

Intimate Space

A Galactic Adventure

CINDY BURKE
This edition is substantially the same as the 2015 release. It has been copy edited more thoroughly, making this version a more enjoyable read. Thank you!
Copyright © 2015 Cindy Burke

All rights reserved.

ISBN:

ISBN-13:

First Edition

Published: January 2015

Second edition: July 2017

Email: cindyburkeoriginals@gmail.com

Cover Design: John Holland

https://www.etsy.com/shop/JHGraphicDesign
To Elizabeth, with whom I shared wonder

and joy at what is and what may be.
CONTENTS

Prologue

ALISON

1 JOB HUNTING

2 OPPORTUNITY

PREPARATION & DEPARTURE

3 LOGISTICS

4 INTERVIEW

5 ORBITAL HOP

JOURNEY

6 NEW QUARTERS

7 BREATH OF FRESH AIR

8 ROOMATES

9 SECRETS

10 SPACE

11 INTRODUCTIONS

12 WELCOME

13 GETTING STARTED

14 A SURPRISE

15 NEW FRIENDS

16 SPECIAL EVENING

17 PLANNING

18 LESSONS

19 WARNING

20 PARTNERSHIP

21 SUSPICION

22 DANGER

23 DISCLOSURE

24 SOCIALIZING

25 STARS IN THE EYES

26 UNDER THE WEATHER

27 STRATEGY

28 EVIDENCE

29 CONSEQUENCES

30 CONCLUSION

ARRIVAL

31 ANTICIPATION

32 A PUZZLE

33 PREPARATION

34 LANDFALL

35 PARTING

36 HOME

37 TOUR

38 POWER OF SUGGESTION

39 INTO THE WOODS

40 CHANGE OF SCENERY

41 DREAMS

42 EMBRACE

TWO YEARS AFTER LANDFALL

43 THE GOOD LIFE

FOUR YEARS AFTER LANDFALL

44 REVELATION

45 PREPARATION

46 DECEPTION

47 DECISION

48 ASSIGNATION

49 INTERLUDE

50 CELEBRATION

51 RESOLUTION

52 CHANGES

53 ADVENTURE

54 STARFARER

55 DÉJÀ VU

56 UNLIMITED HORIZONS

About the Author
"I have not yet lost a feeling of wonder, and of delight, that the delicate motion should reside in all the things around us, revealing itself only to him who looks for it."

― Edmund Burke

FOREWARD

It's difficult to know where to begin. Having lived a full two-thirds of my life on the planet Thera (rather, mostly beneath the surface of Thera), there are so many threads that I could unravel to reveal the fabric of the community we nurtured here for the past fifty years.

Our underground city of Chifarra was named only after long discussion and debate. In the end, the name reflects the origin of mankind, in the heart of the African Continent. Chifarra is an Ethiopian Amharic word meaning 'dance' in Earth Standard. This ancient language influenced Arabic, Hebrew and Assyrian, and was still in use during the twenty-first century, when space travel first began to sprout wings.

I realize that 'Dance' may seem like a strange name for a city. At first, many of the colonists came up with names that reflected the goals of our new society, and of WorldGov itself – self-sufficiency, communalism, democratic-socialism, environ-mentalism, intellectual and artistic freedom, etc. So how to pick just one?

There was the danger of having the name define the society, and all of these aspirations were equally important to us. Ultimately, it was suggested that we choose a name that invoked a feeling of joy or reverence. Chifarra won out over words like naSanett (freedom), and Salaam (peace). I strongly suspect one reason that the name Chifarra triumphed is simply that it's enjoyable to say. A soft, sussurant shhhh.... followed by vowels and consonants that roll off the tongue easily...Chifaaarrra.

After the vast, lovely and awe-inspiring underground city was completed, the original military base on Thera continued to keep the name Pronto, which is Earth Standard for nothing in particular as far as I know, though Doug Fortner claims it meant "right now" a few hundred years ago.

After all these decades, the usual mutations of language have caused both Chifarra and Pronto to spawn companion nouns and verbs. If you need to go topside for a few hours or days, for example, you might say, "I'm going pronto." If one of your friends tends to regard the sun stations in Chifarra as the closest thing to out-of-doors, you may say that, "she's the most chifarran person I know." After half a century, we've begun to evolve our own unique language and culture which is in some ways divergent from the one we left behind on Earth.

In my mind, I compare this to the relationship between the historical nation-states of U.S.A. and U.K. Two hundred years after U.S.A transformed from an appendage of U.K. to a nation in its own right, both nations still spoke the same language, but the forms and vocabulary were starting to diverge, until finally both dialects were rolled up into the global language of Earth Standard.

Six times in the last fifty years, spacecraft have arrived at Thera with another wave of immigrants and each time there was an entirely new culture for the people to adapt to. It must have been a fascinating experience to those volunteers who shepherded the great ships back and forth from Earth. For them, the only continuity in life was achieved by living aboard permanently. For the crew of the Galaxy, there was no going home again. Because of time dilation, home had been replaced by the future.

But you didn't start reading this so that I could give you a mini-tutorial on language and culture. Although words have been my stock and trade for over half a century, I would never claim to be an authority on linguistics. For that, Genevieve Trotter would be an entirely more suitable guide.

Writing a manuscript such as this one is more challenging than writing the press releases, opinion pieces and occasional WorldGov manuals that I was responsible for over the past five decades. It's a compelling story, though, and one that I don't want to be forgotten.

As the Chief Information Officer for Chifarra since its inception, there are things I'm aware of that no one would ever suspect. I've been pigeon-holed as non-political – a professional greeter, smoother, facilitator, one who merely passes information along but doesn't have an impact on the real workings of the city. This is a measure of the skill I have wielded in creating a useful image, and there are only a few, including Genevieve, who have an inkling of the truth.

So, to start...the things I will relate here came my way through various channels – friends, acquaintances, co-workers, and the information unknowingly hidden between the lines of official documents.

At times, I may invoke creative license and fill in the gaps of conversations that I only heard about second-hand. But you can be sure that this account of the first beginnings of Chifarra is accurate.

I could start when I first laid eyes on the recently settled planet, Thera. But first, I suppose I should share the reasons why I decided to make a trip that took six months, spanned light years, and would be a one-way ticket to an entirely new life.

PROLOGUE

1 job hunting

"Do you want some eggs?" asked Margot.

I sat in my bathrobe, scanning the job boards on the holopad in my hand for the umpteenth morning in a row. "No thanks, but could you make us some coffee?"

My sister flip-flopped into our shared kitchen with her ridiculous fluffy slippers, nodding her towel-wrapped head. Soon, she would retreat to the bathroom and emerge after twenty minutes, hair and makeup perfect, ready for her day at the office. Her slender figure was just right for whatever clothing she put on, and she kept her long, fine blond hair piled up elegantly when she was on the job.

I tried not to let ugly little demons of jealousy bubble up in my breast. I was truly happy that she had a job she liked, and one that paid more than just a decent salary, except when I compared it to my own circumstances.

I was 24 years old and, after getting my Journalism degree from the University, had snagged my first real job just this year. Before that, I had to put up with being the office flack for a couple of different marketing agencies – proofing and editing, making copies and fielding phone calls. Finally, I found a job as an Assistant Editor for an industry publication called Corporate Solutions. I loved the job, my editor loved me, and life was good for nearly a year.

Then, through a merger with WorldGov, Corporate Solutions Magazine was gobbled up by the pervasive Galaxy Project and half of the staff was laid off, including me.

I just couldn't face taking a step backward and becoming one of the minions again after a year of having had real responsibility. I even had my own office – not a cubicle or virtual office, but an eight-foot-square room with a desk and holoboard of my very own!

Margot emerged from the kitchen with a steaming mug of coffee and put it down to the right of my holopad. "So, what's your plan for today?" She never nagged or pushed me to look for work, even the couple of times when she came home at 5:30 pm to find me still in my bathrobe, watching a vid. I knew that her interest was genuine.

"I don't know...there's nothing here except the same jobs I applied for last week and a bunch of others in completely different fields."

My sister put her hand on top of mine and gave it a little squeeze. "Well, give yourself a break. Since there's nothing you can do right now, why don't you take a nice long bubble bath, then go out to lunch? I'd meet you, but today I have to work straight through."

She fished in her purse until she found the right scrap of plastic. "Here, this has just enough left on it for lunch. Why don't you eat at one of the outdoor cafes on Bixby, next to all the Hightowers? It's beautiful there, and the fresh air might give you some inspiration. You could bring your holopad and jot down any ideas you come up with, if you want."

I ducked my head slightly, pretending to examine the plastic chit in my hand, and managed to conceal the tears that sprang to my eyes. Neither of us remembered our father and, since Mom passed away two years ago, Margot had ramped up her protective big sister tendencies considerably. I knew that she felt responsible for me and I hated being such a drain on her. I had to find a job!

Margot would continue to support me as long as I needed it, and I would do the same for her if the situation were reversed. But sitting here submitting applications and making countless fruitless phone calls hadn't gotten me a job yet. Maybe she was right, and a change of pace would spark some ideas.

"Thanks sweetie," I said as I gave her a peck on the cheek. I glanced at the time. "You better get moving!"

Margot jumped up and headed for the bathroom as I finished my coffee.

After she left, I opted for a hot, stinging shower with the nozzles turned up full-blast. Refreshed, I dressed quickly and scooped up my holopad just as the phone chimed. I considered letting it pick up automatically, but at the last minute called out, "Phone...answer."

The phone bot connected and politely asked for the identity of the caller. "This is Janice Horner and I'm calling to speak with Alison James" was the cultured reply.

Janice! She had been my Editor at the magazine and I hadn't heard from her since being laid off three months ago. Briefly, I imagined she was calling to give me my old job back. But logically, I realized that this was just wishful thinking. Janice and I had become friends, and she was probably just checking up on me to see how I was doing.

I replied to one of the ubiquitous hidden receivers embedded in the walls of the apartment. "Janice, it's good to hear from you! How are you doing?"

She answered in her cool, polished voice, "I'm doing well thanks, and wondered if you could join me for lunch today? Unless you're on your way somewhere?"

In her tactful way, she didn't come right out and ask if I was working, and I appreciated that. "Actually, I'm at loose ends today and would love to see you!" I replied.

"Good! Can you meet me at that sandwich shop near Bixby where we used to have lunch all the time?"

We arranged to meet at 11:30, to beat the crowds and get a good table. I looked in the hall mirror and ran my fingers through my hair, which was the opposite of Margot's – a thick, springy shoulder-length brown mop. Matching brown eyes stared back at me and I wondered if I should take the time to put on some makeup. In the end, I decided to kill the time by throwing on some laundry instead, to try and earn my keep.

2 OPPORTUNITY

When the time for our tryst rolled around, I entered the sandwich shop to see Janice sitting in one of the booths near the back. She looked as unruffled and professional as always, with her short platinum hair carefully arranged in a conservative yet flattering style. She was wearing a stylish jacket, one of my favorites, a deep turquoise that deepened the blue hints in her hazel eyes.

She had tuned the wall vid so that it looked like a window in an ancient plastered wall looking out on wine country somewhere. A bright sun shone over gnarled grapevines and the thin sliver of a trickling stream could be heard faintly, as if muffled by antique glass windowpanes. This was a new one since the last time she and I had eaten here.

We went through the formalities of greetings and hugs, ordered from the servo, and then settled down to catch up. I decided to assuage her curiosity immediately. "I've been haunting the job boards for weeks now, but there just doesn't seem to be anything in our field."

It was only then that I noticed the expression on my friend's face. Janice had that air of suppressed excitement that she used to get when we were on the verge of a breakthrough in one of our marketing campaigns. As I tried to puzzle this out, she said, "I may have a line on a really great job for you."

She said this in a perfectly calm voice and even stressed the "may," so I didn't let my hopes start rising prematurely.

She continued, "When WorldGov took over Corporate Solutions, I was one of the employees who survived the transition. And now they have offered me a promotion." She held up a hand to forestall my congratulations. "I had to turn it down, for reasons I can't go into at the moment. But Alison, I think you would be perfect for the job! It's challenging, it involves creativity and it's definitely a 'career' position."

She went on to outline the steps she had taken to place me at the forefront of the competition for the job. It seemed that WorldGov was trying as much as possible to draw their new hires from within the corporations it had swallowed for the Galaxy Project.

As head of the Editorial Department, Janice had been one of their first choices but, since she didn't want the job, she had labored to stamp my influence all over any project we had worked on together. If I got hired, I just hoped I could live up to the image she had created for me!

I gave her a hug as we parted and thanked her again. In my hand I clutched the card that she had just given me, with the name and phone number of the WorldGov recruiter. Janice couldn't give me many details about the job, saying only that it would involve writing, editing and public relations.

As soon as I got back to the apartment, I called the recruiter, whose name was Doug Fortner. He was expecting my call and arranged for an interview at the offices of WorldGov the following day. He had a deep, pleasant voice and sounded like he might be in his fifties.

When Margot got home, I told her about the day's events. At first, I tried to be blasé about it, pretending that I didn't really think anything would come of it. But she saw right through me and we ended up holding hands, jumping up and down, screaming with excitement.

In case you're wondering, she was 27 at the time, just three years older than me. Back then, like now, we shared a tendency toward enthusiasm and high spirits.

PREPARATION

&

DEPARTURE

3 logistics

Sometimes it seemed overwhelming to Fortner, filling all the personnel slots for the Galaxy Project. He had to tread a fine line to keep applicants in the dark about the nature of their jobs until they could be fully qualified.

It wouldn't do to let it be generally known that an entire new city was planned for the recently discovered habitable planet Thera and that a major influx of personnel would be needed. All of the cranks would come out of the woodwork to have a shot at space travel.

The job had to be the first priority for any candidate and, of course, out of every fifty qualified job applicants only two or three would consider such a permanent posting. Of those, at least one dropped out before training was completed.

Often, it wasn't possible to fill jobs with workers who had long-term experience. Instead, WorldGov had to give a chance to those people who were only beginning to make an impact in their various professions. Like Alison James, the recruit Fortner was assigned to evaluate today.

The WorldGov strategy of absorbing major corporations and then picking off the best and brightest for space projects had been successful for generations. For the settlement of Thera, enlistment of the architect who would design and construct the new city was a major coup that had not required such a merger.

Gannet Godwin was not only one of the best architects of the twenty-fifth century, but his first career had been in engineering. This had enabled him to work in a symbiotic relationship with the Richey Group, a team of construction engineers. They had been recruited along with him. Godwin had been instrumental in convincing Steven Richey, the driving force behind many of the first Hightower skyscrapers, to direct his expertise toward the Galaxy Project.

Now that the major departmental appointments and the rank and file jobs had been filled, it was vital to complete the roster with a press core that would put the proper spin on the progress of the Galaxy Project. It would be no small task to keep it firmly in the public consciousness for the intervening twenty-five years until the Galaxy spacecraft returned from its round-trip voyage. The flow of information on Thera, the new planet, would be just as important.

People worked and adapted much better if they stayed informed of what was happening around them. It was generally accepted social theory that a feeling of powerlessness was a major impetus of civic discontent, and WorldGov wanted to keep up the appearance, if not always the fact, that channels of communication were wide open. That's why it was critical to find the right Chief Information Officer.

When Alison James entered the massive front doors of the WorldGov lobby, his first thought had been that she seemed too young for the job. But that actually wasn't a major drawback, since the bulk of the new recruits were under thirty-five. They were an overwhelming percentage of those willing to begin a new life with no realistic possibility of seeing many of their loved ones again.

It was harder to pry people away from homes, family networks and lifestyles they had been attached to for decades. It was a huge commitment to travel at light speed and lose touch with everyone in a person's former life.

Judging by her appearance today, Fortner would have estimated that Alison James was in her late twenties if he didn't know better. But he had already absorbed every statistic in her dossier. At twenty-four, she was barely old enough to have mastered all of the skills her mentor, Janis Horner, had claimed for her.

As he sat looking at the reports that were sliding past his viewer in the conference room, he waited for her to finish the holoboard testing. She definitely had strong technical skills. He and his team had thoroughly reviewed samples of her work with Corporate Solutions Magazine and she showed signs of having a creative flair.

Now it was time to brief her about the requirements of the job. As soon as a chime went off indicated that she was finished with testing, he rose and headed down the hall.

4 INTERVIEW

Alison had taken a ground car early that morning, leaving it parked in the collection area closest to the magnificent edifice of WorldGov Headquarters. She thought the building was more stylistically impressive than any of the soaring skyscrapers in the Hightower district, especially the artistically sculpted archway highlighting the entrance. She entered a lobby that provided a contrast to the graniteplaz intricacy of the facade because of its lack of ostentation.

The marble walls and parquet floors were set off by inviting reception desks and overstuffed chairs that actually looked comfortable enough to sit in. Even though she was ten minutes early, she was immediately greeted by a man who strode across the lobby. He looked at ease in a tailored suit, and he had dark brown hair that was cut above his ears in a short, military style. His eyes were dark and he had a hawkish nose, which combined with an olive complexion to create an imposing yet attractive appearance.

"Hello, I'm Doug Fortner. You must be Alison James," he said in the low, reassuring voice she remembered from the phone call. Alison noticed that he was younger than she had expected. He held out his hand and shook hers firmly. "Janice told us a lot of good things about you and I'm looking forward to talking with you."

She had worn her "power suit" that morning and, with help from Margot, had attempted to wrestle her semi-curly hair into an elegant chignon. Although she was nervous, she hoped that she appeared poised and confident as she replied, "that would be lovely, thank you."

Fortner led her to two sets of tall, burnished bronze elevators facing each other at the back of the lobby. He slid a card into a slot next to the rear one on the left, causing the doors to open immediately. As they stepped in, he keyed a floor number into the panel and the elevator doors closed in front of them.

"If you don't mind, the first thing we ask of prospective employees is that they take a skills test. The most important one for you, naturally, is the holoboard. I'm sure you'll do fine with your background in writing and editing."

His warm baritone flowed over her, soothing her jangled nerves. She began to believe that she would do well on the test and that maybe even that some of the complimentary things Janice had said about her were true. She wondered if Fortner had a bit of hypno ability. She wouldn't be surprised, considering that he seemed to hold a fairly important position at WorldGov.

She realized that the elevator hadn't started moving yet and opened her mouth to say something. But before she could, the doors slid silently open, exposing an aerial view from the vast floor to ceiling windows to the left of the elevator. It was then that she noticed Fortner watching her with a smile on his face.

"Do you like the new technology?" he asked. We'll be using this for all five elevator complexes in our latest project."

"It's amazing," she replied. "Is this something that you'll mass market soon?"

As they strolled across the open foyer area and down a hallway to the testing room, Doug Fortner explained that all of the new breakthroughs emerging because of the Galaxy Project would trickle down eventually, just as they had centuries ago when space exploration was in its infancy. "At that time there were great leaps in technology, health, medicine..."

He stopped speaking as they approached the door to the holoboard testing room. As they entered, Alison saw a board similar to the one she had used at Corporate Solutions. However, some of the features were different and she wondered if this was an example of the latest technology for h-boards. At her old job, the staff had been provided with the newest and best of everything, but she supposed it should be expected that WorldGov would be even more technologically advanced.

Fortner indicated several short assignments that were spread out on the table. "You may finish these in any order you like. There's no time limit, although time will be a factor in the evaluation."

She looked at the holoboard and noted the similarities between it and the one she had used in her job. It was the differences that worried her. She fought to stem a rising tide of anxiety. "This seems to be a more advanced model than the holoboard I'm used to working with. Would you mind giving me a short tutorial before I begin?"

"Of course."

He seemed to expect the question and she wondered if that was part of the evaluation. In just a few moments, he was able to explain the differences in the buttons, dials and scanners to her satisfaction. Then he left and she sat down to begin. She assumed she was still being visually monitored.

Alison decided to choose the easiest assignment first, proofing a press release for publication. The mistakes she was supposed to discover seemed blatant, leading her to wonder if there was more to the assignment than met the eye. Sometimes she analyzed things to death, she thought, with a mental shrug.

As she moved from assignment to assignment, creativity began to flow and her subconscious mind told her she was back at her holodesk at Corporate Solutions. She palmed the desk controls, bringing up a holographic image for the next assignment. Fingers flew over scanners and dials, changing, modifying, omitting and adding content.

Reaching for the next assignment, she realized that she had completed all of them. Touching her thumb to the scanner next to the holoboard, she signified that she was finished. A moment later, the door to the room opened and Fortner walked in. She looked at his face for a sign of whether she had passed. His next words were encouraging. "Would you like to move to the conference room and discuss the details of the job?"

5 ORBITAL HOP

The woman was of average height and voluptuous almost to the point of plumpness, with short, stylishly cut brown hair, alert brown eyes and a generous mouth. Artfully applied makeup made her appear to be in her thirties from a distance, although close up it was apparent that she was probably fortyish.

Genevieve Trotter smoothed the jacket of her suit and looked around the vast boarding area for the shuttle. Soon, she and the rest of over three hundred new WorldGov employees would be ferried to the Galaxy craft in orbit around Earth. She still couldn't believe that the day had really arrived.

The butterflies in her stomach originated from three sources. First, as Director of Education for the new city, she would have the opportunity to create an innovative educational system from the ground up. With competent, experienced assistants and a generous budget, she had ambitious plans for the education department on the new planet.

Second, she was steeped in the excitement and anticipation of living in a brand new, technologically advanced society, especially one located under a planet that possessed a temperate climate and exotic new forms of flora and fauna.

Finally, although she was embarrassed to admit it, she was anxious at the prospect of taking the shuttle to the Galaxy. Although there were few people who had not experienced at least a short orbital jump, Genevieve had never left Earth's atmosphere.

It was even more daunting to envision traveling light years away with people who were, with few exceptions, strangers. They wouldn't be strangers forever of course and, on the other hand, if she should panic and refuse to disembark at Thera, when she returned to Earth every person she met would be a stranger to her. Even people whom she had known before the voyage would be estranged from her across the gap of twenty-five years.

Part of the training for new employees was a detailed explanation of the relativity factors that would not permit going back to the life that was being abandoned for galactic service with WorldGov. Although she believed that she had no ties to bind her here, perhaps that was the main underlying reason for her anxiety. This was a permanent decision, as the staff psychologist she had been routinely assigned to see had emphasized.

A well-dressed man in his mid-thirties, seemingly unruffled by the hubbub around them, approached and glanced at her name tag. "Ms. Trotter? I'm Doug Fortner." She noted that his name tag identified him as Personnel Coordinator for the Galaxy Project.

"I'm sorry that I didn't get a chance to speak with you personally before now. We've all been very rushed trying to make sure that we had top-notch personnel for the mission. I'm very pleased to have someone with your reputation on board." He smiled and grasped her hand warmly.

This one's a charmer, she thought. He had the ability to make her feel that she was his most important priority while at the same time obviously keeping an eye on everything else going on around them. An aide briefly stopped to confer with him and Genevieve gathered from her deferential manner that Fortner was one of the top brass.

"Is there anything that WorldGov can do to make your trip more comfortable? I'll be glad to answer any questions you may have about the voyage," he offered.

"There's just one thing I wondered about, Mr. Fortner. How soon will I have the chance to meet with my education team?"

"You'll be quite busy for the next few hours," he replied, "as we get new staff transferred to the Galaxy and assigned to their quarters. As everyone has been briefed, lunch will be waiting in the rooms and you'll have time to put your belongings away and get settled in.

"Mid-afternoon we'll all meet in the Loggia for the welcoming speech, followed by the first official meetings of departmental groups. You'll be given an agenda that tells you where to go to meet up with your team."

Fortner smiled and asked, "Does that help?"

"Yes, it does. Thank you very much."

"Then I'll see you later this afternoon. It was a pleasure meeting you." He smiled and squeezed her hand again before walking away.

Genevieve watched the back of his dark, closely cropped head as he wove through the crowd and then halted to speak to another new recruit. "The Second Wave" was the official name of this crowd. The First Wave had consisted of those personnel vital to construction and operation of the base.

Pronto Base already held close to eight hundred WorldGov employees – the first influx of career personnel and, by now, their first generation of offspring. The first settlers had endured considerably more cramped onboard conditions than would be expected of the three hundred or so new recruits like Genevieve. The passenger manifest on this voyage was populated with the names of recently recruited civilian employees, less rigorously trained than the WorldGov veterans who had blazed the first interstellar trail.

By the time the Galaxy recruits arrived on Thera, there would have been two-and-a-half decades for the First Wave to terraform the site for the underground city. Even with unforeseen delays, it was ample time to prepare the vital infrastructure needed for such a large project.

Barracks would be ready for housing members of the new crews who would swarm the construction site daily, working furiously to get it ready for occupation by the new settlers. Genevieve and the other voyagers had been told that by the time they arrived at the planet the complete infrastructure of the six level underground city would be completed, leaving only the interior work to be done.

Of course, the Second Wave would bring with it Gannett and Richey, the Architect and Chief Engineer of the project, along with electricians, plumbers, masonry workers and other specialists. Vital services were represented as well – medical, dental and psychological practitioners, along with specialists who would help to jumpstart the agricultural, technical, and manufacturing capabilities of Thera.

But almost half of the Galaxy's passengers would remain on the ship for an additional year once it reached orbit around Thera. The ship would stay after it disgorged those who were immediately needed and continue to provide a temporary home for the rest of the voyagers.

Once the city reached a certain stage of completion, those who remained on the ship would begin moving into dwellings in the finished sections. Most of them would be housed in apartments adjacent to the Community Level, where all the businesses and services would be located.

This move-in would also include some members of The First Wave who had been waiting for the installation for twenty-six years. After that, the Galaxy craft would ply the reaches of space back to Earth. Thera could expect another visit from the ship in about a quarter of a century, bringing supplies and more settlers.

Genevieve noticed a willowy young woman standing near her. She was wearing a shapely fitted skirt and jacket and carrying a sheaf of papers, which she riffled through with an absorbed expression. Her curly brown hair was caught up in bun held in place by gold filigree combs. As Genevieve watched, the young woman's stack of papers became unbalanced and began to slide. Automatically, Genevieve stepped forward and caught the avalanche before it spilled.

"Thank you so much...Dr. Trotter," said the young woman, looking at her name tag.

"You can call me Genevieve. I see by your name tag that you're Alison James, Chief Information Officer. It looks like they've given you a lot to do," she said with a smile.

Alison returned the smile. "Yes, they put me to work weeks ago. As a matter of fact, the itinerary you'll find in your room was my last assignment. Naturally, I've been briefed about all the employees...and you have some impressive credentials, Dr. Trotter! According to Doug Fortner, we're very fortunate to have a linguist and educator like you on board."

"Please, call me Genevieve. I just spoke to Mr. Fortner a moment ago and he was just as nice as you are. I'm looking forward to the trip as a chance to lay some groundwork and get to know my team."

"Do you know who will be on it?" Alison shuffled through the stack of papers.

"Not yet. Can you help with that?"

"Let's see...I know that one of the members of your team is experienced in early childhood education," she said, looking through the stack. "You'll be able to delegate some of the primary school administration to him. Let's see..." Alison lifted a sheet on her stack. "Ah, his name is Dr. Dewey Eliot. Your chief assistant will be Jing Yin..."

Genevieve interrupted, "The Jing Yin?"

Alison smiled. "Yes, we were extremely lucky to get her. Of course, in a way she came with the package since she's married to our chief engineer, Steven Richey." There had been no guarantee that Yin would want to be on the Education Team, but she had readily agreed to sign up.

"I read both of her books and was impressed by her grasp of political science," said Genevieve. "But I don't understand, she's to be my assistant?"

"Oh don't worry; she's very happy to take on that role. She and Richey have a couple of children of their own and, according to my briefings, she was content to step down from her position in academia and become an educational consultant for the voyage. We'll need someone like her who's capable of coordinating a University level educational program. After all, some of the early offspring on Thera will be college age by the time the Galaxy returns.

Alison continued, "We'll have eighteen children onboard for this trip, five of whom are either toddlers or pre-school age. The number you'll have to teach once we get there is an unknown because, as I'm sure you realize, approximately twenty-five years will have passed on Thera since the First Wave's landfall. We only have rough estimates, but there could be more than three hundred children on the planet by the time we arrive."

Genevieve looked thoughtful. "Because in the six months it takes us to get there, many more children will be born on Thera, right?"

"Right," Alison said. "On Thera, just like here on Earth, more than twelve years will pass during a voyage we'll experience as taking only six months. Twelve years have already passed since the Galaxy left Thera on its return trip to Earth. Time dilation caused by the ship's speed of travel is the reason we'll experience time differently from the people on both planets.

"That's why this is considered a one-way trip," she said. Even if someone insisted on staying onboard and returning home after a year in orbit at Thera, everyone they had known on Earth would be twenty-five years older – children, parents, friends, etc.

"So you can understand why a strong psychological profile is a major component of qualifying for the voyage. It's also why the onboard crew is permanent. There are fifty-six of them, and they provide a consistent community and culture for each other, as societies on Earth and Thera are racing forward in time, from their perspective. For every one year round-trip plus layover for them, twenty-five years will pass planetside."

"So by the time they return to Earth from this second voyage, they will have been traveling for about fifty years?" Genevieve asked.

"Yes, but six months travel time each way plus several months layover at each end will add up to a subjective time frame of not quite four years for them."

Genevieve mulled this over. "What a fascinating chance see history in fast-forward."

"I guess you could say that there are advantages and disadvantages," Alison replied. I don't think that way of life could ever appeal to me though." She looked a little less animated than before.

"Do you want to see if we can scare up something to drink?" she asked. "I wish it could be a real drink, but the regs say we can't have alcohol until we get acclimatized to the ship."

Genevieve was surprised at Alison's candor. I have a feeling we're going to be good friends, she thought.

JOURNEY

6 NEW QUARTERS

Alison was exhausted, yet exhilarated. She had been working nonstop for the past couple of months, taking a crash course in the duties of a Chief Information Officer for an entire city. And today was a focal point for all of the knowledge she had been cramming, with lists upon lists of where people were supposed to go and interminable PR duty assisting members of the Second Wave with their questions and concerns.

There had been a few highlights too, like meeting Genevieve, the new Education Director. She sensed an affinity between them and hoped to catch up with her again soon. Finally, here she was on the Galaxy, free to seek out her own quarters.

Alison knew the layout of the group module she had been assigned to and deliberately chose the hallway to the rear of it. She wanted to enter through the back door that led directly to the sleeping cubicles, avoiding the common area for now. Hopefully, the others assigned to her module would either be in their own sleeping cubicles unpacking or in the common room socializing. She needed to have a few moments to herself after the frenetic activity she had endured all morning.

She reached a door that had the right module number and placed her thumb against the recognition pad on the frame. The door slid open smoothly and she found herself looking down a four-foot wide by twenty-four-foot deep hallway. There were four doors down each side of the hall and another one at the end, directly opposite the entrance.

The hallway side doors were staggered to provide privacy when two opposing cubicles were open at the same time. Human physical and psychological comfort had been paramount when designing living quarters for the journey, since trips would require anywhere from six months to a year and a half of onboard living.

Alison scanned the lettered doors, looking for her own cubicle. It was the third door on the right. She checked and found that the last two doors on each side of the hall were twin bathroom and shower facilities. It was a plus that her cubicle was right next to one of them. She hadn't been thrilled at the idea of creeping down the hallway in her bathrobe, never knowing when one of her roommates might appear.

She realized, though, that by the end of the voyage, such concerns would be non-existent. None of these passengers would ever see Earth again, and the people she met here on the Galaxy would become like a new family. It was a thought that she didn't really want to dwell on right then.

She placed her thumb on the receptor of her sleeping cubicle and the door panel slid open. The six foot wide by ten foot deep space was simply and economically arranged.

At the rear, a twin-sized bunk filled the wall entirely. Since the door opening was placed in the right side of the front cubicle wall, her closet space and desk filled the left side of the cubicle and almost butted up against the bed. The desk included a standard vidscreen and keypad and a comfortable looking chair that was presently collapsed and stored in the leg space underneath.

There was a lunch pack on the desk, vacuum sealed to remain fresh for days, and an itinerary like the ones that everyone else would receive. Instructions at the top assured her that, at any time, she could access her vidscreen if she needed help or information.

She looked at the bed, where all of her worldly possessions stood neatly contained in three lightweight pressed paper boxes that had been delivered as promised. According to the boarding instructions she had helped to write, she was supposed to empty them immediately, then flatten them and place them in the rack that waited outside the door of the module's common area.

Alison got to work, hanging shirts, suits, pants and dresses in the simple narrow wardrobe to the left of the desk. There were two drawers at the bottom of the wardrobe and four more in the base of her bunk. She opened the top drawer of the desk and found paper, writing implements, listening buds and a remote wristband for the vidscreen and door. The larger desk drawers to the side of the leg space contained a couple of empty folders and notebooks.

Finally, all that she had left to unpack was the smallest of the boxes, which contained her bathroom supplies. She thumbed the sensor on the door frame and hefted the small box under her right arm while pressing the two flattened ones to her left side. The effort required was minimal because the boxes weighed next to nothing now that the contents were gone.

She stepped out of the cubicle and temporarily parked the flattened boxes against the hallway wall. Then she thumbed the sensor on the bathroom door next to her cubicle. She knew that, unless she touched the interior pad to exit, no one would be able to walk in on her. On the left wall there was a countertop containing a sink. Next to that were a commode and then the edge of the bath/shower that took up the entire far wall. She realized that it was a design that mimicked the arrangement of the sleeping cubicles.

On the wall opposite the sink there were three tall lockers that were a couple of feet wide and maybe ten inches deep. Each one had a letter that matched the letter of a sleeping cubicle on that side of the hall. She thumbed open her own locker and was pleasantly surprised to find it supplied with hooks, shelves and cubbies, and even a small mesh bin for laundry.

After freshening up and flattening the remaining box, Alison collected the other two and prepared to enter the door at the end of the hallway. It opened into the common living area of the suite, a room that she and her roommates would share in the coming months. She heard music drifting faintly through the door and was curious about what her new suite mates would be like.

7 BREATH OF FRESH AIR

Rosalia Czartoryska strolled down a hallway in the rearmost living quarters of the ship. She was one among several new arrivals who trickled down the corridors, looking occasionally at the maps and directions in their hands.

The orbital hop had been boring, but she had compensated for it by keeping her listening buds on and her eyes closed for most of the trip. Once she was onboard the Galaxy, she found friendly WorldGov employees at every major crossing in the maze of hallways, firmly guiding new employees toward their quarters.

Rosalia was a young woman of average height. Her silky, pale lavender hair was swept up in a maze of waves and dips and held in place by crystalplaz combs. Over a black jumpsuit that hugged her ample curves, she wore an antique Russian poncho of bright and swirling colors. Although woven of sturdy wool to withstand the elements, it was the type of garment that one would expect to see hanging in a museum display case rather than on a person.

Her ensemble was completed by countless strands of beads around her neck, some of them appearing to be composed of precious gems and others obviously costume jewelry. Her eyes were outlined in a dark lavender color and her lips were a warm burgundy. She exuded sensuality.

Rosalia stopped in front of a door and consulted the paper in her hand. There were many types of Galaxy living spaces and this one was a type of communal quarters designed for passengers who were not traveling with family or spouse.

According to WorldGov, roommates were matched only after a careful computation of their compatibility profiles. Rosalia pressed her thumb against the sensor and the door slid silently open, allowing cheerful chatter and quiet music to spill into the hallway.

She stepped inside and noted a door in the wall directly opposite that she knew probably led to the sleeping and bathing areas. These two opposing doors divided the large room more or less into two different halves.

The two furthest walls on the left side of the room were taken up with a large sectional sofa and adjacent end tables. In front of the sofa stood a low round marbleplaz coffee table about three feet in diameter. To Rosalia's immediate left, the remaining wall held a four by six vidscreen with a cabinet beside it.

Looking to her right, at the end of the room she saw a kitchenette, complete with sink, refrigerator, food hydrator and matter recycler. A long marbleplaz table that matched the coffee table jutted out from the wall to her immediate right, with three chairs arrayed on either side.

Two of those chairs were occupied by women who seemed to be old friends. One was a fortyish brunette with pleasant features and the other was a ravishing twenty-something with a haze of brown curls that had escaped utterly from a chignon bun. The curls framed her face like a halo. Rosalia stared, transfixed.

She broke out of her trance when the young woman looked up at her and called out, "Oh hello, come on in!" She seemed to be having a hard time composing herself after a fit of laughter at something the other woman had said just before the door opened. She stood up and crossed over to Rosalia, shaking her hand.

"I'm Alison James, Chief Information Officer. Welcome to our humble abode!" She waved her arm expansively around the room, acting suspiciously cheerful. Rosalia detected a faint whiff of alcohol on her breath.

It looked like life in this module might be more interesting than she had expected. She had feared being stuck with boring women who might tempt her to tear her hair out in frustration before the trip was over. Maybe that wouldn't be the case.

The older woman smiled up at her from her seat at the table. "I'm Genevieve Trotter, Education Director. And you are?"

"Rosalia Czartoryska." She pronounced it Rose-uh-lee-uh Sar-tor-ees-ka. She looked at the lovely young woman beside her. "Alison...I believe that I'm to be your technical assistant. I'll be putting all of your press releases into holo format and providing IT assistance once we get to Thera. It's convenient that we're in the same module."

"I imagine we were assigned to the same module on purpose," Alison said. "I had no idea that Genevieve would be here too, but I'm glad it turned out that way!"

Rosalia smiled at her tipsy cheer. "Do you think I could have some of what you two are drinking?" she asked with a knowing look and a twinkle in her eye.

Genevieve grinned. "Absolutely...just have a seat and I'll make you a drink."

Rosalia looked around. "Where are our other roommates?" she asked as she sat down.

Alison sat down next to Rosalia and shrugged her shoulders. "Room assignments weren't part of my duties. I didn't know who I'd be rooming with either until I got here."

Genevieve got up and started putting ice in a glass for Rosalia. "Alison's been very busy with public relations and such," she said.

"You two must be working closely with Doug Fortner," she added in an abrupt shift. "He's quite charming, isn't he?"

Alison displayed no telltale signs of interest as she shrugged.

"I suppose you could say that," replied Rosalia. Hmmm, she thought, So she's not attracted to that male, at least. It was hard to pin down whether Alison might be the type of woman she would be interested in pursuing.

"He's certainly handsome," contributed Genevieve.

"You and I will meet with him after the welcoming speech this afternoon," Alison said to Rosalia. "We'll get started mapping out a Communications strategy."

With a lift of spirits, Rosalia realized she would have a chance to get to know Alison better right away. "I wonder if there's much in the way of graphics or coding that I can start on before landfall?"

"That," said Alison, "is something I don't know. Some Chief Information Office I am, huh?" She grinned. "But seriously, you and I should have plenty to do to keep us busy."

"I look forward to that."

8 ROOMATES

Within the hour, two more of their suite mates arrived. Both of them were part of the Education Team, which pleased Genevieve. Bonnie Stutz was in her late twenties and had an advanced degree in K-12 education. Under the guidance of Genevieve and with Jing's assistance, she would begin teaching the older children during the voyage. She would also help direct the high school education program once they reached Thera.

Bonnie had the lithe and athletic physique of a runner and shoulder length wavy hair casually caught up in a clip at her neck. Alison thought that her hair was the exact color of caramel toffee, and her eyes were a compelling shade of green. Bonnie held out her hand to Genevieve. "I'm glad we all have this chance to get acquainted before our team meeting this afternoon," she said.

Melinda Miller shook Genevieve's hand as well. She was the twenty-two year old daughter and only offspring of a newly hired M.D. named Dorota Miller. Her father Lars would be assisting with the city's maintenance operations.

She was petite, with a turned up nose and reddish-blond hair cut so short as to be almost boyish. Her perfect, delicate features seemed made for the style, though, and it actually made her look more feminine.

She had opted to live in singles quarters instead of in a family module with her parents. This proved to be a fortuitous choice, since now the Education Team was quartered together, with the exception of Dr. Dewey Eliot, who would be her immediate supervisor.

Melinda was fresh out of school and had completed a year-long internship in Early Childhood Education. Now she was ready to be a teacher. She was intrigued at working with Dr. Eliot, since one of his books had been assigned as a text at University.

"Well, I don't expect you two to talk shop," Genevieve said. "I know you have some unpacking to do. When you're all settled in, why don't you bring in your lunch packs and we can all have our first shipboard meal together?"

"I'd love to," responded Melinda as Bonnie nodded her head in agreement. Melinda walked to the door leading to the sleeping cubicles and touched her thumb to the sensor.

After they left, the others eliminated the evidence of the drinks they had been enjoying. Alison suggested that it would be best not to flaunt this slight bending of the rules.

"Not to mention that I have to set a good example!" Genevieve answered. "Until they're used to respecting my authority as Education Supervisor I'll have to be on my toes." She smiled to show that she wasn't entirely serious.

Later, after lunch, the five of them retired to their personal cubicles to rest and settle into their quarters. There was still no sign of a sixth roommate. They agreed to meet in the living quarters at 4:00 pm, an hour before the welcoming speech, and walk to the main gathering hall together. They were all interested in getting a good seat for this first onboard event. As she drifted off into a peaceful sleep, Genevieve wondered about the final member of her team, Dr. Dewey Eliot.

9 SECRETS

At a table in the nearly empty forward lounge of the Galaxy, Fortner sat across from a woman of indeterminate age. She had the rail thin physique of a model and her clothing reflected an intense sensibility of the latest styles. Her short, blond hair, so light as to be almost luminous, was cut expertly, framing her face elegantly. She had an aura of obvious self-confidence that some people called presence.

"When will she find out?" she asked Fortner.

"I imagine in a couple of hours, after the gathering," he replied.

"I still don't think she'll buy the explanation of why I'm here."

"Janice, it really doesn't matter whether she believes you or not. She's enough of a professional that she's not going to make a big deal about it."

She mulled this over for a moment. "Yes, I guess you're right. I'm just a little nervous about the whole thing."

Fortner grinned. "You, nervous? Somehow I find that hard to believe."

She reached over and lightly punched him on the arm. "Stop it! Alison is like a daughter to me. My main concern is that seeing me all the time will remind her that she wasn't your first choice for Chief Information Officer."

"But that doesn't make any sense. Not many people on this project, with obvious exceptions like Gannett Godwin, were our first choices. How easy do you think it is to find people who are skilled in their fields and willing to become pioneers on a new planet?"

"They'll hardly have to live in pioneer conditions," she said with an ironic grin.

"You know what I mean." He gazed at Janice Horner, sitting alert yet relaxed in the comfortably padded chair across from him. One thing that she and Alison had in common was the ability to be consistently professional, no matter the circumstances.

Working with Alison over the past couple of months, he had appreciated her ability to mask bothersome doubts or emotions with a veneer of charm and efficiency. "I'll let her know that she ended up being an excellent choice, if she doesn't know it already."

"How is someone supposed to know something if you don't tell them?"

"You know a lot of things without being told."

"Yes, but that's part of my job."

"Well, you've got your job cut out for you here. You realize that we'll have to be more circumspect from now on. When I figure out the lay of the land I'll let you know where we can meet, away from prying eyes."

"And ears."

"Exactly."

10 SPACE

Two men sat side by side on a couple of the chairs that currently filled the Loggia, the huge central gathering place of the Galaxy. The modular partitions in the Loggia were designed to be easily removed and reconfigured for a variety of room designs.

This space would serve many purposes throughout the voyage – dining areas, social rooms and gatherings like the one starting soon. The afternoon's meeting would include all of the passengers and most of the crew onboard.

The two men were chatting as they waited for the event to start. The older one was a crew engineer and the younger one was a new hire who was assigned to less technical responsibilities in the new city. He looked to be college age, with short reddish-blond hair and a smattering of freckles across his cheeks. As he munched on nuts from a small bag in his hand, he listened raptly to the engineer's description of the workings of the Matter/Anti-matter Drive.

"...so the Gravity Generator draws enormous amounts of power, but it's nothing compared to the power available from the Drive. For example, if we were just going to the edges of our own solar system, it wouldn't take more than enough fuel to fill a bucket."

"But I don't understand," the young man said. "Why does the Drive take up a quarter of the ship if the fuel takes up so little space?"

"It's the containment fields and the devices needed to harness the antimatter that take up all the room," the engineer explained. "The Drive also powers the matter recyclers and generators.

"Just about every type of atom there is can be found in the star stuff we pass through and what we can't find, we recycle from materials onboard. We've had the technology to assemble any kind of matter we wanted to before now. But it's only on a starship with a Matter/Anti-matter Drive that you have access to the energy required to do it."

The younger man found it hard to assimilate the ideas that the engineer was sharing with him. Galaxy had been built in space, like all of its recent predecessors, because of the bulk that would never make it out of Earth's atmosphere without seriously messing up the planet. The only constraints on spacecraft size in this century were stress point factors and ship maneuverability, making the great ships large enough to be visible to any citizen with a starscope.

He remembered sitting on the roof of his uncle's house a month ago, staring at the monolithic hulk of the Galaxy through a scope. His uncle had suggested it, telling him that he had seen the Galaxy almost twenty-five years ago, before it departed on its latest and longest voyage of exploration. Twenty-five years was such a long time in the span of human lives that most people were surprised when the ship actually returned on schedule.

Unlike its forebears, Galaxy had a Matter/Antimatter Drive, which was something that was only vaguely understood by most global citizens. All they were interested in was the fact that it worked. Galaxy had made it possible to explore the Milky Way, and a generation had grown up hearing reports of planet after planet that were either completely uninhabitable or else would be prohibitively expensive to terraform.

"It's lucky," the engineer continued, "that we decided to keep searching for a habitable planet instead of pouring all our efforts into terraforming one of those closer ones that were marginal. WorldGov would have spent three times the manpower and economic resources and you guys would never have had half the life you're going to have on Thera."

"Do you mind if we sit here?" asked a female voice on the young man's right.

11 INTRODUCTIONS

Genevieve, Alison, Rosalia and the two teachers emerged through one of the entrances to the Loggia. Alison looked for the best spot and saw five seats together near the front. She led the way and slid down the aisle toward a red haired young man who was in earnest conversation with Corporal James Wilson.

She had met the friendly crew engineer during his furlough planetside. James was in his early fifties and was a heavyset, cheerful man with ruddy cheeks, intelligent eyes and thinning brown hair. He had a propensity for telling jokes, most of which were actually funny.

"Do you mind if we sit here?" she asked. The young man who turned toward her looked familiar, although she couldn't place him immediately.

"Sure, go right ahead."

"Hi Alison," said James. "You decided to get here early and get a good seat too, eh?"

"Yep! Let me introduce you to my roommates. This is Dr. Genevieve Trotter, our Education Director..." She continued until all of the introductions on their side were complete.

Genevieve listened as the two men introduced themselves and appeared surprised when the younger one held out his hand and said, "I've been looking forward to meeting you Dr. Trotter, I'm Dewey Eliot." She could have sworn that this boy, as she thought of him, was about nineteen years old!

"Actually, I'm twenty-six," he said as he shook her hand.

She laughed. "Oh, I see you can read minds!"

"No, just faces," he said, grinning.

"I guess mine must be an open book, then." She thought to herself that he seemed to be a good-natured sort.

Melinda leaned forward in front of Genevieve and Alison and held out her hand to Dewey. "Dr. Eliot, it's wonderful to meet you. My class used your book as a text when I was in school."

He took in all five of them with a glance as he shook Melinda's hand. "You can call me Dewey. Melinda, am I right in assuming you're the other Early Education teacher on board?"

"Yes, I just completed my internship Dr....Dewey."

Chimes sounded, signifying that the welcoming speech was about to begin.

12 WELCOME

Doug Fortner crossed the raised dais and stepped into the voice amplification circle. When he began to speak, each member of the audience heard his friendly, conversational baritone as if he were sitting right next to them. "I want to welcome all the new travelers aboard the Galaxy. I've had the pleasure of meeting many of you and, by the journey's end, hope to meet many more."

His dark, craggy features and erect posture drew the attention of the crowd as much as his compelling voice. He looked around the room, including the entire group in his words. "This is a major step in life for each of you and I am sincere when I say that WorldGov has been very fortunate in our recruiting efforts for this stage of the project. As the Second Wave, you will provide needed skills and talents for the new society on Thera – your new society." He paused to let that sink in.

"A United Humankind is in the process of uncovering the secrets of a universe that we finally have the tools to explore, thanks to the Matter/Antimatter Drive. We will bring with us to the new planet our global ideals of peace, freedom, social justice, and respect for life.

Thera will be the first step in a series of new outposts that one day will stretch like a strand of pearls across the universe. And as technology continues to improve, one day all of our new societies will be able to commune with each other without the barrier of years between us. You are a vital step in making that dream become a reality, and I thank you."

There was a hush in the room and then the crowd broke into applause. When it died down, Fortner said, "Now I would like to introduce you to Admiral Richard Gibson, a veteran WorldGov employee. He has done an excellent job of leading the staff and crew of the Galaxy for the past sixty-three years. Please give him your full attention as he shares some valuable information about your trip aboard the Galaxy." There was another round of applause.

Dewey puzzled out Fortner's words in his mind. Commander Gibson had been in charge of the Galaxy for sixty-three years Earth-time. This meant that, depending on how many voyages he had led, he might have actually commanded the ship for about a decade according to his own time frame. As Fortner walked back across the dais, a tall, well-muscled man wearing a blue and white WorldGov navigation uniform stepped into the amplification circle.

Gibson appeared to be in his late fifties and had a chiseled face the color of oak. His hair was short and grizzled and turning gray at the temples. The only indication of his rank was the name badge attached to his lapel. When he spoke, his voice was deep and melodious, but with an undercurrent of steel.

"I welcome you on behalf of all the staff and crew of the Galaxy. Our primary task is to ensure that this voyage goes smoothly, and that includes seeing to the comfort and well-being of each and every one of you. I ask that you read your orientation packet completely and educate yourself about the guidelines of shipboard life. It will make the journey much easier and more enjoyable for everyone."

He paused and scanned the audience. "I would like to reiterate the requirement for mandatory attendance at monthly counseling sessions for each person onboard. This practice is essential to maintaining a sound and well-ordered community during the trip. I also encourage you to join at least one social group. You will find that there are groups for every interest, whether it is literature, games, painting, sewing, crafts...whatever your personal interests may be. And of course, passengers are welcome to start new groups at any time.

Additionally, each WorldGov employee will be required to adhere to the guidelines for physical training. There are many options open for fulfilling this requirement as well. I encourage each of you to check in with an athletic consultant at the Recreation Facility at your first opportunity."

He went on to expound upon some of the mundane details of onboard life for those who had not yet read their orientation manuals. Everyone was reminded to check their vidscreens daily for personal correspondence, daily job responsibilities and any general announcements. Passengers were encouraged to make use of the Technical Department for any problems with holopads, personal communicators, even electronic games, watches and other items.

"It will be much easier for my staff to keep up with repairs if they are dealt with as they arise. Each person is also encouraged to correspond via vidscreen with the Dietary Department regarding food allergies or preferences. Some of you may be referred to a nutritionist as part of your fitness program." The Admiral then briefly illuminated the procedures for routine medical and dental care at the Med Center.

"One of the most vital pieces of advice I can give you is a reminder that for each and every one of you, the Galaxy is not just a means of transportation, but it is also your home. All of you will be living here for a minimum of six months and many of you for three times that long. Please make use of the facilities available to you and treat the Galaxy with the same care that you would treat any home."

He gestured toward Doug Fortner. "The WorldGov Personnel Department has scheduled departmental meetings after the welcoming announcements. I'll turn the floor over to Mr. Fortner now, so that those of you who have meetings can start them." He left the dais to brisk applause.

Afterward, Fortner took his place in the amplification circle and rattled off a list of meeting areas for various departmental groups. Since the Loggia needed to be set up for dinner, the teams were assigned to other areas of the ship. Genevieve's group was asked to meet in the communal living area of her module, others were spread among various onboard facilities and lounges, and one group was lucky enough to be assigned to the Observatory.

"Oh, why couldn't we have gotten that one?" Melinda sighed.

James Wilson, the crew engineer, leaned forward. "It's not really windows looking out into space, you know."

"What do you mean?" asked Melinda.

"Well, it's a dead-ringer for the real thing, but it would be too risky to have nothing but glaz between the interior of the ship and the hard vacuum outside. So what we do is use overlapping synchronized cameras to recreate an exact view of what you would see if you were looking out into space."

"But that's not the only reason," said Dewey. "Every part of the ship also has to be insulated from the repulsion and radiation shields."

"That's right," said James. "The shields may protect us from space debris and radiation we also need protection from the shields."

Alison and Rosalia were supposed to meet Fortner at the dais, where they would all head to the forward lounge for the Communication Team meeting. Dinner was starting an hour later than the usual 6:00 pm because of the welcome speeches and meetings.

Team members were supposed to check in with each other and go over a few preliminaries for the work they would begin in transit to Thera. Then they would be free to head back to the Loggia which, by that time, would be in readiness for the evening meal.

13 GETTING STARTED

Alison and Rosalia sat around a table in the forward lounge with Fortner. All of them had soft drinks in their hands and there was a holopad on the table in front of Fortner. He and Rosalia were already acquainted because he had made a point of personally recruiting the members of his own team.

He would be the Communications Director once they arrived at Thera and the daily responsibilities of the Personnel Department would be turned over to staffers. That would leave Fortner free to guide Communications between the base, the ship and eventually, the city. After a few minutes of chit-chat between the three of them, the meeting began.

"I'll start by outlining the basic responsibilities that the two of you will have planetside," Fortner said. He activated the holopad to bring up a flowchart at an angle they could all see. "The next time we meet I'll give you a few things to get started on while we're in transit to Thera. But for now, it's enough of a job just getting acclimatized and meeting so many new people at once."

For a few more minutes, Fortner discussed press releases, public relations, holographic terminals for the new city, etc. Then he looked at Alison and Rosalia.

"Once we arrive, as Chief Information Officer and Technical Coordinator, the two of you together are going to be my right arm. Alison, as we discussed, you'll be the front person when it comes to keeping the population informed about any and all news. You'll have to call on your public relations and diplomacy skills, especially when people don't agree with decisions emanating from Pronto Base. Hopefully, that won't happen too often.

"Rosalia, I'll be depending on you to keep the lines of communication open through your technical expertise. Having information won't do us any good if we don't have a way to get it to the people or if they ignore it. I'm sure that you'll be able to make newscasts interesting, with your talent for graphics and video."

"I've been wondering what kind of technical jobs I can start on while we're in transit?" asked Rosalia.

Fortner replied, "Even though you can't interface with the actual outlets for our broadcasts, there are excellent virtual programs that will give you an idea of how your code will appear on the communication displays in the city. What I'm going to have you working on for now is routine communication."

"Like daily menus, activity times, meetings?" she asked.

"Right. And once the city is occupied, that type of thing will be sent by personal vid in addition to being displayed onscreen at various locations around the city. So you definitely have some things you can mock up now, to give you a head start."

Alison looked thoughtful. "Once we've transferred to the barracks at Pronto Base, will we be taking shuttles to the Galaxy occasionally?"

"I'll have to work that out with the administration on Pronto Base once we get there." Fortner looked at Alison. "I'm almost certain that we'll want you to make at least quarterly trips to the Galaxy in order to boost morale. It won't be easy for those who have to wait onboard for a year while so much is going on planetside that they can't participate in. Shuttles will run monthly, and I may stagger your trips and mine so that most of the time we'll have a representative available on the ship to answer any questions personally."

"We haven't gotten a lot of information about our quarters on the base or in the new city. I'm assuming that Alison and I will still be among the city's first residents?" asked Rosalia.

"Naturally, I'll want you two there from the moment it's ready for occupancy," he replied. "As a matter of fact, the Information Office will be accessible to all city residents.

"While you're living on base, you'll have typical barracks quarters, probably with the two of you sharing a room and a bathroom. Unlike on the Galaxy, you won't have food preparation facilities in your living area, but will take all your meals in the dining halls. Although your quarters won't be as spacious, you'll have compensations compared to those people still living onboard the Galaxy."

"Yes," said Alison, "like the entire outdoors!"

"Besides that, you should realize that this will be a base that's been in existence for almost twenty-five years. There will be a lot of activities and facilities that can't exist on a ship, no matter how large it is."

Next, he detailed the layout of the six level underground city that would be completed after their arrival. The footprint of the city was going to be about the same as a large college campus, roughly two miles square. The lowest of the six levels or "basement" would already be finished when the Galaxy arrived. It would contain vital elements of the infrastructure, including plumbing and electrical conduits, and would give access to maintenance shafts throughout the city once the construction was complete.

Levels two and three would have to be finished before anyone relocated from the base or ship. Those levels would both have open access to a "downtown" area that included a transportation grid linking the city to Pronto Base.

As Fortner explained it, a broad two-story Central Mall would bisect both the second and third floor for the entire two mile length of the city. Businesses and services would line the gargantuan mall on the first level and platforms for transportation trams would ring the walls on the second level, basically on the roofs of the commercial areas.

Two separate floors of dwellings would be located on either side, having access to the massive Central Mall from both floors. Upper dwellings would have the advantage of being adjacent to transportation and lower dwellings would be closer to the commerce and entertainment areas.

A major dining facility was planned for the lower level of the mall, although smaller communal dining spots would still be available among the various housing areas. A major medical facility was going to take up a good chunk of space on the first story of the Central Mall, along with services, stores, artistic venues, entertainment facilities and the main Fitness Center for the city.

Plans called for the fourth floor, above the Central Mall, to be the site of the educational complex as well as more dwellings and an indoor park, making it the most family-friendly level of the city. The fifth, or next to last, floor would be primarily housing, along with the same dining areas, social rooms, fitness rooms, etc. that were interspersed among the other living quarters.

Finally, the top floor was going to be the new offices for Pronto Base and headquarters for Theran WorldGov. Depending upon the amount of space required for offices, there might be a few dwellings for WorldGov administrators as well. All floors of the city would have easy access to the surface through a network of elevators and a tram system leading from the Central Mall to Pronto Base. Only the basement and the sixth floor admini-strative level would be inaccessible to the general public.

Rosalia and Alison, like the other recruits, knew the rationale behind building the city underground. WorldGov wanted to have as little impact as possible on the flora and fauna of the new planet. In addition, locating the city underground would protect it from any unexpected violent weather. On a new planet, there would be no outside help after a disaster.

"When will we be sharing these details with everyone?" asked Alison.

"So far," Fortner replied, we've had to wait for the plans to be confirmed. Naturally, they won't be set in stone until after we confer with Pronto Base. As I'm sure you're aware, there's no possibility of useful back-and-forth communication between planetary systems at this time. However, you're right...we do need to start working out some rough details to share with the public."

Rosalia agreed. "Once everyone gets over the newness of shipboard life, they'll start wondering about the life they're heading toward."

Fortner promised to send them a preliminary meeting schedule by the following afternoon and they all prepared to head for the dining hall.

"If you don't mind, Rosalia, I need to show Alison something. We'll catch up with you in a few minutes," said Fortner. Both women looked surprised but readily agreed. As Rosalia headed for the Loggia, Fortner said to Alison, "There's someone I'd like you to meet."

14 A SURPRISE

Alison followed Fortner through the hallways of the forward living quarters of the ship. I'm glad he knows where he's going, because I'd never find my way back without a map, she thought. He found the door he was looking for and gave a sharp knock, then stepped aside.

A moment later, the door slid open to frame the visage of someone Alison had never expected to see again. Janis Horner stood looking at Alison with a smile on her face, as beautiful and imposing as ever. She could have been dressed for the office with the exquisitely cut and styled dress she was wearing. Her artfully applied makeup, as usual, made her appear about ten years younger that Alison knew her to be.

"What..." Alison felt disoriented. She had said her goodbyes to many people, including her sister, Janice and other friends and family. "I don't understand," she said. "I thought you turned down the job!"

"I turned down your job," said Janice.

"Why don't we all sit down for a minute?" asked Fortner.

"Thank you Doug, why didn't I think of that?" Janice grinned wryly and led them into her tiny quarters.

"Doug?" thought Alison. She hadn't realized that Janice knew Fortner that well. The quarters consisted of the same furnishings as Alison's own sleeping cubicle, but in a slightly larger space. This time the bunk was on the left wall. She assumed that the door just past the head of the bed led to the toilet and shower.

The built-in wardrobe and desk unit on the right were exactly like the ones in her quarters, but there were a couple of feet more space between the bunk and the opposite wall. Alison hadn't known that there were private compartments like this.

"Doug, you take the chair and Alison and I will share the bunk," directed Janice. When they were seated, she turned toward Alison. "WorldGov has certain things that need attention and I was prevailed upon to change my mind about the voyage. My son Paul was the main reason that I turned down the opportunity in the first place, but we managed to get him to agree to come on the trip." She and Fortner smiled at each other.

"You mean Paul...but what will a musician do on Thera?" Alison paused. "Oh, I guess we need them, too!"

"Of course we do," replied Fortner, "but it wasn't easy tearing him away from the Symphony. He had plans to be Director one of these days. We had to work out some sort of incentive to get him to agree to sign up."

"Thanks to WorldGov, we're going to not only have a professional symphony for Thera, but a training school for musicians as well," said Janice. "Paul prevailed upon a few other members of his company to join and, as part of the deal, several top-quality instruments and other items were included in the Galaxy's cargo."

"But what will you do?" asked Alison.

Janice hesitated and Fortner broke in. "Before the Galaxy left Thera, WorldGov promised the Pronto Base Commander, General Obi, that we would bring her an historian to document the history of Thera. We managed to recruit an excellent one, but we needed a crack editor to work with her. Luckily for us, we were able to get Janice after all, using the tactics she just described."

Alison noted that Janice was looking at Fortner with exasperation. "Anything else?" she asked with a sardonic grin.

Fortner looked flustered and Alison realized that, in all the months she had been working with him, she'd never seen him lose his composure, even in this minor way. He shifted his gaze from Janice to Alison.

"Janice is concerned that you may think you only got the job of Chief Information Officer because of a fluke," he said stiffly. "She seems to believe that you don't realize how much your work is valued by WorldGov...and by me."

Janice laughed. "In other words, I think they ended up being glad that I turned down the post, and not just because they found other uses for me!"

Alison was surprised at the praise and felt her cheeks growing warm. She had worked diligently to fill shoes that she imagined to be far too large and, up until now, had just hoped fervently that she was doing an adequate job.

"Thank you," she said.

Fortner broke the tension. "I don't know about the two of you," he said, "but I'm feeling pretty hungry right now!" His momentary discomfort had fled and he again exuded his usual bonhomie. "Shall we go to dinner?"

"Sounds good to me," said Alison. At his words, she suddenly realized that she was ravenous. As the three of them navigated the hallways that led toward the Loggia/Dining Hall, Alison thought it strange that Janice had private quarters. She knew that very few people were housed singly. And what would she do with herself during the six month trip? She seemed to have no inclination to meddle in Communications. Alison mentally shook her head to clear it. She was just happy to have a familiar face onboard.

As they entered the Loggia, they were greeted with a cheerful scene of organized confusion.

15 NEW FRIENDS

The huge Loggia was now packed with tables full of diners. No dividing walls had been erected in the haste to switch over from meeting room to dining area and the din was palpable.

"Alison! Right here!" called Genevieve over the hubbub. The three of them wound their way past tables of various sizes and shapes to arrive at a rectangular table with three seats still available.

Alison took an empty seat at the end of the row closest to them. Rosalia was seated next to her, followed by Melinda and two young children with Asiatic features. Bonnie sat at the head of the table. A beautiful woman who resembled the children sat across from them. "That must be Dr. Yin," thought Alison.

Jing Yin had the delicate features of an ancient porcelain doll and eyes that were almost black, with straight blue-black hair that fell gracefully past her shoulders. Alison knew by reputation that her lovely exterior housed a sharp mind.

Next to Jing sat Genevieve, followed by Dewey. He was the only one who already had food in front of him. It looked as if he was eating some kind of tofu appetizer. Janice took the end seat across from Alison and Doug sat at the other end of the table, between the two of them.

Genevieve announced to the newcomers, "I think most of us know each other." She gestured down the table toward Alison. "Jing, this is my friend and roommate Alison James. She's also the Chief Information Officer for the Galaxy Project."

The corners of Jing's mouth turned up slightly. "Pleased to meet you." She had an air of reserve about her that some people misconstrued as cool or standoffish, until they got to know her.

Fortner raised his voice slightly to reach the end of the table. "Hello Dr. Yin, it's a pleasure to see you again." He looked at the rest of group and indicated Janice. "This is Janice Horner, who will be helping us with Archives."

"Welcome Janice!" said Genevieve with a warm smile. She seemed to be the de facto hostess of the table. "Jing, would you like to introduce the children?"

"Oh, they can introduce themselves," Dr. Yin said complacently. Alison thought she detected a hint of motherly pride in her voice.

Jing nodded toward the oldest, a girl of perhaps ten years old who looked very much like her mother. Her hair was thicker and not quite as shiny and it was held back on one side with a clip that appeared to be a tiny model of the Galaxy. She and her brother both wore simple jumpsuits and athletic shoes. The boy didn't resemble Jing as much, with his unruly brown hair and broader features, but he had the same dark eyes as his mother and sister.

"My name is Jun. It's a pleasure to meet you." Alison was impressed at the self-possession the little girl showed as she looked around the table, meeting the eyes of the adults and smiling engagingly. Her brother was next.

"My name is Chi and I'm seven years old." He fingered a lapel clip that, like the one in his sister's hair, was in the shape of the Galaxy. "Corporal Wilson gave me this for helping set up chairs today." He leaned forward so that everyone at the table could get a good look.

"What else?" asked his mother, pressing her lips together firmly.

"Oh yes, I'm puhleezed to meet you!" He leaned forward in his chair to perform a mock bow to the gathering. Such levity and chutzpah in a small boy surprised everyone, and the table erupted in laughter. "There's our class clown," thought Melinda.

Jing shook her head and smiled at the children fondly. As the adults began conversing about the opening speech and the meetings they had just attended, Jun and Chi quietly argued about whether possession of the Galaxy clips made them official members of the crew. Chi was in the pro camp while Jun took the con position.

Melinda said to Jing, "I was hoping to meet your husband at dinner tonight. Did his meeting run over?"

Jing replied, "Steven's in a dinner meeting with Gannett and the Architecture and Engineering Teams. I'm afraid his work starts right away, but he should be able to have dinner with us next time."

Architect Gannett Godwin and Construction Engineer Steven Richey were personalities who were known to everyone on board. They had been a team on many high profile Earth projects and it was intriguing to note how different the two of them were. Perhaps that's what made the relationship work so well. Godwin was an extrovert and Richey was the complete opposite, but no one would argue the fact that both of them were brilliant in their fields.

"Why don't we plan on having everyone on the Education Team meet for dinner again tomorrow?" asked Melinda.

"I don't see why not," replied Genevieve. Alison and Rosalia declined the invitation to join them, as did Fortner and Janice. They all agreed that it would allow Genevieve and her crew to talk shop as much as they wanted.

Secretly, Alison was glad that she and Rosalia would have some time to themselves. They had a lot to discuss about their own responsibilities and she thought that it would be nice to enjoy their quarters without a crowd.

Janice came up and gave her a hug before leaving. "Keep in touch, okay? I'll check my vidmail if I don't see you in the next couple of days."

Alison returned the hug and they parted. As her group headed back to their module she noticed Rosalia looking at Janice's retreating form with interest.

"It looks like you two already know each other."

"Yes, she was my boss at my last job and we became pretty good friends. I was surprised to find out that she had signed up too."

"You mean you just found out?"

"Yep."

"That's odd isn't it?"

Alison had to admit that it was.

16 SPECIAL EVENING

The following evening, Alison and Rosalia relaxed together in the living quarters of their module. After returning from dinner the previous evening, the two of them had decided that a fitting way to spend their first full day on the Galaxy would be to go exploring. They had spent the entire day checking out every one of the amenities and facilities on board, stopping only to have breakfast and lunch during dining hours in the Loggia.

While they were at the Recreation Facility, Alison signed up to meet with a physical trainer. She wanted to continue the fitness program she had begun during her brief WorldGov orientation on Earth. Now, after showering and seeing the rest of their roommates off to dinner, both women were looking forward to an evening of lounging around in pajamas.

Rosalia reclined on the broad sectional sofa. Her thick, glossy lavender hair was unbound and flowed across the shoulders of the comfortable pajamas she wore. She noticed that Alison was looking at it. "Are you thinking of getting yours colored too?" she asked mischievously.

Alison blushed. "I'm sorry I was staring. It's just that your hair's so pretty and I've never seen that color before. Are you going to be able to keep getting it done that way now that we've left Earth?"

Rosalia laughed. "Haven't you ever colored your hair? It's easy. As a matter of fact my hair has been this shade for about three months, and that's the longest I've had the same color in a year."

"But doesn't it mess up your hair eventually?"

"It used to, but the stuff they have now actually nourishes your hair. It's like a conditioner. You want to try it?"

"Maybe another time." Alison stretched and yawned.

"Do you want to try using that food hydrator now?" asked Rosalia. "I'm starting to get hungry."

They pulled out a couple of likely looking dinners from the cabinet next to the small refrigerator. This would be their chance to see how the food in their pantry compared to dining room fare. There were different types of meals and snacks on the cabinet shelves and all of them would last for months until they were rehydrated.

While the dinners went through the processor, they set out napkins and utensils and made a couple of drinks. Rosalia disappeared for a moment through the door to the sleeping cubicles and reappeared with a bottle in her hand.

"This is good Russian vodka," she bragged, "the best you'll find anywhere."

"I feel honored that you're sharing it with me, then!"

Like Rosalia, Alison wore lounging clothes – her favorite sweatpants and an old, soft and comfortable sweatshirt. They sat at the table to wait for their dinner.

"Are you from Eurasia Province?" Alison asked.

"No, Czartoryska is a Polish name. My mother was from Eurasia Province though – Western Russia."

"How about your father?"

"He was Polish and they met when she came over to attend University. Europa Province had a better program for fine arts at the time."

Alison inferred from Rosalia's use of the past tense that the two of them must have a similar family history. She wondered if Rosalia had also lost her parents, but didn't want to pry. She saw that her roommate had turned contemplative and decided to try and keep the conversation going.

"Did you get that Russian poncho you were wearing yesterday from your mother?" she asked.

"Yes, she used to keep it in a display case in our living room. I've loved it ever since I was a little girl, and I used to make up stories in my mind about wearing it on grand adventures. It ended up coming to me from my parents' estate." She seemed lost in thought for a moment, then said, "My mom would be shocked to see me wearing it all the time now."

She sighed. "What about you? Any family?"

"A sister, Margot. Both of our parents are gone too." Alison knew that she was unable to keep her feelings from showing on her face.

"You miss them, huh?" Rosalia asked gently.

"Yes, but I'm thinking mostly about Margot right now. I lived with her for the past several months. For the first two, I was laid off from my job and she supported me. Then I signed up with WorldGov and it didn't make sense to get my own place when I'd be leaving in three months."

"Didn't she try to get a job with WorldGov too?" asked Rosalia. "I know they gave priority to family members when they were recruiting for the mission."

"She has a boyfriend and a great job keeping her on Earth. Also, she's not really the adventurous type. But you never know, maybe she'll be part of the Third Wave."

"Twenty-five years is a long time to wait for the Galaxy's next round trip."

Alison perked up. "From what I hear, it may not be quite that long. According to James..."

"Who?"

"Corporal Wilson, that man who was talking to Dewey before the speeches last night?"

"Okay, now I know who you mean."

"Anyway, he said that the next generation of Matter/Anti-Matter Drive is in production and they're hoping that, even before Galaxy returns, they'll have a new ship ready and underway."

Rosalia did the calculations in her head. "So if a new ship leaves, say, halfway through the Galaxy's voyage, it will get to Thera about twelve years early?"

"Or if one leaves three years after our departure, it could get there three years after we do."

"It seems like you've thought about this a lot," said Rosalia with a smile.

"Actually, I try not to think about it because I don't want to get my hopes up too much." Alison took a sip of her drink. "This is good stuff. You know your vodka!" she said, lightening the mood.

They both jumped as the hydrator gave off a loud "ding!" and then laughed. Alison removed the food and transferred it to plates, carrying them to the table.

"Well it looks good...let's see how it tastes." Rosalia took a large bite and chewed with gusto.

"Well?" asked Alison.

"It's okay," said Rosalia around a mouthful of food.

Alison took a bite herself. It wasn't bad, but she had to admit that the dining room food was better.

When they finished their meal, they cleared everything and disposed of it in the matter eliminator, then took fresh drinks to the sofa. Once they were settled, Rosalia asked, "Your friend Janice...how long were you two together?"

"You mean...oh no, we didn't have that kind of relationship. We were just good friends who worked together. If it wasn't for her, I probably wouldn't have gotten this job."

Alison wondered which of them Rosalia was interested in, Janice or herself.

"How did she help you get the job?"

"She was the head of my department and WorldGov approached her first. She wasn't interested but she told them that I was indispensable to the department and that they had to talk to me."

"If you were indispensable, wasn't she hurting her own company by encouraging them to lure you away?" asked Rosalia, puzzled.

Alison laughed and said, "First of all, I don't think that I was really that indispensable. And anyway, by that time WorldGov had bought Corporate Solutions Magazine. So one way or another, I was going to be working for them."

"What made Janice change her mind about joining?" Rosalia asked.

Alison explained the situation with Janice's son Paul and the incentives that WorldGov had offered. Rosalia looked thoughtful. "Something about that sounds odd," she said. "What did Fortner say her job was...archivist or something?"

"Something like that."

Uncomfortable discussing her friend, Alison decided to change the subject.

"Have you figured out how to use this vidscreen yet?" she asked. Rosalia picked up the controller and together they deciphered the buttons and pulled up a competitive word game that they both liked, then spent the next hour trying to outwit each other.

17 PLANNING

Steven Richey touched the doorframe with his thumb and entered a room filled with sunshine. Trees seemed to peek through a large window and dapple the conference table with shadows. He gazed out of the "window" and saw a meadow sparsely populated with wildflowers and, in the distance, a small pond with ducks gliding slowly around the perimeter.

"Good choice!" he remarked to Taryn Braden, his assistant, who was already seated at the small round table. Taryn was twenty-nine and had been a top student at the Dublin Institute of Construction Engineering. Working in Europa Province after graduation, she had soon gained the attention of the Richey Group and was spirited away to Nortica Province to help with construction of the latest Hightower buildings.

"Thanks. I got here early and had a little time to kill, so I played around with the vidscreen."

Taryn had a striking appearance for such a petite woman, with a high forehead, arresting eyebrows and deep brown eyes. She employed those eyebrows to good advantage on the job, using them to scowl at crews that she thought were slacking off on their work. Her auburn hair was pulled straight back and wound in a braided bun at the back of her head.

Richey could count on his fingers the number of times he had seen Taryn's hair loose in the years he'd worked with her. When she gave it free rein, it was lustrous, wavy and thick, making her look like a beautiful Irish colleen. His wife, Jing, Taryn's only real friend, had been instrumental in persuading her to shed her severe appearance occasionally.

As soon as Steven had seated himself comfortably next to Taryn at the round table, the door to the room slid open and Gannett Godwin entered. It could not be said that he walked in. To say that he leapt, sprang, or bounded in would be more appropriate. He seemed to be filled with nervous energy, on the verge of breaking out into a song or tirade.

Godwin carried a sheaf of papers in one hand and a holopad in the other. He was of average height, with a wiry build and short blond hair with a hint of gray in it. The man was a non-stop talker. He was also a shaker and mover with visionary ideas, many of which had already come to fruition on Earth.

His wife Alicia, on the other hand, was a quiet intellectual whose chief role in their relationship was supporting Gannett's enthusiasms. She enjoyed her own pursuits but was always available to listen to his plans and schemes. Gannett was fifty-four and people remarked on their twenty-two year age difference, especially since Alicia looked young for her age.

Unlike his partner Gannett, Steven was an introvert. He, too, was preoccupied with the plans and schemes that populated his fertile imagination, but he exhibited it in a more subdued manner. He was absorbed in his work, especially when it involved new and unsolved challenges.

This ability to focus was one of the reasons he had risen to the top so fast. Occasionally he got caught up in tunnel vision, letting his thick brown hair become untidy and not noticing when he needed to shave. Outsiders assumed that his wife Jing ran rings around him. She made all of their social plans and financial decisions without his input and completely took charge of their lives.

In reality, Steven appreciated her ability to take over their everyday affairs, leaving him free to focus on his business and his latest projects. When he wasn't working, he enjoyed spending time with Jing and their two children, Jun and Chi.

Steven considered Gannett to be one of the most intriguing and talented people he had ever met. It seemed the most fortunate of circumstances that Gannett had chosen him as a collaborative partner. Together they had parlayed Gannett's architectural designs into acclaimed edifices that graced nearly all of the Global Provinces.

Taryn sighed when Gannet entered the room, and Steven noted it. He knew that Gannett's mannerisms bothered her. His assistant was a quiet, undemonstrative woman whose personality meshed with his, which was in large part why they worked so well together. She didn't speak unless she had something useful to say and had little patience for idle chit-chat on the job.

Gannett's non-stop talking and nervous energy set her on edge and Steven usually kept the two of them apart. Unfor-tunately, this time there was no help for it. Taryn would be the site manager for the project and it was vital that she remain in the loop.

The three of them had to come up with an action plan for the modifications that their technical group had hammered out the prior evening. "If you can really call it evening," thought Steven. In order to keep everyone's biorhythms stable, passengers followed the same twenty-four hour day cycle as on Earth. The Galaxy adhered to Eastern Nortica Province Time since that had been the point of departure for all passengers.

Gannett laid his burdens on the table and touched the holopad. Immediately an image of the planned city sprang into existence just to one side of the table's surface. He quickly adjusted it until it was centered in their view and they got to work.

From time to time, Gannett tapped a few keys to hone in on a particular area in more detail. He and Steven occasionally paused to record verbal comments as they finalized their modifications. Taryn sat quietly and attentively, absorbing the details but not adding to the conversation. At one point Steven and Gannett couldn't agree on whether a particular support structure should be changed.

"It won't work," she said simply.

Gannett shook his head, "No, you don't understand. If we just move these over here..." He punctuated his words with rapid movements indicating the area he was describing.

"It's not going to work," Taryn repeated.

Steven suppressed a smile. Even if he hadn't already seen for himself that the modifications Gannett proposed were untenable, he would have tended to trust Taryn's judgment. She was extremely talented and had saved projects that seemed unsalvageable in the past. Some of the projects had been joint ones with Gannett, like this one. "I can see what Taryn means..." He went on to detail the reasons they would have to try another tack.

"When you're right, you're right," Gannett conceded, looking at Steven. Taryn noticed that he didn't acknowledge that she was the one who had pointed out the obvious problems in the first place.

When the three of them got to a logical stopping point they decided to continue after breakfast the next day. Just as they were wrapping it up, the unsecured public door slid open and Doug Fortner walked in.

"Is this a good time?"

"Yes," replied Steven. "You're right on time, as a matter of fact – we're just finishing up here." He turned to Gannett and Taryn. "Doug asked me to set aside some time for him to speak to us about an important matter."

Fortner's usual pleasant expression was absent. "This may take a while."

18 LESSONS

The family module that Steven, Jing, and their children shared was composed of a bathroom, a sleeping cubicle for Jun and Chi, and a main room that served triple-duty as kitchen, living room and bedroom.

At the far end, opposite the entryway, was a kitchenette. To the left of the entrance, one of the longer walls of the sixteen-by-twenty foot room held a comfortable sofa with a graniteplaz coffee table in front of it and small matching tables at both ends. Two easy chairs sat at ninety degree angles to the ends of the couch.

The right wall contained the doors to the bathing area and the children's shared sleeping cubby. These doors were set far apart and a dining table emerged from the wall in the middle of them. At bedtime, the two collapsible chairs on either side of the dining table were put away and the table itself ended up flattened against the wall as a double bed rotated downward to take its place.

At this moment, during the second week of the voyage, Jing was seated on one side of the dining table, with Jun and Chi across from her. In the center of the table sat the children's holopad, which she was patiently teaching Chi to use.

Virtually all children could operate a holopad by the age of three, but Jing specifically wanted both of them to be able to access the lessons she had programmed for them. As she guided Chi's small fingers, he was successfully able to pull up the day's lesson.

A holographic image of the Earth, about eighteen inches in diameter, now hovered in the middle of the table in between the three of them. Chi stuck out his hand until it appeared to be buried up to the wrist in one of the continents.

"Quit acting silly!" said Jun. She was in a huff because she had to share lessons with Chi.

"Silliness is okay sometimes," soothed Jing. "Chi, can you tell me the name of the Province that just ate your fingers?" she teased.

"Um..." he wrinkled up his brow in concentration and stared at the holographic image in front of him.

"It's Nortica Province and that's Latica Province below it!" sang out Jun. She turned a smug smile toward her brother.

"That's not fair, I was about to say that!"

Jing interrupted the budding argument. "Jun, I know that you have learned all of the Provinces. I was trying to help your brother learn them too."

She pulled out some sheets of paper with map outlines and a pack of coloring wands from a satchel on the chair next to her. She placed them on the table next to an open geography book. "Chi, I have a fun assignment for you. I want you to write the names of all of the Provinces on these maps. When you're finished, you can color them in."

"But how do I know what color they should be?"

"You get to decide! Give them whatever color you think is best, and when you're done, we'll hang them up on the wall." She smiled as she ruffled his hair.

While Chi started on his assignment, Jing and Jun moved to the sofa, where Jing prepared to quiz her daughter on the names of the Provinces and their Regions.

"Let's start with the names of all the Provinces."

Jun thought for a moment and then rattled off, "Artica, Nortica, Latica, Europa, Africa, Eurasia, Pacifica, Australasia, and Antarctica!" She looked at her mother for approval.

"Very good!" Jing decided to start on Regions with an easy Province. "And what are the Regions of Nortica Province?"

"Canada, America, Cuba, Mexico and Toltectica," she recited.

"Exactly right. Now try Eurasia Province." Jing knew that Jun had memorized the parts of the globe in a certain order and was now giving them to her out of order to see how she would do.

After a slight pause, Jun chirped, "Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Upper Zhan, Lower Zhan, and Western Russia." They continued until the drill was finished.

"Why do I have to learn all of the Provinces and Regions when we're never going back to Earth?" asked Jun.

"It's important to remember the history of our people," her mother said. "It's part of who we are."

Jing herself had been taught the ancient history of her Region, Eastern China, when she was a little girl. Long before WorldGov had brought peace to Earth and given all the peoples of the planet an equal share in governing, Eastern China had been combined with Western China to form one huge and barbaric Empire.

Growing up, she had loved reading stories about the days when, all over the Earth, people had spoken different languages and had considered those people they didn't understand to be less than human. She read some of those stories to Jun and Chi from time to time.

Jing and Steven agreed with the WorldGov view that that it was important for people to remember humanity's past. There was an ancient saying, "history repeats itself." WorldGov curriculum stressed a study of history; harking back to a time when hunger, disease and warfare blighted the planet.

There was general agreement that it was important for all citizens to know that the life they took for granted was not immutable. It was a fragile gift that had only emerged when mankind was able to cast off the ignorance and superstition that had kept them in bondage for so long.

Unfortunately however, no matter how agile the hands that guided civilization, there would always be a few maladjusted individuals who would try to keep violence and aggression a part of the human lexicon.

19 WARNING

Taryn Braden, Steven Richey and Gannett Godwin sat around the conference table with a grim-faced Doug Fortner. "I'm afraid we have a problem onboard," he said. "WorldGov has known about this for a few days, but we needed to deal with it while keeping to our departure schedule, so this is the first opportunity I've had to brief you." He hesitated and then delivered his bombshell. "Evidence has been found of attempted sabotage in the propulsion area."

There was a sharp intake of breath around the table as they stared at him.

"Are you sure?" asked Gannett. He stopped his continual shuffling of papers and gave Fortner his complete attention.

"Unfortunately, there's incontrovertible evidence that someone tampered with shipboard systems in an attempt to cause serious problems during the voyage."

Fortner thought about how they would react if he told them all the details, something that he had no intention of doing. There was no reason to alarm them unnecessarily, now that the situation was in hand.

"Did you find out who did it?" asked Steven.

Fortner looked beleaguered. "As of now, we don't know who did it, but we have a pretty good idea of who didn't."

"What do you mean?"

"The sabotage took place and was dealt with before any of the new WorldGov employees boarded." Of course, that didn't rule out one of them being part of a conspiracy, but it was extremely doubtful. And it wouldn't do to have passengers suspecting each other.

He looked at the Construction Team leaders. "Because we have no way of knowing which of the permanent crew or adjunct personnel might have been involved, the best way of dealing with the situation was to make it appear that the sabotage had not been discovered. We're monitoring the area and have undercover operatives in place, in the hope that the person or persons involved will give themselves away before the end of the voyage."

"Are we in any danger?" asked Taryn.

Fortner shook his head. "I want to make it very clear that there is no longer any danger. The sabotage attempt was nullified but the area that was tampered with was made to look as if nothing had been found out. I'm sorry that I can't give you more specific details but, as I'm sure you realize, the less that's widely known about the situation, the better chance we have of catching the guilty person."

"Then why are you telling us about it now?" Taryn asked in a calm voice. She had a directness that Fortner admired.

"Good question. As you're all aware, WorldGov conducts extensive background research on employees considered for space duty. The three of you have the highest possible rating and are considered above reproach."

He inadvertently glanced at Taryn. In reality, she didn't have the same security rating as the other two, although he was positive that she was trustworthy. With the three of them working so closely together, it had been decided by WorldGov administration that it wouldn't be practical to leave her in the dark.

"Since you three are part of the group that's most directly involved with executing this mission, you have a vital stake in its success. I ask that you keep your eyes and ears open and note anything that seems out of the ordinary. I would not suggest you record your observations, however. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to talk to me informally if you feel that there's anything you need to bring to my attention."

"What I don't understand," said Steven, frown lines appearing between his eyes, "is why anyone would want to mess up the mission. For one thing everyone here chose to go." He ran his fingers absently through his thick brown hair.

Gannett, who had been fidgeting with his notes and tapping his foot repeatedly on the soft carpet while Fortner spoke, erupted. "I can't believe this! It's crazy! What kind of nut would try to strand us in space or ruin our plans for the new city...or whatever the hell it is they're trying to do?"

"To be honest, we don't really have a motive." Fortner said to Gannett in a calming voice, switching to his public relations persona. He included the others in his next statement. "Generally when someone commits a violent or destructive act it's related to some form of mental illness. We believe that this could be one individual working alone, although we can't rule out the possibility that there is more than one person involved."

"But what can we do about it?" asked Gannet in exasperation. At the exact same time, Steven asked, "How can we help?"

Fortner replied, "Just keep your senses alert for anything out of the ordinary. The Galaxy has been examined in minute detail and we're confident that there's no other sabotage besides the one incident that was discovered. So what we're looking for is anything out of the ordinary or that just doesn't feel right to you. It could be the behavior of a person or something that doesn't conform to your expectations about the voyage. It's safest to bring anything to my attention, even if you think it may be nothing."

"Who else knows about this?" asked Taryn.

"We're informing a few top-level personnel but I'm not at liberty to tell you who the others are. You may speak of this among yourselves, but I ask that you do it privately and rarely, if at all.

"As I said, our only means of catching the person responsible is by having them think that we have no idea about the sabotage. That's the reason for the secrecy. I thought you had a right to know what was happening since all of you have committed yourselves to years of work on this project and besides, we need as many unobtrusive observers as we can get."

"Thank you for filling us in," said Gannet. He seemed less agitated and was back to his usual absentminded repetitive movements, this time tapping a finger continually on the edge of his holopad.

Taryn thought, "If I don't get out of here soon, I may snatch that holopad right out of his hands." Steven seemed to sense that she was at the limit of her patience and he thanked Fortner and stood up, signaling that the meeting was over.

20 PARTNERSHIP

"Ouch!" Melinda stuck her finger in her mouth reflexively. She and Dewey were setting up crafts for some of the younger children on board.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Oh nothing, my finger just slipped and I mashed it in the lid." She was putting away some remaining craft supplies.

"Oh no!" cried Dewey teasingly, "We have a craft injury! Call the medics!"

Melinda laughed too, ignoring the slight sting in her finger. She had enjoyed the past few days of working on the elementary school curriculum with Dewey. Once she got over her star-struck feelings and was able to see him as just another educator, she had realized that he was a very pleasant person. "He's kind of nice-looking too," she thought.

Melinda noticed that, as was his usual practice, Dewey carried a snack with him. He offered her some of the beef jerky he was munching on but she declined.

"How do you stay so slender?" she asked. "Every time I see you, you're eating!"

Dewey smiled and said, "If I wasn't eating all the time, I'd be even skinnier. Guess that's just the metabolism I inherited." He turned away and began organizing the items on the table.

Of the eighteen children traveling with their parents on the Galaxy, seven of them were between the ages of five and ten years old. She and Dewey were putting together a fun activity for them to work on during this particular afternoon on the second week of the voyage.

Today would also be an opportunity for the elementary aged children and their parents to get to know Dewey and Melinda. During the third week, half-day classes would begin for three days out of every four. Under Genevieve's guidance, the Ed Team had divided up teaching responsibilities and Melinda would be in charge of the group that would be arriving shortly, with Dewey as backup.

As they worked, the two of them shared a bit with each other about their backgrounds. "Tell me about growing up as a doctor's daughter," Dewey prompted as he deftly measured out a few beads each into several small cups.

Melinda walked around one of the child-sized tables in the classroom, laying out colored sheets of paper. "It really wasn't too different from any other kid's life."

She self-consciously brushed lint off of her skirt. "You might imagine that my mom was always making me wear a jacket in the cold or hovering over me protectively," she said. "But that wasn't the case at all. As a matter of fact," she said with a hint of a smile, "I was a tomboy when I was growing up."

"No!" Dewey feigned shocked surprise.

"Don't laugh! For a long time, I wanted to repair machinery like my dad. I thought it was cool to have grease all over my hands and I loved it when he took me to work with him at the factory."

"What changed your mind?" asked Dewey. He looked intrigued.

"Well, I was a big reader and I loved school. I was also a camp counselor every summer from the time I turned fifteen. Somehow, as I got older, teaching appealed to me more than being a maintenance engineer."

Dewey had a million questions he wanted to ask this intriguing girl. Not many women fresh out of University would drop everything and go off on an adventure like this. He knew that Melinda's parents had given her veto power over their plans for the Galaxy voyage.

Her father Lars had provided the initial impetus for the trip, applying to WorldGov as a maintenance engineer and being provisionally accepted pending a security clearance. It was a definite plus for the Galaxy Project when Melinda's mother Dorota had agreed to go as well, providing a much-needed surgeon for the Second Wave. Besides, the two of them would only be accepted if both applied, since it was against WorldGov policy to permanently separate married partners.

They could have gone even if Melinda hadn't signed up because she was an adult and no longer their dependent. They made it clear to her, though, that they wouldn't go without her, and that if she wished they would remain on Earth. Dewey found himself feeling glad that she had decided to give the plan a thumbs up.

"So you were never tempted to follow in your mother's footsteps either?" asked Dewey. He finished filling the cups and gave her his full attention.

Melinda felt flustered by his direct gaze. She noted the blue of his eyes and the smattering of freckles dusting his nose and cheeks. Her own eyes looked blue sometimes, but just as often they looked greenish-gray, a color that her dad called hazel. Her hair was almost the same shade of reddish-blond as Dewey's and she also shared his light complexion, but without the freckles. She found herself thinking that Dewey's freckles were cute...

"You have to think about that one?" he asked.

With a start, Melinda realized that he hadn't been reading her mind, but was referring to the question about her mother. Trying to make up for her inattention, she laughed. "No, I never performed pretend operations on my dolls or anything like that!"

She smiled broadly and Dewey thought that it made her look even prettier.

"But to be honest, I saw how hard my mom worked and I didn't want to do the same thing. I think you'd have to really love being a doctor to put in the hours and take on the responsibilities that she has."

As teachers, both Melinda and Dewey drew small stipends in addition to the basic credits allotted to every citizen of WorldGov. Occupations that required years of rigorous training and long hours, such as the one Melinda's mother had chosen, entitled a worker to a larger stipend. People who had occupations that involved hazardous conditions drew the largest stipend; sometimes another eighty percent above their basic credits.

Some citizens chose not to work at all due to caring for children or infirm family members; some followed artistic or athletic pursuits instead. The world wasn't driven by capital as in previous centuries. Food, shelter, medical care and recreation were provided for citizens in the same manner as air and water.

Credits were only used for the few things that weren't readily available in the public sphere and for occasional luxuries. Working was a lifestyle choice that not only provided a few tangible extras but also rewarded a person with intellectual stimulation, self-satisfaction, and the esteem of the community.

The door to the classroom slid open and Jun skipped into the room. "Oh!" she exclaimed, as she took in the colorful paper, beads and other supplies that Dewey and Melinda had set out. "Can I sit here?" she asked, indicating a particularly interesting pile of materials.

"Of course," said Melinda. She sat down next to Jun and started telling her about the activity that she and Dewey had put together for the group.

Jun's brother Chi, right behind her, tightly clutched a sheaf of papers that had been colored by hand.

"Chi would like to show you the work he did today," said Jing with a smile, as she followed her children into the room.

Dewey held out his hand and Chi dropped the papers onto his palm. Dewey fanned them out in his hand and looked at them. They seemed to be outlines of all of the Earth Provinces and the names of each were scrawled in the middle in childish letters.

"I wrote the names of all the Provinces and I colored them too! See? I know the names of all them by heart, don't I mama?" He looked at Jing for confirmation.

"You're a very smart boy!" she replied noncommittally. Soon other families began arriving and Melinda and Dewey started to get acquainted with their new class.

21 SUSPICION

Alison awoke to the dulcet tones of Amala Mishra, one of her favorite female vocalists, serenading her from the vidscreen. She lay in bed a moment more, listening to the melancholy piping of the flute overlaid by the sultry voice of the singer, and opened her eyes to enjoy the video that accompanied the music. After a couple of minutes, she touched a button on a console nearby to turn it off and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

Today was the day she planned to start her new fitness plan. The trainer she consulted at the recreation center had modified her exercise program and she was looking forward to the workout.

She slipped out of her old, ratty but comfortable sweat pants and t-shirt. Then she quickly donned a similar, but more presentable, version of the same.

In the bathroom she splashed some cold water on her face, and then ran damp fingers through her hair. She pulled out the bulky comb with widely spaced teeth that was the only thing she could drag through her thick, wavy hair without turning the curls into frizz. Then she grabbed the light backpack containing her shower supplies and a change of clothes and headed for the fitness center.

She had planned her route the night before. The ship resembled a pregnant elliptical serving platter and had a walking and jogging track inside the flatter outer perimeter. The shorter arc of the ellipse was pointed forward, reducing the area available for bombardment by space debris and making the job of the repulsion shields a little bit easier.

This vast, elliptical plain encompassed the main habitation areas of the ship, with the Loggia in the middle of it. Living modules resided in the front and rear sections of the ship and the Med Center, Fitness Center, kitchens, cargo holds and similar areas clustered around the Loggia.

The bulge in the midsection of the "platter" was due to the Command Module on top and the propulsion compartment below. The fitness track perimeter stretched for miles, but Alison planned to intercept it at a point where she could have an invigorating twenty minute jog before reaching the rec center.

She arrived only slightly out of breath and, after stowing her bag in the locker room, checked out a holobracelet from the attendant. With the press of a small button, her workout schedule appeared in front of her. It showed stretches first, followed by some weight training. Another touch of the button erased the image. She saw a familiar face as she approached the mats in the warm-up area.

"Hi Alison!" called Bonnie as she bent over a leg that was elevated on a three-foot bar.

Alison sat next to her on a mat and began her own stretches. "I didn't realize you got up this early."

"I've done it every day since we started," Bonnie replied. "I ran track in college and I've always needed to do some sort of exercise to stay happy."

Alison noted that Bonnie had good muscle definition and not an ounce of extra padding. "I'm going to start coming every day too," she said. "My routine calls for upper body training today."

"I can help you with that if you like."

"That would be great, thanks."

After Alison finished her stretching exercises, she met Bonnie by the weight benches and started working out. Except for a couple of times that Bonnie had to correct her form, she really didn't need much coaching.

"You're doing well," Bonnie said as she racked a set of hand weights. "Just keep that up and you'll start getting toned quickly. Are you going to the Loggia for breakfast?"

"Yes, I'm starving!" Alison replied, noticing a growl in her stomach.

Bonnie and Alison headed for the Loggia which, two weeks into the voyage, was much better organized than at the start. Since there probably wouldn't be another ship-wide gathering for some time, the dividers had gone up and there were separate and varied dining areas. It was much quieter as well, due to the sound buffering that had been achieved when the huge area was broken up into smaller modules.

Both women had started frequenting one particular dining room because Jing and the rest of the Ed Team favored it. The family-friendly décor featured wall murals of mythological characters along with food that appealed to the younger crowd.

Today, though, they decided to have breakfast in a dining room that had more of a café flavor, with specialty coffees, pastries and bagels. When they had picked up their food and were seated, Alison asked Bonnie how the initial meeting had gone with her students and their parents.

"It went really well; we have some great kids on board. There's a fourteen year old, a thirteen year old and two twelve and eleven year olds – six altogether. Jing's helping me work with them so Genevieve can do general coordinating."

"What about the really little ones?"

"We have five children under five years old on the Galaxy and they belong to four families altogether. Three of the parents have agreed to care for them half-days on a rotating basis, with two on duty at any one time. The other parents are all on various occupational teams. We'll start an organized pre-school program once we reach Thera and have our facilities in the new city."

"You'll have a lot more children in the upper grades then too," said Alison, as she blew on her coffee to cool it.

"Oh yes, I'm excited about that! Besides coordinating programs for them, I'll get to branch out and teach a couple of history classes." She tore off a piece of bagel, dabbed it with cream cheese and put it in her mouth.

"Is that what you taught at University?" asked Alison.

After swallowing her bite of bagel, Bonnie said, "I spent my practicum teaching but once I got my doctorate I worked on historical research."

"So you're an historian?" asked Alison.

"Yes, and I can't wait to talk to the historians on Thera. They'll have twenty-five years of history to share with me and I'll have the same to share with them from Earth. I'm sure part of my duties will be helping with a joint effort to update the history curriculum for our new educational system."

Alison was puzzled and she realized it was because Fortner's explanation for Janice joining the voyage at the last minute didn't really make sense now. Why would WorldGov promise the Pronto Base Commander an historian to document the events of Thera? According to Bonnie, that information would already be ready and waiting when they arrived. It was confusing and she wondered if she had misunderstood.

Maybe she was just making a big deal out of nothing because of jittery nerves. Fortner had briefed her, along with Genevieve, about the possibility that someone was trying to tamper with the operation of the Galaxy. He had also asked them to be alert to anything they noticed that was out of the ordinary.

"You look like you're a million miles away," Bonnie said, pulling her hair back and sticking a clip on it to keep it out of the way. Her face still glowed from exercise.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I'm just thinking about all the things I have to do today." Alison smiled to show that she hadn't meant to be distant.

They chatted for a little while longer and then headed off to begin their days in different areas of the ship. Alison was headed back to their shared quarters when she saw something that struck her as definitely falling into the category of "out of the ordinary."

Four evenly spaced lift tubes ringed the side of the Loggia, providing access for the crew to the Propulsion Module below and the Command Module above. Alison rounded the corner of the dining area just in time to see the profile of someone stepping into a tube.

Alison was absolutely certain that it was Janice! The thing that disturbed her most was that Janice was dressed in the same type of coveralls that crew members wore. Something was definitely not right, and she resolved to speak to Fortner about it at the first opportunity.

22 DANGER

Two days before the members of the Second Wave boarded, Corporal James Wilson made his rounds in the propulsion compartment of the Galaxy. The fifty-six permanent crew members had now been joined by forty adjunct personnel who would be traveling to Thera permanently. Once the Galaxy arrived, they would take up posts at Pronto Base. During the voyage, however, they would be supplemental crew for the Galaxy, helping to support the various services and systems on board.

At fifty-two, James was a bear of a man with thinning brown hair and a genial personality. He was a "lifer", a career WorldGov employee who had chosen permanent assignment to the Galaxy. No one could force him to remain on board, of course. But his options dwindled each time the Galaxy made another round trip between solar systems. Because of time dilation he no longer had any original living kin on Earth, just recent descendants whom he had barely met.

Corporal James Wilson's assignment for today was to visually check every surface of the propulsion compartment to make sure that all was in readiness for the departure in two days. He was one of the staffers that Admiral Gibson trusted the most, and this was a regular assignment.

He banished the enjoyable memories of the puns and jokes he and his fellow officers had shared at breakfast that morning in order to concentrate on the job at hand, strolling purposefully through the outer propulsion zone. He noted everything and efficiently checked off each section on a holopad as he passed through.

As he reached the end of one of the generator rooms, James paused. Something didn't feel right. He had been about to check off the area, but felt that had missed something. Deciding to trust his instincts, he turned and headed slowly back, scanning the compartment once more.

He almost missed it. One of the wall panels didn't look right. He had to get up close to a seam between two adjacent panels to see the gap that shouldn't be there. It was only a few millimeters wide, and what had actually caught his attention was the shimmer of the metallic panel itself. It had twisted slightly when it was forced open and, since it hadn't been pressed completely back, retained the warp that gave it away. James removed a small narrow tool from his coverall pocket and slipped it into the gap, reopening the panel that had been tampered with.

What he saw made his entire body go cold. He recognized plastic explosives because of his ordinance training. The device above the ugly splotches of material clinging to the circuits beneath was obviously a timer. It was set to detonate in twenty-three days, which would be three weeks into the journey. The lives of the almost 400 human beings who would be on board were in jeopardy.

James reacted instinctively. He immediately pushed the door closed gently; he was careful to maintain the same gap that had appeared upon his first inspection. He pulled his hand up into his sleeve and used the fabric to wipe down the few places he had touched. As a trained officer of WorldGov, he knew that the only way to catch the person who had planted the explosives was to keep the information that they had been found from circulating.

Even more than this, his actions reflected the knowledge that one of the crew had been responsible for the sabotage. He refused to believe that any of his fellow lifers could have done such a thing. But any of the adjunct crew could be guilty.

If he turned in a report about his findings it might not even reach the ship's Commander. Instead, it could be doctored and he could turn up missing or have a fatal accident. If he chose the option of demanding a personal audience with Admiral Gibson, it would be just the same as broadcasting to the guilty party that he had found the evidence. Instead, he planned to check off the area as clear and find another channel to reach the Admiral.

If Corporal Wilson had not been standing completely still, lost in thought, he would have missed the stealthy approach of another person further down, around the curve of the compart-ment. Knowing that he was the only crew member scheduled to be in the outer propulsion area during the inspection, he suspected that it was the perpetrator.

If such things could be given credence, the hairs on the back of his neck told him that it definitely was. He was trapped. If he moved to the door leading out of the chamber, he would pass directly in front of the hallway where someone was quietly approaching. For all he knew, the saboteur might have some sort of device that would set off the charge early if he or she was found out.

James had to hide. He looked around the confined area and realized that his back was against a part of the wall that protruded to form a storage compartment. It might just give him enough coverage if he flattened himself against the wall on the other side of it. All of these thoughts took place in the space of an instant and he found himself pressed flat against the far side, his holopad stuffed between his ankles and his all-purpose tool clutched in his hands, the only protection he had if he should be discovered.

Trying to breathe as quietly as possible, he strained his ears to hear any sound. There it was, the same stealthy step growing infinitesimally louder and then pausing where he had been standing less than a minute before. The silence that followed almost unnerved him and it was a relief to hear the sounds of the panel being pried open once again.

Apparently, the unseen prowler was just checking to see that the explosives were in place, because the wall panel closed almost as soon as it was opened. He heard the barely discernable sounds of the saboteur departing, but stayed still for several more minutes just to be safe. "If only I could have gotten some kind of look at them!" he thought. But he would have instantly given himself away if he had tried to peer around the corner.

Corporal Wilson stepped cautiously out from behind the storage compartment to find an empty chamber. He looked at the wall panel and found that, this time, the perpetrator had closed it completely. If it had been this way when he first passed through, he would never even have noticed it.

He almost believed that he had imagined the whole thing, but the perspiration that saturated his uniform told him otherwise. It was time to find a way to get to Commander Gibson.

23 DISCLOSURE

After Alison's unsettling experience in the Loggia, she headed back to the living module. When she entered the main room, she found Genevieve and Rosalia still lingering over breakfast. The roommates had found out that it was possible to request pre-made meals from the kitchens and it was more appealing to eat in the module occasionally.

It was surprising how well they had all adapted to living together. Alison had inquired about the sixth roommate and was told that, for now, there wouldn't be one. Some of the larger shared quarters weren't completely filled in order to allow passengers to change room assignments if necessary. So chances were that the makeup of their group would stay the same for the entire voyage.

"How was your workout?" asked Rosalia. She and Genevieve were both dressed but didn't seem inclined to abandon their chairs anytime soon.

"It was good. And Bonnie was there too...did you know that she works out every day?"

Genevieve got up to pour herself another cup of coffee. "She mentioned something about it to me, I think. She's usually back before I get out of the shower."

"We had breakfast in that café-type place in the Loggia," Alison said. She sat down beside Rosalia. The two of them were beginning to form a friendship and she was itching to share what she had seen in the Loggia, but didn't want to bring it up in front of Genevieve, who was now settling down across from them with her coffee. Alison knew that Rosalia had suspicions about Janice and would share her worries, but she didn't want to alarm Genevieve unnecessarily.

"I know I need to start following a fitness schedule too," Genevieve said, "but I've been going non-stop with curriculum planning and team meetings."

"Why don't you come with me tomorrow?" Alison suggested. "Today's a day off for your team, right? So maybe you can rest up and then start fresh tomorrow with a new routine."

She thought that Genevieve really did need to get some exercise. Not that she was really heavy, more what used to be referred to as zaftig or plump. But she certainly needed to find an energy source for tackling the big job she had ahead of her, and being in shape would help.

"I'll do it!" Genevieve replied. Then she looked at Rosalia. "You too, right?"

"Hey," objected Rosalia with a laugh, "I'm not one of your team members!"

"Puhleeze?" wheedled Alison. "Pretty please?"

"Well, since you put it that way..."

"Yay!"

Rosalia was surprised and encouraged when Alison threw her arms around her in a bear hug.

Genevieve suddenly remembered something. "Oh! I really should have asked everyone if it was okay, but I invited Jing to stop by after dinner with her husband."

"And the children too?" asked Rosalia.

"No, they'll be playing with some friends from another family. But Steven is bringing his assistant Taryn. Remember her from dinner last week? And since everyone on our team but Dewey will be here, Melinda thought we should invite him too. She's actually gone to ask him personally, even though she could have just sent a message on the vid."

She watched the other two exchanging grins and it seemed as if a light went on in her head.

"Ohhh...I see! Well, I'll pretend to be my usual dense self when she comes back!" She laughed and it was infectious, reminding the three of them of their first getting-to-know-you session on the day they all boarded.

Alison and Rosalia assured her that they didn't mind in the least having guests over. "But since we're having a party later, I think I'll get in some quiet reading beforehand," Alison said. She headed for her sleeping cubicle, thinking about sending a message to Fortner. But then she remembered that he had asked them to report to him in person only, for security reasons.

She had to talk to someone. Looking back, she casually called over her shoulder, "Rosalia, do you still want to borrow that book we were talking about?"

Rosalia didn't skip a beat, even though they had never discussed any such thing. "Oh, if you're sure it's not too much trouble." She turned toward Genevieve. "I think I'll read for a while too." She followed Alison through the door to the hallway and then into her sleeping cubicle.

Alison picked up one of the pillows at the head of the bed and tossed it to the other end, patting the area in front of it to indicate that Rosalia should sit there. They arranged themselves at either end of the bed, backs to the wall, knees bent and toes touching, resembling two teenagers having a pajama party.

"Well," Rosalia said, "what did you want to tell me in private?"

"I saw something odd on the way back to the module." Alison described seeing Janice entering the lift tube.

"You're sure it was her?" asked Rosalia after hearing the details.

"Positive. And that's not the only weird thing. When I had breakfast with Bonnie, she mentioned in passing that Thera already has historians."

Rosalia looked mystified. "What's so strange about that?"

"Oh, I forgot you didn't know about that part. Fortner told me WorldGov had promised General Obi on Pronto Base that they would bring her an expert to document Thera's history. Janice is supposed to be the editor who will pull it all together. But according to Bonnie, they've been keeping historical records since the day they arrived there!"

"Hmm...maybe it's a matter of semantics. He could have meant that they promised to bring someone like Janice who could get all that data into readable form." But Rosalia didn't really sound as if she believed the explanation.

"No," said Alison, "he made it sound like they were starting from scratch." She looked troubled. "I wonder if he's trying to cover up something."

"Well, you know I thought there was something strange about Janice's being hired at the last minute when you told me about it."

"I know, but I thought maybe you were biased against her for other reasons." Alison wiggled her toes playfully against Rosalia's and smiled.

Rosalia's heart did a little flip. This was the first real indication she had seen that Alison returned her interest, although she had suspected it. Focusing on the subject at hand, she said, "Maybe you should talk to Fortner about it." Somehow she got the feeling that Alison was holding something back, though.

In one swift moment Alison decided to take Rosalia into her confidence. "I'm not really supposed to be talking about this," she said, brushing a stray curl out of her eyes and tucking it behind her ear, "but Fortner had a meeting with just me and Genevieve. He said that there may be someone on board who's trying to disrupt ship's operations. He didn't go into detail, but he asked both of us to be alert and report anything out of the ordinary to him."

Rosalia's complexion turned pale. "Deity! Are we in danger?"

"No, no..." Alison shook her head back and forth, sorry she had alarmed her friend. "Fortner assured us that no one is in any physical danger. It's just a matter of finding out who's trying to cause problems and why. Listen, we're supposed to meet with him tomorrow afternoon so why don't we ask him about it? I'm just going to tell him that I shared all this stuff with you. It doesn't make a bit of sense for both of us to be working on Communications but for me to be the only one who's in on the important information."

Rosalia touched a finger to her lips in thought. "Maybe there's some logical explanation about Janice. Do you think it might have something to do with this tampering he told you about?"

"Could be," Alison replied. "I guess we'll just have to lay our cards on the table tomorrow when we see him and try to find out." There didn't seem to be anything else to say about the situation, so they lapsed into silence for a moment.

Then Rosalia got a mischievous look on her face. Alison loved the way her eyes twinkled when she was up to something. "Where," asked Rosalia, "is that book you're supposed to give me?"

"What book? Oh!" Alison got into the spirit of the teasing. "My dear, I am so sorry, but I simply don't have a book that I am willing to part with today!"

"Hmm..." Rosalia appeared to ponder this seriously. "Then I'll just have to take something else!"

She slid smoothly to the other end of the bed and rested her arm lightly around Alison's shoulders, gratified to note that Alison snuggled firmly into the crook of her arm. "Let me see...perhaps...this."

As she spoke she slowly aligned her face with Alison's and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. Alison accepted the kiss but barely returned it. Rosalia was in no rush however, and was content to cuddle. They sat together comfortably for a while and talked, and then decided to go see if they could do anything to help Genevieve prepare for company.

24 SOCIALIZING

Dewey and Melinda sat at one end of the sectional sofa, sipping soft drinks and chatting. Genevieve was preparing snacks at the kitchen counter, some of which Dewey had already snagged and was currently enjoying. Alison and Bonnie had been asked to go and get ice from the kitchens along with some extra coffee.

This evening would be the first time they had entertained in their quarters and Rosalia had decided to change her hair color in honor of the occasion. It was now a light blond with artfully applied streaks of magenta, and she wore it up; its magnificent swirls were once more anchored by crystalplaz combs. She had donned her black form-fitting jumpsuit and topped it off with the same strands of beads she had worn on boarding day, creating a bright jangle of colors and textures. Her sparkling earrings matched the bright combs that winked in her hair.

The door chimed just as she passed by and she touched the frame to allow their guests to enter. Jing stood at the threshold, her porcelain skin and delicate features a lovely vessel for the intellectual that resided within. Rosalia admired her covertly.

Jing greeted Rosalia with a smile. "I like what you've done with your hair!" she said sincerely. Her husband Steven stepped in after her, holding out his hand in greeting. By that time, Genevieve had made it to the door and started welcoming everyone as well. Taryn Braden entered behind the couple.

"It's so good to see you again Taryn," Genevieve said, exuding friendliness as she took her hand. She hoped to be able to draw this young lady out sometime during the evening. The couple of times she had dined with the group, Taryn had tended to be a reticent listener rather than a participant.

Melinda was surprised by Taryn's appearance. She had abandoned her signature braided bun and her hair was loose. Perhaps because it was usually braided, it undulated in soft waves that reflected the light in its auburn depths. She had made up her face lightly and was wearing a casual dress that set off her figure, rather than the usual working fatigues she favored. Melinda looked sideways at Dewey while trying to pretend that she wasn't.

She found him looking straight at her with a glint in his blue eyes and a knowing grin on his face. "What are you smiling at?" she asked, playfully swatting at him. She had the crazy feeling that maybe he could read minds, as Genevieve had joked before the opening speech a couple of weeks ago. He seemed to know that she felt a little envious of the new and improved Taryn Braden, who was standing just inside the door holding a covered platter in her hands.

Melinda got up from the couch. "Here, let me take that for you," she said, peeking under the waxed paper.

"That's Irish coffee pie on this side and strawberry scones on the other," Taryn said. "The coffee pie has a little bit of whiskey in it."

"Sounds interesting!" Melinda stopped for a moment to inhale the tantalizing aroma of the baked goods and then placed the platter on the dining table. The scant kitchen counter space was already taken up with snacks, cups and ice.

Steven asked Genevieve, "Where can I put this?" He held a small bottle of clear liquid in one hand. It had a delicate, spindly flower pattern on the label and fancy lettering that said Jiangsu. Jing stood behind him holding a small mesh bag filled with tiny cups that had the same flower pattern.

"Oh, how pretty!" exclaimed Bonnie, who had just walked in the door, followed by Alison.

"And practical," added Jing. "The cups are so small because rice wine is potent. So you might say the cups serve two uses, aesthetic enhancement and portion control. Would you like to try some?" She included Alison in the invitation, and both she and Bonnie accepted a small cup of the rice wine that Jing poured. Alison took a sip and kept herself from making a face, but Jing seemed to realize that she wasn't thrilled with the taste.

"It has to grow on you," she said with a laugh. Alison smiled and took another sip to be polite. Rosalia called her over to help with the music selection. They stood together in front of the cabinet next to the vidscreen, shoulders touching, looking for a pleasing background music chip for the get-together. Alison finished off the last sip of her wine. "I'm not sure, but I think this stuff is beginning to grow on me," she remarked with a giggle.

Rosalia had a strong urge to slip her arm around Alison's waist, but held back. She didn't want to move too fast and mess things up. So she was surprised when Alison took her hand as they turned away from the music console.

"Let's go get some of those goodies Taryn brought before they're all gone!" she said. The rice wine seemed to have given her spirits a lift.

You'd never know that she was so anxious and worried just this morning, Rosalia thought.

Dewey was speaking quietly to Genevieve about something and she nodded and replied, "Oh, I don't mind at all. You two go have fun!" He nodded to Melinda, who walked toward the door, and the two of them slipped into the hallway.

"Where are they going?" asked Bonnie.

"Dewey's going to show Melinda the Observatory," Genevieve replied. Apparently, he's been there a couple of times already."

The seven remaining friends clustered around the dining table. "We've met Melinda's parents Lars and Dorota," said Steven. "They're interesting people. Lars is going to be in charge of Maintenance for the new city and Dorota will be assigned to the medical complex once it's completed; she's a general surgeon."

Jing attempted to include Taryn in the conversation. "Taryn, how are you and Steven doing on the construction layouts for the city?" It was an easy question for her to field, Jing thought.

"We're doing fine, but I don't know about Gannett. If he revises the blueprints one more time, I think the crew leaders might blow their lids!" she said with a flash of her brown eyes. But her complaint was softened by a smile.

"You see what I have to deal with?" Steven teased. "I get it from both sides. I don't know how I put up with either of them."

"You mean you don't know what you'd do without me!" Taryn said with a laugh.

Jing pulled her ebony hair to one side to keep it from brushing the plate she held. "You have to give her that one sweetie," she said to Steven with a smile.

He shrugged in defeat and grinned. It was certainly true that Taryn was talented. She had been an excellent crew boss, being culled from the ranks to a supervisory position and eventually becoming his chief assistant in just a few short years.

Everyone gravitated toward the seating area with their plates of hors d' oeuvres. Taryn, Jing and Steven staked out one extension of the sectional couch. Bonnie, Genevieve and Alison followed and took seats on the other section, while Rosalia curled up cat-like on the floor next to Alison, placing her drink on the large round marbleplaz coffee table. She noticed that Alison had refilled her cup of rice wine and that several of the others were sipping it as well.

Rosalia had deliberated whether to share one of her limited, and therefore precious, bottles of Russian vodka. Now she felt stingy, especially since their guests had brought such generous contributions to the party. She knew that Taryn must have spent a lot of time figuring out how to get all of the ingredients for the delectable pastries, not to mention the time spent preparing them.

"I'll be right back," she announced, then rose with feline grace to glide through the doors to the private cubicles. When she returned, she spoke in a voice that carried to everyone, but directed her question to Alison. "What is this?" she asked, holding up a bottle of clear liquid.

Alison rose to the occasion and sang out, "Good Russian vodka!" Her eyes were bright and her cheeks were slightly flushed.

"That's right!" responded Rosalia. "The best you'll ever find!"

From that point, the party picked up, with people drifting in and out of conversations and sometimes trying to talk at the same time. Laughter punctuated the babble of voices and, at some point, Melinda and Dewey came back and joined the group. Rosalia wasn't sure when though, because her head was a little bit fuzzy.

She sobered up in an instant, however, when she realized that Alison did not look well at all. She was slumped in her corner of the sofa looking green at the gills, while the competing conversations flowed over and around her. She had drunk only two cups of rice wine, but maybe it didn't agree with her.

"Come on," Rosalia urged softly as she half pulled Alison up from the sofa. "I think you need to be tucked in for the night." She said goodnight for both of them and led Alison through the rear door and down the hall to her sleeping cubicle. She had to help her match thumb to sensor at the door because she couldn't seem to stop swaying.

Rosalia wondered if there was something else wrong with Alison other than being tipsy, because she herself felt fine and she had also had two cups of the wine, along with a smidge of vodka. Well, maybe a few smidges.

She somehow got Alison's dress off, leaving her in panties and camisole. Rather than trying to find pajamas, she tucked her in as she was. As she turned the bedside lamp to its dimmest setting and prepared to leave, Alison stirred and focused for a moment.

"Don't go, please. There's room for both of us. " Alison scrunched herself against the far side of the bed and ineffectually plucked at the covers, trying to get enough of a grip to pull them back invitingly. "I don't know what's wrong with me but I don't want to sleep alone tonight."

"Of course I'll stay," said Rosalia. "But you need to rest now and try to sleep it off. Is it okay if I borrow some pajamas?" she asked, already rummaging through the drawers at the bottom of the wardrobe.

As she pulled out a pair, Rosalia realized that Alison hadn't replied. She looked over at the bed and saw that she was sound asleep. After changing into the borrowed pajamas, she slid in beside her, gently turning her sideways and snuggling behind, spoon fashion. She hoped that Alison would feel better in the morning. Rosalia had the feeling that she herself would have a hell of a hangover.

25 STARS IN THE EYES

When Melinda and Dewey left the party to go look at the stars in the Observatory, they had a long walk ahead of them, starting out in the rearmost section of the Galaxy and heading to the Observatory at the leading edge of the ship. But they walked briskly and covered the two-and-a half miles in just under thirty minutes. When they got there Dewey glanced at the numbers on the glowing roster next to the door.

"Good, I thought this would be the best time to come. There are only six other people in here, so we'll be able to find a good place to sit."

Melinda followed him into the dim foyer of the Observatory, where she noted a luminous sign that greeted visitors. It asked that silence be observed in the theater and that any vocalizations be carried out with masking necklaces.

Dewey picked up two loops coated with a thin white plasteen material and ran them through the initializer at the same time. He and Melinda each slipped one around their necks.

Now they would be able to have a conversation secure in the knowledge that they wouldn't disturb any of the other Observatory visitors. When they entered the small darkened auditorium, Melinda gasped. The stars were clustered together much more thickly than she had expected. They were extremely bright in the middle and dimmer at the edges, which had a reddish cast. They found seats near the center, a couple of rows behind a man and a woman who were silently carrying on an animated conversation.

When she was seated, Melinda noticed that the center of the star field was almost a blue-white and that, where the middle blended into the edges, she could see hints of a rainbow. "It's really lovely," she sighed.

"I thought you'd like it," said Dewey. "Did you know that those blurrier stars on the edges are actually behind us?"

She looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"Corporal Wilson explained it to me. He said that because we're traveling so close to the speed of light, the light is bending around the ship so that the stars behind us look as if they're actually in front of us. The view won't be as spectacular in a couple of weeks, when we reach full acceleration."

"Why is that?"

"Those light effects we're seeing now will be even more exaggerated once we reach our full acceleration, which is 99.91 percent of the speed of light. That cluster of stars will appear to collapse in on itself even more, looking like one large glob of bright light with a haze around the edges. If we were able to go even faster, virtually 100 percent of the speed of light, it would just be a pinpoint. But 99.91 is the absolute max the Galaxy can go. Any faster and it would start to come apart from the stress, even with the help of the Mass/Inertia Field."

Melinda looked as if she was having trouble following his detailed explanation. "Well, however it's done, I like it," she replied, leaning back in the padded chair and resting her head on the cushions.

They sat companionably drinking in the sight for a couple of minutes. Dewey broke the silence. "Are you ready to start teaching next week?"

Melinda smiled at him and he thought, not for the first time, that it gave her a pretty glow. "Yes," she replied, "I can't wait! Thank you so much for all of the things you've shown me over the last couple of weeks. I feel like I'm ready to take on a real class of my own now. What a small one though! I should able to handle those seven students, at least," she said self-deprecatingly.

Dewey smiled back at her, remembering the day they had entertained the five to ten year olds and their parents in the classroom that Melinda would use. "Remember, you're supposed to call on me for any resources or help that you need," he said.

"Are you going to stop in unannounced and check up on me too?" she asked teasingly.

Dewey drew himself up straight in his chair and pulled a mock-offended face. "Oh, so that's how it is, eh? See if I offer to help you anymore!"

Melinda laughed. "Sorry, but I'm not buying it. You're just not the huffy type."

"What type am I?"

"Hmm...I'll have to think about that one and get back to you," she said. A thought leapt nimbly into her mind. "Maybe my type."

26 UNDER THE WEATHER

At four in the morning after the party Alison woke up and made a mad dash for the bathroom, getting there just in time to throw up. Rosalia went with her and wiped her face with a cool washcloth afterward.

"Now rinse your mouth out a couple of times," she instructed. Alison splashed water on her face and then brushed her teeth. It helped some, but not enough. After assisting her back to bed, Rosalia said "I have a news flash for you sweetheart; you're not hung over, you're sick. I'm calling the Med Center."

She sat down and activated the controls on the vidscreen. The image of the night nurse appeared and she asked what she could do to help. It was apparent that she thought Rosalia was the patient.

"Geeze, I must look like hell," she thought. "It's not me, actually. My friend got dizzy last night and almost passed out; she also threw up just now." She looked over at Alison. "She still seems to feel pretty awful."

After getting the room address, the nurse promised to send someone in a couple of hours when they were fully staffed. "In the meantime, please give her some juice or water to keep her hydrated." Rosalia thanked her and signed off.

She sat on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling sweetie?" she asked, as she gently brushed the wavy brown hair back from Alison's forehead.

"I think I feel a little bit better," she said wanly.

"Well, you don't look better. The nurse will be here in a couple of hours to check you over. Can you take a sip of water for me?"

"Yes, that would be nice." Alison leaned forward slightly as Rosalia held a cup to her lips.

Rosalia had little vertical worry lines between her eyebrows. "I'm going to dim the lights now and let you try to sleep. After I take a shower and get dressed, I'll be back. Okay?"

Alison nodded. "Thank you for taking care of me," she said, reaching for Rosalia's hand. Rosalia gave Alison's a squeeze and then leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead. "You rest now, I'll be back soon." She gathered up her clothes from the floor and left the cubicle.

Alison must have nodded off because the next thing she knew there was a knock on her door and she heard Rosalia calling, "Alison, the nurse is here." She rummaged around next to her bed until she found the remote wristband and pressed the button for the door to open.

A tall, slender woman with ebony skin stepped into the room. She looked as if she were in her early thirties. Behind her in the hallway, just before the door closed, Alison glimpsed a med cart full of supplies. "Hi Alison, I'm Chidi Okoye, a nurse from the Med Center. I hear you're not feeling very well."

She briskly and professionally examined her patient, checking pulse and blood pressure, lifting Alison's eyelids, and taking a blood sample. Then she asked Alison to give her a urine sample using a kit from the med cart. When Alison returned from the bathroom, Chidi assisted her as she got back in the bed, then plumped the pillows and straightened the covers.

"I think you just have a common virus," she said. "But since we're a small, closed community on the Galaxy, we have to take stringent isolation measures to keep illness from spreading. You're not going to feel like doing anything for the next two or three days, which is the amount of time you'll need to stay in quarantine anyway." She paused to tap out a few lines on the holopad she held in her hand. "Has Ms. Czartoryska been taking care of you since you got sick?" Alison nodded.

"Just to be on the safe side, she'll also need to stay in her personal quarters for a day or two until it becomes apparent whether or not she's caught it. My suggestion would be for both of you to avoid the common area of your module. Because you're quarantined, the Galaxy's kitchens will deliver meals three times a day for both of you. I'll also put in an order to have some juice and soup delivered to your module's kitchen."

Quarantine! That meant she wouldn't get the chance to confront Fortner about Janice's strange behavior for at least two days. Alison asked, "Is there anything I can take to get better faster?"

Nurse Okoye smiled and said, "Resting, drinking plenty of fluids and eating when you can to keep your energy up are the quickest ways to get better. Of course, we'll do labs on your blood and urine samples. But I don't expect we'll find anything except that you've got a nasty bug."

After Chidi Okoye guided her self-propelled cart into the back hallway and departed, Rosalia returned to Alison's room. She sat on the edge of the bed and smiled. "The verdict seems to be that you're going to live."

"But quarantine means I don't get to talk to Fortner about Janice for two more days," Alison replied with an anxious expression. "He said that we should only talk to him in person about anything that was out of the ordinary on the ship."

"That's okay; we'll talk to him just as soon as you get over this. The important thing now is for you to get some rest and feel better."

"Aren't you afraid you're going to get it too?" Alison stroked Rosalia's hand and gazed up at her as she spoke.

"I'll take my chances." Rosalia got into the bed and snuggled close to her. This time when she gave Alison a kiss it was fully returned.

27 STRATEGY

Admiral Richard Gibson, Commander of the Galaxy, looked across his desk at Doug Fortner. "It's only a matter of time now," he said.

"Yes, the explosives were supposed to go off in less than a week." He sipped his coffee nervously. "And you're sure that they've been completely disabled?"

"One hundred percent certain," the Commander replied. "But we made sure it looks as if nothing's been touched. So if our saboteur should see it again, she'll have no idea it's been deactivated."

"And you're pretty sure of your suspect?"

"Of all the psychological profiles we've run, hers is the most strongly indicative. Especially with the additional information that we were able to gather on Earth before takeoff."

"But why did you let her stay if your suspicions were so strong?" Fortner asked.

"First, we don't know for certain that it's her. Second, if it is her then this is the only way we can prove it conclusively. And third, there's always the remote possibility that she's not working alone. If we had just turned her over for questioning, for all we knew that could have alerted a confederate to implement a backup plan."

Fortner nodded in understanding. "I guess the danger you know about is easier to counter than the danger you only suspect." He took another sip of coffee. "Has she been under surveillance?"

"It's been difficult to detail all of her moves, because I have only limited personnel that I can safely confide in. And we don't want to make her suspicious either. I'm relieved that it wasn't one of my regular crew. She went through the same rigorous screening process as all WorldGov employees in sensitive jobs, but somehow still slipped through the cracks."

Fortner looked pensive. "Do you really think she'll be down there when the time comes for the explosion?"

Admiral Gibson took a sip of his tea. "When someone is disturbed enough to do something violent like this, part of the pathology is the desire to see the havoc they wreak."

"Even if it means they'll die?"

"We'd all die anyway if those containment areas were ignited," replied the Commander. "So from the disturbed person's point of view, why not watch it happen?"

He rubbed a hand reflexively across the back of his muscular neck. "You listened to Corporal Wilson's report. The perpetrator was down there inspecting her handiwork right before we left."

"How's he holding up with all of this?" asked Fortner.

"James is a good man. He managed to get the information to me within two hours without going through regular channels. If he hadn't thought on his feet the way he did, he might have ended up dead. As a matter of fact, we all might have."

28 EVIDENCE

Bonnie zipped open the instant heating tab on the bowl of soup and brought it over to Alison at the dining table. "Be careful, it's going to get hot."

"You really don't have to wait on me, Bonnie," Alison said, inhaling as steam began to rise from the fragrant soup. "I finished the medicine the Med Center sent over and I'm feeling almost normal." For a couple of days, she had wondered if she ever would.

Nurse Okoye had sent over meds after all, to forestall a secondary infection, she said. Alison had been open to any help the Med Center could give because she had felt really awful, and she hated relying on Rosalia for everything. For two entire days she didn't have the energy to even get out of the bed, except to go to the bathroom.

Bonnie sat down across from her, a cup of tea in hand. "I really don't mind fixing it for you. We all felt bad about your being stuck in your room for the past three days." She took a sip of her tea. "I'm surprised that Rosalia didn't get sick along with you. Where is she, by the way?"

"I kicked her out of the module," Alison said with a grin. "She's been stuck here with me for days and I wanted her to have a chance to get out and relax. She and Genevieve headed for the Rec Center about twenty minutes ago." She sipped a couple of spoonfuls of soup. "This is tasty! I wonder if they'll deliver it even if no one's sick."

"According to what I heard from Taryn, you can get pretty much anything you want. The only catch is that you have to put in a few hours helping in one of the kitchens to make up for it; you can't use credits."

Bonnie twirled a strand of her light brown hair around her finger as she spoke. Her eyes were so green that Alison had wondered at first if they were natural, but she was pretty sure that the little brown flecks she saw in them would be too hard to duplicate. She thought of something funny.

"Did you hear Genevieve teasing me this morning?"

Bonnie shook her head. "No, what did she say?"

"She said that it was pretty sneaky of me to get sick just to get out of cleaning up after the party!"

Bonnie laughed. "She cracks me up sometimes. I'm glad we all get along so well. I've heard of other roommates who weren't compatible at all."

They sipped their tea and soup in companionable silence for a while.

"How's your class going?" Alison asked.

"I'm enjoying it a lot. My six 'tweens' and teens are all terrific. Today, Jing's taking over the class and getting them started on a civics project."

Classes lasted from eight in the morning until noon. The school-aged children on board ate lunch together each day and then they were turned over to the Rec Center staff for an hour of shared physical activity.

The upper and lower classes ate together, exercised together and often saw each other again at dinner. Families with children tended to congregate in the same couple of dining areas in the evenings. Bonnie told Alison that today the kids were going swimming for their afternoon activity.

Alison finished her soup and dropped the bowl and spoon into the recycler. "That sounds like fun; I might do the same later." She headed toward her private quarters. "I have someplace to go in a few minutes and afterward I'll stop at the depot and pick up a few more plates and utensils."

She had noticed that they were getting low and the ship's supply depot was always well stocked. There was a continuous stream of replacements coming from the matter generator, which was conveniently located between the kitchens and the depot.

Alison freshened up and strapped a snappy little carry-all around her waist. It was made from a chameleon material that matched the shade of whatever else she was wearing. Today she slipped it around the waist of her emerald green blouse. She threw in a comb, a lipstick and a small swimsuit in case she decided to wear one when she went swimming later.

There wasn't any need to bring a holopad – this visit with Fortner wasn't scheduled, and it wasn't going to be about Communications. Alison was ready to clear the air about her concerns regarding Janice and she had decided that now was as good a time as any.

She said goodbye to Bonnie and headed for the Loggia. On the way, she passed a few people that she knew and said hello. When she entered the Loggia, she skirted around several eating establishments to head for a hallway that she knew well.

Fortner had held several meetings with Alison and Rosalia in his small office at the forward section of the ship. She was almost halfway across the open space between dining areas when, out of the corner of her eye, she noted that one of the lift tubes on the outer rim of the Loggia was closing.

She glanced over and felt a jolt of déjà vu. The crew member in the form-fitting overalls whose head was just disappearing below the lift tube window was Janice! What business could a supposed archivist have in the Propulsion Module?

Alison half stumbled into a chair at a sidewalk bistro. Maybe she wasn't as fully recuperated as she believed. Had she imagined it? For a brief instant she thought she must have had a flashback of the scene from several days ago. But she immediately dismissed that thought. She might still be physically weak, but her head was clear.

She wracked her brain to think how she might find a way to get into the lift tube without approved access, to find out what Janice was up to. She wandered toward the tube that Janice had disappeared into, puzzling it out.

Before she was halfway there, she heard a barely discernable whirring sound which indicated that the next tube over, several yards away, was about to disgorge a passenger. Not really sure what she could do to turn it to her advantage, she headed that way anyway.

Corporal James Wilson's feet came into view, then his ample torso, and finally the familiar face was framed in the clear lift tube door. He must be coming downstairs from the Command Module, she thought. By this time she was almost at the tube door. As she briskly walked, she rummaged around in her small carryall and pulled out the thick, wide-toothed comb.

"Hi James, how are you doing?" she asked, using her greeting as an excuse to walk right up to the tube as he stepped out. She turned and began to walk in the same direction he was going. At the same time she glanced back and released the comb in a low, gentle toss toward the closing tube door. She kept talking to cover any sound it might make. "I haven't seen you in a while; what's new?"

Corporal Wilson smiled at her but he seemed tense and he had a preoccupied expression. Alison couldn't remember seeing him that way before.

"Hey Alison, I heard you were sick. I'm glad you seem to be feeling better. Listen..." He dragged his hand through his sparse hair. "I don't mean to be abrupt, but I have to be somewhere right now. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

This suited Alison's plan perfectly and she said goodbye, assuring James that she understood. Trying to act nonchalant, she turned and headed right back to the tube he had exited a moment before.

She was surprised to see that her desperate move had actually worked. The lift tube door was jammed, with the handle of her plasteen comb sticking out of the door at its base. She doubted that her luck would hold, however. She still had to get the door the rest of the way open.

Alison looked around to make sure that no one was in the vicinity. Acting quickly, she approached the door, curled the fingers of both hands around it and gave it a shove. It moved a few inches, but immediately began closing again. It took all her strength to open it a couple of more inches against the opposing force.

She calculated that she could just squeeze in and, still pushing, she abruptly levered herself into the lift tube. A loud clanging sound began to peal at that moment. Oh crap, she thought, I hope that stops before someone hears it.

She assumed it was an alarm that went off when the door remained open for too long. The lift door snapped shut with enough force to dislodge her comb, which spun a few feet away into the Loggia. At the same time the clarion ringing stopped. Alison slapped the button for the lower level and willed the lift tube to descend quickly.

29 CONSEQUENCES

As Corporal Wilson hurried down the hallway, he saw Doug Fortner striding toward him. He stopped and waited, then turned and fell into step with him as they both headed back toward the Loggia.

"Everything's in place," Fortner said. "We're to wait by the lift tube until the last minute, then go down."

James had not been briefed on the identity of the person suspected of sabotage but he knew that it was a female. He and Fortner were supposed to stand by until only seconds before the time that the suspect had set for the explosives to go off. Then they would take the lift tube down to provide backup for the point person, who would already be at the scene. They were cutting it close, so they hurried toward the Loggia. Just as the lift tube came into view, Fortner cursed.

"Damn! Someone's going down already! He barely saw a thatch of brown curls before the lift window disappeared from view. Then he noted the wide comb on the floor a few feet from the door. It was bent out of shape in the middle, as if some great force had squeezed it.

"Wilson, did you see anyone in the Loggia when you started down the hall?"

Corporal Wilson paled. "It was Alison! She was chatting with me but I was in a hurry and didn't pay much attention to her. Deity! We've got to get down there fast."

They both bounded across the last few feet to the nearest lift door and Doug Fortner slapped his thumb against the receptor next to it. He held it there as if that would make the lift return faster.

"She's about thirty feet from the chamber with the deactivated explosives. If we're lucky, she'll start exploring in the other direction instead."

As Fortner spoke, the tube appeared and its door slid open. He sprang in and hit the button for the lower level before both feet were in the tube, with Wilson right behind him.

Meanwhile Alison, despite Fortner's fervent hope otherwise, had headed in exactly the wrong direction. She walked quietly through a long, curving, narrow chamber that seemed to go on forever, stopping when she thought she heard the soft scuffle of a shoe. She froze, standing completely still and trying to slow her breathing.

Why would Janice move so stealthily if she wasn't up to something? thought Alison.

Suddenly she heard running steps and, worried that her former mentor would get away before she had a chance to confront her, she began to run too. It was dim in the outer propulsion chamber but she caught a glimpse as Janice thumbed open the next panel. Thumbed? How would she get access down here? Alison wondered.

She got to the closing door panel just in time to pull the same trick as before, wedging both hands around the frame and yanking it part way back open.

She fell through it just in time to see Janice thrust her arm out in front of her, toward the other side of the chamber. Alison heard a thump further back in the room, then Janice spun around and Alison felt a sharp pain in her shoulder.

Up until this time, Janice hadn't realized that someone was following her. Her own running steps and the rush of blood in her ears had covered the sound of Alison behind her.

Hyper alert and pumped up on adrenaline, she had spun in a circle as she had been trained to do, not letting her arm drop a millimeter. As soon as she had the pursuer in her sights she fired, then stared in shock as a body dropped to the floor in front of the door to the chamber.

Alison? Behind the inert form of her former protégé, she saw that Fortner and Corporal Wilson were approaching with weapons drawn. Janice dropped her firing arm to her side. It was all over.

30 conclusion

A hand softly brushed the hair back from Alison's forehead and she breathed in the faint musky scent of Rosalia's perfume. The droning she had been unconsciously listening to resolved itself into actual words. "Sweetheart, can you hear me? Alison, are you awake?" She opened her eyes and saw the worried expression on Rosalia's face.

"What..." Alison was lying down. She looked around the room. It seemed that she was at the Med Center, judging from the gurney she lay on and the equipment in the room. "Rosalia, what happened?"

"I promised that I would let Fortner be here when you heard everything. Let me call him, okay?"

Alison nodded. She was incredibly thirsty. As soon as Rosalia finished calling Fortner she would ask for a drink of water. Rosalia had already activated a wrist holo and was talking to Fortner's image, asking him to come to the room. When she deactivated the call, she got Alison a cup of water and gently supported her head while she drank

"I don't understand what happened," Alison said, once her thirst was slaked.

"Fortner will explain everything."

"Explain what?"

"It's complicated; he told me some of the details but he wanted to talk to us together."

A few minutes later there was a knock at the door. Fortner entered as the public door panel slid open. "How are you doing?" He looked concerned as he pulled up a chair on the opposite side of the bed from Rosalia.

The unhappy look on his face worried Alison. "Am I going to be all right?" she asked.

"What?" He patted her arm. "Of course you are! You were just hit with a stun needle. You'll be back to normal in a couple of hours."

"Then what are you looking so grim about?" Alison asked.

"I was afraid you might be mad at me for not telling you about everything that was going on," he said.

"But you did tell me that someone might be trying to tamper with the Galaxy's systems, right?" She accepted another sip of water from Rosalia with gratitude.

Fortner said, "Let me start at the beginning."

He proceeded to give them both the full details about the explosives, Corporal Wilson's role in the drama, the female suspect, and the tactics that Commander Gibson had used to incriminate the guilty party.

"Oh!" Alison put her hand to her mouth. "But why would Janice want to sabotage the Galaxy? Her own son is on board!"

Fortner looked at her with a blank expression and then said, "I think you've got it backward. The person responsible for planting the explosives was tagged by Janice with the same stun gun she shot you with." He looked at Alison patiently, waiting for comprehension to dawn.

"So you mean she was helping you catch the suspect?" It took her a moment to reconfigure her interpretation of Janice's behavior.

"Actually," said Fortner, "we were helping her. Janice has duties that go beyond Archivist, although she'll still be helping with the historical records once we get to Thera.

He looked at Rosalia as he said this and Alison assumed that she had filled him in on their misgivings and suspicions.

"Janice didn't shoot you on purpose; it's just that you startled her when she was apprehending the suspect."

There was a knock at the door and it slid open to reveal another visitor. Fortner said, "I think I'll let her take over from here."

Janice stood in the doorway, no longer dressed in the coverall of a crew member but displaying her usual panache. Her blond, artfully styled hair complimented her expertly applied makeup and form-fitting designer dress. She walked across the small room in three strides and took Alison's hand. Rosalia moved to give up her position at the head of the gurney and Janice flashed her an appreciative smile.

"Alison, there are some things that I need to explain, now that there isn't such a vital need for secrecy anymore. I'm an Archivist for Thera in the same way that I was an Editor for Corporate Solutions. I've been in the employ of WorldGov since before they took over the magazine."

She squeezed Alison's hand. "I can't tell you how sorry I am that you had to be kept in the dark about what was going on. And it especially pains me that you were led to believe I was doing something illegal. If you and I hadn't been friends, my cover on Galaxy would have been perfect."

"Your cover?" The truth was slowly beginning to dawn on Alison.

"Yes, I'm an undercover officer for WorldGov and so is Doug. However, he's every bit as much a Recruiter as I am an Archivist. It's just that we have other duties as well.

"Only a small handful of people knew about the situation that was happening on board. If it had become general knowledge, not only would it have caused a panic but we would also have missed the chance to catch the person responsible."

Fortner cleared his throat. "You understand that the only way for an undercover operative to be effective is if no one realizes that they are an undercover operative?"

He looked at Alison and Rosalia. "I know I can trust the two of you with this information, but you can't reveal it to anyone else.

"Eventually, you both would have been made aware of my dual role with WorldGov and perhaps Janice's as well. But circumstances forced us to take you in to our confidence earlier than we planned."

Alison looked stunned. She remembered the thump in the propulsion compartment, just before she felt the sting in her shoulder. "What happened to the person who planted the explosives?" she asked.

Janice replied, "She's sleeping off the effects of the stun needle. She'll stay in confinement until we reach Thera because we don't have the facilities to help her here."

Fortner added, "Dorota Miller will perform the procedure to correct her psychological aberration once she has proper surgical support planetside."

"Now that there are no more secrets between us," said Janice, "it's time to get back to work. The four of us are going to have a lot to do once we reach Thera."

ARRIVAL

31 ANTICIPATION

Alison swam her way to consciousness through another dream about Amala Mishra. She was dancing with Mishra to the rhythmic beat of pakhawaj drums, accompanied by a piping flute and the plucked strings of a santur. Mishra was singing directly to her as they danced; waves of love and admiration flowed from her to Alison, bathing her in a warm glow.

One part of the scene finally cued Alison that she was dreaming; she was dancing flawlessly, keeping up with Mishra's intricate steps with no effort. Gradually she woke completely and saw the human counterpart of her dream lover sprawled next to her, one foot precariously hanging off the edge of the bed.

I'll be glad when we make it to Thera and get quarters with a larger bed. The instant that thought entered her mind, she realized what day it was.

Deceleration began today! The Galaxy would begin maneuvers to bring it into the solar system Tau Ceti and to their destination, the planet Thera. Within three weeks they would be in orbit. It was hard for Alison to believe that they were really this close.

After the drama and intrigue surrounding the first three weeks of the voyage, life had settled down to a predictable and enjoyable routine. She, Rosalia and Doug (as she had begun to call him) had made excellent progress on Communication plans for the new city that would be completed after they arrived. Other than the few people directly involved, the Galaxy's passengers had never even suspected that a sabotage attempt had taken place right beneath their noses.

Alison grinned at Rosalia's inert form next to her. It was amazing what she could sleep through, including but not limited to the morning wake-up music that Alison programmed each day.

Reaching across her lover and picking up the remote by the bed, Alison switched the scene on the vidscreen from the swirling, colorful dancing to an image of the Observatory screen.

This image was being broadcast to all personal vidscreens for the last three weeks of the voyage so that passengers could see the stars during deceleration. Eventually, the planet that was to be their final destination would be visible as well.

Rosalia had been instrumental in helping with the procedures to capture and share the images from the Observatory. She had put in long hours and stayed up late the previous night, doing the final tweaking and testing.

At that moment, the tired technology whiz began stretching and yawning, in her own version of morning wakeup.

She leaned over and kissed Alison softly on the neck, then the ear. "Do you think there's any coffee brewing in the kitchen?" she asked as she hooked her leg over Alison's, not entirely amorously – it was a good way to keep from falling off the bed. "I could use a pot or two."

"I doubt there's any left this late in the morning," said Alison. "But why don't we shower and then go get some breakfast at the bagel shop?" The various common dining areas, though not officially named, had acquired informal appellations from the passengers living on board the Galaxy for the past six months.

"Sounds good to me." Rosalia pushed thick hair out of her eyes. At this stage of the voyage, she had replaced her two-toned blond and burgundy hair color with a deep black. Alison couldn't decide if she liked it better than the original pale lilac it had been when they met. Despite Rosalia's encouragement to try something new, Alison was still happy with the curly brown shoulder-length hair that matched her eyes.

Alison started to get out of bed, but Rosalia tangled their legs together to prevent it. "What's your hurry? Our appointment with Doug isn't until 11:00." She lightly traced Alison's collarbone with her finger.

Alison rolled over on top of her partner. "I thought you said you needed coffee?" she asked shyly, as she gently bestowed a series of kisses down Rosalia's neck. With a contented sigh, she sank back into the narrow bed for a little longer.

Later, they were able to commandeer the matching bathrooms on either side of the hall. Bonnie and Melinda were teaching and Genevieve was absent from the module, allowing Rosalia and Alison to claim the space for as long as they needed it to do their makeup and hair.

For Alison, "doing her hair" involved scrubbing it with a dry towel after showering, combing it out (which was less of an ordeal than when it was dry), adding a dab of gel and then fluffing it with her fingers. It would look a little stiff until it dried, when another fluffing would transform it into a curly bob that just touched her shoulders.

Rosalia emerged from the bathroom with her hair heat-dried and woven into a circlet of braids that met in the back, flowing into a long, thick fall of hair about two and a half inches wide. Little sparkles winked from a few of the dimples between her braids.

"Nice!"

Rosalia pretended to preen.

At the bagel shop, they saw Dewey and the surgeon Dorota Andersen at a table near the back wall. They seemed to be having a private discussion, so the two women veered to a table on the other side of the room with only a brief wave.

Rosalia glanced over at the abundant breakfast in front of Dewey. "How does that guy eat so much? I wish I could borrow his metabolism for a while!"

Alison looked at her wrist communicator. "It's only 10:30, so we have a half hour before we meet with Doug." It still seemed strange to call him that. He had been "Fortner" in her mind since he had hired her on behalf of WorldGov. Her increased confidence in her abilities as Chief Communication Officer finally em-boldened her to start using his given name.

Rosalia greedily bit into her bacon and egg sandwich.

"Aren't you going to eat your bagel?" she asked Alison.

"I'm just kind of nervous. It's so exciting that we're almost there!"

32 A PUZZLE

Melinda sat across the table from her mother, sipping a cup of the fragrant tea that Dorota had prepared. Made from Norwegian Spruce needles, it packed a mega-dose of vitamin C and was pungent and invigorating. Too much of the tangy, lemony tea could be toxic however, because of the strong oils in it.

Dorota never used tea bags, instead brewing the loose needles in a teapot she had brought from their home in Norway. Like Rosalia, Dorota was originally from Poland, in Europa Region, but had married Andor Andersen and lived for the past twenty-four years in Norway with her husband. She was blond, like him, and tall for a woman; her strong, angular facial features were rarely augmented by makeup.

Andor was also a big man and the two of them marveled at their petite, feminine, strawberry-blond daughter. Melinda was the center of their world and they doted on her outrageously but did their best not to spoil her.

At fifty-three, Dorota had the strength of a woman half her age. She imagined that she came from hale and hearty Polish peasant stock, for it certainly took a lot of stamina to pursue her medical career. She had applied herself to her studies single-mindedly until she met Andor at the age of twenty-nine.

She was still doing a surgical residency at the time and it had been a boon to have a husband with a less demanding job who could tend to the daily tasks of life while she focused on her career.

Andor had stopped working for a couple of years when Melinda was born, to care for her, and had been the parent who chauffeured her to various activities once she got older. That probably contributed to their close relationship; even closer, Dorota often thought, that the one that she and Melinda shared.

Melinda twirled a teaspoon in her hand with an absent expression. She lifted a teacup to her lips but seemed too lost in thought to take a sip. Dorota could tell that something was bothering her.

"What is it honey?" she asked. She assumed Melinda had suggested they have tea together on one of her days off so they could have a mother-daughter chat. Dorota also had some idea of what might be troubling Melinda.

"I'm kind of confused about something, I guess. I wanted to see what you think of the situation and maybe that will help me understand it," Melinda said, looking to her mother for encouragement.

Dorota feigned ignorance. "What situation would that be?"

"It has to do with Dewey...you know how much I like him."

Dorota smiled. "Yes, your father and I have gotten that impression."

Melinda sighed. "Well, we work together all the time and he's so nice to me; he showed me my first view of the stars, we eat together almost every day, I get two or three vidmails a day from him, but..."

"But?"

Melinda swirled the remaining tea around in the bottom of her cup, looking pensive. "He's become my best friend but he hasn't shown any signs that it could ever be more than that. I just don't understand why he doesn't want a relationship. I know he likes women, there's no way he'd have time to see anyone else, and we have a great time together; what's wrong with me that he can't seem to think of me as a girlfriend?"

Melinda's eyes were suspiciously shiny, as if she might be on the verge of tears.

"Look at me, Melinda Andersen," Dorota said, using her daughter's full name to indicate that she was serious. "Whatever the reason is that Dewey isn't interested in taking your friendship further, I can guarantee it's not you."

Melinda laughed bitterly. "How can you guarantee that?" she asked. Then a thought popped into her mind and she looked at Dorota curiously. "Mom, do you know something I don't?"

Dorota laughed a little too quickly. "Of course not sweetie, it's just that I know you. You'd be a catch for any guy and there's nothing that you're doing to put him off; I'm sure of it. My advice to you is to give Dewey more time. He may come around eventually and, if not, then you'll still have a wonderful friend and mentor in your life."

"You and Dad really like him, don't you?"

Dorota reached out and covered Melinda's hands with her own. "Yes, we like him very much. For all we know, he may have things going on in his life that we're not aware of. Don't write him off yet...but keep yourself busy with other friends as well; then you won't dwell on it so much.

"What about your suitemates? I've enjoyed meeting all of them and I know you all have a pretty good time together." She smiled, remembering Melinda's description of some of their parties.

"You're right Mom; it just helps to talk about it. You give good advice as usual," Melinda said, withdrawing her hands and giving her mother a hug across the table. Picking up her teacup, she looked into its empty depths. "Can I have another cup of tea?"

33 PREPARATION

Doug ended up canceling that morning's appointment with Alison and Rosalia because of other pressing duties related to the ship's imminent approach to the Tau Ceti system. The Galaxy had taken three weeks to accelerate at the beginning of the journey and was now taking the same amount of time to decelerate.

Acceleration and deceleration were the most dangerous periods of the voyage because that was when the Matter/Anti-Matter drive was primarily used. The ship had been on a few missions already and everything had run like clockwork; there was no reason to expect anything different this time. Never-theless, the crew was on their toes making sure that each and every protocol was followed according to regulations.

The three members of the Communication Team ended up having a working dinner later that evening. Doug had reserved a private dining room with a built-in holoscreen and console, in order to bring Alison and Rosalia up to date on the latest plans for disembarkment.

They were all enjoying the special meal that had been prepared in the kitchens just for them, at Doug's initiative.

"I hope this makes up for standing you up earlier," he said.

Rosalia took a forkful of firm salmon drizzled with dill sauce. "It's an incredible dinner," she said. "It's hard to believe that this fish was frozen for six months."

Alison was busy tucking in to her dinner as well. Her appetite, dulled by excitement since the morning, had returned with a vengeance. She remembered a question that she wanted to ask.

"Do you know if Rosalia and I will get the quarters we requested?"

Fortner nodded. "As you two know already, we've been getting transmissions from Thera ever since we landed back on Earth after the first voyage. Unfortunately, those initial transmissions took twelve light years to reach us, so they didn't contain much of value."

He paused to take a bite of his dinner, savoring it like the other two.

"Where we're at in space now," he continued, "there's very little time lag left. The latest transmission we intercepted from Thera came in two days ago, just a few years ago on the planet. At that time, the barracks had already been completed with more than enough space for all of the 180 employees we plan to house. We haven't been able to arrange specific accommodations yet, of course, but you two will definitely get the family module that you asked for."

"Hallelujah!" said Rosalia. "She kicks and hogs the covers." She pointed a food-laden fork at Alison before putting it in her mouth.

Doug continued. "I thought I would show you some things on the holoscreen while we have dessert." He lifted the cover off a chilled platter and got the "oohs and ahs" he was looking for from the ladies.

"I thought I remembered that Rosalia had a bit of a chocolate habit," he said, as subtle pay-back for her teasing of Alison.

"Me?" Rosalia asked with feigned surprise.

It wasn't like they hadn't had chocolate mousse at the dining areas during the voyage; but these were elegantly swirled and served in delicate crystalplaz cups. Rosalia was guessing that they would taste a cut above the desserts they had eaten before too.

After pouring coffee and settling in for the last course, Doug touched a pad on the console next to him and brought up an image of Pronto base as most recently broadcast from Thera.

"The gray buildings in the middle are the original base and all the lighter outbuildings are the newer barracks. Those apartments are empty except for a few caretaker units that have already been filled with Pronto Base personnel."

He worked the console until he brought the base to life in three dimensions, hovering in front of the three of them at a slight angle so they could see most of the buildings. Then he zoomed out and Pronto Base shrunk until it only filled the middle of the far right side of the image. To the left was what appeared to be a huge crater as big as the entire base. "That," said Doug, "is the site of the city."

He tilted and zoomed until the rectangular crater took up the entire holographic image and it seemed as if they were looking right down into it. "In this image it just looks like a large square hole in the earth," he said. But by the time we get there the entire basement floor will be completed."

Rosalia looked at the holographic image closely. "I think I see the infrastructure starting already," she said. She pointed out the faint gray tracery present half way up the walls on both long sides of the rectangle.

"Good observation. As of approximately seven years ago, the grading, drainage, and site preparations were complete and they were already starting on the infrastructure. We can be confident that by the time we get there the site will be ready for our crews to start building the rest of the city."

"And it will still take a year to complete it?" asked Alison.

"That was the original estimate, but it really depends on the weather, the ability of the construction crews to stay on task, etc."

"I'll bet if Taryn has anything to do with it they'll stay on task," Rosalia said with a wicked grin.

"Another good observation." Doug grinned back. "So...are you two ready to hit the ground running?"

34 LANDFALL

Disembarking from the Galaxy took longer than boarding had back at Earth. Instead of a huge shuttle that could ferry one hundred passengers at once, WorldGov had to use the Galaxy's two small shuttles, each of which carried forty passengers at a time.

Two flights were scheduled each day for several days. They would take place on a rotating basis so that the two shuttles could take turns using the one landing area at Pronto Base. Within a few days, all of the employees scheduled to be posted at the base would be offloaded.

The first day's shuttles contained passengers who were vital to the mission such as Doug Fortner. Only Alison, Rosalia and a few others knew that, in addition to being the head of Communications, Doug was also to be the head of WorldGov's undercover security for Thera.

Alison and Rosalia were ferried down on the morning of the second day. As they entered the shuttle reception area on Pronto Base they were both relieved to see a familiar face waiting for them.

Doug was standing across the room next to a tall, imposing woman who appeared to be in her late sixties or early seventies. She wore a trim, tailored WorldGov officers' uniform complete with name badge, and she had a very erect carriage. Her hair was twisted up into an intricate style and was dark like her skin, but liberally streaked with grey.

Doug strode toward them. "Alison, Rosalia...this is General Obi, the Commander of Pronto Base."

General Obi stepped forward and shook first Alison's hand, then Rosalia's. "How very nice to meet you; we're glad to have the Galaxy back at Thera again," she said in a warm, throaty voice.

"Mr. Fortner has arranged for your quarters and he'll show you where they are. I would go with you but there's someone else I have to greet."

As she spoke, she was scanning the archway of the shuttle arrival door, where the rest of the incoming passengers were trickling out.

Suddenly she stiffened. Her sharp intake of breath was followed by a magnificent smile that threatened to split her face in half with its intensity. Her eyes flashed with recognition and joy as she saw one of the passengers alight.

Alison looked behind her and saw the nurse who had assisted her when she was so ill early in the voyage, Chidi Okoye. Chidi broke into a trot when she saw General Obi, the general meeting her partway and enfolding her in a hug.

"I never thought I'd see you again, dear heart. What a lovely young woman you've become! I'm surprised that you recognized me right away." General Obi exclaimed.

"Oh Grandma," Chidi breathed excitedly, "how could I ever forget you?"

"Well, there's a world of difference between fifty-four and seventy-three years old!" The general stood back a pace and looked at Chidi with affection. "It's hard to believe that you aren't six years old anymore. I have holos that your mother sent from when you were in college, but it's not the same thing as actually seeing you with my own eyes."

The General suddenly realized that she was ignoring Doug and his assistants. "I'm sorry," she said, her rich velvety voice thick with emotion, "Where are my manners? Do you all know Chidi?"

"Alison and I do," said Rosalia. "She's been there for us for everything from a hangnail to a hangover for the past six months."

This brought General Obi up short for a moment. Then she started to laugh, a chuckle that rapidly developed into a deep belly laugh. It seemed to be contagious, because everyone joined in.

"Ms. Czartoryska, you have a unique sense of humor," she said, smiling at Rosalia.

"She's definitely one of a kind," said Alison, linking her arm through Rosalia's affectionately.

Doug looked at Rosalia pointedly, as if to discourage her from any more levity. Then he turned to Chidi. "I haven't had the chance to spend time with you except in passing, Ms. Okoye. Thank you for taking such good care of my staff during the voyage."

He shook her hand. "I'll bet you would like some time to catch up with your grandma...that is, General Obi. And I need to get these two situated in their quarters. If you'll excuse us?"

"Of course," Chidi replied, taking her grandmother's hand. "I've grown up imagining what an exciting life Grandma had and how I get to hear all about it firsthand."

"You've got a lot to fill me in on too, dearest," General Obi said fondly and, Alison thought, wistfully. It made her think sadly about those she herself had left behind, especially her sister Margot.

As the Communications trio made their way out of the lobby, Doug said with a hint of teasing in his voice, "I snagged you two some nicer quarters by pointing out the fact that you'll need lots of extra space for your Communications duties."

"We will?" asked Alison.

Rosalia dug her elbow playfully into Alison's side. "Of course we will!"

"Oh, I get it," she said, laughing. Rosalia thought Alison looked adorable when she blushed.

"In all seriousness," Doug added, "I could have reserved smaller quarters and gotten offices for each of you. But they would have just been cramped cubbies because offices tend to run pretty small here. Instead, I worked with the housing officer to combine your allotted work space with your quarters."

"You're the best boss I ever had," Rosalia purred.

"Well, you better believe I'm going to make you work for it," he said, grinning.

He led them out of the base proper and into the ring of new barracks buildings surrounding it. They strolled beneath a breezeway that connected all the dwellings to each other and to the base, and then stopped at one of the first buildings.

It was finished with the same cream colored stucco-like material as the others, and they entered to find a large lobby that contained a sofa and several plump, padded chairs. There was a vidscreen mounted on the wall and an intercom for visitors to reach the residents. A long hallway could be seen behind a glaz door directly across from the front door and it apparently ran all the way to the back of the building.

"This is a mixed dwelling," Doug said, "Some of the apartments down the hall are efficiency units for one person, and others are family apartments like you two will share." He indicated the expansive, carpeted front room. "That's why there's such a spacious common room for the residents."

Doug had each of them use the thumb sensor pads on the glaz door and again when they reached their apartment halfway down the hall, just to make sure their prints were keyed in. He pushed the door open for them and stepped aside. "Welcome home."

35 PARTING

All of the children would remain on the ship at first. Even the few children whose parents were in the first vanguard would remain onboard for at least a month, until the transfer of personnel was completed and the new base routines had been established. Bonnie and Melinda were slated to remain on the Galaxy and teach classes.

After that, education and medical personnel would begin regular rotations between ship and planet for the rest of the coming year. Eventually, Bonnie and Melinda would get a chance to spend some time on Thera. For Melinda, the separation from Dewey was hard to bear. She had gotten used to spending a good portion of every day with him.

Genevieve, Jing and Dewey were ready to depart on this second afternoon since reaching orbit, and Melinda came to see them off. She entered the pre-boarding area and saw the three of them standing with several other passengers who were waiting to board.

Dewey saw her enter and hurried over to say hello. His step was sprightly and he had a grin on his face. "Hey there!" he said as he approached Melinda, taking her hand in his. He noticed that she seemed a little bit tense and wondered if it was because of worry over the orbital hop. "You know that this is safer than riding a bike, don't you?" he asked.

Melinda was glad that he had misinterpreted her emotion. Naturally, she was disappointed that she and Dewey wouldn't see each other for weeks, if not months. She didn't want to show it though, especially since Dewey didn't seem as melancholy over their upcoming separation as she did.

After the talk with her mother, Melinda had decided to "buck up" and just live day-to-day, letting life run its course. She smiled brightly at Dewey and said, "This is exciting! And I'm not worried about the hop at all." She gave him a brief hug. "Remember, I'll expect regular reports from you about all the new sights and experiences, so I can share them with my class."

"You've got it!" he replied. "And it won't be too long before you'll get to see it all yourself."

Genevieve bustled over, smiling at Melinda. "There you are! Bonnie and I already said our goodbyes and I was hoping you'd stop by before we boarded."

She knew that Melinda was going to miss Dewey terribly and was impressed at how well she managed to hide it. She wondered if he felt the same way about Melinda. She couldn't help but feel protective toward the young woman after working and sharing quarters with her for the past six months. Besides, she really liked both of them.

The chime sounded, signifying that it was time to board, and the double boarding doors slid open, forming a short archway contiguous with the shuttle. The other passengers began filing through it. Melinda peered in and noted that it was very similar to the larger Earth shuttle, with the same padded seats, flight restraints and simulated viewing window.

She found herself enfolded in a hug by Genevieve, immediately followed by another one from Jing. Putting on a good imitation of a happy smile, she waved them on. "You better get going before all the good seats are taken!"

The three Ed Team members entered the shuttle and quickly got strapped in. "They look so excited and happy," thought Melinda. She felt a swift pang of jealousy that they would get to see Thera while she had to wait. But then she remembered the kids in her class. A couple of them had parents they wouldn't see for a few weeks, and they would all need the consistency of their regular teachers and routines.

Melinda was a good teacher in part because she loved her job and the kids she taught. She decided that this would be enough to see her through until her turn came to escape the confines of the Galaxy.

The boarding doors closed and she began the long trek back to the living area at the rear of the ship. She had shared it with Genevieve, Bonnie, Alison and Rosalia for six months. Now, she wondered if it would feel lonely with most of them gone.

At least for today, though, she didn't have to worry. When she returned to their module, Bonnie was bursting with enthusi-asm and ready to go have some fun.

"Do you realize that almost half of the Galaxy's passengers have been transported to Thera by now?" she asked. She was wearing workout clothes and had the glow of recent exercise.

Melinda looked at her with a puzzled expression. "And this is good news because...?"

Bonnie gave her a speculative look. "Okay, let me walk you through this. You go to get a meal, and you can find a table anywhere you like; you hit the gym and most of the equipment is free; not to mention you get your own private bathroom now that there are only the two of us..."

"Okay, okay...I get it!" exclaimed Melinda. "I guess there's a bright side to everything, huh?"

The two of them decided to find an interesting dining area for dinner, splurge on dessert and then go view Thera close up and in living color from the Observatory windows. Melinda followed Bonnie from the module with a smile on her face.

Meanwhile, Dewey sat pretending to doze as the Galaxy's shuttle made the final maneuvers preparatory to descent. It had taken all of his personability and good humor to put on the act of being thrilled to be in the vanguard of the new settlers.

He didn't know what he'd do without Melinda for the weeks or months until they were reunited on Thera. Other, more serious factors regarding their relationship clamored for attention in his mind. "It wouldn't be fair to her," he thought as he had many times before. He had a difficult decision to make.

36 HOME

Doug left Rosalia and Alison at the door to their new dwelling, citing pressing WorldGov duties. He had already instructed them to check their vidmail if they wanted to review the Communication agenda for the coming week.

For the rest of the day, they would be free to settle in and explore the base; after dinner that evening they would attend an orientation session with the rest of the day's new arrivals. They stood for a moment, poised to enter their new abode.

"Well, we're about to see where we'll be living for the next year," Alison said. She looked at Rosalia. "Ready?"

Rosalia nodded and Alison said, "After you!"

Together, they entered the apartment. Both of them were immediately impressed with the spacious living room. On the same wall as the front door there was a small kitchenette with a sink and small sized fridge. Rosalia saw a coffee maker and a few cupboards and drawers but no type of food processor.

It had been explained that all meals were to be eaten or picked up at the communal dining facilities. As of yet, there was no private storage or preparation of foodstuffs. Everything harvested from the farming area north of the base was used as economically as possible to feed the population and any surplus crops were immediately processed for future use in case of crop failure.

"Oh, look at that!" Alison exclaimed. We have a window...a big one!" She walked across the room as if drawn to the window magnetically, and then stopped to gaze out of it.

Rosalia joined Alison at the window and put an arm around her waist. They stood together drinking in the view. After six months on the Galaxy, it was wonderful to see nature again. The courtyard outside was filled with a mix of familiar and unfamiliar trees and shrubs and there was a stucco building identical to theirs several yards away on the other side.

"This is so wonderful; they obviously put a lot of thought into making this a pleasant place to live," Rosalia said. She peered through the open archway in the middle of the wall to the right of the front door. "Want to check out the rest?"

Alison got to the opening and gasped at the amount of room they had been given. Just inside the archway was an alcove. The door that opened directly in front of her led into a bathroom as large as their shared one on the Galaxy. To the left and right, the open doors revealed two bedrooms. The one on the right was larger, with a double bed, dresser, easy chair and plenty of lighting.

The open door on the left showed that the smaller bedroom was set up as an office. A large two pronged work-space took up the wall that had a window and the adjacent wall as well. Personal vidscreens sat at each corner of the long two-sided desk, with ergonomically padded chairs poised in front of them.

Most exciting of all, a holoboard was situated in the middle of the right counter, mimicking the placement of the window in the adjacent wall. "That's obviously my side!" said Alison gleefully.

The doors inside the apartment were the old fashioned kind that had to be manually opened and shut. Alison figured that they would probably stay open most of the time anyway, as they were now.

There was a knock on the door and a smiling Alison glided through the alcove like she was riding on air, then thumbed open the front door. A young man wearing a Pronto Base uniform stood next to a hover cart that was stacked high with several of the ubiquitous WorldGov transportation boxes.

"I have six boxes for your unit," he informed them. After checking that the names and identifying numbers on the boxes were the right ones, he helped them to stack them all on the bed in the master bedroom.

The young man looked around as he assisted them. "This is a nice set-up," he commented. "From what I hear, all of the quarters in the new city will be just as good as this, or maybe even better." He held out his hand to Alison. "I'm Brian Miller, by the way." He had short sandy brown hair and an engaging, friendly face.

Alison shook his hand. "Yes, we were really lucky that our offices and living space were allocated together. It's a lot roomier this way." She was curious about Thera and thought maybe Brian could answer one of her questions. "Do you mind if I ask...how's the food in the dining halls?"

He shrugged. "It's pretty good I guess. Probably as good as you've been getting on the Galaxy." Brian had been born on Thera nineteen years ago and was one of the first true natives of the planet. He had a question of his own.

"Do you know anything about the university program that's supposed to start now that the Galaxy has returned? My mom wasn't sure if it was going to be gearing up now or if we were going to have to wait until after the city was ready next year."

Here's my first public relations job! Alison thought. "I'm the Chief Information Officer for the city and Rosalia and I are both part of the Communication Team. By the end of this week, we'll be making a lot of announcements and that's sure to be one of them."

He seemed relieved and it made Alison realize how important it was for the people on the base to know about the things that were happening around them. She looked forward to working on some press releases with Doug and Rosalia at their first meeting.

After Brian left, she and Rosalia unpacked every single thing in their boxes, flattened them, and leaned them against the wall outside the apartment door. "Now it's our 'home sweet home' for real," said Rosalia.

Alison realized that it was already lunchtime and suggested that they check out the main dining hall. She and Rosalia ended up being pleasantly surprised at the quality and flavor of the food. Apparently, having grown up on Thera, Brian didn't realize that food didn't always taste this good. It was a promising beginning to their new adventure.

37 TOUR

At orientation on the evening of their arrival, Alison and Rosalia met up with Genevieve, Jing, and Dewey. They were able to sit together for the presentation, which was an informational session about living on the base.

There was a warning not to interact with the flora and fauna without supervision from an experienced Theran. The planet did not support complex life forms to the same extent as Earth and there were no large predators. However, as with any ecosystem, damage could be done in both directions if people didn't know what they were doing.

As a start in understanding the new environment, all of them except Dewey had signed up for the same hovercraft tour of Thera. They would start in the morning after breakfast and have lunch at the agricultural station as part of the tour. Later, there would be an evening update for those who were interested, including a holovideo and a question and answer session.

The next morning, Alison and Rosalia hurried to the appointed meeting place for the tour after a quick breakfast. They were running late because Alison's files had not yet been transferred from her personal vid on the ship and, lacking all of her music, she had forgotten to set an alarm. She vowed to scan the base offerings later and pick some music so they wouldn't be late for anything again.

When they got to the waiting area on the edge of the base, they found the others already assembled. The luggage helper Brian Miller was there as the day's guide and he was chatting with Jing. There were also a few other people that Alison recognized from the orientation, including Chidi Okoye.

"Hi, ladies!" Brian called out. "It's good to see you again. Are you just about ready for the tour?" He led the way across a grassy area to a large hangar where Pronto Base hover vehicles were stored.

There was already a large one waiting just outside it for the group; it was elongated and resembled a very skinny land bus with wings. "Just sit anywhere," Brian instructed. "There's a good view for everyone and we'll be making occasional stops."

They climbed up into the long, narrow hovercraft. On the left side of the aisle the seats were single and on the right they were two abreast. Rosalia found a seat next to a window about halfway down and Alison sat next to her. "We'll switch on the way back so you can have the window seat, okay?"

"Sounds good to me."

Alison was already looking out the windows as if there was something to see. "Too bad Doug and Dewey couldn't get away for this," she said.

Chidi sat down in the seat across the aisle from the two of them and raised her hand in greeting. Alison leaned toward her and asked, "Did you and your grandmother do some catching up last night?"

"Yes, we had a wonderful time! You know, just after the Galaxy returned to Earth from the first voyage to Thera, I sent her a message that I would be one of the passengers on this voyage."

She settled in and fastened her restraint harness. "Even though it took twelve years for word to get to her, she still had a few months head start getting ready for my arrival."

Chidi smiled, remembering the hours spent with her grandmother the night before. The general had prepared a holo album of scenes from Thera that had intrigued Chidi enormously.

"I had a lot of questions about Thera, but she kept telling me to wait for the tour. So I guess that means we'll see some interesting things today!"

With the last of the passengers onboard, Brian sat down behind the control panel up front and closed the door to the air bus. He began gliding upward, into the airspace above the base.

Theran hover vehicles generally stayed about thirty or forty feet above the ground, high enough for a good view of the surroundings but not high enough to interfere with any long-distance air traffic that might be around. Brian touched the amplification pad so that those in the rear could hear him clearly.

"We're going to start with a tour of the farming areas north of the base," he said, as the craft zoomed northward past the outer barracks of Pronto Base and over green pastures.

To the east, on their right, more flat land rolled away from them, eventually becoming mountainous in the far distance. Rosalia estimated that it might be a hundred miles to the hazy peaks.

To the west, on their left, was a flat horizon broken only by the huge crater that was the site of the new underground city. It was outlined by vehicles and construction gear spaced at intervals along the rim, looking like tiny toy equipment in the distance. The trucks were all a few yards from the rim, to prevent soil compaction and keep the walls of the excavation stable.

As the group passed over more grassy meadows, the flat land to the west abruptly became forest. From a distance, the trees looked like any that might be found on Earth.

"We'll loop around and skim the forest after we see the food production areas," Brian said, "and then take a tour of the perimeter of the construction site for the new city."

He launched into his tour guide spiel.

"There's no animal husbandry on Thera because the natural foliage doesn't support any of the animal embryos we brought from Earth. We can't plant fodder for them, either, because we're still in the experimental stages of introducing beneficial plants to the ecosystem. The first priority right now is still to cultivate plants for human consumption."

He scanned the terrain below them. "More than likely, any meat you've eaten on base has come from the main indigenous animal compatible with human nutritional needs. We don't farm the Cappas because they're so plentiful, and they maintain themselves with no effort from us.

We obtain a few as needed by placing a particular herb in the collection vehicle. It's a hard-to-find delicacy for them. Base scientists believe that the herb may contain trace nutritional elements that the Cappas need to thrive." He peered through the wide glaz window at the front of the airbus. "We should see some pretty soon and I'll point them out."

Genevieve and Jing were sitting together near the front and Jing leaned forward to ask Brian a question. "Can you tell us why they were named Cappas?"

"Sure! They resemble a large Earth rodent called a Capybara, so the administration has given them a similar name for convenience. They weigh an average of 120 pounds and their meat doesn't have a highly distinctive taste, so cooking it with spices and other ingredients influences the flavor. It also contains a great deal of protein and very little fat, since they're free range animals."

"But I thought capybaras were semi-aquatic," Jing said.

"Well, that's one of the differences between them. The closest ocean on Thera is a couple of hundred miles from here. Cappas have hooves instead of webbed claws and they graze on grasses, herbs and forest fungi. But they're about the same size and have the same reddish-brown coloring. They also have blunt muzzles and eyes near the tops of their heads, although their fur is shorter." He thought for a moment. "I'd say they're more of a cross between a Capybara and a wild boar without the tusks."

Brian had been continuing to scan the ground below as he spoke. "If you look below us and to the left, there's a small herd." He worked the controls so that the vehicle slowed and rolled slightly to the left, giving everyone a good view.

Genevieve said, "I have to agree with you Brian, they look like hogs to me!" After everyone had gotten a good look, their guide righted the hover craft again and sped up slightly. "Any other questions?" he asked.

From halfway back Chidi asked, "What kinds of edible native plants are there on Thera?"

"Mostly, there are a lot of leafy plants and herbs that are digestible to humans. There are also a few nuts, but they're bitter so they're used in breads and cereals instead of eaten whole. There are also a few fruits that resemble apples or pears.

"The one thing that's missing is grain. But our diet also includes some food plants from Earth that grow well on Thera, like tubers and legumes. Extensive experimentation has shown that the soil on Thera provides the elements necessary to grow them with their nutritional properties intact."

Cultivated fields began to appear below the hover craft. Regularly spaced robotic attendants were tending rows of crops. The intelligent machines were complex enough to weed, water and fertilize, as well as prune and remove pests.

Brian took his passengers on a fly-by tour of the processing plants where harvested food was prepared before sending it to the base in hovercraft haulers. Next, he flew the group over hangars housing mechanical equipment, robot servos and more utility hover craft.

"Pronto Base has really been looking forward to the Galaxy's return visit," he said. "Our foundries and metalworking shops are still pretty basic and it was all we could do to keep the machinery and vehicles in good repair for the past twenty-five years. We've already offloaded lots of parts from the Galaxy that were needed, along with the equipment necessary to upgrade our production facilities."

Just when everyone on the craft was beginning to get a little bit tired and hungry, Brian announced that it was time to stop for lunch. He touched down next to one of the hangars and directed them inside. They found that it was a mess hall for the agricultural crew.

"This is the place you'll find the most delicious food on Thera," Brian bragged. "It's mostly fresh from the fields and they have one of the best kitchen managers you'll find anywhere."

Genevieve, Jing, Alison and Rosalia, along with Chidi and the other passengers, made their way to the food line and picked up trays. "It smells heavenly!" Genevieve exclaimed.

Alison looked at the array of dishes behind the glaz viewing panel on the serving line. "I'm going to have a hard time choosing between all these great looking things," she said, smiling at Brian.

A plump little lady in a cook's apron came hurrying out of the kitchen and approached their group. "You're still on tour duty I see," she said to Brian, smiling to reveal large, white teeth. Her hair was the same brown as their guide's and was pinned on top of her head under a net. She reached up and gave Brian a bear hug.

He had to bend down to meet the short woman halfway. Straightening up, he said "This is my mom, Ariana Miller. Mom, this is Alison, the Chief Information Officer for WorldGov. Jing and Genevieve are with the education program" he said, indi-cating the two of them. Rosalia and Chidi were already in line getting their food.

"Oh, it's so good to meet you!" exclaimed Ariana. "Brian's father and I have been waiting for the day that we got a University program here on Thera. He's such a smart boy and I'm afraid there's not much more learning he can do on his own. He and his friends are excited about starting University soon!"

Brian blushed at the praise and his mother's over-attentiveness. "Thanks for coming out to greet us, mom. I've been bragging on your cooking, so what do you suggest we have today?"

Ariana shooed them into the food line, then went behind it and started serving them herself.

After filling up a plate, Alison sat down across from Chidi and Rosalia at one of the tables in the dining area. "How's the food?" she asked.

Chidi said, "It's excellent. I couldn't make up my mind so I got a little bit of everything."

Rosalia had just taken a large bite of something appetizing looking so she just smiled, nodded and gave a thumb's up.

38 POWER OF SUGGESTION

While the others were taking a tour of Thera, Dewey kept his appointment at the Medical Facility on Pronto Base. Most passengers on the Galaxy had used the services of whichever M.D. was on rotation at the Med Center, but those with particular issues had physicians permanently assigned to them.

As luck would have it, Dorota was Dewey's personal physician. After his routine blood work and examination were completed, he faced Dr. Dorota Larsen across the desk in her office.

Dorota began their consultation. "I'm very glad to see that you're eating enough and following your nutritional plan," she said. "Your blood work is still excellent and there are no signs of any problems at all. If you continue to exercise, follow the guidelines, and take the long-term medications, I'll probably be retired by the time you develop any symptoms."

Dewey looked relieved. "Is that why you're going to share my care schedule with another doctor?"

"Yes, I want to ensure the continuity of care so that, when you do need medical assistance, the doctor in charge of your case will be familiar with your medical history."

She wondered at Dewey's ability to look so unruffled and calm every time they discussed his future. I don't think I could be as complacent, she thought.

Perhaps it was because, unlike him, she had a child and spouse to consider. She knew that, in great measure, Dewey's reluctance to become involved in a relationship with her daughter stemmed from the fact that he knew he would never be able to have children; many people with his condition wouldn't want to start a family.

Dorota cleared her throat. "Dewey, there's another reason I'd like to start sharing the management of your treatment with another physician." She hesitated. "I'm finding that it's hard for me to be so intensely involved in your care because of Melinda."

He looked as if he had been expecting her admission. "I understand. You must know that there's nothing I wouldn't give to be able to have a normal relationship with Melinda. She's an incredible person."

Dewey's eyes were downcast and he looked as close to depressed as Dorota had ever seen him. Even months ago, when they had discussed the natural progression of his disease, he had managed to keep his attitude upbeat. She felt moved to do or say something.

"May I share my opinion with you?" she asked.

Dewey looked up, surprised. "Of course."

"My personal opinion, I mean. Not in my professional capacity."

This was the first time Dr. Larsen had ever stepped outside of her persona of a detached and professional M.D. and Dewey was surprised, but he nodded.

"Melinda came to me about a problem she was having a couple of weeks ago. Without breaking her confidence, I'll just tell you that it involved her wanting something to be a certain way and her frustration that it just wasn't panning out. My advice to her was to enjoy what she had and not pine for what she didn't have." She sat silently, waiting for her words to register in the young man's mind.

"Dr. Larsen, I understand what you're saying. But it's a lot more than just not being able to have children. What kind of life could I give Melinda with no children and a husband who might not be around past his fifties?"

Dorota steepled her fingers in front of her on the desk, choosing her words carefully. She knew that her daughter's happiness might depend on her powers of persuasion.

"Dewey, you're only twenty-six years old. Did you decide not to educate yourself because you might only be around a few decades? Of course not. You got your advanced degree, went to work for the Global Learning Center and even wrote a book about alternative education," she reasoned calmly.

Dewey responded before she could continue. "Dr. Larsen, you might say that I knew I didn't have as long as most people did so I made up for it by accomplishing a lot early. But let's be realistic. It's not a case of knowing that I may not live a long life. We both know that I won't." There was no belligerence in his tone, just resignation.

"I'm afraid I have to disagree," Dorota replied.

Dewey looked confused. "When we left Earth, there was no eminent breakthrough cure on the horizon. Not only that, if I had to wait for the Galaxy to return with a cure next time, I'd already be fifty-two. Certainly you'll agree that would probably be too late."

Dorota was frustrated by Dewey's continual focus on worst-case scenarios. "I thought you were friendly with Corporal Wilson," she said. "Didn't he explain to you that there's a very good chance that the next generation of the Galaxy will be here well before that? Some estimates say we could see a starship again within five years!"

She knew that this was the most optimistic time span, with estimates ranging as high as twelve or even fifteen years. Hope-fully Dewey didn't realize that, though.

Dorota stopped speaking to allow Dewey to process his thoughts. She knew that if she tried to bulldoze him into seeing things from her point of view it would backfire. Better to lead him to conclusions and then let him accept them on his own time.

"I'm not sure if it even matters," he said. "Melinda may not see me as anything more than a friend." He remembered her nonchalant and carefree goodbye on the Galaxy the previous day.

Dorota dropped a seemingly casual suggestion. "Then why don't you tell her about your situation? One thing you definitely need is a friend that you can share your worries with. Talking about them with your doctor isn't the same thing." She picked up Dewey's file and rose gracefully, ending the interview with that thought hanging in the air.

39 Flora and fauna

After the excellent lunch at the Ag Station, Brian herded everyone back onto the narrow air bus and resumed the tour of the environs around Pronto Base. As promised, he headed west for a couple of miles then looped back toward the construction site, skimming the forest.

"This is the part of the forest that our botanists are most interested in," he said. "It's kept as natural and untouched as possible so that they can study it. If you look sharp in a moment, you'll see one of the experimental stations. They're hard to detect because they blend in with the surroundings."

He slowed the hover vehicle almost to a crawl and the passengers could just see a dome beneath the treetops that matched the dusky green of the leaves that covered the trees.

"We're going to touch down a little closer to the edge of the forest, he said. That's where the Nature Park is. One of the favorite pastimes of Therans is to wander the trails and observe the plants and occasional animals. Not to mention the living things that still haven't been classified as one or the other."

Brian skillfully landed the hover craft on a patch of ground apparently meant for that purpose. The area surrounding the marked landing pad was landscaped into a park, with graniteplaz outdoor tables spaced along a winding mulched pathway. At the edge of the clearing there was a small covered pavilion.

"The restrooms are at the back of the pavilion if anyone would like to freshen up," Brian said in a carrying voice.

One other small building completed the architecture of the park. It had a narrow covered porch and appeared to be the office. At the moment, a young and attractive woman was heading their way from that direction.

"Hi Brian!" she called as she strode quickly toward the group. She was wearing a khaki jumpsuit with a Pronto Base name badge that identified her as a park tour guide. Her brown hair was gathered into a ponytail that swished in time with her steps.

Brian introduced her to the group. "This is Michelle Patrick, one of the tour guides for the nature park."

"I'm glad to meet you all!" she replied in an enthusiastic voice. "I think you're going to enjoy your tour. Brian told me that we have some teachers here today?"

Genevieve and Jing stepped forward and shook her hand.

She addressed the two of them. "As I'm sure you've been briefed, the park will be a wonderful resource for the education program. We already lead tours for the various grade levels but I'm personally looking forward to setting up a regular outdoor classroom now that we're going to be expanding the program."

Genevieve replied, "I share your excitement about that! When kids are interested they learn so much faster." She looked around the park, "I can picture this being a fun place to teach them about ecology and biology."

Genevieve had been surprised that the actual number of school-aged children on Thera had been lower than projected. Instead of around two hundred, the actual count ended up being 147, plus the thirteen already aboard the Galaxy.

The explanation had been that pioneering a new planet took up all of everyone's time and energy. There had been a general consensus to wait several years before increasing the population and weakening the labor force.

At nineteen years old, Brian was one of the first Theran offspring. There were very few residents in their twenties, which highlighted the determination of the original settlers to make their mission a success.

Passengers had returned from the restrooms and Michelle said "I'm going to take you a little way into the forest, just to give you an idea of what it's like.

"You are all welcome to come back and visit the park any time. We always have at least one person on duty for tours, and the horticulturalists assigned to the park are more than happy to answer any questions you may have. For today, however, we'll let them do their other work while I give you a few basic facts about the flora and fauna of Thera."

Michelle turned and led the group along the mulched path, past the picnic tables and into a more heavily wooded section of the park. Once they were under the canopy of the trees, Alison could hear water trickling somewhere.

Michelle stopped on the path and turned to the group. "If you listen, you can hear the stream nearby. It comes from an underground spring and eventually becomes one of the tributaries for the lake west of the construction site. Lake Pronto is our source of drinking water on the base and it will also supply the city when it's completed."

She turned to the foliage pressing in on the four-foot-wide path and fingered the fronds of one of the trees. So far, we haven't found any evidence of hardwood trees on Thera. Most trees are no more than four or five inches in diameter and have fronds, rather than leaves like the trees on earth."

She saw Alison looking curiously at the underbrush of the forest. "These," she said, inclining her head toward the stunted looking shrubs interspersed among the trees, "are similar to some of the ancient shrub trees still in existence on Earth, like the amborela and ginkgo biloba.

"Because of the stage of development of the flora on the planet, some scientists compare Thera to Earth during the Cretaceous period – minus the dinosaurs!" she added with a reassuring laugh when she saw a couple of raised eyebrows.

Jing said, "Brian mentioned that there are some fruit bearing plants. Will we see any today?"

"That's a good question! At this time, we haven't cultivated any of the few native angiosperm-like species of flowering plants. Their natural habitat is close to water and you can get a look at them closer to the lake.

"For the most part, the starchy fruits they produce are a supplement to the Theran diet and not a staple food. The native fruits do have excellent nutritional value, however, and at some point we hope to have orchards as well as farmlands on the planet."

They continued to stroll along as Michelle pointed out and named several varieties of Theran shrubs for them, along with some leafy and moss-like plants that covered the ground.

"Do you think you'll remember any of this?" Rosalia asked Alison in a whisper.

"Not likely," she replied. "I'm just enjoying the walk. We should come back here by ourselves sometime, don't you think?"

"Definitely; it's a lot to take in during one tour."

Rosalia used the toe of her boot to turn over a rock that sat in a patch of sun-warmed soil beside the trail. Suddenly exposed, small creatures immediately burrowed back down to escape the light.

Michelle walked over to where they were standing. "I see you've found some of the Theran insect population." She scraped the ground with a fallen twig to expose the insects again. They looked remarkably like 'roly-polys' back on Earth.

"We've found that insects are the life forms most consistently comparable to Earth fauna. If you're like most people, you'll probably start thinking of the various Theran insects by Earth names before too long, like the 'roly-polys' you just uncovered."

She straightened up and looked around the group. "Would you like to see more of the animal life?" The suggestion generated the enthusiasm Michelle had expected.

"Okay, here's what I want to ask you to do. Please sit down on the path and get comfortable. Once everyone is settled, we need to all remain completely still and silent." The tour members had already started to follow her instructions.

"It may take a few minutes," she continued, "but soon we should get a chance to observe one or two of the small mammals of the forest. I won't be able to tell you anything about them until we're done and, hard as it may be, you need to refrain from pointing out what you see to others."

"Good thing they told us to wear comfortable clothes," Rosalia muttered under her breath as she and Alison settled down cross-legged next to each other. A hush descended on the trail as everyone sat as still as they possibly could. Alison thought it was strange not to hear birds twittering, like on Earth. She knew that, as far as anyone had discovered, Thera had no living creatures that could fly.

After a few minutes, quiet rustlings could be heard in the matted undergrowth of the forest. Alison almost disregarded Michelle's instructions not to point when she saw a patch of reddish green brush move and differentiate itself into a small mammal.

She cut her eyes toward her mate and saw that Rosalia had spotted it on her own. The animal was the size of a large rat but looked more like a squirrel without the plumed tail. It had a blunt face with forward facing black eyes set close to a matching button of a nose. Its fur reminded Alison of the fur she had seen from a distance on the Cappas because it was the same reddish-brown color. She was fascinated, watching it root in the foliage with short, clawed legs.

Suddenly, there was a cough from the crowd and the little mammal immediately disappeared. The guilty party apologized profusely but Michelle assured her it was okay.

"This is just about the time I would have ended our observations anyway. Please raise your hand if you saw anything," she said to the group. Several of them had seen one of the little 'squirrels', as they were designated. A couple thought they had seen mouse-sized creatures but weren't sure.

"There is one creature that you all saw, whether you realized it or not," Michelle added cryptically. She walked over to one of the smaller fern trees and detached what appeared to be some kind of small brown fruit or nut the size of a golf ball from a cluster in the crook of the short tree.

When she put it on the ground, it elongated slightly and began a slow progression toward the tree from which it had been removed. "Look quickly or you'll miss this," Michelle said as she reached toward the creature again.

She swiftly plucked it off the ground and, for a brief moment, a segmented underside was visible. The creature had four short, stubby legs covered with leathery skin and tipped with small, sharp claws. Some of the group missed seeing anything because it was over so rapidly. The creature quickly curled up into the same hard-shelled ball it had been when Michelle first plucked it from its nest.

Michelle set the creature on a branch this time, a few inches from the fruit-like cluster from which she had taken it. It unfurled itself again and began the laborious journey back to huddle with the rest of its kind. Michelle turned to the group with a grin and said, "You can probably see why that one has been named the 'tree tortoise'."

Brian had come along for the walk with them and he added, "This is an example of fauna that's safe to touch. Those little claws look wicked, but the tree tortoises curl up immediately when they're removed from their habitat, same as the bugs you just saw."

Michelle nodded, "That's right; when you come in smaller groups, you'll get the opportunity to have more of a hands-on experience. We're trying to balance respect for the environment with the ability for all Therans to learn more about it."

Jing detained Brian as they all headed back to the hover craft, to ask him about something unrelated to the tour.

"Genevieve and I were wondering if you might be able to put together a group of two or three of your friends to help advise us on creating the University program," she said.

Brian brightened visibly. "Absolutely! When did you want to meet with us?"

"I'll let you know as soon as we work it out," Jing said. "The Ed Team thinks it's important for students to give input about their own educational programs. You seem very enthusiastic about the University classes and I thought you might have some friends who felt the same way."

"I'll start talking to them now so we'll be ready when you and Genevieve want to meet." Brian headed toward the air bus with a new spring in his step.

40 CHANGE OF SCENERY

Dorota and Andor Larsen were hosting Doug Fortner and Janice Horner in their new quarters on the base. Janice and Dorota had developed a friendship during the six-month journey on the Galaxy. Although the two women were very different in appearance, they found that they were of like mind on many subjects and had other things in common as well.

Dorota had strong, plain facial features and was tall and athletic, completely eschewing makeup and favoring casual clothing when she was off duty. Janice was lovely in a delicate way and epitomized glamour, with her perfectly applied makeup, exquisitely tailored clothing, and ubiquitous high heels.

However, both women were whip-smart and had achieved a great deal of success in their fields. They also shared the bond of being parents to a twenty-something child.

Dorota and Andor would each hold vital and sensitive positions in the city as Chief Surgeon and Head of Maintenance, respectively. Because of this, they had been brought into the select group who were aware of Doug and Janice's most important job, undercover security.

This made it convenient for the four of them to socialize without worrying about letting their guards down. They were also close in age, setting them apart from the younger generation who made up the bulk of the Second Wave.

The coffee table in front of them was arrayed with canapés that Dorota had requisitioned from the dining hall, along with a bottle of wine and four glass tumblers.

"I miss wine glasses," said Janice. "I guess they weren't a huge priority when it came to allocating space on the Galaxy."

A smile tugged at the corners of Doug's mouth. "Yes, there were more essential things, like musical equipment." The scenario of Janice's musician son Paul being lured on the voyage through a favorable agreement with WorldGov had not been a fabrication.

"Oh, aren't you amusing?" Janice replied archly. She smiled at him to take the sting out of her words.

Andor added his two cents to the conversation. "I think WorldGov got the better part of the bargain. Have you heard how excited people are on Thera now that we're going to have a symphony? Not to mention all these parents who are clamoring for their children to be the first ones to receive music lessons." He bit into an herb stuffed pastry.

"I agree," said Dorota. "The First Wave has done such a wonderful job of preparing this planet for habitation – they deserve to hear beautiful music. I don't think I would have had the stamina to be one of the ground-breakers."

Doug reached out to pour more wine into Dorota's glass. "Oh, the next wave will say the same about us – 'how could they stand living in barracks and eating in dining halls?' By the time the next starship arrives, we'll have a thriving underground metropolis for them to move into."

"Speaking of moving people," said Dorota, making an opening for a subject she needed to raise with Doug, "I have a personnel matter to discuss with you."

Janice raised one of her artfully drawn eyebrows in surprise. "But Dorota, I thought as Chief Surgeon you had the authority to make personnel decisions on your own?"

"Yes, you're right. However, this involves the rotation between Pronto Base and the Galaxy." She looked uncomfortable asking for Doug's intercession.

Doug was surprised since Dorota had complacently accepted the rotation schedule that had been proposed for her medical staff. "Are you having some kind of issue with a staff member?" he asked.

"No," she replied, "with a patient."

Understanding blossomed in Janice's eyes. "This would be about Dewey, I suppose," she said.

As co-leaders of undercover security, she and Doug knew every detail in the files of each and every one of the passengers from the Galaxy. And as a friend of both Dewey and Melinda, Janice had a good idea of the struggle Dewey was going through.

Dorota said, "I'm not breaking his confidence since you both know about his situation although, strictly speaking, I'm not supposed to be discussing this in front of Andor."

"We'll pretend he's not here," said Doug calmly. "Go on."

Dorota put down the tumbler of wine she was holding.

"I'm concerned about Dewey's state of mind. He's always had the most remarkable resiliency regarding his condition, which I'm sure is one of the reasons that WorldGov cleared him for the mission. But lately..."

"Does this have to do with Melinda as well?" asked Janice.

"Yes, it does," Dorota replied, "but I'm speaking here as Dewey's physician, not Melinda's mother."

She picked up her tumbler and took a sip of wine. "We spoke after his physical today and I felt that, for the first time, he was showing signs of being depressed about his condition. Before this I was frankly amazed at his positive attitude."

Andor interjected, "I know I'm not supposed to be here, but..." The others grinned and indicated that he should continue.

"Just leaving Earth and everything you know behind is stressful enough for anyone. Add settling on a new planet where you're one of the newcomers and have to learn everything from scratch...I'm not surprised at all that Dewey reached a breaking point."

His wife nodded her head in agreement. "I've spoken with Dewey's counselor and he agrees with me that he might not be ready to leave the familiar surroundings of the Galaxy yet. Most of his work could be done up there and he could still meet some of the Theran teaching staff as they rotated to the ship."

Doug nodded. "I see no problem with that. Dewey and Melinda are the Early Ed people, right? It should be fine with Genevieve if we switch their assignments..."

He stopped speaking when he noticed the expressions on everyone else's faces. Janice shook her head and looked at him pointedly.

"Okay, go ahead and fill me in on what I'm obviously missing here," he said, sighing.

"Dewey and Melinda developed a close friendship during the voyage," Dorota said, "and I think he needs a friend right now. One reason he's so adrift is that he doesn't have anyone to confide in."

Doug thought about it a minute. "Okay, I get it. Dewey is a good guy and I certainly want to help in any way I can. I'll have to talk to Genevieve about this, of course."

He looked at Janice. "Do you think she'll be okay with having both of her Early Ed staff stay on the Galaxy for the next couple of months?"

Janice nodded. "I know Genevieve. She cares more about people than procedures. I'm sure she'd want what's best for Dewey."

"Then I'll take care of it."

41 DREAMS

"This is the exciting part," said Genevieve. Jing had to agree with her as the huge, roughly two square mile crater came into view. The air bus headed straight for the edge, ready to turn and begin scouting the perimeter.

Brian's voice broke into their thoughts.

"We'll start in the middle of this side, skirt the edges and then end up back at Pronto Base," he said. That will give you all a good view of the site. Because of the construction we won't be able to fly over the excavation itself."

Brian maneuvered the air bus over the wide strip of earth between the construction vehicles and the lip of the precipice, and then angled it slightly so that all of the passengers could get a good view. "If you look down," he said, "you'll see lowest level of the city in its final stage of completion."

Alison looked out of the window and noticed that all four corners of the crater seem to have towers hugging them which extended all the way to perhaps ten feet above the surface. There was a matching tower that rose from the exact middle of the construction site. She assumed they were the elevators.

"This shorter end of the rectangle that we're about to skim is the farthest from Pronto Base and it's also the access point for construction vehicles," Brian continued. "If you look closely, you can see a laser-packed earth ramp leading down to the bottom."

Alison peered down and saw construction crews busy working on the second level of the complex. She turned to Rosalia in the seat next to her and said "It's hard to picture this being ready to move into a year from now."

Rosalia looked past Alison's shoulder at the scene below. "You never know," she said, "but at least in the meantime we have a good place to live." They smiled at each other and Alison clasped Rosalia's hand.

They were dazed at the amount of personal space they had after the months onboard the ship. There was an even more dazzling display of living space right below them. Both could see that the infrastructure had progressed greatly since they had glimpsed it on the satellite photos.

The interior was now covered by plazcrete, except where the laser-packed earth made a ramp on the wall they were leaving behind. As they skimmed along the longer edge of the rectangular depression, the details of the conduits, ductwork and utility stairs that lined the walls of the excavation blurred into a uniform gray.

Brian was describing the transportation complex. "These five elevator towers will transport passengers from any of the six levels of the city," he said, using the sound amplifier to carry his words to everyone. "And there will be elevator-to-elevator transport on the third level, using the rail system. Right now, only one corner of the project has a functional elevator complex and it's being used for ferrying crews and supplies to and from the construction site."

"Is that part of the rail system?" asked Alison, pointing to two gaping openings that they could just now see, low in the shorter wall that was closest to Pronto Base.

"Yes, you're looking at the reinforced underground tunnels that have been constructed to link the base and the city. The city's two miles from Pronto Base, but they'll only be five minutes apart by tram. That'll make it easy live at one location and work at the other, regardless of the weather outside."

They zipped past the final wall of the complex, heading across open fields toward the base, which could be seen as a hazy outline directly in front of them. Brian continued his narration, describing what the surface would look like once the base was completed.

"The city will be covered by about twenty feet of topsoil when it's completed. This will allow the surface to be landscaped with both Theran and Earth plants. There will also be walking paths and a play area for young children.

"From the central elevator a path will extend toward the forest two miles away, linking the city with the Nature Park. Along the path will be sports fields, tennis courts and a skate park. We'll also have walking and biking paths around the perimeter of the city that extend all the way to the base."

Genevieve asked, "Will there be any ground vehicles for resident use?"

"For now, there are no plans for ground vehicles for use by citizens," he replied. That's partly to encourage health and exercise and also because we won't have the resources. At this point, it's all we can do to keep the vehicles operational that are necessary for maintenance, construction, and farming needs."

Alison hid a smile at the disappointed look on Genevieve's face. After she recuperated from her illness at the beginning of the voyage, she had tried to hold Genevieve to her promise to exercise each morning, but to no avail. Somehow her friend had skirted the shipboard exercise requirements. She gave it a lick and a promise occasionally, but never worked out consistently enough for it to have any real effect.

The airbus coasted back to its original departure point, discharging a tired but happy group of new settlers. Genevieve thanked Brian for giving them such an interesting guided tour and promised to get in touch with him soon about his assistance with the University program.

Alison and Rosalia strolled slowly back to their quarters, in sharp contrast to their mad dash that morning. Once there, they flung themselves down on the luxurious double bed to take a nap before heading to the dining hall for dinner.

"It's going to be a wonderful city," said Alison in a tired and sleepy voice. "It's almost like a dream." Soon both of them were lost in their own dreams.

42 embrace

Dewey walked through the connecting archway from the shuttle to the Galaxy expecting to find Melinda waiting. They had corresponded by vidmail since Dewey found out about his transfer to the ship.

At first he didn't see her in the crowd of passengers. After saying hello to a couple of people he knew, he worked his way to the back of the room to find her standing against the wall, waiting patiently. She was dressed casually, in jeans and a sweater, and he thought she looked prettier than ever, even before a smile lit up her features.

"I know what a crush it can be when passengers are trying to disembark into a room full of people," she said. "I hope you don't mind that I waited here."

"Not in the least. How have you been? It's only been a week but it seems like a lot longer," he said, drinking in the sight of her.

Melinda steeled herself not to make more of his comment than was warranted. Her mother had told her that Dewey didn't seem happy on base and might need a little more time to adapt to the change. She told herself that was why his brief stay had seemed so long to him, not because he was pining away for her.

Dewey had opted to stay in the quarters that she and Bonnie shared instead of his empty unit. His three roommates had all been in the first group of passengers to leave for the planet, and it made more sense to stay with the two teachers since he'd be working with them on a daily basis.

They made their way down the corridors to the module with a new silence between them. Melinda thought about how, just a week ago, they had never run out of things to say to each other.

"Tomorrow's a break day," she said, "but I told the kids we'd do a craft in the afternoon. Do you want to join us?"

"That sounds good." Dewey was still reminding himself to be cheerful but actually, since stepping over the threshold of the ship, he had begun to feel some of his old spirits returning. "What's the project going to be?"

Melinda began to chat animatedly about the arts & crafts project, and that led to her giving updates on their mutual students and sharing a funny story about an incident that had taken place during class.

By the time they reached the front door of the module, they were nearly back on their old footing. Dewey thumbed the door open to make sure that it had been programmed for him and carried his bag in. The boxes with his other belongings would be along soon. Melinda showed him to the sleeping cubicle he had been assigned and he dumped his bag on the bed.

"Let me guess," Melinda said with a smirk. "Time for a snack?"

"You know me so well! But it's really just an excuse to fatten you up," he said, grinning. "If I hadn't come back, you probably would have wasted away to nothing."

She gave him a light slap on the arm. "Same old Dewey! Alright, let's go get something to eat before you perish from hunger."

"Now you're being sensible."

They went to a family-friendly dining spot that was fairly empty at mid-morning but gearing up for lunch. Dewey got his usual healthy fare and a glass of water to drink. Melinda got a small salad and some iced tea. She had eaten breakfast that morning and wasn't really hungry at only 11:00 a.m. They found a table in the corner and Dewey dug in.

"Well, I've brought you up to speed on what happened here during the past week," she said. "Now it's your turn. I'll bet you have a lot more interesting things to tell me."

Dewey paused in his chewing to decide where to start. He had gotten the chance to take the same tour as the ladies a couple of days after theirs. His curiosity had been piqued because of the way they gushed about everything they had seen.

"I took a guided tour of Thera," he said.

"Ooh! What did you see?"

"Well, for one thing, the insects look a lot like the ones on Earth. And the site for the new city is huge..." He faltered when he realized that it was hard to convey the novelty and excitement with mere words.

"I guess you have to experience it for yourself to really get the flavor. You'll get to go on a tour when you rotate down and I don't want to spoil it for you."

"What's the base like?" Melinda asked.

"Big."

Dewey took a bit of his food and started chewing, leaving it at that. Then he flinched. "Ouch! If you don't stop slapping my arm like that, I'm going to get a complex." He grinned at Melinda, enjoying the sensation that he had never left the ship. This was just like old times.

When they returned to the module, Bonnie was back from running some morning errands. The three of them drew up an impromptu teaching schedule, with Dewey relieving each of them once a week. The rest of his time would be spent working on administration and planning for the education program, under Genevieve's planetside direction.

Bonnie went out again to meet a friend for lunch, leaving Melinda and Dewey alone in the shared living area of the module, sitting on the large sectional couch. Melinda's legs were comfortably drawn up beneath her, and she was half turned toward Dewey as they chatted. He put down the schedule they had been looking at and turned toward her.

"What's on your mind?" she asked, sensing that there was something he wanted to discuss.

"There's something going on with me that I wanted to talk about, if that's okay."

Dewey's discussion with Dorota had percolated in his mind for several days and he had come to the conclusion that she was right; he needed a friend to confide in. Having given up any hope that Melinda would consider him as a possible mate once he told her about his condition, he felt comfortable opening up to her as his closest friend.

Melinda gave him her full attention as he continued.

"When I applied to go on the voyage, WorldGov had some reservations about my application...medical reservations." He paused until Melinda laid a hand encouragingly on his arm and nodded to show that he should continue.

"I was born with a genetic disease that was thought to have been wiped out completely over a century ago. It was one of those that were impossible to correct through surgery or gene therapy. The only way to eliminate it from the population was through intensive genetic education and counseling."

Dewey shifted nervously. "A hundred years ago, it was finally declared eradicated."

"So how'd you end up with it?" Melinda asked, eyes wide.

"It's just one of those flukes that might happen once in million cases. My dad started to develop symptoms when he was in his late forties and soon after that, the doctors realized what had happened and tested me."

He looked down at his hands, which were nervously fidgeting with the pen he still held.

Melinda reached over and gently removed the pen, placing it on the table. Then she shifted closer to Dewey and took both of his hands in hers.

"Tell me more."

Dewey took a deep, shuddering breath and went on. "My father began to notice that his coordination and reflexes were off more than they should be for a man of his age. It bothered him but he didn't seek medical advice until he realized that he was forgetting simple things like directions to places he had already been and the names of people he knew."

Dewey paused, remembering the feelings of pain and bewilderment he and his parents had gone through during that time.

"It took weeks before the doctors realized that there was no record of genetic testing for my father anywhere in the WorldGov database. Either it hadn't been done or hadn't been logged in. That's why something like this was able to slip through the cracks. There was no flag in the database about his genetic abnormality, so he was never notified.

"By the time the slip-up was found, it was too late. He had already fathered a child and passed on the gene for the disease, which was called Huntington's, after the doctor who discovered it. My parents were just old enough to have conceived me before the laws about mandatory reproductive testing were passed, or that would have been another chance to catch it."

Dewey sighed deeply and leaned back against the cushions of the sofa. He thought that Melinda seemed to be taking the news stoically. She squeezed his hands softly and said, "Dewey, I'm so sorry for what you're going through."

"It helps to have a friend who cares." He slipped his right hand out of her grip and put his arm around her shoulders. She leaned comfortably into his chest.

Melinda looked thoughtful. "Is there anything that the doctors can do?"

"Yes, actually. Ever since my parents found out I had it too, I've been on a strict regimen of diet and exercise. I also take several drugs that slow down the process, but only minimally. The disease is the reason that I eat so often and so much but never put on too much weight.

"For some reason, they found that Huntington's patients always needed more calories than other people. In my case, I need about thirty percent more protein and calories than I normally would, and that's just to maintain the weight I'm at now."

"Why did you wait so long to tell me about this?"

Dewey didn't know how to answer. He turned so that the two of them were facing again. "Melinda, I..."

As she looked into his eyes, the expression in their depths hit Melinda like a lightning bolt. Suddenly she knew that Dewey felt the same way she did. Now she had an explanation for why he had given off unmistakable signals of love and desire, yet stayed so aloof.

In one swift, flowing movement she slid onto his lap facing him, knees locked around his hips, arms around his waist and head cradled in the crook of his neck. It wasn't a sexual overture, just a need to be as close as humanly possible to the man she loved.

She murmured his name over and over again, her face buried in his neck. Once he got over his shock, Dewey returned the full-body hug she was giving him with a sense of relief. He basked in the waves of unconditional love and acceptance flowing from Melinda like a palpable thing.

After a few minutes, Melinda rocked back on her knees and made a space between the two of them so that they could see each other clearly. There were tear tracks on her face and, shocked, Dewey said "Hey, I'll be okay. I have a couple of decades before I even have to worry." He squeezed her arms with concern.

"I'm not crying out of sadness, you silly man," she said. "It's just that now I realize what was holding you back." She looked at him with vulnerability written on her face. "You do...love me, don't you?"

Dewey was taken by surprise. He wanted to say the right thing and was afraid of messing up the most important relationship he had ever had in his life. He chose his words carefully, starting by stating the obvious.

"Melinda, I love you very much. Enough not to hold you back selfishly when you've got your entire life ahead of you. I treasure our relationship, but believe me – I don't expect you to give more than your friendship."

In reply, Melinda closed the gap between them again, this time kissing an unsuspecting Dewey passionately on the lips. Her hands moved to cup the back of his head and her platonic hug turned into a passionate embrace.

The heady intoxication of her intimate touch combined with his feelings toward her overcame Dewey's objections. He relaxed and abandoned himself to a love he had never believed would be his.

TWO YEARS

AFTER LANDFALL

43 the good life

The doorbell chirped just as Alison was putting the finishing touches on Rosalia's hairdo. Two years after landfall, her hair was back to the lavender color she had sported when they first met. Today it was arranged in a French braid with subtle strands of metallic violet woven throughout it, which Alison thought suited her nicely.

Alison's fleeting idea that the city had not looked to be one year away from occupation when the Galaxy arrived had been correct. A year later, it had been finished enough for some of the Theran residents to move in, although not all of those who wanted to.

The first floor basement had already been completed when they arrived, and in one year the Central Mall and the second and third floors that branched off of it had mostly been finished. Exercise and medical facilities, as well as most of the offices, restaurants and retail nooks of the Central Mall were available via the rail system that connected the city to the base.

Floors four and five above, however, which would eventually contain the educational facilities and more housing, were still in the process of being completed at the one year mark. The sixth floor, which would house offices for Pronto Base and be the Theran headquarters of WorldGov, had not even been started yet.

The Galaxy had departed on schedule after one year, with the opening of the second and third floors. Residents had been shifted from barracks to city and then from ship to barracks, making room for everyone.

By the time the Galaxy returned, the city would be complete and both barracks and city would be only partially full, leaving plenty of room for the next new arrivals.

It was anticipated that, similar to this influx of residents, some would choose the city and some would choose an above-ground dwelling on base.

Rosalia and Alison had been installed in the city a year ago, when it first opened for occupancy. They had an apartment in the middle of the second floor of the city, on the north side that was adjacent to the Nature Park.

This meant that, once all of the levels were completed, they would be able to stroll to the middle of the Mall, catch the central elevator to the surface, and then follow a path directly to the Nature Park. In time, this path would take them past recreational facilities such as tennis courts and ball fields.

Their office, as large as their quarters had been on base, was located off a wide corridor that branched from the center of the Mall, and their apartment was around the corner from it. The Communication Office had begun to play a vital role as soon as residents started moving to the city.

Today Alison and Rosalia would be attending the long-awaited opening of the fourth floor, which housed the educational facilities and a large indoor park. It would double the number of residences, allowing anyone who still wanted to move from the base to do so.

Alison opened the apartment door to find Genevieve and Jing waiting for them. Both of them had happy, anticipatory looks on their faces. Genevieve stepped forward to take Alison's hand. "I'm so excited that our school facilities are finally ready!" she said. "The whole floor is fabulous. Jing and I just came from the indoor park and it's absolutely wonderful."

Jing nodded her head, smiling. "Chi and Jun are beside themselves with joy. They were with us at the park and their father had to drag them away!"

All of their crowd seemed to be so happy these days, including Genevieve, who had shed at least two dress sizes and now looked trim and stylish. This was partly because she had started taking regular walks with Dmitri, the manager of the city's main dining facility, The Riviera.

Rosalia grabbed her waist purse and snapped it on. "Are we ready?" she asked.

The four of them made their way a short distance down the hall then turned left. Another left turn found them entering a broader corridor that contained several shops and offices, including theirs.

"How nice for you two that the Florist is directly across from the Communication Office," said Jing. With your glaz front walls facing each other, you can look at the flowers all day without even having to buy them!" she laughed.

"Not me," said Rosalia. "I'm stuck in the back working on display schematics half the time."

Alison mimed playing a violin and looked at Rosalia with a smile.

They passed a sewing and craft shop on one side and a repair shop for personal electronics on the other. The electronics shop was a real coup for Thera, as one of the techno whizzes on the Galaxy had decided to remain on the planet, with Admiral Gibson's blessing.

Eventually they reached the end of the corridor, which seamlessly became contiguous with the outer walls of two large establishments on either side before it opened out into the wide promenade of the Central Mall.

On their left, the smooth wall of the Riviera Restaurant changed to a three-foot railing that curved to form the front boundary of the large open restaurant. On their right, the stucco hallway became mostly glaz several feet from the Mall and they could see clothing and outerwear on display inside.

As they reached The Riviera, Dmitri came bustling out. He had a square jaw, craggy nose, olive skin and thick wavy hair that was graying at the temples and shot with silver. His height was average for a man, making him only slightly taller than Alison but a good head taller than Genevieve.

Dmitri's gaze fell on Genevieve and he placed a hand possessively on the small of her back.

"Come, let me show you the table I reserved for you." He led the way through the more casual counter service part of the dining establishment to a second area.

This part was separated from the rest by decorative palm trees in giant pots. Here, diners could order from menus at their tables and servo bots would bring the selections. As the host, Dmitri continually wove among the occupied tables during mealtimes to make sure that the diners were content.

"Dmitri dear, are you going to be able to eat with us?" asked Genevieve as they wound their way toward a large table at the back.

"Of course; I made arrangements as soon as you asked earlier this week. Just let me greet the rest of your friends and when everyone is here I'll join you. Michael will take my place this evening."

Michael was his oldest son and often filled in for his father at the restaurant. Their journey to Thera had been a family affair, with sons, daughters and even a cousin contracting with WorldGov to provide the major dining establishment for the new city.

Dmitri didn't miss his old restaurant at all. Earth held sad memories for him since that was where he had lost his wife to illness.

It had been an exciting challenge to start a new life and to begin again with a restaurant that he hoped would be popular among the residents and, at the same time, would be a way to fulfill his creative impulses.

He had fashioned the restaurant after the French Riviera, one of his favorite Earth vacation spots. Huge wall vids gave the impression that diners were looking out at white sand and turquoise water and skillfully created artificial foliage gave the impression of lush tropical surroundings.

The gentle lap of the surf was piped in as an undercurrent that could only be heard clearly when the restaurant was fairly empty. Therans had responded favorably to his creation, and it helped that he and his family were skilled and experienced restaurateurs.

Dmitri pointed to the end of a long table. "I left off a chair at that end as you asked," he said to Genevieve.

Just at that moment, the soft whisper of stroller wheels could be heard, followed by the sight of Melinda and Dewey with baby Dorota, or Dottie as she was called by everyone. A huge grin spread across Dmitri's face. "Give her to me, I'll hold her while you fix the stroller," he said.

Smiling, Melinda lifted Dottie from the stroller and handed her to her doting "uncle". Dewey made some adjustments to the stroller to convert it to a high chair and placed it at the end of the table.

Dewey and Melinda made a great team as parents. Melinda had taken off work for a year in order to get Dottie off to a good start. According to WorldGov guidelines either one of them could take a second year, but with the excellent childcare facilities that Genevieve supervised, they had both decided to bank the extra year for the future.

Naturally, the Galaxy had delivered plenty of human genetic samples along with the animal specimens it brought. The couple had been matched with sperm from a donor who had similar physical characteristics and the same blood type as Dewey. Already, at eight months old, Dottie resembled both of her parents.

"Dmitri, are you going to eat with us?" asked Dewey.

"Yes, of course, Dewey! Get settled in," he said jovially, handing Dottie off to her father. "Order your drinks and I'll be looking out for Mr. Fortner and Ms. Horner." He headed to the other side of the potted palms, toward the main entrance of the restaurant.

Dewey started to settle the baby into the high chair but found more hands reaching for her. "I know how to strap her in," said Genevieve, "just let me hold her for a few minutes first?" Dewey acquiesced with a grin and met Melinda's smiling gaze.

"Dottie has so many "aunts" and "uncles" she's going to be completely spoiled," Melinda said playfully to Genevieve as she sat down across from her.

"Not at all," said Genevieve. "There's no such thing as too much attention for a baby." She nestled Dottie in the crook of her arm and that settled that. Meanwhile, Dottie was staring at the colorful necklace around Genevieve's neck, her mouth making a perfect 'o' of wonder as she reached for it.

"Here Dottie," Melinda said, holding out a small colorful toy made of interlocking parts. She successfully transferred Dottie's attention to it, letting it go when the baby grasped it.

Rosalia was the first to notice Dmitri's return. In his wake were Doug and Janice, followed by Jing, Chi and Jun. The two children rushed over to Dottie, cooing and vying for her attention.

After everyone took their seats and programmed in their orders, the table erupted in a comfortable babble of conversation. Looking around the table, Alison thought of all the connections between the people sitting there.

Melinda was her friend, Dewey's wife, Jun and Chi's teacher, Genevieve's team member, etc. She and Rosalia worked together, loved together and shared a close friendship with all of their former suitemates from the Galaxy.

"If I ever questioned my decision to leave Earth before," thought Alison, "I have the answer right here."

FOUR YEARS

AFTER LANDFALL

44 REVELATION

An orderly group of eight small children, shepherded by two teachers, filed into one of the large 4th floor elevators. As soon as the doors to that elevator shut, another equally well-behaved group rounded the corner of the wide hallway to wait for the next one.

A few minutes later, both elevators disgorged their passengers onto the surface, roughly twenty feet above the completed city of Chifarra.

The children walked a half-mile down an orderly diagonal path that led directly to a large and varied play area, complete with wooden swings, platforms and slides. Their teachers wove through the group, making sure all was well, then settled on comfortable benches on either side of the park perimeter.

A few minutes later, an older group of jostling, chattering kids spilled off the elevators and headed toward an adjacent building. Stopping at an open kiosk window, they requisitioned balls, bats and gloves and headed toward the softball field with their teachers, including Dewey and Melinda.

Once the game was in play, Melinda strolled over to the park where the younger children played. She and Dewey took turns each day helping with the toddler crowd so that they could spend some time with Dottie. Melinda settled on one of the benches next to Bonnie, who was topside taking her lunch break.

"Hey, how's it going?" she asked.

"Hey there! It's going really well," Bonnie said. "Our newest student teacher Jon is over there by the kids on the swings. All of the teachers who graduated from Genevieve's program are working out great."

Melinda looked toward the area Bonnie had indicated and saw a young man pushing a couple of the children on swings and laughing with them. Her eyes continued to rove until she spotted Dottie playing placidly at the edge of a large sand box.

The chubby toddler was engaging in parallel play with another little girl about the same age. Although they had the same trucks and digging equipment, they pursued their own agenda without much contact, typical for their stage of development.

Bonnie noted where Melinda's eyes had rested. "She's such a sweetie. The older kids love to play with her when they help out."

"How's your program going?" Melinda asked, referring to the upper level elementary classes that Bonnie helped teach.

"Everything's right on track. We have close to two hundred kids aged twelve to eighteen and enough teachers and student teachers for a ten-to-one ratio of staff to student."

"How's the track team doing?"

"It's coming along. Right now it's really just a PE class. I don't want to get the students running until they're in really good shape. Khyati is focusing on weight training and calisthenics for now and anyone who wants to run track has to take her class first."

"Isn't that going to cause some of them to lose interest?"

"Probably a few, but most of them will hang in. We've started taking hikes through the nature preserve to build up toward the runs we'll be doing in a couple of months. That makes up for the less interesting weight training and nutrition classes."

At that moment Dottie noticed her mother sitting only a few yards away and gave a crow of delight. Digging tools were abandoned as the two-and-a-half year old sprinted for the bench where Melinda and Bonnie sat.

Melinda held her breath, hoping that Dottie wouldn't trip as she single-mindedly made a beeline for the bench with no thought as to whether anything might be in her way. She made it safely to her destination, to be scooped up in a bear hug by her laughing mother.

While Melinda and Bonnie chatted, a transmission that had the potential to change the lives of everyone on Thera was beaming its way into the main Pronto Base communication office.

45 PREPARATION

The high priority message signal chimed on Alison's vid screen and she eagerly touched the screen to receive the transmission. This was probably something new that Doug had cooked up for them, a project that would involve hard work, lack of sleep and the kind of welcome challenge that kept life interesting on Thera.

Rosalia had not even noticed the chime through the open double doors leading to her work area next to Alison's office. Sometimes the two of them chatted as they pursued their various duties, but Rosalia was intently focused on a program and Alison knew better than to interrupt her at times like this.

Nevertheless, as she read the communiqué, her sudden complete stillness and incredulity somehow conveyed itself to her partner and Rosalia looked up from her work. "What is it?"

"You're not going to believe this," Alison replied. "In less than a year, another ship will arrive from Earth!"

"You're kidding!" Rosalia sprinted through the connecting doorway and looked over Alison's shoulder at the words on the screen. Just at that moment an icon began to blink in the corner of the screen and Alison automatically tapped it with her forefinger, causing it to grow into the life-sized visage of Doug Fortner.

"Good, I'm glad you're both there," he said. We need to have a meeting right away."

Alison sputtered, "But how...when..."

"I'll explain it to you as soon as you can get over here. Meet me in the main conference room. I need to make a few more calls but I should be there by the time you arrive." The message ended abruptly, leaving both women staring at each other in astonishment.

They quickly wrapped up the work they had been doing, informed their three young assistants that they would most likely be out the rest of the day, and headed for the tram to Pronto Base.

When they arrived at the conference room, they found several other Communication Team members already assembled, as well as the heads of most Theran government departments, including Genevieve.

The conversation in the room hummed with excitement, though no one else knew anything beyond the fact that a ship was to arrive at Thera in about a year. The door to the conference room opened and Doug Fortner walked in, followed by Janice Horner.

The two of them pulled out adjacent chairs at the round conference table and sat down. Now the conversation stopped, replaced with a palpable sense of anticipation.

Fortner looked around the room and smiled. "This development is something we had hoped for but did not believe had a high probability of occurring," he said.

"When we left Earth, four-and-a-half years ago subjectively, propulsion scientists were on the cusp of new technologies for interstellar travel. We expected a next generation ship to be built within a few years of our departure on the Galaxy.

"With improved FTL speeds, such a ship would be able to get here sooner than the twelve years it would take for a Galaxy class ship to make the voyage." He paused and looked around the room.

"We now know that an entirely new ship was outfitted with cutting edge propulsion and life support systems and left Earth roughly five years and two months after the Galaxy's departure."

He waited for the sudden murmuring to die down and then continued.

"The transmissions we are receiving now are from the pre-launch stage and indicate that the project was a successful one. We expect to get confirmation of a successful launch within the next few months."

He paused again and looked at each person in turn. "This development will impact our society in many ways and I'm sure that you all have questions.

"Let's start with technical questions, if you don't mind. We can stay here as long as necessary to discuss the ramifications."

Immediately, a hand shot up on the other side of the table. The Chief Communication Officer for Pronto Base, Jake Fields, was a Caucasian man in his forties with a shaved head and sculpted physique that he honed regularly at the base exercise facility.

"Can you explain in layman's terms the technology behind the new ship – especially the fact that it sounds like it will get here faster than the Galaxy did?"

"Good question," Fortner replied. "The ship's speed has been slightly augmented by the newer propulsion systems, although not significantly. It took the Galaxy a full twelve years Earth time to reach Thera and it will take the Starfarer slightly less than that. That's why it left just over five years later than we did and will get here just under five years later."

He continued, "However, speed is not the primary objective of the craft. As a matter of fact, scientists postulate that we may have reached the limits of progress in that arena, held back by natural laws."

Fortner nodded at a couple of people around the table who looked perplexed. "Don't worry, I intend to explain what I mean by that," he said with a grin.

"Some of you may know that there is a strong consensus that it is impossible for physical matter to reach the speed of light. This seems to have been borne out by the attempts over the years to create faster star ships. As other technologies have grown by leaps and bounds, speed of travel made one huge jump and has more or less stagnated since then."

Fortner nodded at Janice's upraised hand. She looked around the table and said, "I'm probably not the only one wondering what other kinds of new technology have come up in the time since we left Earth."

"Thank you, Janice." Fortner continued, "The Starfarer class of star ship boasts improvements in just about every discipline, from force shields to propulsion, human environments to hydroponics, and so on. All of these details will soon be available to the public."

He looked at Alison and Rosalia.

"This is where you two will provide a valuable service to Thera – mainly by getting the facts out in a timely and engaging manner. We want to dispel any anxieties people may have and give them a sense of community with the new group of people that are on their way.

"Getting back to the Starfarer, there is one piece of advanced technology that was finally perfected on the voyage – the Matter Generator. When a star ship possessing one is under way, depending on the availability of elements in the space through which it travels, the Matter Generator can produce organic and inorganic materials.

"These are manufactured based on the schematics programmed into the MG, including some materials that fulfill the basic nutritional requirements for humans. This technology was in its infancy on the voyage that the Galaxy took but has since grown significantly, leading to the ability to travel with much less of the bulk taken up by previous necessities."

Fortner stopped to let that sink in. There was a short silence, followed by a babble of voices and several raised hands. He raised both of his hands in supplication.

"Let me fill in a bit more for you, and in the process I think some of your questions may be answered."

The crowd's buzz subsided and he continued. "The Matter Generator was one of the greatest breakthroughs in the history of space travel, right up there with achieving near-light speeds. During voyages, ship's parts can be manufactured, food stores replenished, some medicines fabricated, and so forth.

"Naturally, this greatly expands the areas of the universe that humankind can explore. When combined with more traditional technology such as onboard farming and recycling, the new, advanced Matter Generator makes a star ship into virtually a miniature self-sustaining world."

He paused and nodded toward Genevieve, who had her hand raised.

"Do you have a census for the ship yet?" she asked.

"Certainly, and that will be waiting for you in your vidmail along with everything that we know so far about the Starfarer. And that goes for everyone here", he added.

"As far as accommodations, we'll be completely ready for our five hundred new residents." He waited for the burst of comments to die down before continuing.

"The dwellings on base and in Chifarra will be in move-in condition by the time the ship gets here. Our task is to prepare the populace for the influx of new people. One factor in our favor is that the new ship was finished so quickly. There will only be a five-year cultural lag between the settlers from the Galaxy and those from the Starfarer.

"And actually, it's doubtful that native Therans will be able to tell much difference between the two groups. However, we'll all need to be prepared to help them negotiate the routines of the city and base and get acclimatized to their new lives."

A few more questions were asked and answered before Fortner dismissed everyone but Alison and Rosalia. They went over some ideas and strategies for disseminating information and, by the time they left, both women had their work cut out for them.

"I guess we're working late tonight," Rosalia said as they made their way back to the tram.

46 DECEPTION

"I still feel funny not telling her," said Janice.

As usual, she was elegantly attired, wearing a chic dress with perfect hair and flawless makeup. Doug thought she looked stunning, but he could not understand why Janice and a few other women he had observed favored the type of strappy high-heeled shoes she was wearing.

He reached over and poured more coffee into both of their cups as he answered.

"We've been over all of this, Janice. She's playing a crucial role in making sure this thing goes smoothly and I don't want her to have any distractions."

"I guess it's because I had to lie to her on the ship. You know that Alison is like a daughter to me. I hate deceiving her, even if it's for a good reason."

"Well, it won't be for too much longer because the Starfarer will arrive in less than six months." He spread out a paper between them on the table.

"Here are the physical areas that I think need improvement as far as security," he said. They studied the schematics of the city of Chifarra closely.

"Why are you so worried about security right now? When we arrived there were around eight hundred Therans and three hundred of us, and everything went smoothly."

"You have to look at it from a mathematical point of view..."

Janice's laughter brought him up short and he gave her a slightly wounded look. "What?"

"Oh Doug, I know you have a very literal mind, but how can you look at people mathematically?"

"If you will let me finish, I'll explain it in a way that you can understand," he said with a grin.

Janice could sense the undertone of seriousness in his manner and she settled into listening mode, with hands folded and an expectant look on her face.

Doug Fortner continued, "When we arrived there were approximately eight hundred Therans and we represented an influx of three hundred more residents. That was a 37% jump in population. This time around, the census shows twelve hundred residents, including children of course, and an influx of five hundred settlers. That will mean a 42% jump in population – and you'd be surprised how much more planning is needed for that extra 5%.

Janice lifted her hand to get his attention. "So how does that affect security?"

"It might not affect it at all. I know you probably think I'm overreacting because of the situation on the Galaxy on our way here. But I would rather be over-vigilant than let anything happen to derail all the hard work we've done over the past few years."

Janice patted his hand. "I don't think you're overreacting. Tell me what I can do to help."

47 DECISION

Alison walked down the Central Mall of Chifarra after completing her end-of-the-day errands. Carrying a few things in a knapsack slung over her shoulder, she took her time strolling along and looking at the scenery.

In the distance, across from the Riviera Restaurant and the turnoff to her apartment, the central elevators were a hub of activity at this time of day. The massive light array that ran down the center of the ceiling in the nearly two-mile-long, two-story mall was still tuned to the natural daylight spectrum.

Soon it would start to dim until the four-block-wide concourse was awash in deep twilight. Alison loved being out and about, watching the ground lights wink on as the "sky" dimmed, but today she would be home before it began.

She was just passing a pocket park in the middle of the concourse when she spotted Melinda and Dewey sitting on a park bench. They were keeping an eye on Dottie as she clambered over pretend toadstools and animals with toddler-sized seats. Something stirred within her at the sight of their happy family.

Lately, for some reason, she had been thinking more about her sister Margot. She found herself wishing she could talk things over with her sister and tell her about all the changes going on in her life. She waved at Melinda when she looked in her direction and then headed toward them.

Melinda got up and gave her a hug. "It seems like it's been a long time since I've seen you!" she said. "How are you doing, and how's Rosalia?"

Alison hugged her back and greeted them both. "We're not as busy now, but for the last few months it's been pretty hectic dealing with all the details of preparing for the next landing."

Dewey reached down as Dottie came running up and caught her as she jumped into his arms. Dottie smiled at Alison and called her by name, although she pronounced it "Alisum".

Dewey said, "I think you've done a great job of getting the word out. For a while it was all anybody talked about but it's old news now. Which is a good thing as far as you and Rosalia are concerned, right?"

Alison smiled. "Yes, I'm glad things aren't as crazy now but I have to admit I don't really have a lot to complain about. I like being busy and would probably go nuts if there wasn't an occasional crisis to worry about!"

"When are we all going to get together again?" asked Melinda. "Genevieve was just asking me about it today, as a matter of fact."

"Hmm...let me check with Rosalia and get back to you. We could use some down time, for sure." She gave Dottie a peck on the cheek and ruffled her hair. "I'll get in touch tonight or tomorrow, okay?"

As Alison continued toward home she realized that the conversation had delayed her just enough to enjoy the dimming light of "twilight." All the firefly lights sprang into existence one by one as the ambient luminosity began to fade.

She turned down the corridor and passed the Communication Office, which was closed up and empty, desolate except for a small light burning in the front office.

She strolled around the corner, took one more right turn to the apartment she and Rosalia shared, opened the door, and was pleasantly surprised at what she found waiting.

While Alison had run the errands, Rosalia had straightened up the apartment and made some kind of pink tropical drinks in the blender. The drinks were poured into fancy borrowed glasses and sat invitingly on the coffee table.

The huge living room holo vid screen showed blue-green, incredibly clear water lapping invitingly on a sandy tropical shore that seemed to extend into the living room. Looking more closely, Alison could see that Rosalia had draped a tan blanket over the bottom of the screen and all the way to the coffee table. She recognized the tropical palms and ferns flanking the vid screen as being borrowed from the Riviera.

"How long have you been planning this?" she asked her lover with a smile.

"It didn't take long to come up with the idea. The hard part was getting you out of the apartment long enough to get everything set up!"

Rosalia held out her arms and Alison, after divesting herself of the knapsack, fell into her embrace.

"This was a great idea", she said. And it's the perfect time – I needed a pick-me-up today!"

They put together some munchies to go with the drinks and settled comfortably on the large sofa in front of the vid. The sussurant sound of the waves washed over them and, together with the food and drink, it lulled them both into a peaceful and relaxed state of mind.

"So, what's been bothering you lately?" asked Rosalia, snuggling closer to Alison.

Alison leaned back expansively and looked Rosalia in the eyes. "You can always tell when there's something on my mind, can't you?"

"You can't keep anything secret from me," she said playfully.

Alison looked thoughtful. "I'm not sure, really. Everything is going so well in my life. You and I are getting along great, I love my work, and Chifarra is thriving. It's just..."

There was a long pause while she collected her thoughts. Rosalia waited patiently, not prompting her or showing any other signs of impatience.

Alison continued, "I've been thinking a lot about Margot lately for some reason. I thought I had gotten used to the fact that I'll never see her again. Sometimes I want to tell her about all the good things in my life...about you, for instance. Then I remember that by now she's about forty-two years old and has lived half her life. She probably doesn't even think about me anymore."

Rosalia gently took Alison's chin in her hand and turned her face around until they were eye-to-eye again.

"How could you believe that, Alison? No one who loved you could ever forget you." She looked thoughtful. "I think this might be a sign that you're ready for us to start our own family."

With a jolt, Alison realized that the feeling she had when she first looked at Melinda's happy family was just that – a longing for one of her own. She looked at her partner with amazement. "Since when do you know me better than I know my own self?" she asked with a laugh.

"You've just been too busy to stop and get in touch with your feelings," Rosalia replied. "At least I get some quiet stretches of programming time. You're the one who's always running around, making public appearances, smoothing over situations, and whatever else Doug decides to throw your way."

Alison nodded in agreement as Rosalia continued. "You're twenty-eight and I'm thirty-one so it's about time we started our own family, and I really can't think of any good reason to wait. Can you?"

"Oh sweetheart, I couldn't agree more."

The rest of the evening flew by as they talked about their plans and reveled in the excitement of the momentous decision they had made.

48 ASSIGNATION

Dorota reached up to the top shelf of the china cabinet to replace the fancy cocktail glasses Rosalia had borrowed a couple of months before. She was thrilled at her friends' decision to start a family. Rosalia had just told her that she had been implanted with Alison's fertilized egg so that they would each have a biological tie to their child.

Neither of them cared whether they had a boy or girl, as long as the baby had a strong genetic profile and hopefully, a phenotype similar to Rosalia's and not just Alison's. All parents want their children to look like them, Rosalia had said, and she was no exception. Their genetic counselor had assured them that the information on the genetic donor showed several phenotype markers that matched Rosalia's.

The door to the apartment opened and Lars walked in with a notebook under his arm.

"Working today?" Dorota asked. Despite the casual tone of her voice, he knew she would be disappointed that he was working another weekend.

"Not much, just tying up a few loose ends. I don't have to look at this until later. Why don't we go for a walk and have lunch at Dmitri's?"

She appreciated his willingness to juggle his schedule so that they could spend time together. Although Dorota was a plain woman who never wore a shred of makeup or paid much attention to clothing, in her husband's eyes she was lovely. Their relationship had remained strong throughout twenty-eight years of marriage.

The two of them set out from their apartment on the third floor and headed toward the tramway. Once there, they took the stairs under the rails to emerge on the outer side of the tracks. The inner ring pedestrian walkway had been designed to incorporate a walking path that looked through a clear glaz wall down into the Central Mall.

It was their favorite place to walk, in large measure because it was so readily accessible to their apartment. And part of the allure was because there was always something interesting to see going on one floor below them in the mall.

They had clocked their progress before and knew that if they followed the path from this point all the way around to the opposite side of the mall, after two-and-a-half miles of walking they would be directly above the Riviera and the main branching corridor that held the Communication Office.

From there, they would descend once more under the tramway, to a stairway that came out right next to the restaurant. If they felt like walking home after lunch they could, or else they could stroll to the central elevators and take a more direct route.

After they reached their destination and made their selections at the restaurant counter, they waded their way through the tables, looking for a place near the rail so that they could people watch.

Lars spotted Doug and Janice nearby and waved at them, continuing on so as not to interrupt their conversation. But Janice waved vigorously, indicating that they should come over and join them. He glanced at Dorota and she nodded her head in agreement.

"Dorota, it's good to see you," Doug said as he rose to pull out a chair for her. "I'm glad to see that I haven't been keeping Lars too busy to spend some time with you."

She turned toward him as he sat back down. "Why all the hustle and bustle right now? I thought it was still a few months until the Starfarer arrives."

"Well, that's true but..."

Janice interrupted the exchange. "Please tell me that you're not going to start talking about the mathematics of population management again," she said to Doug with a wry grin.

"Uh, no...of course not. It's just that we will be getting a large influx of new residents. Before, the existing adult population consisted entirely of Theran natives and now they'll only make up about two-thirds of the population. We can't count on people who are still getting acculturated themselves to do the job of helping others to get adjusted."

"So what are your main worries?" asked Lars.

"Well, you and I have discussed some of them, Lars. In a closed society such as Chifarra, it's imperative that everyone follow the basic precepts for making it work. We've been remarkably fortunate over the past four years that everything has gone so smoothly."

"What kind of basic precepts?" asked Dorota.

Janice interjected, "I think what Doug means are the kinds of things we all learned at Orientation, like not interfering with the native flora and fauna, conserving resources, contributing to the growth and maintenance of the city, and so forth." She looked at Doug for confirmation.

"Yes, Janice has it down pretty well. You also have to take into account that, although we certainly won't have any real crowding, we will begin to have a greater demand for services, recreational facilities and housing. It will be an adjustment for those of us already here to share 'our' city with the new influx of settlers."

"Speaking of socializing, are you two going to Alison and Rosalia's get-together next week?" asked Lars.

Janice answered, "I wouldn't miss it!" as Doug nodded affirmatively.

"The lounge they're holding it in is the one on the northwest corner of the third floor, the really spacious one," she said. Floors three and four each had lounges of varying sizes, some of which were used regularly by residents for communal dining.

Dorota asked, "Do you know what kind of food they're serving?"

"Apparently," Janice said, "Genevieve has arranged for a few students from the high school culinary program to take this on as a project for credit. So no one really knows what they'll be serving, but from my experience, it'll be good, whatever it is. They're even going to do the clean-up."

"What a great deal!" Lars grinned.

"The communication staff members on base have been invited and I expect that a few of them might show up," added Doug.

Janice took one of Dorota's hands and placed it between her own two elegantly manicured ones. "A little bird tells me that Alison and Rosalia have some good news to share with everyone," she said with a sparkle in her eye.

"It's common knowledge by now," Dorota replied. "I'm glad they decided to start a family. I can see them being great parents."

"Well, I guess we'll hear the details next week." Janice picked up her tray and gave Dorota an air kiss as she left to dispose of it. Doug followed suit and they said their goodbyes as they headed back to work.

Dorota observed them chatting and laughing as they headed toward the tram stairs. She looked at Lars and said, "I wonder..." His grin told her that she wasn't the only one wondering about the exact nature of their relationship.

49 INTERLUDE

Lars dropped heavily into the chair in front of the desk in Fortner's office on Pronto Base.

"What's up?" asked his boss.

"You made a good call having me check out all the limited access portals. It turns out we do have a problem.

Doug Fortner was instantly alert. "What kind of problem?"

"As you know, the fifth floor is finished, so there should be little or no traffic up there and whenever someone uses their ID to open a door it should register in the central databank."

"So someone's gaining access?"

"That's the frustrating part of it. Apparently, the doors were opened without even using an ID chit." He paused and then said, "They've even gained entry to the sixth floor through one of the fifth floor private access stairways."

This was serious. Besides the main stairways, there were four stairways leading directly between the fifth and sixth floors, in anticipation of some of the WorldGov staff living in close proximity to their offices.

Doug Fortner mulled it over. Opening the access doors from one of the many stairwells spaced around the perimeter of the city required an ID chit. The majority of them opened easily to the general public. However, the doors leading to the fifth and six floors were coded to accept only those contractors currently working on the facility and, eventually, the government administrators who would populate the offices.

Doug could think of a few ways to get around the system, but none of them were common knowledge and, in general, they required specialized tools. "Have we got surveillance set up in the stairwells?" he asked.

"We do now, but it wasn't a part of the original plan. Who knew we'd need it?"

Lars continued, "The unexplained entries have all taken place at odd hours such as late at night or just before dawn. We've got our people monitoring the stairwells remotely round the clock until we find something out."

"Anything else?"

"As far as I know, that's it. Nothing's been disturbed on either of the floors. What I can't figure out is what anyone would hope to gain by snooping around up there."

"Thanks for bringing it to my attention," Doug said. "There's probably some sort of reasonable explanation." He hoped he was right.

50 CELEBRATION

Several freshly scrubbed young people in chef's uniforms bustled around the lounge kitchen, making final preparations for the party that was about to take place. Chef Caines made the rounds of the various food preparation stations, observing but not interfering.

She was a plump woman in her thirties with coffee colored skin and hair that was neatly coiffed in a braided twist. It was covered by an almost invisible hair net like those worn by the rest of the kitchen crew. Occasionally she answered a question posed by one of her students as they worked efficiently on their own.

The front door to the lounge opened, admitting Rosalia and Alison to the large room. After they made the appropriate complimentary comments about the aroma and appearance of the food, they fixed themselves non-alcoholic drinks and settled down on one of the sofas.

Rosalia nestled in the crook of Alison's arm. "Thank you for swearing off alcohol for the duration of the pregnancy. It helps me a lot to have a 'non-drinking buddy'."

Alison, whose arm was draped around Rosalia's shoulders, smiled and gave her lover a squeeze. "Somehow I think you've taken on the more challenging part of this adventure. By the way, did I tell you how knock-out gorgeous you look tonight?"

"Maybe a couple of times," Rosalia simpered.

She was attired in a form-fitting sheath dress that almost, but not quite, made it difficult to sit down. The chiffon-like material was a changeable fabric that looked black or a deep iridescent blue, depending on the lighting. "I decided I better get some use out of this dress before I outgrow it", she said with a grin.

For the first time since Alison had known her, Rosalia's hair was a rich brown color, her natural shade. She had styled it in an arresting manner, worn up off her shoulders in curls anchored with crystalplaz combs except for a few tendrils that were strategically allowed to caress her neck.

At that moment the door opened and the first group of guests arrived. Chidi Okoye walked in, closely followed by her grandmother, Base Commander Obi. Rosalia realized that this was the first time she had ever seen General Obi in a dress.

They were closely followed by a good-looking young man who appeared to be in his thirties. He was obviously either Igbo like the Okoyes or of other African origin.

Doug and Janice brought up the rear. Doug was nattily attired in a tailored jacket and neatly pressed pants. His hunter green shirt was an exact match for the color of the short cocktail dress that Janice wore.

Alison and Rosalia turned to grin at each other, eyebrows raised. Rosalia winked at her partner and rose to greet the guests, managing to do it gracefully even in the tightly fitting dress.

She shook General Obi's hand. "It's so good of you to come, General. And Chidi, I haven't seen you in a while. I think we have some things to catch up on." She smiled demurely and batted her eyelashes at the young man standing next to Chidi. "I don't think we've met?"

Leonard Williams reached out and shook Rosalia's hand. By that time Alison had joined the crowd just inside the door and Chidi introduced them both. "Alison and Rosalia, this is my friend Len."

Alison reached out a hand. "Len, it's very nice to meet you. I'm glad you could make it."

The group dispersed to the drink table, except for the hosts, who returned to the comfortable sofa they had vacated to greet their guests.

Soon others arrived, including Jing and her husband Steven, Taryn Braden, Gannett and Alisha Godwin, and Jake Fields, the head of Base Communication. Genevieve and Bonnie showed up accompanied by Dorota and Lars as well as several of the education staff. The last to arrive were Bonnie and Dewey, closely followed by Dimitri, who had been delayed at the restaurant.

Conversation bubbled against a background of music as the guests enjoyed the party, which by any measure was shaping up to be a success.

About halfway through the evening, Alison used an age-old method of gaining everyone's attention, tapping on a glass with a spoon to create a clear, high tone. The conversation died down to a whisper. "As most of you already know," said Alison, "Rosalia is pregnant and we're expecting our baby in about seven months."

Murmurs of congratulation spread throughout the group of thirty or so people as she continued, "We have decided that this is a wonderful time for us to sign a Marital Commitment Agreement, before our child is born."

She paused and looked around the room with a smile. "Since we have all of our close friends around us tonight, Rosalia and I would like to have the ceremony right now, at the party!"

She paused for breath, her cheeks flushed. Rosalia stood beside her, tightly clutching a document written on heavy parchment.

Amid clapping, laughter and cheers from the crowd of friends around them, Alison and Rosalia stood at a clear section of the counter separating the kitchen from the sitting area of the lounge. General Obi approached, picked up the piece of parchment, and began to read from it.

"I hereby sign this Agreement of Marital Commitment in the presence of witnesses and with the blessing of WorldGov. My spouse and I promise to uphold the ideals and goals of our community and to continue to be responsible, productive citizens of Thera. The term of this agreement shall be for as long as we both shall live."

There was a collective gasp from several members of the crowd, followed by more clapping and cheering. It was rare for a couple as young as Alison and Rosalia to seek a lifetime contract, even if they were starting a family.

General Obi signed the document and handed the pen to Alison, who signed her name and then passed it to Rosalia, who did the same.

General Obi looked around the room and said, "In the presence of witnesses, I decree that Rosalia Czartoryska and Alison James are henceforth to be considered as partners in life."

The room erupted in ecstatic expressions of approval and the two women were surrounded on all sides by well-wishers. After many minutes of hugs and congratulations, they were finally able to disengage themselves from their friends and seek the sanctuary of the sofa.

They settled back to watch the others enjoy themselves as a few people began to dance on the edge of the crowd. Rosalia looked at Alison with glittering eyes. "This was a great idea."

Alison gently stroked her wife's neck and returned her gaze. "Why don't we sneak out of here?"

Rosalia smiled at her mischievously. "What kind of excuse could we use?"

"The party's going to be winding down soon anyway. Let's just sneak out the kitchen door one at a time and nobody will notice." And that's exactly what they did.

51 RESOLUTION

"Are we all set?" Doug asked Janice.

"Yes, dear. Everything is going smoothly, just as we planned it." She smiled at him tolerantly.

"Everything?"

"Everything." She reached across the desk and patted his hand with her beautifully manicured one. "Sometimes I think you worry just a bit too much."

"Someone has to, you know."

"You're still troubled by the break-in, aren't you?"

Doug rocked back in his desk chair and sighed. "It's the damnedest thing. We've had constant surveillance of entry points but the intruder hasn't returned in almost two months. Until I find out who's behind this, I'll continue to worry about the city's safety."

It was exceedingly rare for even minor infractions of the law to occur on Thera, the same as it had been on Earth. With resources managed expertly and technology having arguably reached the apex of humankind's creativity and skill, there just wasn't much need for taking anything or breaking anything or making a nuisance of oneself.

Those people who had psychological reasons to exhibit aberrant behavior were usually detected well before any problems could arise and given the appropriate treatments for their illnesses.

Doug felt an urgent need to get his own house in order, so to speak, before dealing with a challenging influx of new residents. It wasn't often that he couldn't get to the bottom of an issue right away and it nettled him that this one was still unsolved weeks after its discovery.

Janice looked down at the holoscreen in her lap. "We've received permission from the Starfarer to board as soon as they get here. Looks like the trip is going smoothly for them. There have been no major outbreaks of illness and no technical difficulties or citizen infractions.

"We haven't either, except for this latest snag," Doug said. He knocked on the wooden surface of his desk.

Janice looked at him strangely. "Just an old Earth superstition," he said with a laugh.

The message indicator chimed on Doug's holo screen. He tapped it and it expanded to reveal the countenance of Lars, sitting in the surveillance room surrounded by equipment. "You're not going to believe what we just recorded."

Doug and Janice looked at each other and immediately got up and headed for the control room. They stood behind Lars' chair as he ran the video for them. "I guess we know who to talk to now," Doug said.

Janice stared at the screen "You've got to be kidding me."

"I'll take it from here." Doug turned on his heel and headed back to the office to place a call to Genevieve. Thirty minutes later he opened the door to a small conference room on the fourth floor of Chifarra, where the culprit sat waiting for him.

"Good morning Chi."

"Good morning."

The twelve year old son of Jing Yin and Steven Richey looked at Doug apprehensively as he took a seat next to him at the table. There was a silence that stretched to awkwardness until Doug broke it.

"Want to start at the beginning?"

"Um...okay." Chi sat looking down at the hands in his lap. "I guess I was just was curious."

Doug looked at him intently. "How did you manage to get the doors open without using an ID chit?"

Chi scuffed his shoes together, sat up in his chair, and then proceeded to explain to Doug a procedure that he was already familiar with but that he would never have imagined a twelve year old being able to implement.

"Can you tell me why it wasn't a very good idea to try out your theory?" he asked in a neutral tone.

"I guess...maybe someone else might find out about it."

"And then what?"

"Then the ID chits wouldn't be any use anymore."

"That's right, but there's more to it", Doug replied.

He waited until Chi met his gaze to continue.

"Eventually, anyone will be able to access the fifth floor because we're going to open it up for occupancy. But the sixth floor is going to be the headquarters for Theran WorldGov. Do you realize the seriousness of breaking into a government installation?"

He hoped he wasn't applying too much pressure on the kid. If Chi started crying, Doug wasn't sure how he'd handle it.

Chi sat looking down at his lap, where his hands twisted against each other nervously. "Are you going to tell my parents?"

Doug sat back in his chair.

"Well, here's the thing, Chi. One of the most important aspects of security is secrecy. So even though you figured out the locks, we wouldn't want other people to know that it could be done – not even your parents."

He saw the first glimmer of hope surface in the boy's dark eyes. "Wouldn't you think it's in the best interests of WorldGov to keep this incident as quiet as possible?" Doug asked. Chi nodded his head vigorously, his relief now obvious.

"How many others know about your visits to the fifth and six floors?" Doug asked quickly, hoping to startle the boy into telling the truth.

The surprise on Chi's face was genuine. "No one! I had to sneak out to do it and I didn't want to get caught. There's no way I would have let anybody else in on it."

Doug was satisfied with his answer. "Well Chi, I'm sure you know that there are consequences for every action."

"Yes, sir."

Now that he knew his parents weren't going to be told, a weight seemed to have lifted from Chi's shoulders and he sat up straighter, resigned to accepting whatever punishment was meted out.

Doug continued, "It took a great deal of skill to override those locks. It's true that you broke the law. But thanks to you we have better safeguards in place now that will prevent anyone with the wrong motives from getting into the WorldGov facilities. Because of that, we've decided to be a bit more lenient with the consequences for your actions."

"Thank you, sir." Chi looked at him expectantly and somewhat anxiously.

"Chi, I would like you to spend two hours, two afternoons a week, at Base Security Headquarters. Since you seem to have an aptitude for intelligence matters, it will do you good to get some formal training."

The boy's eyes widened. "Really? You mean, like being an apprentice or something?"

"If that would suit you. Otherwise we can come up with another plan."

"No, sir! I mean, yes sir! That's fine with me. But I'll have to ask my parents if it's okay."

"Don't worry about that part of it. Just give me a few days and I'll talk to them myself. And don't worry, I won't mention the break-in. Ms. Trotter has shown me your educational profile and it's perfectly plausible for you to be asked to do some extra-curricular work."

"Thank you, Mr. Fortner. I'm sorry for what I did and I promise I'll make it up to you by showing up on time and doing a good job."

Doug allowed himself to drop his authoritative pose and ruffle Chi's hair. "I'm sure you will, kid."

52 CHANGES

Sheila Morton stopped on her way to work to look at one of the large vid displays by the central elevators. As an intern for the Communication Office at Chifarra, one of her duties had been to check it daily. Now that she'd been promoted to the position of Alison's assistant, she was still in the habit of stopping to make sure that it looked appealing and professional.

She sat down on one of the benches strategically placed in front of the public information board and waited as it scrolled through all of the daily reports – weather topside, public announcements, movie times and other useful and entertaining information. She knew that the other side of the board was an interactive touch screen that allowed residents and visitors to access details about the recreation center, hospital, theater and all of the businesses in Chifarra.

Of course, this information was available on everyone's vid screen at home. But it was helpful to have it also accessible in the Central Mall and at strategic locations on the other floors.

Sheila got up and brushed at a wayward strand of the blond hair that she had laboriously coaxed into an elegant French twist that morning. Then she smoothed her blouse over her trim skirt. Having just graduated from University, she was thrilled to have been hired on as a permanent Communication staff member.

Now that the new settlers were due to arrive on Thera, the Communication Office in the city was being expanded and would work even more closely with the Base Communication Office. She picked up her pace as she headed past the Riviera and down the hall toward work. It never hurt to be a few minutes early.

The newest comm intern, Felipe, looked up as she entered the office. "Hi Sheila, Alison just called and said she's on her way to pick you up for the meeting."

"Thanks Felipe." Sheila walked over to a desk that had been wedged into the remaining available space of Alison's semi-open office in the rear. She pulled up a file on the vid screen and printed it while organizing her slim notebook. Once she was all set for the meeting, she looked in on the larger office next door, which was just as long and almost as wide as both offices on her side of the archway.

"Hey, the board looks good today", she said to Rita and Sepp, the two interns who worked with Rosalia. Between the three of them, they managed to keep information flowing to all the electronic media in Chifarra.

"And it's all due to my mad programming skills," said Sepp, while Rita rolled her eyes at Sheila and smiled.

The two young women had been friends since they were children, with Rita one year behind in school and then at University. Sheila hoped, expected actually, that her friend would become a permanent staff member as well when she graduated at the end of the year.

"They're here!" called Felipe from the front office.

"Gotta run! If I don't make it back by the end of the day I'll call you," Sheila said to Rita. She glanced in Sepp's direction.

"Hey, you keep her in line, Sepp!"

"Don't I always?" he asked, cracking an imaginary whip and making the appropriate noises.

Sheila nearly bumped into Rosalia as she turned and rushed through the archway to the other half of the Communication Office. The mother-to-be was wearing a tastefully tailored outfit that managed to make her look pregnant and sexy at the same time. Sheila reflected that Rosalia was the only person she knew who could pull off that trick.

"Hey girl! Watch where you're going!" Rosalia smiled to indicate that she was just teasing.

Alison was arranging her own notebook and looked up as Sheila appeared. "Hey, are you ready?"

"Yep, whenever you are."

"Okay, let's go then. We've got plenty of time, so let's take the walkway to base and we can talk on the way." They often did that as a way of fitting some daily exercise into their busy schedules.

"Yea, I need my workout so I can have ice cream later," added Rosalia.

Sheila smiled tentatively. Sometimes she didn't know whether Rosalia was kidding or not. She admired both women but felt most comfortable around Alison. If truth be told, she had a bit of a hero worship complex when it came to her immediate supervisor.

Sheila thought that she must be the luckiest graduate on Thera to have landed Alison as a mentor. It would have surprised her to know that once Alison had felt the same way about another accomplished, talented communication specialist named Janice Horner.

The three women made their way upstairs to the transportation level and took the tram as far as the perimeter of the city. Then they stepped off and continued along the tracks until they reached the wide, well-lit opening to the pedestrian walkway. The two-mile walk to Pronto Base passed pleasantly as they discussed their latest work.

Every few minutes, a rushing sound and faint vibration advertised the presence of a tram passing nearby. Eventually they arrived at the conference room on Base that Doug had designated as their meeting place.

Alison looked around at the familiar faces in the room. Jake Fields was there of course, and several of his staff from the Base Communication Center. Janice pulled up a chair next to Alison; Doug entered shortly afterward, taking a seat at the head of the table. Once everyone had finished getting a cup of coffee or other refreshment from the sideboard, he brought the meeting to order.

"I want to start by thanking all of you for your hard work. This is the best Communication Team I've ever had the opportunity to work with. You are all excellent at what you do, and this has been brought home to me especially in the last few weeks, as we've done our best to get ready for a smooth transition." He paused to take a sip of his coffee and then continued.

"Both here on base and in Chifarra, we've been working on expanding our communication capability to the level we'll need once our population increases."

He turned to Alison and Rosalia. "Your department is well set as far as staff but you need more space. We plan to expand your offices and we'll discuss the specifics of it after the regular meeting."

Alison hoped that the expansion wouldn't include a move. It had been extremely convenient for the two of them the past few years, having home and work in such close proximity.

She listened with half an ear to the rest of Doug's prepared remarks, tuning back in fully when he opened the table to questions.

Jake asked, "Are any settlers trained in the communication field?"

"Good question Jake," Doug replied. "There are quite a few. We're building up our staff but definitely not to the point that we won't have room for talented newcomers from the Starfarer.

"Of course, we will probably not be able to immediately put everyone from the ship to work in the field in which they are trained.

"That goes for other occupations besides communication. The settlers from Starfarer are well aware that they'll be assigned to contribute wherever they're needed most."

Rosalia weighed in next. "As I've mentioned before, although I'll technically be off for a year once the baby is born, I'm still interested in supervising the technical department on a part-time basis until my leave is over."

"We're counting on that," Doug replied. "You have some good people helping you now. I have confidence that they'll be able to keep the systems you designed functioning smoothly, as long as you keep your hands on the reins."

After a few more questions and comments, the meeting was wrapped up. Doug asked Alison and her two co-workers to stay for a follow-up meeting to discuss the expansion of the city communication facilities.

"First of all," he began, "we're going to enlarge the office rather than move it." He could see that Alison and Rosalia were relieved. "There's an apartment directly behind the offices, just a few doors down from yours" he said.

"Isn't that Tony and Jeff's apartment?" asked Rosalia.

"Yes, for now. They've agreed to voluntarily resettle in a new fifth floor apartment located directly above the recreational facilities.

"Once they're out, we're going to connect the existing office and the apartment with two adjoining doors. I need your input on how you would like to have the office and work spaces laid out."

He turned toward Sheila and said, "You'll need your own office space as Deputy Information Officer, of course."

Sheila began to nod automatically until his words sank in. This was a promotion!

"Thank you, I really appreciate it," she said with as much aplomb as she could muster. She was embarrassed that she couldn't seem to stop smiling.

"You deserve it," Alison said as Rosalia nodded in agreement. "We both appreciate all the hard work you and the others have put in for the past few months. We're also planning to offer Rita, Felipe and Sepp permanent positions after graduation if they want them."

For the next half hour they discussed the details of the new office layout. One of the two former bedrooms of the apartment would be Rosalia's office. The other would be Alison's and she would give up her former work space to Sheila, while Felipe or another staff member would still be stationed at the front desk. The electronics and data room would be home base for two permanent staff as well as two interns.

Finally, the living and kitchen area of the former apartment would be the combination work room/break area for all of them. The arrangement suited Alison and Rosalia perfectly, making them that much closer to work and freeing up their home office to become a nursery for their expected baby.

Alison found herself starting to look forward with anticipation to the new phase their lives were about to enter.

53 adventure

Alison rolled over in bed sleepily and stretched, then looked at the clock. She had an uncanny knack for waking up one minute before the vid screen was set to turn on. She mused that maybe the device emitted some sort of electrical signal that she was able to detect unconsciously.

Reaching over, she reset it before the music could start. Rosalia lay sprawled on her back, hogging the covers as usual. Alison felt a surge of love and protectiveness as she ran her hand lovingly over her partner's swelling abdomen.

The gentle touch was just enough to lift Rosalia up from the depths of sleep and she opened her eyes groggily. "Is it time to get up?" she asked.

Alison leaned over and kissed her, smoothing the hair out of her eyes. "Yes my love, it is. This is going to be an exciting day!"

Rosalia showered while Alison put on the coffee and made them some breakfast. As they sipped hot mugs of brew and ate their oatmeal, they talked about the day ahead. It was touchdown day for the first shuttle of new residents from the Starfarer.

Theran WorldGov representatives and the captain of the ship had been communicating regularly for a few days now and it was agreed that the first group of new residents would consist largely of medical personnel and those slated to work on Pronto Base.

The exciting part for Alison and Rosalia was the fact that they had been invited, along with several others, to tour the Starfarer and even stay overnight to experience the facilities. It would be interesting to compare the onboard amenities to the ones that the two of them had experienced on their own trip to Thera.

Alison took her turn in the shower while Rosalia cleaned up after their breakfast and rinsed out the coffee pot. Afterward, Rosalia stood in the open doorway of the nursery while she waited for her spouse to finish getting ready.

So far it contained just a couple of items of furniture, a crib and changing table. Rosalia wasn't much of a shopper and she had no idea what to get for a new baby. She was glad that Melinda had offered to help her choose a layette and other necessities before the baby arrived.

Alison emerged from the bedroom with an overnight bag slung over her shoulder containing both of their gear for one night's stay. She was eager to get started. "Let's stop by the office and brief Sheila one last time before we head out", she suggested.

The two of them walked a few doors down, to the rear entrance of their offices. As she pressed her thumb to the proper part of the door frame to gain entry, Rosalia said, "I like this new arrangement. It's going to be very convenient for me when I'm working from home. I wasn't looking forward to schlepping over to the main hallway in sweat pants."

"I haven't seen you "schlepping" anywhere in the five-and-a-half years I've known you," Alison replied, laughing.

"Oh, just you wait!" said Rosalia as they stepped into the break room of the Communication Department. I'm going to turn into a regular hausfrau right before your eyes!"

Alison chuckled and headed toward Sheila's office at the front while Rosalia took care of some things in her own office. Sheila looked up from Alison's old desk and smiled when she saw her supervisor.

"You two are so lucky! I'm jealous!" Her expression belied the sentiment however, and Alison knew that she was happy that the two of them had this opportunity.

"Well, get ready for some good news then," Alison said. "You're going to see the ship too, just not this time."

Sheila was ecstatic. "Oh Alison, thank you so much!"

"Hold on, I didn't have anything to do with it! Doug said that as Deputy Information Officer you'll need to know as much as you can about the new residents. He thinks it will be helpful if you take the time to get to know some of them and experience the living conditions they've had for the past six months."

As on the first landing, the passengers of the Starfarer would not come down in one mass exodus. Although the assimilation would be faster this time, it would still be a controlled influx taking about a month to complete, especially since there were more immigrants to get settled this time.

"That sounds fantastic!" Sheila bubbled. "When do I get to go?"

"As soon as we get back tomorrow we'll bring you up to date on everything we've learned and get you ready to go up the next day. Do you mind staying in orbit a few days?"

"Are you kidding? Thanks for the heads up; I'll start packing my bag."

Rosalia emerged from the break room at just that moment. "Hey, you rate a whole week on the Starfarer– Doug must think you're doing something right." She winked and headed over to the technical office to check in.

After saying goodbye to the staff they took the tram as far as the walking tube to the base. Rosalia was doing her best to stay in shape during the pregnancy so she would have the energy and stamina to continue keeping tabs on her side of the Communication Office.

For her part, Alison was glad to have a chance to get some exercise as well. She had gained a little bit of weight and, although everyone said it looked good on her, she was also determined to stay in shape.

They arrived at the shuttle reception area in plenty of time. Doug and Janice were already there and General Obi was expected at any moment.

Once the first landing party arrived, the new arrivals would be greeted and welcomed, then shown to quarters on the base to freshen up before orientation. Doug, Janice, Alison, Rosalia and a few others would be transferred to the orbiting Starfarer on the shuttle's return to the ship.

One more load of forty settlers would be ferried down today and the Communication group would return on the next morning's first shuttle. Alison experienced mounting excitement as the module docked outside and linked to the waiting room access doors.

Once they opened, an eager group of ship dwellers poured through them. After introductions were complete, the new arrivals were shepherded to their quarters to get settled in. Before they knew it, Alison's group was headed toward Theran orbit.

54 STARFARER

The night before, Janice had expressed to Doug her concerns that Alison might not understand the necessary deception that the two of them had perpetrated. He tried to calm her jitters.

"Janice, you underestimate her resilience. You've known her longer than I have – do you really think that she won't be able to cope with it?"

"I'm sure you're right. I guess someone who can adjust to leaving an entire life behind and starting fresh on a frontier planet can deal with anything that gets thrown their way."

There had been a few who could not adapt to their new lives on Thera and had chosen to return with the Starfarer. Luckily for Thera, Alison had risen to every challenge and done a wonderful job of helping to knit their community into a cohesive society.

"Not only that, I keep forgetting how well she dealt with the incident on board when we were on our way here."

"Tomorrow's going to be a great success," Doug had promised.

The inner and outer doors opened and the communication party walked into the shuttle reception area of the Starfarer with the others. The Captain of the ship and a handful of staff and crew were waiting to receive them.

Captain Singh was a statuesque woman of middle age with Asian features and coal black hair. Alison noticed her firm grip when they shook hands in greeting.

"Welcome to the Starfarer!" the Captain said in a rich, musical voice. "It will be a pleasure having you all on board as guests."

Doug stepped forward and shook her hand as well. "It's nice to meet you in person, Captain." They had already gotten acquainted by comm link as the arrangements for offloading settlers had evolved. "We appreciate the opportunity to see your latest technological breakthroughs."

"They may not be as impressive as you expect", replied the Captain with a chuckle. "For example, you'll find that your quarters are not that much different from those on the Galaxy. The difference is that we have room for a lot more of them now that the propulsion system doesn't take up as much room."

"I appreciate your modesty, Captain, but somehow I think we'll be suitably impressed," Janice said warmly.

A staff member stepped up to take their bags. The captain indicated that the guests should remain. "Your rooms are not quite ready. We want to put you in the best quarters available so we're doing a little bit of shuffling around now that some of our people have left."

She smiled at the group. "By the time we take a little tour and then have some lunch, your belongings will be in your quarters and your accommodations will be ready for you."

The tour of the ship was fascinating to everyone. The dining and recreational facilities were the equivalent of any on Chifarra, only smaller. The hydroponics farms were impressive too, as was the Command Module that they were allowed to visit.

"Of all the Starfarer's capabilities, this is probably my favorite", said Captain Singh as they all settled into comfortable padded chairs on the Bridge. She indicated to one of the crew members that they were ready to begin.

As the officer touched the appropriate controls, the lights dimmed and the silvery panels that surrounded the area seemed to gradually disappear. Once they became completely transparent, it was as if the top of the Command Module had evaporated.

The view of the surrounding space, unimpeded by planetary atmosphere, was awe-inspiring. Alison thought that the stars looked like strings of glowing jewels.

"The next part is even better, and you'll see why I showed you this before lunch," said Captain Singh. "Please be assured that we are not really moving. The cameras are doing all the work to create the illusion."

Rosalia gasped, as the entire Bridge seemed to rotate slowly toward the planet. Soon, Thera "rose" in the dark sky until it was positioned directly above them. Although she knew it was irrational, Rosalia had somehow expected to see evidence of civilization on the cloud-streaked globe.

It was humbling to realize that, despite the enormous size of the combined base, farming facilities, agricultural stations and landscaped "roof" of Chifarra, she couldn't make out any signs of humanity until the Captain pointed them out with a laser pointer. "At night it's a bit easier to see", she said, "because of all the lights on the base and surrounding areas."

Lunch was enjoyable, with a broad selection of foods to choose from and delicious fruits for dessert from the hydroponic gardens. "I regret that I will not be able to join you for dinner," Captain Singh said as they were finishing their coffee and tea. "However the ship is at your disposal, including all of the recreation and dining facilities. Feel free to have your dinner anywhere you choose."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Captain," said Doug.

He and the rest of his group rose and followed the staff member who was designated to show them to their accommodations, which turned out to be a suite with a living area quite similar to the one Alison and Rosalia had shared with their roommates on the Galaxy.

But instead of an attached dorm, it had four small bedrooms with full-sized beds, as well as two bath facilities. "This must be the officer's quarters," whispered Rosalia under her breath to Alison as they toured the lodging.

Doug and Janice each found their belongings neatly hung or folded in the rooms the steward indicated. Likewise, Alison and Rosalia found their things neatly put away in the room they would share.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm ready for my nap now," said Rosalia. Alison seconded the idea and Janice agreed.

"That's not a bad idea at all. This has been a long day for all of us. Why don't we rest a bit?"

"Janice and I will probably be gone by the time you two get up," Doug added. "We have a meeting with the Captain in a half hour and after that we'll check back and see if you're interested in some sight-seeing."

Alison noted that Janice seemed preoccupied. Her face had tightened almost imperceptibly when Doug mentioned seeing them later. After she and Rosalia got settled in the bed, she could hear their low voices murmuring in animated conversation.

What was going between those two? Before her mind could grasp at any likely possibilities, she drifted into a light slumber.

55 déjà vu

Alison crept silently along the passage underneath the main deck of the Galaxy. She couldn't see the person she was following at a distance, but she could feel them. As soon as she was sure her object of pursuit was a compartment away she glided silently across the room.

It seemed odd that all of the air lock doors were standing open. The person was on the move again and, as is prone to happen in dreams, she somehow knew without being present exactly where her quarry was at all times. It was vital that she not lose track of them but she couldn't remember why.

Something was familiar about the compartment she had just entered...suddenly she realized why. This was the same compartment where Corporal Wilson had discovered the sabotage. Alison swiveled around to look at the suspect wall panels, only to find them replaced with a huge picture window that looked out on the planet Thera.

The window was surrounded by a pressure seal and an icon in the corner of the glass indicated that hard vacuum was on the other side. She was confused, since there should be a lot more of the ship behind that wall.

Before she could ponder it further, she sensed that the person she sought was on the move again, but this time they were moving faster.

She wheeled around and sprinted silently for the door to the next compartment, only to have her progress checked by a swift impact to her shin. Looking down, she saw that a stanchion had appeared just in front of the door. She was almost certain she hadn't seen it when she first entered the room.

She jumped when a hand touched her shoulder and Rosalia said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to kick you. Are you okay?"

Alison swam back toward consciousness, surprised to find herself in an unfamiliar bed with Rosalia up on one elbow looking down at her with concern.

She had accidentally kicked her trying to find a comfortable position in the bed, waking them both. She kissed Rosalia softly and said, "I had the strangest dream."

"Tell me about it after I wash my face, okay? I need to wake up."

While Rosalia freshened up, Alison smoothed the bedcovers and then went across to the other bathroom to splash water on her own face.

Rosalia emerged into the common room, where Alison was rummaging about in the cupboards of the small kitchen area.

"Do you want some tea?"

"That's a great idea, thanks." Rosalia sat down at the table next to the kitchen counter and listened while Alison described the dream she had experienced. As she was finishing, the front door to the suite opened and Janice stepped in, followed by Doug.

Alison turned from the counter where she stood. "Hey, you're just in time for some tea."

Janice nodded. "That would be lovely."

"I'll pass, thank you," said Doug as he and Janice settled themselves at the table next to Rosalia.

Alison served the tea and then sat down with her own cup. "How did your meeting with Captain Singh go?" she asked them."It was very productive" Janice said. "I think we're going to have a pain-free transition on both sides."

"And that's in large part due to the job you two have been doing," Doug said, indicating Alison and Rosalia.

"The key to people being happy with their situation is for them to feel that they have some control over it. And they can't feel that way unless they have access to relevant and up-to-date information."

The four of them sat in silence for a couple of minutes while the women sipped their tea.

Janice took a deep breath and then looked at Alison. "There's someone on the ship we'd like you to meet," she said.

Alison, alert to every nuance of her old friend's behavior, could tell that there was something else below the surface of the simple request. She looked at Janice and Doug. "What's going on?"

Doug rose from the table. "The best way to answer that is for the two of you to come with us."

Alison looked at Rosalia, who shrugged. "Let's go see what the mystery is," she said.

The four of them left the suite and, after a short walk through a residential area, they ended up at the front door of another dwelling.

Alison thought it odd that, after a brief knock, the door slid open to the touch of Janice's thumb on the doorframe. Janice and Doug had stepped aside to let her through and in her peripheral vision she saw Doug place a gentle restraining hand on Rosalia's arm, indicating that she should hang back with them.

Alison entered a common area similar to the one they were staying in. At first she thought it was empty; then she noticed someone sitting on the sofa adjacent to the door. Someone with blond hair, cut short now and accentuating her classic good looks. Someone who looked a lot like Alison.

Margot rose from the sofa and held out her arms as her sister threw herself into them with a cry of happiness. "I can't believe it's you! Margot, when did you decide to leave Earth?"

"Not too long after you did! You've always been the more adventurous one and it took me a little longer to work up the courage to leave."

She paused and a slow smile spread over her features, reaching to the blue eyes that sparkled with anticipation. "There are actually a couple of other people that I would like you to meet."

As if on cue, the door to the attached bedroom opened and a young man that Alison recognized stepped into the living area holding an infant in his arms. About the same height as Margot, with sandy brown hair and regular features, he smiled as he held out the baby toward Alison.

"This is our baby, Ali. She's nine months old." Alison accepted the warm bundle and looked down at her niece in wonder.

As they had been speaking, Rosalia had come to stand next to Alison. Margot favored her with a warm smile. "You must be Rosalia. It's so wonderful to finally meet you."

Hearing her sister's words, Alison suddenly realized the reason for Doug and Janice's strange behavior. They had known! Certainly long enough to acquaint Margot with her circumstances while Alison had known nothing of the existence of her only blood relative, coming ever closer to Thera. She whirled to confront them.

Janice raised her hands as if to ward off the accusation.

"Please, hear us out. Do you think you could have done the kind of job you've done for the past several months if you had known? It was vital to Chifarra that you continue to guide the city's communications with the same level of skill and professionalism as always. We just couldn't risk having you distracted right when you were needed the most."

She wisely stopped talking and allowed Alison to collect her thoughts.

Incredible! Alison couldn't believe that she had lost the opportunity to speak to Margot during the ship's final approach. Then she remembered the trip she had taken on the Galaxy and realized that meaningful communication only took place during the last couple of weeks of travel. And what would it have gained her to have known that Margot was on the ship but unable to communicate with her?

Alison was enough of a professional to realize the good judgment that Janice and Doug had shown. She dropped her defenses and favored Janice with an ironic smile. "Okay, I'll admit that you might be right."

The rest of the day flew by as Alison and her sister began to catch up on the events of the past five years. Doug and Janice begged off dinner, saying they were tired and wanted to eat in the suite. Alison suspected that they were kindly giving the two families an opportunity to bond.

She found that Jerry and Margot had married right after she left Earth and when she discovered that Ali was short for Alison she had to brush away a tear.

Rosalia was in fine form throughout dinner, making the others laugh at the droll accounts she gave of some of their adventures. When dinner was over Margot and Jerry said that they were ready to head to their quarters and settle baby Ali down for the night.

Margot and Alison embraced for a long moment. "I'll see you in the morning," Margot said as she squeezed both of her sister's hands in hers. Then she turned and hugged Rosalia. "I'm so happy for you and Alison," she said, eyeing Rosalia's expanding waistline. "Our children are only going to be about a year apart and I can't wait for them to be best friends!"

Jerry put his arm around his wife. "Don't start planning the future for them just yet, honey," he said with a chuckle.

Once they had left, Rosalia and Alison lingered at the table. "It's hard to believe all this is all real," Alison said.

"Your sister being here?"

"Everything, really. Having you in my life..." She reached across the table and took her wife's hand. "Expecting a baby, finding out that we'll have a real extended family around for our children..."

"Hey, we're only on the first one! Isn't it a little premature to start talking about more? You and your sister are a lot alike in some ways, aren't you?" Rosalia teased.

"Okay, let's drop the subject," Alison said with a grin. "I have something to show you now. It turns out that we haven't explored all of the wonders of the Starfarer yet." She led Rosalia from the dining area toward a side hall, refusing to answer any questions until they reached their destination.

56 UNLIMITED HORIZONS

Doug had given her directions and an entry code for experiencing one of the popular perquisites of shipboard life. After a short five minute walk and an elevator ride, they came to an air lock door with a sign next to it that said Viewing Lounge.

Only after entering the code, stepping into the air lock and waiting until it resealed would the code work on the door to the inner sanctum.

When they stepped through, Rosalia saw a room similar to the Observatory on the Galaxy except that, rather than looking like a small auditorium, it resembled a lounge. Small round tables with groupings of two to four chairs were arranged facing the massive wall of glass that fronted the room. There were three rows of tables on graduated tiers to give everyone an excellent view.

By taking the elevator to get to this part of the Starfarer, they had reached a level at which the hull curved slightly toward the top of the ship. The window followed the curve of the ship to maximize the view.

"This is the real thing," said Alison, "not a holo projection." Thera hung low in the sky in its gibbous splendor. The planet was surrounded by winking sparks of fire scattered across their field of vision. Alison and Rosalia were alone in the lounge so they chose seats at the very front of the long narrow room.

"I would have thought this place would always have people in it." Rosalia looked into the dim shadows as if she expected to see fellow stargazers.

"It usually does but the Captain gave us a little bit of time alone to enjoy it."

They sat next to each other, arms touching, companionable on their parallel chairs as they drank in the view. Rosalia turned to Alison. "Do you remember when we first met?"

"I sure do," said Alison with a laugh. Remember getting tipsy on your 'good Russian vodka'?"

"Wait a minute! That wasn't until later. You and Genevieve were getting pretty happy before I even showed up that first day," she said with a smirk.

They laughed and slipped their arms around each other. "Do you remember how young Melinda seemed when we first met?" Alison asked.

"That's because she was," replied Rosalia.

"It's hard to believe that she's a wife and mother now. How did five years fly by so fast?"

Rosalia looked thoughtful.

"We've all had our challenges, especially Melinda and Dewey. Somehow our whole group has managed to make it through."

She looked at Alison and smiled softly. "I'm happier now than I've ever been. Our work is challenging and important, we've got lots of friends – good people too," she added, "and of course there's us."

They touched foreheads gently, forgetting the spectacular view for a moment. When the door to the salon ratcheted smoothly open it startled them and they swiveled their chairs around to see who was arriving.

Janice and Doug stepped through the air lock door. "I hope we're not intruding," he said.

"No, not at all! Come on in, you two. Doug, thanks for arranging this," Alison said. "It's really beautiful up here."

The new arrivals pulled up chairs next to their friends and they all took a moment to contemplate the view in silence. "Look at that!" Janice cried as they all glimpsed the vanishing trail of a shooting star.

Doug turned to face Alison and Rosalia and cleared his throat quietly. "We have some good news that we want to share with you."

"You're the first to know," Janice added.

"Janice and I are going to move in together and sign a marriage contract when we get back to Thera."

After a split-second of stunned silence, Rosalia and Alison erupted in cries of congratulations. "I wish I could say that I saw this coming, but I had no idea!" Alison said.

"Oh please, I was just wondering when they were going to get around to it," said Rosalia, laughing.

"We want you both to be there," Janice said. "It's not going to be a big party like the two of you had because we don't want to make a big deal of it."

Alison was surprised. "But why not? Don't you want to have all of your friends around you?"

"Janice and I make a good intelligence team and one reason we've waited so long is that we thought it might have a negative impact our effectiveness. We still don't want everyone to realize we're married."

He smiled and put an arm around Janice. "But we decided that the time had come to say, 'the hell with it.'"

"We'll have some kind of get-together for our closest friends later, but the signing ceremony will be a private affair with just the four of us and an official, if that's agreeable to you," Janice said to them.

"We wouldn't miss it for anything on Thera," said Rosalia.

Since they were the only people using the lounge, they all decided to walk to the front and admire the view from the closest possible perspective.

"Alison and I were just talking about how time has seemed to move so quickly since we got here," said Rosalia.

Janice nodded in agreement. "It's been such a grand undertaking to build a whole new city – a whole new society, really." She gazed out at the vast panorama of space.

Alison reflected that they were all fortunate to be right where they were, right this minute. She wished she could take the present moment and freeze it forever, to take it out and experience it whenever things seemed grim in life.

Looking out at the planet she had learned to call home she decided that, whatever fate might bring, the future had unlimited horizons. 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cindy Burke has had a lifelong interest in journalism and fiction writing. She started as a newsroom assistant and has contributed several articles to local newspapers. Her science fiction book, "Intimate Space: A Galactic Adventure," was published in 2015 with a second edition published in 2017.

Burke's family is spread across the Southeast and she lives with her husband, a computer analyst and fellow sci-fi and fantasy buff. She writes from their home located in the foothills of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.

