the call button. He turned towards her with an eyebrow lifted. She glanced back up the hallway to ensure they were truly alone. She then leaned into him and said quietly "When will the selection committees receive the Protocol?"

He paused for a moment, considering his answer. The Selection Committees' members' names were a closely-held secret. Should their names be revealed before they were sequestered, their lives and those of their families and friends could be at-risk. He eyed Sandra, wondering at her asking him to violate security.

Sandra held her breath, knowing she was pushing the limits of their friendship. She needed to know so her associates could monitor suspected Committee members and move to intercept some of them.

Shaking his head, the Chairman replied "Sandra; you are aware the official release of the Protocol and the Selection Committee membership is handled by another group. But, even if I knew when the Protocol was to be issued to the Selection Committees, I couldn't tell even you."

She tried to mask her disappointment. Her sexual allure was usually able to sway most men to her will. She had misjudged the Chairman's strength of will. He was watching as she strove to recover her poise and said, "I was simply curious, that's all Simon."

He nodded and then pressed the call button. The doors to the lift swept aside almost instantly. Four armed men in the elevator stepped out to surround the pair. Stepping away from her, the Chairman said sadly, "I'm truly sorry Sandra. I was hoping someone else had been the one leaking information."

She was flabbergasted "But, but Simon! I haven't leaked anything! You have the wrong person!"

Sadly, shaking his head, the Chairman said "The copy of the Protocol issued to each member of the committee had unique wording in different sections in their copies. Your copy is the one that showed up prematurely."

Glaring around at the four men there to arrest her, she turned back to the Chairman and said "We will overturn this Protocol, Simon. Excluding so many people is immoral! They have the same rights as everyone else to be considered! Just because they have a DNA-based propensity for cancer or some other disease is no reason to exclude them!"

"I won't argue the point with you, Sandra." Waving to the leader of the men, the Chairman stepped back as they handcuffed the seething Senator and moved her into the lift. When the doors closed, the Chairman walked back to the meeting room and sat at the head of the table. After a few minutes, the rest of the committee members filed into the chamber, more subdued than when they had departed. He waited until everyone had returned to their seats to announce quietly "Senator Ramsey has been arrested for leaking the Protocol." He paused to allow them the time to glance at the empty chair and then glance around at each other.

"Prior members of this committee passed on what they had done so we could carry on their thoughtful efforts. We all have worked long and hard to define the Protocol. It has been endlessly debated and reorganized. The pros and cons explored extensively. It is the best effort of many faithful people over the last 50 plus years."

"The people selected to crew GenStar One and the ships to follow, need to have the best chance to succeed. Having people aboard with self-destructive habits or a genetic predisposition for a shortened lifespan or serious illness is unthinkable. We have to especially careful of those defects that tend to carry forward into succeeding generations. We are even screening out those with sexually-transmitted diseases resistant to current medical technology."

"We have over 14 billion people to choose from. We knew from the start only a relative few would be able to go. We needed to make sure those few offered the _best_ option for positive contribution and a reasonable expectation of success."

"Senator Ramsey's downfall was her sympathy towards those having health issues or are educationally disadvantaged. She felt the selection process should have a wider application, to more accurately reflect our current demographics. Unfortunately, because of her premature release of the Protocol, those opposing this effort now have a head start on organizing an opposition."

He added sadly "It is entirely possible some, or all, of our careful work will be over-ridden by politicians." He leaned forward and said quietly, "The Protocol has been released, so the damage is done. What we have to do now is damage control. Fortunately, for us, another committee was formed for this very eventuality."

To the surprised looks flashed his way, the Chairman smiled and said "The Protocol will be followed, but from behind the scenes. A wider selection is likely as the politicians throw their support behind an effort to expand the selection process, but most, if not all of those people selected outside the parameters outlined in _our_ protocol, will get excluded by other means."

Murmurs from the members swelled to intense debate. The chairman sat back and let them express their views. He needed to sense their positions on this revelation so he could note the ones against the newly-revealed method. It was too late for their new knowledge to harm the Protocol. They knew too little to inhibit the process should they chose to leak their new-found knowledge.

He glanced down at the micro-camera embedded in the microphone in front of him. He knew each of the other microphones in the room was similarly equipped and that the recordings would be scrutinized for tell-tales of opposition. It was a violation of their rights to be monitored this way, but the reason for the precaution outweighed other considerations.

After allowing time for the members to give voice to their concerns, the Chairman called the meeting to order and then dismissed them with a stern warning about their loyalty oaths and the need for discretion.

He shook hands with each of them as they left, giving each a quiet word of assurance and encouragement. When the last one had left, closing the doors as he did so, the Chairman collapsed into his chair and lay back, staring at the ceiling. The soft snick of a catch behind him caused him to slowly pivot around.

The man standing in the opening of the secret panel leading to the recording room was unremarkable in appearance. His was the kind of face that wouldn't stay with you once you looked away. He secured the door and then waved at the Chairman as he departed as well. Alone, at last, the Chairman swiveled in his chair to unheard music.
Chapter 10: Confrontation at the Space Elevator

The final preparations were being made to GenStar One. Both habitats were up to full speed, and the massive engines were installed. The fueling process was on-going and would be done in a few months.

Potential colonists from around the world had gathered at secured locations, far from public view, and trained in shipboard life. This included familiarization with systems in their residences and damage-control training for fire, breaches, and other emergencies.

The ship's crew was already aboard, and they were wringing out the last of the shipyard's punch-lists. Contractors responsible for the habitability aspects of the residential areas were painting and outfitting each residence per the desires of the future occupants.

The farms had been established early on to supply food for the workers building the ships. The plants also regulated the carbon-dioxide levels and returned fresh oxygen to the air. A few tweaks in the types of crops being grown had allowed nearly all food shipments for the workers to cease. All of the animals aboard had been born there and had never set foot on Earth.

The species that seemed to adapt most readily were the fish and other aquatic species. The lack of predation had allowed their numbers to grow far more rapidly than expected. As a result, fish of some sort was on the menu more often than had been anticipated.

No predators or any of the larger aquatic and land-based creatures were included as live specimens. DNA samples for all species were in frozen storage in case they were needed on the planets the humans decided to colonize.

Most of the animals living aboard were there just to provide wool, hair, milk, and eggs. Few of them, other than the chickens, would actually be used for meat. The animals' manure would help fertilize the farms. The grazers would eat the stubble and chaff in the fields after harvests. Pigs would recycle left-over food and spoilage. Chickens were widely represented, along with careful additions of other egg-laying birds.

After years of trial-and-error, synthetic meat had finally been brought to the point most people didn't know the difference. That, and soy-based substitutes helped to satisfy the cravings of the carnivores among the workers and crew. The synthetic meat was often used for the ground meat items like lunch meats and sausages.

Vast amounts of natural elements need to keep the farms' soil in balance were stored under vacuum in the spider-webbing of framework between the habitats. Stores of other raw materials which couldn't be derived from waste products or recycling were also stored in space.

As soon as the habitats had been spun-up, the farmers and fisheries specialists were brought aboard to ply their trades. They helped to start-up and monitor the progress of the farms and supervised the livestock breeding programs. Sometime during this period, a few rats managed to sneak aboard in a sealed shipping container. To eliminate them, a steep bounty was awarded to anyone turning in the bodies. A lively after-hours hunt soon had the rats eliminated.

As more of the crew took over, the contractors gradually withdrew. Some of the contractors had tried to hide in seldom-accessed areas, but they were eventually discovered and escorted off the ship. There were sad reports of crew members finding the remains of people, including once an entire family, stowed away in shipping containers.

Museums and other facilities around the world supplied GenStar One with selections from their collections. Many of these were packed away in secured areas, while others were placed in secure glass-and-steel displays for the enjoyment of the colonists and crew.

Alexi was one of the fortunate few from her hometown of Petropavlovsk. Trained in genetics, she was slated to work in the animal-husbandry field to detect and correct for any errors creeping into the gene pool. She'd had to decide between becoming a colonist, or marrying Pieter. Her parents and Pieter had both urged her to become a colonist. She and Pieter spent one last weekend together before she was whisked away to St. Petersburg to begin training for shipboard life.

The year spent in St. Petersburg was so intense she seldom had time to reconsider her decision or to miss her family. They exchanged messages from time to time, but personal contact was discouraged. She missed her family but understood that, once she was aboard the ship, she would never actually see them again except in messages.

The hardest part of her time in training was saying goodbye to the fellow candidates who failed the testing and left the program. She never learned their fate as none of them ever tried to contact her. Eventually, she had the small cubical all to herself. Sometimes the memories of her roommates' faces and shared dreams overwhelmed her in moments of despair.

The day came when she and her group were scheduled to leave for the ship. As she packed her meager belongings, Alexi reflected on her life-choices. There was no chance of her changing her mind now; Pieter had married a couple of weeks earlier. While she was happy for him, she had cried herself to sleep that night.

Alexi sat in the lobby of the station with the remaining people from her group, waiting for the train to arrive. As she looked out through the windows, her view was taken up by the waving signs of the protesters camped outside the fence surrounding the station. She could read many of the placards they held aloft and was saddened by the sentiments she read. Some were pleas to take their children, and others condemned them for fleeing a sinking ship. Many religious people were praying for their safety. Thousands of candles placed in colorful holders on the ground burned day and night.

The train hissed to a stop and the doors popped in and then to one side. Porters stepped out and urged the passengers to board quickly. As she stepped past an older man on her left, she saw a flash of what looked like surprise on his face. She turned to look back as she was herded along but failed to spot him again. Facing forward, she allowed the throng to move her along until she was left alone in a car devoid of people.

Alexi placed her small bag on the shelf over a seat and settled near a window. The train began to move almost immediately. The scenery moved by faster and faster until it was merely a blur. Only things quite a distance away remained in focus. She was distracted by the sound of the door between cars hissing closed. She glanced up in time to see the old man she had seen earlier taking a seat near the door.

She turned back to the window and let the incident fade. Her reveries were soon interrupted by a person sitting down beside her. Startled, she gasped and turned to find it was the old man. She started to get up in panic when the man raised both hands, palms outward.

He jumped up and backed away, holding his hands, palms forward towards her. "Please. I'm sorry I startled you. I suppose I should have asked before sitting here." He looked down as if deciding whether to go on, then glanced up and said, "May I speak with you for a moment?"

Her heart was still pounding out of her chest, but she hesitated long enough to take a second, closer look at the man's face. He was pleading with her with his eyes.

Swallowing hard, she asked, "What can I do for you?"

The man sagged visibly and sat in another seat facing her. A tear rolled down one cheek unnoticed. He sniffed and then wiped the tears away with the back of a shaking hand. "My granddaughter looked a lot like you. You surprised me back at the station."

Her heart-rate slowing, Alexi leaned forward and patted the man's hand. "You only startled me. No harm was done."

The man nodded distractedly. Then he straightened perceptibly and said, "When I saw you enter the train, I was reminded of the reason why she died." He stumbled to a stop, and fresh tears ran down his cheeks. Sniffing mightily, he cleared his throat and added "She was the light of my life. Her parents, my son, and daughter-in-law died in a traffic accident. She was severely injured. I spent every day at her bedside, encouraging her struggle to survive. It took nearly a year, but she recovered enough to come home." He stopped there and cried silently. Alexi was gripped by his narrative and stayed quiet.

He finally turned back to her and said "She was killed by a careless driver as she drove her wheelchair across the street on her way to school. The driver didn't _stop_. He left her to _die_ at the side of the road." His face scrunched up in unrelieved anger and frustration. He stood up with his hands clenched at his sides, visibly shaking with long-repressed rage. "He _drove off and left her to DIE!"_

Alexi was taken aback by the intensity of his reaction. She feared for her own safety, wondering if his grief would drive him to harm her. She cowered back against the window. The man overcame his rage with difficulty and then realized Alexi's reaction and fear. He dropped to his knees before her, pleading with her to forgive him. "I'm _sorry_ miss. I guess I am still too upset about it." He stopped then with his head bowed, shaking visibly with emotion.

After taking a moment to gather her frightened wits about her, she laid a hand on the man's shoulder, only to feel him tense. The reaction only lasted a moment. The man sagged and said. "Marsha used to comfort me that way when I remembered my son's death." He was quiet for a while and then slowly struggled to his feet, all the while keeping his eyes averted. "I'm sorry to have imposed on you like this. I had to see if you weren't really my Marsha come back to haunt me."

He stood swaying slightly with the motion of the train. He glanced at Alexi briefly and then said quietly "I will leave you alone now." He turned away and then glanced back and said softly "Thank you for allowing me to vent my anger and frustration, Miss." He then hurried away, leaving Alexi concerned and confused. The suddenness and intensity of the event left her breathless and frightened. Alexi never saw the old man again.

The rest of the trip to Malaysia was uneventful. It was nearing dawn as the train began to slow down from nearly 300kph. The sky was a gorgeous pale blue with washes of pink as the lights of the Space Elevator came into view. She tipped her head back to look through the sky-view windows of the car. The nearly-invisible thread of the carbon nanotube cable was faintly lighted by the rising sun.

As she watched, a brilliant flash at the base of the cable highlighted the departure of a Climber. It rose rapidly, benefitting from the development of compact fusion reactors. It had only gone a short way before sunlight glinted from a reflective part of the climber.

Her view was blocked as the train coasted into the tunnel under the anchor station and gently slowed to a stop. A platform came into view with throngs of people waiting. She retrieved her bag and headed towards the door at the center of the car. She was greeted by a harried young man with a pad. He scanned her implant and glanced at the message displayed. He pointed her towards a tunnel with flashing green lights over the entrance.

Looking around, Alexi shrugged and then walked towards the tunnel and stepped aboard a slidewalk. It hurried her along the dark tunnel for a minute before slowing enough to allow her to step off. She emerged from the tunnel into a vast rotunda of confusion and noise. Momentarily overwhelmed, Alexi stopped and then lingered near a planter to avoid the press of bodies. A sudden burst of chanting in a strange language drew the attention of everyone. Several blue-uniformed security officers suddenly appeared, heading towards the disturbance.

One voice rose over the chanting to declare "We too are human! We too have the right to exist! No one should be able to declare us unworthy to continue the Human species." The voice became incoherent as the security forces confronted the protesters and the situation devolved into a general free-for-all. The sounds of a struggle were magnified in the relative silence of the rotunda as non-combatants sought shelter wherever they could.

Alexi peered from behind the planter to watch as the security forces used stun batons to subdue the protestors. The speaker was a huge, shaggy man who had grabbed a security officer in each hand and was using their bodies to bat away the attempts of the rest of the squad to subdue him. Alexi was impressed by the man's strength and persistence.

The overwhelming numbers finally overcame the man, and he was brought down. As he was bound and dragged away, he continued to bellow his defiance and struggle against his bonds and captors. Alexi was secretly pleased to see the security officers were staying just out of the man's reach, with many of them sporting black eyes and bloodied noses. A couple of them were limping.

As the altercation ended, those who had witnessed it moved out of hiding and began to speculate loudly about the incident. Alexi picked up her small bag and headed towards the information kiosk to get directions. A young security officer heard her ask for directions and volunteered to guide her towards the embarkation point.

She was acutely aware the young man found her attractive, but she hadn't the heart to identify herself to him. It was when she headed towards the entrance to the area reserved for colonists the young man flushed and turned away. She tried to thank him, but he looked back with a neutral expression, then turned and walked away. Puzzled and hurt by his reaction, she sighed and turned towards the sentries standing to either side of the entrance. They scanned her implanted ID chip and waved her through. She stepped into the relative quiet of the exclusive lounge and was greeted by a petite young woman.

"Welcome to Malaysia." She scanned Alexi's implant and directed her to a portal. "You need to hurry. Your group is supposed to leave on the next Climber." She led Alexi towards the doorway and stood at the entrance to ensure she actually joined her team. Alexi walked hesitantly into the adjoining room and was greeted by yet another young woman with a harried look. She waved Alexi over and scanned her implant yet again. Assured she was supposed to be there, the woman smiled and said "Good! You're the last one!" She then looked at Alexi directly and added quietly "I don't think I would have the courage to do what you are doing." Shuddering slightly, she added "Leave the Earth forever, aboard a ship which hasn't flown yet! No way!" Then she smiled brightly and added, "I am glad you are brave enough though!"

Alexi returned the smile, though with less enthusiasm. She switched her bag to her other hand and walked aboard the platform for the Climber, and into the future.
Chapter 11: The Trip to Midway

Alexi joined around fifty other people aboard the Climber. It was a smallish glassed-in compartment with thinly-padded chairs equipped with multi-point seatbelts. Assistants were relieving the passengers of their luggage and securing each passenger into a chair. The young lady assisting Alexi touched the back of her left hand and asked quietly "Have you used the 'fresher recently?"

Alexi was startled for a moment and shook her head. The lady undid her restraints and urged her to visit the restrooms in the lobby quickly. "We are leaving in five minutes, and I need you seated!" Alexi nodded and hurried to the bathroom. She was back in less than three minutes and plopped into the seat puffing lightly. The assistant grinned at her and said, "Many of the passengers are so excited about the lift they forget to go too!" Giving Alexi's restraints a last tug, she exited the car. As the door was secured, Alexi saw the young woman wave at her. Unsure, Alexi waved back.

"Welcome aboard climber A23." A voice announced from the ceiling. "We are less than a minute from ascending, and I need to remind everyone that smoking is prohibited and you must not unbuckle your restraints until told to do so. The chairs you are in are merely for the beginning of the trip. After a few minutes of acceleration, we will reach cruising speed, and you will be able to ascend to the other levels."

"Restroom facilities are limited to single-occupancy so please use them quickly and leave them clean for the next person. Motion sickness tablets are available on request. Oh, and the consumption of narcotics or alcohol anywhere in the climber is cause for ejection!" The speaker popped and went silent. Alexi stared at the speaker, disbelieving her ears. Then she glanced around to find several of her seat-mates in shock or snickering.

The speaker popped again and the voice said "By the way; the ejection warning was in jest. The use of alcohol or drugs other than prescription meds _isn't_ actually banned; we just take them away from you to use ourselves later!"

The speaker popped again and stayed off. A tone sounded, and Alexi felt her ears compress from increasing pressure. A shudder rattled the car as the traction fields engaged to the riser and began to move them upwards. Since this was her first time in a climber, she had no idea what to expect. The view of the surrounding countryside quickly fell away, and she began to feel heavier. A screen at the center of the car displayed their speed in MPH and KPH.

She alternated watching the speed displays and glancing out the windows. Shortly after they left the station, all she could see was the sky. She tried to lift her head, but it was uncomfortable, so she desisted. A faint whistling noise slowly faded as they reached the upper atmosphere.

She watched in fascination as the sky faded to indigo and then utter black. A few minutes later, she suddenly felt lighter as the Climber reached cruising speed. The displays were stable at nearly 1000 mph or 1610 kph. She heard the speaker come to life and a moment of background noise before the pilot began to speak.

"Welcome to space! We are now 25 miles or just under 48 kilometers above the Earth. As you can see from the displays, we are traveling at nearly 1000 miles per hour or 1610 kph. You may join the crew on the next level for a celebratory drink of Tang!"

Mechanical sounds accompanied the releasing restraints. Standing up cautiously, Alexi felt unsteady and clung to the grab-bar just over her head until the world steadied. Glancing around, she was secretly pleased to see many of her fellow passengers were looking a bit pale too.

When she felt stronger, she tottered to the spiral staircase at the center of the car and slowly negotiated the steps. As her head cleared the floor of the next level, she was applauded by the crew sitting on stools around a curving bar that seemed to encompass the entire level. Then she realized the reason: the view out through the surrounding windows was spectacular.

The rising sun was washing the entire area around the base of the tower with warm light. The Terminator was still visible far to the West as a receding eclipse of darkness. The windows to the East were nearly opaque to block the unfiltered solar radiation. As the sun moved more directly overhead, those windows would gradually clear to allow those seated at the bar breathtaking views of Earth.

A cold, sweating glass of an orange liquid was offered to her as she stepped away from the stairway. "Congratulations on your first Climb!" An attractive young man said as he stood patiently waiting for her to accept his offering. Numbly, Alexi took the glass and then moved to an un-crowded area behind the stairway. The young man followed her and turned the back of the stool away from her, indicating she should be seated. "The effects of Climbing can take a while to wear off. Everyone needs to sit until they get their "Climber Legs"!" He grinned and then dashed off to greet the next cautious passenger braving the climb from below.

She tried the orange concoction and found it a bit strange. The taste was only faintly reminiscent of the oranges she remembered but, after a few more sips, she considered the taste pleasant though a bit too sweet. She was surprised to see a history of the drink printed on the glass. She carefully turned the glass as she read and was amused to learn American Astronauts had favored the drink in early manned space flights. Several generations of young Americans had embraced the beverage for that reason.

She absently watched as the Earth slowly receded beneath them. A steward came around and offered pre-packaged sandwiches and fresh fruit. Alexi chose an apple and an egg-salad sandwich. She gradually became more aware of the conversations going on around her. She is especially conscious of the admiring glances cast her way by the male members of the group.

She was aware she was attractive, but until being selected for colonization, she only had had eyes for Pieter. They had met at the University and had both applied for the program, but a hidden health issue had sidelined Pieter. Their relationship had wobbled a bit, but Pieter overcame his disappointment quickly and became her unflagging champion and mentor as she struggled to pass course after course. She was sure Pieter was even more ecstatic than she was when she graduated with honors.

They had planned on marrying early in their relationship, but Pieter had become cool to the idea after he had been rejected for colonization. "I can't marry you and either, hope to be included as a spouse or risk your being rejected too because you're married. I do love you dear Alexi, but I will not be the reason you miss this fantastic opportunity!"

She had tried to argue against it, but she found no comfort from her parents or siblings. They were all for her going and countered any argument she had for staying. Finally, her father took her on a long walk on a frosty evening and warmly recounted to her how he too had hoped to be selected. He was an outstanding engineer, but he was rejected because younger engineers, more current in his area of technology were needed. He had swallowed his disappointment and volunteered to help mentor many of these younger engineers.

He finally told her she was the only hope a member of their family would ever get to colonize the stars. "We're proud of you Alexi. You carry the hopes and dreams of us all with you. We cannot be there when you reach for the Stars, but our hearts and love go with you."

She hugged him fiercely, and he led her home with his arm around her shoulder. She delighted in his scent as she always had growing up. It was a faintly earthy aroma which increased if he sweat while splitting firewood or carried her on his shoulders around the yard at a gallop. She wanted to remember that smell so it would follow her through any uncertain times ahead.

She was startled out of her remembrances by the stool next to hers being taken. She turned and found herself gazing into the laughing eyes of the young steward. "You're sitting here all by yourself! I saw this and said to myself you are too beautiful to be so alone." He paused to see what effect his words would have on her. He was disappointed to only elicit a faint smile. "I was thinking of my poppa as we parted on the day I left for the university." She stopped and looked down "We've spoken since but I haven't been back to see him." Turning to look out at the unblinking stars she added, "Now, I will never hug him or anyone else in my family again."

Feeling awkward, the young man struggled to find something to say to distract her. He too had applied to be a colonist but had failed to make the necessary marks in school. He had been told if he continued his education, there was always a chance he would be selected later. He had rebelled at the thought he hadn't been good enough and had quit school and applied to work at the Space Elevator complex. Beating out hundreds of other applicants had boosted his self-esteem, but he knew he was still not where he wanted to be.

He gazed at Alexi as she continued to look out at the stars and realized sadly she was unattainable to him. She had succeeded. He had quit. Reflecting on his reaction to his rejection and subsequent actions, he was suddenly overcome with guilt and not a little shame. Easing away from the bar so as not to disturb her, he silently resolved to re-apply himself.

The others in the car sensed Alexi wanted to be alone. It wasn't until she had yawned several times that Alexi became conscious of the room around her. She looked around and found only a couple of people and a senior steward were still in the car. Getting up from her stool was troublesome as she was stiff from sitting. She stretched luxuriously for a moment and then climbed the stairs to the Observation Lounge.

She found a seat facing outward and isolated between two partitions. She placed her pad in the chair to claim it and then went to use the facilities. When she returned, there was a steaming cup of tea waiting for her. She glanced around for her benefactor but the only suspect, the young steward, was nowhere to be seen. She seated herself and then tasted the tea. It was a fragrant Darjeeling, one of her favorites. She wondered how he had known.

The windows in the lounge were floor to ceiling. You could see the curvature of the earth recede as time passed. The sun was moving west so her windows were gradually polarizing against the glare while still allowing her to look out. Some of the warmth leaked through, causing her to get sleepy. She ended up dozing in the chair for an hour.

When she awoke, dinner was being served in the bar downstairs. She headed down and opted for a chicken sandwich and yogurt, with iced tea. She allowed herself to be drawn into a conversation with the young steward. She thanked him for his kindness with the tea earlier, and he blushed slightly and said, "You're most welcome."

They talked until she started yawning too often to be ignored. Seeing her covering several yawns in a minute, the steward suggested she get some sleep. "We're going to be stuck here together for just about another twenty hours, so we don't have to rush getting to know each other all at once." He added action to words, bid her good night and headed up to the crew area.

Alexi put her empty cup in the tray next to the counter and headed down to the sleeping compartment. Finding an unoccupied tube, she grasped the bar overhead and swung her feet in first. Wriggling a bit to squirm further inside, she then reached out and closed the air-tight hatch. Alexi touched the control that opaqued the glass for privacy and then shrugged out of her clothes. She snuggled under the light blanket and dropped off to sleep far faster than she had thought possible.

By the time they were less than three hours from reaching Midway, she had exhausted her repertoire of stories and jokes. She had played every game on her pad at least once and was about to climb out the top hatch to see if she could speed things along. Many of the other passengers felt the same way. A couple of the men had to be separated when they went at each other over a minor disagreement.

Her weight had been dropping steadily as they had neared Midway. At first, it was a novelty, and then it became a hazard if you stepped down too hard or tried to stop too suddenly. More often than not, you ended up floundering about until you touched down again.

The crew arranged for several competitions involving low-gravity effects. One was where you poured water out of a glass and then tried to catch it with the same glass. They passed out squirt-guns and, while the men thought they were great fun, it seemed as if only the women were getting wet. Paper airplanes would fly for several minutes.

When they were only an hour from arrival, she felt light as a feather. She had wandered down to the bottom floor and was pacing around the central spiral stairway for exercise. For fun, she would jump up lightly and grab a pair of the overhead bars and slowly pull herself around the perimeter of the room. Feeling the urge to go, she allowed herself to settle to the floor. Alexi shuffled her feet as she had been taught and headed for the bathroom.

Afterward, feeling hungry, she grabbed some toast and an orange, then retreated to what had become 'her' stool to eat. She had just finished eating when the speaker came on and announced "Arriving at Midway. All passengers must return to the lower cabin and strap in. A steward will assist you if needed and to answer any questions you might have."

Alexi slowly headed down to the lower car and returned to the same seat she had used on lift-off. She was belted-in before the young steward came around to check on her. He smiled but said nothing. Alexi looked after him as he moved on and wondered at his change towards her. She couldn't pursue the thought as the Climber began to slow and she felt her weight dropping away, then she lifted gently against her straps. As the deceleration built, she hoped the straps were adequate.

Her stomach protested a bit and flipped over a couple of times. She heard a subdued curse from one of the other passengers and turned in time to see him grab an air-sickness bag and use it. Alexi felt a bit green too, but she hoped the man had the presence of mind to hang onto the bag.

The silence when the Climber eased to a complete stop was deafening. Only the hiss of the ventilator and a faint buzzing from one of the light fixtures intruded on the quiet. Then the young steward unbelted and floated towards the ceiling. The speaker came on. "All passengers may unbuckle now. Please discard any air-sickness bags in the plastic can near the stairway. Follow the steward's instructions closely, and you will all soon be back in gravity."

Alexi released her restraints and grabbed the overhead bar. She fought down an urge to hang onto it and scream. She had been warned about the effects of weightlessness but nothing could over-rule the body's reaction to falling endlessly. She fought to remain calm and was pleased to see she was already beginning to enjoy feeling weightless. She glanced around and saw many of her fellow passengers were also clinging to the overhead bars with death-grips, with pale, sweating faces. To their credit, no one actually screamed, though a couple of people looked on the verge of it.

The steward was experienced and quickly distracted those worse-off by urging them to pull themselves over to the stairway and up. One by one, the passengers were persuaded to release their death-grip on the bars and allow the steward to guide them out of the car. By the time the compartment was half-empty, Alexi felt stable enough to manage on her own.

Alexi pushed off towards the stairway and expertly caught the handrail and then bounced off the opposite rail upwards. She sailed up the stairway, guiding herself by small touches to the fixtures. The young steward grinned widely when he spotted her emerging from the stairwell on her own. He gallantly gestured towards the hatch he had just passed the previous passenger through and stayed out of the way as she sailed past. Alexi said a quiet "Thank you" as she glided by him.

Crewmembers were stationed along the walls of the passageway leading to the rotating section of the station. They kept the passengers from blundering into the walls and spoke encouraging words to them. A few made faces to each other as particularly inept passengers went by them. Alexi caught herself snickering in response. One crewman heard her, and his face flamed red in embarrassment.

She smiled at his discomfort and continued further into the station. She came to a section with rotating lights and printed warnings about artificial gravity. She made sure her feet were pointed towards the bright yellow cushion at the far end of the slowly-rotating padded tube. She felt her legs swing to the right a bit, so she grabbed the rails and allowed centrifugal force to pull her towards the pad. She touched down like a pro and moved out of the way for the next passenger.

The station was spinning just fast enough to offer one-third gravity. This feature allowed most passengers and returning Spacers to acclimate before going onward. She was directed to a room with a curving floor. Alexi looked around as the rest of the passengers arrived a few at a time.

A crewman stepped to the front of the room and said "Welcome to Midway. You will be here until your shuttles arrive." He glanced at a display on the wall and added "The next one is due in two hours. Meanwhile, you have access to all points on Midway except any area marked with yellow-and-black paint or taped stripes. Those lead to engineering spaces or to crew quarters. You will find the galley spin-ward about 60 degrees and a rest area even further around. If a curtain on an alcove is closed, don't disturb the person resting in there."

"Silence is to be observed in rest spaces, and no loud noises of any kind are permitted anywhere on the station. If a uniformed crewman directs you to or away from an area, obey instantly. It is for your own safety. In the case of an emergency, stop where you are and move out of the way of uniformed crewmembers. Someone will soon direct you or guide you to a safe waiting area."

"Touch nothing you are not authorized to operate. Violators will have the offending digits removed." The man said this with a straight face, and looks of concern showed on many faces. Softening his tone somewhat, the man added, "Well, we _may_ not actually _remove_ the digit or appendage, but you are likely to never forget the result of touching something you do not understand." He held up a hand, and several passengers gasped; his first and second fingers were missing!

"No, I didn't get them cut off because I violated the rule I just told you about. This happened because I was careless! I am a highly-trained mechanic with hundreds of hours of hard-vacuum experience. I lost these when I tried to use a tool I was not qualified to handle."

Putting the grim reminder out of sight behind his back, the man added "Space is unforgiving. If you give it the slightest of chances, it _will_ kill you! Take _nothing_ for granted and always double-check that what you are about to do, won't expose you or someone else to vacuum, or worse."

"I do encourage you all to explore the station as it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many of you. Just remember this rule: if in doubt, _don't_!"

One passenger raised a hand and asked, "If in doubt, don't what?"

"If in doubt, don't. That's the rule here. If you have a doubt about how to do _anything,_ wait and ask a uniformed crewmember for help _._ ALL of the crew on Midway will be more than happy to assist you. They will happily take a moment to keep you from harm, rather than fill out the paperwork it takes to send a body back!" He said this with a straight face, but a few individuals caught on and chuckled.

"Again; Welcome to Midway! Enjoy your stay and thank you for volunteering to be colonists."

The passengers crowded for the entrance, so Alexi hung back until most of them had pushed through the doorway. She trailed the last of them on a tour of the station being led by a senior crewman. Alexi saw the crew quarters, bathrooms and a recreational center. She caught glimpses of spaces beyond open doorways housing noisy machinery or emitting strange smells. The galley looked like any cafeteria on Earth, except that the counter followed the gentle curvature of the station. The compartment was so large, you could see people further around the curve standing with their bodies tilted towards her.

Alexi ducked out of the tour here and snagged a sweet-roll and some juice. She sat as far away from the aisle as she could to have a moment to herself. She wasn't sleepy, and her shuttle would arrive soon, so she looked out at space through a small porthole and then quickly turned away as the apparent motion of the stars caused her stomach to lurch.

Finished with the snack, Alexi stashed her small pack in a locker and then wandered the halls, peeking into forbidden spaces and watching the activity around her. As the time neared for her shuttle to dock, she found a vantage point near the docking port and admired the skill of the pilot as the shuttle slipped into place and was secured.

Alexi watched as space-suited individuals used puffs of gas to maneuver containers off of the shuttle. She could see the shadows of other people passing along a translucent bellows-like umbilical into the station. Shortly afterward, all activity around the shuttle ceased. She heard the announcement for her flight.

Heading towards the shuttle, Alexi had the passageway mostly to herself. She wanted to board early so she could have her choice of seat. She passed the back of her hand over the scanner, and the screen showed her picture and pertinent data. The crewman at the hatchway leading to the shuttle waved her forward saying only "Try not to punch holes in the walls please." He matched the warning with a radiant smile at her. She smiled back and pulled herself into the shuttle.

She had seen pictures of the interiors of shuttles before, but they failed to convey the close confines she was now seeing. She had toured the interior of a passenger plane in a museum once, but it seemed spacious compared to this! The shuttle smelled of bodies, warm electronics, and stale, recycled air.

This vehicle had seen some years of hard use. The seats were padded but worn. Each position had a fold-away magnetic table and reading lamp. As she sat near the back, she saw a notice about leaving personal electronics off during docking and un-docking. Reminded of her pack, she headed back to the hatchway and into the station. The man at the entrance called after her "We are leaving in half an hour!" She waved at him in understanding.

Alexi retrieved her pack from the locker and headed back to the shuttle. She silently berated herself for nearly leaving it on the station. Sailing past the man at the hatch again, he grinned knowingly and called out quietly "Almost left it behind, right?" She didn't answer, but she was sure he saw her blush in response. His chuckle confirmed it.

Alexi strapped into the seat and placed her pad on the tray within the zone marked with a charging symbol. The pad came on and connected to the shuttles' wireless data transceiver. She spent the time waiting for the shuttle to fill up by catching up on messages. She wrote a lengthy letter to her father and sent a short note to Pieter congratulating him on his marriage. She then reviewed the safety procedures relating to passengers in a zero-gee shuttle. She wasn't particularly eager to use the communal bathroom, but she quickly checked she still had her personal evacuation device. It was where she had tucked it: in an outside pocket for quick access.

While she had the bag open, she inventoried it to see if she needed to replenish anything. A solid clunk and a change in the air-pressure told her she was too late to go back into the station for anything. Fortunately, she was adequately prepared.

"Welcome aboard Shuttle Tiderion. Please ensure all personal belongings are placed in the pouch in the seatback ahead of you or clipped under your seat. Seal any food or liquid containers and stow them in the mesh bags beside your seats."

"We will be pushing off shortly, so make sure seatbacks, and tray tables are in their full upright and locked positions." She heard a few low groans from some of the passengers. She wondered at the reaction and decided to ask one of them about it later.

The lights in the cabin flickered. Alexi touched an icon on her pad for an external view and saw the power and utility umbilicals detach and retract. A few drops of water escaped from one and flashed into ice crystals. A space-suited figure snagged each umbilical and clamped the ends to brackets. She felt barely-perceptible pushes from her seat and saw the station slowly retreating. They drifted further and further until the space station was fully revealed.

The station was tethered to the Space Elevator cable by one arm of the non-rotating docking section. The rotating part was a slowly-revolving disk. Lights showed both from portholes and exterior fixtures at irregular intervals. Above the station was a stationary section where the shuttles docked. She could see two other shuttles docked there, but they were bulkier. She assumed they were meant for cargo. She saw a mirror-image station taking shape on the opposite side of the cable. It looked to be about half completed

The entire station was bathed in Earthshine from below and sunlight on the far side. As she watched, the bulk of the station eclipsed the sun completely, plunging the shuttle into deep shadow but lit from below by Earthshine. She could still see the tether continuing out into space by the faint gleam of reflected sunlight.

The shuttle turned gracefully away from the station and continued coasting away. Alexi had read the shuttles had to be a certain distance away and above the station before they could fire their main engines. While she waited, she drank in the sight of the Earth as night slowly engulfed the near side. The Terminator crawled past the Space Elevator anchor-point in Malaysia. She could see two climbers heading towards Midway, and at least one other heading down. She wondered briefly how they were sent back down. China and Japan were brilliant jewels scattered on a blanket of black velvet. She strained to see her home in Petropavlovsk, but clouds blocked her view.

"Firing the main engines in 5...4...3...2...1". Alexi felt part of her weight return. The gentle acceleration surprised her until she realized the tether actually had given the shuttle a significant boost in the direction they needed. All they need was a bit more speed to break orbit and head for the Shipyards.

"Settle back folks and enjoy the trip. We have about 7 hours to go until we reach the Lagrange 5 Shipyards. You can eat what you brought with you. The 'fresher is in the back. Welcome aboard!"

Alexi retrieved her sweet-roll and took a bite. She wanted to finish it before they cut the engines off. Alexi had just wadded up the napkin to dispose of it when the muted roar of the main engines went silent. She felt herself lift against the straps holding her to her seat and waited to see if her stomach would react. Several moments passed, and her stomach stayed still.

She called up the navigation plot to the shipyards on her pad. Alexi noted with interest that several shuttles were in route to and from the shipyards, spaced about two hours apart. A string of yellow blips showed the trajectories of the mass-launched loads coming from the Moon. She had watched similar data-feeds from her cubical on Earth. Something was different now. It took her a moment to recognize why: there were far more loads coming from the Moon than she had ever seen before. She zoomed in on one of the loads and tapped the image for details. Amongst the standard data on trajectory was the payload: Water. Each container was filled with thousands of liters of water. Reactor fuel possibly.

Alexi turned to her seat-mate and engaged her in conversation. They had met at the training site on Earth, but they were from different departments and so hadn't had much contact with each other. They speculated on the future as Alexi kept an eye on her pad to watch their progress.

As the shuttle approached the station, the passengers could see the solar shield slowly sweeping past. The shuttle changed course and passed over the top of the shield. Alexi could see the construction details briefly as the shuttle began slowing to dock. She tapped another icon to tie into the Pilot's camera. She watched in growing admiration as the Pilot deftly engaged the docking arm with a minimum of fuss.

She watched as the umbilical cables were connected. The shuttles lights flickered as power shifted to the station. Alexi gathered her bag and trash and followed the rest of the passengers into the station. She glanced around, anxiously looking for a restroom. She had avoided using the shuttles facilities and now was near to overflowing.

She figuratively crossed her ankles and gritted her teeth, willing the sphincters to hold. Their group finally crossed the boundary into gravity, and Alexi streaked towards the nearest bathroom. She was too self-absorbed to realize she was the spearhead of a vanguard of women headed for the same location. There were a few frantic scuffles as the women searched for empty stalls. A collective sigh issued from all as they finally had relief.

The shuttle crew had followed the passengers into the station and grinned at each other as they saw the women, and quite a few of the men headed eagerly for the bathrooms. _No one_ liked to use the shuttles facilities, including the crew. They would empty their bottles later.

Alexi washed her hands and then left the restroom well ahead of any of the other women. Feeling much better, she keyed her pad and asked the stations' directory for a route to her assigned quarters. It wasn't too far away, so she made her way there and stored her bag. Her personal effects would be delivered later after the shuttle was emptied.

She locked the door and headed towards the observation lounge, guided by placards mounted on the bulkheads. She wasn't the first one there: many of the passengers were already there, gaping at the sight of the massive ship that was to be their future home.

She saw two huge counter-rotating cylindrical habitats. They were end-on and so she couldn't see the entire ship. An intricate framework of carbon-composite girders linked the two habitats at each end. The mottled surfaces of the habitats glowed in the brilliant lights as they slowly rotated. Alexi spotted tiny figures swarming in and around the framework. They were too far away to tell what they were doing, but their actions seemed almost frantic. Their size relative to the ships gave her a better grasp of their immensity. These ships were the largest construction projects mankind had ever undertaken.

Returning to her quarters, Alexi locked herself in. Upon seeing her luggage, she made sure everything had arrived intact, put on her pajamas and crawled into bed. Her last conscious thoughts were of her family.
Chapter 12: Vacuum Practice

A chime from the Comm panel awakened Alexi. She struggled back to consciousness and managed to locate the Talk button before another chime could sound.

"Yes?"

"Ms. Alexandra Logonov?"

"Yes?" Hearing her formal name bothered her for some reason.

"Please report to Training Center 15 in an hour for orientation."

"Uh, Okay." The Comm panel went silent. She glanced at the chronometer and realized she had been asleep for nearly 9 hours. She stepped into the shower and took what she was told was a "Navy Shower." She missed the long hot showers of home and the University. She had been introduced to water-conserving measures like the navy shower during her training at the base on Earth. She didn't like them, but it was better than the alternative.

Toweling off, she took stock of her body in the metal mirror on the back of the shower door. She was pleased to see she hadn't started gaining the belly bulge that had plagued her mother. Dressing quickly, she ran a comb through her now shorter hair and popped a tooth-cleanser tablet into her mouth. Looking around, she realized she was procrastinating, so she opened the door and stepped out.

After locking the door to her cubical, she consulted her pad for directions to Training Room 15. The route would lead her past a galley, so she headed off, desperate for a cup of tea to wash the tooth-cleanser taste out of her mouth.

She ordered an omelet and orange juice and had a hurried breakfast before walking the few hundred yards to the training room. She was introduced to many other colonists who had been there a bit longer and was given an overview of the training she would receive for the next few weeks.

She read the list on her pad and was appalled to realize they would be undergoing space-suited damage control drills. Her suit had been fitted to her on Earth, but she hadn't seen it since. She hoped it had made the transit with her. She dreaded the chance something would go wrong. Or worse; she would throw-up in the helmet. She had heard stories of people throwing up in their helmets and never getting the smell out again.

Her father had worked with his hands all his life and had made sure Alexi, and her brothers had excellent skills with tools. She didn't mind the DC drills while in the atmosphere, but DC in vacuum was very dangerous. If you snagged your suit, you could die within seconds or minutes if you couldn't slap a self-adhesive patch over the hole. Even in the vacuum-chamber practices on Earth there had been deaths and near-deaths.

Scrolling further down the list, Alexi was overjoyed to see she was going to be allowed to learn how to pilot the one-person jumpers used outside of the ships for repairs, and occasionally, for fun. She had watched recordings of unsanctioned races and other demonstrations of skill by experienced Jumper pilots. It looked like a lot of fun! The rest of the list was mainly refresher and more zero-gee training. No sweat.

All new-arrivals were re-introduced to their space suits. A station tech helped them to unpack the suits and inspect the seals. Each colonist had to assemble and inflate their suit with helium. They used detector wands along the seals looking for leaks. A couple of the suits needed repairs, but Alexi's seals passed the leak-test.

Next, she had to demonstrate her ability to use the suit. Alexi deflated the suit, then unzipped the single front closure seal. She detached the helmet and placed it on the suit stand, then hung the body from the shoulder loops. The gloves went against magnetized pads to hold the arms away from the suit's opening. Snaps held the body-flaps apart. Alexi paused to see if she had forgotten any steps so far.

Satisfied she was following the memorized procedure, Alexi turned her back to the suit and reached for the grab-bar overhead, jumped up and swung her legs back into the opening. Pointing her feet to clear the ankle openings of the attached boots, Alexi released the grab-bar, then crouched within the suit to push her head into the helmet-ring. Next, she worked each hand through the sleeves and into the gloves. Once her hands filled the gloves, she checked her range of finger and wrist motions.

Pulling her arms away from the magnetic pads, Alexi carefully zipped the front closure and checked that the strap for the zipper was secured to the spot on her right shoulder. Next, she grasped the helmet and pulled it carefully over her head and onto the helmet-ring. A rotation to the right engaged the clips. A strong pull upwards assured her her helmet was secured. She toggled the power control on the chest-mounted control panel and saw the telltales come on in the mirror.

The suit inflated. She verified seal integrity via the tell-tales in her helmet. Nodding to the tech, he touched his pad and then grinned at her and said "Not bad, for a rookie. Now, let's see you take it off properly."

Sighing, Alexei recalled the mantra she had learned to correctly enter and leave her suit. The tech timed her as she removed and prepped the suit for storage. He had her go through the exercise two more times before he would certify her for egress readiness.

"Alright, let's head for the practice chamber." He walked beside her as she followed the painted footsteps on the floor to the practice chamber. She had a brief moment of panic as the tech closed the door to the chamber, but she quelled her fear quickly, hoping the monitors in her suit hadn't given her away.

The tech's voice sounded in her ears. "Okay. I'm depressurizing the chamber. Signal if you have any problems."

"You mean like having a case of the screaming meemee's?" she asked half-jokingly.

"Yes, but I won't bring you out because of those. You'll just have to do what I do."

"What do you do?" she asked, curious.

He looked at her with serious eyes and said quietly "I turn off my radio and wait until I'm done screaming."

"Oh." Knowing a seasoned space veteran could still get the shakes did little to reassure her.

Alexi followed all of his directions, and he had her out of the chamber in less than an hour. As she carefully shed the suit, she realized she had been sweating heavily, despite the cooling unit. She was conscious of the tech helping her out of the suit and wondered if the odor was reaching him.

When they had completed removing the suit, she disposed of the skull-cap. She then assisted the tech in prepping the suit for storage until the next session. When they had the suit back in its storage locker, the tech silently pointed to a door at the back of the room. Obediently, she thanked the tech and headed for the mysterious door. She stepped through to find unisex shower stalls, without water meters! Gratefully, she stepped into one and locked the door. She took her time luxuriating under the endless hot water and shampooed her hair twice.

When she was re-dressed after her shower, she stepped back into the training room to find the tech was helping another student into the chamber. She waved her thanks to him as she left. He gave her a knowing smile.

Her training was nearly completed when she learned her father had died in an industrial accident while training some young engineers. Her brother's somber face on the screen told her how hard it had hit him. Alexi was stunned into silence. She missed her next class, but no one chided her for it. Every one of her instructors seemed to be aware of what had happened. It wasn't until two days later that the stations' chaplain visited her. He sat and listened politely as she told him about her father and rubbed her back as she bawled like a baby.

She slipped into the training room on the third day, and no one commented. The instructor welcomed her back with a smile and let her approach him for missed material. She was numb for a week.
Chapter 13: GenStar One

Alexi awoke excited. Today was the day they moved to the ship!

She had detailed what she wanted in her quarters. Everything from paint colors to carpeting. She felt like a bride choosing linens, curtains, and towels. Best of all, she didn't have to pay for any of it!

She was thrilled to know she had a nearly 800 square foot apartment all to herself! The living room had a small balcony the extended into an open area between levels that doubled as an air-shaft. The kitchen was small but adequate. And, it had a full bathroom! She couldn't wait to see it in person!

Her personal stuff and her space suit had already been moved over days before. She had her keycard already and a picture of the completed unit. Someone had even put a vase of flowers on her table!

She packed her small bag and checked to see she hadn't left anything behind. She then closed and locked the door to her tiny cubical for the last time. She strode quickly to the embarkation point to join the others boarding that day.

They pressed together at the large hatch that was normally open to allow workers access to the ship. It was closed for today's event. The station Commander arrived, and everyone grew quiet as she made her way through the crowd and returned quiet greetings from individual colonists. Upon reaching the hatch, she turned to face the crowd. They quieted respectfully, awaiting the inevitable speech.

"Congratulations on the last day of your training aboard the Lagrange Five shipyard space station. You have all passed your tests with adequate to outstanding demonstrations of Emergency and Damage-Control skills. I hereby certify each of you as Spacers!"

A ragged cheer went up from the crowd, who were more interested in boarding the ship than listening to one of the Commanders' long-winded speeches. Surprising them all, the Commander palmed the lock-plate for the hatch, and it parted almost silently. She then stepped aside and ushered them to the next phase of their lives with a smile and a wave.

One at a time, the colonists walked forward and grabbed the tow-rope leading 'up.' As they approached the axis connector between the rotational part of the station and the ship access, their weight dropped away. Alexi watched as those ahead of her, freed from the artificial gravity of the station began to show-off and laugh. The tow-rope ended at a reception room at the center of the station. More rope-tows led from the chamber to its mirror-image at the center-front of the ship's framework.

The Colonists gathered around the walls of the chamber to await the ships' Captain. While they gathered and waited, yard workers moved through the room and grasped the tow-ropes one-handed and were pulled into the ship. A few grinned at the colonists' evident fear and waved as they launched themselves off of one rope and mimed swimming through the air or tumbled spectacularly before catching one of the rope-tows leading into the ship or the station. A few of them howled or hooted like monkeys and made other simian sounds at the newcomers until the Ship's Commander appeared. She scowled at one crewman that didn't spot her in time, and he quickly fled down the shaft.

"Welcome aboard GenStar One! I hope his display of infantile enthusiasm didn't put any of you off." She smiled wanly and added, "Unfortunately if you use the tows long enough, you begin to feel like howling like Tarzan and acting foolishly in other ways." As if on request, a distant yell was heard the sounded distinctly like the ancient television character. The Commander scowled, and a crewman quickly headed in that direction, no doubt to chastise the offender.

Struggling to regain her composure, the Commander went on. "This is the Central Connector between the station and the Ship. Once the ship is ready, this section and the shaft will be sealed-off and moved away to allow the ship to be towed out of the yard. At the other end of the shaft is a room similar to this one, but it is a part of the ship. It will be used to allow movement between the habitats, and to dock the various jumpers and shuttles the ship carries. Follow me please."

The Captain grasped a tow-rope and was pulled into the shaft. It took a while, but the colonists managed to reassemble in the next room in good order. The Captain waited until all were present before going on.

Pointing one way then the other, she said "these tunnels lead to each habitat. You use rope-tows when the ship is not accelerating. You can use the slidewalks during acceleration if you want to. The tube you see over there" she pointed to the rope-tow leading off into a yellow tunnel "leads to Hab-1, and that one" she said, pointing the other way "leads to Hab-2. We have other names for them that you will learn later."

"Each of you will already know where you are supposed to be living. You were given a map of your Habitat. Crewmen will direct you if you get lost. And don't worry: these places are huge, so it is easy to get turned around. Just scan your key card at any kiosk at an intersection, and it will point you in the right direction."

"Now, I'm sure you are eager to see your new home for yourself, so you are on your own for the next 24 hours to explore. After that, you will be contacted by your supervisors via pad or Comm panel and directed to your work assignments."

"Welcome aboard!"

Alexi was quartered in Hab-2, so she moved to the line for the rope-tow and waited for her turn. She grasped the rope and allowed it to pull her along. As the rope neared the end of the tunnel, recordings told her to let go and to grasp a stationary rail to slow down. It was then she noticed the crew had gloves on at least one hand. Friction-burns were a real possibility!

Alexi released her hold on the tow-rope and allowed her momentum to carry her forward. She missed her first attempt but caught the rail on her second attempt. She gripped too hard, slammed against the wall and rebounded, losing her grip entirely. A couple of grinning crewmen guided her towards the rotating section of the connector. She was blushing furiously and could barely thank them as they chuckled and moved off. She resolved to become as adept as they were, and soon!

The connector to Hab-2 was a circular room with narrow escalators disappearing down tubes branching out every 45 degrees around the circumference. Alternating with them were escalators bringing people up.

Alexi watched as experienced crew allowed the escalators to launch them towards the center of the room, where they would grab hand-holds to arrest their forward motion, then push off either into the stationary part of the connector towards Hab-1, or to a down-escalator to another part of the habitat. It was Grand Central Station, without the trains!

Alexi pulled out her passkey and read the numbers for her Habitat number, Street, Avenue, and Level. Using those coordinates, she could get within a block of her apartment. Streets ran around the circumference and Avenues the length of the cylinder. Avenues were numbered by degrees from Zero clockwise facing forward, and streets were numbered from lowest to highest from the forward end of the ship.

Alexi was headed for 2-32.5-155-1, Residence 103. She looked at the escalators leaving the room and realized they were identified by their angle from zero. She located the escalator for 45-degrees and pulled herself across the room until she was right above the opening. She pushed off towards the down escalator and grabbed onto the moving handrail. She waited for centrifugal force to bring her feet to the platform where she struggled to stand up. By the time Alexi was halfway to the bottom she was feeling closer to what she remembered she had weighed on Earth.

Alexi was looking around in sheer wonder when a tap on her shoulder caused her to turn around. The woman behind her pointed towards their destination and Alexi turned back to see they were nearing the bottom. She glanced back and thanked the woman and then prepared to step off the escalator.

She managed to step off of the escalator with a minimum of stumbling. Orienting herself, Alexi saw a bicycle shop nearby with racks of hundreds of bicycles in different sizes, styles, and colors. She approached a woman behind the counter and asked, "Do I need to buy one of the bikes to use it?"

"Buy or rent; it's your choice. The fancier ones are for sale while the ugly green ones are for rent. If you just rent, I scan your implant to release a bike from its lock. When you are done with it, push it into any open position at any other rack on the station. You are charged per use. If you do not use a bike during a pay period, you are not charged. If you buy, there is no further charge, but you have to pay for repairs." She smiled and added, "You can also buy insurance if you want it."

She looked Alexi up and down and added "Go easy your first few times riding. This is not real gravity here. Centrifugal force can play strange tricks on you, especially when you need to turn."

Alexi thanked her and bought a small pink bike that fit her well. She mounted the bike and carefully rode towards Avenue 32.5. When Alexi tried to make a turn, centrifugal force dumped her over. Nobody was there to see her, so she was able to get back on the bike and pedal away with her dignity intact.

After a few wrong turns, she finally found her block and level. She got off and walked the bike the rest of the way because she was too winded to ride further. It turned out her apartment was in the middle of the block. Her door was painted red like she had asked, and there was even a plastic bucket with plastic flowers on the step. She inserted her keycard, and the light turned green. Alexi turned the handle, opened the door, and stepped into paradise.

The apartment had that "No one has _ever_ lived here" smell. The lights came on as Alexi stepped further in and soft music issued from a hidden speaker. She grimaced; just because she came from the Russian Federation, doesn't mean she wanted to hear Russian music! Alexi carried the bike in and then closed the door. She left the bike leaning against the hallway wall.

Alexi put her bag on the kitchen counter and wandered into the kitchen. The refrigerator was stocked with bottled water and the items she had ordered. The cupboards had the dishes and cookware she wanted. The drawers contained the flatware and utensils she had asked for. The rest of the cabinets were relatively empty.

In the bedroom, Alexi sat on the mattress to test it. It was too soft. Alexi lay back and used the remote to inflate the mattress. She explored the rest of her apartment and then made a lengthy list of things she wanted.

Alexi checked her account. She had been frugal in training and in the shipyard station, so she had a healthy balance. Feeling hungry, she grabbed her keycard, and then remembered the door was also supposed to be tied to her implant. She stepped outside and closed the door. When she released the handle, the green light went out. When she grasped it again, the light came back on.

Curious, she tried her other hand, and the light stayed out. Thus assured, she called up a map on her pad and found the nearest café. As she walked along, she glanced into the windows of the apartments she passed. Most were dark, but a few had lights or other signs of occupancy. She spotted a market down the street as she stepped into the café. Making a mental note to go there after she had something to eat, she scanned the menu and was surprised to see the variety of foods available. She was also surprised to see the prices. She would not be eating there frequently!

She ordered a soup and sandwich with tea, then picked a tiny table near the window to wait for her food. As she ate, she spotted some other newcomers negotiating the labyrinth of address designations. She figured the residents would eventually come up with a more user-friendly way to tell others where they lived.

The market was not well stocked with fresh foods. When Alexi asked about it, the manager told her that the area was just starting to gain in population. As demand went up, so would supply. She thanked him and then wandered the aisles looking for items from her list. She indulged in an electric teapot along with her basic needs.

When Alexi reached the dry-goods area, she did find a few teas and even some freeze-dried coffee! She hadn't indulged in coffee in quite a while as it was quite expensive. Soap, shampoo and other minor toiletries completed her shopping.

As she carried her purchases back to her apartment, she felt more at home. The door opened at her touch, and she smiled as she closed it behind her. She put her groceries away, then used her teapot for the first time.

Conscious she had less than 20 hours before she had to report to work, Alexi decided to try out the bed and catch a nap. She checked her pad but didn't see any new messages. She tried out the bathroom and let the bidet do its thing. The lack of toilet paper still troubled her. The warm water did feel good though.

Done, she went to the bedroom, pulled a set of sheets out of the cupboard and made the bed. She was especially pleased with the comforter she had ordered.

Changing into her pajamas, she slid between the sheets and luxuriated in the feel of fresh linens and a fluffy pillow, in her own apartment! She shivered in pure joy and then turned out the light and tried to sleep. After tossing and turning for what seemed like an hour, she sighed in frustration and got up. She dressed and headed out the door determined to explore the area and try to meet some of her neighbors.

Picking a direction at random, Alexi strode off and found a tunnel that would take her up to the surface. She emerged into bright light that warmed her face. There was a faint breeze, and it was only as she allowed her eyes to follow the curvature of the interior that she realized she could see all the way around the inside of the habitat. The light and heat came from a central shaft at the axis of the habitat.

She found a bench on the verge of a strip of grass and sat down. The shape of the seat allowed her to lean back and gaze around the interior. She watched as tiny figures scurried about their errands or rode bicycles over her head.

She was near the front end of the habitat, so her eyes were gradually drawn down the length of the immense cylinder. She had to shade her eyes from the bright light of the central shaft, but even then, she couldn't quite make out the far end. At one point, she felt a drop of water land on her up-turned face. Startled, she looked around and saw a sparse rain falling gently. She had been told it could rain if conditions were right, but it still surprised her.

She returned the greetings from a couple strolling by at one point, then watched as they moved away, hand in hand. The sight brought tears to her eyes; she missed Pieter terribly. The encounter with the couple left her feeling down, so she returned to her apartment, checked for messages and went to bed. She had no trouble falling asleep this time.
Chapter 14: Launch Day!

It had been just over ten months since Alexi had moved to the ship. The neighborhood had swelled with population, and she was now hard-pressed to see any empty apartments. It had taken a while, but Alexi realized one day that there were no children aboard! She had known no children would be brought aboard and only singles and colonists married to other colonists were present, but the lack suddenly struck her as odd.

She had spotted quite a few pregnant women recently so the lack of children would soon end. She touched her own belly for a moment and missed Pieter again. She hadn't found any men aboard she had been attracted to yet, though she had had her share of dates. She just didn't feel ready to commit yet.

She was working at a nearby laboratory for an older female geneticist. They were busy sampling the crops and animals aboard to establish a baseline against which to verify future generations. Alexi had maintained contact with her family and learned Pieter's wife had recently given birth to a daughter. She cried herself to sleep that night.

Since she was licensed to pilot jumpers, Alexi would occasionally volunteer to take one out and assist the workers still working in a vacuum. She would ferry materials or retrieve dropped tools. Once, she rescued a worker who hadn't secured his lanyard correctly and had floated off. When she wasn't actually working, she would take the jumper through the framework sightseeing. She once headed to the area directly over the ship so she could see the entire thing at once. Traffic control had to call her twice to regain her attention and had been reminded not to take a jumper so far away from the shipyard again. She didn't regret the incident at all; the view had been awe-inspiring.

She received a general broadcast on her pad and had seen the message posted on screens at kiosks around the area: the ship was scheduled to test the engines today. The ship had been moved out of the shipyards so they could test-fire each engine group. They would leave as soon as the engineers certified the test results.

As the time neared, she wandered into an open area along with thousands of fellow colonists. Every screen was displaying the same image relayed from a shuttle standing off to one side of the ship. The mood was somber; everyone hoped the tests were successful. Those associated with the tests had been inundated with requests for information from their neighbors and friends. All was reported well.

At the appointed time, the video feed showed a swelling brilliance emanating from each bank of engines and then fading away. They didn't feel the ship moving so many people groaned, thinking the tests were failures. When the last cluster faded to black, the video feed was replaced by the face of the Commander. "The tests are complete. Preliminary data shows all engines fired correctly! Pending the final approval, we will be on our way in a week! Congratulations to everyone!" The screen changed to display the ship's logo and went silent.

People slowly dispersed, talking animatedly. Alexi returned to her apartment and found messages from her family saying they had seen the engine test and wondered if it had gone well. She broadcast an answer to all telling them the tests had gone well. She added that she missed them all, her Father most of all. There was no message from Pieter.

She was seized with a bout of extreme melancholy. Alexi didn't know why but suspected the reality of her leaving Earth forever was finally settling in. Up until now, everything had been exciting as she prepared and trained for this day. She had been too busy to actually realize the end result would be her never seeing her family again.

She wandered down the street from her apartment, not really wanting to be alone right then. She saw the little café she had visited her first day and stepped inside to find it filled with a boisterous crowd eating and drinking and talking excitedly about the tests and their upcoming launch.

She squeezed through to the counter and ordered a coffee. Looking around as it was being prepared, she spotted a table near the window with two chairs but only one occupant. She couldn't see his face but, since she hadn't actually seen anybody aboard that could even be remotely called ugly, she decided to meet him so she could share his table.

Coffee in hand, she deftly maneuvered her way through the throng and approached the table. She hesitated, and then asked quietly "May I share your table please?"

The man started and then turned haunted eyes towards her. She almost changed her mind until the light came back into his eyes. He stood and pulled out the other chair for her. She sat down, and he helped scoot it back in. When he sat down again, he hesitated then reached a hand out to her and said, "Hi. My name is Dean." She shook his hand firmly and saw a surprised look pass over his face. "Hi, Dean. My name is Alexi."

He looked thoughtful and then said, "That sounds like it was shortened from something longer."

She grimaced and said, "It's short for Alexandra." She shivered. "I never liked my full name, so everyone calls me 'Alexi.' I hope I am not intruding."

He shrugged and answered, "You disrupted an unpleasant chain of thought, so, no; you are actually a welcome alternative."

She waited for him to elaborate and he seemed distracted, so she sipped her coffee and watched his face out of the corner of her eye. He returned to looking off into the distance, wandering the paths of memory she wasn't privy to. She didn't want to intrude, so she sat quietly and turned to reflect a little on the past herself.

***

Dean became aware Alexi was still sitting across from him and shook off the gloom occupying him. He glanced her way and saw she too was lost in thought. He took the opportunity to scan her face. She was pleasant to look at, with wavy auburn hair and hazel eyes. Her complexion was somewhat pale, but then many of the colonists still had the "Station Tan" they acquired from too much time out of the sun. The lightbars for the station didn't provide as much ultraviolet light as the sun did.

***

Alexi became conscious of someone looking at her and flicked a glance his way. He flushed and looked down quickly. She returned the look with an appraising one of her own. He could be called handsome, and he had better color than most of the men she met. His hair was pale and very curly. His eyes were somewhat odd in that they were an intense gray or very light blue. He glanced up and caught her looking at him and flushed again. She found that attractive as it meant he was not a predator like many of the men she had met so far.

They began getting to know each other by talking about their jobs and where they lived. Then they explored where they had lived on Earth and their families. They bantered politely until the café crowd began to thin out. Dean invited Alexi to a stroll in the park one level up, and she agreed.

They walked beside each other and continued to talk. They found each other pleasant company. Alexi's natural caution kept her from moving too rapidly, but Dean's demeanor was non-threatening. He too seemed to be cautious so she decided that, if he wanted to see her again, she would probably agree.

They ended up back at her apartment but Dean declined to come in. "I have to go on-shift shortly, so I need to go home and get ready." He started to turn away, then turned back and asked quietly, "May I see you again?"

She smiled and held out her hand saying, "Yes. I would like to see you again."

He flushed a bit but glanced into her eyes and seemed to see reassurance there. He gently squeezed her hand and then hurried off. Her eyes followed his retreating form until he turned a corner. Smiling, she let herself in and closed the door.

Six days later, the Commander broadcast that the engine tests had been certified and they were cleared to go. "All shuttle traffic has ceased in the area, and we have been pulled further from the yards. We will begin the countdown once we have clearance from the Yard Commander."

"We will bring the acceleration up slowly to check all systems" The Commander hesitated and then added, "The Chancellor wants to send us off with one of his rousing speeches. Those of you wanting to hear what he has to say can tune into channel 42." She glanced to one side for a moment and then smiled thinly and added "according to the numbers I see here, no one else is interested either. Oh well, I guess he'll have an audience of one: me!"

Looking at the camera, the Commander added, "Congratulations to us all! We have all been told we are the hope for humanity. As I have seen this project move forward, I am assured we are. Let the word go out that humanity is leaving the cradle of civilization and taking to the stars!"

The screen changed to a countdown, starting at ten minutes. Alexi shivered. She considered sending a message home but decided to wait until after they were underway. She called up the camera feed from the shuttle stationed nearby. It showed the exterior of the ship shining in the sun, the habitats slowly turning.

At one minute to zero, she saw smaller engines fire up around the periphery of the main engines. Once they were all ignited, it looked like the burner on the gas stove at home. These small engines were there to steer the ship, and to compensate for any off-center thrusts from the massive main engines as they came on-line one group at a time.

As the countdown hit ten seconds, she could hear thousands of voices counting along in a slowly swelling roar. When the count hit two, the outer two main engines flared to life, followed a split second later by the two closer in. At zero, the crowd roared as the four remaining engines flared to brilliant life. Alexi was slightly disappointed she wasn't feeling any acceleration. She called up a screen showing the ships' data and saw that the display for speed was slowly scrolling up. At one minute, they had only gone a few hundred feet!

Then she found a link to the engine status monitors and figured out the engineers were being conservative: they were limiting the thrust to 5 percent. As she watched, individual engines began to creep higher and higher in thrust. At 50 percent power, she could actually feel the gentle acceleration.

Suddenly, two of the engines flared out. Puzzled, Alexi didn't see any reaction on the displays for the remaining engines. Then she noticed the engines to either side were throttled up slightly.

The Captain's face flashed onto the screen and announced "I need to report to you that two of the engines were shut down due to a fluctuation in their readings. The Engineers are being cautious as these are the most powerful engines mankind has ever built. Once they are checked out, they will be re-started."

A few minutes later, Alexi saw first one, then the other of the two engines flare gradually back to life. As they regained their place on par with the other engines, the power-level evened out. She watched enraptured as the engines continued to flare brilliantly.

She turned back to the ships' status screen and saw they had traveled several miles and were accelerating steadily. Another camera angle showed the shipyard slowly dwindling behind them. The Earth was still a significant presence in the camera's field-of-view, and the moon was just in the frame, shining brilliantly.

Stepping out her front door, she discovered many of her neighbors were wandering about. One man strapped on a pair of rollerblades and rapidly disappeared towards the back of the ship. Watching his receding form, Alexi hoped he would be as eager to fight his way back home against the acceleration.

She wandered to the café, sipped green tea and listened to her neighbors as they discussed the departure and their reactions to actually being on their way. When she finished her drink, she headed home, showered, and went to bed.

Alexi awoke several hours later when her pad beeped and displayed a message from her boss. Apparently, she had slept through her alarm. Again. She jumped up, dressed and grabbed a bottle of vegetable juice and a breakfast bar from the refrigerator. Pushing the bike out the door, she allowed the door to close behind her and then she pedaled furiously towards the lab.

She locked the bike to the rack and ran into the lab. Her boss was peering into a microscope when she pushed through the doors. She straightened and looked at Alexi with disapproval. Alexi shrugged and said "I overslept again. I'll set it to be louder next time." Her boss nodded and turned back to her observations.

Alexi shrugged into her lab coat and rushed to her station. She sipped the juice and nibbled at the bar while examining a DNA sequence from a chicken. The computer had flagged this section of the sequence as different, so Alexi was mapping the anomaly for posterity. They would keep this chicken from breeding and watch it grow.

Her overall job was to catalog DNA sequences. They had indexed most of the live animals and were just starting on the frozen genetic material brought aboard. The frozen samples were of nearly every species existing on Earth, excluding animals generally considered pests like rats and mice as well as many insects. Insects like ladybugs and a wide variety of bees and a few others had been brought aboard to help the farms. Large land and sea animals had been included only as genetic samples as there was no room to actually have the live specimens aboard. Most salt-water and many fresh-water species had also been included only as genetic material.

Only the more familiar species of farm animals were aboard as live specimens. They were test subjects to see what effect living in space would have on them. Strangely, no primates had been brought aboard. Alexi later learned it was feared primates might escape and cause problems should they manage to hide in critical areas of the ship.

She was grateful the animals had been born aboard ship and would never know pests like flies, fleas or mosquitoes. The soil for the farms had been imported from the moon as sterile, coarsely-ground rock. Only Ship-board mulch was mixed with it along with a careful balance of nutrients. Earthworms and other beneficial organisms were grown on the ship from carefully screened samples from Earth and were gradually introduced into the new soil.

The soil project for the farms and the green areas of the ship had been one of the earliest parts of the project. Samples had been created near the start of the project on the moon and expanded later at the Lagrange shipyard stations. Several species of fast-growing grasses supplemented the atmosphere recycling aboard the space stations. These grasses had been introduced to the habitats soon after they had been pressurized. They absorbed CO2 and the out-gassing of the paints and other materials used aboard the ship. It amused Alexi no end to see someone riding a lawnmower in a spaceship.

So far, no dangerous mutations had occurred in people or animals. In fact, the only thing anyone noticed was skin cancers were occurring at lower-than-normal rates and almost everyone had good cholesterol levels.

As Alexi took a break with her boss, they discussed their observations about their fellow colonists and her boss mentioned there were no overweight people aboard. Alexi hadn't noticed but paid more attention to the physical attributes of her neighbors. After a few weeks of casual study, she realized there were no bald men and few individuals with any sort of skin disfigurements. She didn't observe anyone with scoliosis of the spine or with disproportionate bodies. There were a few taller men, but no one was under five feet tall!

This brought to mind the Protocol she had heard of all her life. It had been loudly discussed by nearly everyone she had ever met. Those that criticized it most fluently were the ones who hadn't qualified. Strangely, many of the people selected seldom discussed it.

Since the ship had left the shipyard, the only conversations she had taken part in had either been about their work aboard ship or about friends and family left behind. As time had moved forward, Earth was mentioned less and less.
Chapter 15: Watching the End from Afar

They crossed the orbit of Mars a week after launch. The ship was continuing to accelerate at point-one gravities without a hitch. As a result, they had now reached over 1.3 million miles per hour. They needed to keep accelerating for a year to reach their desired speed of just over 0.1 the Speed of Light. The engines continued to work flawlessly.

As the ship approached the asteroid belt, The Commander ordered the course changed to leave the plane of the ecliptic a few degrees. While the asteroid belt was sparsely populated, the chance of hitting a significantly-sized boulder was too high to risk. The plan was to continue this course until they were clear of Jupiter's orbit nine days later before turning towards their first planetary system.

The ships' launch had been planned so they would avoid all of the planets in the solar system. Mars was ahead of the Earth, and all of the planets beyond Mars were currently not anywhere near their projected course.

They passed beyond Neptune's orbit a bit over one month into their journey. Communications with Earth were more difficult because the Sun had become even more unstable in the interim. Solar flares had made communications spotty.

GenStar two launched six months after they had left the space-yards and was heading out of the system at a higher acceleration than they had used. GenStar three was only a basic frame. GenStar four hadn't been started when things on Earth became untenable.

Earth was being scorched by the unstable Sun. Millions were dying daily as drought shriveled water supplies and devastated crops. Most of China and India were depopulated as people either died or fled. Survivors were migrating towards the mountains and to the extreme northern and southern latitudes.

They had received reports of mobs trying to storm the Malaysia Space Elevator. The armed forces had orders to shoot anyone trying to enter the area around the station who didn't have a colonist's implant or were not station personnel. Seeing soldiers with tears in their eyes as they defended the station was heart-wrenching.

The efforts to finish GenStar Three ended when the Malaysian Space Elevator failed. The elevator in Kenya had been abandoned, and no other elevator was even off the ground. The authorities on Earth decided not to attempt to replace the Elevator as conditions on Earth had deteriorated too far to support it. Midway had been pulled away from Earth by the counter-weight. It was heart-breaking to hear those marooned aboard Midway sending messages to their families. The commander detonated the reactor core once they were well clear of the moon. The flash of the detonation lit the night-side of Earth brilliantly.

The Shipyard commanders evacuated as many women and young men as they could to the moon. They were to survive as moon colonists. Both stations shipped as much supplies and materials as they could and urged the commanders of the Moon bases to quickly build barracks for the refugees.

Some older women refused to go, and many of the older men on the stations stoically accepted their fates. They agreed the younger people deserved the best chance to survive, even if they could never go home again. Once everyone had been evacuated, the ship-yard commanders ordered several shuttles to tow the stations beyond the Earth's orbit. Once they had gained enough momentum to carry the massive structures beyond any possibility of returning to Earth, they too detonated their reactors. The glowing debris fields were visible for many hours.

Quiet reigned aboard GenStar One. Sobbing and cries of protest could be heard throughout the ship. Sad messages of condolences were transmitted to a grieving Earth.

Direct communications with GenStar Two failed soon after. Their ID beacon continued to send for several days, and then it too went silent. Speculation ran the gamut from simple equipment failure to disaster. The only clue they ever had was a faint flash of light from their vicinity, recorded on an automatic camera.

As they neared their one-year anniversary of the launch, the Sun ejected a huge plasma promontory toward Earth. A satellite orbiting Mars relayed the images and data to GenStar One. Because of their distance, the images came in on a low-speed channel. They had to wait several days for the transmission to complete.

When the entire sequence had been downloaded, the Commander silently sent the series of images out as a general broadcast. Everyone watched in dismay as the images showed the plasma ball grazing Earth's atmosphere, and then curving ever so slightly to impact the Moon squarely. All communications from the automatic transponders on the Moon ceased transmitting. As the flash of the impact faded, that side of the Moon was glowing bright yellow. Fires were visible over the half of the Earth where the plasma had glanced off of the atmosphere. All clouds had fled, and the remaining air was rapidly filling with smoke.

Stunned observers remained frozen where they were, watching with disbelieving eyes as the surface of their beautiful Earth slowly blazed with countless fires, and then was cloaked with darkness as the smoke from the fires obscured the surface. Since this had happened over a month ago, all aboard knew now the Earth was dead. If anyone had survived, it hadn't been for long. There were no communications from the Moon either. One of the bases had been on the side away from the impact site, but their survival was doubtful.

The Commander had the lights in the Habitats dimmed to half-level for 24 hours. All activity was suspended except for essential services. People gathered in small groups in open areas or in public places to mourn the dead. Many people hugged or wept openly. No laughter was heard for several days. It was an ominous awareness they were now the only surviving humans.

###

About the Author

Glenn Erickson is a business-owner in Clearwater, Florida. He has been an avid reader since discovering the printed word at an early age

"I decided to start writing what I termed "Speculative Fiction" as it wasn't really science fiction or just plain fiction. I wanted people to not only enjoy the story but to 'speculate' on the ideas or concepts presented.

"I may never earn a dime writing, but I enjoy the thought-movies my writing inspires. I hope I write well enough the reader 'sees' the same or similar thought-movie."

"The best books I have ever read, regardless of genre, were those where the writer painted word-pictures that allowed you to 'see what he (or she) had envisioned as they wrote. I would become so immersed in the story I no longer really saw the words, just the images portrayed."

His advice to others aspiring to write, "Just do it! It doesn't matter if it is well-written or grammatically-correct, (at first) just get your thoughts and visions on paper or into a word-processor. You can clean it up later if you think it is worthy of being read. Describe what you 'see' in your story and add to it as more becomes visible to your mind's eye."

"Read your story back to yourself out loud. Make changes that make the story easier to say out loud, and you will be closer to a credible, readable story. Let the English Majors wring their hands in agony as you mangle the syntax and dangle the participles. It is YOUR story, not theirs!"

"Read books on good writing AFTER you have done some writing. Use their advice to clean-up your stories. Re-read your stories afterward and see if they are not even better! With continued practice, you will be able to write better stories the first time out. Writing is a learned skill. The more you do it, using what you have learned, the better you will become!"

"Just go for it!"

Connect with Me Online:

 mailto:gerickson@eanda-technical.com?subject=Stars on Smashwords.com

Glenn Erickson

Clearwater, Florida

12-2-2019

