

### The First Indigan

Charles Kaluza

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2010 Charles Kaluza

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Prologue

On August 6, 1945 at 8:15 AM an intense radio signal emanated from Earth and spread at the speed of light outward. On August 9, 1945 11:02 AM the second massive radio signal emanated from Earth as Nagasaki was destroyed by the Fat Man Bomb. The outward spread of the signature radio signals of the nuclear explosions were detected by small monitors in deep space. For 40,000 years these monitors had been silently listening for specific type of radio signal. The monitors responded by sending out a short coded message indicating that another civilization had evolved.

Chapter 1: Contact

Doc Jules had been drifting for about an hour when he first noted the roar of an approaching rapids. Wash-Out Rapids was the start of the white-water section of the river. The previous several days had been sedate compared to the series of four major rapids Doc Jules would face over the next few days. The solitude of the river had begun to work its magic and the memory of the phone call that had come, while waiting for his family to return home, no longer consumed him. Life as he knew it had changed when the caller informed him that there had been an accident: A minor rock slide in the Columbia Gorge had occurred just as his wife and kids were passing below the cliffs west of The Dalles while traveling from a volleyball tournament in Yakima. They had died almost instantly and with them, a large part of Doc Jules' life. As soon as the funerals were complete Doc Jules had left for the river. He was unable to face the return to his practice and needed the solitude of the river to make sense out of life. After several days in the wilderness he was beginning to feel alive again and looked forward to the challenge of the rapids. He beached his drift boat on the east bank just above the rapids and climbed up the steep slope to scout the rapids from above. The flash flood from the "gully washer of a storm" had shot boulders a quarter of a mile from the side canyon, and a dam had been created. The water dropped about 15 feet in a short 100 foot run and ended in a six foot standing wave. This wave had capsized many of the boats that had challenged it. With the aging of the dam over the last few years a channel had formed on the far right. Doc Jules decided to run the rapids rather than portage his boat and equipment around the rapids.

As he started down the rocky hillside, he noticed a game trail angling up and decided to follow it. The trail wound its way up to the top of the canyon walls. He was breathing hard and sweating from the exertion. He sat and rested on a rock outcropping. From this viewpoint the river was a silvery ribbon, and the rapids, which were so fierce up close, looked like white jewels. The sinuous curves of the canyon limited his view of the distance. He became conscious of the desert silence that had replaced the river sounds. As he sat and enjoyed the heat of the fall sun, the fragility of life kept creeping into his thoughts. His introspection was interrupted by a repeated whoosh-whoosh sound. He looked up to identify the source and realized that he was hearing the wings of a raven passing overhead. He tried to call the raven, but the bird was too busy to respond. Doc Jules told himself, "I suppose that I should follow your example and get busy. I need to get my camp set up before nightfall."

Returning to his boat, he checked to make sure that all of his equipment was lashed down securely. He cast the boat off and used the oars to position the high pointed bow slightly to the right so that he could pull back into the center of the river after he passed the standing wave. The current began to pick up speed and the roar of the crashing water blanked out all other sounds. The rushing water sucked the boat into the trough and then pushed it to the edge of the standing wave. The boat pitched precariously at the edge of the wave which tried to draw Doc Jules into itself. He pulled hard on the oars and slid down the back edge of the wave and into the tailout of the rapids. His heart was pounding with excitement and exertion. He had challenged the river and had won the first battle.

Doc Jules let the river carry him downstream as he relaxed and ate a simple lunch. The bagels with salami and cheese made a satisfying meal that traveled well. Gordon Ridge Rapids was the next hurdle before he would reach his proposed camp site. As Doc Jules was unwrapping his apple he smoothed out the newspaper that he had used to protect it and read the headlines from last week's paper. He had ignored the world during the time of his personal tragedy and was unaware of current events. He was surprised to read of the tensions between South Korea and China, over some small islands. Apparently the presence of oil makes insignificant islands significant. Last week's news was current enough for Doc Jules, and he decided that he would try to stabilize his own life before worrying about the world as a whole. He knew that others had recovered from worse suffering and hoped that this trip would begin his healing process.

Gordon Ridge did not announce itself with the sound effects of Wash-Out Rapids. The entire river was squeezed into a 100-foot channel that wound itself through a quarter of a mile of basalt cliffs before allowing the river its freedom. The basalt was twisted and distorted. Sections of the cliff had exposed columnar formations. The basalt was formed into hexagonal columns which when exposed horizontally looked like a honey comb painted grey black, with each cell measuring 2 feet across. The vertical columns rose 30 to 40 feet above the rock shelf and had sections which had fallen creating the image of an ancient Greek Temple. The complex geometry fascinated Doc Jules and he did not notice the increased velocity of the river until he was swept into the mouth of the rapids. The entrance to the rapids was almost like a funnel which gradually drew him into the narrow confines. Maneuvering was very difficult. The boat had to be alternately moved from the left to the right in order to compensate for the current and avoid being thrown against the cliffs.

Doc Jules handled his boat well and began to relax when he saw the river straightening out and the rapids ending. It was the relaxation that was his undoing. The "O'Shit Rock" was waiting for him, and he did not see it until it was too late. The boat struck the rock on the right front and was instantly turned sideways. Doc Jules slid his weight to the downstream side shifting the boat's attitude just enough to keep the rushing water from spilling over the gunnel and swamping the boat. He was scared. The river had the power to crush his boat. At the very least, he would face a long hike out assuming that he was not injured trying to swim through the rapids. Doc Jules began to gently rock the boat, and the stern gradually began to pivot downstream. With the bow now facing the river torrents Doc Jules began to rock the boat more vigorously and the bottom inched its way off the rock. Doc Jules completed the run through the rapids backwards with his dignity bruised but with his equipment still dry.

The camping site that Doc Jules had planned on using was open and he eased his boat onto the shore just above Colorado Rapids. He set up his simple camp and ate a tasteless dinner of freeze-dried food. With the evening shadows Doc Jules' melancholy returned, and he began to recall the fishing trip that he had taken with his son just a few weeks prior. His son's joy was so intense that Doc Jules figured he had a new life long fishing partner. This memory deepened his melancholy. If only he had not taken the ER call, he would have been able to leave on the trip with his family. Even if he could not have prevented the slide, he would have died with them and not been left alone. Doc Jules arranged his fishing gear and dressed in his insulated waders. As he moved into the river current the water pulsed against his legs almost as if it was a beating heart. The throbbing of the river rushing against him reminded him of the fragility of life. He thought about ending his pain by simply laying down in the cold river and allowing the current to carry him over Colorado Rapids. The boil of the rapids would engulf him, and his suffering would end. The thought of darkness and non-existence as a means of escaping the intense hollowness that was so painful, seemed almost logical.

He slowly moved downstream, his feet automatically finding their way amongst the rocks and his fly casting covering the water without conscious input. The roar of the rapids was deepening and the current beginning to speed up when the fly drifted behind a submerged boulder. The summer steelhead had moved up the river, returning to the spawning grounds of its birth. It was using the shelter of the boulder to rest when it spied the brightly colored fly moving along the surface. The fish rose and grabbed the fly before rushing back to its resting spot. The jerk that Doc Jules felt on the line initiated a reflex hook setting motion. The fish responded by leaping out of the water and rushing across the river. The line peeled off the reel despite Doc Jules's attempt to slow the fish by palming the reel. The fish then turned upstream allowing Doc Jules to regain some of the line. The respite was short and the fish turned and headed downstream. The combined force of the fish and the current was more than Doc Jules' footing allowed for. He began sliding on the slippery rock shelf toward the rapids. The power of life this fish represented inspired Doc Jules. He made the subconscious decision to go forward. He told the fish, "You fight with your whole being to continue your journey while I contemplate giving up. You're right, life is lived by giving your all to complete the journey. I do not think my journey is complete and my destiny is not yet fulfilled. I too must fight to move on."

The fish was winning and Doc Jules was being drawn into the rapids. Reducing the pressure on the fly pole would probably allow the fish to reach the main rapids. It would be difficult or impossible to turn the fish in the fury of the rapids. In desperation,, while he fought for stable footing, he released most of the pressure on the fish, allowing almost all of the remaining line to stream off of the reel. Once his footing was secure, he again applied pressure to his reel and gradually stopped the fish. He was amazed that the leader held and the hook did not tear free. He very slowly began working the fish upstream, gradually reclaiming first his backing and then his fly line. The fish was getting tired, but the heavy current prevented him from landing the fish until it was completely spent. Doc Jules carefully backed up, gradually gaining improved footing and safety. He eased the fish into the shallows and removed the barbless hook. He supported the fish admiring the beautiful blending of the red sides with the silvery back. He apologized to the fish saying, "Sorry for interrupting your journey. Thanks for teaching me about not giving up. I should be able to get on with my own journey now, even if I do not know where it is leading." When the fish was rested, he released it, to return to its primordial journey.

Doc Jules returned to his camp feeling more at peace with himself and life. His sleep was a little more restful with the nightmare of watching the mountainside give way awaking him only once instead of repeatedly. Breakfast seemed a bit more tasty than it had. Doc Jules loaded his equipment and cast the boat off into the current. He rowed across the river to take advantage of the morning shade and fished below the Wagonblast Cliffs. The challenge of fly fishing tended to clear Doc Jules mind and his melancholia lifted a little more.

As the morning shadows were being worn away by the rising sun, civilization was fighting to restore peace. The earth had been assaulted halfway around the globe. The mushroom cloud that arose over South Korea was answered almost immediately by corresponding clouds over North Korea and China. The fragile peace had been broken and the force of the atom had been released. The entire world was being placed at risk because of a regional dispute over energy. Normal government functions were halted across the globe and emergency protocols instituted. The avoidance of a spreading nuclear war was of absolute necessity to the survival of civilization. A temporary truce was called, and both sides of the dispute blamed the other for the hostilities. People everywhere began to prepare for the worst. The strong signature radio signals of the nuclear explosions radiated outward from earth with the force of a photo flash in a darkened room. In a few days the signals were picked up by those listening to the earth with a protective interest. Unfortunately the signals continued their outward spread.

Doc Jules was completely oblivious to the crisis the world faced and was content to deal with his personal crisis. The fishing was fantastic, but the catching was slow. As the sun crept over the canyon walls Doc Jules decided to move on. Colorado Rapids had a stronger standing wave and was potentially more dangerous than Washout Rapids, except for the fact that the river was wide enough to avoid the toughest water. Doc Jules lined up his boat on the right side of the channel and let the current grab him and drag him into the fury of the rapids. The boat pitched violently on the edge of the standing wave, but was spit out on the right side. The boat bounced through the harmonic waves below the large standing wave, the spray giving Doc Jules a good washing. The adrenaline rush was awesome. After the turbulence subsided, Doc Jules bailed out the boat and realized he was smiling.

As the day wore on, Doc Jules found a camping spot below Grasshopper flats. He again made camp on the west side of the river in order to take advantage of the evening shadows. The evening meal was eaten and Doc Jules headed upstream to fish the Ledge Hole. He slowly worked his way down the ledge to the tailout of the hole. A large boulder sat at the top of the "V" that the current made before the chaos of the rapids began. Like the evening before, a steelhead had chosen to rest behind the boulder. The fly drifting overhead stimulated the feeding instinct and the fish rose and took the fly. Doc Jules had been watching the fly drift behind the boulder and was thrilled to see the fish actually take the fly. The hook set was automatic and the fish rocketed into the air. In one spectacular leap the fish succeeded in dislodging the hook and depriving Doc Jules of the challenge of the fight. Doc Jules knew that he had set the hook too soon, based on the sight of the fish engulfing the fly. He had not waited for the fish to turn, allowing the hook to embed itself. Doc Jules swore at himself for screwing up the hook set, but he was not really unhappy. The power of the fish and the thrill of watching the fish take the fly were joy enough. He returned to camp to face his last night on the river. He slept fairly well and for the first time since the accident, did not awaken to his own screaming as he tried to warn his wife of the rockslide. He was no longer thinking of allowing the river to engulf him in order to hide from his pain. The hurt was deep, but Doc Jules felt he could handle the grief.

The morning came with a cold grayness and fog. Doc Jules had never seen fog in the desert before and was amazed at the chill in the air. He knew fog was composed of microscopic drops of water which have a high specific heat. This made fog extremely effective at transferring heat from his body to the atmosphere. This academic knowledge did not change the gloom that he felt in his heart or the sense of foreboding that the conditions produced. He had planned on trying the Ledge Hole again, but decided to move on downstream. The rowing would warm him. Rattlesnake Rapids was the most technically challenging rapids on the lower river because the channel crosses from the right to the left midway through the rapids. Failure to crossover throws you over a ten foot boulder which would easily capsize the boat. Sounds were funny in the fog and landmarks hard to spot.

Doc Jules did not spot the landmark cliff on the right side until it was too late to change his river position. He entered the rapids too far to the right and rowed as hard as he could to crossover. The roar of the water again blotted-out any other sound. In almost slow motion Doc Jules saw the boulder coming at him. He dug his oars in and pulled as hard as he could. The boulder pinned the oar between itself and the boat. Doc Jules felt the snap of the oar handle rather than heard it. The sudden release of pressure threw him backwards. This managed to shift the weight in the boat enough that the stern slid off of the side of the boulder preventing the boat from capsizing. The waves managed to partially fill the boat with water, but he still floated. Doc Jules sat back up and realized how lucky he had been, and was reminded of the old adage: "It's better to be lucky than good." The boat drifted into the back eddy below the rapids and Doc Jules released the anchor. It took awhile to dry up the boat and dig out the spare oar. He realized that he was getting cold and took the time to dig out another layer of clothes. He had not taken the time to double seal his dry bag and was upset to realize his sleeping bag was wet. Being wet and cold without a dry sleeping bag made return to civilization necessary. He stowed his gear and resumed rowing. The activity warmed him only a little and his discomfort made ending the trip more tolerable. Moody Rapids seemed almost tame compared to the fury of Rattlesnake Rapids, but it still had enough energy to again throw water onto the now very chilled Doc Jules. The river widened below the rapids and the challenge of the river was over. He arrived at the takeout at Heritage Park about noon and was surprised to find it vacant.

The short walk up to the parking lot was disconcerting because of the lack of people. He was even more surprised to discover an empty parking lot. The shuttle service had not delivered his Jeep and trailer as per the arrangements. Doc Jules walked back down to the ramp uncertain as to his next step. He just sat on the edge of the boat and watched the river flow by. After an hour or so, a pickup with a large well drilling sign on the side, drove up to the ramp. The driver just sat at the top of the ramp and stared at the river. Doc Jules walked slowly up to the truck. The driver had thin grey hair and eyes that had seen much too much sun. His Irish complexion was showing the effects of the summer sun and his nose the effect of too much alcohol. Doc Jules hailed him with a hearty "hello" and the driver nodded his response. Doc Jules began to explain his predicament.

The driver interrupted him by asking in a raspy voice, "How long you been on the river?"

"For the past week."

The driver nodded and said, "Git in and I'll give you a ride to the put in."

Doc Jules began to express concern about his equipment but the driver told him not to worry. Doc Jules appreciated the serious look on the driver's face and climbed in. He held out his hand and introduced himself as Don Jules. The driver shook his hand and said, "Pat Murphy." As they headed up the road, Pat began to explain, "The damn North Koreans have started a nuclear war in Asia." Doc Jules could accept the war as a reality because of the article he had read about tensions between China and Korea. When Pat began to explain, "Then this here flying saucer is discovered heading toward earth from behind Jupiter." Doc Jules began to question Pat's sanity. Pat continued, "Folks have quit doing everything. My well drilling work has dried up because people fear for the future."

As they crossed the bridge over Sherars Falls, Pat slowed to watch the salmon and steelhead fight their way up the falls leaping from pool to pool. Both were both quiet for several miles as Pat drove toward the Beavertail put in. Just before turning in to the boat launch area Pat said, "Jules is not a common name. Was it your family that got killed in the rock slide?"

Doc Jules was surprised that Pat would know of his tragedy. Pat said, "I feel partially responsible for the loss of your family."

Doc Jules asked, "How could you be in any way responsible?"

Pat replied, "I had run for county commissioner on the platform that diversion of the highway from beneath that cliff was the responsibility of the county. I got tired of the campaign and ended up losing a close election that I should've won."

His sincere apology for what he considered a personal failure brought tears to Doc Jules eyes. Pat reached into his pocket and removed a small metal flask which he offered to Doc Jules. The offer was so genuine that he took the flask and tipped it back taking a small swallow of the liquor. It seared his throat and brought more tears to his eyes. Pat took the flask back and managed a very large swallow himself, which did not seem to affect him. He wished Doc Jules good luck and again offered his condolences. As Doc Jules climbed out of the truck, he shook Pat's hand and said, "I accept your apology, and thank you for both your assistance and your caring."

As Doc Jules climbed into his jeep, he felt overwhelmed by both the news that Pat had given him and the kindness that had flowed from the gruff old man. He contemplated how his species could, on one hand, kill each other with weapons of mass destruction, and on the other hand, provide each other with the support and caring that Pat had shown. His decision to attack life fully was taking on new dimensions. Doc Jules changed into the dry clothes that he had left in his vehicle, and drove thoughtfully back to the take out. He loaded the boat onto the trailer and secured his gear. The trailer and boat tie-downs were checked again. He headed for home. The highway had very few cars on it, and military vehicles seemed to be everywhere. Doc Jules turned on his radio and was greeted by the same buzzing sounds that he had heard the last time he tried to use the radio. He promised himself that he would take the time to get the radio fixed. He stopped at the first exit in The Dalles and picked up a newspaper. As he stared at the headlines his disbelief dissolved and the significance of the events began to sink in. Doc Jules headed home wondering how his life journey would unfold.

Chapter 2: The Visitor

The monastery sits on the side of the rolling forested hills overlooking the small village and agricultural valley. For almost 500 years this Spanish monastery has maintained its role as the head of the spiritual and academic life for both its members and the surrounding communities. The stone monastery walls are connected directly to the small university and the majority of the university professors are monks of the abbey. Brother Simon has lived and worked at the monastery for 22 years. The Rule of St. Benedict guides his life, and it gives him the freedom to contemplate the mysteries of genetics. His studies of genetics involve actual visualization of the three-dimensional characteristics of the DNA structure. He relies on his innate ability to visualize this structure to characterize the probable function of specific genes. He uses technology as a supplement rather than a primary tool in his studies. This remarkable ability has propelled an obscure monk to the forefront of theoretical genetics despite his isolated location and limited research budget.

Brother Simon was enjoying the simple evening meal in the monastery dining room. His almost bald head and dark brown habit made him inconspicuous amongst the other balding heads and brown habits. The calmness of Vespers still enveloped him and the rule of silence added to his sense of peace and contentment.

In contrast to this scene of peace, the citizens of Seoul, South Korea, were awakened to the blaring sounds of the air sirens. Only a few minutes of warning were provided. It was a crude rocket, but it was sufficient to deliver the weapon. The nuclear warhead was a uranium 235 device that was slightly larger than the weapon which devastated Hiroshima. The warhead exploded at 500 meters of elevation over the center of Seoul. The nuclear reaction produced an initial temperature of several million degrees Celsius. The fireball expanded rapidly producing a shock wave and very destructive winds. The temperature of the fireball still exceeded 5000 degrees Celsius when it struck the city. Everything organic, including the people, within 2 km. of the center was immediately vaporized. They were the lucky ones. People three km. from the center who looked up at the rocket received massive burns to their faces destroying all of the skin and non-bony tissue. The heat melted their eyeballs which drained out of their sockets, creating the appearance of living skeletons. As the characteristic mushroom cloud continued to rise and spread, almost 100,000 lives were consumed by the initial explosion and the resulting fires. An equal number of people would die over the next several weeks from complications of the burns and radiation poisoning. It was impossible to provide any semblance of modern medical care to the multitudes of injured. Minimal first aid was the best the surviving physicians and nurses could do. This horror was quickly replicated in North Korea and China as South Korea retaliated.

The pocket computer that Brother Simon kept in his large habit pocket began vibrating, signaling an incoming emergency message. The signal was ignored until the Abbott offered the closing prayer and officially ended the meal. As the other monks began visiting, Brother Simon removed the computer and accessed the message. As he read the message from a research colleague in South Korea, he turned pale. He made his way to the side of the room where the Abbott was visiting. Tapping the Abbot on the shoulder Brother Simon motioned him to the side. He read the message to the Abbott. The message was short. It simply said, "Seoul has been struck by a nuclear weapon."

The Abbott asked, "How did they send the message if communications have been disrupted by the nuclear explosion?"

Brother Simon explained how the monastery had adapted short wave radio and a computer to access the Internet without utilizing the standard telephone system or the satellite cellular system. This system was slower but allowed worldwide access to information, even from the Order's most remote monasteries. The Abbott announced to those remaining that there was an emergency in Seoul and everyone involved with communication was to report to their emergency stations. The remaining monks were asked to offer prayers.

The Abbey's worldwide communication network began to gather a reasonably accurate picture of the crisis in Asia. Long before the news media had collected enough information to make an announcement, the isolated Abbey had obtained the pertinent information from its monasteries in Korea and China. The horror that the earth faced soon became evident to everyone as government statements and news reports came out.

Within 48 hours of the nuclear weapon discharge, an amateur astronomer announced on the internet that she had discovered a new radio signal near Jupiter. She was participating in the SETI program (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence). Instantly the whole world was involved. When professional astronomers began to study the newly discovered signal they plotted its course and realized that it was a powered object which was headed for earth. This news was taken off of the Internet and made headlines across the world. The end of the world announcements became even more common. The world stock markets were all but closed, not because of a selling panic, but because nobody was paying them any attention.

As The Visitor from Jupiter came closer to the earth, traditions at the monastery continued as always. The times of prayer and silence continued. The daily routine was followed and only during free time and conference periods was The Visitor discussed. Speculation as to the nature and intent of The Visitor became the primary focus of the media, churches, schools and government. Brother Simon stayed abreast of the developments using his network of scientists scattered across the planet. His work in genetics slowed as the theological and philosophical consequences of The Visitor dominated the discussions and free time at the monastery. The religious community was as divided as the rest of society as to the meaning of The Visitor. Brother Simon viewed the event both as a scientist and a deeply religious man. He did not view The Visitor as a threat nor as the second coming of his Christ. The possibility that a society developed to the point of interstellar travel would present danger to earth was not reasonable. He felt that the timing of the appearance following almost immediately the exchange of nuclear warheads was significant. He was sure that the intense radio signals produced by the explosions had been monitored and triggered the appearance of The Visitor.

When The Visitor closed to within the orbit of the moon it slowed dramatically and entered a spiral orbit around the earth. Standard radio signals began to radiate from The Visitor. The radio signals tracked the regional languages and as if The Visitor spoke in "tongues" people heard The Visitor in their own language. The narrow beam radio signal rotated with the orbiting spacecraft, keeping the native language active in each region. The message was repeated continuously and did not change. The message was quite simple: "We come in peace. Cease all hostilities immediately!"

Chapter 3: The Attack

The emergency meeting of the U.N. assembly was most remarkable for the change in attitude which was evident. For the first time the Assembly acted as a world government with member nations speaking as partners in the crisis. The political posturing and self-serving rhetoric was superseded by the presence of The Visitor. The warring factions sealed their peace agreement which was accepted by the U.N. Response language to The Visitor's message was agreed upon by the entire Assembly with strong reservations expressed by the Russian delegation. The reply was almost as concise as the original message: "We welcome you in peace and have restored peace on earth." This message was broadcast from multiple centers in the appropriate regional language. The Visitor became silent.

In Russia the acceptance of the U.N. position was greeted with skepticism. A militant subgroup voted to protect the motherland from an apparent alien invasion. The majority, however, declined to change the stance of their U.N. delegation. One of the minority, was an admiral in the Russian Navy who unilaterally decided the majority was wrong and military action was necessary. A coded message was sent from his office to a relay station on the edge of the Arctic Ocean. This radio message was converted to a very low frequency sonic signal which spread across the Arctic Ocean. The message was received by special sonic receivers aboard a small nuclear submarine which did not officially exist. The message was transcribed and taken to the captain's cabin.

Captain Brezinski was completing her daily report before beginning her rest period, which was sorely needed. She and her crew had been on alert since the start of the hostilities. She commanded a select crew of volunteers aboard the top secret submarine "Sky Safe." She had accepted command of this boat knowing that she would be underway for at least five years with strict secrecy and isolation. She had been chosen based on her ability, and the fact that she had no remaining family to miss her. She had excelled at the academy proving her leadership ability to a hierarchy dominated entirely by males. Accepting this secret command allowed her to fulfill her goal of command, but the secrecy of the mission required that she disappear. Her death in a military flying accident had been dutifully reported to her hometown. She was given a new identity which would follow her at the completion of her tour of duty. Her accomplishment of being the first woman commander of a nuclear submarine was to remain a secret. Her crew was both male and female. All had volunteered and accepted the change in identity.

The knock on the door was soft and respectful. It was followed by a simple, "Captain." Captain Brezinski did not even look up from the report she was working on, she simply replied, "Enter." The young sailor opened the hatch and stepped over the raised threshold into the small room. He handed Captain Brezinski the message and stood by while she began deciphering the code. He could see the strain on the captain's face, and knew she was feeling the stress of being on alert as much as anyone else on board. Her face tightened significantly as she finished decoding the message. He knew the news was not good.

Captain Brezinski glanced at the clock and told him, "I want a command conference to convene in 20 minutes. I will brief the crew following." He wanted to ask what the news was but knew that he would have to wait. Captain Brezinski saw his anxiety and managed a small smile. She dismissed him with, "We have trained hard and will do as we must." She took several minutes to digest the meaning of the message. She and her crew had only a sketchy idea of the U.N. decision regarding The Visitor. She was now being ordered to attack with full deployment of her arsenal. She opened the command safe and removed the Code Book. She took her time decoding the identifier that was built into the message. The random appearing Code words were built into the message. The matching Code Book was secured and available only to her commanding officer. The correlation was complete which indicated the orders were genuine. Her decision was made.

Captain Brezinski opened the command conference and informed her officers of the orders. Planning was begun based on the orbital data that was provided. Her weapon's officer voiced his concern saying, "I am sure this alien spaceship will be well protected, and our weapons will be quite primitive in comparison to their defenses."

Captain Brezinski knew he was right about the defenses and was concerned about the consequences of their action. She kept these thoughts to herself. She said, "All we can do is our best to carry out our orders. It is not our responsibility to make the decision on how to protect our Motherland. We will proceed with our best effort." Their window of access to The Visitor's orbit was limited to a 30 minute opportunity every 72 hours. The next window would open in four hours. The weapon's officer requested a surface launch in order to allow for rapid sequential firing of their missiles. Each missile was equipped with a small cluster bomb of spent uranium. When exploded in the vicinity of a satellite the uranium fragments would impact with the force of a cannon ball shredding the minimally protected satellites. The small size of the fragments was irrelevant because of the great velocity involved. The trajectory had to be carefully planned so that the orbits of the fragments would decay before they contacted any of the Russian satellites. The proposed trajectory was supplied by the weapon's computer. The plan was for the rapid sequential firing in order to override the defense systems aboard The Visitor.

The submarine that Captain Brezinski commanded was a boat built for stealth, and it most resembled a giant hockey puck. The central missile launching unit was surrounded by quarter moon sections for propulsion and living quarters. The propulsion system was based on directed jet streams generated by electric motors. Maneuverability was limited and top speed was only 10 knots. Surrounding the circumference of the round ship was a slowly rotating faceted shield which absorbed and deflected sonic energy dramatically limiting its sonar image. Sound proofing and sound camouflage were used extensively making the ship almost silent. In order to avoid surface sonar, the ship was designed to assume a sharp angulation to bring the sonar shield in line with the surface. Everything on the submarine was gimbaled to compensate for this severe attitude shift. The submarine had no weapons aboard except for the missile launching system. They were completely dependent upon their stealth for survival. The crew had successfully avoided detection by both the U.S. and fellow Russian submarines.

The weapon's officer informed Captain Brezinski that he was ready, and navigation reported that they would break the surface just prior to launch time. She gave the command, "Prepare for missile launch." As the ship stabilized on the surface, the missile launchers were rotated into position and the count down begun. The launch of the first missile significantly distorted the stability of the ship, and several moments were required before the second missile could be launched. The entire battery of six small missiles was launched in a period of 20 minutes. As soon as the launches were completed Captain Brezinski ordered, "Dive to 500 meters and assume a course of 350 degrees." The ship slipped below the surface and began silently gliding to depth.

The rocket launches were noted by both Russian and American surveillance as well as by The Visitor. Communication channels became jammed with attempts to sort out what was going on. The Visitor began broadcasting a request to identify the incoming rockets, but both Russia and America denied knowledge of the rockets. The missiles exploded as programmed and their deadly cargo of shrapnel was released in line with The Visitor's orbit. The visiting ship began maneuvering to avoid the majority of the shrapnel swarm. Its defense consisted of avoidance and laser ablation of the incoming shrapnel. From the time of launch the attack was over within two hours. The Visitor began to retaliate by emitting a powerful electromagnetic laser which penetrated into the ocean at the point of missile launch. This beam of energy soon found Captain Brezinski and her ship. The electrical system began to malfunction immediately and control of the ship was lost.

Captain Brezinski ordered, "Shut down all systems and manually place the reactor in safe mode." The submarine was controlled entirely by a "fly by wire" computer system, and control was lost. She then made the decision to attempt escape by manually opening the water valves into the flotation chambers. As water rushed into the chambers, the submarine resumed its descent. The simple pressure instruments still functioned and depth could be reliably determined. As they descended through six hundred meters the strength of the laser appeared to be abating and Captain Brezinski felt some hope. The relief was temporary and the intensity of the beam increased again to the point the wiring began to oscillate. This produced a high pitch sound similar to the feedback sounds from a public address system. The volume of the sound increased to the point of pain. Even verbal communication became difficult. The control officer called out, "Passing through 800 meters and reaching critical depth." The dysfunction of the electrical and control systems had negated most warning devices. The depth limiting control was based on simple pressure switches and valves. The depth limiting system activated at 1000 meters as programmed, which prevented further descent and blocked their hope for escape.

Captain Brezinski made the decision to scuttle her ship rather than submit to capture. Her orders were specific that her mission was to remain secret even at the cost of her ship and crew. It was not a conscious decision but rather a decision of her training. Most of the crew had become incapacitated by the horrible noise. Captain Brezinski had to grab her maintenance officer and yell in his ear to make him understand her desire to flood the aft hull in order to continue their descent and hopefully escape. They made their way aft to the manual valve controls. As they began to open the valves, Captain Brezinski suddenly stopped and developed a blank expression as if she were having a Pettit Mall type of seizure. The maintenance officer tried to arouse her, but she was immobile for a few minutes. When she aroused spontaneously, Captain Brezinski canceled her order to flood the hull and instead ordered the maintenance officer to close all valves and to blow their ballast tanks. The maintenance officer nodded and began closing valves. The ballast water was ejected slowly which allowed for ascent of their ship.

As soon as the ship began ascending the energy from The Visitor decreased and the electrical noise began to moderate to a level that was tolerable. Control other than vertical was still lost. The ascent was slow and it required some time before the surface was broached. The submarine bobbed uncontrolled on the unusually quiet ocean surface. The energy intensity was still high enough that a static charge existed on everything. Communication was blocked from the submarine. The Visitor had requested assistance from the U.N. in retrieving the crew from Captain Brezinski's submarine. As Navy vessels from several countries steamed toward the helpless submarine, Captain Brezinski gave orders to rig a self-destructing system to scuttle their vessel after they were removed. She also reminded the crew of their vow of secrecy regarding their mission and their ship.

A French destroyer was the first ship to arrive at the site. As they approached the stricken submarine, they were amazed at the unusual configuration. The energy beam had narrowed almost to a point source, which limited its energy to the submarine. The U.N. ordered the French Captain to take onboard all crew members. Maritime flag symbols were used to communicate between the vessels. Life boats were lowered and used to transfer the crew from the submarine to the destroyer. The small crew transferred easily. Captain Brezinski was taken to the officer's mess where she met with the French Captain. Communication was difficult because of the language barrier. Both officers spoke enough English that they were able to establish the course of events. The French Captain offered to secure the submarine, but Captain Brezinski advised him, "My boat is being scuttled as we speak." The Captains arose together to look out the portal and saw the submarine begin to settle in the aft section. In a matter of a few minutes the ship began to slip below the surface. The energy beam switched off completely at that point. Captain Brezinski and her crew were treated as guests, not prisoners, but they knew they were being monitored.

Chapter 4: The Trade

The Visitor now began communicating directly with the U.N. The Russian military released the nature of the mission and identified the responsible parties. The acceptance of responsibility was as close to an apology as could be expected. The Visitor seemed satisfied and asked only that all hostilities cease. The U.N. was functioning at a high level with the cooperation of all nations. A formal exchange of diplomatic recognition was offered to The Visitor. The Visitor accepted the recognition but when asked for formal identification replied that it was content to use the title of "The Visitor." Communication protocols were established and an official communication channel was opened. The Visitor remained vague as to its world of origin. It also provided no visual images of its species or even the interior of its ship. The intimate knowledge The Visitor had of the social customs and traditions of the member nations implied an extensive period of observation. When questioned, The Visitor replied that it had been monitoring the radio signals emanating from earth for more than 20 years. It also shared the fact that its mission began after the intense signals from the explosion of nuclear weapons during and after World War II had reached their monitoring station.

The end-of-the-world concerns moderated significantly with the explanation that The Visitor was here to prevent the spread of nuclear destruction with possible loss of human civilization. Most people welcomed The Visitor as a peace maker, but as expected, many viewed The Visitor as a threat or potential dictator here to enslave them. Factual information was dispensed freely from the U.N. communication center, but the rumors and sensationalism escalated. The religious communities were divided and confused regarding The Visitor. Most major religions quickly adapted to the existence of The Visitor and the knowledge of extraterrestrial life, changing their theology quickly. The presence of The Visitor was seen as proof of God's power. The conflict between creationism and evolution became much more interesting.

After less than two weeks of formal exchange, The Visitor requested that a meeting of the U.N. Assembly be called to consider a formal trading relationship. It would not discuss the details of this relationship, other than it was proposing a partnership. The Assembly was called to order by the Secretary General who began the meeting with a short summary of the events leading up to The Visitor's request for the meeting. The Visitor appeared on the large projection screen only as an image of its spacecraft. The voice that emanated from the speakers was powerful but could not be identified as to gender or age. The message was translated into the regional language of all represented, bypassing the U.N.'s translation service.

The Visitor began by explaining that the interstellar community had instituted the monitoring of regional sectors for the telltale signs of nuclear explosions. Many civilizations had been brought to the brink of extinction after developing atomic power. It was common for societies to develop technological capability that exceeded their social capabilities. Any society capable of releasing the force of the atom warranted monitoring. The direct interference or manipulation of a civilization to prevent their progression to the nuclear age was not permitted. Once a civilization attained the status of nuclear capability it was placed in a category of intense observation and intervention was allowed if the threat to their civilization was significant. The Visitor left its hiding place behind Jupiter because it had determined that the spread of the nuclear war was eminent. Preventing mass destruction and loss of life was a concern of the larger community. Earth was now being offered partial membership in this larger community.

In return for including Earth in this larger community, the government of the Earth would have to agree to sponsor an expedition of volunteers to another world to assist that world in its evolutionary process. In addition all nations would have to agree to complete nuclear disarmament. In exchange, The Visitor would provide, to all the peoples on Earth, the methods of harnessing fusion power. The change over to fusion power would equalize the inequities of geology and remove energy as a cause of conflict. Monitoring of the treaty would be the mutual responsibility of the U.N. and The Visitor. The Visitor summarized by saying that it was time for Earth to take the first step toward becoming a member of the larger community.

Questions were numerous, but were concerned mainly with the ongoing independence of individual nations and the responsibilities of sponsoring The Visitor's mission. The Visitor assured the Assembly that it had no intention of interfering with the governing bodies. The mission would require 30 to 40 volunteers who met mission requirements. The mission would be lifelong. The actual task and destination were not disclosed. After a long period of questions, which The Visitor answered more or less, it announced that it would expect a response within 72 hours. With that the special assembly was closed.

The Security Council met immediately following the General Assembly. The members were disturbed at the requirements for total nuclear disarmament but did not feel they had any real choice and voted to proceed. The General Assembly was again called into session and the Secretary General requested a motion to proceed with the "trade." The oil producing nations had the most to lose and they were the most hesitant to proceed. The Secretary General had hoped for a unanimous vote but settled for a near-unanimous decision to proceed.

The vote was relayed to The Visitor who expressed satisfaction with the outcome. The Visitor then advised the U.N. that a large ice comet would be arriving and enter Earth's orbit followed by a much smaller metallic asteroid. These two components would be the basis for the spacecraft that the volunteer crew would occupy during their journey. A general plan of construction would be forwarded for evaluation by Earth engineers. A global goal provided a further impetus for all nations to work together.

***

Daily activities were gradually returning to normal. Mike Harris had been following the developments but had never let his demanding work load moderate. His frustration level had risen sharply with the original nuclear attack and it rose again with the announcement of The Visitor's sighting. His crew became less dependable as society in general ground to a halt. His deadline for completing the flight test on the latest model space plane had come and gone without his test being completed. The major remaining problem was a Helmholtz resonator which was created with the deployment of the landing gear. This transient harmonic produced sound levels of 140 decibels in the cockpit. The noise level was so high that it produced pain and disrupted the pilot's concentration. He had drawn up plans for several possible dampening shields for the gear openings, but the manufacturing section had all but closed down and the shields remained unbuilt. Mike walked into the maintenance section and found only the section chief working. He asked the chief if he could build the sound shields out of plywood for the next test flight. The chief reported that using plywood on the space plane seemed inappropriate but Mike explained how the shields worked only as sound baffles and were in a low pressure region. The chief agreed and they built the sound shields out of 2 inch plywood. They then installed them with simple hardware to the sides of the landing gear so that they partially divided the gear opening, hopefully preventing the harmonic. The test pilots inspected the installation and shook their heads but agreed to the flight. The takeoff was normal and the gear came up normally. They accelerated to just below Mach 1 and then after trial maneuvers returned to Boeing Field for a landing approach. As they slowed to "gear down" speed they unconsciously clenched their teeth expecting the howling vibration to set in. They were amazed at the lack of noise and excitedly called Mike at Boeing to congratulate him. After landing they taxied back to the hangar, where Mike and the maintenance chief were waiting. As soon as the engines were shut down, Mike ran out to inspect the plywood shields. They were intact and the experiment a success.

When Administration finally read the test reports, they were in an uproar over the unorthodox methods Mike had used. The labor union was even more upset because of the inappropriate use of management labor to construct the sound shields. After Mike had listened to the complaints and admonishments he announced, "Enough is enough and I quit."

The administrator looked shocked and said, "Mike as head project engineer you cannot just quit."

Mike laughed and left. As Mike was leaving the parking lot, he decided to stop at the local watering hole. As usual, several of the engineering staff were on hand, fortifying themselves for the drive home. The junior engineers acknowledged Mike as he entered, but instead of joining their group he sat at a table by himself. Mike had a few beers but found no solace in the alcohol and he decided to leave. As he was leaving, the project manager came in and saw Mike. Mike wanted to avoid him but he could not leave without passing him. They ended up at the table together. Mike was asked why he had blown up and quit. Mike responded, "I had enough B.S. and figured that it was time for me to make a change." The project manager asked him to reconsider saying that the project really needed his skills and that administration would leave him alone. Mike genuinely appreciated the offer but rejected it. He said, "This project is almost done and I need to take some time to figure out what I want to do. I have not yet taken time to recover from my divorce, which I did not want in the first place. It was that damn church, which brainwashed Tisch into believing that my work was evil, causing her to divorce me. Now is a good time for me to work on my own life." He was uncertain as to his future, but he vowed to use his engineering skills somewhere he was appreciated.

Chapter 5: The Ship

The comet was spied by several university astronomers almost simultaneously. Its projected mass and course were analyzed and debated over the Internet with everyone listening. The speed of the comet was not impressive by astronomical standards but a million kilometers per hour far exceeded human concepts of speed. The projected course of the comet appeared to intersect the orbit of Mars, thereby threatening a collision with Mars. When asked, The Visitor replied that the thin atmosphere of Mars would be used as a breaking mechanism. The reduced gravity would hopefully not tear the comet apart as would braking around Jupiter. The sling effect would redirect the comet and modify the course so that the comet would be trapped into Earth's gravitational well and enter Earth orbit.

From first sighting it was a few months before the comet approached Mars. The space telescopes were not needed to appreciate the comet's interaction with Mars. For a very short time Mars glowed as a miniature red sun. The direct effect on Mars was to create tremendous storms with the red dust clouds obscuring the planet surface. Rain fell on the surface of Mars for the first time in many millenniums. The orbit wobbled slightly with the contact, but stayed stable. The comet survived the encounter, but was noticeably smaller following the interaction. The lost mass contributed directly to the atmosphere of Mars.

The comet was now heading directly toward earth. The hairy comma surrounding the nucleus visually enlarged the head of the comet with the elongated tail pointing away from the solar wind. The tail was very dense following the Mars interaction, but the nucleus gradually reclaimed much of the mass which had been torn free. The comet was visibly smaller. The majority of the change was due to the loss of the comma during the breaking maneuver; the friction stripped the nucleus of all surface materials. The sight of the comet approaching Earth created a revival of the end of the world scenario. The Visitor was careful to explain the trajectory changes that were required to insure proper orbit. The minimal change would require significant force and The Visitor gave the U.N. the choice to make the changes using a small nuclear weapon or to allow it to make the change. After significant debate the Assembly requested that The Visitor take responsibility for the trajectory corrections. The Visitor accepted the responsibility and dispatched a small rocket that met the comet half way to Earth. The explosion was witnessed by the space telescopes, but could not be seen from Earth. The resulting change in trajectory was small but measurable. The new course placed the comet on a tangential course which would allow it to assume a high elliptical orbit. Despite the extensive news coverage, the now easily visible comet created great consternation amongst many people. The proposed interstellar journey created intense interest by some people, but the possible end of the world attracted even more attention. The revival in religion continued at an ever-increasing pace. The closer the comet came, the more the religious interest rose.

The actual capture of the comet by Earth's gravitational field and the creation of a new miniature moon was anticlimactic. One day the comet was rushing toward Earth and the next day it had been captured and circled the Earth in an elongated orbit. Its nearness and the reflective nature of its surface created a very bright miniature moon. The orbit was not perfectly stable and astronomers calculated that the orbit would decay over a period of 3.6 years. If the ship was not completed and launched by then, the comet would enter the atmosphere and plunge toward Earth. The possible decay of the orbit provided ongoing life to the "end of the world" contingent. The Visitor acknowledged the decay but reminded everyone that the ship was to be completed and the journey underway in less than two years.

The actual construction of the ship started almost immediately by a robotic drone dispatched from The Visitor. This drone used a high-power laser to begin boring a tunnel into the future crew habitat module. The Visitor then requested a neutron bomb be configured as a miniature heat source that would be detonated in the center of the proposed chamber. A series of miniature bombs would be required to vaporize the ice and create a 2 kilometer dome, within the 6 kilometer comet. An additional smaller cavity was to be created at the opposite end creating a 1 kilometer ice barrier between the propulsion unit and the living area. The living area was buried at least 2 kilometer, offering significant radiation protection. The vaporized ice would escape through the laser tunnel, and the thrust created by the explosions would help to stabilize the orbit of the comet.

The metallic asteroid was only 1 percent of the comet's size and was not spotted until it was within a few weeks of arrival. The Visitor again offered to let the U.N. provide the control forces to modify the trajectory of the asteroid, but again the U.N. deferred this to The Visitor. The moon was to be used as a gravitational break to slow the asteroid. A small propulsion unit was discharged from The Visitor to make the required course changes. The world press again monitored the progress of the asteroid, trying to balance the fear of an impending collision with Earth with factual reporting of the asteroid's actual trajectory. The asteroid was so much smaller and lacked the spectacular corona and tail of the comet that people did not seem to worry as much. This lack of concern changed rapidly when the asteroid entered the atmosphere for its final breaking maneuver. Despite the attempts to warn everyone that there would be a most spectacular fire ball, people were not prepared for the arrival of the asteroid. It entered the atmosphere over Europe and streaked across the sky toward Asia. The nighttime sky over Europe was lit to almost daytime brilliance with the initial amber color burning to a brilliant white as the asteroid used atmospheric friction to slow its advance. It exited the atmosphere over Asia, having thrilled or frightened most of the world's population. Only minor corrections were required to align the orbit of the asteroid with that of the comet. The small propulsion rockets were again supplied by The Visitor. The orbits would be brought into synchrony gradually over the next several weeks.

The work on the comet continued mostly by The Visitor's drones. The laser boring machine worked continuously drilling a tunnel, 10 meters in diameter, into the comet. The video pictures that were relayed from the drone revealed a crystalline tube with a fine lattice work of small heat cracks which created the image of a delicate lace tube. The boring machine encountered minimal contamination of the ice by metallic or other mineral debris. The ice was ancient pure water. The trapped gases seemed to indicate an origin outside of the solar system. The machine was capable of boring over 30 meters per day. The tunnel had to extend from the surface through the 1000 meters of protective shield and an additional 500 meters to the center of the future living Dome. The drone finished the first tunnel in 28 days.

The Earth contingent of the construction process had been fabricating a docking platform and a hatch which would circle the opening of the tunnel and supply a door mechanism. The earth side aerospace industries were not used to the rapidity of decision making and short construction times that The Visitor demanded. The U.N. had approved a budget process which made available adequate funds, but the usual bureaucratic process slowed the design and construction process almost to a halt. The industries could not agree on basic engineering standards. The U.N. special commission called together the major aerospace suppliers and in a straightforward manner said they had to choose a lead engineer who would assume responsibility for coordinating the engineering and manufacturing processes. The schedule The Visitor had proposed did not allow for the delays inherent with normal manufacturing processes. The Boeing representative said he knew of a good candidate. When asked for the name, he suggested that Mike would be available. The other representatives had all worked with Mike and concurred with the suggestion and no other candidates were even considered. The recommendation was given to the U.N. and the decision was made.

Mike had spent the last few weeks hibernating in his small apartment trying to decide what to do with his life. He was melancholy and did not respond to his friend's attempts to draw him out of the cave he had crawled into. He knew that his previous life was gone and that he needed to look for a major change. He was not actually despondent or suicidal, but his melancholy allowed him the solitude to inspect his inner self and consider his options. He needed the peace that existed within his melancholy cave in order to sort out his possibilities and desires. The few close friends he had knew that he would emerge from his cave when, and only when, he was ready. When the doorbell began to chime, Mike had just finished a simple lunch of peanut butter and honey sandwiches. He answered the door with a sour look on his face because of the intrusion into his melancholy. The expression changed quickly to one of concern when he saw the military uniforms. He did not initially recognize the official U.N. uniform, but the formal nature of the small group standing before him was enough to get his attention. The center officer asked him if he was Michael C. Harris. Mike nodded yes, and when asked for identification showed his driver's license. The officer then produced identification which said he was a U.N. military officer assigned to the special commission for construction of The Visitor's ship. He asked if they could come in and speak with Mike. Mike just shrugged his shoulders and returned to his small living room. The officer and his associates followed Mike into his apartment.

Mike asked them what they wanted and the officer replied that he was authorized to offer Mike a position on the construction team. Mike looked a little surprised and shook his head no, saying that he had quit Boeing and had no intention of working for them again. The officer nodded accepting this position, but said the position was with the U.N. directly and would actually involve supervision of the entire project. Mike looked confused and asked for more information. The officer handed him a packet which Mike opened with some tremor in his hands. As he quickly read the summary letter he realized he was being offered a commission in the U.N. forces with the position of head engineer for the construction of The Visitor's ship. When the magnitude of the offer set in, Mike just slumped into his chair. The military envoy just waited patiently while Mike settled into deep thought. After a few minutes of thought, Mike asked when the job would start and the officer said the commission was effective immediately upon Mike's acceptance and swearing in. Mike asked about his present responsibilities and the officer advised Mike that the service would tie up all loose ends for him. Mike nodded his head and said, "Let's go." They headed out the door and Mike did not even bother locking it.

As the driver proceeded to the airport at the air force base, the officer explained the obligations and responsibilities of the commission that was being bestowed upon him, but Mike did not really hear them. He was already visualizing the problems of construction based on the limited reports that he had seen in the paper. When the military transport landed at Houston, Mike began to realize that the change he knew was coming was much more drastic than he could have imagined. As the plane taxied to the ramp, Mike noticed multiple armed military guards stationed around the perimeter security fence. He was met by another U.N. officer who explained that the commissioning was being expedited and that if Mike was ready they would proceed to the Commander's office. Mike just nodded and followed the officer into the waiting car.

On arrival at the Commander's office, Mike and his escort were brought directly into the office. Inside, the Base Commander and the chairman of the U.N. commission for building the spacecraft were waiting. Introductions were brief and the chairman asked Mike if he was willing to proceed and if he had any questions. Mike nodded and asked only how long the project and obligation period were. The chairman replied that the departure date was now down to less than one year. His commission was valid until resigned by Mike and the resignation was accepted by the U.N. commission. Mike did not seem to understand the fine print about the need for his resignation to be accepted before he would be free of his commission. Mike asked to proceed. The brief commissioning service was held and Mike was transformed from a civilian to a military officer.

The administrative officer assigned to Mike escorted him around the base and expedited his uniform fitting and purchase. The uniform was definitely not tailored to Mike's physique, but despite its poor fit it signified Mike's status as an officer and gentlemen. As Mike was leaving the uniform shop, several enlisted personnel snapped to attention and saluted Mike. The admin officer advised Mike that he had to return their salute. Mike looked extremely embarrassed but managed a salute of sorts. The enlisted personnel had large smiles on their faces and Mike knew that he had already screwed up. The admin officer tried to hide his smile as he explained military protocol to Mike. The information overload just kept increasing as the admin officer struggled to convert Mike from his civilian status. Mike was taken for multiple checks in places where he was photographed, finger printed, medically examined, and administratively inducted into the U.N. forces. By the time Mike was taken to the B.O.Q. he was tired and even more confused. The admin officer said that he would report at 0700 hours to introduce Mike to the engineering team. Mike just nodded and closed the door to his quarters. The rapidity of change was overwhelming and Mike began to question the sanity of his decision. Mike headed over to the Officers Club for some supper. He was afraid that somebody would see him in uniform and salute him again, so he changed back into his casual civilian clothes.

The Officers Club was packed with a mixture of civilians and multiple different military uniforms. Mike was glad that he had shed his new military identity and hoped that he could remain inconspicuous. He was surprised that the security guard who asked for his ID was armed and very serious. After inspecting the ID the guard opened the door and invited Mike to enjoy himself. Mike inspected the lobby of the Officers Club and decided that it was essentially a country club with a military flair. He headed toward the bar for a reality check. He was hungry, but the need for a beer seemed more important. He was halfway through his brew when a guy walked over and sat next to him. Mike turned and nodded at the intrusion. His bar mate said, "You just get in?" Mike again just nodded. His new companion introduced himself and held out his hand. Mike reflexively shook his hand and said that his name was Mike Harris. The name seemed familiar to his new friend and he asked Mike if he was the new lead engineer. Mike again nodded. He then began to explain to Mike that most of the nonmilitary personnel and some of the military personnel were engineers assigned to work on Mike's team. Mike became much more interested in his companion and began to ask questions as to the progress of the team. He was not surprised that the competition between the groups had prevented almost all progress. When Mike asked about the extensive security system, he was told that the base had become a fortress because of the daily protests and threats against the project. Mike could not understand why anyone would protest the building of this ship until the reactionism of the religious fundamentalists was explained. Mike said that it figures that religion was again interfering with the progress of mankind. The discussions about the project and the lack of progress continued until it was too late for Mike to get supper.

At 0700 the admin officer presented himself at Mike's door. Mike was up but not actually ready when he answered the door. The admin officer looked surprised when he saw that Mike was in his civilian clothes. Mike knew that the surprised look meant that he was expected to be in his uniform. When he asked the admin officer if he was supposed to be wearing his uniform the officer just shook his head and said, "As a commander in the U.N. forces you are expected to wear your uniform." This drew a groan from Mike who excused himself and changed clothes.

They arrived at the engineering headquarters a few minutes late. The assembled crew was prepared for his arrival and he was more than a little startled when he was "piped aboard"with the announcement of, "Attention on deck! Arriving Commander Harris, chief of engineering section, U.N. Space Vehicle Construction Division."

Mike turned to his admin officer and asked in a low voice, "What in the hell is this?" The admin officer replied that it was a traditional welcoming ceremony and that Mike needed to salute the assembled crew. Mike did his best at producing a salute and felt relief when the assembled engineers and draftsman sat down. He followed the admin officer to the front of the assembly and took the offered seat. The admin officer then opened the proceedings by formally introducing many of the individuals. Mike was again overwhelmed by the volume of information and the formal nature of the presentations. When the introductions were complete and the time finally arrived to begin the engineering discussions, Mike actually was relieved. He was now entering his own domain.

Mike asked for a summary progress report and listened for a few minutes to the official reports that were being presented. He cut the reports short and said, "Before they proceeded I need to make a few remarks." He stood up and began to pace in front of the room. He started, "I must apologize for my lack of military bearing and protocol. I understand the need for official military status, but I probably am not capable of meeting the requirements for a traditional commander. My goal is to build this ship as per the requirements of The Visitor and to accomplish the task on schedule. In order to accomplish this goal, the entire team needs to work as a unit. We must work with imagination and complete commitment. The military chain of command will be followed outside of the engineering section, but duties and responsibilities within the section will be assigned without regard to rank or position. All internal reports are to be factual and brief, without the bureaucratic bullshit. An information officer will be assigned the responsibility for preparing all external reports from the information contained within our engineering reports. I expect that all suggestions would be brought forward and discussed freely. Traditional manufacturing techniques do not apply because of the time constraints imposed by The Visitor."

He then asked what the most immediate problem was. One of the engineers suggested that a stable docking platform was most critical. He looked at her and asked her what her name was. She identified herself as Pat Gray, section leader for the installation crew. She explained that without a reliable docking platform that the complexity of equipment transfer and setup would dramatically slow the installation of the access hatch and delay all subsequent steps. Other engineers disagreed but after listening to the discussion Mike agreed with Pat. He then asked for a review of possible docking station plans. Most of the plans required extensive material transport and construction. Mike was not satisfied with the approach being taken and asked if there existed anything in space that could be used to expedite this phase. Somebody suggested that a shuttle fuel tank was available in low orbit and maybe it could be adapted. Several people mumbled about the inappropriate selection of materials, but Mike seemed interested and asked how it would be attached to the comet. The engineer who initially suggested the tank thought that pilings could be driven into the comet to stabilize the shell. A young engineer thought that the drone could bore a hole into the comet and the end of the tank inserted into the hole. Somebody else complained that it would be very difficult to adequately stabilize the tank unless the majority was imbedded. Pat asked if the end of the tank could be cut off and the tank itself be drilled into the ice. Several people complained that the force on the tank would destroy the structure if that much torque was placed on the non-reinforced tank. Mike suggested that maybe the force could be reduced if the tank wall was heated. This created a landslide of ideas. Mike was enjoying the interaction, but knew that a decision was required. He asked if anyone could see a reason why the tank structure could not be implanted into the comet using heat and minimal torque to melt the ice, which when it re froze would secure the structure. Nobody had any significant objections. Mike made his first decision and announced the fuel tank would be used for the base of the docking platform. The safety section chief asked if there would be room within the tank for an emergency crew habitat module. The dimensions of the tank were projected and one of the N.A.S.A. engineers said that a surplus module from the initial space shuttle could be inserted within the dimensions of the tank. Teams were assigned for the drafting of protocol and designed features. These were then sent to The Visitor for approval.

The meeting broke up for lunch during which the napkins were used freely for sketches of proposed design features. The free flow of ideas which had begun with the morning planning session was continuing. The admin officer told Mike that he needed to complete some important paper work in his office and that the U.N. Commissioner was expecting a call. Mike nodded, knowing the administrative tasks had to be completed, but not enjoying the prospect. On the way to his office he asked the admin officer if he was going to continue to assist him. The admin officer said he had been assigned as Mike's administrative assistant. Mike told him that he was going to need a lot of assistance in order to stay out of trouble and complete his task.

When Mike arrived at his office, he was introduced to his section secretary who appeared to be in her late 50s or early 60s. Mary welcomed Mike aboard. Mike thanked her and asked her how long she had been with engineering section. She told Mike he had not yet started college when she started working for the U.S. Navy engineering department. Mike was heartened to realize that he had experienced people to assist him. He was mostly afraid of the military requirements and was glad that his secretary would have the experience to guide him through his transition. The admin officer showed him the stack of paperwork that awaited him and Mike groaned. He decided to call the U.N. Commissioner before attacking the paperwork. The Commissioner was very interested in the progress made on the docking platform. Mike asked him about the administrative work load, and the Commissioner agreed that Mike could use his admin officer to satisfy most of the administrative paperwork. Mike smiled when he heard this and his admin officer imitated Mike by shrugging his shoulders. Mike then handed him the pile of forms and reports and told him, "Enjoy yourself and send back only those things essential to the project." The admin officer admitted he was capable of handling most of the tasks, but that Mike would need to guide him with the engineering portion. Mike agreed. He was an engineer not an administrator.

Chapter 6: COOL FUSION

The U.N. Commission was happy with the energized progress that was now being made on The Visitor's ship. They decided it was time to approach The Visitor about the trade agreement. Everyone in the energy world was extraordinarily interested in the proposed energy source that The Visitor had agreed to share. When the commission directly brought the issue to The Visitor, they were told that as soon as a protocol for distributing the supporting technology was in place, ensuring world wide participation, the knowledge would be distributed. Initial technological requirements were released in order for the protocol to be established. Major effort was expended so that even the poorest countries would be able to participate.

When the protocols were presented, The Visitor asked only for minor changes. The theoretical concepts were then provided. The concept was remarkably simple. A tuned ultrasonic beam created microscopic bubbles in a solution that would collapse, generating pressure and heat as intense as the conditions on the Sun. This is the environment required for fusion. Molecules of heavy water with an atom of deuterium were locked inside carbon fullerenes. These complex geodesic carbon molecules, which are commonly called "Bucky Balls"in honor of Buckminister Fuller, acted as both volume controlling mechanisms and bubble initiators. The deuterium molecules were held in close approximation by the chemical bonds in the water molecules. The hollow sphere of the "Bucky Balls" controlled the bubble size that occurred when the suspension was subjected to ultrasonic energy. The bubbles that formed would collapse almost instantly, generating pressures and temperatures sufficient for fusion to occur. The fusion of the deuterium occurred releasing macroscopic quantities of nuclear energy into the suspension. The rate of the reaction was controlled by the ultrasonic frequency and intensity, and the concentration of "Bucky Balls." The reaction produced controlled amounts of fusion energy which produced clean heat which could then be used for standard energy production.

The "Bucky Balls" were a chemical phenomenon which had been studied back in the 1980s when the first complex geometric carbon chains were formed by using a high intensity arc and pure carbon. The sixty atom molecules allowed for inclusion of other molecules in their hollow center, and were amazingly stable because of the angulation of the carbon bonds. The research labs scrambled for a supply of these unusual molecules. Most chemistry departments had small quantities which were kept as interesting examples of molecular bonding with minimal commercial purpose. These limited quantities became very sought after and valuable. The Nuclear Labs had been collecting deuterium in expectation of its role in the proposed energy solution from The Visitor. The inclusion of the heavy water molecules into the "Bucky Balls" was more complex. It took the research community several days of around the clock work to develop a catalyst which could temporarily crack the carbon bonds in the "Bucky Balls" which allowed infiltration of the heavy water molecules which were then trapped when the temporary crack closed. Separation of the filled and unfilled "Bucky Balls" was accomplished with an ultra centrifuge. The first positive result was reported less than 100 hours after the information was received from The Visitor. Some labs rushed the process and used more ultrasonic energy than needed and the results were occasionally explosive when the water was superheated. Positive energy release was obtainable by everyone following the protocols as presented. The energy infrastructure began to change and the hope for clean energy appeared to have been realized. The almost unlimited supply of deuterium was available to everyone who could develop separation capabilities. The agreement with The Visitor required the U.N. to assist all nations in developing this capability. The remaining infrastructure of generators and transmission lines would require longer developing than the actual energy source.

Mike followed the development of "cool fusion" with interest, but only as a peripheral interest. When his engineering teams wanted to develop a fusion energy source, Mike said absolutely not, only existing equipment and technology would be considered. The time constraints made the development of new technology unrealistic. Standard solar panels and nuclear reactors would provide the necessary energy. Further development could occur while the ship was in transit. Mike continuously focused the engineering teams on the task at hand. Progress was occurring at a more acceptable rate, but as Mike became more aware of the engineering obstacles in completing the project, he felt less sure of himself. The docking unit was in the final stages of development and he forced himself and his teams to concentrate on this critical first phase.

The international space agencies were providing available materials and were expediting the launch of mission necessary materials and supplies. The spent fuel tank had been boosted to proper orbit and was slowly approaching the comet which would become Earth's first interstellar space vehicle. The tank was placed along the axis of rotation of the ship and The Visitor's drone began the task of cutting off one end of the tank. Small propulsive units were placed along the circumference of the tank. The drone then began to heat the open end of the tank and the propulsive units provided both the rotatory force and the penetrating force. The heat provided by the drone allowed the tank to be gradually screwed into the comet. When one third of the tank had been buried, the drone stopped the heating process and the water refroze, permanently attaching the metallic tank to the comet. The temporary docking platform was attached and in short order, the emergency habitat module was in place. Human participation in the construction process was now increasing.

The drone completed the core boring on the habitat section and began boring the propulsive section. The nuclear heating units were now placed and a series of micro explosions was utilized to create the 2 kilometer chamber. The chamber had a significant flattening on the outer surface because the spinning motion produced a centrifugal force causing a collection of the water vapor to freeze on the outer surface. This created a modified dome. An access tunnel was then created connecting the docking station and the central core. Astronauts and space workers began the arduous task of spraying the entire inside surface with a saline solution. This electrolyte solution created a conductive surface which would allow for metallic ionization plating of the inner surface. Following the completion and testing of the electrical conductivity the metallic asteroid was positioned at the opening of the dome and an ionizing charge was used to vaporize sequential portions of the asteroid. The metallic ions were attracted to the electrical charge on the surface of the dome and connecting cores. A metallic plating gradually built up. The electrical charge was varied across the surface in order to obtain a uniform buildup of the metallic surface. Sample surfaces were created and subjected to stress testing. A 20cm thick shell was required to meet the stress requirements that The Visitor had produced. The metallic alloy was mostly iron with varying amounts of other minerals. The resulting shell had reasonable malleability and excellent compression strength. The connecting channels and the central core were one continuous structure. The core seal and docking platform were now attached to the central core using one of The Visitor's drones to perform the welding.

The propulsion chamber was created and plated in a similar fashion. The engineering requirements included multiple cooling channels which maintained the frigid temperatures required for the superconductors which were being used to create the magnetic bottle. The force of this bottle contained the miniature nuclear explosions which would act as the initial propulsive force for the ship. Several slightly angled exhaust ports were created which allowed directional thrust and control of the ship. Small side thrusters were designed to act as stabilizers and were conventional rocket engines adapted to permanently attach to the ship using buried metallic pillars. The world's nuclear arsenal was to be the initial fuel supply for the ship. The nuclear reprocessing unit would be entirely automated and miniature explosives would be created. These small explosions would provide a pulsating acceleration curve. The immense mass of the ship would dampen much of the pulsation. Control of the energy would be somewhat limited and the efficiency would be relatively poor because only the mass of the explosion itself would be acting as the accelerating agent. The permanent drive would be based on a continuous flow of "Bucky Balls" into the engine compartment and the superheated water would act as a rocket mass propelling the ship at a final speed of .5 light speed. The steady state nuclear fusion required technology which was not yet available on Earth but would be manufactured during the first part of the journey. The new engine was to be completed prior to the exhaustion of the nuclear weapons.

The asteroid had lost the majority of its mass to the plating process. The residual material was anchored to the center of the drive cluster. It would provide for the metallic materials that would be needed for construction and repairs during the journey. It would be released on a long tether after the ship had reached final velocity. This would in effect elongate the ship so that centrifugal force could be used to simulate the acceleration of gravity during the long flight. When the ship was converted from the acceleration phase to the transit phase, the habitation structures would have to be rebuilt on the flattened end of the dome. The initial ground would become the sky. The larger flattened section would provide for much more space with actual individual living quarters grouped into apartment type structures. Garden areas would be established. At the end of the journey the reverse process would be required.

Chapter 7: The Ship's Crew

The Visitor provided the personnel requirements for the mission. The U.N. accepted the responsibility for recruiting and selecting the individual crew members. The Visitor did reserve the right to veto individual selections. The proposed crew would consist of 30 to 40 individuals with a diverse background. Besides the obvious need for a captain and other officers, the crew needed to have construction and machine repair capabilities. Cross-training and dual credentialing was mandatory in order to fulfill mission requirements without exceeding the roster size. The decision was made to proceed with selection of the ship's captain as the primary goal. Notification of the position was sent to all space-capable countries requesting volunteers for the position. The mission was defined as a life long mission, unaccompanied, with considerable risk. Military commissioning would be required.

The U.N. Commission was overwhelmed with the number of applications that they received. The vast majority were from non-qualified personnel. Many were from religious fanatics and other persons with questionable motives. The Commission decided to reject all applications except for those with documented space command experience. This narrowed the thousands of applications to a handful. Significant political posturing was evident and heated arguments occurred, especially between the Russian and American contingents. A Japanese astronaut was finally accepted as a compromise. His name and credentials were forwarded to The Visitor who immediately vetoed the decision, causing significant uproar both at the U.N. Commission and in Japan. The Visitor explained that the nominee lacked experience in long-term self-reliance and isolation. The U.N. Commission responded that none of their candidates had the experience that The Visitor asked for. The Visitor asked if any other applicants had the required experience if the need for actual space time was dropped. The Commission responded that they thought that the space experience was critical, but The Visitor responded that command experience was much more important. The Commission was obviously upset at the refusal of The Visitor to accept their compromise candidate, but dutifully reviewed the entire list of applicants using the criteria that The Visitor had demanded.

Captain Brezinski had been in military limbo since her attack on The Visitor. She maintained her commission, but was given no assignments. She had then been relegated to the status of a non- entity. When the announcement was made that volunteers were being sought for The Visitor's ship, she felt compelled to apply. She realized that it made no sense for her to apply because she lacked space experience. The experience on her submarine following the attack had dramatically changed her. She felt more at peace with herself, but at the same time was very uncertain as to her future. She completed her application because she felt a strong need to become part of what The Visitor represented. Her superior officers refused to forward her application because they felt she was tainted by the attack. Captain Brezinski decided to break her chain of command and forwarded the application directly to the U.N. Commission. Her military career was all but ended anyway. Another black mark on her record would not change her future, and she figured there was no harm in trying. The U.N. Commission had initially filed her application with the religious fanatics and other obviously non-qualified personnel.

When the U.N. Commission reviewed the thousands of applications, they came up with only one candidate that met the requirements that The Visitor had set forth. The irony of the situation made even the senior commissioners smile. The only candidate that met the requirements was the officer who had led the attack against The Visitor's ship. The decision to forward Captain Brezinski's nomination to The Visitor was made with a sense of mischievous delight. The fact that The Visitor accepted the nomination came as a complete surprise.

Captain Brezinski presented to her commanding officer as ordered and received the dressing down that she was expecting for having bypassed her normal chain of command. Following the very intense reprimand, the Admiral handed her an envelope stamped "confidential orders" and told her that she could open it. Captain Brezinski was already shaking following the verbal reprimand. The possibility that the envelope contained her orders to join The Visitor's mission produced an overwhelming anxiety. She opened the envelope and started reading the orders. She instinctively sat down and stared at the sheet in front of her. The orders were quite simple. They read, "You have been selected to command the special U.N. Forces manning The Visitor's ship. If you are willing to accept this position your commission will be transferred to the U.N. and you should report to the U.N. consulate immediately."

The Admiral was now smiling and asked Captain Brezinski if she was willing to accept the position. Captain Brezinski stood at attention and saluted the admiral saying, "I accept this position for myself and my country."

The admiral stepped around the desk and extended his hand in congratulations. He said, "Russia is proud of you and I know that you will represent us well." He informed her that a car was waiting outside and that she should report immediately. Captain Brezinski saluted the Admiral and performed a formal about face, leaving her homeland and former career.

The driver saluted Captain Brezinski and opened the door for her. He advised her she was to be taken directly to the U.N. consulate. Captain Brezinski entered the car after having unconsciously returned his salute. Thoughts were racing through her mind and she was not aware of the short trip to the consulate. Upon arriving at the consulate, a formal military guard was waiting. They saluted and after Captain Brezinski returned the salute they escorted her into the consulate. Waiting with the U.N. Ambassador was the commanding officer of the U.N. forces. Introductions were brief and the commanding officer reviewed the mission goals as far as they were known. He reminded Captain Brezinski that the mission was strictly volunteer and that it would be lifelong. Captain Brezinski just nodded. He then asked her if she was willing to accept the position and the transfer of her commission to the U.N. Forces. Captain Brezinski replied that she was willing to accept the position and its requirements. A brief swearing-in ceremony was held and Captain Brezinski became the commanding officer of The Visitor's ship and crew. The U.N. Ambassador told Captain Brezinski that she had six hours to prepare for departure to the training site which had been established in Australia. Captain Brezinski was driven back to her apartment which was essentially bare. She packed a small duffel of personal belongings and sat on the edge of her bed. She felt as if she should call and tell somebody the good news, but her only remaining friends were her fellow officers aboard the submarine. They had been scattered across the military bureaucracy with orders to maintain secrecy. She knew that Russia would no longer be her home and that she was beginning a new life just as she had when she had accepted her commission on the submarine. She returned to the car with intense anticipation and with surprising little dread.

The U.N. Commission began to recruit and fill the remaining officer billets and science positions. They appointed screening advisory councils to further delineate the individual requirements. Having a computer perform the initial screening of the applications in order to insure that all applicants had acceptable credentialing reduced the number of applications from several million for each published position, to a few hundred. These pre-selected applications were then referred to the advisory councils for further review. The top candidates were then sent for psychological evaluation and those remaining were actually invited for interviews.

Doc Jules had been following the story of the ship's progress with keen interest and when the call for a medical officer came forth, Doc Jules applied immediately. The requirements for the medical officer included the need for surgical experience and general medical experience. He knew that his surgical experience was probably satisfactory but that his general medical skills had suffered. Medicine had become so dependent upon magnetic resonance imaging that they had changed the designation of the medical degree from the traditional M.D. or D.O. degrees to an M.R.D. degree. This new degree was also being awarded to practicing physicians who could document adequate training with magnetic resonance testing. He had always been a hands-on physician. This stemmed at least in part from his Osteopathic background. He found that the physical examination of patients was the central element of diagnosis and relied on MRI diagnostic testing only as a supplement. He completed the application in part to hide from his tragic loss and partially for the adventure that it represented. His application proceeded through the initial screening procedures and he was notified that he had been selected for an interview.

The interview process involved formal interviews with leaders of the medical establishment as well as a battery of psychological tests. A rating was given in many categories and only those candidates with a sufficient score were forwarded onto the final selection committee. The interviewing technique became much more aggressive with the final selection committee and a list of four finalists was forwarded to The Visitor and to Captain Brezinski.

He had scored well in all categories except for his knowledge of MRI testing. The leaders of the medical establishment had recommended that his name be dropped because of this deficiency, but the committee as a whole decided to include his name. It was obvious that his lack of the politically correct, MRD degree was more of a political handicap than an operational shortcoming.

All four of the final candidates were flown to Australia for the final interview with Captain Brezinski. The Trans-Pacific Flight in the Military Transport was not particularly exciting, but visiting with the other three finalists was interesting. All four candidates had military experience and were free to leave because of major changes in their lifestyles. This freedom from strong personal ties appears to have been a major criterion for the selection committee. The hazardous and lifelong nature of the mission mandated that those individuals with significant ties to family or home had to be excluded for the sake of the remaining crew members. The four finalists had very similar credentials and they debated who would be chosen for the position. The French surgeon had the strongest academic credentials and he seemed confident that he would be chosen. Doc Jules knew that his chances were probably the poorest because of his lack of training in MRI testing.

They were met as a group by Captain Brezinski and the mission requirements were again reviewed. During the individual interviews, Captain Brezinski asked each of them how they would treat an open fracture of the leg if there was an emergency loss of all power except for the life support system. The French surgeon replied that treatment would wait until power was restored to the diagnostic unit. He also stated that not including the MRI unit on the emergency power circuit was a serious mistake which should be corrected immediately. Doc Jules was surprised at the question and after a few seconds replied that he would set the fracture by palpation and use simple splints to stabilize the leg until the appropriate equipment was available. Captain Brezinski was impressed with Doc Jules' logical and expedient approach. His evaluation had included the negative comment that "Doc Jules represented the old-fashioned touchy-feely type of physician." Captain Brezinski decided that this was not a negative but an advantage.

Doc Jules was asked to return to the captain's office after all the interviews were completed. Captain Brezinski asked, "Have you recovered enough from the death of your family that you can make an honest decision about joining the mission?"

Doc Jules responded, "I do not know if I will ever recover fully from my loss. My loss does give me the freedom to proceed with the mission and the mission gives me the opportunity to begin anew. I will be capable of performing my duties." Captain Brezinski offered him the position and he spontaneously arose, saluted her, and accepted the position.

Brother Simon knew of the recruitment effort for a geneticist for The Visitor's mission, but he had not considered the position. When he was called to the Abbot's office and was questioned about the position, he was unable to supply much information. He was surprised when the Abbot asked him to apply for the position. The Abbot told Brother Simon he was the world's premier geneticist and that a member of the Church should accompany this mission. Brother Simon nodded and said he would forward his application, but that his age may represent a detriment. The Abbot thanked him for being willing to accept the calling. They prayed together that "God's will be done."

Brother Simon forwarded his application and patiently waited. He participated in the interview process with many of his academic colleagues. The interview committee expressed concern regarding his age, but because of his high academic standing they felt obligated to forward his name along with the other finalists. The Visitor did not object to Brother Simon's age and he was included in the final four, who were taken to Australia for final selection by Captain Brezinski. During this interview Captain Brezinski quite pointedly asked Brother Simon if he could separate his religion from the work of the crew. Brother Simon responded, "My religion is part of me and is inseparable from my work. I do acknowledge the individual nature of belief and would not impose my beliefs on other crew members." When asked about his age, Brother Simon replied, "I am willing to overlook the young age of the other crew members because I understood that not enough people of my maturity are available for the crew."

Captain Brezinski enjoyed the sincere humor of the reply and decided that Brother Simon was her choice. When Brother Simon advised the Abbot of his selection, the Abbot held a prayer ceremony and released Brother Simon from all of his vows except for his allegiance to God. Brother Simon had essentially no personal possessions to pack except for his clothes and his personal computer, which he was granted by the Abbot. He accepted the new responsibility willingly, and despite his very quiet demeanor was excited about the adventure.

The selection of the ship's engineering was becoming the most difficult issue to resolve. The politics and lack of truly outstanding applicants was making the decision most difficult. When a tentative decision had been made and Mike was advised of the results, he lost his temper and stormed into the director's office. He demanded that the decision be rescinded. The director told him that neither he nor Mike had any say in the decision. Mike threatened to resign before he would turn his work over to an incompetent engineer to ruin. The director reminded Mike that he had a commission that was valid until the project was complete and that he could not resign. This settled Mike down some and he began to actually discuss the issue. The director told Mike that nobody particularly liked the choice, but that no one better qualified had applied. He then asked Mike if he was sure that his dislike was based on fact and not on personality conflict or the fact that he had been Mike's competitor. Mike replied that he had always been glad that the competition had been hobbled with him, which had allowed his Boeing Team to dominate for years.

After an hour of intense discussions with the exploration of multiple alternatives, the director called the U.N. selection committee and asked if they would reconsider their choice. They replied that the position would be officially filled at 4:00 p.m. and that if Mike and the director could not find an acceptable candidate within the few remaining hours that the selection would proceed. Mike was actually distraught with the choice and was lamenting when the director told him that the only other course of action would be for Mike to take the position. Mike objected. He did not even like to fly much less travel to a different solar system. The director then said that they would have to support the U.N. selection committee. Mike just groaned and returned to his own office.

He and Mary had no sooner returned to the stack of paperwork that they were working on, when his work was again interrupted by a call from the base operator. Mary was excusing herself to take the call in her outer office when Mike said, "Just answer the damn phone in here so that we can get back to work!" Mary picked up the phone and listened to the base operator explain that there was an emergency phone call for Mike from his wife. When Mary relayed this message to Mike, he immediately corrected her, "That would be my ex-wife. Put the call through, Mary, on the speaker phone." Mary accepted the call and started to leave the room, but Mike motioned for her to sit down and said, "You might as well stay and enjoy the comedy." When the operator said, "Go ahead, please." Mike said, "Hello, Tisch, what is the emergency this time?"

A woman's voice responded, "Mike, you know my name is now Teanna, and I called you because the Rev. Director has had a revelation and realized that the mission that you are working on is not the work of God but of the anti-Christ. He told me that you must immediately quit working for The Visitor and this mission."

Mike was shaking his head and his eyes rolled back when he replied, "And why does his Highness think that I am now working for this anti-Christ?"

Tisch replied, "The Rev. Director said that because The Visitor has not chosen any of our people for the mission, but instead chose a representative of the Pope who himself is a servant of the anti-Christ. It is obvious that the mission is itself a work of the anti-Christ."

Mike listened to this explanation with a frown on his face shaking his head. He replied "And because of this religious infighting I am to drop my work and ignore the commission that I have accepted?"

Tisch responded, "I am trying to save your soul and prevent the power of evil from gaining control."

Mike thanked her for her concern and said he would consider what she was asking and thanked her for calling.

Mary looked at him in a questioningly manner and asked, "And what was that about?"

"When I married Tisch she was a vibrant young woman full of life and adventure. When her mother died suddenly, Tisch began to search for solace in religion and got hooked up with this bunch of fanatics called the Branch Divines. It was so bad that I even had her hospitalized in an attempt to reverse the brain washing, but the damn doctors said that she was okay and released her. Tisch then divorced me, changed her name, and moved into their commune. Now the only time I hear from her is when her religious leaders want something."

Mary's only reply was a quiet "Oh."

Mike got up and walked back down the hall to the director's office, poked his head into the office and mumbled that he would accept the position. The director nodded and asked why he had changed his mind. Mike replied, "Let's just say that I just had a religious revelation." The director just looked puzzled and called the selection Committee chairman and told him that Mike would accept the position. The chairman said that they would fax the agreement and that if Mike signed it they would change their recommendation, but that Mike would still need to be approved by The Visitor and Captain Brezinski. Mike signed the document and left the office with the feeling that he had been had. He was secretly happy to continue his work, but his fear of flying left him with a queasy feeling in his gut.

The Visitor approved Mike without any delay and arrangements were made to expedite his interview with Captain Brezinski. Mike did not relish a transoceanic flight and accepted the need for the trip with significant complaining. He brought enough paper work along to keep himself occupied, but found that his mind would wander to thoughts of the adventure which he had grudgingly volunteered for. He slept fitfully during the extended flight. He was met with a small U.N. military guard who escorted him to Captain Brezinski's office. He was not recovered from the long flight and probably was not yet thinking clearly. When he was shown into the captain's office, he was surprised to realize that Captain Brezinski was a woman. He had a shocked expression on his face and just stammered, "You're a woman."

Captain Brezinski's initial stern expression dissolved into a smile and then into a hearty laugh. Mike did not know how to respond, but found his face getting progressively hotter. He finally apologized for his comment and tried to explain that he did not watch TV and that his exposure to the popular news was minimal. Captain Brezinski accepted his apology and asked if her gender changed his decision to apply for the mission. Mike honestly answered that he had never considered working for a female boss, but that he didn't think it was a problem. Captain Brezinski said she was impressed with the progress Mike had made on the ship and that she would be happy to have him as a member of her crew. Mike did his best to salute and thanked the Captain for accepting his application.

When asked if he had any questions or reservations, Mike replied that he was a little concerned about the initial space flight. The Captain promised that he would have adequate training so that he could accomplish the transfer to space without difficulty. Mike just nodded, keeping his phobia about flying to himself. After several more minutes of discussion concerning the details of the ship's propulsion system, the Captain congratulated Mike and welcomed him aboard. Mike responded with a less than military "thanks" and a simple salute. The Captain returned his salute with a smile and wished him "good speed" on his return to the construction site in Texas. Mike left with a good feeling about his new "boss", but still with a little dread regarding the actual space flight. He did not think that living and working in the "ship" itself would be a problem, but he was concerned about transitioning into space. His return flight to Texas was much less stressful and he actually completed most of the paperwork that he had brought with him.

The remaining crew selection proceeded along similar lines, and with six months left prior to departure the crew was complete. The training process was individualized for each crew member. Extensive cross-training was accomplished in order to insure adequate capability in each area of responsibility. The scientific crew members spent the majority of their training adapting to space travel and learning specific ship responsibilities. The construction and maintenance personnel as well as the few experienced space personnel spent a large portion of their training learning technical fields in order to serve as assistants and backup personnel. The crew was organized along standard military lines of command, but the nature of the mission required a blending of responsibilities. All personnel would be involved with construction and maintenance duties and all crew members would have technical and scientific responsibilities.

Chapter 8: Transport

The decision to utilize a chain of space station modules as the initial living and working quarters had markedly improved the construction schedule. Mike's plan was to weld the individual units to the structure of the ship. A module from the international space station program was to be utilized as a central working station and the multiple docking ports were to be connected to space station habitat modules with standard air locks. The use of 8 separate modules for quarters, maintenance and the "sick bay" made the structure appear as a stubby spider walking on a very large bowl. Much to the chagrin of the U.N. Commander, the structure was nicknamed the "arachnid" and the name stuck. Even the engineering department referred to it as the "arach structure." The entire perimeter of each structure was welded to the metallic surface of the ship's interior and individual air locks were secured between the units. Utilizing the existing modules markedly simplified the construction and each module contained its' own life support system. Only minor modifications were required to the basic modules.

Space transport required a global commitment. The Soviet heavy lift rockets were the primary lift mechanism for the modules and supplies. The space shuttle was brought out of retirement and used for transportation of workers and smaller pieces of equipment. The Boeing space plane was completing its testing and was expected to contribute to the final transport of personnel. Essentially all the launch capability of the Earth was being utilized for the ship construction. Storage space was limited in the initial structure, but an immense automatic storage facility was being completed as part of the drive section of the ship. This unit was divided into storage for the nuclear fuel, essential metals, rocket fuel components and basic supplies for a nearly indefinite voyage. The ship would require the development of a miniature ecosystem which would simulate the carbon and oxygen cycles of Earth. The initial phase of the journey was dependent on stores brought on board, but after acceleration was complete and the permanent habitat was constructed, a biological conversion was needed. A large portion of the Earth's industrial and scientific efforts were being expended to meet the mandated construction schedule.

The ship's library was going to contain a sample of DNA from a representative sample of most living organisms and multiple samples of biologically significant species. Brother Simon had the task of orchestrating the collection and preservation of this material. The genetics community worldwide became involved in the process. This Aark" differed from the biblical Aark" in form but the intent was the same. The religious significance of this became the newest focus for controversy. Brother Simon worked with an intense zeal to complete this task. When interviewed he was always asked about the "ark" and he patiently explained that the world has needed this collection. The Visitor's request had stimulated the scientific community to rapidly accelerate their previous efforts. A duplicate repository was being constructed on Earth. The rapid loss of species to extinction made this effort essential. Every interview seemed to contain a religious section which he always answered using the standard U.N. verbiage, "This is a mission of science." When pressed about his religious affiliation, he would state, "I am who I am, and The Visitor and the captain have accepted me based on my ability. My religion represents my personal beliefs and everyone is entitled to their own beliefs."

He was frequently asked if his selection implied that the Catholic viewpoint was The Visitor's choice and he always pointed out that the crew was composed of people from many religious traditions including atheist. The next most popular question concerned his age, to which he replied, "This commitment is for a life-long voyage which will be longer for some than others." All of the crew members and especially Captain Brezinski were continuously approached, almost hounded, by the media. The U.N. command finally agreed to limit the availability of all crew members to specific media appearances. This significantly improved the efficiency and the morale of the crew. Mike had refused all media interaction and depended upon his admin officer to satisfy the media request.

Construction of the ship was on schedule. The departure date was only five months in the future when the message came from The Visitor. It was more of an order than a message. It simply said, "Launch of the Earth mission 'Genesis' has been advanced three months. Departure from the solar system must be expedited. Use of a gravitational sling around Jupiter will be required. All future communications with the ship will be routed through secure channels. Following the sling a communication blackout will be in effect."

No other information was forthcoming despite U.N. demands for a more complete explanation. Captain Brezinski accepted the change in a military fashion. It was her duty to carry out her orders. The U.N. debated long and hard about the change despite their limited knowledge and lack of choices. Mike grumbled about the change in schedule, but his team adapted quickly. They concentrated on completing the drive and control systems. The standard testing protocols became meaningless. The initial firing of their nuclear rockets would be used to launch them out of Earth orbit on their way to Jupiter. If their systems did not function as designed their entire mission would be scrubbed. Doc Jules was faced with a new set of challenges with the requirement of a gravitational sling around Jupiter. The Visitor provided the physiologic requirements and his team of consultants worked to develop the protocols for protecting the crew from the severe physiologic stresses they were to undergo. The capabilities of the auto supplier would be essential for constructing the safety tanks that would be required.

Captain Brezinski was eager to assume direct command of the ship despite the sinister sounding changes in the plans. The change in the departure date meant that final construction would have to occur during the flight. Plans were made for her transfer to the ship along with Mike. When advised of the early transfer, Mike became almost agitated. He petitioned Captain Brezinski to change the plans in order for him to continue his engineering at the center. Captain Brezinski did not understand why Mike preferred to stay on the Earth rather than transfer to the ship. Mike gave several reasons, none of which seemed truly significant. The Captain agreed to the delay but admonished Mike to, "Complete your Earth-based task and transfer to the ship ASAP." Mike assured her that he should expedite his transfer. The other crew members were assigned a transfer order based on their duties and responsibilities.

Captain Brezinski and Doc Jules presented to the launch facility at Cape Canaveral for their transfer. At the final check in, the launch personnel admonished Doc Jules for exceeding the weight limit for his personal belongings. He admitted his bag was full of books which added extra weight, but he thought they should be allowed. Captain Brezinski actually was smiling and asked Doc Jules, "Why do you need books with the computer The Visitor is supplying?"

Doc Jules replied, "The knowledge these books provide is based on my interaction with the writer and my previous study of them. I can not get that from a computer data base." Captain Brezinski accepted this rationale and agreed to allow Doc Jules to use her unused weight allowance. The remainder of the transfer protocol proceeded without incident. When they had an opportunity to examine the space shuttle closely, they were amazed at how small the ship appeared attached to the external fuel tank. The heat shield tiles had been replaced so frequently that the color mix now represented a complex mosaic. The shuttle Captain welcomed them aboard and apologized for the appearance of his ship. Industry had stepped forward and had produced enough spare parts to keep the shuttles flying, but the niceties like color matching were forgotten. The transfer schedule was so tight that only mission critical maintenance was being performed. Each shuttle was now flying more missions for this project than they were initially designed for.

The launch went smoothly and the acceleration was exhilarating, but the transition to free fall and weightlessness was very disconcerting. The time schedule was so tight that the amount of training was limited and the transition was more traumatic than ideal. The first view of the Earth from space was awesome and several moments of silence passed before Captain Brezinski said, "I have viewed the Earth from under the surface of the ocean which made it seem immense, but the view from space shows how small our world is." They were able to enjoy the view from the small windows for most of a day while the orbit of the shuttle and the ship were aligned. Docking was with the modified fuel tank which had been partially buried into the side of their new ship. The Captain and Doc Jules were dressed in the transfer space suits. These suits were much lighter than the traditional EVA suits and provided minimal heating and radiation blocking capability. The airlock was cycled and the transfer made to their new ship. The trip along the axis to the emergency habitat module was an obstacle course of not so graceful maneuvering around the equipment which was stored in the station. The lighting was harsh and cast deep shadows which intensified the surreal atmosphere. The section chief seemed to gracefully float around the machinery without difficulty. Doc Jules discovered that the principle of inertia still applied and that he had a lot of adapting to do.

Entering the cramped emergency habitat module provided some relief from the sense of complete loss of control. Introductions were begun by the section chief who opened her shield and said, "Hello I am Tina Rogers the section chief." After the remaining introductions Tina got right back to work. She told the Captain, "Crew shift change will begin in two hours and we will need the shuttle craft for the change." She apologized for her inability to spend more time introducing them to their new ship but her crew had to take precedence.

Captain Brezinski nodded in agreement. Tina led them to another airlock and checked to make sure their helmets were secure before cycling the airlock. This larger airlock contained a small submarine. At Captain Brezinski's suggestion, they had adapted a small compressed-air-powered jet submarine. These commercially available submarines held four persons and used a compressed air tank to create small controlled jets for propulsion. In the vacuum of space, the controlled jets now acted as miniature rockets providing propulsion and control to the vehicle. The water of the asteroid was being utilized as an oxygen source and the hydrogen byproduct was being compressed and used as the propulsion gas for the submarine. The friction-free and gravity-free characteristics of the ship made these miniature boats ideal for transportation within the enormous ship.

Captain Brezinski climbed into the copilot's seat after Tina had climbed into the pilot's seat. Doc Jules maneuvered himself into the rear seat with the two bags. It was tighter than the back seat of a Volkswagen Beetle. The bulky space suite made it even smaller. The hatch would not close properly until Doc Jules moved one of the bags onto his lap. This further confined him. With the hatch now safely closed, Tina ran through her checklist and began powering up the ship. The suits were connected to the ship's life support system. The ship began to silently glide forward and the outer airlock opened. They entered a dark tube which had only small emergency lights. The tube seemed smaller than the ship and Doc Jules spoke up, "Are you sure this thing fits?"

Tina laughed and said, "It has always fit before." She then explained that small strip magnets were placed longitudinally along the shaft and that the opposing magnets on the transport kept them pretty well centered. Unless the pilot really tried, the transport would make the journey to the central corridor without touching the side wall despite the close clearance. The shaft was almost 2000 meters long and angled into the center of the ship. The close metallic walls, which were only dimly lit by the shuttle's lights, suddenly disappeared. They had entered the large central corridor which led to the "Arach Structure" within the dome. The blackness persisted until Tina gradually turned the shuttle and began traveling down this huge shaft. A definite light was visible ahead. The shuttle picked up a little speed and they soon entered the habitat module which was diffusely lighted by several bands of lights. The relative immensity of the dome was in stark contrast to the cramped shuttle. The shuttle continued to a docking airlock and came to a silent halt, and as Tina powered down the shuttle the airlock closed.

As soon as the green indicator light flashed Tina opened the hatch on the shuttle and climbed out. Captain Brezinski sat for a minute before exiting the craft. When she was finally able to compose herself in the micro-gravity of her new ship, she stood at attention and saluted. Doc Jules climbed out of the rear seat and one of the bags he had on his lap started to float away. Tina grasped the bag and returned it to him with an obvious smile. She said he would adapt quickly enough as she cycled the airlock. They entered the larger central module and the airlock closed behind them. The central module seemed very small to Doc Jules when compared to the actual size of their ship. He mentioned the diminutive size and Captain Brezinski laughed saying, "This module is larger than the entire operating portion of my submarine." The Bridge was being installed with large video monitors filling one wall of the structure. An empty metal cabinet was below the monitors, which measured 1 by 2 by 3 meters. Extensive wiring and optical cables were running to the cabinet. Captain Brezinski asked the construction crew when the computer would be installed.

"We were told that the computer would be delivered tomorrow and that we could begin installation then," Tina replied.

"How long before the computer would be operational?" asked Captain Brezinski.

"The computer is supposed to be self-contained and operational except for the multiple inputs," was the reply.

Captain Brezinski was obviously excited to begin interacting with the computer. Doc Jules did not share the Captain's enthusiasm for the computer. His lack of excitement was evident. The Captain asked him "Why are you not excited about directly interacting with the intelligence of another world?"

Doc Jules replied, "Does the computer actually represent the intelligence of another world? Or is it a simple data storage device? Or even worse, is it a mechanical master that we will have to serve? Why has the departure date been moved up?"

The Captain smiled and said, "I believe The Visitor is benevolent and we have the great opportunity of representing our race to the larger community."

Doc Jules shook his head and asked the Captain how she could be so sure. The Captain just smiled and changed the subject by asking Doc Jules, "Do you have any idea why Mike has delayed transferring to the ship?" Doc Jules thought for a few minutes and responded that the only thing in Mike's profile was a minor blip in the psychological profile which suggested some repressed fears about flying. The Captain nodded and recalled that Mike had admitted a concern about the initial space flight.

***

Mike was not having a good night. His sleep was disrupted by dreams that only an engineer could have. His mind pictured the multitude of details in the space shuttle, identifying the potential failure of the individual components. He did not actually visualize a crash of the shuttle, but instead pictured a sequential cascade of individual component failures. He awoke feeling drained and more worried about the journey into space than ever. When he arrived at his office, Mary greeted him with a hearty, "Good morning Sir."

Mike was able to produce only a grunted, "Morning." Mary asked him if he had had a tough night. Mike replied, "I spent the whole night re-engineering the space shuttle components and noting their failure probability. The shuttle is outmoded technology and the fleet has got to be feeling the effects of their repeated high G launchings and reentering."

Mary nodded and said she understood his concern. She then asked Mike if he had heard that the Boeing Space plane had completed its testing and that it was scheduled for a trial docking with the ship in three days. Mike was a little surprised that the testing had progressed so completely. Mary then asked if an observer from their command should be present to document the event. Mike began to nod his head and continued her line of reasoning. He said, "An engineer from this department should be on hand and the selection should be done by this office." Mary smiled and asked if she should contact Boeing and the U.N. project director. Mike told her to, "Expedite the request to the director but leave the Boeing Contact to me."

Mike called the chief project engineer at Boeing and asked if there would be room for an observer from his department to accompany the crew during the upcoming docking exercise. The engineer said that plenty of room was available. The observer would have to be present at Edwards Airforce Base for boarding 4 hours prior to departure and that full security clearance was required in addition to active flight status. Mike said he would have an observer cleared and present for boarding on time. The engineer said that he would make the necessary changes in the manifest and asked for the name. Mike replied, "List the observer as a U.N. space project engineer and I will take care of the rest." They visited for a while, discussing how routine space travel was becoming and how the space plane made space travel almost as simple as transoceanic flight. Mike was actually smiling when he finished the conversation. Mary came in and saw the relief on his face and knew he had secured room on the docking mission. She had already obtained the project director's approval for the observer's position.

Mike asked her to prepare a leave request for the next week and asked when the next transfer to the ship on the shuttle was scheduled for. Mary was a little puzzled about the request for the space shuttle info but said that it was in 10 days. Mike explained that everyone needed to know that he was coming and that she should schedule him aboard the mission. He placed his name in the data section of the director's approval and sat back looking relaxed. Mary had to smile at the dramatic change that had occurred. Mike spent the rest of the day finalizing his preparations and notifying his personnel about his upcoming absence and expected transfer to the ship.

Mike made the trip from Houston to Edwards Airforce Base the next day and presented to security for check in. His orders and ID were scrutinized and he was allowed to proceed only after the computer documented his fingerprint identification. He then presented to the officer of the day, who again reviewed his orders before sending him to the crew room for the pre-flight briefing. The crew was just beginning to assemble and when the pilot came in he immediately recognized Mike. The hearty "Hello" was quickly followed by, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Mike just shrugged his shoulders and said that, "An engineer is needed to observe the docking maneuver and I volunteered."

The pilot seemed to accept this at first and then remarked "But you hate flying." Mike just shrugged his shoulders and said that somebody had to volunteer and he decided that he wanted to make the flight in the space plane that he had designed before leaving on the ship. The pilot could accept this reasoning and welcomed him aboard. Mike ignored most of the preflight briefing and concentrated on controlling his fear of flying.

The small crew was driven out to the tarmac and Mike smiled when they rounded the last hangar and he saw the space plane. It was not designed for beauty but like many things that are well designed it had a symmetry and gracefulness which were without a doubt beautiful. The crew began the final pre-flight inspection and Mike just watched, just as he had during the many test flights. He had never before wanted to experience the flight characteristics and was content to analyze the data following each flight. The plane had accomplished its initial space flights without major problems and if the docking was successful, it would be released for duty within the next month. Unfortunately, the ship was scheduled for departure soon after, which would not allow the space plane to contribute significantly to the construction process. The space plane was dwarfed by the military transports, being about the size of an attack bomber. The delta wing required a very long takeoff roll but the weight savings of avoiding a conversion from a high lift wing to a high speed wing made the takeoff compromise acceptable. Mike boarded with the rest of the crew and strapped himself in. The helmet seemed a little bit of overkill with the pressurization, but the flight engineer said that the noise reduction and ease of communication made it worthwhile. The engine start and run up sounded like that of a high performance fighter, which is what the space plane most closely resembled. Despite the minimal fuel load and light load, the plane accelerated slowly and the runway seemed to pass by for an excessive amount of time. Mike began to worry that they would run out of runway before rotation speed was reached. His fears were relinquished only when the wheels left the ground and they were air-born.

The plane rose gradually over the California Desert. The scram jet engines were not efficient at the low speeds and altitude, but were essential for the final climb and acceleration to orbital velocity. The interior of the plane was sparse, reflecting a military background. As the plane approached it's refueling altitude of 40,000 feet, Mike was able to visualize the KC 10 on the radar screen but was unable to visually identify it until they were within a half mile of the immense tanker. As the pilot locked onto the directional signal and approached to within a few feet of the long tail which extended from the rear of the KC 10, control was assumed by the airforce refueling tech. Mike knew the intricate details of in-air refueling, but the closeness required to actually accomplish the feat was amazing. These two large jet aircraft were flying at Mach .7 at 40,000 feet and control of both planes was assumed by a young airforce technician who sat at a terminal playing what appeared to be a computer game. He very deftly closed the gap between the planes until the maneuverable tail could be inserted into the refueling port of the space plane. Transfer of a full load of fuel was now accomplished and after several minutes the technician announced satisfactory transfer and he separated the planes. Control was returned to the respective pilots. The copilot documented complete filling of the fuel tanks.

With its fuel tanks full and sufficient speed the scram jet engines were now in their realm. The plane's performance was improving at the very time that traditional jet engines were maxed out. As the plane began its ascent to the 100,000 ft. level the copilot opened the oxygen intake port. Mike had adapted the oxygen concentrating technology used in medical oxygen systems to his design. By accumulating the oxygen after refueling, the takeoff weight of the plane had been kept to a manageable level. As the plane ascended the gradually thinning air was forced against the oxygen permeable membrane at high pressure forcing the oxygen molecules through and rejecting the remainder of the air molecules. Compressors transferred the oxygen to high pressure tanks which were cooled by the expanding waste gases from the oxygen port to -65 degrees C. The gradual ascent to 100,000 ft. allowed sufficient time for adequate oxygen accumulation and reduced the G-forces to airline levels. As the fuel weight declined the weight of the oxygen increased. During this routine portion of the flight, Mike and the pilot discussed the space plane design and performance.

When the copilot was satisfied that sufficient oxygen had been obtained, the pilot increased acceleration to Mach 7. When the space plane reached the 100,000 ft. level the pilot ordered conversion to rocket operation. The air intakes were gradually closed on the scram jet engines and the pressurized oxygen was substituted as the oxidizing agent. The jet fuel now became rocket fuel. The very low density of the air molecules allowed for rapid acceleration. Mike was acutely aware of the increased G-Force and the change in attitude of the plane. He also became aware of the blackness of the sky away from the sun. They used the majority of their fuel and oxygen during this acceleration. A secondary refueling for landing was possible but was unlikely to be needed. The plane would use a very shallow reentry angle and act as a glider for most of the return journey. When they reached orbital velocity of 18,000 miles per hour, the pilot cut the engines and Mike experienced the weightlessness of freefall.

He did not enjoy the experience. The vertigo he was expecting did not develop until he tried moving around. He was thankful for the motion sickness patch that he had applied behind his ear. As the plane rotated he saw the Earth through the small windows. He, like all those before him, was able to fully appreciate the beauty of the Earth only after he had left it. The pilot asked him, "How do you like the view?"

Mike responded, "The view is spectacular, even more so because I have left earth for good."

The pilot was surprised and said, "We will be returning in 32 hours."

Mike replied, "I forgot to mention that I was transferring to the ship and would not be returning."

The pilot said, "I can't leave you up here."

Mike showed him his orders for transfer on the next shuttle launch and said, "I much prefer riding with you and appreciate the lift."

The pilot advised Mike that he would have to obtain authorization for the transfer. Mike agreed that Captain Brezinski would have to allow him permission to come aboard. The flight engineer was asked to raise Captain Brezinski on the radio. When the Captain was available the pilot identified himself, "This is the pilot of space plane No. 1 requesting authority to transfer Commander Mike Harris to your command."

The Captain was silent for just a few seconds and responded, "And did the commander enjoy the ride in his own plane?"

The pilot responded with an affirmative. Captain Brezinski then approved the transfer and arranged for one of the submarine pilots to meet Mike at the air lock.

As the space plane gradually approached the ship, everyone on board was amazed at the relative size of the comet which was being converted into Mike's new ship and home. As they slowly maneuvered into docking position the docking mechanism was extended from beneath the nose of the plane. This created the image of a sturgeon-like sucker mouth extending from beneath the pointed nose of the plane. This extension was brought into contact with the mating module on the ship. The mechanical cam engaged locking the space plane and the ship together. The copilot announced successful docking.

Mike was more than relieved when the pilot requested permission from Captain Brezinski to allow Mike's transfer to the ship. Captain Brezinski responded, "Permission to transfer is granted and we welcome Commander Harris aboard." Mike was so emotionally spent from the journey that he completed his transfer in an almost mechanical fashion. When he reached the Arachnid and transferred through the air lock, Captain Brezinski was waiting. She again welcomed Mike aboard and said, "You do not like flying very much."

Mike just nodded and then apologized for his unorthodox arrival saying, "The use of primitive rockets seems to multiply the dangers of travel unnecessarily and I was having a hard time with the concept of the space shuttle." Captain Brezinski accepted his explanation and recommended that Mike make getting some sleep his top priority. Doc Jules offered some sleeping medication to help Mike. Mike refused and said, "Now that I am done flying, I should be able to sleep without difficulty." Doc Jules said that he might have some trouble adapting to the zero gravity and if he was having trouble sleeping to just ask for the medicine. Mike just nodded and asked for help to his quarters.

After Mike had left, Captain Brezinski asked Doc Jules his opinion regarding Mike's behavior. Doc Jules thought for a minute and replied, "We all have our personal fears and internal demons that we must wrestle with and I think that Mike won this battle." The Captain wanted his opinion about Mike's ability to continue the mission and Doc Jules said, "If Mike can accept this converted comet as an Earth replacement then he will have minimal difficulty." He expected Mike to adapt within a few days. Mike amazed even Doc Jules by appearing to have adapted almost immediately the next day. He attacked the remaining engineering and construction details with the same intensity as he had on Earth and never complained about the living conditions. Captain Brezinski worried about the remaining crew's reaction to Mike's refusal to ride on the space shuttle, but the rest of the crew transferred without incident.

Chapter 9: Sling shot

The journey had been underway for several months, but the passage of time had not been noticed by the crew. Captain Brezinski had demanded a severe work schedule in order to prepare for the first major stress on their ship. Acceleration of the ice ball that the crew now called home required an enormous amount of energy. The use of Jupiter's gravitational field to sling shot them on their way would significantly reduce their resource use. The huge planet appeared larger on the screen every time that Doc Jules looked at it. Subjecting the human body to 15 g's for several days while their ship was drawn into the crushing gravity of Jupiter did not seem logical to Doc Jules. Everyone was now working 18 hours per day battening the hatches down for the gravitational storm that awaited them.

The sickbay was being outfitted with 34 isolation tanks that would suspend and cradle the crew during the acceleration. In order to withstand the pressure and allow for observation of the crew the front of the tanks was made from a transparent crystallized aluminum. Life support would be maintained by the computer during the period of suspension. A special semi-gel liquid would suspend and support the crew. A fluorinated liquid would carry oxygen into their lungs. The complete evacuation of all air from the body was essential to prevent rupturing the organs. Doc Jules had the task of convincing the crew members that he knew what he was doing. The Captain knew better than to ask for volunteers and had Brother Simon produce the schedule for entering the tanks. The Captain was the last scheduled and Brother Simon had placed himself first on the list based on the assumption that the Captain was needed until the last and that he as the geneticist would be needed the least.

Brother Simon presented to sick bay early for his induction into suspension. He asked Doc Jules to review the protocols with him and had the computer review the physiology and the chemistry for him. A few minutes before the scheduled suspension time Brother Simon began to pray in a low voice and then looked up at Doc Jules and said, "I trust in the Lord and I am ready for the tank."

Doc Jules had him lay on the OR table, after he had stripped. Doc Jules noted that he still wore his cross. Brother Simon was very disturbed when Doc Jules told him that he would have to remove the cross. Brother Simon asked, "Is there any way I would be allowed to keep my cross?"

Doc Jules told him no, unless he could sew it on. Brother Simon then asked him to sew it on. Doc Jules was a little taken back that Brother Simon had taken him seriously, but asked the computer if the protocols could be amended to allow the cross if it was securely sewn on. The computer supplied the necessary standards and Doc Jules asked the autosupplier to provide the required suture. Brother Simon asked that the cross be sewn on before the general anesthetic was given. Doc Jules did not understand the faith of Brother Simon, but he accepted him as a friend and did as he was asked.

After Brother Simon had been anesthetized and connected to the auto-ventilator the first tank was positioned next to the OR table and Brother Simon was slid into his support module. The air Brother Simon was receiving was now replaced with the support fluid. Brother Simon's vital signs did not change as the air in his lungs was gradually replaced with fluid, a process that seemed less natural to Doc Jules than the replacement of fluid with air that occurred at birth. The ventilator tube was now connected to the support module and the catheter and rectal tubes were inserted. The support module was closed. The tank was then filled with fluid and replaced in the holding berth. With the inspection light on Brother Simon seemed at rest and the monitors revealed that the depth of anesthesia had been reduced to a very shallow state allowing Brother Simon to stay in a state of deep sleep. Doc Jules wondered if dreaming would occur and the computer replied that the depth of sleep would be adjusted to match the normal sleep patterns. During periods of REM sleep dreaming would be likely. REM sleep was needed for normal neurological functioning because of the need to "reset" the neurologic circuits.

The crew members presented to the sickbay as per the schedule and all were given a chance to view Brother Simon in order to alleviate their fears as much as possible. The entire crew was composed of highly screened individuals and Doc Jules did not worry about any one refusing to cooperate. When John Kotzebue presented a few minutes late his arrival was heralded by a strong "fruity"odor. Doc Jules noticed the staggering gait, but before he could reprimand him, John started apologizing with very slurred speech. "I figured you could use a little help with the anesthesia. Since I am not sure being drowned intentionally is a good idea, a little fortification seemed to be in order."

Doc Jules asked him if he thought his fortification was adequate and John replied that it was. He climbed up on the operating table with a little difficulty but was otherwise cooperative. Doc Jules told the computer to modify the protocols to allow for the level of intoxication and to monitor John for dehydration that was surely to follow his indulgence.

The six-hour rest period allowed Doc Jules had seemed all too short as he began his second day of placing the crew in suspension. Each procedure took almost an hour and the two day allowance for placing the entire crew in suspension was grueling. Ann Cook, the crew anthropologist and nutritionist, presented first. She presented dressed in uniform and acted very formally. Doc Jules guessed this formality was a mask covering her anxiety. In her own way she was adapting to the stress, just as John had. Time did not allow the exploration of Ann's fears and Doc Jules knew that the quality of medicine he demanded of himself had to be compromised due to the time constraints. He liked Ann but had not allowed himself any personal interaction because of the wall he had enclosed himself in after the death of his family. He told himself that after the pressure of the sling he would try to come out of his shell.

Ann's suspension was not proceeding well and Doc Jules finally asked her what was bothering her. Ann admitted that she was very shy and that the invasion of her privacy was very troubling. Doc Jules assured her that he would do his best to protect her modesty, but that the suspension protocols were very specific. Ann acknowledged the need but asked if her module could be kept darkened as much as possible so that her nudity would be hidden. Doc Jules respected her request and told the computer to keep all of the modules as private as possible. Doc Jules had performed extensive exams on all the crew members and probably knew their bodies better than they did. He was not sensitive to nudity and as long as he kept his Doctor vision in place, he was able to suppress his own sexuality.

The acceleration was increasing and Doc Jules felt heavy. Motion was difficult and tiring. Mike presented to the sick bay on time but obviously not happy. He looked at the 31 modules which were already full and shook his head. "What are we doing?" he asked.

Doc Jules knew that he was expressing his fear and tried to settle him down. Mike began to ask specific questions about how the air was evacuated from the body and how could the lungs convert from air breathing to fluid breathing. Doc Jules explained to Mike how the fetus converts from fluid breathing to air breathing using a surfactant to prevent the collapse of the lung tissue and that they were just reversing the process. Mike seemed to accept this transition, but when Doc Jules started to explain the use of the rectal tube to evacuate the air from the gut Mike got very pale and sat down. Mike had been responsible for adapting the data from the computer into a workable design. The mechanical aspect of the support modules was acceptable to him but the insertion of tubes into his body was beyond his comfort zone.

Doc Jules asked Mike if he had thought about how the body was actually connected to the support module and Mike had to say he had avoided thinking about the biologic portion. Doc Jules took the time to explain how the support module acted like the womb, and instead of an umbilical cord nourishment would be provided by the support fluid which we would naturally swallow. The endotracheal tube would provide an oxygenated fluorocarbon which would allow the blood to exchange the carbon dioxide for oxygen just as breathing air. When Mike heard that Brother Simon had done the chemistry for the system he sighed and said, "The last thing I want to do is trust my life to a religious mystic."

Doc Jules assured him that the chemistry was good and that the computer had provided the basic data and checked all of the calculations. Mike asked, "Have you performed a series of experiments proving the validity of Brother Simon's work?"

Doc Jules told him that the experiment had now been performed 31 times. Mike looked at the 31 filled modules and said, "O'hell, just get on with it Doc". Doc Jules proceeded with the anesthetic and Mike soon joined the rest of the crew.

The Captain presented on time and Doc Jules asked her if she was satisfied with their preparations. She replied that they had done their best and everything seemed to be as ordered. Doc Jules realized he would soon be alone and tried to engage the Captain in conversation, but she was too strained to carry on any meaningful conversation. Her anesthetic was administered and she was transferred to her module as had the rest of the crew.

All the other crew members were allowed to receive a general anesthetic so that the transition from air breathing to fluid breathing could be accomplished atraumatically. Doc Jules had to make the transition while awake and alone, voluntarily. He had practiced the protocols many times and seemed to tolerate the transition to the heavy mist without difficulty. The fear of failure was real, but there was no choice because the crush of the upcoming acceleration was imminent.

Doc Jules sat in front of the monitor and looked at the flexible fiber-optic scope in front of him. He sighed and picked up the spray bottle of decongested and topical anesthetic. He again sprayed his right nostril. He thought about when they had used topical cocaine for this procedure and how the patients developed a mild high from the medicine. He could use a bit of the high now. Picking up the endotracheal tube he carefully checked the balloon with air pressure to make sure that it did not leak. He lubricated the scope and the tube before sliding the tube over the scope. He manipulated the controls with his right hand and with his left hand guided the tip of the scope into his right nostril. He realized how weird it was to see his interior and to be performing a procedure on himself. It was like playing a videogame as he advanced the tip of the scope through the nasal passage and throat to his vocal cords. He injected more anesthetic agent directly onto his cords. He took a deep breath and passed the scope through his cords and into the trachea. This produced only a little coughing and some tears in his eyes. He carefully advanced the endotracheal tube through his nose down his throat and through his vocal cords. Coughing and more tears resulted. He then removed the flexible scope and secured the endotracheal tube with the head strap. He was now ready to proceed with his transition.

A deep sense of being alone encroached on Doc Jules and he asked the computer to play the Trumpet Sonata by Corelli. With his favorite music playing, Doc Jules looked at Jupiter in the monitor one last time and opened his module. Doc Jules stripped and stored his gear. He looked at the cold grey slab and forced himself to lie down. The module was heated to body temperature, but Doc Jules shivered as his bare skin contacted the metal. He connected his airway tube to the respirator port. As he fastened the hold-down straps he was hoping that he could handle what was being asked of him.

The lid began to close and Doc Jules noted how very small his chamber was. His shoulders touched the sides if he moved at all and the lid left hardly any room above his face. The built-in monitor was positioned directly in front of him and the keypad was under his right hand. Doc Jules had always liked being outdoors. He kept his claustrophobia hidden beneath his shell of self-control. The snap of the latches sealing his module seemed unbelievably loud and final.

Doc Jules's anxiety began to rise and he began to sweat. The monitors showed that his heart rate was now over 140 and his blood pressure had increased to 180/110. The air that he was breathing seemed normal at first. It was a few minutes before Doc Jules noticed that the air seemed heavy and it was hard to breath. It almost seemed that he was drowning and Doc Jules started to develop a panic attack. He recalled a previous trauma of feeling like he would drown. He had been unable to release his harness underwater and thought that he was drowning in the tank, during military training in the Dilbert Dunker. The feeling of claustrophobia was becoming overwhelming. The computer added a mild tranquilizer and Doc Jules settled down some. He was a little alarmed when he noted his module was filling up with fluid, but the fluid was warm and the music soothing. He was accepting the transition better.

Sounds were changing, they were more clear as sound conduction changed from air transmission to fluid transmission. Doc Jules tried to talk, but no sound was produced. The effort was noted by the computer which told Doc Jules to use the keypad. Doc Jules was more aware again and appreciated the fact that he was totally submerged. He started typing with the keypad and asked the computer for a status update. The computer replied that all systems exceeded minimums and that acceleration was increasing at predicted values. Doc Jules then inspected the other support modules and was alarmed at the variation in some of the crew's vital signs. The computer replied that those crew members were in REM sleep and that during their dream states the fluctuation was normal. He knew this. Doc Jules was tired, the stress and workload had been demanding, and he asked the computer if a sleep time was allowed. Doc Jules did not even seem to hear the answer but simply fell asleep.

Doc Jules awoke feeling rested but disoriented. His initial struggle against the holding straps produced a, "Good morning Doctor" from the computer.

Doc Jules settled into reality and responded with, "And what's for breakfast?" on his keypad. The computer began to explain that supplemental nutrition was not required and Doc Jules had to tell the computer that it was just a joke. Breathing was still an effort due to the weight and inertia of the fluid that was moved with each breath.

Doc Jules had made the decision not to use a catheter and now found himself needing to void and wished that he had not changed that protocol. He asked the computer to relax his arm restraints and he positioned the urine tube but had some trouble relieving himself. Doc Jules was reacting just like most male patients when they tried to urinate lying down. After a few minutes of concentrated effort, Doc Jules was finally able to accomplish his task. A review of the monitor showed that all the crew members were doing well. The ship was now pulling 6 g's as it started to resist the gravitational force of Jupiter. The balance of the ship's inertial forces and the gravitational pull of Jupiter were producing significant acceleration. Doc Jules realized that if he was not suspended in his module that he would weigh over 1,200 pounds. This relative weight would increase to 3,000 pounds at peak. Despite the fluid support, the modules had to be angled in order to protect blood flow to the brain. Doc Jules noticed that at 6 g's he still had good color vision so that his blood flow to the eyes was still good. Even at wide field viewing Jupiter filled the monitor. The colors seemed unnaturally vivid and the scene surreal.

Doc Jules reviewed the remaining status logs and decided that things seemed to be working. Communication with the computer was difficult with the limitations imposed by the simple keypad. Time went by very slowly. Doc Jules recalled John Kotzebue's reaction to the suspension and wondered why the normally quiet stoic Eskimo had acted so out of character. The computer brought up John's file at Doc Jules's request. In the report was an account of a near drowning during a dogsled race.

John had taken the lead and was breaking trail across a small shallow inlet. He was walking on snowshoes ahead of his team. He used an axe to strike the ice every few steps. The sound produced provided information about the ice, just as the geologist used their monitoring stations to interpret the earth's strata. He was over half way across and about to strike the ice again when the ice gave way without warning. He plunged through the thin ice, the ice cold water burning his flesh as he plunged to the bottom. The shock of the cold took his breath away and almost seemed to stop his heart, producing a severe pain under his sternum. His snowshoes became entangled under a rock trapping him. He struggled upward and could just reach the surface for a breath. He began to kick attempting to shake free of his snowshoes. He regretted substituting a modern snowshoe harness for the traditional loop of lamp wick which was easy to dislodge. After several seconds of exertion he had to stop and stretch for a breath. His fear was blocked by the extreme urgency of the situation. Only after he finally dislodged his snowshoe and rolled onto the firm ice, did he contemplate the seriousness of his situation. His wet clothing was already starting to freeze in the sub Zero weather. He climbed aboard his sled and turned the team around to retrace their course. He was shivering so badly that he could only lie on the sled passively while his team raced back. The cold was making him very sleepy and he became detached from his situation. He was able to visualize the scene from a perspective above ground. When the team encountered the other racers, they were stopped for a short rest period. The other racers found John unconscious and quite frozen; at least his clothes were frozen. They immediately tried to pry the frozen clothes off of John, but the ice had made this impossible. A tent was setup and John was dragged into it. All of the portable heaters were then started and focused on John. The clothes began to melt enough so that they could be removed and John was stripped naked. John was revived enough that he started to shake again. Two fellow racers also stripped and climbed under the covers using their body heat to help warm John. Despite the heaters and the body warmth of his friends it was over an hour before John regained consciousness. The shivering continued for several hours. Hot dilute tea seemed to help the most. The isolation of the race course made outside help impossible; the racers used traditional approaches to stabilize John until he felt strong enough to travel. When he finally arrived at Nome, he was taken immediately to the hospital. The emergency room evaluation revealed no permanent injuries or kidney damage. The ice formation seemed to prevent the formation of major frostbite and the initial warming had been effective in preventing tissue damage.

Doc Jules decided that John's behavior was understandable and he modified his report leaving only the reference to a "fruity" odor. If someone asked him to clarify the record he would be forced to acknowledge that he was using medicalese to document intoxication, but if nobody asked then the facts would be hidden by jargon.

Access to music and video information sources occupied Doc Jules's time, but the lack of human interaction became a significant stress. Doc Jules used the time trying to analyze his decision to join the mission and the Captain's decision on choosing him over the other candidates.

The memories of what he had lost before joining the mission came flooding back and produced a state of melancholy. Losing his family in that auto accident had produced an ache that he tried to hide both from himself and everyone else. Alone with such a sudden change in his activity levels weakened Doc Jules's resistance and the memories returned. He tried to share his thoughts with the computer, but the keyboard was just not adequate to explain human emotion. Doc Jules cried. For the next few days he lived with the past and forgot the present and the future. This time alone did give the gift of a personal catharsis, which was part of his healing.

Doc Jules had felt very alone isolated in his support module breathing a liquid and communicating only with a simple keypad. He thought about trying to awaken the Captain, but knew the stress that would be imposed was not acceptable. They were nearing peak angular acceleration and his color vision was lost. He would complete the sling alone. Doc Jules's ability to stay focused was deteriorating and he seemed to slip into periods of unconsciousness. He developed a pounding headache, but was afraid to have the computer medicate him because his grasp on reality was so slippery already. After several days of this partial existence his head began to clear and he noted that the acceleration had dropped to 8 g's. Color vision returned two days later when the "g" meter had dropped to 6 g's.

Doc Jules was excited by the coming end to his isolation. Planning for the arousal of the crew was reviewed with the computer and the order of awakening was to be almost the inverse of the initial suspension. When the acceleration had dropped to 2 g's Doc Jules began to reverse his support process.

The computer relaxed the hold-down straps and emptied the fluid from the chamber. The fluid that Doc Jules had been breathing had to be stopped suddenly and the conversion to an air-breathing animal would be as traumatic as it had been in the birth process. Doc Jules was as afraid of this transition as he had been of the first. The computer told him to take a last deep breath through his tube and then to breath out as much as possible. Doc Jules did this and then removed the tube. His attempt to slowly and carefully remove the tube was destroyed by his innate gag reflex which caused him to jerk the tube out. This produced a nosebleed but he did not have time to notice. His first breath of air produced a coughing spell so severe that he became dizzy. Within a few minutes he had controlled the cough and expelled most of the fluid. The remaining fluid would be quickly absorbed into the circulation and expelled by the kidneys. Breathing was easier again but the tendency to cough was hard to overcome. Doc Jules had the computer add a bronchodilator and a surfactant to the mist he was breathing. The coughing decreased quickly and he was able to enjoy breathing for the first time in 2 weeks.

The opening snap of the module was muffled by the fluid that still filled Doc Jules's ears. He raised himself up on his elbows and became lightheaded. It took several minutes before he was able to sit up fully. The period of inactivity had produced some weakness and the stress of the 2 g's was almost overwhelming. Doc Jules swung his legs out of the module and was amazed at how heavy his feet were. It was the better part of an hour before Doc Jules was able to stand without being dizzy. He told the computer that he wanted a hot shower and some real food. The computer said that a small amount of food would be okay but did not understand the need for a shower after being submerged for 2 weeks. Doc Jules advised the computer that the psychology of the shower was important not the need itself.

After showering and shaving the act of dressing tired Doc Jules. He sat at his desk and slowly ate the small meal that the auto-supplier had provided. Movement was still difficult, but he was adapting. He visually inspected all of the modules and was pleased to actually see that everyone was stable. Doc Jules began activating the Captain by first draining the module and then deepening her anesthetic so that the conversion to air breathing would not be as traumatic. The conversion from fluid to air was sudden, but the anesthesia prevented the severe coughing that Doc Jules had suffered through. The anesthetic was gradually reversed and when the Captain was almost awake Doc Jules removed the tube from her throat. This produced a small bout of coughing, but Doc Jules had determined the amount of bronchodilator and surfactant needed by reviewing his own response. The Captain gradually became aware of her surroundings and was able to focus on Doc Jules' face. Her initial words were slightly garbled and very hoarse, but after repeating herself a few times she sounded human again. The Captain wanted to know what was wrong and why they had not started the sling-shot.

Doc Jules smiled and told her that everything was fine and that the sling had been completed as planned. The Captain was in a state of disbelief that 2 weeks had gone by and had to actually look at the monitor and see Jupiter fleeing behind them. The cobwebs cleared from the Captain quickly and she began a review of systems even before she was able to sit up. The increase in gravity did not seem to bother her nearly as much as it had bothered Doc Jules. The Captain sat up without any trouble but when she tried to stand up, she got very dizzy and Doc Jules had to help her to a chair. She was much too preoccupied with the health of her ship and the crew to worry about food or a shower. Doc Jules had to remind her to dress and eat a little before he would release her for duties. The Captain grumbled but did as she was told. The two weeks had passed instantly for her and the time was simply lost except for a few dreams that she could barely recall. As the Captain resumed her command Doc Jules began the reversal process with Mike.

Doc Jules was adapting to the acceleration forces and was moving much more freely. The rate of decrease in the acceleration force was slowing and it would be several days before the ship was back to one gee. Mike tolerated the reversal well and was soon awake enough to focus on his surroundings. He mumbled something about, "Damned mystics and their chemistry" and tried to sit up. The movement was too sudden and he blacked out. As soon as he regained consciousness he told Doc Jules that, "I knew this wasn't going to work."

The Captain began to laugh and told him to look at the monitor. After a few minutes of reviewing data Mike said, "I'll be damned. It did work." Both Doc Jules and the Captain were laughing now. The first major maneuver had been accomplished. Mike apologized to Doc Jules and told him how glad he was that he did not have to ever go through anything like that again. The Captain started laughing again, and asked Mike, "How do you think we are going to stop when we get to our destination." Mike just groaned. The rest of the maintenance and engineering crews were brought out next. The intense inspection of the ship needed to be started.

The reversal of suspension was not nearly as time critical as the initial suspension and Doc Jules spent some time with each crew member as they were brought out of suspension. Most crew members who had attained good levels of REM sleep awoke reasonably refreshed and clear-minded. Some of the crew did not tolerate the light level of anesthesia and the deeper planes of anesthesia did not allow for REM sleep. This lack of REM produced pronounced confusion that required rather intense care. The sickbay was kept filled with several of the crew who had not adapted well. Over the course of a few days everyone returned to normal. Doc Jules noted that he could pretty well predict how well people would recover based on their brain wave patterns while they were suspended.

Doc Jules was pleased to see that Ann Cook's sleep pattern was better than average. As her aesthetic was being reversed Doc Jules took the time to cover her with a gown to protect her modesty, but did note that she was a beautiful woman. Ann awoke without difficulty and seemed clear-headed from the start. Her initial concern was to review the nutrition status and weights of the crew. The average weight loss had been kept to just a few pounds and Ann was happy. The nutritional supplements that she and Brother Simon had added seemed to have worked well.

Brother Simon was the last to be reversed. He awoke a little groggy and it took several minutes to clear the cobwebs. When he became fully alert he again started praying and thanking his God for the success of this portion of their mission. Doc Jules was an atheist and he just did not understand this devotion. Doc Jules told Brother Simon that it was the genius of the crew and the help of the computer that had allowed them to accomplish what they had. Brother Simon just smiled and said, "Genius is a gift of God and thus it is proper to thank God for our success." These philosophical and theological arguments were one of the main joys of working with Brother Simon, who Doc Jules thought was the most brilliant of the many geniuses on board. The longer time of suspension and the older age of Brother Simon prolonged his full recovery and it was a few days before he returned to his research lab. He used this time to record everyone's response to the suspension and was particularly interested in Doc Jules's experience. He thought that the time Doc Jules spent remembering his family and working with his grief was especially important.

Captain Brezinski slackened the work schedule only slightly. The entire ship had to be inspected for structural damage and repairs undertaken before acceleration could resume. The crew was divided into teams for the inspection task. Every weld, nut and bolt was to be inspected. Drones were dispatched to remotely inspect the entire outside of their ship. The ice ball was not smooth and several days would be required to complete external inspection. The accelerator tubes were the most critical external elements. The controlled detonation of their remaining stock of nuclear weapons would provide for their ongoing acceleration at almost a full gee. Before depletion of the stored nuclear weapons the crew had to complete the fusion accelerator, which would provide their energy needs for the rest of the journey.

Chapter 10: Gift of Twins

Peter and Eric were completing the inspection of the aft starboard storage compartment when Eric saw the beam which held the upper shelves give way. Before he could yell a warning the beam struck his brother and then, in slow motion, pinned him against the wall. He felt the vibration of breaking bones, but did not have enough time to sense the pain before he blacked out. Their small health monitors began broadcasting the distress signal simultaneously. They were quickly moved the short distance to the sick bay. Doc Jules had received an update from the computer, and was already pulling supplies out of the cabinets when they arrived. By the time the nursing assistants Kate and Martha had arrived he had already performed his initial triage.

His quick inspection had revealed a fatal head injury to Peter and severe chest injuries to Eric. He told Kate to start an IV and oxygen on Peter mostly to assuage her feelings. He had Martha help him move Eric onto the operating table. Martha was unable to find a vein for an IV because Eric was already slipping into shock. Doc Jules responded by placing a large needle into Eric's jugular vein and sliding a venous catheter through it. They began to rapidly administer fluids to maintain Eric's blood pressure. The MRI scanner which was built into the operating table revealed that Eric's mediastinum was filling with blood. Doc Jules inserted a needle and removed a large amount of blood, but the improvement was only temporary. He made the decision to open Eric's chest. He was not a cardiovascular surgeon, but knew that without control of the mediastinal bleeding Eric would not have more than a few minutes to live. He inserted the endotracheal tube into Eric's trachea and connected him to the auto ventilator. The computer sensors immediately adjusted the gas mixture to increase the available oxygen, and the pressure was increased in an attempt to compensate for the damaged lung tissue.

He used the laser scalpel to cut through the skin and expose the bone of the sternum. He used a small ultrasonic bone saw to quickly cut through the sternum. The sight of Doc Jules reaching in and pulling the sternum apart was more than Kate could tolerate. She tried to sit down, but passed out slumping to the floor. Doc Jules had seen her fall, but he was much too busy to help. When Martha turned to help Kate he gently reprimanded her saying, "She'll be all right, I need your help here."

He placed the retractor in the sternum and exposed the mediastinum. The pericardium which is a thin bag that holds the heart was stretched tightly limiting the ability of the heart to pump blood. He made a small incision and began sucking the blood out. He was able to restore a reasonable heartbeat, but his inspection had shown a severe crush injury to the heart with partial avulsion of the aorta. Cardiopulmonary bypass was necessary and he began preparing for the bypass without even considering his limited training or the probable futility of the effort. As a surgeon Doc Jules was a risk taker; he knew that if he did not try Eric would most certainly die. It was preferable to have a patient die despite your efforts rather than from failing to have acted. It is this willingness to accept the risk and responsibility that separate surgeons from other physicians and normal people.

Doc Jules knew that once he clamped the vena cava, the main vein that returned blood to the heart, that he had only seconds to place the tubes and insert them into the bypass ports that were built into the ventilator. He took a deep breath and placed the clamp across the vena cava, stopping all blood to the heart, to the brain, and to the rest of the body. He then used scissors to open the torn aorta and placed the bypass tube into the aorta and the other end into the ventilator. He was working with such intensity that he noted the large size of the aorta in a sort of "out of body" way. Doc Jules then took the second tube and inserted it into the vena cava. The relatively thin tissue of the vena cava made clamping and thereby sealing this tube much more difficult. He noticed himself swearing only when Martha asked, "I'm sorry. Could you repeat that."

Doc Jules mumbled an apology and kept working. When the vena cava was finally sealed around the bypass tube and the tube inserted into the ventilator, Doc Jules relaxed enough to become aware of the time. He asked the computer about elapsed time and felt like a failure when he learned that he had taken almost two minutes to complete the bypass. The computer seemed to sense his state of mind and added that it had taken the liberty of hyper oxygenating Eric and this actually allowed for a full two minutes of bypass insertion time.

The sigh that came from Doc Jules was felt by everyone else as much as it was heard. Eric's vital signs improved immediately with the completion of the bypass and Doc Jules now took the time to complete his evaluation. He used the laser scalpel to make a small incision into the abdomen carefully opening the last layer in order to protect the intestines. Blood again gushed out. Doc Jules attempted to use a scope to inspect the abdomen but the bleeding blocked his view. He then used the laser scalpel to open up the entire abdomen. He washed out the cavity and began cauterizing the torn liver. The damage was so severe that in order to control the bleeding he had to clamp the main artery to the liver. This reduced the bleeding enough that he could see that the spleen was also ruptured; rather than trying to remove the spleen he just clamped off the artery to it also. The major bleeding was now controlled and eminent death had been averted but Doc Jules knew that survival was still unlikely. Doc Jules straightened his back and took a deep breath and only then did he notice that Peter was still waiting for treatment. He asked the computer if Eric was stable and the computer replied, "Compensation for the blood loss was adequate, but that the liver would fail within the next 30 minutes if the blood supply was not reconnected."

Doc Jules examined Peter more carefully. The crush injury to the head was severe with a portion of the skull and at least one-third of the brain actually missing. He was maintaining a reasonable blood pressure despite the severe neurologic injury. He decided to stop all efforts and discontinue life support, but when he looked at Martha and Kate he knew that this was not acceptable. Instead he asked the computer to perform a tissue match for a possible transplant. He told Kate who still appeared a little shaky, "I want you to keep the IV going and keep the dressings over the wound." She nodded her head in the affirmative.

The Captain now spoke through the monitor and apologized for interrupting Doc Jules, but asked him if it would be possible to have a command conference. Doc Jules was startled, and replied that he did not think it was an appropriate time for administrative duties. The Captain asserted command and asked the computer if Eric would remain stable if Doc Jules was absent for 10-15 minutes. The computer replied that he was stable but that the damaged liver would begin to fail after that period of time. The Captain then ordered Doc Jules to report to the sick- bay office at once. Doc Jules tore off his gloves and withdrew to the office mumbling under his breath.

Assembled in the small office were the Captain, Brother Simon and Mike. The Captain apologized to Doc Jules and opened the conference officially by invoking the power of the crisis protocols. Doc Jules asked why the injuries to two crew members was sufficient to declare a crises. The Captain explained that Peter and Eric represented the primary and backup billets, or positions, for both nuclear propulsion and guidance. They were chosen because of their cross training in both of these essential fields. The loss of either would be serious but the loss of both would severely compromise their mission and potentially cast them adrift among the stars. Hearing this caused Doc Jules to sit down and turn pale. The Captain asked him for his report.

He reported, "Peter is almost certainly brain dead and Eric's injuries are probably fatal."

The Captain asked about doing organ transplants and Doc Jules replied that he would need a liver, heart and probably a lung transplant and that it looked like Eric's back was also crushed so that even if he lived he would be paralyzed. The Captain asked what the chances of success would be for survival with a retained intellect? Doc Jules said that with a team of transplant surgeons and a good tissue match that maybe Eric had one chance in a hundred. With only him and an unknown tissue match the odds would be 1 in a million. The Captain said, "That is not good enough." She asked for comments from the command team.

Mike asked if there was any way to do a brain transplant from Eric's damaged body to Peter's damaged head? Doc Jules just groaned and said no way. Mike asked why not and Doc Jules started to explain that nerves could not just be reattached like wires in a machine, but he did not finish. Instead he asked the computer if it had finished the tissue match. The computer said that it had and it appeared that Eric and Peter were identical twins with a perfect match. Doc Jules said, "A brain transplant is not possible but that maybe a head transplant would be."

The Captain asked if he could do a head transplant and Doc Jules said it would be easier than attempting a multiple organ transplant. The Captain than ordered him to proceed, but Doc Jules objected stating that the attempt would kill one or both of the twins. The Captain reminded him, "You already told us that Peter was brain dead."

Doc Jules responded, "Ethically it is one thing to stop mechanical life support and quite another to actively kill one patient so that the other would have a chance to live."

Mike asked, "If Peter were pronounced dead would it be permissible to proceed?"

Doc Jules said he would proceed if the command group would act as his ethics committee and declare Peter to be legally dead. The Captain asked Doc Jules what was involved in declaring someone dead. He told her, "Lack of organized electrical activity in the brain is usually sufficient." The computer reported that Peter's EEG pattern did in fact have such minimal activity that it could qualify for certifying brain death.

Brother Simon objected, "Since Peter is surviving with such minimal life support and is still breathing, I feel that Peter is obviously still alive."

The Captain then asked the command conference to vote on the ethical issue of certifying the death of Peter. She instructed them that the decision had to be based on the well-being of the individual not on the mission requirements. Mike objected, stating that the survival of the group and the mission should take precedence over the rights of the individual, but the Captain stuck by her decision. The vote was called and the decision made to proceed with the transplant attempt.

Doc Jules was excused and told to return to his work. He began speaking to the computer as he left the room, asking for anatomical evaluations of the proposed transplant. The computer began to show the normal anatomy superimposed on the MRI films of Eric's shattered body. Doc Jules asked that the muscle attachments and the nerves to the arms and shoulders be highlighted. These structures were above the area of spinal crushing and appeared to be intact. Doc Jules made the decision to do the transplant at the C7-T1 level. By removing Eric's arms and shoulders at the junction of the neck and back Doc Jules felt that if Eric did survive that he would then have the use of his arms in addition to his voice and the senses of his head. Once the decision had been made as to the extent of the transplant, the mechanics of the actual surgery became Doc Jules's concern. The computer was told to review the mechanism of attaching the transplanted neck vertebrae onto Peter's chest vertebrae. The monitor revealed a plate technique which would stabilize the vertebrae rigidly, using opposed titanium plates. The collarbone would be reattached to the sternum with a flexible plate that would allow a little motion so that the arm function would be better. Doc Jules told the computer to have the auto supplier fabricate the plates and asked for a time estimate. The computer said that fabrication and sterilization would take about 1 hour. This delay concerned Doc Jules because he was already approaching the 30 minute time limit that had been put in place in an attempt to save Eric's liver. The computer responded that by limiting life support to just Eric' head and neck that the auto-ventilator would be able to detoxify and maintain the life of Eric's head for about 2 hours. This became Doc Jules's primary concern.

Protecting the survivability of Eric's head was crucial so Doc Jules made the decision to sacrifice the rest of Eric's battered body. The chest cavity was reopened, moderate bleeding persisted, but the cellsaver transfusion system was reusing the majority of the blood. With the protocols displayed graphically on the monitor Doc Jules began dissecting out the arch of the aorta and the superior vena cava. The aorta was clamped off as it made its turn inferiorly and the blood supply to the lower body was completely cut off. The inferior vena cava was then clamped to prevent any toxins, from the damaged organs, from reaching the remaining circulation. The point of no return had been crossed; Eric's body was now dead. Doc Jules dissected the clavicles from the sternum, pealing the shoulder tissues off of the rib cage. Bleeding was controlled with the laser scalpel which was adjusted automatically for the vessel size. Only a few of the larger veins and arteries had to be clamped and tied. The muscles were gradually dissected off the sides of the rib cage and onto the back. The computer was using the real-time MRI images to assist Doc Jules in the dissection by controlling the energy of the laser in order to protect those nerves and muscles that the protocols meant to protect. The freeing of the shoulder and neck muscles proceeded rapidly, but Doc Jules was basically unaware of time. It was not until the dissection was complete that he even asked for a time progress report and he was heartened to hear that he was on schedule.

The next step was to severe Eric's backbone and spinal column. Doc Jules hesitated as he began cutting through the vertebral disk that separated the last cervical vertebra and the first thoracic vertebra. Martha noted the hesitation and asked, "Is something wrong with the equipment?"

Doc Jules replied, "The equipment is fine, but I think that the surgeon may be marginal." He then continued the dissection completely severing the head, neck and shoulders from the rest of the body. Eric's life was now in the hands of the computer and the auto-ventilator. The monitor showed that the brain function remained intact and that the blood flow and balance were satisfactory. Doc Jules had the rest of Eric's body removed from the OR table and had Peter moved on to the table. The breathing tube was placed into the trachea of Peter and connected to the pulmonary side of the auto-ventilator. This machine was designed to support only one life at a time and the computer had to continuously monitor the auto-ventilator in order for the life of Eric's head and Peter's body to be simultaneously maintained.

Doc Jules again had a momentary pause as he looked at Peter's shattered head lying just below the torso of his brother. Both were alive only because of the technical ability of the computer and the auto-ventilator. The dissection of Peter's upper torso proceeded even more rapidly than Eric's dissection. The computer again automatically assisted Doc Jules by controlling the strength of the laser, but this time the actual attachment points of the muscles were being protected at the expense of the muscles which were to be discarded. The vertebra were separated at the same level as Eric's and the spinal cord sealed with the laser scalpel. The major vessels were them clamped and cut depriving the remaining part of Peter's brain of all blood and ending its life. The trachea and esophagus were then divided at a point slightly higher than Eric's to allow an easier closure of the transplant organs. The phrenic nerve to the diaphragm and the vagus nerve were tagged on each side to allow for re-anastomosis with Eric's's nerves. The now-dead upper torso of Peter was then removed from the table. The unconnected body of Peter and the upper torso of Eric now lay before Doc Jules, awaiting the joining that would hopefully allow the combined parts the life that would have been impossible for the separate individuals.

Doc Jules stretched, took a deep breath, and asked for an update on the vital signs and the time. He felt good to know that he was on schedule as per the protocols. The first step in joining the twins was to stabilize the backbone. Doc Jules took the custom made vertebral plates and attached them to Peter's vertebra with the titanium screws, the fit was nearly perfect with the bends in the plate following the natural curves of the vertebra. Eric's torso was then slid down until the cervical vertebra of Eric was resting on the top of Peter's thoracic vertebra. Doc Jules then completed the union by attaching the plates to Eric's vertebra. The protocols called for the insertion of a small tube and pad between the severed portions of the spinal column. Doc Jules performed this portion of the operation without even wondering why. He knew that regeneration of the spinal column was impossible and had already accepted the fact that the new Eric-Peter would be paralyzed from the shoulders down. Working against the clock Doc Jules now began reconnecting the arteries and veins. The auto-supplier had provided an absorbable tube that fit into the ends of both Peter's and Eric's arteries. The tube acted as a stent to help keep the arteries open and acted as a glue and sealant that relieved Doc Jules of the very tedious chore of sewing the ends of the vessels together. As soon as the major arteries were connected and the fresh blood from Peter began to flow into Eric's head, the brain wave pattern began to improve and Doc Jules felt genuine hope for the first time. After the remaining vessels were connected, the phrenic and vagus nerves were connected by inserting the cut ends into a small tube which again held the nerves together and sealed them to encourage regrowth. A small nerve stimulator was attached to the phrenic nerves of Peter and a small sensor was attached to the phrenic nerves of Eric. This would allow the diaphragm to respond in a normal fashion until nerve regrowth made the artificial stimulation unnecessary.

Doc Jules felt relieved to be performing the re-anastomosis of first the esophagus and then the trachea. Working on these large non-bleeding tubes seemed easy compared to the intense concentration of the vascular and nerve anastomosis. Doc Jules inserted a trach tube into Eric-Peter's trachea and plugged the ventilator circuits into it. Repair of the muscle attachments and the skin incisions were accomplished almost mechanically due to the extreme fatigue Doc Jules was beginning to feel. In the last three hours he had worked harder than he had ever worked before and performed a surgery that had not even been described before. The fact that the surgery may even turn out to be successful was beyond Doc Jules ability to comprehend at this time.

Doc Jules removed his gown and gloves and told Martha to administer antibiotics and narcotics to Eric-Peter as needed. The enormity of what he, his limited staff and the computer had accomplished was settling in. As Doc Jules walked into his office he was surprised to see the Captain and Brother Simon still at his desk watching the monitor. The Captain extended her hand and offered her thanks and congratulations for the effort that Doc Jules had put forth. She said, "You've done your best and all we can do now is hope that it was good enough."

Brother Simon also offered his hand as a friend and offered to get Doc Jules refreshments. Doc Jules asked for some chocolate and fluids to help with the fatigue and hypoglycemia he always seemed to develop after stressful surgery. The Captain asked what the chances of Eric-Peter (which is what everyone immediately started calling the now-joined twins) surviving the ordeal with his mental abilities intact, were. Doc Jules admitted, "We will not know for a few days because Eric-Peter will be kept sedated to decrease the chances of cerebral edema (brain swelling) from developing. I am confident that the computer will be able to maintain Eric-Peter's metabolic status and if infection or tissue rejection can be avoided, then Eric-Peter will have a good chance of making it."

Captain Brezinski told Brother Simon, "Inform the rest of the crew of Eric-Peter's status and develop a plan to help the crew deal with the loss of the individual crew members, Eric and Peter." The task of incorporating Eric-Peter into the crew would be dealt with a little later. Brother Simon volunteered to make funeral arrangements, but Doc Jules asked him to wait on any final plans until the survival of Eric-Peter was assured. If Eric-Peter died a separate funeral just did not seem right to Doc Jules.

After 48 hours Doc Jules allowed the computer to decrease the medication that Eric-Peter was receiving and Eric-Peter gradually regained consciousness. Eric-Peter's first awareness of himself was a dreamlike sensation. He visualized the beam striking his brother and tried to call out. The struggling increased his blood pressure and the computer automatically medicated him. He slipped back into unconsciousness. When he awoke again he was slightly more aware of his surroundings and realized that he was in a hospital bed. When he tried to call out the computer again medicated him and he lost his grasp on reality. He learned that any struggle brought on a return to unconsciousness. He needed to think. If he avoided any attempts at calling out or moving he was allowed to stay awake.

The room was dimly lit and he could see the monitors above him. No one was around. He figured that it must be nighttime. He could move his mouth and face but no sound came out when he tried to talk. His hands and arms were supported by an apparatus. He could feel his fingers and see them move. He had almost no pain. The memory of the beam striking him became more vivid. He wondered why he was not having much pain. It was then that he noticed he could not feel his feet or legs. He tried to move them, nothing happened. He tried to shift his hips and nothing happened. He realized that he was paralyzed. His analytical nature allowed him to take stock of his situation. He could think so he was still alive. His hands worked which meant that he would be able to use a wheelchair and his computer. He could continue his work. That was enough. His thoughts turned back to Peter. The vivid memory of the beam striking his brother caused his blood pressure to rise and the computer medicated him. He again lost his connection with reality.

Doc Jules was with Eric-Peter when he regained consciousness the next morning. He spent time explaining what had happen and what they had done in order to save Eric-Peter's life. Eric-Peter's status continued to improve and the trach tube was removed on the 5th day after surgery. Breathing was a little difficult for Eric-Peter, but the chance to talk made removal of the tube worthwhile. Brother Simon came by and spent time discussing the philosophy of existence and trying to help Eric-Peter come to grips with who he was. Eric and Peter no longer existed as separate entities. Acceptance of this loss by Eric-Peter happened in a way only twins could accomplish. Eric and Peter had started life as a single embryo which had split creating two genetically identical individuals. This allowed Eric-Peter to accept the fact that the twins had again been rejoined sharing each other's heart and mind.

The Captain waited only until Eric-Peter's status had been elevated to "good condition" to ask Brother Simon to complete the funeral arrangements for Peter-Eric. Eric-Peter agreed with the Captain that a "sea burial" was indicated. Peter-Eric's body was encased in a tomb of ice which had the effect of a crystal casket. The funeral was a formal military affair attended in military dress and protocol. Brother Simon presented the eulogy which discussed the need for man to contribute to the greater good in order to fulfill life's meaning. At the completion of the ceremony the casket was taken by robot to the propulsion unit. The casket was loaded and with the help of a small explosion it was ejected from the ship, its mass and inertia used to help propel the remainder of the crew forward towards the completion of their mission. Eric-Peter attended the ceremony in a motorized chair, his arm motion was still restricted by his braces but the hand controls allowed him complete control of the chair. The pacing of his diaphragm allowed for fairly natural breathing and speaking. Special sensors and stimulators helped him control his bladder and other body functions. The crew seemed to accept Eric-Peter as a combination of the twins and the loss of Peter-Eric was tempered by the survival of Eric-Peter.

The rehabilitation of Eric-Peter was begun in earnest. The muscle attachments were not yet healed and the use of the arms had to be restricted. The small pad that had been inserted into the space between the joined spinal cords was now being infused with small amounts of a nerve growth hormone that Brother Simon had synthesized from the recommendations of the computer. An artificial circulation of white blood cells was begun, bathing the severed ends of the spinal cord. Doc Jules doubted that regeneration of the severed cord was possible, but Brother Simon was adamant that the computer data gave hope for recovery of significant function. The white blood cells cleaned the nerve endings and secreted chemicals which encouraged nerve regrowth. Normally the spinal column was completely isolated from the white blood cells so that the helpful chemicals never reached the severed nerves. It was this hope for recovery that allowed Eric-Peter to put up with the torture that Doc Jules prescribed for maintaining the strength of his legs and trunk muscles. Rehabilitation is the most grueling aspect of recovery.

Captain Brezinski added her own efforts to the rehab effort by asking Eric-Peter to resume work on the propulsion and guidance problems. The acceleration that they had obtained from their sling shot around Jupiter had produced a velocity that was faster that any human had previously traveled. They still required continuous acceleration of almost a full gee as they fled their home planet. Exponentially larger quantities of energy were required to maintain this acceleration. Eric-Peter now had the dual responsibility of both guidance and propulsion. The computer had the data and the computational ability but not the comprehension to make use of it's abilities without the human interface. Eric-Peter's survival had kept the mission alive.

Brother Simon spent a considerable amount of time with Eric-Peter and Doc Jules discussing the meaning of personal loss. Eric-Peter accepted his loss reasonably well, but was very interested in the ongoing debate between Doc Jules and Brother Simon regarding the issue of "why do bad things happen to good people." Doc Jules explained his viewpoint with a story from his past. During his second year of surgical residency he was working in a ghetto hospital in Detroit. The hospital had a cancer ward which always had several children as patients.

"I was taking care of a four-year old girl with leukemia who had severe nose bleeds. Almost every day I had to cauterize or pack her nose. I felt as if I was torturing her and she would cry during the procedure but would always give me a hug when I was done. Watching this beautiful girl suffer made me question my concept of goodness. This blameless child had done nothing to deserve the suffering which she was enduring. Why did God let this child suffer? Why do "bad" things happen to good people? I was very troubled by the unfairness of the situation. The fear for my own children's health was obviously contributing to the emotional load that I was carrying. If this terrible thing called "leukemia" could happen to this wonderful child that I was taking care of, what prevented it from happening to my children? Was it the grace of God that protected my children, but if so why did he allow this other girl to suffer? This dilemma bothered me until one morning when I was driving through the ghetto, to reach the hospital; I saw a bumper sticker on a car. This car was a rust-bucket of a wreck which was spewing out a plume of smoke from the exhaust pipe. It had a single bumper sticker on the back bumper which said "Shit Happens." At first I just laughed at the vulgarity of the language, but then I started to think about what it meant. If things just happen it means that a person who is suffering did not do anything to deserve the suffering, it just happened. There was no divine reason for illness, God did not cause or prevent illness. Life became much more logical if I just denied the existence of a God."

Brother Simon listened intently to the story as did Eric-Peter. They both agreed that Doc Jules had reached a logical conclusion, but Brother Simon added, "Just because a conclusion is logical does not make it correct."

Doc Jules asked him "What other conclusion could be reached based on the evidence I presented?"

Brother Simon responded, "The dilemma of why God lets bad things happen to good people has been a theological and philosophical issue for at least 4,000 years. Despite my years of study I am not sure that I have the correct answer. During my search for an answer to this question, I began to wonder if maybe my concept of "bad" was what was at fault. For instance, when a cougar is successful in the hunt and drags home a deer for its young so that they do not starve, I would think that this is a good thing. When I think of it from the deer's perspective, I arrived at a very different conclusion. Being killed by a cougar can be nothing but "bad." How can the same thing be both good and bad. I began to think that maybe I was being presumptuous in defining what was "good and bad." In my narrow perspective I could be either the cougar or the deer but not both. I realized that I was limiting God by expecting that my viewpoint was the same as God's. I cannot define what God thinks. Maybe indeed things just happen, but I am convinced that our perception of things as being bad is a reflection of our limitations in understanding. The question is not whether God allows bad things to happen to good people, but rather, has God given us the strength to deal with things that just happen. In the story you presented, the young girl was always able to respond to your medical efforts in a positive manner by giving you a hug. I would say that she was most certainly blessed by God with the strength to deal with her illness."

Eric-Peter ended their philosophical discussion by reminding them, "Remember, gentlemen, I am still connected to your instruments of torture."

Doc Jules laughed heartily and said "I suppose we have been ignoring you but the computer says that you have a few more minutes of torture yet today."

Eric-Peter replied, "I suppose that I can survive a few more minutes, but can we change the conversation to a more light-hearted subject?" When Brother Simon asked him which topic he would rather discuss. Eric-Peter replied, "Let's discuss something simple like the question of whether there is enough dark matter in the universe to prevent it from expanding forever." Doc Jules and Brother Simon both rolled their eyes up and began to laugh.

Chapter 11: Computer Sin

The acceleration was now just .2 g and Captain Brezinski was eager to resume their engine acceleration. Eric-Peter's interpretation of the computer data indicated they were several degrees off their predicted heading. A small angular correction was needed, prior to resuming their thrust and acceleration. The crew seemed to be enjoying the reduced gravity, but she knew that production and morale would begin to fall off under zero thrust.

The ship had tolerated the sling pretty well and the minor structural damage was almost restored. The drones had not found any significant damage to the outside of their ice ball. The inspection of the four thrust tubes was yet to be completed. The central detonation chamber was found to be operational as was the propellent facility. The intrinsic repair and monitoring robots had continued to function during the sling. These robots tolerated the high radiation doses without difficulty. Despite the use of primarily neutron explosives, the residual radiation made human involvement impossible. A small .1 megaton charge was configured and the thrust gates were set to control the angular velocity of the ship. Ignition was delayed until the final inspection of the control tubes was completed

The Captain was enjoying her exercise period prior to the beginning of the course correction when the call came in from Mike to return to the bridge ASAP. Captain Brezinski found Mike examining the video reports of the drone inspecting tube number three. The emergency gate was almost 90% closed, precluding the use of this tube entirely. Eric-Peter was asked to compute an alternate firing sequence to avoid the use of the damaged tube. Eric-Peter reported, "Tube number three appears to be critical for the proposed correction. An attempt without it will probably induce a spin which will be very difficult to control with the side thrusters." Mike agreed with Eric-Peter and the Captain asked for suggestions. Repair of the emergency gate seemed to be the best solution. The computer was unable to explain the malfunction of the gate or offer an explanation for the sensor malfunction. Captain Brezinski told Mike to develop a protocol for the repair and to present it to the command conference at the 18:00 meeting. Mike was about to object to the short time allowed, but thought better of it when he saw the concerned look on the Captain's face. Mike was excused from the bridge and returned to the engineering department for review and planning.

A complete review of the gate mechanism and sensors was performed. The computer produced the possible scenarios which could have caused the pattern of dysfunction. It appeared that the radiation detection module had become dislodged during the sling. This shorted out the gate closure circuits, but did not interrupt the position sensor. This allowed the gate to close up to the point that the position sensor detected the closure. This sensor was a fail safe mechanism and there was no way for the computer to override the mechanism. The sensor mechanism had been installed in the tube during its manufacture on Earth and the only access to it now was through the shaft of the tube. The computer said it could assume the function of the sensor and gate closing circuits, if the faulty module could be replaced by a remote sensing unit. John Kotsubue said, "The access is very limited, it will take a very special drone. It must have the ability to weld in multiple positions and simultaneously protect the wiring to the gate mechanism."

The computer agreed that the gate wiring would have to be protected and it would program the drone with a fail safe protocol for protecting the wiring. John was not sure a drone would be able to complete the task and asked why he could not perform the task. Mike knew John had an uncanny ability to understand and repair machinery despite his almost total lack of formal education. John obviously did not understand the danger of radiation exposure, and Mike told him that the protocols would not allow human exposure to such extensive radiation. John replied, "I could probably fix the module in less than an hour and would not receive that much radiation."

Mike said absolutely not unless a plan could be devised to shelter John from the radiation. John said he would work on it. Mike decided the team would build the drone and have the computer program it to protect the gate wiring. The computer said the autosupplier would be able to fabricate the components, but hand finishing of the welding arm would have to be performed by the engineering staff. Mike asked for a time estimate and the computer said the autosupplier would take about 12 hours for the casting and preparation of the special drone parts. John thought his crew could complete the arm assembly in another 12 to 16 hours plus time for testing. Mike decided to tell the captain that he would need another 48 hours to complete repairs.

The daily 18:00 conference agenda was reduced to quick status reports from the department heads and a full discussion of Mike's plan. Eric-Peter listened to the report but was obviously bothered by the 48 hour estimate. Captain Brezinski asked Eric-Peter to explain why he was concerned. He replied, "Without a course correction in the next 36 hours we are in danger of entering the asteroid belt."

This thought sobered the entire group. Captain Brezinski told Mike he had 36 hours to complete the repair. Mike agreed it would be possible if they shortened the testing procedures. She approved the plan and wished Mike good luck. Brother Simon offered his prayers, but Mike just grumbled and left the room. The Captain told Brother Simon to be more cautious discussing religion around Mike. Brother Simon agreed to be more discrete, but could not understand the discomfort that Mike had about religion. Captain Brezinski reminded him that the mission allowed for the individual practice of religion, but that great care must be taken to protect everyone from the stress of undue influence on their personal beliefs. If Mike chose to believe that religion was somehow evil, that belief had to be honored. Brother Simon accepted this but vowed to continue his prayers privately.

Eric-Peter and the computer continued to work on the navigational problems and it appeared that the initial concern regarding the asteroid belt was justified. A course correction was essential to prevent a possible collision, which at their present speed would be catastrophic with even a minor asteroid. Captain Brezinski was not pleased with their report.

Mike's crew began working on the drone parts as soon as they came from the autosupplier. The finish was very good but the bearings and critical attachment points had to be reamed by hand under the microscope. Completion of the drone took almost 28 hours. The estimated repair time was two hours and 30 minutes. The proposed testing sequence had to be scrapped. The evaluation of the drone was limited to observing it function on a mockup of the damaged sensor while still on the assembly bench. Mike called the Captain and reported that the drone was ready but untested. Captain Brezinski asked Mike if he was ready to proceed. He replied simply, "No but we have no other apparent choice."

Captain Brezinski concurred and ordered Mike to deploy the drone. The entire crew had at least part of their monitors connected to the video output of the drone in order to monitor its progress.

The drone entered the tube without difficulty and progressed to the damaged sensor. The video display revealed that the sensor had been dislodged with a broken weld evident on the close up views. The drone began the repair program by using the plasma torch to cut away the remaining weld. The cutting was 60 percent complete when the drone suddenly shut down. Mike was able to bring the light and video functions back, but the drone no longer responded to the other commands being sent. The computer tried to override the shutdown but was unable to because of the fail safe circuits which had been inserted to protect the gate wiring. Captain Brezinski called for a status report, and Mike had to tell her the drone had failed.

Captain Brezinski told Mike, "Get the damn drone fixed so we can get out of here." She then told Eric-Peter to begin plotting a minimal collision course through the asteroid belt utilizing only the side thrusters. Eric-Peter nodded and began working on the complex guidance issue.

John presented Mike with an alternate plan. Mike was impressed with the simplicity and the presentation of the plan. John was not known to be fond of computers and never logged onto the computer except to interface with the autosupplier. The plan he presented involved a simple shield tube from which John's arm's would protrude and enable him to work. The transport drone would take him to the opening of the propulsion tube and then a small compressed air cylinder would propel him into the tube. Stopping the forward motion would be accomplished by magnetic breaking along the edge of the tube. The EVA suit was adequate for a 4 hour period of activity. The radiation dose to the arms was high but the overall dosage was acceptable as long as John completed the task within one hour. Mike was excited about the plan and called the Captain and asked for a conference. The conference was held in the engineering office. Captain Brezinski received the report and asked John if he was volunteering to perform this task knowing the risk. John replied that he was volunteering and had worked out the risk with the computer. Captain Brezinski asked Doc Jules if the radiation dose was acceptable.

Doc Jules replied, "The overall dose was high, but acceptable. John's hands and arms would have to be watched closely for the development of skin cancers in the coming years." The computer was asked if John's calculations were accurate and it replied that it had worked with John on the plan.

Captain Brezinski agreed to accept the proposal. She wished John, "Good luck and good speed."

John smiled and said, "I will take all of the luck that I can get."

John had already assembled his tools and presented to the docking bay, where he was helped into his EVA suit. He climbed into the cargo bay of the transport drone and connected his safety line. The shield tube which had been adapted from a nuclear bomb case was loaded next. The bay doors were open and the auto pilot proceeded slowly to tube number three. John told Mike, "I really enjoy working outside the ship. The beauty of the ship could only be appreciated from outside and the light from Jupiter made it even more special." The autopilot guided the drone to the port of the tube and docked it with a magnetic docking line. John positioned his shield tube in the entrance and with a little difficulty entered the thrust tube. The compressed air accelerated him slowly down the tube. After traveling about 300 meters, John began slowing by deploying the magnetic break pads. The uneven surface caused John to bounce around like a bobsled in slow motion. John reached the damaged sensor and used his plasma torch to thin but not penetrate the remaining welds. After the welds had been weakened, John pried the plate from the broken edge and inserted a heat shield to protect the gate wiring. John now finished his cutting and removed the damaged sensor panel. The replacement remote panel was placed and John tack welded it into position. The computer reported the sensor was working and it could now control the emergency gate. John began the finish welding of the plate. The seal needed to be complete and John had allowed 20 minutes for this portion of the project. Doc Jules was relieved to see that John was on schedule, but troubled by the marked increase in blood pressure and rise in body temperature. John told him, "Not to worry. If the good doctor needed some fortification of his nerves, the medicine is secure in a cabinet below my bunk."

Doc Jules told John, "I will forgo the fortification for now. You need to complete your task and report to the sickbay ASAP."

Doc Jules called Brother Simon and asked him how the shield, that John was using, reduced the radiation levels so dramatically. Brother Simon replied it was a ferrous alloy that was much less protective than lead. Doc Jules asked him, "How could the total radiation dose be reduced a thousand fold if the shield was not effective."

Brother Simon replied that a reduction of that magnitude did not seem possible. Doc Jules told Brother Simon that John's vital signs were becoming erratic, and he was concerned something was wrong. Brother Simon told him that he would check the radiation figures and call him back. Doc Jules then called Mike and told him, "John's mission should be called off because of the change in his vital signs."

Mike asked if another 15 minutes could be allowed and Doc Jules said that he would know in just a few more minutes. Mike grumbled about interfering doctors and called Captain Brezinski. He told her that Doc Jules had asked him to scrub the mission. Captain Brezinski replied, "I am on my way to the sickbay to find out what is going on."

The Captain and Brother Simon arrived at about the same time. The Captain asked Doc Jules what the problem was. Doc Jules told her, "John's vital signs are becoming unstable and he is acting as if he were developing acute radiation sickness."

Captain Brezinski asked how that could be if the proposed radiation limits were within the acceptable range. Doc Jules said he did not understand how the numbers were arrived at, but John was acting as if he was receiving five to 10 thousand rads acutely. Brother Simon who was busy punching numbers into a pocket computer, spoke up and said the level was going to be between six and eight thousand rads to the whole body and a much higher dose to the arms. Captain Brezinski began swearing and asked how such a terrible mistake could have been made. Brother Simon replied, "I am not sure it was a mistake. It looks like the numbers have been fudged intentionally."

The Captain called Mike and told him to cancel John's mission immediately. Mike replied, "O.K." He called John on the communicator and told him to return to the ship immediately. John told Mike, "Maybe you should join the doctor for some fortification and leave me alone. I have work to do."

Captain Brezinski began to cut in on Mike's conversation, but Brother Simon touched her on the arm and shook his head "no." Brother Simon told her, "John has already received a lethal dose and trying to get him to stop now is meaningless."

The Captain asked Mike to join them in the sick bay. When Mike arrived, he found a somber group waiting for him and asked, "What the hell is going on?"

Captain Brezinski told him the radiation figures were incorrect and that John had acute radiation poisoning that was going to be fatal. Mike swore again and asked how that bad of a mistake could have been made. Brother Simon told him that it was not a mistake. This set Mike back a bit. Captain Brezinski asked what the prognosis was for John. Doc Jules informed her that if John was lucky, he would die of lung hemorrhage in a few hours but if he did not die, he would start to develop CNS radiation syndrome with confusion and severe headaches. If John was unlucky enough to survive for 36 hours his intestinal tract would decay and he would develop severe diarrhea and abdominal pain. If he was really unlucky, he would survive the abdominal problems and in about three weeks his bone marrow would shut down and he would either bleed to death or die of infection. Captain Brezinski took this news in and asked if there was anything that could be done for John. Doc Jules said that he would control the pain.

Captain Brezinski called John and told him Doc Jules had informed her that the radiation exposure was excessive. John said, "I knew this before I started. It was my choice to proceed."

The Captain said, "Thank you."

John said, "Captain, it has been an honor to be included in your crew, and this is my gift to you and the rest of the crew." Nobody said anything for several minutes. John said he was about finished and they should have the computer cycle the gate a few times while he watched. Captain Brezinski told the computer to do as John asked, and after a few cycles John said the system was a go. She asked John to return to the ship as soon as possible. John asked her if she had talked to Doc Jules about the radiation. Captain Brezinski admitted that she had. John then asked, "I request permission to refuse the order to return to the ship and instead be allowed to stay outside and watch Jupiter and our ship." Captain Brezinski looked at Doc Jules and Brother Simon and they both nodded yes, and so she granted permission.

Captain Brezinski told the crew and the computer to prepare for firing and course correction. Brother Simon and Doc Jules were told to stay in contact with John and provide whatever comfort they could give. Doc Jules asked John how he was feeling and John admitted, "Doc, I have the worse hangover of my life and I am a little short of breath." Doc Jules told him to turn up the oxygen level a little to help the breathing.

Brother Simon asked if he was afraid of dying, and John said a little but that he was much more afraid of suffering. John then told them the story of the dogsled race and how he had faced death then and found it not to be as frightening as he had thought. Death with honor was acceptable to John as this was the way of his ancestors. Brother Simon asked John if he could offer a prayer for him and John said he would appreciate it. John asked the computer if it could play some traditional Eskimo music and it was done. John then told them that his was going to be a traditional Eskimo death where the sick were allowed the peace and solitude that the cold brought, and that he was going to turn off his heater.

Doc Jules told him, "I think the custom has merit, and that most people are not allowed to die with dignity."

After a few minutes, John said he would share a dream that he had several years prior.

"In this dream, I was in a small ship that was going to crash. My fear was disabling me and the knowledge of my eminent death was overwhelming. A voice told me that I needed to look at the other face of life. This voice produced a sense of calm and I found myself talking to my brother. My brother was explaining to me that the estate had been taken care of and that my will was being followed. I told my brother that the things in the will did not matter and that memories were the essential nature of life. I found myself interacting with many of the people I had known. We seemed to communicate without ever actually seeing each other. I never actually died, but just assumed this altered state."

After telling of his dream, John said he felt now almost like he had in his dream. Brother Simon was obviously touched by the story and had tears visible on his face. He told John his dream was the clearest explanation of the theology of death he had ever heard.

John then told them, "I placed a signed confession in with my "fortification" stock. I take full responsibility for the deceit. The computer had refused to go along with me at first, but I succeeded in persuading it after the drone had failed." John then asked, "Please tell the people in my village that I have acted with honor. In keeping with the Eskimo tradition, I have sacrificed my life for the good of the many." Brother Simon promised the story would be sent during their next transmission to Earth.

The ship shuddered as the controlled explosions vaporized the water and the resulting steam was super heated and vented through the propulsion tubes. John reported the vapor trails were beautiful being back lighted from the light of Jupiter against the blackness of space. His speech was becoming slurred as the cold penetrated. It was beginning to feel like the Arctic Ocean. His body temperature was beginning to drop and his pulse was slowing. Brother Simon began to pray in Latin and John said the sound was almost as nice as an Eskimo chant. In just a very short time, the transmissions from John stopped and within another 20 minutes, the heart stopped. Brother Simon prayed, "God, accept this man for the goodness that he was, and may he rest in your peace." A spontaneous moment of silence was observed by the crew that was mixed with many tears.

It took a few days for the ship to stabilize on its new course and for the near constant acceleration of about one gee to resume. Captain Brezinski called the ship's tribunal to order for the purpose of a court martial. The official record was to read: "John Kotsubue and the computer are charged with intentional falsification of ship's data." The computer was included as a coconspirator because of its obvious involvement.

Doc Jules was given the task of representing John, and Mike was asked to represent the computer. Brother Simon was given the task of the prosecutor. The Captain called the hearing to order and gave general instructions to the members. Brother Simon opened by recounting the details of the case and how the falsification of the data directly caused the death of a crew member. Doc Jules presented John's case using the short confession that John had left. John admitted in his confession that he had asked the computer to estimate the maximum radiation exposure that Doc Jules would approve and then changed the report figures to meet these estimates. John doubted the success of the drone from the start and felt the survival of the ship was worth the life of one individual. John's confession closed with a request that the Captain not judge him an unworthy crew member and that the computer not be held responsible for his actions.

Mike presented the computer case by having the computer play back the interaction it had with John. Mike also pointed out that the computer said it had worked with John on the plan, but never vouched for the validity of the data.

Brother Simon, acting as the prosecutor, asked for a guilty verdict for John based on the confession that was presented. He also asked for a guilty verdict for the computer based not on an action by the computer but rather because of the "sin of omission" committed by the computer. Mike objected that the morality of sin should not be an issue with the tribunal, and that based on the evidence presented the computer had not broken any actual rules. Brother Simon countered that the "ethics of computers" demanded honesty and that an act of omission was a serious offense. Mike asked if the ethics that Brother Simon referred to was limited to computers built by humans or if the ethics applied to all computers in the universe. Brother Simon argued that ethics for computers should be universal and asked the computer for a report. The computer responded that protocols prevented disclosing any specific information about other worlds, but that in a general sense Brother Simon was correct. Brother Simon closed by stating that mutual trust between the crew and the computer had been damaged by the computer's "sin of omission" and that punishment was required. Mike closed by stating that since the computer had not actually performed the falsification and the action had resulted in saving the ship, that the charges should be dropped.

The Captain, having listened to the presentations, announced her decision. John Kotsubue was found guilty of falsifying ship's data with cause. The computer was found guilty of conspiracy to falsify data through its act of omission. Punishment was to consist of notification of the tribunal's decision to all crew members, and a recording of the case on the computer's data banks for review during all future interactions. The Captain then announced that the new fusion engine would be called the Kotzebue engine, in remembrance of the gift that John bestowed on the crew.

Chapter 12: Pioneering

The crew had been working for a prolonged period with minimal rest and almost no recreation. Captain Brezinski knew that they had all been pushing hard and a change in the routine was necessary. The Kotzebue engine had been performing well, utilizing the controlled fusion to produce acceleration of the water propellant. They had a few months of acceleration left until they reached their cruising speed of just over one half the speed of light. Captain Brezinski decided to dramatically alter the working schedule with mandatory recreation and exercise times. She knew this select group would happily continue the heavy work schedule, but after ten months of voyage, they had all neglected themselves. Ann had proposed more vigorous exercise in order to maintain the crew's weight and Doc Jules had suggested the crew was in danger of losing significant bone calcium if a regular exercise program was not started. The pending loss of acceleration forces would decrease the stress on the bones and the calcium loss would be greatly exacerbated.

The "Arachnoid Structure" was huge compared to the submarine that Captain Brezinski had commanded, and the available space far exceeded any other human space vehicle. At the next general meeting Captain Brezinski presented the proposed changes in the work schedules. Nobody seemed interested in the changes until the discussion about increased exercise was brought forth. Many objections were raised, especially regarding the lack of space and equipment. Captain Brezinski asked Mike if resistance exercise machines could be built into the existing sleep modules.

He replied, "The sleep modules are being fully utilized and I doubt that adequate space is available".

Captain Brezinski suspected that Mike was not overly eager to engage in the significant exercise program that Doc Jules and Ann had in mind. Doc Jules asked if the isolation tanks could be removed from the sickbay and the exercise equipment built into the wall where the tanks were. Captain Brezinski liked the idea and asked Mike, "Can the modules be returned to the automated storage facility?" Mike admitted that the modules could be removed, and he agreed to develop the exercise machines.

The need for completing the plans for the permanent habitat was then discussed. Mike presented his initial drawings to the group. His plan was based on rectangular structures which were lined up in two parallel rows with the common areas at the end of the rows. Ann became obviously upset and asked why they had to live in "boxcars" arranged in a parking lot. Mike explained, "We need to utilize the production capabilities of the automated storage facility and a geometric arrangement seemed logical."

Ann responded, "I would much prefer to live in something similar to a small village with landscaping and artwork." Mike replied that he was an engineer and not an architect or landscape artist.

Captain Brezinski interrupted the discussion and asked Mike, "If the group developed a concept for the visual appearance of the permanent habitat, could you build it?" Mike said he could simulate a variety of structures and materials, but they would need to utilize the metallic structural panels the automated storage facility was capable of manufacturing.

Ann asked, "Could these panels be textured and painted to simulate wood?" Mike nodded yes. A lively discussion ensued with many models suggested. Captain Brezinski announced she would accept concepts for the permanent habitat during the next general meeting in three days. The meeting was adjourned, but most of the crew stayed and discussed the possibilities.

Three days later Captain Brezinski opened the informal general meeting and had Mike present the exercise equipment that he had designed utilizing hydraulic and spring resistance. Doc Jules presented a model workout plan which would involve all major muscle groups. The machines were designed to adapt to individual strength and build. Ann reviewed the dietary changes and suggested that everyone should try to reestablish the weight at which they started the journey. She explained that as muscle mass was rebuilt they would notice an increase in their appetites. A combination of exercise and diet restriction was going to be required by almost everyone. Captain Brezinski and a few of the younger crew members had maintained their weight and conditioning by performing extensive personal workouts.

When the topic turned to the proposed models for the permanent habitat the discussion became very animated. Brother Simon presented a model of his monastery which included all of the required spaces. Ann presented a computer simulation of an English village. The proposed models varied with the backgrounds of the individual crew members. After all presentations were made, Captain Brezinski asked for recommendations to facilitate a selection of the model. Brother Simon said, "Everyone has presented a model which represents their own identity, maybe we need to select a model which is more universal."

Eric-Peter addressed the crew, "I suggest that we create a model of an Old West Town from the American Frontier. Growing up in China we watched the cowboy movies and cheered for the struggling settlers. This would be a model which is known by everyone and would represent well our status as pioneers." Several people complained that the towns presented in movies were idealizations and probably not based on historical reality. Eric-Peter replied, "The town represents an ideal and nothing that we build can be real, so why not just utilize an idealization which is known to everyone and represents our present status."

Ann asked if the town could include picket fences and flower gardens and Eric-Peter replied, "Why not?" After further discussion Captain Brezinski asked for a motion to accept Eric-Peter's model. The motion was made and seconded and during further discussion Mike said, "We can build a model if that is the decision, but we should have a specific movie set in mind." Eric-Peter recommended the "Gunsmoke" set and everyone seemed to agree. The vote was held and the crew selected the "Dodge City" of Gunsmoke fame.

Discussion centered on adapting the buildings from the set to meet their needs. The "Long Branch Saloon" would become the community center and general dining facility. The "Livery" would become Mike's workshop and Brother Simon's lab would be in the church building. Captain Brezinski was given "Marshall Dillon's jail" as her office. Doc Jules would obviously use the Doctor's office and the hotel would be the general barracks for those not wishing separate quarters. Kate, the official "social director", said that she would take the role of "Miss Kitty" and operate the "Long Branch". The computer provided multiple images of the town for Mike, and even he seemed excited about the concept despite the extra work involved. When he mentioned the excess work, Captain Brezinski said, "We all need more physical activity and the common goal will be beneficial for everyone."

After the meeting Captain Brezinski asked Kate to meet with her privately. Kate presented to the Captain's quarters and was invited in. The Captain got right to the point. She asked Kate, "Is the crew being sexually satisfied?"

Kate replied, "We have several more men than women on board, but I think that we are satisfying their needs." She then admitted that the separation of the officers and enlisted personnel did produce some conflicts.

Captain Brezinski replied that strict military prohibition of sexual encounters between the ranks was not practical aboard their ship. She wanted to make sure no one used rank as a method of coercing sexual favors, but as Captain, she would otherwise tolerate encounters between the ranks. Kate accepted this and reported that several "couples" had formed. A few of these couples were considering marriage. The Captain said she would condone the marriages, but would not encourage the concept because of the disparity in the ratio. They discussed the probable increase in conflicts with the expansion of free time. Kate said she would try to develop community activities such as plays and organized competitions for the enjoyment of the crew. Captain Brezinski thanked her for her work and input. She knew from her experience on the mixed crew submarine that sexuality was a fact of life. She had always forced herself to remain celibate while in command. She wondered if that meant she had in essence accepted a vow of chastity for the rest of her life. She thought about Brother Simon and decided if he could maintain his celibacy, then she could too.

Eric-Peter presented to the sickbay for his routine post-op exam. Doc Jules discussed Eric-Peter's idea for the town and how the whole crew had taken to the idea. Eric-Peter was obviously pleased with the discussion and he tolerated Doc Jules poking and prodding better than usual. He had always been very quiet and seldom expressed his opinions, but since the death of Peter Eric he had become a little more outgoing. The twins had always been so dependent upon one another that they were somewhat withdrawn from the rest of the crew. Doc Jules injected the spinal column reservoir with a mixture of processed macrophages and growth hormones. The protocol that he and Brother Simon had developed from the computer data, utilized the stimulation of the growth hormones and the cleanup activity of the macrophages to encourage regrowth of the severed spinal cord. Eric-Peter had weekly blood draws from which his white blood cells were separated out and the macrophages were processed to program them to keep the ends of the nerve fibers fresh and capable of regrowth. Each individual fiber from the upper portion of the spinal tract had to search through the millions of fibers and connect with the appropriate lower fiber. The mesh that Doc Jules had inserted at the time of surgery had allowed for dispersal of the injected solution across the entire spinal column. Each fiber would have to grow from the cell body in the nucleus down the upper spinal column. After finding its appropriate lower fiber the nerve would have to grow the entire length to the end synapse. The fibers would grow at one or two millimeters per day.

Eric-Peter had been utilizing electrical stimulation of the peripheral nerves and muscles in order to help prevent atrophy. This stimulation was painful and very tiring. As Doc Jules began the daily protocol he commented, "You are really being a pioneer. You underwent a new surgical procedure and are now working to reestablish your nervous system." Eric-Peter nodded with a hint of a smile and thanked Doc Jules for his help.

When stimulating the pectoralis muscle group in the upper chest, Doc Jules was surprised by the reduction of current required for the stimulation. He placed electrical sensors into the pectoralis major muscle and asked Eric-Peter to try to move his arms forward. Eric-Peter had been able to utilize the arm and hand movements because the nerves to these muscles had been transplanted intact at the time of surgery. He had not been able to cross his arms because the chest muscles are innervated by nerves of the upper back. With the electrodes in place Eric-Peter tried to cross his arms and was not surprised by his inability to move them. Doc Jules became excited as he watched the monitor. With every attempt that Eric-Peter made he was able to detect increased activity in the pectoralis muscle. When he showed Eric-Peter the monitor and Eric-Peter watched the signal respond to his effort, tears began to roll down his cheeks. Doc Jules gave him a spontaneous hug and began dancing around the room. Brother Simon had been doing his exercises behind the divider, and came out to see what the excitement was about. When Eric-Peter showed him the response he began a prayer of thanks. Eric-Peter continued to stimulate the muscle and the response on the monitor became more crisp with every attempt. He asked Doc Jules, "Does this mean I will be able to walk again?"

Doc Jules shrugged his shoulders and said, "It is much more likely now than it was yesterday."

"When?" asked Brother Simon for Eric-Peter and himself.

Doc Jules said, "At one or two millimeters of growth per day it will take several more months for the leg nerves to become active." He also reminded them, "Coordinated movement is much more complex than simple muscle stimulation. Training of the new neuromuscular connections will involve ongoing electrical stimulation and exercise training using muscle sensors and biofeedback." Doc Jules modified a portable monitor for Eric-Peter to use in his biofeedback program. The monitor produced a hum which was proportional to the muscle fiber stimulation. Eric-Peter tried the device and was able to produce an audible hum with stimulation of his chest muscles.

He asked Doc Jules, "Can I modify the output signal to something more pleasant?"

Doc Jules laughed and said, "With your computer skills I expect you will have the monitor playing Mozart, which is fine as long as you use it." The good news was shared among the crew and everyone was excited especially one of the computer analysts. She had been in love with Peter since she had joined the crew. Her affection for Eric-Peter had grown slowly at first. With time she had realized that Eric-Peter was indeed still Peter in some ways with Eric as an added bonus. Eric-Peter had accepted the attention somewhat shyly but had also grown to enjoy their relationship.

Chapter 13: The flogging

The Starship reached cruising speed and the engines were shut down. They were now traveling at over half the speed of light. The lack of acceleration forces simulated the characteristics of free fall they had experienced while the ship was orbiting Earth. They were outside the gravitational field of the sun and were experiencing true weightlessness. Space sickness was common for the first 24 hours, but then the experience became almost enjoyable. Doc Jules again reminded them that strenuous exercise was required of all crew members for at least one hour daily. A computer log had been established to insure full participation.

The increased leisure time provided an opportunity for people to fully enjoy the experience of weightlessness. The work schedule had been so grueling while preparing the ship for departure that nobody had an opportunity to enjoy the freedom provided by weightlessness. The sleeping bags became truly "bags" in that they now prevented the occupants from floating away while sleeping. Personal hygiene and simple activities like eating and dressing became frustrating until adaptation occurred. Gravity, or the force of acceleration, had provided an automatic anchoring function which the crew routinely used in everyday activities. By anchoring their bodies to the floor or chair they were able to leverage other objects. In weightlessness though, picking up a shoe causes a rotation of the body equal in force to the movement of the shoe. The crew members relearned the trick of wedging their bodies against something stable whenever they tried to move an object. For couples making love, this became a challenge and an opportunity to experience sex in a new way.

Construction of the permanent habitat was begun immediately after acceleration ceased. The first stage was construction of a spiral ladder which extended along the shell from the arachnoid structure to the permanent habitat. This ladder was 3/4 of a kilometer long and it provided an emergency connection between the existing life support system and the permanent habitat. The sections were manufactured in the automated storage facility and transported to the work site by drones. The crew members then welded the sections into position and secured the connecting rails. The use of magnetic shoes allowed the crew to work much more efficiently. The positive connection to the surface of their dome, provided by this weak magnetic attraction, partially compensated for the effect of gravity, but even the use of a wrench was difficult. The modified submarine was again used to transfer the crew. The lack of an atmosphere prevented the creation of excess smoke from the welding but also necessitated the use of space suits. These suits were much lighter than traditional suits because the radiation shielding was not necessary.

An emergency module was next delivered to the site of the permanent habitat. This module was anchored by again welding it to the surface of the dome. When the emergency module was powered up, a failed switch prevented it from reaching operational status. Mike quickly isolated the problem switch and called the auto supplier for a replacement part. The sub was being refueled with compressed air and undergoing safety maintenance. It would be unavailable for several hours. Mike was not happy with the delay and requested transport by the on call technician. Captain Brezinski asked for a volunteer to carry the required switch down to the permanent habitat. Tom, a young electronic specialist volunteered to carry the part down. The Chief helped him into his space suit and reminded him to stay attached to the stairway. He nodded and entered the airlock with the switch in his pack. He started down the stairway, taking one step at a time. The thousands of steps ahead of him began to look more and more oppressive. He began to think of his skydiving experience and looked down at the permanent habitat. It seemed much more logical to simply push off from the ladder and float down to the permanent habitat. They had by convention decided that since the permanent habitat would be on the outside surface during their rotation induced acceleration that it would be "down." Down seemed unbelievably far away one step at a time. He knew he had plenty of air to make the trip but the tedious process of placing one foot down at a time seemed ridiculous to him. After progressing only a quarter of the way, he decided that a skydiving transit made more sense. He figured the magnetic boots would anchor him to the surface of the dome next to the permanent habitat. He examined the landing site and estimated his trajectory.

He pushed off from the railing toward the permanent habitat. Almost immediately he knew he was in trouble because he started tumbling. He had forgotten that there was no air resistance to stabilize him. His simple plan to expedite the task had gone astray. The officer on watch had seen Tom push off and begin tumbling. He had notified Captain Brezinski immediately, so when Tom called for help on the radio, she already knew his plight. She did not dress him down for his action, but instead told him that they would try to catch him. She called for Eric-Peter and asked him to report to the bridge ASAP. She then called Mike, and advised him of the situation. Mike said he would spread his crew out and try to catch Tom. Unfortunately, before the crew could spread out Tom arrived. He was still tumbling and struck the shell of the dome with his right shoulder. He bounced back into the void of the dome at a much slower velocity, but still tumbling. Captain Brezinski asked him if he was all right and he said, "My shoulder hurts but my life support is intact."

Eric-Peter had arrived at the bridge and Captain Brezinski explained the problem. Eric-Peter quickly analyzed the trajectory of Tom's flight and said he would next strike the dome 30 degrees from the arachnoid structure. He said Tom would continue to bounce around like a pool ball, gradually slowing with each bounce. Captain Brezinski called maintenance and asked, "How quick can the submarine be operational?"

They replied that fueling was almost complete but the maintenance check was not. The Captain ordered them to discontinue the check and prepare to depart in an attempt to rescue Tom. They acknowledged the order and began the startup checklist. Mike called and suggested that some of the cargo netting could be used like a fish net, to capture Tom, if they could rig some poles onto the side of the submarine. The pilot agreed with the concept and asked Captain Brezinski if he could delay the startup until they secured the netting and poles to the side of the sub. Captain Brezinski agreed. A technician then suited up and they passed some pieces of plastic pipe through the airlock. The technician taped one of the pieces to the forward control fin and the second piece to the horizontal stabilizer of the tail. The netting was then loosely stretched between the poles and secured with more tape. Mike said the netting should work, if they could minimize the acceleration. The pilot then resumed the startup checklist.

While the sub prepared for departure, Eric-Peter continued his trajectory calculations. Tom had already struck the dome at about 30 degrees from the arachnoid structure and was headed across the dome at a further reduced speed. Eric-Peter calculated a mid dome position for the proposed rescue and advised the pilot of the coordinates. The calculations gave the pilot enough time to reach the rendezvous and position the sub to snare Tom in the netting while slowing his acceleration. If they did not match Tom's speed and direction properly he could simply bounce out of the netting. The last bounce had injured his left arm, but Tom said he was doing OK except for a slow leak in his air supply. The leak had increased his air consumption and he would be on emergency backup in the next 15 minutes. Captain Brezinski told the pilot to catch Tom on the first try if at all possible. As Tom came floating towards the sub, the pilot rotated the sub and came parallel to Tom's trajectory. He gradually maneuvered sideways until the netting was in front of Tom. The pilot gradually reversed his thrust allowing the net to contact Tom. Tom was held against the net by the gentle acceleration of the sub. His feet became tangled in the net which he was finally able to grab with his right hand. He announced that he had control and the pilot gently turned the sub towards the arachnoid structure. Two other crew members had already departed the airlock and were waiting for the sub to return. As the sub docked, they maneuvered onto the sub and removed the tape holding the poles. They took the entire net assembly, with Tom entangled, into the airlock. When the airlock cycled Doc Jules entered and with the help of the two crew members they unwrapped Tom and took him to the sickbay.

Doc Jules examined Tom and used the MRI unit to look for internal injuries or fractures. He had a severely bruised right shoulder and a simple fracture of the left arm. He taped the shoulder and put a cast on the left arm. He administered pain medicine and a sedative and helped Tom into the bed in the sickbay. Captain Brezinski came by to check on Tom and Doc Jules gave his report. She said they were lucky the injuries were so minor. She asked Doc Jules when he thought that Tom would be well enough to stand before the hearing. He reported that Tom would be sore but otherwise ready in 48 hours. The Captain thanked him and departed.

The Captain called a leadership conference for later in the day. When the senior officers were present she had Doc Jules review the injuries that Tom had received and the events leading up to the rescue. She then asked for comments. Mike said Tom was brilliant in electronics but obviously lacked common sense and deserved some punishment.

Doc Jules responded, "Tom made a simple mistake of youth and the episode should be forgotten."

Brother Simon, when asked his opinion, said, "The success of this mission requires everyone to assume responsibility for their decisions and the effect those decisions will have on their fellow crew members. I agree with Mike that some punishment is needed, not to teach Tom a lesson, but rather to allow him to pay his debt to the crew. If he is not allowed to suffer for his mistake he will carry the burden of this mistake with him."

Doc Jules replied, "His injuries and the humiliation should be punishment enough."

Brother Simon responded, "You may be correct, but I suspect that Tom would be happier with a reasonable external punishment."

Captain Brezinski summarized the military status of Tom's action and how it was actually a deliberate failure to follow a direct order. The fact that Tom meant no harm or disrespect by his action did not negate the violation of a direct order. Military protocol would require a formal hearing and if the Captain's Mast found Tom guilty, punishment would be required. She asked for suggestions on possible punishment. Nobody seemed eager to provide suggestions and Captain Brezinski was required to open the discussions by reviewing traditional naval punishments. She said canceling his leave was irrelevant because there was no leave. They had to brig to place him in. They could not hold his pay because there was no pay. Doc Jules then suggested that group dynamics could be used for punishment. If the other crew members were told to ignore Tom for a period of time, the isolation would be a significant punishment.

Brother Simon disagreed saying, "I think that because Tom is such an outgoing energetic young man, causing him to be ostracized would be very cruel and disruptive to crew morale."

"For once I agree with Simon," Mike said.

Captain Brezinski resumed her review of traditional naval discipline and said, "The other option would be corporal punishment."

Doc Jules objected strongly, "Captain, this is the 21st century and those barbaric customs should be relegated to the history books."

Captain Brezinski smiled and said, "I never thought of myself as a barbarian, but it is an interesting concept." Doc Jules flushed and tried to apologize but Captain Brezinski laughed and said, "Your apology is accepted." Captain Brezinski closed the meeting and asked everyone to think about suitable punishment for Tom if he was found guilty.

The hearing was held with traditional military formality. Captain Brezinski acted as the Captain's Mast Officer and Doc Jules acted as Tom's counsel. Brother Simon was given the task of representing the Captain's Mast. Following the opening statements, Captain Brezinski asked Tom to rise and said, "You are charged with the willful disregard of a properly issued order. How do you plead?" Tom was obviously nervous but with a clear voice he replied "Captain, I plead guilty." Captain Brezinski said, "Let the record show that Petty Officer Tom Akers has pleaded guilty to the charge of willfully disregarding a lawful order." She then requested closing comments from counsel. The closing comments consisted of a plea by Doc Jules for leniency based on Tom's excellent performance until the temporary lapse. Brother Simon closed by stating that punishment was indicated not as a learning tool but rather as a method of allowing Tom to pay his debt to his fellow crew members. Captain Brezinski then ordered a one hour recess. During this recess she again asked the senior officers for their advice regarding the punishment of Tom. No new ideas were brought forth. The philosophical disagreement between Doc Jules and Brother Simon persisted with Mike siding with Brother Simon.

When the Captain's Mast was called back into session, Captain Brezinski again asked Tom to stand. "This Captain's Mast finds you guilty of disregarding a lawful order which placed your life and the lives of your fellow crew members in jeopardy. For this transgression the Captain's Mast offers you the choice of punishment. You may choose either 3 weeks of strict isolation or a flogging. How do you choose?"

Tom said, "I do not think that I would tolerate the isolation. I request the flogging."

Captain Brezinski then rose and said, "This Captain's Mast is now closed and the flogging will be performed at 08:00 hours tomorrow." The room quickly emptied and the crew was grouped into clusters talking about the punishment that Tom had chosen. The computer was repeatedly accessed for information on flogging.

The Chief was called to Captain Brezinski's quarters and she asked him if he had ever been involved with a flogging. He said, "The Italian Navy still allows flogging, but I have never witnessed the activity."

Captain Brezinski said she had only witnessed it once when she was a junior officer. She asked the Chief if he could perform the flogging. He was quiet for several minutes and then said, "It is my responsibility as Chief and I am capable of performing my duties. I will have the auto-supplier create a cat o' nine tails"

Captain Brezinski thanked him and said she would rather not have to do this, but could not come up with another solution. She agreed with Tom that corporal punishment would be preferred to isolation. The Chief nodded and asked, "How many strikes with the cat o' nine tails will be required?"

Captain Brezinski said, "From my review it appears that three is the minimum and that seems plenty."

The Chief said, "Aye, Captain. Three should be plenty."

The next morning Tom presented to the common area. He removed his shirt and stood in the door frame supporting his cast in the sling that had been attached to the frame. Doc Jules, as the ship's surgeon was not only required to attend, but had to stand next to Tom and ensure that the punishment was not excessive. He was embarrassed to be involved with such a primitive ritual. His state of mind changed to one of mortification when the chief entered and said, "As ordered by the Captains Mast, I shall administer three strikes with the cat o' nine tails." The chief carefully unwrapped the "cat" from the green bag. The "cat" had a handle that was 15 inches long and covered with cloth. There were nine, twenty inch, tails of cord dangling from the end. Each of the ends was carefully 'whipped' with fine string.

Captain Brezinski told the Chief, "Do your duty." Tom steadied himself as the Chief raised the instrument of punishment. He struck Tom across the back. The slap of the tales against the bare skin made Doc Jules wince involuntarily. Multiple white stripes became immediately visible and were soon replaced by red welts. Tom groaned, but stood still. The Chief had to contort his body to compensate for the lack of stability that gravity normally provided. The magnetic boots were all that kept him from falling away from Tom. The Chief again raised the instrument and struck Tom. Doc Jules ears were again assaulted and he had to force himself not to turn away. Tom sagged slightly, but regained his posture. The third time the chief struck, some bleeding was evident. The blood spattered onto Doc Jules. Tom stood and uttered only a stifled moan.

The Chief put down his instrument and helped Doc Jules escort Tom to the sickbay. Doc Jules applied a topical anesthetic and dressed the wounds. Doc Jules was grumbling as he worked, "This barbaric scene seems totally out of place in a 21st century Starship."

Tom replied, "I screwed up and I deserved to be punished and I still prefer this to 3 long weeks of isolation."

The Chief was visibly shaken by the experience and asked, "Is any of John Kotzebue's special 'fortification liquid' still available?"

Doc Jules said, "I have saved some for just such an occasion." Doc Jules poured the liquor into the small dispensing cups and passed them out. After a toast to modern etiquette they all downed their drinks and Doc Jules poured another round.

The Chief then began to explain his fear of falling while administering the flogging. He said, "I had all I could do to keep from falling when I raised the cat of tails. I was afraid that I might even miss your back, Tom."

Tom replied, "I can assure you, that you succeeded in finding my back with great accuracy." After a few more rounds even Doc Jules was relaxing and joined in the banter. He asked Tom why he preferred the flogging to a painless punishment like the isolation? Tom laughed and said, "There are several beautiful women on this ship and three weeks of separation from them would have been real torture. I handle pain well and the beginning of football practice actually was worse than the pain inflicted by the Chief."

The Chief moaned and said, "Even my best attempts at flogging are being ridiculed, how can a poor Chief attain the respect he deserves."

Tom replied, "Believe me, you have my respect and I have no desire to ever allow you to perfect your skills with the cat o' nine tails."

Captain Brezinski presented to the sickbay about the time that the fortification liquid had taken good effect and found the group in high spirits. She smiled and said, "It appears that the good doctor has applied the proper treatment and that healing is commencing well." She then told Tom, "Your injuries during the fall will be reported as part of the weekly report to U.N. Command, but the results of the Captains Mast will be retained only in the ship's log."

Tom was mildly inebriated but was able to realize the Captain had gone out of her way to protect his reputation. He nodded and said, "Thanks, Captain." She then told Doc Jules to continue with his therapy and left.

The Chief said, "Doc, I know you think the punishment was too severe, but a captain must be a captain and a crew must be responsible for their activities. The experience of the old ocean voyages has shown that a lenient captain was even worse than an overly strict captain. I think that this Captain is a gem."

Doc Jules said, "You may be right."

Chapter 14: Free Air Day

Construction of the permanent habitat proceeded rapidly. When the majority of the welding was completed, the process of filling the dome with air was begun. During the acceleration phase of the journey, while the ice was being processed for deuterium, the dissolved gases were saved and stored in pressurized tanks. These gases were now released into the dome. The atmosphere gradually built, with the noble gases comprising a larger percentage of the atmosphere than on earth. Nitrogen was less abundant and the carbon dioxide level was almost nonexistent. The oxygen pressure was the easiest to control; electrolysis of the abundant water supply produced an easily controlled quantity of oxygen. When the oxygen pressure increased to 70% of earth normal, Captain Brezinski approved the testing protocol that Doc Jules had developed. Tom had volunteered to perform the initial exposure testing.

Doc Jules began explaining to Tom how he was going to obtain an arterial blood sample for testing. Tom responded, "Are you sure we have to do this needle thing?" When Doc Jules nodded in the affirmative, Tom said, "I really do not like needles. The chance to actually breathe outside of this structure makes it worthwhile." Tom and a safety observer suited up and exited the airlock. They remained connected to the safety lines. Tom opened his helmet and took a tentative small breath. He nodded to his observer and then took a large breath. The air was thin and very cold. Doc Jules asked him how the air was and Tom replied, "It is a tad stale and very cold, but otherwise it feels like I am on top of a large mountain."

Tom began taking repeated large breaths and Doc Jules advised him, "Take it easy."

Tom laughed and said, "It feels wonderful to be breathing in the open."

Doc Jules asked, "Are you noticing any tingling in your fingers or dizziness?"

Tom replied, "My fingers are tingling, but I do not feel dizzy." Doc Jules had them return to the airlock and immediately obtained another arterial gas sample. The analysis showed Tom had succeeded in blowing off most of his carbon dioxide, which produced the tingling, but the remainder of his blood gases were normal.

Captain Brezinski asked for his report and Doc Jules replied, "Except for our volunteer's exuberant breathing which depleted his carbon dioxide level, the test has gone well." Captain Brezinski thanked him and asked him to continue his work. Doc Jules spent more time instructing Tom in the need to control this respiratory effort. Tom and the safety observer exited the airlock, and he again opened his helmet. He consciously controlled his respiratory effort and was able to tolerate the thin air for almost a half hour before he noticed the tingling returning to his fingers. Doc Jules had Tom return and again immediately drew an arterial blood gas.

When Doc Jules examined Tom he did not notice any cyanosis, but the arterial blood gases documented significant hypoxemia suggesting that despite Tom's excellent physical conditioning, he was not capable of surviving the dome's atmosphere without a period of adaptation. When Doc Jules gave Captain Brezinski his report, she asked, "Can we modify the atmosphere of the "arachnoid" to produce the period of adaptation that is required?"

Doc Jules responded, "Manipulating our present atmosphere to produce adaptation would definitely speed things up, but we will still need to increase the oxygen pressure to near normal, and providing some carbon dioxide would be nice."

Captain Brezinski asked Mike, "How difficult will it be to modify the arachnoid structure's atmosphere?" Mike said a simple change in the computer's homeostatic program would produce the results over several days. Doc Jules asked him to make the changes more gradually so that the crew would adapt easier.

Ann volunteered a source of carbon dioxide for the dome. When Mike asked her for specifics she said "Our sanitation system has been storing all of our waste in a large frozen septic tank. If we heated the tank and encouraged composting, a significant portion of the carbon would be released as carbon dioxide."

Mike groaned and said, "She wants to turn our ship into a compost heap or even worse, an open out house!"

Ann, who seemed to tolerate Mike's behavior better than most of the crew, laughed and said, "I expect an engineer of your capability would be able to design a system that successfully removed all odors and other unwanted constituents from the recycling effort." Mike was forced to admit the engineering problems were not actually that significant. Ann was now smiling because the humus that would be produced in the composting would be ideal for use in her proposed gardens. Doc Jules smiled and thought to himself that Ann was an original thinker who frequently led without others knowing they were being led.

Mike's final engineering solution involved both the composting that Ann wanted and an incineration process which produced a small but measurable level of carbon dioxide in the dome. Following the two weeks of adaptation therapy, Tom was again used as a volunteer to test the air quality and suitability. He was able to spend several hours free breathing without difficulty and with normal blood gases. His hemoglobin had increased during the period of adaptation, just as a mountain climber's does during the acclimation portion of the climb. When Doc Jules announced the successful completion of this testing, everyone cheered. Captain Brezinski announced that the ship's company was entitled to a "free air holiday" and that for the next 48 hours only mission critical duties were to be performed, and those individuals not on watch were free to celebrate.

The crew began to explore the dome and their permanent habitat. This was the first opportunity for most of the crew to visit their new village "Dodge City." The dome remained relatively cold and the lighting produced a diffuse light similar to a cloudy day on earth. The ship had not yet been spun up to produce centrifugal force. They had the challenge and opportunity to explore in almost zero gravity conditions. When Tom thought of the long stairway to the village his mind returned to the practicality of using his skydiving skills. He decided to ask Captain Brezinski if he could experiment with free fall transit to the village. Captain Brezinski listened to his presentation and gave him permission with the condition that he teach anyone else who desired to learn the technique. Tom agreed wholeheartedly and began preparations for his first attempt. Following the last disaster he decided to consult with Eric-Peter regarding the problems of trajectory. Together they developed a simple method of sighting the target and estimating the jump effort required to overcome the expected air resistance. Tom prepared for the jump by padding himself well and wearing a modified helmet to protect his head. The initial jump was a short tangent across the top of the dome. This trial jump and the return jump to the arachnoid structure were uneventful. The next jump was from the arachnoid structure to the village. Tom was elated with the floating sensation and the complete freedom he felt while floating across the dome. He experimented with somersaults and other maneuvers. Despite his slow speed he was able to use the air resistance to control his path and landed almost exactly in the center of the village.

The entire crew watched Tom's journey with envy. Several of the crew had already arrived at the village when Tom landed. They applauded his landing and asked him multiple questions regarding the difficulty of the jump. Tom replied, "It is easier than I thought and I would be happy to teach you how to control your flight during the jump." The memory of Tom's first jump and the near disaster with the resulting punishment was enough to cause everyone to decline Tom's offer. Tom explained that Captain Brezinski had approved his jumps with the condition that he be willing to teach the other crew the technique. Several of the crew then decided to try the jumping technique. For most it was the excitement of floating that caused them to try the free jumping; for others the very tedious climb was reason enough to learn to jump. Tom's lessons were very effective and soon crew members were crossing the dome at will.

Tom had difficulty with some members not jumping with enough force to overcome the air resistance and being suspended in the dome. He attempted to rescue them by jumping in their direction and bumping them in the proper direction, much like a pool ball. He called Mike and asked if a simple compressed air rocket could be used for propelling him across the dome, so that he could assist the stranded jumpers. Mike quickly adapted a compressed air tank with a nozzle and a hand controlled valve that was strapped onto Tom's back. The rocket produced only mild acceleration and no directional control, but with Tom's ability to swim through the air it produced a very maneuverable device. Even Brother Simon decided to try jumping. His initial jump was much too timid and he ended up being suspended and required rescuing by Tom. His next attempts were much more successful and when Captain Brezinski asked him how he was doing he replied, "This must be how the angels feel!"

The picnic had been planned at the village as part of the celebrations. When Mike was asked to help provide the required tables he grumbled about being busy but helped with the design and the fabrication of the tables. Mike had not been a visible part of the "free air day" celebration and when Doc Jules asked Captain Brezinski about Mike's work schedule, she just nodded and said, "I think Mike will be okay." As time approached for the picnic, everyone but the watch officer and Mike were assembled at the village. All heads looked up when somebody asked, "What the heck is that?" An odd looking contraption was seen departing the arachnoid structure. It had the basic appearance of a toy airplane. The wings were much too small and it had a large slowly revolving propeller. As the plane approach the assembled group Mike waved and slowly flew over them. He made a somewhat graceful turn and approached the remaining open area. Captain Brezinski asked several of the crew to assist Mike in his landing. As Mike approached they walked along and gradually brought the plane to a secure landing using their magnetic shoes as anchors. Mike then deployed his anchoring device, which was a small permanent magnet on a tnin line. Everybody applauded Mike and his "0 Gee" plane. Mike answered questions about the design and performance of the airplane. He then asked Captain Brezinski if she would like to try flying the plane. She accepted the invitation and climbed into the plane.

Mike reviewed the functioning of the controls and the basic operation of the airplane. Captain Brezinski started slowly peddling the bicycle type drive and the large propeller began pulling the airplane forward. The plane was straining against the magnetic tie down and Mike reminded her to "pull in your anchor." The Captain quit peddling and pulled in her anchor. She waved and began peddling again. The airplane moved forward just a few feet before the short stubby wings provided the lift necessary for the airplane to become airborne. Captain Brezinski had been an accomplished aerobatic pilot who quickly felt at home with the small airplane. She began a series of slow speed aerobatic maneuvers. Her maneuvers became more aggressive and closer to the audience as her comfort level increased. After performing for about thirty minutes she gracefully brought the plane to a halt next to the applauding crew. She was beaming and flushed with the exertion. Everyone began congratulating her at once. Brother Simon brought her a ship's drinking container and said, "Captain, your performance was a thing of beauty and I congratulate you and Mike on the accomplishment."

She raised the container in the direction of Mike and said, "I salute our engineer and the rest of you for being the finest crew that any Captain could wish for." A general cheer went up and as the noise level subsided Captain Brezinski said, "Let the feast begin!"

A view from overhead would have shown a small western town with a traditional appearing community celebration. The Main Street was obstructed with multiple tables covered with checkered tablecloths and filled with food. The U.N. uniforms were somewhat out of place, but a close observer would have been even more amazed by the tremendous variety of foods. The diverse ethnic origins of the crew were represented by similar diversity in foods. All of the liquids were contained in space fluid containers and all of the containers were slightly magnetized to prevent their displacement. A gentle air suction was used to contain the small items of debris. The joy of the celebration was genuine and the crew enjoyed themselves. Tom suggested that maybe some of the fortification liquid that John Kotzebue had left might still be available. Doc Jules replied, "Unfortunately the small remaining stock of John's legacy was utilized for medicinal purposes following your visit with the 'cat o' nine tails' if you recall."

Tom answered, "I do remember the episode very well, but I was hoping that an additional supply had been located." Doc Jules just shook his head no.

Kate then addressed Captain Brezinski and asked, "Captain, would the stocking of the Long Branch Saloon with a variety of fortification fluids not be appropriate?"

Captain Brezinski was silent for moment while she thought and then replied, "Naval tradition has always allowed for the limited consumption of alcoholic beverages during long voyages, and since our voyage would, by any measure, be a long voyage, I would approve." The discussion then turned to the favored beverages and the methods of production. This discussion continued until the unofficial band began to play.

The musicians were all amateurs who took their music seriously. In order to play as a group they had to learn to share their own ethnic music. Music, like mathematics upon which it is based, is universal. The diversity arises from the complex interaction of melody, harmony, and rhythm. The concert started out with an unusual version of "Home on the Range." The tune was easily recognizable but the instrumentation was original. A series of national anthems followed, with crew members standing at attention whenever their respective anthem was played. Many crew members were visibly crying when their anthem was played. Requests were then taken and personal favorites were played in the well intended, but unusual style of the band. The applause was repetitive and everyone enjoyed the reminders of their origin and the reality, produced by the most unusual collection of instruments, which tied them to the present.

After the concert was officially finished, the musicians continued to play but conversations resumed. Captain Brezinski was visiting with Ann and Brother Simon and the discussion was revolving around the twist and turns of life. Ann asked Brother Simon how he had made his decision to join the monastery. Captain Brezinski listened intently as Brother Simon replied, "It's not a very interesting story." Ann and Captain Brezinski both encouraged him to relate the story. Brother Simon began his story by describing his work as a graduate student and his enthusiasm for his study in genetics. "As my knowledge of genetics grew, I became more enthralled with my studies. Unfortunately, this resulted in my neglect of a beautiful young woman with whom I was deeply in love. She tolerated my 18 hour stints in the lab for many months, but finally she could no longer tolerate the loneliness. I, in my blissful ignorance, could not see the damage that my work was doing to our relationship. When she left, I was shattered. I left my studies and moved to the mountains where I let the solitude gradually heal my soul. I spent my days hiking in the woods, allowing my mind to wander between the reality of the forest and the despair of my broken heart. I gradually spent more time in reality and less time in my melancholy. I resumed my contemplation about genetics. During one high mountain hike, a three dimensional picture of a strand of DNA became evident to me. This three dimensional view became my first joyous moment since the breakup. As I returned from the mountain ridge, this visualization became greater and I was actually able to visualize how this three dimensional structure of the DNA molecule was essential for the proper functioning of the genetic code. Over the next several months, as the weather gradually turned colder, I was able to picture larger and larger pieces of DNA. As the absolute beauty of this most intricate relationship became evident, I began to realize that an active design was most certainly involved in its creation. Until this point, I had been a true believer in evolutionary theory. With my realization that the DNA molecule itself appeared to be created by design, I realized my previous beliefs were no longer adequate. As the winter drove me out of my mountain solitude, I began to pursue the theories of creation. I spent time in a monastery on my way back. The devotion of the monks and their strong belief in God were such a stark contrast to my previous life that I decided to stay and study for a while. A proposed short stay just never ended. I gradually became more involved with their community and eventually realized the peace they enjoyed, allowed me a clarity of thought which I wanted to pursue. And the rest, as they say, is history."

Captain Brezinski and Ann were both quiet as Brother Simon finished his story. After several minutes of silence Captain Brezinski thanked Brother Simon for sharing his story and said, "That is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever heard." Ann just nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes.

Brother Simon asked, "Would anyone else like to go for a walk?"

Captain Brezinski said, "I would love to, but I had better stay with the crew." Ann said she would like to go. They began a meandering walk away from the village. They walked in silence. After a while Ann asked Brother Simon if he would give her some advice.

He nodded and said, "I will try."

She was again silent for a while and then said "I would like to get to know Doc Jules better, but I am afraid to initiate the relationship because of my own fear of rejection."

Brother Simon replied, "Doc Jules is a gentle man who has suffered a great loss. He also needs companionship, but is afraid to seek it for fear of damaging his memories. I consider him a friend and would hope he would allow another companion into his life. I would recommend you be gentle in your approach, and realize that his healing is not yet complete. With nurturing he will grow to accept both his past and future relationships."

They were both quiet again and as they were nearing the village Ann said, "Thank you for your counsel and your friendship."

Brother Simon smiled and said, "My counsel may be of questionable value, but your friendship is most dear." Ann smiled and walked off to where Doc Jules and Mike were visiting.

Chapter 15: Moving In

Following the brief holiday the crew worked with enthusiasm to transit from the confining arachnoid structure to their new home in Dodge City. Their limited personal possessions were transferred without difficulty. In the construction of Dodge City they had replicated most of the support machinery. The supply line connecting the village with the auto-supplier had been completed. As confining as the arachnoid structure had been, it was home. Moving into the new facility created some unease. The openness of the village and the freedom of being in the "outdoors" produced a mild sense of acrophobia, but this had been tempered significantly by the "free air holiday".

While the crew as a whole was accomplishing the move, Mike and Eric-Peter were working with Captain Brezinski to begin the spinning on their ship. The remaining fragment of the metallic asteroid was secured to a long filament and had propulsion rockets attached. As it slowly moved away from the ship the tether was uncoiled. The ship's propulsion rockets were then carefully controlled to provide an equal and opposite rotational force. This produced a very slow rotational speed. The angular momentum produced inertial forces that simulated gravity. The spin up was proceeding very smoothly but slowly. The goal was to reach sufficient rotational speed to produce an artificial gravity of 1 g. The rotational speed would be gradually increased over the next ten days. The human ear contains the extremely sensitive vestibular system which responded to the very minimal acceleration forces that were introduced. This caused the brain to automatically reorientate everyone's sense of direction. Dodge City was now definitely "down to earth"and the opposite end of the dome with the arachnoid structure composed "the sky."

Moving Doc Jules medical supplies and re-establishing his clinic and infirmary was the initial task following the transfer of everyone's personal belongings. Doc Jules obviously did not like moving and was under visible stress trying to direct the placement of his equipment and supplies. The similarity between his new clinic and his first private clinic produced a flood of memories which all but overwhelmed him. Everyone was trying to help, but they were getting frustrated because Doc Jules spent his time arranging his medical textbooks on the shelves. He would stop to read a section of the book before placing it on the shelf.

Ann asked him, "Would you like me to help you with your books?"

Doc Jules looked up and replied to her, "These books have accompanied me on all of my military transfers and my transition to civilian life. They are obviously out of date, but they connect me to my medical roots and help me keep focused. I have always hated moving. My wife used to get so frustrated with me because I always set up my medical library before helping with the rest of the move. She came to realize that this was my way of coping and took charge of the move, knowing that I would help after my security blanket had been set up." Ann smiled in reply and started directing the placement of the clinic furniture and equipment. Doc Jules would look up from his books occasionally and make some suggestion as to placement of the equipment, but otherwise seemed to ignore the proceedings. He finished with his books about the time the last of the equipment was placed and very graciously thanked everyone for their help. As the rest of the crew moved on to other projects, Ann stayed and helped Doc Jules store his supplies. As they were finishing he said, "I really appreciate your help and would like to repay you by fixing you a fish dinner".

Ann smiled and said, "I would take you up on your offer but the availability of fresh fish seems to be a problem."

Doc Jules sighed and said, "This journey has been an awesome adventure, but I do miss my fishing trips."

Ann nodded and said, "Maybe Brother Simon and I can provide some help." Doc Jules looked at her quizzically, but let the conversation end. Ann stood up to leave and said, "I promised Kate that I would help her get the Long Branch organized." Doc Jules thanked her again for her help and said he would be by to help in a little while. They smiled at each other and Ann left.

Doc Jules spent some time opening cabinet doors and familiarizing himself with location of his equipment and supplies. His mind wandered back to the opening of this small private practice clinic. He remembered his excitement at starting private practice and the anxiety he felt. His wife had taken charge of organizing his clinic because he was so flustered. Recalling the image of his wife organizing his small clinic while he worked on setting up his library made him both smile and cry simultaneously. When he thought of how Ann had helped him today, he also had an image of his wife, way off in the distance, smiling and nodding her approval. The image was so powerful that Doc Jules began to weep and for the first time his crying was not one of despair, but rather now contained an element of hope.

It took Doc Jules a while to compose himself, and then he remembered his promise to help Kate organize the Long Branch. As he left the clinic it was obvious that the minimal artificial gravity was already improving his stride. The magnetic shoes produced a stride that was contorted by the need to firmly anchor the advancing foot before attempting to move the rear foot forward. The smooth almost fluid-like motions of a healthy stride were distorted into a staccato jerky motion with multiple twisting motions of the body required for propulsion. As he neared the swinging door of the Long Branch he heard a loud "pop" followed by cheering. As he entered he was greeted by the site of Tom desperately trying to control the foam that was erupting from the bottle that he was holding. The minimal gravity energized the foam and limited Tom's ability to respond creating a cartoon-like image. Doc Jules could not help but join in the celebration. Kate announced, "The Long Branch Saloon is now open!" She told Tom to open all other bottles under the zero gee hood and to utilize the space drinking containers. Tom, who was obviously enjoying his role as bartender, nodded and poured the rest of his test bottle into a drinking container for himself.

Doc Jules said, "I will buy a round for everyone to thank you for your help in setting up my clinic."

Kate laughed and replied, "That's most generous considering that we have no money! Therefore, everything is free! Hopefully our first batch of beer will be enough for everyone to try a small glass."

Doc Jules shrugged his shoulders and said, "I was trying to demonstrate both my gratitude and generosity." This was greeted with whistles and cat calls by the rest of the crew.

Kate turned to Tom and said, "Bar keep, set'em up, like the good Doctor ordered!" Tom laughed and started popping corks and pouring beer. When everyone finally had a glass, the toast was raised. "To our new village!" A general cheer went up and everyone raised their glasses. Doc Jules was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the beer.

He told Kate, "This is pretty good stuff, almost like the specialty microbrews back in Oregon."

She replied, "It's amazing what a nutritionist and a chemist can come up with. Ann says that it is even good for us, in moderation."

Doc Jules replied, "To your health then." and he drained his small glass of beer.

When Mike and Captain Brezinski arrived, having left Eric-Peter as the watch officer, Mike said, "I sure hope that someone saved me a beer."

Tom replied, "For the Captain and the ship's engineer we have saved the last bottle of our inaugural brew." Tom made a show of opening the last bottle and pouring equal amounts into two containers. The Captain and Mike raised their glasses together in salute to the rest of the crew and drank heartily. The crew began sharing their first meal in the Long Branch. As the Captain was finishing her meal, her communicator beeped and Eric-Peter advised her that he was receiving anomalous readings from his instruments. She asked if there was a problem and he replied, "No, Captain. I find no reason for the unusual readings I am receiving from the gravitometer and the accelerometer." Captain Brezinski told him to continue monitoring and have the computer re-calibrate the instruments. Mike saw the puzzled look on Captain Brezinski face and asked her what the problem was.

She replied, "Eric-Peter is receiving anomalous readings on both the gravitometer and the accelerometer, and I cannot figure out why only these two instruments would show an aberration. Simultaneous failure of both is even harder to explain." She had no sooner finished her comment when her communicator beeped again, and she was summoned to the bridge by Eric-Peter.

By the time Mike and Captain Brezinski arrived at the bridge the anomalous readings had progressed to the point that the instruments had reached their maximum and were essentially "pegged out". Eric-Peter explained he had the instruments re-calibrated by the computer without any change in their readings. They were discussing the possible causes of the aberration when suddenly the instruments returned to normal and the docking safety lights began to flash. Captain Brezinski ordered the docking video images to be displayed and an oblong craft was visible at the docking port. The docking protocols began to scroll across the monitor and within a few minutes satisfactory docking was completed. Captain Brezinski asked Eric-Peter if any object had been present on their long-range radar. Eric-Peter denied seeing anything and when the radar log was replayed nothing was visible.

Mike asked, "Where did this thing come from, and how did it know our docking sequence and physical characteristics?" Eric-Peter said that it apparently arose from within the gravity well which they had detected, and that it was obviously connected with The Visitor who had complete knowledge of the ship and its procedures. Mike disagreed saying, "I would think that a malfunction or limitation of our instruments would be a much more likely explanation than attributing our new visitor's arrival to some exotic gravitational drive."

Captain Brezinski asked Eric-Peter, "How is it possible for something to materialize out of the gravitational aberration?" Eric-Peter shrugged his shoulders and presented the computer with the question. The response was brief, "Advanced transportation technologies are not within my database." By now the entire crew was assembled outside of the command center and Captain Brezinski briefed them on the new arrival.

Captain Brezinski called a command conference which assembled in the conference room almost immediately. Captain Brezinski called the conference to order and opened it with a summary of the preceding events. Eric-Peter's evaluation was given and the conference was opened for discussion. Mike was obviously very excited about the technology that their new visitor represented and recommended that they expedite their contact. Doc Jules discussed the possibility of accidental contamination. Because they had been so isolated their immunity was depressed, and he recommended a strict isolation protocol. Brother Simon sat quietly listening to the discussion and when Captain Brezinski asked his opinion he said, "I expect that our true mission is beginning." Everyone looked at him, but he did not elaborate.

The issue of self-defense was raised, but Captain Brezinski, thinking back to her previous attempt, said, "Defense against technology this advanced would seem all but impossible and no attempt will be made." She asked Mike to formulate the protocol for contacting their new visitor, and Doc Jules was ordered to introduce an isolation protocol into Mike's overall plan. All were instructed to have reports ready in 12 hours. Eric-Peter was directed to institute a radio contact protocol. The command conference was dismissed and Captain Brezinski informed the remaining crew of her plan. She answered their questions about their new visitor, which the crew had already named "The Egg".

Brother Simon accompanied Captain Brezinski back to the command center. Eric-Peter was still on watch and had already started a radio contact protocol. He had the computer monitoring thousands of discrete frequencies looking for a signal. He was broadcasting a short series of prime numbers on their usual frequencies in a sequential fashion. When The Visitor's frequency was used a reply of the sequential prime numbers was received. When voice transmissions were utilized no reply was made. Prime number sequences were always answered with the appropriate sequential numbers. The computer reported that no other transmissions were being made other than those on The Visitors frequency. Captain Brezinski asked, "How can they know the details of our ship and trajectory without knowing our language?"

Eric-Peter said, "Your question and Mike's previous question on where "The Egg" came from, may be directly related. If "The Egg" had been stationed near here then standard transmissions would have been sufficient to relay both the information on our ship and our language. If however, "The Egg" originated more than a few light years from the earth, standard communication would not have had time to make the transit, much less allow for transportation time."

Brother Simon interjected his belief that "The Egg" originated at their destination which was approximately 15 light years from earth. Eric-Peter agreed but pointed out that either they were using a method of communication which defied the limit of the speed of light, or "The Egg" was waiting for them near here. Captain Brezinski asked if anything could exceed the speed of light. Eric-Peter replied, "Based on our physics the speed of light is an absolute limit". He was quiet for minute and then added, "Physics does allow for the possibility of quantum communication which would be instantaneous anywhere in the universe." He went on to explain, "Quantum mechanics states that sub atomic particles that were once in contact would continue to influence the activity of the partner no matter how far apart they were separated. This would allow for an unbelievably complex communication system which would be capable of instantaneous transfer of data across the universe. For this to work these sub atomic particles would have to be controlled." Captain Brezinski finished his thought process by adding, "The complexities of language could have exceeded the capabilities of this quantum communication system."

Brother Simon reminded them, "The speed of light should have also limited the distance that "The Egg" could have traveled."

Eric-Peter nodded but said, "I am not sure that The Visitor travels in our dimensions. The extreme fluctuations in my instruments would indicate that it was capable of creating a warp in our four dimensional system which would have allowed it to apparently exceed the speed of light."

Captain Brezinski acknowledged Eric-Peter for his theory and asked him if he was up to establishing a communication protocol with "The Egg." Eric-Peter replied, "I will need the help of our linguists, but I am sure that Kate and I can work with the computer to establish a line of communication."

Captain Brezinski said, "I will relieve you as watch officer so that you and Kate can get to work." Eric-Peter nodded, picked up his papers, and left with a happy expression on his face.

Brother Simon said, "That young man is thrilled to think that his experimental physics can actually be applied."

Captain Brezinski agreed and added, "If he is right, this technology far exceeds any concept of magic that I ever had."

After a few minutes of silence Brother Simon said, "The biblical miracles are often used to demonstrate the power and glory of God, but I think that life itself is the essence of God in all his glory. These events are as miraculous as the biblical miracles of old, but they represent only technological manifestations of the power of life. The existence of life itself is the true miracle of God's glory."

Captain Brezinski asked, "How do you maintain this belief of yours when all this current activity would indicate that your God was in reality an ancient astronaut?"

Brother Simon smiled and said, "It has become evident that much of what we previously delegated to the direct interaction of God was probably the result of intervention by technologically advanced civilizations, but this is a limitation on our ability to comprehend the true essence of God. We picture God as an old man sitting on a throne surrounded by puffy clouds with angels singing. This is a limitation of ours and our inability to comprehend God. God is because life exists. The more advanced life becomes, the more it glorifies God. I have spent my life studying genetics because it is the study of life. The more I learned, the more firmly I believed in an ordered universe as the expression of God's glory." Brother Simon stopped speaking and looked somewhat embarrassed. He apologized for the spontaneous sermon.

Captain Brezinski shook her head and said, "You have given me much to think about, and I would like to explore your ideas further. For now we all have work to do."

Brother Simon nodded and as he headed for the door he turned and said, "Have a good evening, Captain".

Captain Brezinski replied, "It has been a good evening, but it will probably be a short night. Thank you again for your company and your thoughts."

Left to the quiet of the watch, Captain Brezinski's thoughts wandered back to the attack on her submarine by The Visitor and the vision she had as she was scuttling her boat. She never had understood why she failed to report the vision and how it had changed her decision to scuttle her boat. She decided to share her secret with Brother Simon. Her thoughts turned to Brother Simon himself and the sense of happiness she felt when she was with him. She laughed at herself for finding happiness with a celibate Monk. She was also surprised by the gradual change in her interest. She had always been described as a mission-oriented officer. Now she found joy in discussing philosophical and theological issues. She felt that she was developing as an individual, but at the same time it concerned her that it may interfere with her ability to command. This anxiety quickly left her as she recalled one of the few sayings she could remember from her grandmother, "What will be, will be." She had always enjoyed watch duty because of the solitude which gave her the quiet time she needed to reflect on her life.

Eric-Peter and Kate soon returned with a plan for developing the communication link. It had been Kate's suggestion that they attempt to establish a computer communication protocol first. Eric-Peter had explained "The Egg" had responded to prime numbers displayed as a series of dots but not to traditional numerical notation. Kate felt that this demonstrated a language problem and they would need to build a translator based on mathematical principles which could be universal. She had asked Eric-Peter to define the most fundamental computer language and he had explained the digital code of machine language using zeros and ones. Their plan was to establish a minimal common language from which the computers could begin to exchange data. Captain Brezinski approved their plan. Eric-Peter began transmitting his series of prime numbers using both the series of dots and the binary code. They all three cheered when the return transmission responded properly. Eric-Peter gradually increased the complexity of the binary message, and it was obvious that the new visitor was comprehending. In a surprisingly short time the computers began sharing information directly. The evening wore on as the ship's computer continued the translation process. When the computer finely announced that it had finished the process, Captain Brezinski was actually startled by the announcement and realized that she had dozed off.

Her first formal order was, "Please identify our new visitor." The computer responded, "I have been exchanging information with the navigational computer aboard the star ship, "New Beginnings", which is as close as the proper name can be translated."

"What is the purpose of the visit?" asked Captain Brezinski.

The computer's responded, "The star ship New Beginnings" has been sent to deliver equipment and supplies for our mission."

"And what is that mission?" was the natural response by the Captain. In staccato rhythm the computer replied, "That information is not yet available." Captain Brezinski was becoming frustrated and decided that further action would wait until the morning. She posted the new watch and recommended that everyone else get as much rest as they could. As Captain Brezinski was crawling into bed her mind was racing with the possible meaning of their new visitor.

When Tchaikovsky's music gently began as her wake-up call Captain Brezinski was pleasantly surprised to realize that she had slept fairly well. When she arrived at the Long Branch for breakfast, Mike and Doc Jules were still discussing their proposed protocols. Captain Brezinski asked them, "May I join you for breakfast?"

Doc Jules responded, "Please, sit and join us, Captain. We are just finishing the contact protocol."

Mike chipped in, "Our good doctor is afraid that some invisible germ is going to blow up our ship, and he thinks that I'm going to attack the visitor with a crow bar just to see what is inside."

Captain Brezinski said, "I expected as much." She informed them that the communication protocol was proceeding well, but despite the visitors technical knowledge of the ship the visitor did not have the ability to utilize our language.

Doc Jules said, "That limitation seems illogical for such an advanced ship, or whatever it is."

Following Captain Brezinski's explanation of Eric-Peter's concept of the quantum communication, Mike just shook his head and said, "Eric-Peter is getting almost as mystical as Simon. Simple solutions not complex physics are the most likely answer."

Captain Brezinski smiled and said, "We will know soon enough, but in the meantime, will you please review your protocol while I enjoy my breakfast."

The actual protocol was simple enough. Two volunteers in full space attire would descend down the access tunnel to the docking station. On arrival their first task would be to certify the emergency shelter as operational. If needed, they would be placed in quarantine in the shelter. They would carry a portable decontamination unit and a medical kit which would include testing facilities for possible viral and bacterial contamination.

Tom as always was one of the volunteers. As he proceeded down the long ladder of the access tunnel, he and Martha were closely monitored in their progress. Everyone on the bridge had to smile when Martha asked Tom, "Why did you volunteer for this mission when everyone knows that long ladders are not your favorite?"

Tom responded, "The chance to spend the week with you in quarantine made me forget how much I detested long ladders. And besides, we may be the first people to ever actually see an alien."

Martha was obviously startled and said, "You don't really think that there is somebody in that ship, do you?"

"Who knows?" was Tom's reply. When they reached the halfway point a mandatory rest period was prescribed. Doc Jules, who had been monitoring their vital signs, asked if they were becoming fatigued.

Martha responded, "The medical kit was getting heavy and I appreciate the opportunity to rest.

Tom said, "I remember why I do not like long ladders, but after my last discussion with the Chief I am content to plod along carrying this contraption which I hope we do not need." Captain Brezinski acknowledged their reports and reminded them that the acceleration did indeed increase the weight of their load as they descended outward.

They moved quickly to test the emergency shelter and bring it to operational status. After recharging their air supply and completing the prescribed rest period Tom announced, "Contact team has confirmed status of the emergency shelter to be above minimums and is prepared to initiate contact with The Egg".

Mike looked at Captain Brezinski who nodded an affirmative and Mike replied, "Contact team is authorized to proceed with contact initiation."

Martha looked at Tom who gave her a "thumbs up" and they proceeded to the airlock. Full cycling of the airlock was required by the protocol. After completion of the cycle Tom and Martha found themselves looking at a circular hatch with a single lever visible. Their video cameras kept the entire crew apprised of their progress. Tom asked for instructions and Mike replied, "We have not yet deciphered the opening sequence, so, standby."

After several minutes of waiting Tom asked Martha, "What would happen if we tried the lever?" Without waiting for an answer Tom reached up and turned the lever. The door opened revealing a small airlock with a similar door visible. Tom reported, "Opening sequence deciphered and initiated." Even Captain Brezinski had to smile at Tom's response and had Mike authorize the team to proceed. Tom acknowledged the order and he turned to Martha, bowing he said, "After you, my dear." Martha stepped up to the inner door and with some hesitation turned the lever. As the door opened, lights came on revealing the inside of the ship.

Tom and Martha used their video cameras to explore the interior of the ship without entering. After listening to the analysis presented Captain Brezinski ordered Tom to go aboard the Egg and for Martha to stand as the safety officer. She added, "Tom, I do not want you to touch anything."

Tom responded, "Aye, aye, Captain." He entered the ship. As he slowly walked up one aisle and then back down the other aisle he reported, "Captain, this isn't a ship. It is a warehouse." The entire interior space was filled with pallets and containers except for a 3 m oblong protrusion at the aft end. Mike and Eric-Peter were furiously comparing the external dimensions with the interior dimensions. The Egg was about the same size as the space shuttle and a comparison of the dimensions indicated that other than the protrusion from the aft section, the entire ship consisted of the "warehouse".

Mike exclaimed, "It's impossible! There must be an engine compartment!"

Captain Brezinski replied, "Now it sounds like you are becoming mystical. I was worried that you and Eric-Peter would become bored during the transition portion of the flight. It now appears that you will have plenty to work on."

Brother Simon asked Tom if there was anything that looked like a freezer to him. Tom repeated his walk and pointed the camera at a compartment which had several lights visible and lighted characters which were reminiscent of hieroglyphics. Captain Brezinski asked Kate if she was able to decipher the characters, and Kate replied, "I am digitizing the image for computer analysis." Captain Brezinski looked at Brother Simon who was obviously in very deep thought and asked him, "Brother Simon, what is your analysis?"

His simple reply was, "Our mission is now defined."

Doc Jules in exasperation asked, "What the hell is this mission you are talking about?"

Brother Simon replied slowly, "Well, I assume that within that compartment is a frozen collection of embryos from our destination planet which we will be charged to genetically engineer into sentient beings."

Before any other questions could be asked Kate announced, "It appears that this compartment is a cryogenic container. The translation reads, cryo-keeper temperature must be maintained below 125 degrees Kelvin."

After several minutes of intense discussion they were interrupted by a call from Tom. His request was simple, "Captain, we're requesting permission to proceed with the contact protocol". Captain Brezinski granted permission and informed them of Brother Simon's theory. Tom responded, "You mean this egg is actually an incubator?"

Captain Brezinski replied, "That is our working theory". Tom began the laborious task of exposing the multiple culture plates that Doc Jules had provided. He used moist swabs to wipe the surfaces and place the swabs in an amino acid indicator solution. Tom brought the test tubes to Martha who placed the tubes in her storage pack along with the culture plates. The two proceeded to close the airlock and return to their emergency shelter.

Once safely at the shelter Martha washed Tom down with a decontamination solution prior to allowing him to enter the emergency habitat. Once inside the habitat they were prohibited from removing their suits until the amino acids test was complete. Tom told Martha, "Hurry up and complete those chemical test so we can get out of these suits."

Martha responded, "What's the hurry?"

Tom laughed and said, "It's very difficult to cuddle in a space suit." Martha did not respond, but was smiling to herself as she completed the amino acids test. Her smile turned to a frown as the solution turned blue indicating the presence of multiple amino acids. The presence of these amino acids indicated organic contamination of the surfaces and the possibility of infectious agents.

She told Tom, "I sure hope I do not get a skin itch because it looks like we will be living in our suits for awhile."

Tom responded, "There can't be anything there that would hurt us." Martha said, "I hope you are right, but I bet Doc Jules will make us follow the isolation protocol." She then forwarded the results to Doc Jules.

His response came quickly, "The high concentration of amino acids indicates probable biological contamination, and you must follow the isolation protocol."

Tom just groaned and said, "I was hoping for a nice romantic week with you and now I am stuck in this dumb suit."

Martha responded, "Hopefully the cultures will be negative, and we will be able to shed our suits and save most of the week." It had already been a long day and Captain Brezinski ordered them to begin a rest period as soon as the culture plates were placed in the incubator.

Tom responded, "Aye, aye, Captain. I could use the rest, but I can think of a more comfortable way of getting it."

Captain Brezinski responded, "I think we should worry about your rest more and being comfortable less."

Martha replied for Tom, "Captain, we are doing well and will commence the rest period." She quickly finished placing the culture plates and had Tom help her connect the habitat support system to her suit. She helped Tom with his connections and they lay back on the simple reclining seats in the habitat. Tom reached over and squeezed her hand as he turned down the lighting.

Tom and Martha were gently awakened by Captain Brezinski with a simple, "Good morning."

Tom and Martha both responded with a somewhat sleepy, "Good morning, Captain". When asked how they had slept Tom responded, "I could have used a better pillow but otherwise I seem to have rested well."

Captain Brezinski apologized for the quality of the space suit ration's but asked them to enjoy the breakfast as best they could. Their first task was to perform the safety checklist prior to disconnecting from the ships life support. The Captain reported, "The good doctor is quite anxious to have a report on the culture plates." Martha responded in the affirmative, but Tom mumbled something about eating baby food through a straw.

When Captain Brezinski asked him to repeat himself Tom replied "I was just wondering if Kate could save me a beer." Captain Brezinski promised that she would forward the request to Kate. Martha could not help smiling at Tom's remarks and attitude.

They finished their safety checklist and breakfast very quickly. Tom handed the plates to Martha for inspection. The first several plates had no growth, but a few of the plates had extensive growth. They focused the video camera on the plates so Doc Jules could examine them. Doc Jules began giving instructions for additional culturing of the growth. The various growth colonies were spread across specialized plates with different regions of nutrients and antibiotics. He then told them, "We will have to continue the isolation protocol until we are sure that this contamination is not dangerous." Tom and Martha both acknowledged the order and requested permission to resume their exploration of "The Egg". Captain Brezinski asked them if they thought a safety officer was still needed.

Tom replied, "There seems to be no external danger and two crew can easily work in the space which would significantly speed up the exploration." Captain Brezinski authorized both Tom and Martha to enter into the ship and proceed cautiously.

After cycling the airlock Tom and Martha began a detailed examination of the individual containers which were all labeled with the strange writing. Kate would digitize each video image for computer analysis. Most of the containers were filled with equipment with names that translated into things like "DNA splicer and sequencing unit". The translations seemed almost nonsensical to most of the crew with the exception of Brother Simon who after a while said, "These gifts exceed a geneticist wildest dreams!" Kate was adapting quickly to the writings and soon was translating them before the digitalizing was even complete.

Martha was examining a medium-size container which had a different configuration and was without a label. There was a schematic drawing and after examining it Martha said, "I think that they have sent us a new computer module." When Captain Brezinski asked her why that was her impression Martha replied, "This schematic is almost identical to the one on the module that we installed from The Visitor's ship." Mike had the computer bring up the schematic that Martha referred to and told Captain Brezinski that Martha was right. He and Martha began discussing alternatives for connecting the new module to their existing computer system. The isolation protocol required that the airlock be utilized which prevented the use of a fiber-optic connecting cable. It was soon obvious that the new module would have to be moved into the emergency shelter.

Tom and Martha spent the rest of the work session trying to release the container from the docking station without any success. Captain Brezinski ordered them to begin their next rest session while Kate worked on trying to interpret all of the recorded writing looking for possible instructions.

Eric-Peter was becoming frustrated working with the navigational computer aboard the New Beginnings. He said, "This computer is either limited to navigational duties, or it has a security block that I cannot penetrate." Captain Brezinski asked him if there was "a bill of lading" included in the data banks that might have the instructions that they needed.

Eric-Peter replied, "I do not know what that is." Captain Brezinski explained that it was a list of all freight loaded on sailing vessels. Since "The Egg" appears to be a freighter it should have a similar list. Eric-Peter said that he would continue looking and after a few minutes he found a list. When the translated list was displayed, with the previously identified containers highlighted, it became obvious that Brother Simon was right in his assumption. At the bottom of the list was "transport fixation and release adapters-quantity 2". Mike said, "That sure sounds like a key to me."

When the prescribed rest period was completed Mike asked Tom and Martha if they had seen anything that resembled a key or a locking mechanism on the containers. Martha replied, "We have seen nothing that resembles a normal key, but I saw a somewhat oval one cm opening along the top front edge of several of the containers." Mike then instructed them to make finding the "key" their primary objective.

Tom asked, "What does this is key look like?"

Mike responded, "We don't know, but it will probably fit into an opening like the one Martha described."

As Tom and Martha were separating themselves from the emergency habitat life support Martha said, "Where would you leave the key?"

Tom replied, "My uncle always locked the door and would then hang the key on a nail between the storm door and the inside door. I asked him why he bothered to lock the door if he left the key hanging where anybody could find it. He told me that keys were for honest people and that a thief would probably just break the door or a window rather than looking for a key." He continued, "I would assume that the visitor will accept us as honest people and probably put the key in a very obvious place." When they returned to "The Egg" they began a detailed search for the key but without success. Martha began thinking about Tom's story and walked back out into the airlock. She noticed above the door a small irregularity and when she pushed on it a small door opened revealing two keys. She notified Captain Brezinski that Tom's uncle was right after all. When they inserted the key into the computer container's opening nothing happened until they rotated the key 360 degrees clockwise and then the container released. Martha could easily move the container by herself, but when they rotated the key counterclockwise the container again became fixed rigidly to the floor.

When Tom and Martha moved the container through the airlock it lost most of its floating characteristics, but they were able to work it into the emergency habitat. Tom had begun to sweat so much that it overcame his suit's ability to control the humidity. Doc Jules interrupted their work and asked them to take a short rest period and to increase their fluid intake. They complied willingly. After a short but refreshing rest Doc Jules advise them that they could return to their work. Tom acknowledged him but asked, "Could I take a quick shower first?"

Doc Jules responded, "The shower will have to wait until the culture plates are re-examined, but for Martha's sake we will expedite your shower request." A protocol had been quickly devised to connect the computer to the module in the emergency habitat after first isolating it from the ship's main computer bank. A connecting cable was supplied by the auto-supplier, but the method of delivering it had not been decided upon. Using another crew member for delivery was ruled out by Captain Brezinski until Doc Jules was satisfied with the safety issues. Eric-Peter suggested a miniature rocket, but Mike objected that the control issues were too significant for safety. Doc Jules suggested that they use a giant fishing reel to slowly lower the package on a thin cord. Mike liked the suggestion but quickly modified it to utilize a spool of wire. The cable was packaged carefully and secured to the wire. The chief and Mike suited up and entered the access tunnel where they slowly lowered the package to Tom. Tom secured the wire to a cable attachment and brought the package into the airlock.

Martha completed the connections according to the protocol and disconnected the habitat computer from the main computer bank. Tom had utilized the delivery wire to connect a simple intercom to allow for communication while they were separated from the main computer. Once the modules were connected the communication protocol that Eric-Peter had established with the navigation computer was utilized. The information transfer rate was unbelievably rapid and within a few minutes they were able to access the new computer module. Tom announced, "We have achieved access!" Martha entered a general menu and selected a title called "planet characteristics". She and Tom became absolutely engrossed by the scenes they were viewing of this New World. After several minutes of silence Captain Brezinski impatiently asked them if the computer was working.

Martha replied, "Captain, we are viewing scenes from our destination planet and seeing unbelievable sites."

Captain Brezinski responded, "If you would complete the checkout list, we could all share in the scenes you are viewing"

Martha replied, "Beginning checkout sequence now." The checkout followed without problems and Martha requested permission to reconnect the habitat computer with the main computer banks. Captain Brezinski granted permission and with the flip of a switch the entire crew was united in a sense of awe as they viewed their destination planet.

Chapter 16: Playing God

Captain Brezinski along with the rest of her crew watched their destination unfold on the monitors in rapt silence. For over an hour Martha took them all on a journey, exploring the opening pages of the New World. Their destination was an earth-like planet that was about 10 percent smaller than Earth with much smaller oceans. It appeared to be very geologically active with well-defined mountain ranges and volcanic ridges. The atmosphere was somewhat thinner than the Earth's and with a significant reduction in oxygen content. It rotated along a somewhat tilted axis every 20.8 Earth hours and orbited its sun every 485 days. This produced a day-night cycle that was shorter than Earth's with seasons which were longer. The high altitude photographs revealed snow capped mountains with thick vegetation on the seaward facing lower elevations. The inter-mountain regions had sparse vegetation suggesting a desert climate. The tilting of the planet and the slightly elliptic orbit of the parent planet produced seasonal characteristics akin to those of the Earth. The moderating influence of the geologic activity from the planet produced an overall temperate climate with much smaller polar regions than on Earth. A near and a far moon lit up the night time sky.

The silence was broken by a general call from Doc Jules. "Eric-Peter, why can't I get my computer console to work?"

Eric-Peter responded, "The terminal in the emergency habitat is a single-user terminal and all input will have to be routed through Tom and Martha."

Doc Jules grumbled something about technology and said, "Captain Brezinski, I request that the general overview be deferred to an exploration of the micro-biology of this New World in order to assure the safety of our crew." Captain Brezinski agreed with his request and directed Martha to end the overview and begin searching for the information that Doc Jules required. When the monitors shifted from the panoramic views to the microscopic views of bacteria with arcane genetic and culture information, there was a general groan of disappointment from the crew.

Tom's response was more direct. "If this boring stuff gets me my shower sooner, then I can wait for the good stuff."

Doc Jules and Brother Simon worked for the next several hours reviewing the scientific classification and characteristics of the New World's micro-biology. The database contained not only the genetic code and physical characteristics of the bacteria and viruses but also detailed information on their surface antigens and modes of infection. There were significant parallelisms between the ecological niches that the organisms filled and their mechanisms of infection with the microorganisms of earth. The bacterial culture characteristics revealed a significant sensitivity to higher oxygen levels and the inhibition testing gave very specific information. Doc Jules was frustrated by his inability to recognize the inhibiting chemicals which he assumed were antibiotics. After a diligent search he did recognize a penicillin-like chemical to which the vast majority of the bacteria were sensitive. The viral information was much less complex. Brother Simon provided a significant insight when he identified a common genetic sequence for a capsid protein which appeared to offer the ability to produce a vaccine.

Captain Brezinski had allowed them to work uninterrupted for the majority of the work period but now stopped by to see how their progress was coming. Doc Jules explained, "We will have significant natural immunity because of our higher oxygen concentration, and it appears that the majority of the bacteria will be sensitive to our antibiotics. Brother Simon has identified a possible vaccine for the viral agents." Captain Brezinski thanked them for their work and asked if they could relax the isolation protocol for Tom and Martha. Doc Jules realized that in his zeal to analyze the micro-biology that he had forgotten Tom and Martha. He replied to Captain Brezinski, "Let me check the growth plates and if they do indeed show sensitivity to penicillin, I think relaxing the isolation protocol would be acceptable. I would recommend that the oxygen concentration in the emergency habitat be increased slightly to further suppress the risk of infection." Doc Jules called Martha and asked her to use her video camera to evaluate the culture plates. There was obvious suppression of growth surrounding the antibiotic disc documenting the sensitivity of the bacteria to antibiotics. Doc Jules advised them they could begin category 2 isolation protocols. Doc Jules could hear Tom cheering in the background and yelling something about his shower.

Captain Brezinski said, "I think that you have made our volunteers much happier."

Tom and Martha wasted no time in performing the final safety checklist and adjusting the oxygen concentration upward to 25 percent from the normal 20 percent concentration. While they waited for the atmosphere in the emergency habitat to adjust to the new settings, Tom suggested they arm wrestle to decide who got to take the first shower. Martha giggled and said, "For my benefit I would like you to take the first shower." As soon as the green safety light came on they began removing their suits.

Tom's jump suit was heavily stained from perspiration and as he took his first deep breath he said, "Phew, something smells terrible in here and then again it may be me."

Martha turned him and pointed him towards the shower and said, "Go get cleaned up." As Tom was stripping and removing the "waste collection devices" he said to Martha, "I bet the people who designed these waste devices never had to wear them for a two-day stint." He then climbed into the small shower cabinet and started singing as he finished his shower. Martha stored their suits and waited patiently for her turn in the shower. When he was finished, Tom dressed in a clean jump suit and came out of the wash room compartment stretching and exclaimed, "I feel like a free man again." He held the door for Martha and said, "You next, my dear." Martha enjoyed her shower but came out of the wash room wrapped only in her towel, her hair wrapped in a second towel. Tom whistled and said "Oh baby, Oh baby!" Martha smiled and said that she needed her personal pack which Tom handed to her. She then returned to the wash room and finished dressing.

Tom and Martha enjoyed an almost-real meal of emergency rations. They filed their evening report. Captain Brezinski extended their prescribed rest period to 10 hours. Martha and Eric-Peter had finally found a way for the new computer module to be controlled from the bridge, which freed Martha from the responsibility of performing all of the input functions. After signing off Martha turned to Tom and said, "It looks like we have the night off. Do you have any plans?"

Tom smiled and started playing his harmonica and said, "Why don't you turn the lights down and I'll play you some music. A bottle of good wine is in order, but I suppose we'll have to make do without." Martha turned down the lights and sat by Tom as he played a soulful song on his harmonica. Later that night, Doc Jules was awakened by an alarm. The vital sign monitors that Tom and Martha were wearing had both signaled a sudden jump in cardiac activity. He became fully awake and had the computer perform a system check. All systems checked out as being above minimums. He was about to make a status call to Tom when the realization hit him that he was probably about to interrupt them at a very inconvenient time. He smiled and had the monitors reset for a higher cardiac rate and went back to sleep.

Brother Simon had begun the laborious task of building a DNA vaccine against the viral antigen he had identified. Building the DNA molecule involved sequencing the four nucleotides, which are the basic building blocks of the entire genetic code, into a chain which represented the command structure for the viral antigen. During the short rest periods he allowed himself, he would day dream about the capability of the equipment aboard "The Egg." He would also hold theological arguments with himself, with one side arguing that he was "playing God" and the other side arguing that he was "doing God's work." He finally came to the conclusion that he would be doing "God's work" by playing God. He decided that he would simply do his best to accomplish the task he was assigned. He finished his work in a surprisingly short amount of time and then began producing the vaccine in the DNA replicator.

Doc Jules used the first batch to test for toxicity by bathing a cell culture with a dilute solution. After 24 hours no aberrant growth changes were noted and he decided to proceed with clinical testing. Captain Brezinski at first objected to his protocol, which involved injecting himself with the theoretical quantity which would produce immunity. She felt the risk was unacceptable. Doc Jules explained, "This protein is so dissimilar to our normal proteins, it is very unlikely to produce an allergic reaction."

Captain Brezinski replied, "You are a mission-critical individual and I cannot risk you."

Doc Jules replied, "Everyone is a mission-critical individual and I cannot ethically ask someone else to accept a risk I would not accept." Captain Brezinski understood this concept, because her personal code of conduct was similar, and reluctantly granted him permission to proceed.

Doc Jules had the auto analyzer obtain baseline lab data, then applied a tourniquet to his left arm and inserted an IV needle into his vein. This IV was connected to a mixture of steroids and adrenaline which would be used to treat anaphylaxis if it developed from the vaccine injection. Doc Jules then carefully filled a small syringe with .1 cc of the clear liquid from the vial that Brother Simon had given him. Brother Simon was continuing his argument that he should be the trial subject instead of Doc Jules; if he became ill from the injection Doc Jules would be available to treat him.

Doc Jules laughed and said, "When I went fishing along the Deschutes River, I always told my fishing buddy that he should go first. I figured if he disturbed a rattle snake and was bitten I, as a physician, could provide treatment. He never bought the argument and neither do I." Doc Jules began to absently clean the skin on his left arm with an alcohol wipe. He said, "Using this alcohol wipe before giving an injection has never been shown to have any value, but it is tradition and is expected by patients. I guess that I am reacting as a patient when I follow tradition on myself." He then inserted the needle into his left arm and injected the syringe contents. He winced with the sting of the needle, but was otherwise matter-of-fact about the injection. He monitored his vital signs and used voice recording to document his immediate response. Except for a slight increase in his heart rate which he felt was secondary to the pain and anxiety of the injection, nothing changed. After 20 minutes he felt the risk of anaphylaxis had passed and when he told Brother Simon this, the response was, "Thank the Lord." Doc Jules forwarded his initial response to Captain Brezinski and added that he would expect antibody formation to be detected within 72 hours. Captain Brezinski accepted the report and advised him to, "Carry on."

Doc Jules repeated his blood test after the 72- hour waiting period and was able to detect antibodies to the viral antigen. The mere presence of antibodies does not guarantee that the vaccination will be effective, but it is a very good indicator. Doc Jule's plan was to first vaccinate Tom and Martha prior to completion of their isolation period. He packed a medical kit which consisted of two syringes of vaccine, two blood specimen vials, and an anaphylaxis treatment kit. Following approval from Captain Brezinski, he had the Chief deliver this package to Tom and Martha using the delivery wire they had stretched along the access tunnel and a self-breaking sliding mechanism.

Tom was obviously "over-joyed" at the thought of having his blood drawn and receiving the injection. When Martha finally told him to, "Quit acting like a big baby" he grudgingly allowed her to apply the tourniquet and draw his blood. Tom teased Martha about waiting for her turn. When it came time for him to insert the needle, he began to perspire heavily and had to force himself to draw her blood. When it came time for the vaccination, Tom told Martha, "I think I would rather have another meeting with the Chief and his cat-o'nine- tails than get a shot." Martha just shook her head and, when Tom was not looking, stuck the needle into his arm and injected the vaccine. He yelped but otherwise tolerated the vaccination well. Martha did not even ask Tom to give her the injection; simply doing it herself. Following a two-hour observation period, Doc Jules allowed them to return to their work.

Doc Jules now began vaccinating the remaining crew members after first performing a physical examination. Most of the crew accepted the examination and the injection without complaint. Mike, as expected, complained of the inconvenience and the loss of time which the examination required. When he found out it was going to be a complete examination which included a screening rectal exam his complaints became much louder. Doc Jules asked him if he would like to discuss the issue with Captain Brezinski, but Mike mumbled, "Just get the damn thing over with."

All of the female members of the crew also underwent a mammogram. Everything was proceeding well until Kate received her mammogram. There was a small tumor visible in the left breast. When Doc Jules showed her the images she started crying. Doc Jules simply stood beside her with his hand on her shoulder and let her cry. After she settled down, she told Doc Jules, "I want you to remove both breasts."

He objected, saying, "I do not think that a bilateral mastectomy is needed and you should not need to undergo that much surgical mutilation."

She replied, "I watched my mother die of breast cancer and if living flat-chested will save me that fate, then I would prefer being flat-chested. Besides if the horny bastards aboard this ship do not like me flat-chested, then it is their loss."

Doc Jules sat quietly for a few minutes thinking about the alternatives. He finally told Kate, "Before we make our decision let me do some research and see what other treatments might be possible." He then asked Kate's permission to perform a simple needle biopsy. She agreed, and using the MRI unit to guide placement of his needle he performed an aspiration biopsy of the tumor. Doc Jules placed some of the fluid on microscopic slides for staining and evaluation. The remaining fluid he placed in a cellular growth chamber. He told Kate he would have results available the next day. She asked him not to inform anyone else until they were sure. Doc Jules agreed with the exception that he thought Captain Brezinski should know. Kate nodded and thanked Doc Jules for his kindness and understanding.

After Kate left the clinic, Doc Jules processed the microscopic slides and with some dread looked at them under the microscope. He was not a pathologist but the cellular changes were so obviously cancer that he did not doubt the diagnosis. He called Captain Brezinski and asked her to join him in the infirmary. When she arrived Doc Jules gave his report in a scientific fashion and when he was done, Captain Brezinski asked him, "What does all that mean?"

Tears welled up in his eyes and he said, "Unless we can find a better treatment for breast cancer, Kate's chances of dying from the tumor are pretty high."

Captain Brezinski began speaking Russian and when Doc Jules interrupted her, she apologized, "I swear much better in Russian." She continued, "The safety of the crew as a whole is paramount so I would like you to complete the vaccination program and then use whatever resources you need in your search for a treatment."

Doc Jules nodded and related Kate's wish for privacy. Captain Brezinski responded, "Of course." She left the infirmary with a heavy heart. Doc Jules finished his schedule of physicals and vaccinations, but his thought processes kept returning to that small tumor in Kate's breast and the prognosis it held.

When Kate returned the next day, Doc Jules was just finishing his last physical and vaccination. As soon as Kate looked at Doc Jules' face she knew the biopsy was positive. She did not even ask him if it was cancer but asked, "What's the plan, Doc?"

Doc Jules responded, "Standard treatment would be to remove the tumor with a lumpectomy followed by local radiation therapy and chemotherapy."

"You have the facilities to perform the radiation therapy and chemotherapy?" Doc Jules shook his head no and said nothing. Kate was silent for a while then said "I suggest we get on with removing my breasts then."

Doc Jules responded, "It may well come to that, but before we proceed with radical surgery I need to complete my research for new alternatives. Captain Brezinski has given me permission to utilize all of our resources in a quest for a better therapy. A delay of a week should be irrelevant to your outcome and I ask your permission to delay therapy for one week."

Kate said, "I would rather get it over with, but I guess that I can wait one week." Doc Jules asked her if she wanted him to notify the rest of the crew or if she wanted to do it herself. She replied, "I think it would be best if I told them myself." Her green eyes then flashed mischievously and she said, "Maybe I should go topless and tatoo a sign across my breast saying enjoy the view because in a week these will be gone."

Doc Jules smiled and said that may be something less dramatic would be more appropriate. Kate said, "I suppose so, but I might as well enjoy them while I can."

Doc Jules called Eric-Peter and Brother Simon and asked them to join him in the infirmary. When they arrived Doc Jules briefed them on Kate's diagnosis and Captain Brezinski's commitment of the ship's resources. They both immediately offered their assistance. Doc Jules asked Eric-Peter to begin a computer search for specific information on breast cancer and its therapy. Eric-Peter nodded and said a search through the new computer module would be relatively slow and he would require at least a day to complete his task. Doc Jules thanked him and Eric-Peter left. Brother Simon asked what he could do and Doc Jules responded, "If prayers actually work, now would be a good time to use them, but I was hoping we could somehow isolate the breast cells from the remainder of the breast tissue and destroy these cells only."

Brother Simon asked, "How much of the breast tissue is composed of actual breast cells?"

Doc Jules said, "Except during pregnancy and breast feeding, only a small portion of the breast tissue maybe 10 to 15 percent is composed of breasts cells and the rest is connective and fatty tissue."

Brother Simon wanted to know how these breast cells differed from the remaining tissue cells. Doc Jules informed him that the breast cells were all epithelial in origin and connected to the ducal system of the breast. They responded to prolactin stimulation to produce the breast milk.

Brother Simon said, "So all of the cells are physically connected and have a distinct origin and a distinct reaction to this prolactin hormone?"

Doc Jules nodded in the affirmative.

Brother Simon began to pace around the infirmary obviously in deep thought, mumbling to himself. He stopped pacing and said, "It would seem that if we could engineer a virus to activate the 'suicide gene' in the breasts cells so they went into apoptosis (programmed cell death), we could selectively remove the breast cells without damaging the remainder of the breast."

Doc Jules was still digesting this idea when Brother Simon started down yet another thought path. He said, "It might be easier to design a bacterium which attached specifically to the prolactin receptor on the surface of the breast cells and produced an infection which would be fatal to those specific breast cells."

Doc Jules instinctively liked this approach and said, "We want to create a severe case of mastitis which would prove lethal to all of the breast cells but not infect any of the other tissue cells."

Brother Simon and Doc Jules continued to banter back and forth defining the characteristics of the custom-designed bacteria they needed. Doc Jules suggested they use a form of Staphylococcus because that was the common bacteria which produced mastitis in women who were breast feeding. Brother Simon said he would need some normal breast cells and some tumor cells to make sure they had a common receptor for the prolactin hormone. Doc Jules said he had some tumor cells growing in a cell culture and he was sure Kate would allow him to repeat the biopsy to obtain some normal breast cells. Doc Jules asked Brother Simon if he would need any of the equipment aboard "The Egg." Brother Simon replied, "No. Without the DNA auto analyzer and the DNA sequencer, it would require several years or decades of work to accomplish the task."

Doc Jules said, "Kate has given us only one week to develop this alternative. Is it possible?" Brother Simon said that with the grace of the Lord and some hard work they could meet that deadline.

When Mike heard about Kate's tumor his concern was transformed into anger and he stormed into the clinic and demanded that Doc Jules help Kate. It took Doc Jules several minutes to settle Mike down to the point where he could reason with him. He explained they were not ignoring the problem, but were trying to design a treatment which would make a cure more likely and cause Kate less pain and disfigurement. Doc Jules could sense the despair in Mike's eyes when Mike asked if there was anything he could do to help. When Doc Jules told him Brother Simon would need some of the equipment from "The Egg." Mike responded, "The Chief and I will carry that equipment up on our backs if we need to, as soon as you cancel that damn isolation protocol of yours!"

Doc Jules replied, "The isolation protocol will be complete in 12 hours and if you could expedite the transfer of the equipment after that, it would be a great help."

Mike found the Chief in the Long Branch Saloon and they began working immediately on a plan to transfer the equipment from "The Egg" up the 2 kilometer tunnel that connected the docking port with the ship's interior. Their initial plan had involved the use of a crane to simply lift the individual containers up the tunnel, but even with the use of the auto supplier's manufacturing capabilities it would be several more days before the equipment would be ready. They argued about the feasibility of using explosives and rockets to lift the payload, but the control issues made these unacceptable. The Chief recommended using one of the plasma lasers to create a more controllable explosion for the lifting process. This concept was quickly adapted by Mike who was scribbling furiously on his scratch paper. His design quickly became a large parachute connected to a simple platform that the equipment was loaded onto. The center of the parachute had an opening through which the laser could vaporize a small quantity of water creating a miniature steam bomb which would force the parachute upward. The laser itself would be stationed at the inner airlock and by carefully controlling the firing rate of the laser, the rate of ascent would be controlled. The Chief raised the issue of controlling the water supply especially with the frigid temperatures in the tunnel. Mike's solution was to use a block of ice which would be gradually melted by a limited energy laser. The water produced would be collected into a funnel and discharged out the narrow end into the focal point of the plasma laser. Three small mirrors would have to be positioned equidistant from the focal point to utilize the existing aiming lasers on the plasma laser.

Mike told the Chief to begin the fabrication process. When the Chief objected that the Captain had not even seen much less approved their plan, Mike replied, "I will work out the acceleration issues and the energy transfer formulas with Eric-Peter and present the completed package for the Captain's approval."

The Chief responded with a simple, "Yes, Sir." and left to begin working with the autosupplier and the computer design program.

Mike called Eric-Peter and asked him to meet him in the Long Branch to work on a propulsion problem. Eric-Peter obliged and met Mike in the Long Branch. When Mike explained the reason for the urgency in moving the equipment, Eric-Peter was more than eager to help. He did question Mike's choice of the Long Branch as a workstation. Mike replied, "When I worked for Boeing, we did most of our protocol development and original thinking at one of the local watering holes, so I figured that maybe we would be more productive here."

Eric-Peter nodded and took out his personal computer and began creating a large spreadsheet to compute the energy requirements for different load weights and rates of acceleration. Mike was unable to provide actual weights. Eric-Peter recalled that on the "bill of lading" there had been a column which may have been the mass calculations of the individual containers. He used the infrared sending unit on his personal computer to access the main computer data bank. He then had the central computer translate the characters in the column he had previously noticed. The translation produced very large numbers which seemed meaningless. Mike had an insight when he noticed how much smaller the number was for the "keys" and called Tom to ask him what he thought the weight of the key was.

Tom responded "I am not sure but I can weigh it if you want me to." Mike asked him how he could weigh it and Tom explained they had access to a small medical scale.

Mike responded, "Of course I want you to weigh it and hurry up." Tom placed the key on the scale and told Mike that it weighed 115 grams. Eric-Peter used this information to convert the number that was listed and developed a conversion formula for the remaining containers. The containers that Mike had been told were needed weighed between 200 and 300 kg each. Using the energy released from the small steam explosions they decided that the maximum lift would be calculated for 700 kg. The plasma laser had very well known energy output and it was relatively easy to calculate the amount of water which would be required to produce sufficient acceleration to lift their required load.

After several hours of work the chief rejoined them. He said, "Production is proceeding fairly well and I expect we can begin assembling the unit in about six hours."

Mike thanked him and asked for some input on the fail-safe mode to prevent a catastrophic loss. They decided that simply using multiple balloons on the bottom of the platform would significantly limit the potential for damage if there was a catastrophic loss to the parachute. One issue led to another issue and before any of them could leave to catch some sleep the Long Branch began to fill up with crew members for breakfast.

When Captain Brezinski arrived, she could not help but noticed the stack of papers both on the table and on the floor. She said, "It appears that some of us spent the night working."

Mike replied, "Well, we did not mean to work all night, it just sort of happened, but we did accomplish our goal."

Captain Brezinski began looking at the sketches and recognized that they had been developing the lift mechanism for the equipment that Brother Simon needed.

She said, "When I told Doc Jules he could utilize all of the resources of the ship I had assumed that normal channels would still be utilized." The Chief began to blush at the reprimand, but Mike did not even seem to realize that he had been reprimanded.

He simply said, "I figured we would complete the design and protocols before bothering you with the plan, and I think we're ready to present it now." Captain Brezinski suggested they enjoy their breakfast and present the plan during the morning report.

Captain Brezinski opened morning report by asking for the standard daily reports first. Then she asked Doc Jules to summarize the progress they had made working on a treatment for Kate's cancer. Doc Jules explained their proposed treatment utilizing the genetically engineered staphylococcal bacteria which would selectively kill only the actual breast cells leaving the remaining breast tissue.

Captain Brezinski asked, "Has Kate agreed to this experimental therapy?"

Doc Jules had to admit they had proceeded only with Kate's agreement to defer the surgery for one week while they explored the alternatives. She asked what other alternatives they had found. Doc Jules responded, "We cannot provide the traditional post-surgical radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Eric-Peter has been performing a review of the new computer's database looking for other treatment modalities."

Captain Brezinski turned to Eric-Peter, who was looking quite tired, and asked him what success he had in his computer search. He responded, "Captain, my initial effort produced no new information, but I have had the computer performing an automated detailed review which should be complete this morning."

Captain Brezinski asked Doc Jules, "How likely is it that you'll be able to develop these new genetically engineered bacteria in time to meet the deadline that Kate has given you?"

Doc Jules turned to Brother Simon who also appeared somewhat short on sleep and asked him to respond. Brother Simon said he had analyzed the genetic code of the proposed staphylococcal bacteria and was successful in identifying the genes which control the surface proteins which were used to bind to cell walls. He said, "My ability to accomplish the actual genetic manipulation will be dependent upon the grace of God and the ability of the machinery that has been delivered to us."

Captain Brezinski summarized the situation by saying, "I have an essential crew member with a potentially fatal cancer. You're trying to develop this bacterium to assist in destroying both the existing tumor and the remaining breast tissue, but to develop this treatment you need the equipment in the New Beginnings." She then turned to Mike and asked him to review his proposal.

Mike began by explaining they had been developing a specialized crane to lift the equipment from "The Egg" but that the auto supplier would require 11 more days to manufacture the filament cable which would be capable of lifting a payload of several hundred kilograms. They had developed an alternative plan utilizing existing equipment and modifying it to produce the required lifting capability. He then explained the principal of using the laser energy to vaporize water. This would produce a rocket propulsion that would act against the parachute and lift the required payload in a very well-controlled manner. Brother Simon, who was obviously visualizing his irreplaceable equipment crashing to the bottom of the cylinder, asked him what would happen if the equipment failed. Mike looked very annoyed and said, "We trust you to do your work properly to help save Kate; you need to trust me to do my part properly."

Captain Brezinski interrupted the discussion and said. "Gentleman, we are all working towards a common goal and to succeed we must all work together." Mike mumbled something about "damn mystics" under his breath, but explained to the group that the bottom of the platform would be covered with multiple balloons which would cushion the fall in the event of a complete system failure. A detailed exploration of the safety protocols was followed by a review of the propulsion requirements. The plan appeared to be complete and practical and Captain Brezinski complimented Mike and his team for the work. She reminded everyone that for the teamwork to be effective that the normal chain of command needed to be followed. Captain Brezinski closed the meeting by approving Mike's plan and telling Doc Jules to make sure he had Kate's approval before proceeding any further.

Doc Jules called Kate and asked her to meet him in his clinic. When she arrived he began explaining the plan they had arrived at. Kate astutely asked him if these specialized bacteria would be capable of destroying any cancer cells that had already spread from the tumor. Doc Jules admitted they were not sure but that theoretically it should work. Kate then asked how they were going to create this bacteria and Doc Jules explained in general terms what Brother Simon intended on doing.

When Kate heard about using the equipment from "The Egg" she said, "So that was what Mike and the Chief were doing all night at the Long Branch? They can be so sweet."

Doc Jules was not sure what Kate was talking about and decided it was none of his business. Kate was quiet for only a few moments and told Doc Jules, "I would rather keep my breast if possible. I trust you and the rest of the crew so I approve the plan as long as we can accomplish it quickly."

Doc Jules began to explain the risk of a systemic infection or allergic response, but Kate responded, "I already feel like I am living on borrowed time. I have lived with the fear of dying like my mother for so long that I am more than willing to take this chance."

Doc Jules nodded and said he would inform the Captain of Kate's decision. He then performed a biopsy of the right breast to obtain normal breast glandular cells. Kate tolerated the biopsy without difficulty and quickly dressed. Doc Jules asked if she was done dressing and when she said yes, he walked back into the procedure room. Kate smiled and thanked him for his help and caring. Before Doc Jules could respond she turned and gave him a big hug and a kiss. Doc Jules was not only surprised but somewhat embarrassed. He could feel the redness rising from his neck onto his face. Kate smiled again as she left the clinic.

Mike and the Chief were connecting the monitor and power supplies for the laser system which would be installed outside of the airlock. Mike asked the Chief why the Captain was so sensitive about them doing their job. The Chief responded by reminding Mike that he always wanted to know what was going on with the equipment and whether or not maintenance was up-to-date. Mike acknowledged he felt personally responsible for making sure his department performed well. The Chief replied, "The Captain feels the same about everything that happens on this ship and to its crew. She does not want to interfere with your work, but she needs to be able to integrate the operation as a whole."

Mike grumbled, "I suppose that makes sense."

When they had completed the electrical connections they moved the laser into the airlock and suited up. After cycling the airlock they slid the laser onto the platform inside the access tunnel and secured it to the platform with the tube aimed down the tunnel. The computer then performed a systems check on the laser and documented proper functioning. They moved back into the airlock and with the help of other crew members moved the lifting platform and parachute into the airlock. They again cycled the airlock and moved the platform out and slowly lowered it on its tether down the tunnel. They attached the parachute and lowered the entire apparatus further down the tunnel. The restraining strap was disengaged and the parachute opened, almost filling the tunnel.

Testing was begun using the laser to produce enough lift to take the tension off of the support cables. Only a minimal adjustment of the aiming mirrors was required to keep the laser centered on the vaporization point. Following completion of the safety checklist and the checkout, Mike reported their readiness to Captain Brezinski. She ordered Tom and Martha to maintain their position in the emergency habitat with their EVA suits on and ready. She then authorized Mike to proceed with the lowering of the lift device. They increased the laser power enough to remove all tension from the tether lines and removed them. They gradually decreased the laser power and the lifting device descended. They were able to control the velocity very accurately. They slowed the rate of descent as the device reached touchdown and brought it to a stop just above the outer loading platform. Tom and Martha were then allowed to leave the emergency habitat and secure the device. They had previously maneuvered the critical containers into the airlock. Tom used the miniature fork lift Mike had sent to move the containers onto the platform of the lifting device. They secured the first two containers using the key in addition to straps. Then they released the hold-down cables and returned to the safety of the emergency habitat.

The power of the laser was gradually increased until the lifting device began to ascend. They kept the speed of ascent low and slowed it even more as the lifting device approached the inner loading platform. The suspension cables were attached and the laser power was shut off. A mechanical winch was then used to raise the load the last few feet. Mike and the Chief released the containers individually and moved them through the airlock. Captain Brezinski ordered a brief rest and then the lifting device was again lowered to raise the remaining critical containers.

Following their safe unloading Captain Brezinski ordered a general rest period. Tom acknowledged the order but asked, "Could I get a ride on the lifting device before starting my rest period."

Captain Brezinski replied, "If Mike approves the device for crew transport you'll be given the choice between riding or ascending the stairway which you regard so highly."

Tom responded with his usual, "Aye, aye, Captain." and added, "I am not in a hurry to leave except that I keep thinking about the beer that Kate is saving for me."

The equipment was brought to Brother Simon's lab but nobody knew how to open the crates. Mike and the Chief examined them for the better part of an hour without finding an obvious opening. Brother Simon sat quietly watching them, but when Mike jokingly said, "Chief, we may need the cutting torch." He got up and walked over to the closest crate. He asked Mike if he could try opening the crate with the key.

Mike groaned and said, "Just don't break anything." Brother Simon inserted the key and rotated it counter clockwise locking the base to the floor. Instead of removing the key he tried pushing it in further, which it did do. He then rotated the key clockwise and everyone heard a distinct click.

Mike and the Chief said simultaneously, "What did you do?"

Brother Simon said quietly, "I think that I have released the cover."

When they tried to lift the crate cover it actually moved and the three of them were able to remove it. Mike was obviously surprised and said, "How in hell did you know how to do that?"

Brother Simon shrugged his shoulders and said, "It just seemed logical that the base would need to be secured before the cover could be removed. We used a double position lock to secure our most sensitive equipment at the monastery."

Mike responded with a simple, "Oh."

The machine was the size of a large desk and had a central computer console with small doors on either side of the bench space. There were symbols similar to the crates themselves but no recognizable instructions. The Chief asked, "What do you think this machine does?"

Brother Simon responded, "I would expect this is the DNA auto analyzer and we will use it to sequence the four nucleotides that make up the entire genetic code."

The Chief looked at Brother Simon and said, "But how are you going to learn how to operate it?"

Brother Simon smiled and said, "Hopefully the machine has been built so that I can use it intuitively."

The remaining machinery was positioned in a cluster at one end of the lab and Mike began the process of deciphering the wiring schematic. All of the equipment used a standard computer interface cable which was connected to the input terminal for the central computer. The power requirements varied with the individual pieces of equipment. Mike and the Chief were able to adapt the standard power cords relatively easily to fit to requirements of the individual units. By the end of the work period the equipment was positioned, interconnected with the main computer, and had power established. Brother Simon sat at the auto analyzer and began to push buttons until the unit came on. Once the computer screen became active he had the central computer translate the characters into English and he began scrolling rapidly through the screens. Mike was watching over his shoulder and interrupted him by asking how he could read that rapidly.

Brother Simon responded, "I began speed reading as a teenager without knowing I was doing it and have always enjoyed the gift."

Mike asked him, "How good is your recall?"

Brother Simon replied, "I have a near photographic memory which unfortunately does decay over the period of several months."

Mike's only response was, "Holy shit!" Brother Simon continued his rapid review of the manual the computer was translating for him. Within an hour he had completed his review and began setting up the equipment.

Doc Jules brought the Staph culture they had planned on using for the basis of their new bacteria. Using a sterile wire, he transferred a small sample of the culture to the input port of the auto analyzer. This sample was diluted and individual bacteria were separated out for analysis. The computer monitor displayed a highly magnified view of the process. The bacteria cell membranes were dissolved, freeing the DNA. After several attempts an intact chromosome ring was seen and Brother Simon with great enthusiasm accepted the sample for analysis. While the equipment was analyzing the sample, Brother Simon had the computer display the genome (the entire genetic code) of the bacteria. When the analysis was complete a picture of the circular chromosome was displayed and the genetic code was highlighted. He then explained, "Because all bacteria in a culture are genetically identical we will be able to treat the culture with a combination of chemicals and bacteriophages (viral type agents) which will selectively remove those genes which we want deleted and add those components we need. The fact that bacteria have a single circular gene instead of 26 pairs like humans makes them much easier to work with."

Doc Jules then suggested they could improve the therapy if Brother Simon could manipulate the bacteria to produce a viral-type antigen that the killer T-cells would recognize and allow them to assist in the destruction of all of the breast cells. Brother Simon thought he could easily add the antigen. If Doc Jules would vaccinate Kate ahead of time with the antigen, then her killer T-cells would be activated and more likely to succeed in helping destroying the breast cells.

Brother Simon and Doc Jules worked with only minimal rest periods growing and analyzing subsequent generations of the bacteria, checking for the essential characteristics. The machinery provided ideal growth characteristics and the bacteria colonies would double every 20 minutes. The micro manipulator would allow for sterile sampling of each colony and automatically store the remaining cells in a sterile chamber for further work. A second type of bacteria, E.coli, was developed without a cell wall which incorporated the human prolactin receptor on its surface. The bacteria were mixed in a micro chamber and the electron microscope was used to detect clumping of the two types of bacteria. The tighter the clumping the more active and selective was the attachment of the Staph to their targeted receptor. Each generation produced additional changes in the genetic code, manipulating the bacteria for their special use. Doc Jules complained to Brother Simon, "There must be a better way to quantify the effectiveness of the bacterial attachment than the laborious methods we are using."

Brother Simon thought about it for a few minutes and replied, "We could add the gene for luciferin to the Staph bacteria and the gene for luciferase to the E. coli and simply measure the bioluminescence of the mixed culture."

Doc Jules said, "If the genetics would not be too difficult, this technique would improve our ability to quantify our results and save my eyes."

Brother Simon nodded and said, "With the equipment that we now have, the genetic manipulation will be very simple and I will add the appropriate genetic material to each of the bacteria for our next culture."

On the fifth day their efforts had produced a dramatic improvement in the engineered bacteria. Captain Brezinski stopped by to check on their progress and add her encouragement. Doc Jules excitedly held up two test tubes, one of which glowed with a soft green light and the other which only contained a slightly cloudy mixture. He explained, "The tube that is glowing shows that our bacteria strongly attaches to the prolactin receptor. The other tube because it is not glowing shows that the bacteria no longer attach to the regular cell receptors."

Captain Brezinski smiled and asked, "Does this mean you're going to turn Kate into a giant fire fly or that this new bacteria is working like you planned?"

Brother Simon replied from behind some equipment, "Captain, the thought of Kate glowing like a giant fire fly is very intriguing, but I had planned on removing the genes that produced this bioluminescence before Doc Jules uses our new bacteria."

Doc Jules added, "We have made dramatic progress and have accomplished in a few days what would have been all but impossible without the equipment from 'The Egg'."

After six days of intense work, their test showed they had achieved their goal and the time came for Kate's treatment. She presented to the clinic looking somewhat tired and admitted that she had spent the last few days enjoying life as much as she could, doing without much sleep.

Doc Jules smiled and said, "I expect during the next few days you will not feel like doing much more than resting."

He then reviewed again the risk that Kate was taking, but Kate just nodded and said, "It is time we got on with this so we can all move forward and accomplish what we have been sent to accomplish."

Doc Jules began his preparation by inserting an IV catheter into her arm vein and connecting it to a bottle of fluids. He administered a large dose of cortisone to temporarily weaken her immune system. Giving the bacteria a chance to establish themselves and spread to all the breast tissue cells. After the infection was well-established he would stop the cortisone and inject an immune stimulus to reverse the effect. The large dose of cortisone acted as a mild stimulant and Kate began talking incessantly. Doc Jules continued working and just kept nodding as if he was listening to Kate. The next step involved using a microscope to recognize the small ducal openings in the nipple. The hormonal manipulations Doc Jules had performed had caused the breast tissue to become active and the ducts more evident. He used a small blunt needle to inject a microscopic amount of the modified bacteria into each duct that he could recognize. He stained each duct with a small amount of ink after he treated it in order to identify the untreated ducts. It was very tedious, demanding work and Doc Jules would go several minutes without responding to Kate's chatter.

Finally Kate interrupted him by saying, "Either you are working too hard and need to take a break or you're having way too much fun and should stop playing around."

Doc Jules had to laugh at the impertinent remark and sat back and stretched his tense shoulders.

Kate had been asking him why she needed to stay in the clinic during the treatment since she felt so good. Doc Jules explained again, "These bacteria have been designed to be super-responsive to antibiotics. There is a chance they could mutate and become difficult to treat, especially if they had the chance to share genetic material with other bacteria." He admitted the risk to the other female crew members was very small, but it was a risk he did not think was necessary.

Kate remembered he had already explained this to her and apologized for her absent-mindedness. Doc Jules smiled and accepted her apology. He reminded her that the medicine tended to disrupt her short-term memory and things would return to normal shortly. He then finished treating all of the visible ducts. He placed a small gauze pad saturated with a solution of the bacteria over each nipple and applied a dressing over each breast.

Kate spent most of the next 24 hours sleeping. Doc Jules had given her a mild sedative which, combined with her fatigue, allowed her an excellent rest period. When Doc Jules began his morning examination Kate was fully alert and already complaining of her isolation. Doc Jules responded with a hearty, "Good morning, Kate!" and began to prepare the MRI machine using the settings which were designed to detect their special bacteria.

As the images appeared on the monitor it was obvious their therapeutic infection was spreading throughout both breasts.

Kate asked, "Why is it that I cannot feel the infection in my breasts?"

Doc Jules explained, "The medicine has prevented your body from reacting to the infection. It is the inflammation the body produces while fighting an infection that causes the pain and swelling that we associate with an infection. When we stimulate your immune system, you'll be able to feel the infection."

Kate responded, "I have a feeling you are understating the experience that I am about to have."

Doc Jules just shrugged his shoulders and then told Kate, "There seems to be a long list of crew members who would like to visit you. Would you mind if I allowed them to stop by and visit for a little while?"

Kate brightened immediately and said. "Of course, let them in."

Doc Jules was smiling and said, "Unfortunately, the isolation protocol limits you to one male visitor at a time. They must wear masks and gowns just like I am wearing to prevent you from catching some other illness while your immune system is being blocked."

Kate frowned but replied, "Well, even that would be a lot better than sitting here by myself." During the next 48 hours Kate had a steady stream of visitors. If Doc Jules had not required mandatory rest periods the visitors would have been continuous.

At 72 hours Doc Jules repeated the MRI scan which revealed extensive activity in both breasts and to his surprise an area of activity in the left axilla (arm pit). When Kate looked at the images she immediately recognized that there was an activity outside of her normal breast and she asked Doc Jules what it meant. He could not hide his concern, and before he could even explain that it appeared that the cancer had metastasized. Kate said, "It has already spread, hasn't it?"

Doc Jules responded in a very subdued voice, "It would appear so, but it also appears that the bacteria are attacking the metastasis. Hopefully it will destroy it along with all other breast tissue."

Kate visibly slumped down into the chair she was sitting in and Doc Jules began massaging her shoulders, offering his support in a nonverbal way. After several moments Kate said, "I have put my faith in you and Brother Simon. I guess we will have to wait-and-see how things turnout."

Doc Jules then administered the immune stimulant and connected a pain relieving narcotic solution to her IV. He instructed her on the use of the auto inject pump. He told her she would soon begin feeling her body reacting against the bacteria. He said, "I do not want you to fight the pain. When you hurt, press this button and a small amount of pain medication will be injected automatically."

Kate looked a little scared and replied, "You make it sound like this is going to be a big deal."

Doc Jules gave her a small smile and said, "I learned a long time ago that female patients tend to tolerate pain better than men, which is why men are not allowed to get pregnant. I see no reason for you to suffer."

Within a few hours Kate's immune system began attacking the bacteria and both breasts began to swell to the point they became painful. The inflammation became significant enough that Kate began to run a high fever. She complained of being severely chilled to the point where she was actually shaking. Doc Jules explained, "The fever is part of your body's response and will help it destroy the bacteria and the tumor, but if you get too uncomfortable I can control the fever with medication."

Kate shook her head and said, "If this is as bad as it gets, I can handle it." After 24 hours both of Kate's breasts were swollen to at least three times their normal size and purulent secretions were draining from both nipples. The area under her left arm was also very red and swollen. When Kate complained about this area Doc Jules just smiled and said, "The strong reaction you're having means the bacteria apparently attached to the tissue there and your body is now attacking it." Kate's fever had begun to decrease and her thinking was more coherent.

She said, "This is one hell of a way to get a breast augmentation, but if those germs of yours are working then I can put up with the discomfort." She then asked how much longer she would have to be in isolation. Doc Jules said. "You can probably start having visitors again tomorrow, but I will not allow any female visitors for several more days."

Kate responded, "I'll take any visitors that I can get. Not that I do not enjoy your company, Doc, but you are so busy being a doctor that we do not have any time for fun."

Doc Jules laughed and said, "I always figured that when patients began to complain about being bored they were on their way to recovery."

Tom was one of Kate's first visitors and he immediately apologized for not stopping by sooner to get the beer that Kate was saving for him.

Kate said, "That's okay Tom. The good doctor has been keeping me quite occupied producing this temporary breast augmentation. At least he's given me one of the biggest sets of knockers that I have ever seen."

Tom smiled his shy smile and said, "I always liked them just the way they were."

Over the next few days the inflammation began to decrease and Kate's fever was almost gone. Doc Jules decided the treatment was complete and gave Kate some antibiotics to completely rid her system of any remaining bacteria. He then performed a second needle biopsy of the tumor using the MRI guidance. He again placed the material onto a culture plate and microscopic slides. He stained the slides and with high expectations examined them under the microscope. Instead of tumor cells he now saw mostly inflammatory cells and cellular debris. He excitedly showed Kate the changes that were evident.

Kate said very quietly, "You mean it worked?"

His response was simply, "Yes". This time when Kate bestowed upon Doc Jules one of her famous hugs, he was able to return it.

Chapter 17: The Garden

Captain Brezinski had discussed with Kate the possibility of having a party following her treatment and Kate used her recovery period to plan the event. They had decided that a formal dinner party was in order and the traditional naval "Dining In" ceremony would be the most appropriate. The traditions were modified to meet their present circumstances and to include the entire crew, with the exception of Brother Simon who had volunteered to assume "the watch." Normally the ceremony began with a formal entrance by the Captain followed by a "Parade of the beef." They had no beef to parade so they decided to substitute a container of soup. The crew was assembled outside of the Long Branch Saloon and Tom, who was acting as "Mr. Vice", announced the arrival of the Captain who was piped aboard. Everyone followed the Captain into the Long Branch and stood by their assigned seats based on date of rank. The single long table had the Captain seated at the head with the crew arranged according to descending rank. Tom was seated at a small secondary table at the opposite end from the Captain. Mr. Vice then announced, "Madame President, all crew are present."

Captain Brezinski opened the ceremony by saying, "Tonight is a time for celebration in recognition of our accomplishments as a team and for the initial success in Kate's treatment. We have accomplished things that a few generations ago would have been considered miraculous and yet our true mission is just now beginning. It is appropriate that we take this small amount of time to celebrate our success and to prepare ourselves for the work ahead. Participating in the elevation of a pre-sentient being to a fully self-aware being is most certainly a god-like task. Our selection to participate is both an honor and a tremendous responsibility. We are representing the human race as we participate in the work of The Visitor and the civilizations of the greater community into which the earth has been allowed the first step towards membership."

Captain Brezinski finished her remarks and asked Mr. Vice to sample the wine. Tom sampled the wine and announced, "The wine is fit for consumption." Captain Brezinski struck the gavel which allowed everyone to take their seat.

Capatain Brezinski then asked everyone to begin eating. While the crew was enjoying the first two courses, Martha arose and addressed Tom, "Mr. Vice, Petty Officer Martha requests permission for her barbershop quartet to entertain the mess."

Tom responded, "Madame President, Petty Officer Martha requests permission to entertain the mess." Captain Brezinski replied, "Proceed." Martha's quartet arose and she introduced their song "Farewell to Grog," which she said was a tradition aboard the British fleet:

"Oh! Messmates, pass the bottle round,

Our time is short remember,

For our grog must stop and our spirits drop,

On the first day of September."

CHORUS

"For tonight we'll merry, merry be,

For tonight we'll merry, merry be,

For tonight we'll merry, merry be,

Tomorrow we'll be sober."

"Farewell, old rye! 'Tis a sad, sad world,

But alas it must be spoken;

The Ruby cup must be given up,

And the demijohn be broken."

"Jack's happy days will soon be past,

To return again, no, never

For they've raised his pay five cents a day

And stopped his grog forever."

"Yet memory oft will backward turn,

And farewell with fondness partial,

On the plays when gin was not a sin,

Nor cocktails brought courts-martial."

"All hands to splice the main-brace call,

But splice it now in sorrow,

For the spirit room key will be laid away,

Forever, on the morrow."

The crew joined in on the chorus and the mood for the evening was established. Captain Brezinski said, "Mr. Vice, I recommend that our quartet be rewarded with some grog (a mixture of half water and half rum)."

Tom responded, "Aye, aye." Tom then rose and proceeded to partially fill each of the quartet's glass with some grog. When one member of the quartet asked, "Don't we deserve a full glass?"

Tom replied, "Prudent seamen husband the ship's store during long voyages, and besides, careful sailors avoid heavily laden passages."

Captain Brezinski then asked "Mr. Vice, where's the beef?"

Tom then called out "Parade the beef!" Ann and her two assistants discreetly arose and donned their chef's attire. They returned to the accompaniment of "The Roast Beef of Old England" and instead of a platter containing the roast, it held a large bowl of soup. With great ceremony they ladled the soup into a bowl and presented it to the Captain. She was allowed to taste the soup, and pronounced it,"Fit for consumption."

It was Tom's job to make sure the dinner protocols were followed by everyone. The formalities were followed through the many-course dinner with only minor infractions of the protocols. These were duly noted by Tom and recorded. The first major infraction occurred when Kate arose and said, "Excuse me" and proceeded to leave the room.

Tom stood and addressed her, "Chief Petty Officer Kate, do you wish to seek the Captain's permission to leave the assembly?"

Kate replied, "I need to use the bathroom."

Tom then addressed the Captain, "Madame President, Chief Petty Officer Kate requests permission to 'relieve the springs'."

Captain Brezinski responded, "Permission granted" and the infraction was listed in Tom's record book. The dinner was repeatedly interrupted by song and other entertainment. After the desert had been eaten Captain Brezinski said, "Mr. Vice, it is time to charge the glasses."

Tom responded, "Aye, aye, Madame President," and passed the bottle of port to his left. The crew dutifully filled their glasses and passed the bottle on without ever letting the bottle touch the table until it returned to Tom. Tom then reported, "Madame President, the glasses are charged."

Captain Brezinski stood and offered a toast to the Secretary General of the U.N. under whom they all served. Ann had worked hard to produce a wine substitute and when everybody lifted their glasses in toast and sipped their wine she watched their faces in anticipation. Several of the crew members were obviously surprised at the quality of the flavor and nodded to her in appreciation of her work. The next formal toast was, "To our spouses and sweethearts, and to those we have left behind."

Mock cigars were then passed out and Mr. Vice announced, "The smoking lamp is lit." Everyone was quite surprised when Mike produced a real cigar and proceeded to light it. With the smoke swirling around his head he had a smile of self-satisfaction which dimmed considerably when Captain Brezinski said to him, "I assume that you're going to share your cigar with the rest of us, are you not?"

Mike stammered, "Of course."

"Well, pass it around then."

Mike grudgingly passed the cigar to Doc Jules who sat on his right. Doc Jules took a leisurely puff on the cigar and passed it to Eric-Peter. The cigar worked its way around the table with everyone enjoying a single puff. Captain Brezinski was last to sample the cigar and when she finished her puff she passed the cigar back to Mike saying, "Your generosity is much appreciated."

Mike looked at his cigar which was now two-thirds gone and said, "I have been saving this for a special occasion and I think that celebrating Kate's recovery is such an occasion." Toasts were then offered to the leaders of those countries represented. Doc Jules rose and addressed Tom. "Mr. Vice, I request permission to offer a toast to the work that Brother Simon did."

Tom looked at the Captain who nodded her approval and Tom replied, "Permission granted".

Doc Jules raised his glass and said, "A toast to Brother Simon for the brilliant work he performed which has allowed us to have this celebration."

Everyone responded with "here here!" and drank in his honor. Captain Brezinski then announced, "Everything we accomplish aboard this ship we accomplish as a team and I would like to offer a toast to all of you, to all of us, for what we have accomplished." She raised her glass and everybody followed.

Captain Brezinski rapped the gavel twice indicating that everyone was to stand. She walked over to the empty side table which had been set, but the wine glass had been inverted and a U.N. military hat sat on the table. She began, "This table is reserved in honor of comrades who have fallen during this mission and other missions. Those who have served with them and depended upon their strength shall always remember, as we shall remember, these great people who have not forsaken us. The glass is inverted, symbolizing their inability to share this evening's toast. The chair is empty and the place is set as a symbol reminding us to keep a spot in our hearts open for them." She then turned to Tom and holding her glass high said, "Mr. Vice, a toast to our fallen comrades." Tom and the rest of the crew responded, "To our fallen comrades."

Captain Brezinski returned to her seat and addressed Tom, "Mr. Vice, let the toasting commence." As the evening wore on the toast became less formal and as the alcohol took effect the speech less eloquent. Captain Brezinski then addressed Tom and said, "Mr. Vice, are there any protocol violations that need to be addressed?"

Tom responded, "Madame President, I have a list of eight infractions of protocol."

She asked him to read the list of offenses. Doc Jules was surprised when his name was called for using the wrong fork when eating his salad. Mike's name was called for having his military ribbons placed in the wrong order on his uniform. Kate was identified for her failure to properly request a leave from the proceedings. After the list had been read, Captain Brezinski ordered all of the offenders to stand for sentencing. With great solemnity she pronounced sentencing: "All of those guilty of infractions will form up for a marching drill to be conducted by Chief Petty Officer Kate."

The hilarity of watching Kate trying to organize the least-military-capable members of the crew into an organized marching team produced ongoing laughter amongst the remaining crew members. Finally Captain Brezinski asked the Chief to give Kate some assistance. The Chief manually directed each member of the drill team into position and had them stand at attention. He then stood next to Kate and relayed marching orders to her. With the Chief's assistance Kate was actually able to direct the moderately inebriated drill team. After about 30 minutes of embarrassment, Captain Brezinski announced that punishment had been served and released all members to return to the table.

She then announced, "The hour is late and it is time for these proceedings to come to an end. Mr. Vice, please charge the glasses for our final toast."

Tom then filled everyone's glass starting with her's. When he finished, he said, "Madame President, the glasses are charged for your toast."

Captain Brezinski rapped the gavel twice and everyone stood. She raised her glass and said, "Success to our mission." The crew responded, "Success to our mission!" and drained their glasses bottoms up. As they left, the entire crew paraded out in a much less organized fashion then they had started the evening.

Captain Brezinski presented to the bridge for a final check. Brother Simon turned as she entered and said, "Good evening, Captain. It sounded like the party went very well."

She nodded and thanked him again for taking the double watch. Brother Simon replied, "It was good for the crew to celebrate together and I needed time to think."

She asked him what he needed to think about and he replied, "I have always felt that eugenics (genetic engineering to improve the race) was immoral because it disrupted the natural order. Now I am being called upon to perform eugenics on the highest order. Taking a pre-human type of being to a fully human type of being."

They were both silent for a while and then Captain Brezinski said, "It would appear we are combining the science of evolution with your biblical account of creation."

Brother Simon smiled and said, "The concept of directed evolution has been opposed by both the pure evolutionist and by the creationist. By the amount of animosity the concept has engendered I always felt it must have a great amount of merit."

Captain Brezinski then asked, "If the concept is valid for our work here what does that imply for our own heritage?"

Brother Simon replied, "One of the great mysteries has always been why, after a million years of development, did modern man suddenly appear 40,000 years ago to dominate the entire earth and replace all other hominids. The genetic diversity between the most diverse humans is much less than the diversity between chimpanzees of the same family, indicating our very recent development. It would seem logical, considering our present situation, that we also received assistance in our development." A period of silence ensued which was comfortable to both of them, as they wrestled with their own thoughts.

Captain Brezinski rose to leave and said, "I will leave you to your watch and I will ponder this while I sleep and recover from the toasting." Brother Simon wished her a good night and thought, as he watched her leave, that female companionship was still as enjoyable as he remembered from long ago.

Breakfast the next morning was much quieter than usual and several of the crew complained it was Mike's cigar that produced their headache. Despite his double watch, Brother Simon seemed as alert as everyone else. Following breakfast everyone met for a general assembly of the crew. She opened the assembly by recapping the recent developments and said, "Our mission has been defined as the development of a pre-sentient type of being into a fully human type using genetic engineering. In order to accomplish this we need to develop a habitat for the flora and fauna of their native world and we need to genetically domesticate enough of the plants and animals so that our new beings can survive. We will be working as teams on specific projects for both our primary mission duties and our support activities. The habitat structure will be the responsibility of Mike, the habitat development team will be led by Doc Jules, and of course Brother Simon will lead the genetic engineering work. In addition to these primary mission duties some additional support activities need to be developed. I believe you all agree that fresh food production would be a welcome addition and I have assigned Ann this responsibility. I've assigned Doc Jules a secondary task of improving the health of the crew, which I understand will involve making us all ill with viral infections to boost our immunity."

There was a general groan from the crew with this announcement.

"The development of a landing craft to return our new beings to their world will also be required and I have assigned this task to Mike and his department." Captain Brezinski concluded her remarks by saying, "Crew members will be assigned to the primary mission work teams as their skills are needed and everyone will need to spend a few hours each week helping Ann with her gardening work."

The assembly was then opened to discussion and questions were answered. Several of the crew members wanted to know how sick Doc Jules was planning on making them. He advised them that in order to boost their immunity they would have to be made ill enough to run a fever for several days. They would have to be isolated during this time period in order to limit the illness and prevent accidental infection of other crew members.

Tom raised a question about how the new beings would protect themselves from the resident inhabitants and neither Captain Brezinski nor Brother Simon had an answer for him. She assigned Tom the responsibility of investigating defense strategies for the new beings. At the conclusion of the assembly Captain Brezinski closed by saying, "We have been given a great responsibility which I am confident we can handle, but I must insist that all work periods be limited to 12 hours. One day a week will be set-aside for rest and contemplation."

She looked directly at Mike and Brother Simon while she was saying this. They both knew she understood that left to their own devices, they would spend most of their time working, probably to the detriment of their own health.

After the assembly was completed Captain Brezinski asked Mike and Doc Jules to join her for coffee. They both complained about the quality of the coffee substitute, but agreed. She asked them to sit while she got the coffee. Captain Brezinski returned with the three cups and the container of coffee. She watched their faces as she poured the coffee because a strong coffee aroma was arising from the cups.

Mike spoke up first and said, "Where did you find real coffee?"

Captain Brezinski smiled and said, "Ann and Brother Simon have been spending a lot of their free time working on improving our rations."

Doc Jules tasted the coffee and said, "I applaud their efforts."

Mike's reaction was also complementary in its own way when he said, "It's almost real. That damn mystic and his chemistry might be good for something after all."

She told them, "This is Ann's first batch. She wanted to surprise you and hoped you would like it."

Ann came out of the kitchen and asked, "What do you think?" Mike responded, "Like I told the Captain, It is almost real."

Doc Jules smiled, raised his cup and said, "I salute you and figure that I now owe you two fish dinners." Ann smiled back and said "I'm working on that."

Captain Brezinski then explained, "I will be working with both of your teams and would like to function as the communication link between them."

Mike asked, "You mean that it will be your responsibility to explain to our good doctor the constraints that the laws of physics place on us?"

Doc Jules responded, "Having someone to explain to the ship's engineer the critical needs of a biological system would be wonderful."

Captain Brezinski laughed and said, "The two of you make it sound like my task will be all but impossible." She then asked them where they should start.

Mike's response was, "Like with all engineering projects, we need to define the basic characteristics of the garden, such as the size and environmental conditions."

Doc Jules disagreed and said, "It's more important to develop a series of isolation structures so we can begin developing the vegetation on which the mini-ecosystem will be dependent."

"Why are the isolation chambers needed to develop the vegetation?" she asked.

Doc Jules responded, "We do not understand the complex interactions which may occur between our biological systems and the ones of this new world; therefore, it would be prudent to keep them isolated."

Mike was shaking his head and said, "As you can see he is being overly cautious again. He has already proven there is no danger from these new germs."

Doc Jules said in response, "Well, it appears the first challenge is to explain to the ship's engineer that we're more concerned with our bacteria and fungus's detrimental effects on the development of this new ecosystem. He needs to understand that we must maintain its purity to make sure that our new beings can survive when we return them."

Captain Brezinski re-filled their cups and asked, "Can we not work on both simultaneously?"

Mike grumbled, "I suppose."

Doc Jules shrugged his shoulders and said, "That sounds logical".

They spent the next hour working on a rough design for Doc Jules' isolation chambers and designing the basic parameters for the garden. It was decided to emulate the terrain from which their specimens were taken. Doc Jules proposed a large garden that would dominate the dome. After the engineering obstacles were discussed they decided that a garden which was built on the scale of a large domed sports arena was the most practical. Mike had initially suggested they use a slight increase in the ambient air pressure to hold up the roof, just like the sports arenas they were copying. Doc Jules objected, saying in order to duplicate the habitat the air pressure would have to be lower than their present atmospheric pressure. Captain Brezinski suggested they could obtain the dual barrier by having a rigid structure covered by a secondary collapsible structure which would be held up by a slight pressure differential. Mike began sketching the modified geodesic dome covered by a secondary dome with a membranous roof. The floor space between the two wall structures would be used for the equipment and storage. Mike said, "This appears to be a workable concept and I think that I can provide adequate filtration to satisfy the doctor. We have not yet decided on the amount of gravitational force we need."

Captain Brezinski said, "I would assume that we will have to decrease the rotation speed of our ship in order to obtain the .9g's the new inhabitants need."

Doc Jules asked, "Can we not instead build this structure part way up the dome so that the crew can continue to be exposed to a full gravitational effect."

Mike groaned and said, "There he goes again exponentially complicating everything."

Catain Brezinski asked Doc Jules what his concern was and he replied, "We have approximately 28 years left before we begin de-acceleration. I am concerned this prolonged exposure to reduced gravity will produce osteoporosis and other metabolic damage in the crew."

Mike replied, "There must be some other way to prevent these problems other than complicating the design and construction by at least a thousand fold."

Captain Brezinski asked Doc Jules, "If the crew was subjected to a period of increased gravitational force for one day a week, would this be sufficient exposure to negate the harmful effects you are concerned about."

Doc Jules replied, "It would probably be effective but how can we continuously change the rotational speed of the ship?"

Captain Brezinski smiled and said, "I think it would be far easier to build a recreational facility at the end of our access tunnel. We will require that all crew members spend their day of rest there, wrestling with the higher acceleration forces that are present."

Dr. Jules was quiet for a while with a far-away look and then he said, "Would it be possible to build an observatory into the outer airlock so we could actually see out?"

Captain Brezinski turned to Mike who replied, "Sure, we can build a double glass enclosure inside of the outer door and maintain the integrity of the seal, but why bother when we have such good video equipment?"

Captain Brezinski responded, "It would probably be good for crew morale, so I think that we should include the concept in our design."

***

Ann got Mike to agree to allow the Chief and his construction team to work on her gardening projects while he finished his design concept. With the help of the Chief, Ann soon had her garden containers built. Each container was covered with a lighting fixture, but the color characteristics of the lights varied with the projected crop. The vegetables were especially responsive to the light color characteristics. Most of the vegetables were to be grown in hydroponic containers but the root crops such as potatoes and carrots needed the artificial soil which she had been developing. She had plans to eventually develop the capability for the growing of grains and even miniature fruit trees.

When Mike came by to examine the work, Ann asked him if it would be possible to develop a pond structure and possibly even a miniature stream. He initially insisted it was impossible and all fluids would need to be contained in vessels. Ann gently pressed the issue and asked if it was possible to design a vessel that looked like a pond and a miniature stream.

Mike asked her why she needed the pond and she replied, "Brother Simon and I have been working on a genetically engineered strain of trout that we could raise for fresh food."

Mike agreed that fresh fish would be much preferred to the protein substitute that they had been eating. He wondered why the fish could not be raised in simple tanks.

Ann replied, "The tanks would work, but I think that the pond would add significant beauty to the garden we are building. If we can have both practicality and beauty, everyone's life would be better." Mike grumbled something about functionality being beautiful, but agreed to think about it. Ann thanked him and said, "I am sure that you will be able to design hidden emergency covers that will meet the safety requirements."

The next day the Chief was smiling when he arrived at the garden area. He handed Ann a drawing of a pond with a small stream feeding it. The handwritten note said, "Kate said this was important so I designed your pond. The emergency covers will be hidden alongside the container and we will build in holders for your plants. I will confirm the design with the Captain. Mike."

The Chief said, "We will create a small artificial hill because the pond cannot penetrate into the shell of our ship." He went on explaining the technical aspects of the water flow and filtration system, but Ann was no longer listening. She looked up from the drawing and had tears in her eyes, she gave the Chief a spontaneous hug and excused herself. The Chief shook his head and said to himself, "The lady gets what she wants and then cries about it. It makes no sense."

Ann called Doc Jules and asked him if she could stop by. He said, "Sure, come on over." Ann walked over carrying a package and an envelope. Doc Jules asked, "What are you carrying."

She said, "A couple of presents." Doc Jules unwrapped the package and stared at the glass container which was filled with water and small wiggling specks. He said, "They are fish fry, aren't they?" Ann just nodded. Doc Jules then asked, "Where did they come from? What kind of fish are they?"

Ann laughed and said, "Brother Simon and I have been working for a while trying to find a way to utilize our stored fish embryos to produce a high-quality fresh protein supplement. He was able to produce an embryo that was genetically coded to delay sexual maturity in order to improve the eating qualities and efficiencies of growth. The original embryo was then cloned and these babies were initially raised in a nutrient broth until they matured enough to begin eating."

Doc Jules interrupted her and asked again, "What type of fish are they?" Ann looked thoughtful and said, "They are a type of trout, something called a 'summer run steelhead'. I am not sure just what that means, except that Brother Simon liked their genetic profile and said you would be happy with the choice." When Doc Jules heard this he sat at his desk and contemplated the container of baby fish.

After a few minutes Ann asked him if something was wrong, and when he looked up she saw that he had tears in his eyes. Doc Jules replied, "No, nothing is wrong, but I owe my life to these fish." He then recounted the story of dealing with his depression and suicidal thoughts on the Deschutes River. He related how watching the steelhead struggle to complete its primordial journey had given him the courage to continue. He finished by saying, "I think these are the greatest fish in the world and I accept your gift."

Ann handed him the envelope and said, "Here is the rest of the present."

Doc Jules opened the envelope and quickly recognized that it contained plans for a fish pond. His face lit up and he said laughingly, "You are really intent on making sure that I pay my debt and fix you the fish dinners that I promised."

Ann smiled and said, "I am looking forward to them very much."

Doc Jules stood up and gave her a warm hug and said, "I am looking forward to fixing them and I thank you again for giving me the opportunity." They then discussed the care and feeding of the baby fish. Doc Jules asked her if she would come by and check on them occasionally. Ann said she would. As Ann was returning to her gardening she noticed that her step had a very joyful spring to it.

Chapter 18: Genetics

Several months of hard work had gone by very quickly. The crew adapted to the work schedule that Captain Brezinski had instituted. The morning report had been reduced to a work session to discuss problems that involved different workgroups. Captain Brezinski continued her role as the interface between the different groups; balancing the biological needs and requests of Doc Jules with the engineering constraints that Mike had to work with. Despite their continued bickering significant progress had been made in completing the garden structure.

Captain Brezinski awakened early with the anticipation of the monthly review meeting with the entire crew. She had slept fairly well. After looking at her alarm clock and realizing she had another hour of sleep coming, she rolled over but to no avail. Her mind was filled with the anticipation of the meeting and the challenge of controlling the discussion so that everyone's ideas could be expressed and listened to in a timely fashion. Their knowledge base was increasing at such a rapid rate that integrating the new knowledge into their work was an ongoing challenge. After tossing and turning for several moments, she gave up and got ready for the day. She found simple things like upgrading her uniform and making sure her hair was properly arranged helped in her command role. She was confident in her leadership skills and usually led by example, allowing the crew to govern themselves. No one had yet challenged her leadership. She found the advice given during her officer's training course was still valid; a leader should look like a leader.

Captain Brezinski gathered her notes for the meeting and walked over to the Long Branch hoping the coffee would be ready. She was surprised Brother Simon was there already, sipping a cup of coffee. She was somewhat taken aback at his early appearance because he was not usually a morning person. She greeted him, "Good morning, Brother Simon."

Brother Simon responded, "It is an exciting morning, Captain."

Captain Brezinski poured herself a cup of coffee and asked him, "And what makes this such an exciting morning?"

Brother Simon smiled and was quiet for a few seconds before responding, "I had a revelation a couple of days ago while working on a section of the genetic code, which at first I thought was just junk filler material. I realized that it resembled the section on the ends of the chromosome called a telomere. I set up an experiment to see if this genetic material was biologically active and I got up early this morning to check the results."

Captain Brezinski sipped her coffee and replied,"I would assume since you are so bright-eyed and excited that your experiment was a success."

Brother Simon just nodded in the affirmative.

After a few more sips of coffee Captain Brezinski asked, "What is the function of this genetic material?"

Brother Simon smiled and said, "This gene limits the ability of the telomere to replicate itself."

After a moment of silence Captain Brezinski said simply, "And?"

Brother Simon mumbled an apology and explained, "The telomere acts as a cork on the end of the chromosome to prevent the chromosome material from sticking to other chromosomes and in general to protect the integrity of the genetic material. The telomere is not replicated during the reproduction of the cell, which means that with every time a cell reproduces itself the cork becomes a little smaller until it is completely used up. Without the telomere the chromosomes are unprotected and subject to mutations and loss of function."

Captain Brezinski was now obviously in deep thought and it was a few minutes before she responded, "As we grow older we use these telomeres up which leads to the aging process and the development of cancers?"

Brother Simon again nodded in the affirmative.

Captain Brezinski started to ask the obvious question about controlling the telomere, but their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of multiple crew members and start of the breakfast meal.

Captain Brezinski opened the monthly conference and officially logged onto the computer recording system. She was always a little nervous leading meetings and tended to hide her anxiety behind military formality. Her anticipation was even greater because of the impact that Brother Simon's findings could have on the project. Her first request was, "Mike, as chief of engineering, could you please update us on the status of your construction project."

Mike's report was relatively brief: "Captain, the construction is on schedule with completion of the rigid interior structure expected in three months. Once the ventilation and filtration systems are in place, we will begin the placement of the sterile soil substrate, which will be followed by the three weeks of biological isolation required by our good doctor. Following this, the plants that have been started in the grow containers will be transferred to the habitat. The atmospheric watering system will simulate rainfall and the ambient light provided by our ship will be supplemented to provide adequate illumination."

Captain Brezinski thanked him for his report and asked if there were any questions or comments. Doc Jules indicated he wished to be recognized and when Captain Brezinski acknowledged him, Mike groaned and mumbled, "Here we go again."

Doc Jules ignored him and directed his response to Captain Brezinski. "Captain, all living things have a built-in biological clock which is synchronized to a large degree by the light characteristics of their environment. It is very important that we emulate the complex light cycle of their native habitat, including daily and seasonal variations."

Captain Brezinski nodded her acceptance of his comments and turning to Mike asked, "How difficult would it be to accommodate this request?"

Mike shrugged his shoulders and said, "At least this request from the doctor is physically possible, but it will require additional work and I hope he does not want the stars to rotate across the night sky."

Doc Jules responded, without waiting for permission from the Captain, "Absolutely, with seasonal changes to emulate the normal variation." Captain Brezinski turned towards Doc Jules and reminded him with a simple disapproving look that this was a formal meeting and protocol was to be followed. She then turned toward Mike and questioned, "Are the panels used in the construction of the dome reflective enough that a focused light or laser could be used to emulate the changes that Doc Jules is requesting?"

Mike was quiet for just a moment and then said, "I think we can do a reasonable approximation by suspending the light source from the center of the garden and directing it in the appropriate arc, but some polishing of the dome panels may be required." Captain Brezinski then opened the discussion up again and questions were answered from other crew members.

Captain Brezinski requested Mike continue with his report on the proposed landing craft configuration. Mike responded in his normal curt manner, "Our limited access to advanced metallurgy will limit our proposed landing craft to a passive system much like the original space capsules. The use of a combination of passive lift devices such as parachutes and simple rockets will provide for a controlled safe landing."

He continued with some technical aspects of the heat shielding mechanisms, but was interrupted by Doc Jules who said, "You are designing a one-way transportation system which means we will have to abandon our new people because we cannot survive on their world."

This comment created a significant stir among the crew and a sharp reply from Mike, who said, "If you think you can create a reusable landing craft from our limited resources, just go ahead."

Captain Brezinski restored order by asking that questions be held until Mike completed his report.

Mike glared at Doc Jules and said, "End of report."

Captain Brezinski then allowed the discussion to continue and many proposals for different landing craft were discussed, but Mike always pointed out the engineering impossibilities.

Brother Simon asked to be recognized and said, "A suitable landing craft will be provided at the appropriate time."

This produced an obvious groan from Mike who mumbled, "A space shuttle will miraculously appear out of empty space because of our prayers."

Captain Brezinski tried to appear stern but was unable to contain a small smile at the impertinent remark from Mike, and asked Brother Simon to explain his statement.

He responded, "I'm glad that our engineer has such faith in the power of prayer, but I would expect that The Visitor has already foreseen our needs and will provide either the necessary materials or an actual vehicle for our use."

Captain Brezinski then concluded the discussion, "Brother Simon has a valid viewpoint, but it would seem prudent to continue our development of the proposed passive landing craft."

Doc Jules gave his report on the biological systems. His report was much more wordy than Mike's with a lot of detail about the changes they were making in the soil composition to compensate for the mineral needs of the plants. Captain Brezinski accepted his report and again opened up the discussion.

Mike was recognized and said, "I assume the doctor was saying the plants are growing O.K. What I would really like know is whether it is really necessary for us to be exposed to the high gee forces during our supposed rest period. I find the time at the end of the access tunnel to be physically tiring and boring."

Captain Brezinski turned to Doc Jules and asked him for his reply. Doc Jules responded, "Our calcium loss increases slightly during the six days of reduced gravity, but during the day of increased gravity the metabolic activity is reversed."

Captain Brezinski asked, "Does this mean the present system is working?" Doc Jules replied, "Yes, and I would recommend we continue the present program, unless our engineer is willing to risk his body for a control study to see if it is really necessary."

Captain Brezinski said, "The record will ignore the second comment and show that one day a week is effective in reducing the detrimental effects of our exposure to reduced gravitational forces."

Captain Brezinski, changing the order of reports, asked Tom for his report on potential defense systems. Tom said, "Captain, there does not appear to be a feasible system for protecting the inhabitants completely from their environment. The use of advanced armaments is unacceptable, and any primitive system could be easily overcome by the existing inhabitants. At this time, it would seem that a biological defense using a lethal disease which our new beings were resistant to would be the best approach."

Captain Brezinski thanked him and again opened the discussion up for comment. Ann said, "It seems somehow immoral to create a worldwide plague intentionally."

Doc Jules responded, "When modern man spread out of Africa 40,000 years ago, the earth was already populated by the Neanderthal people, who quickly disappeared whenever they came in contact with modern man. There is almost no archeological record of warfare between the groups and minimal record of any exchange in customs or technology. It would seem that Tom's suggestion may have had historical precedents on our own world."

Captain Brezinski asked Brother Simon for his input. Brother Simon, who was obviously in deep thought, did not hear her until she repeated her request. He then slowly said, "Doc Jules has made a valid point, and we could genetically vaccinate our new people against an existing disease which we transform into a more deadly variety. I do agree with Ann that intentionally creating a plague seems immoral, but I am unable to think of a better solution at this time." After hearing the remaining comments, Captain Brezinski said, "Let the record show the defense committee has recommended the use of a biological defense system which will be incorporated into the genetic profile of the new beings."

Captain Brezinski then said, "I have saved Brother Simon's report for last because of some very interesting findings." Brother Simon who was always shy had difficulty presenting his report, even to this group and always read his report verbatim. He began:

"The genome of the existing beings is approximately of the same complexity and size as our own genome, but with many differences which may relate to their separate evolution on a very different world. I have identified over 150 separate genetic traits for intelligence that can be adapted from the existing code or inserted from our genome to increase both the brain complexity and capability for development of intelligence. The development of speech requires both neural and anatomical changes. The lowering of the larynx appears to be essential for complex speech and I spent a considerable amount of time trying to decipher the genetics of this change. I was surprised to realize that although the genetic code already existed for this anatomical change, a blocking gene is present that prevented the expression of this existing trait. It appears that simply removing the blocking gene will allow for the anatomic changes necessary. Then a few days ago, I made another discovery. I was examining a long section of apparent "junk code or filler code" when I noticed a section that appeared to resemble the telomere code. Telomeres are protective end caps, sort of corks, which protect the ends of the chromosomes and prevent them from sticking to each other. Whenever a cell divides, it uses up part of the telomere because normally the telomere do not replicate themselves. Eventually the telomere is used up and chromosomal damage results which leads to cell death or malignant change. I just completed a test which shows that this code is what prevents the telomere from replicating themselves. Blocking this gene would probably provide for a dramatic increase in the life span of our new beings maybe even to biblical proportions. This block could be either permanent or temporary with a gradual loss of activity which would return our beings to their present life span after several generations. End of report."

When Captain Brezinski opened up the meeting for discussion, Tom was the first to be recognized. He said, "I really like the idea of the initial generations having the long life span in order to help them get established, but I think that the shorter life span is important to prevent over population and to allow for faster evolution of the species."

Martha asked, "Isn't this like Methushael and those other guys in the biblical story of Genesis?"

Brother Simon responded by quoting from the Bible:

Genesis 6:1-4

When people began being numerous on earth, and daughters had been borne to them, the sons of God, looking at the women, saw how beautiful they were and married as many of them as they chose. Yahweh said, "My spirit cannot be indefinitely responsible for human beings, who are only flesh; let the time allowed each to be a hundred and twenty years."

After many other comments and questions it was Mike who got to the essential question by saying, "If we can do this for the new beings, why can't we do it for ourselves?"

Brother Simon responded, "It may be possible if we have a similar blocking gene and if we could manipulate our own genome successfully using a viral infection to insert the new genetic material. Whether this is in our best interest or even ethical is another matter completely."

Captain Brezinski closed the discussion by concluding, "It appears feasible to dramatically lengthen the life span of the initial new beings in order to improve their ability to establish themselves. This effect would gradually deteriorate and the species would again be limited to their original life span."

Captain Brezinski was about to conclude the meeting and asked in her routine fashion if there was any new business. Ann said, "Yes, Captain, I would like to discuss the need for a surrogate mother." Captain Brezinski nodded to her and Ann continued, "I understand that there is something called a 'fetal development chamber' among the equipment we've received from the 'Egg' but several of us have been discussing the advantages of having a real mother and feel this possibility should be explored."

Captain Brezinski turned towards Doc Jules for his opinion. He was thoughtful for a minute and then responded, "There has been a lot of work done by psychologists showing the advantages of a mother-baby relationship among primates, but the possible immunologic consequences to the surrogate mother and the need for a low oxygen environment for proper fetal development would pose unacceptable risk to the surrogate mother." Several of the female members of the crew began to ask questions simultaneously and Captain Brezinski asked Doc Jules to explain further his concerns. Doc Jules then explained, "The placenta acts as a wonderful filtering device which separates the mother and the baby, allowing the necessary nutrients to flow from the mother to the fetus, but it is an imperfect system. There is some exchange of cellular material and the fetal cells which enter into the mother's circulatory system can persist for the life of the mother and produce a chronic immunologic stimulation. This chronic stimulation partially explains the reason women have a much higher incidence of auto immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. This chronic stimulation could be exponentially worse if the cells were from a different species. Our new beings evolved on a world with a much lower oxygen level than earth and the normal intrauterine oxygen level would be fatal to our new beings."

Martha asked, "Why can't the surrogate mother just live in a low-oxygen environment during the pregnancy?"

Doc Jules smiled and said, "That would be asking the mother to live in isolation at a relative altitude of almost 15,000 feet during the entire course of the pregnancy, which would be impossible."

Martha responded, "I'm not sure why you say it is impossible. My mother did it without any trouble." Doc Jules was obviously puzzled and asked her what she meant. Martha explained, "My father was a member of a German expedition to Everest and my mother was one of the Sherpa guides. She carried me and the equipment during the expedition and I was born shortly after they returned to Germany."

Doc Jules admitted that maybe it was possible under the right conditions for the mother and the baby to survive, but that the immunologic concerns still made the use of a surrogate mother too dangerous. Captain Brezinski closed the discussion by stating that the safety of the crew would not be compromised unless absolutely necessary. She asked Doc Jules to explore further the possibility of using a surrogate mother as a backup to the "fetal development chamber." Captain Brezinski then closed the meeting by saying, "It has been a long, but very productive meeting and to quote the chief, 'Captain, it is time for lunch.'"

The lunch room conversation was a carryover of the morning meeting. Doc Jules was engaging Brother Simon in a conversation regarding the telomere and the possibility of extending the natural life spans. Captain Brezinski and Mike were listening and occasionally asked questions, but the detailed biochemistry was difficult to follow. Mike finally interrupted and asked Brother Simon, "What genes are you going to manipulate that will provide our new beings with their immortal souls?"

Brother Simon refused to rise to the bait and simply replied, "The mystery of the soul remains a mystery."

Captain Brezinski obviously had her interest stirred because she said, "It would appear that theologically a transformation in the character of the soul would be needed to be consistent."

Brother Simon responded, "I am unable to offer an explanation of something I do not understand, but there are less metaphysical definitions of the soul and immortality that may apply."

Captain Brezinski said, "Such as?"

Brother Simon said, "If the soul is considered the essence of life, then by definition all living things have a soul. If the living organism is unable to pass on to its offspring the knowledge that it has acquired, then its essence ceases to exist when it dies. If, on the other hand, the living organism is able to pass on to future generations the knowledge it has acquired, then the organism's essence continues to exist and is potentially immortal."

Doc Jules asked, "You mean the soul is in reality just our intellect?"

Brother Simon responded, "As I said before, the soul is a mystery, but I have thought our DNA molecules are truly the essence of our lives."

Mike had to interject at this point saying, "How can religion teach that the soul will live on if it is just a molecule that will decompose with the rest of my body when I die?"

Brother Simon responded, "Some of the greatest minds in history have wrestled with this dilemma, and one solution that you may find acceptable is that we live on, in the changes that we have made in others. Every person you interact with changes and that change in turn produces changes in others. If your interaction is positive, you create more goodness, and if it is not positive, detrimental effects result. In other words, your eternity is created by your actions in the present."

Mike had enough philosophy at this point and got up saying, "I've had enough of this B.S. for now. I have work to do," and left.

Captain Brezinski was obviously still interested and asked how angels and saints could exist in this rational picture that Brother Simon was painting. Brother Simon responded, "The concept of heaven consisting of puffy white clouds with people playing the harp is hard for me to accept, but the existence of altered states and different dimensions is certainly possible. The very existence of the 'Egg' and its mysterious appearance lays tribute to the potential for altered states. Angels could represent actual physical beings in an altered state or truly spiritual beings. The concept of saints requires us to accept either the notion of a soul separate from the body that lives on after death, or we must accept the possibility of a universal 'life force' that ties all living things together with the Creator. In our attempts to understand these mysteries, it is important to remember that rules of logic and reason must also apply to theology. I am unable to truly answer your questions, but only able to share my thought processes." Brother Simon realized he was doing most of the talking and became embarrassed. He closed, "I had not meant to lecture you on theologic concepts, and I apologize for boring you with my thoughts."

Doc Jules laughed and said, "If I was bored listening to you, I would have left with Mike."

Captain Brezinski responded, "I suppose it is time for all of us to get back to work, but I have thoroughly enjoyed our conversation."

Doc Jules began to pack his minimal personal items for his weekly journey to the end of the access tunnel. He realized he was whistling and actually looking forward to his 24 hours of "rest." He always spent a major portion of his time sitting in the observation chamber watching the stars rotate slowly by. The view of the sky freed him from the confines of their ship and connected him to his past. Remembering the nights camped under the stars no longer brought on periods of melancholy, only vivid memories of his family and the trips with his wife when they were first married. He could now talk about his loss without feeling the horrible burden of the melancholy he had carried for so long. He was looking forward to this rest period more than usual because Ann was scheduled at the same time. Captain Brezinski required that all rest periods be rotated so there was a continuous mixing of crew members to help prevent the development of social cliques. This meant Ann and Doc Jules were scheduled together only every fifth week. These time periods were becoming more and more precious as they learned to enjoy each other.

Doc Jules stored his gear in his temporary quarters in the rest station and then went to Ann's room, where she was already waiting for him. Ann welcomed him with a kiss and Doc Jules said, "I think the idea of civilian dress during the rest periods is wonderful because seeing you in a pretty dress is even better than seeing you in your uniform."

Ann blushed and said, "Thank you. I do enjoy wearing a dress."

They walked together to the observation chamber. Eric-Peter was already there and welcomed them, "Please come and see the game I have created". When they looked over his shoulder at the portable computer he was using, they saw a checkerboard pattern partially covered by odd-shaped objects that moved as they watched.

Ann asked, "What is it and what are they doing?"

Eric-Peter replied, "These are microscopic machines I have programmed to follow the rules of checkers on a microscopic checker board." As they watched, one of the miniature machines jumped over another machine and the captured machine moved off the edge of the board. At first the motions seemed random, but soon they recognized there was order to the movements.

Ann asked. "Where are your machines?"

Eric-Peter responded, "They are actually in Brother Simon's lab under his old electron microscope."

Doc Jules asked, "Where did you get these machines and how do you program them?"

Eric-Peter explained, "There is a whole section on these machines in the computer module which I happened across. The auto supplier is able to manufacture them. The machines are mostly protein molecules and the programming is actually designing the individual components so they respond to specific stimuli rather than actually programming a digital memory. I have been working on the design for this game as my hobby for the past couple of months. They now play a pretty good game of checkers."

Ann asked, "Are these machines actually good for anything besides playing checkers?"

Eric-Peter responded, "I have not been able to think of any good use for them, but a significant amount of data is present in the computer which would suggest they are important for something."

Doc Jules asked him, "How small are your machines?"

Eric-Peter replied, "These machines are fairly large and measure about 50 microns in diameter, but machines that do not require mobility can be made as small as five microns."

Doc Jules whistled and said, "These are truly nano machines."

The three of them sat in silence for awhile watching the stars slowly rotate. When the Sun rotated into view, Ann expressed the view of the whole crew when she said, "Our Sun is getting so small and far away, but it still represents home and at times I sorely miss it." Eric-Peter agreed with her as he slowly pushed himself to his feet, holding onto his walker. He said, "I know this increased gravity is good for me, but it really challenges these new neural connections."

Doc Jules laughed and said, "The fact you're walking at all is amazing enough to be considered miraculous, so if you want to whine like Mike does, you have my permission."

After Eric-Peter left, Doc Jules sat with Ann curled up against his shoulder enjoying the freedom of seeing the stars. He felt a sense of contentment and happiness that had been absent since the death of his family.

Chapter 19: Birth Preparations

Almost a month had gone by when Doc Jules received the call from Brother Simon. "Have you made any progress on developing a protocol for the use of a surrogate mother?"

Doc Jules was forced to admit, "To be honest, I have been so busy I forgot completely about the Captain's request. Besides, I have trouble taking the concept of a surrogate mother seriously." When Brother Simon did not respond immediately, Doc Jules asked, "Why are you asking?"

Brother Simon's only response was, "Maybe you should stop by the lab."

"Let me close this report and I will be there in a few minutes."

Doc Jules walked over to Brother Simon's lab with a slight sense of apprehension. As he entered Brother Simon's, lab he found the normally cheery monk to have a worried expression on his face. He tried to lighten the mood by opening their conversation with "What's up, Doc?"

Brother Simon face softened significantly as he replied, "I do believe it would be more appropriate for me to be using that particular cartoon character's line in addressing you." He continued, "I began setting up the Fetal Development Chamber this morning for the sheep-like creature that I have been working on. As I was going through the manual, I realized there was no mention of our new beings in the protocols."

Doc Jules responded, "Are you sure?"

"Would I have called you if I were not sure?"

Doc Jules asked, "Can we just program in the parameters we need?"

Brother Simon shook his head no and said, "It appears the protocols are sealed and we are denied access, but I will have Eric-Peter see what he can do." They were both silent, deep in thought for several minutes. Finely Brother Simon said, "It would appear that The Visitor agrees with Ann-- our new beings need a mother."

Doc Jules spent the next few days determining the physiological parameters the surrogate mother would have to adapt to in order to allow for normal fetal development. His original guess was pretty close to his final analysis. An Earth altitude of 14,500 feet was needed to approximate the oxygen concentration of the new beings' home world. The blood chemistry was otherwise fairly similar, but the cellular antigens were significantly different. The leakage of cells and proteins across the placenta would produce significant immune stimulation. This immune stimulation could result in the death of the unborn baby, and potentially catastrophic illness in the surrogate mother. Medications such as cortisone could temper the reactions, but the adverse effects of the medication were also unacceptable. Doc Jules was not looking forward to presenting this report to the Captain.

The monthly report was progressing in a satisfactory way until Doc Jules gave his report. He presented the factual information and concluded by saying, "Placental leakage and the resultant immune stimulation makes the use of a surrogate mother unacceptably risky and modification of the 'fetal development chamber' is required."

Captain Brezinski accepted his report and asked Eric-Peter what progress he had made in modifying the computer programming of the fetal development chamber, Eric-Peter replied,"I have been denied access to all levels of protocol programming of the unit and doubt that modification will be possible."

Captain Brezinski nodded acceptance of his report and said, "It would seem we have come to an impasse, but to paraphrase Brother Simon, 'The Visitor has already foreseen our needs and has provided a solution that we have not yet recognized'."

The lively discussion of possible solutions ensued. None of the suggestions seemed plausible until Ann asked Eric-Peter, "Can your microscopic 'checker machines' be made to work inside the body?"

Before allowing Eric-Peter to respond, Captain Brezinski asked him, "What are these checker machines?"

Eric-Peter explained how he had, as a hobby, developed a series of nano machines that responded to specific protocols. Now they were capable of playing a pretty good game of checkers. He went on to explain how the computer had a whole section of information on the development of these machines and the autosupplier was capable of manufacturing them.

Captain Brezinski asked him, "And what are these machines used for?"

Eric-Peter shrugged his shoulders and said, "I can think of no practical use for them, but Ann's suggestion might be possible."

Doc Jules sat quietly thinking while Mike bombarded Eric-Peter with questions about energy sources, composition, and functionality. Other crew members had multiple futuristic uses for these machines and Eric-Peter struggled to answer their questions. Captain Brezinski allowed the conversation to continue for several minutes but then interrupted the discussion by saying, "Doc Jules, you appear to be very contemplative. Are you ready to share your thoughts with us?"

Doc Jules looked up and said, "If these machines of Eric-Peter's can be designed to identify specific antigens, and if they are bio-compatible, we might be able to use them to assist the body's immune system in removing the foreign antigens before they cause any trouble."

Captain Brezinski asked, "Does this mean the use of a surrogate mother may be possible?"

Doc Jules just nodded his head affirmatively.

Captain Brezinski said, "It would appear that we have another project to work on. For now I would like to complete the monthly conference so that we do not delay the Chief's lunch."

The remainder of the conference consisted of pretty routine work and would have been completed in time for lunch, but when Captain Brezinski asked if there was any new business to be brought forward, Martha said "Yes, Captain." Captain Brezinski asked her to proceed and Martha said, "We need a name for our new beings so we can think of them as our equals and not some abstract scientific subject."

Captain Brezinski nodded her acceptance of Martha's statement and asked, "Do you have a specific name in mind?"

Martha replied, "Captain, I do not, but I do think that the name we choose should become part of the language that we help them develop."

Captain Brezinski turned to Kate and asked "In your lingual studies of our new beings, have you identified a term they use to describe themselves?"

Kate's response was, "Captain, the existing beings have a very primitive and limited vocabulary that is primarily based on sounds without the complexity of words or significant structure. I have not identified anything that could be assumed to be a name."

Eric-Peter suggested they utilize the name The Visitor had used to identify the beings. Captain Brezinski again turned to Kate and asked how The Visitor's name translated. Kate smiling said, "The closest translation would be 'short blue beings' and I doubt that this would suffice."

Captain Brezinski allowed the crew several minutes of unorganized bantering and exchange of ideas before she called the meeting back to order. She restored order by asking Brother Simon, "Is there a scientific name or classification that we could adapt in naming our new beings?"

Brother Simon replied, "It would seem that because our new beings will be sharing some of our present genetic code and apparently share in our historical genetic development, I would suggest they be considered part of the Homo lineage." He continued "their distinctive blue color reminds me of the indigo-colored flowers of my childhood. I would suggest the name Homo sapiens indigo."

Captain Brezinski asked if anyone objected to the name chosen by Brother Simon, and when nobody objected she announced, "The official scientific name will be Homo sapiens indigo." She then asked for suggestions of a common name based on the chosen scientific name. Kate suggested "Indigans". Captain Brezinski accepted her recommendation and asked if anyone else had any suggestions. Hearing none she announced the acceptable common name for the new beings would be "Indigans". She closed the meeting by announcing, "It is now past the time for the Chief's lunch and this meeting is adjourned."

Doc Jules now spent a major portion of his time developing the protocols for selection of the surrogate mother and the procedures for adapting her to the required environmental conditions. He defined the requirements for the habitat structure that the surrogate mother would need during her period of adaptation and throughout the pregnancy. When he presented these to Mike, he was surprised that Mike accepted the task without complaint. Mike even suggested enlarging the habitat to allow room for visitor quarters with a dual system of atmospheric controls. Doc Jules asked him why he thought this was important.

Mike responded, "We will be asking one of our fellow crew members to risk her health and possibly her life for the sake of the mission. I will do whatever I can to ease this burden. Your protocol will require relative isolation for a period of a year and we need to do whatever we can to promote interaction amongst the crew to support her."

Doc Jules was pleasantly surprised and wondered why Mike had developed such a humane attitude. He suspected that Kate had significant input, but was hesitant to specifically ask Mike for fear of embarrassing him.

The weeks seem to speed by. The crew was challenged by their work and used their free time to transform their "spaceship" into a home of their liking. Ann had her small cottage with a white picket fence and a flower garden along the front of the fence. She was especially proud of her rose bushes which she had brought as cell cultures and had cultivated in her cramped living quarters. She had transformed the cells growing in a test tube into lush bushes covered with deep crimson flowers. While Ann had spent her time developing a home-like setting, Doc Jules found it much simpler to have his quarters attached to the clinic. His quarters were very spartan, the only decorations being the picture of his family and the large wall computer monitor which displayed different fishing scenes from the rivers he used to fish. One corner was utilized as his fly-tying work bench. The materials the auto supplier provided made a fair approximation of the feather patterns he had traditionally used. The clutter of a fishing pole which was under construction added to his mild state of disarray. Mike and about half of the crew found it much more convenient to simply "rent" rooms at the Hotel. They left the decorating up to Kate and her crew. Captain Brezinski had transferred the jail into a front office space with her quarters in back. Her quarters were also relatively spartan, but in a very feminine mode. She created small work spaces for her hobbies of sewing and the construction of model submarines. The curtains with the handmade lace borders contrasted with the work bench where a replica of her last boat was taking shape on her work bench. This created an environment that was feminine, but with a sense of command.

This was where Captain Brezinski was working when Doc Jules knocked on her door asking if he could bother her for a few minutes. Captain Brezinski invited him in and nodded towards the only other chair. She apologized, "Let me finish fitting this rudder attachment to my boat and I will be right with you." Doc Jules watched her meticulously shave the aft end of her miniature submarine until the rudder fit perfectly. As Captain Brezinski turned from her work, she explained, "the glue I had mixed up was starting to set and I needed to finish fitting the rudder attachment quickly." Doc Jules was admiring her detailed work and remarked on the unusual shape of the boat. Captain Brezinski smiled and said, "I made a vow to never disclose the engineering specifications of this boat. I figured that since the submarine resulted in my command of this ship, I needed to remember it. I think my model is safe from the prying eyes of the American spies."

Doc Jules laughed and replied, "I would expect that your secret design is safe and that your vow of secrecy remains intact."

Captain Brezinski asked Doc Jules, "What is bothering you tonight?"

Doc Jules replied, "I have a small ethical dilemma that I would like to discuss with you in private." Captain Brezinski nodded for him to go on and Doc Jules continued, "I am almost finished with the protocol for choosing our surrogate mother, but before I present it at the monthly conference I wanted your approval of a minor inconsistency." Captain Brezinski looked at him with a questioning tilt of her head and rising of her left eyebrow. "Brother Simon and I designed the immunologic patterns to purposely exclude Kate from consideration."

Captain Brezinski said, "I assume this has something to do with her breast cancer?"

Doc Jules nodded in the affirmative and continued, "I do not feel it would be safe for Kate to undergo the stress of the hormonal manipulations, but I did not want to insult her femininity. I would expect that most, if not all, of the female crew members will volunteer to fill the role of surrogate mother. I wanted Kate's non-selection to be the luck of the genetic draw."

Captain Brezinski was thoughtful for a minute before she asked, "Do you intend to intentionally exclude any other crew members?"

Doc Jules was almost squirming in his chair with an obvious embarrassed look on his face when he replied, "I think that it would be proper to exclude you, as the Captain, from the selection process."

Captain Brezinski was smiling at Doc Jules' embarrassment. She said, "And would this situation be analogous to your previous decision to test your vaccine on yourself prior to allowing any other crew members to be subjected to the risk of experimentation?" Doc Jules began a lengthy discourse which he had obviously rehearsed, trying to explain his logic. Captain Brezinski cut him short with a wave of her hand. She then said "I agree with your decision regarding Kate, but I will not allow any other crew member to take a risk, I am not willing to accept myself". "If I am the best match in your genetic lottery, then I am willing and obligated to assume the position of the surrogate mother."

Doc Jules replied, "That is almost exactly how Brother Simon said you would respond to my suggestion, but I felt that I had to try."

Captain Brezinski was pleased to hear that Brother Simon had anticipated her reaction and could not help the smile that crossed her face.

Doc Jules explained the selection protocol for the surrogate mother and again reviewed the risk involved at the monthly conference. Volunteers were then allowed to sign up for the testing regimen. Doc Jules was not surprised when the entire female crew volunteered, but he was surprised when Tom volunteered. When Doc Jules refused his application, Tom objected saying, "I have read where they are able to have male dogs act as mothers by manipulating their hormones and implanting the embryo."

Doc Jules just shook his head and said "Tom, I appreciate your willingness to volunteer. This is complicated enough without adding the variability of an ectopic pregnancy to the equation."

Tom seemed to accept this explanation and said, "Well, I am willing to take the risk if you need me."

Doc Jules thanked him and went back to work organizing the proposed testing schedule. Even though he knew each crew member far better than he had ever known his patients on Earth, he felt specific psychological testing was necessary. The chosen volunteer would not only be risking her health, but would need to live in relative isolation before and during the pregnancy. In addition, each volunteer had to undergo hypobaric testing to see how they responded to the low oxygen levels. The final hurdle was immunologic testing to see how compatible the prospective surrogate mother was with the preliminary immunologic profile of their first Indigan.

When it was Martha's turn to undergo the hypobaric testing, Doc Jules was amazed at her tolerance to the low oxygen levels of the testing chamber. When he asked Martha about this she explained, "I have been practicing." He asked her how she could practice and Martha explained, "The Sherpa people are able to hold their breath for long periods of time because of their adaptation to high altitude. I figured if I practiced holding my breath I would be acclimatizing myself." She looked a little embarrassed and asked "You don't think that I was cheating do you?"

Doc Jules shook his head no and said, "I imagine most of the other women have been practicing in their own ways also." When all of the testing was completed it was obvious that Martha was the best choice. After informing Captain Brezinski of the results he announced the selection at dinner and multiple toasts were raised in her honor.

Captain Brezinski and Brother Simon watched the celebration from the observation port. They had both learned to appreciate the opportunities to share their "rest period" in each other's company. Their conversations ranged over a wide variety of subject matter and they shared each other's concern over the health and well-being of the crew. Tom at one point had even accused them of being the crew's mother and father figures. This had embarrassed both of them. Captain Brezinski returned to the discussion of Eric-Peter's nano machines. She asked, "Do you think the information regarding the nano machines has been in the computer this whole time?

Brother Simon responded in his normal thoughtful conservative manner. "I would assume that such a large database would have been detected by Eric-Peter much sooner if it had been present during their whole journey."

Captain Brezinski agreed with him, but asked, "How does The Visitor know when we need certain information to continue our task?" Brother Simon shrugged his shoulders and said the mystery of superior intelligence and technology was beyond his understanding. Captain Brezinski pressed the issue further by asking, "Do you think The Visitor is the God of your Bible?"

Brother Simon smiled and said, "God Is and I expect The Visitor is an emissary sent on the mission much like we have been."

The next question was, "Is The Visitor an emissary of God?"

Brother Simon responded, "I would think not directly, but rather an emissary of an advanced civilization which had been assigned the task." Brother Simon surprised Captain Brezinski by directly addressing the computer and asking, "Is The Visitor the same entity as the one we refer to as God?"

There was a surprisingly long hesitation before the computer responded, "I am unable to provide information on the specific identity of the one you call The Visitor, but the entity you referred to as God precedes all others." Captain Brezinski asked for more information, but the computer replied, "No other information is available to you." Their discussion then revolved around the mystical concept of God and eternity versus the rational explanations that Brother Simon had previously discussed. Brother Simon explained, "I first accepted the possibility of a God using rational arguments much like I explained to you. The mystical explanations became more acceptable and logical the more I studied." The conversation gradually turned to the discussion of miraculous apparitions. Brother Simon said, "Why do you have such a strong interest in miraculous apparitions?"

Captain Brezinski was quiet for several minutes before relating the event that had occurred when she attempted to scuttle her boat. She described, "This shimmering white figure of a young woman appeared to me while I was opening the valves to destroy my boat and crew. The mere presence of the figure produced an intense feeling of calm. The figure did not speak to me, but simply smiled and shook her head from side to side slowly. A feeling of understanding came over me. When I looked down at the valve I was opening, I realized it was not my purpose to die with my crew on that day. When I looked up from the valve the figure was gone, but the feeling of calm persisted. I canceled the order to flood the hull. Instead I ordered the maintenance officer to close all valves and blow our ballast gradually. This brought the boat to the surface." She concluded by saying she had kept this secret to herself, but she was happy to share it with him in confidence. It was now Brother Simon's turn for silent contemplation.

Finally he said, "I am sure that Doc Jules would have a rational explanation for your experience based on direct stimulation of the visual cortex with a very specifically tuned energy beam. I believe that the mystical interpretation is more logical." They sat together in silence watching the stars rotate by, sharing a quiet intimacy, each allowing their conversation the quiet time needed for it to mature into part of their being.

When Doc Jules returned to work, his first task was to have one final review with Martha regarding the obligations and risk involved in the task that she had volunteered for. He explained in detail the need for her to perform daily weight bearing exercises in order to stimulate the retention of calcium and prevent osteoporosis. After he had reviewed the protocol for developing adaptation to her required hypoxic conditions and had started to explain the hormonal manipulations that would be required, Martha interrupted him. She said, "My Sherpa ancestry will provide me the physical toughness that I need. My German ancestry will provide the stubbornness that I will need to accomplish this task." Doc Jules had to smile at Martha's forthrightness and quickly completed his review.

He began the hormonal manipulations by injecting the hormonal supplements under the skin of her upper left arm. Doc Jules apologized, "I wish that I could simply use tablets and spare you the discomfort of the injections."

Martha smiled at him and responded, "If it were Tom you would have reason to be concerned, but personally I will not be bothered by your small injections." Doc Jules asked her if she needed any help moving into her new quarters but Martha declined saying, "Tom has already volunteered and I would enjoy his help."

The crew adapted quickly to the sight of Martha always wearing her nasal mask. Martha continued her work despite at times feeling sluggish from the low oxygen levels. Her appointments with Doc Jules increased in frequency from weekly to every other day until Doc Jules decided that her ovaries were ready to donate the eggs they needed. He explained the laparoscopic procedure that he would use to harvest the eggs. Martha asked "Would it be possible for me to watch the procedure?"

Doc Jules thought for moment and replied, "If you are willing to have the spinal anesthetic, I could position the monitor so that you can watch the procedure. It would be simpler to record the procedure and watch it later."

Martha responded, "I would like to participate as much as possible so I would prefer being awake and watching." Doc Jules accepted this and they agreed on a time for the procedure.

When Martha presented the next morning, Doc Jules asked her, "Well, are you ready?"

Martha responded, "I am ready, hungry, but ready." Doc Jules asked her to change into the ubiquitous hospital gown. When she was ready he started the IV and placed the cardiac monitors on her. He then had her sit on the operating table, bending forward as he carefully palpated her spine, identifying the level that he needed to obtain complete anesthesia for the area. He then carefully washed her back, telling Martha, "This will be a little cold." He covered her back with a sterile drape. Doc Jules filled the syringe with the anesthetic agent and checked to make sure all of the air was expressed from the syringe. He slowly advanced the needle between her spinal processes until he felt it "pop" into the spinal fluid space. He attached the syringe to the needle and slowly injected the local anesthetic into the space around her spinal cord. He removed the needle and had her sit quietly while the anesthetic began to take effect. After 10 minutes Doc Jules had Martha lie back on the table and he proceeded to scrub her belly with the antiseptic solution. He carefully covered her with sterile drapes. He positioned the monitor so Martha could watch while he performed the surgery. He then scrubbed and gowned himself.

He positioned the table so that Martha was turned slightly to the left and he inserted a small needle into her right side. Doc Jules concentrated as the needle advanced slowly into her abdomen and when he felt the "pop" as the needle entered the peritoneum he attached the pressure device which gradually filled Martha's abdominal cavity with gas. After her abdomen was stretched from the gas, Doc Jules placed the larger needle through her umbilicus (belly button). This larger needle penetrated the stretched peritoneum with a much more obvious pop, he then removed the inner trochar. Doc Jules placed the endoscope through the sheath and the miniature camera revealed the inner world of Martha's abdomen. Doc Jules replaced the original needle with a slightly larger needle which allowed for the insertion of surgical instruments. With careful positioning of Martha on the table and the use of a small probe, he was able to easily visualize both ovaries. The hormones had produced the desired effect and both ovaries looked like small clusters of grapes with multiple ripe follicles, each containing a mature egg (oocyte). Doc Jules used the probe to enter each follicle, separately aspirating the contents. He used great care to place the carefully cultivated eggs into sterile tubes. When he was finished he allowed the air to escape and then removed his endoscope and probe. He treated the small wounds with an antibiotic ointment and covered them with small dressings.

Martha had watched the entire surgical procedure in silence. When Doc Jules was finished she said, "I'm glad you allowed me to watch because I had no idea how fascinating my insides were and how delicate surgery was."

Doc Jules laughed and said, "Martha, you are a remarkable young woman whom I feel privileged to work with." Martha blushed with the compliment and said nothing. Doc Jules helped Martha move onto a more comfortable bed and told her that as the anesthetic wore off she would have some pain. He explained how she should use the button next to her as often as needed to control the pain.

While Brother Simon began the tedious work of preparing and preserving the valuable eggs that Martha had donated, Doc Jules sat with Martha. He encouraged her to rest and when she did nod off to sleep, quietly began cleaning up his small operating room. When Martha began to stir Doc Jules was again by her side and asked her how she was feeling. Martha replied, "My legs still have a little tingling sensation but otherwise I feel pretty good. Doc Jules asked her if she was having much pain and Martha simply said, "No". Martha dozed off again and when she woke this time she was fully alert. Doc Jules checked her vital signs and advised her that they were normal. Martha asked if that meant that she could return to her own place and Doc Jules simply nodded yes. Doc Jules excused himself while Martha dressed and offered to walk her back to her new shelter. As they walked slowly back across the town Martha asked Doc Jules, "If we're using my eggs does that mean that the Indigans will be partially me?"

Doc Jules responded "Brother Simon will be removing all of your genetic information and inserting the new genetic code of the Indigans but the mitochondria in the cells will be yours." Martha then wanted to know what these mitochondria were and Doc Jules explained, "The mitochondria are the energy factories for all of the cells in the body and they are inherited only from the mother."

Martha asked, "Do you mean that all of these mitochondria that I have are the same as the mitochondria that my mother had?"

Doc Jules nodded and said, "The mitochondria do change slowly over the generations but essentially your mitochondria are the same as your grandmother's." Doc Jules helped Martha get settled and advised her to get plenty of rest over the next few days. As he was leaving Martha said, "My grandmother would have been happy to know that the Sherpa people will be directly linked to the Indigans." Doc Jules waived in response and thought that Martha actually would be the "Mother" of the new race.

Chapter 20: The Birth

Brother Simon spent his time checking and rechecking the genetic changes. He felt a tremendous responsibility to make sure that his work was as near perfect as possible. He had always been a scientific "perfectionist". He approached the current project with an almost religious fervor. If it had not been for Captain Brezinski's specific orders, he would have worked himself to the point of exhaustion. When Captain Brezinski asked him why he was pushing himself so hard, Brother Simon responded, "I have this overwhelming feeling that this work represents the total meaning of my life. Everything that I have done and learned was in preparation for this task and satisfactory completion is essential. This work justifies the life that I have lived."

Captain Brezinski understood his sense of responsibility because she shared the feelings Brother Simon expressed. Her response was given very tenderly, "If a life is judged on the changes for the better that have been made in those with whom you interact, then your life is already a success. This mission is a shared responsibility and all we can do is our best." Captain Brezinski placed her hand on Brother Simon's arm and with a gentle squeeze said, "As your Captain and more importantly as your friend, I ask that you do your best, but that you share the load that you bare." In response Brother Simon placed his hand over Captain Brezinski's and for a short minute held it.

Eric-Peter and Doc Jules had been working together in order to prepare the nano machines. Two different approaches were available. A small unit, the size of a normal blood cell, was available that would react with predetermined antigens to denature them. These roving nano machines would hopefully destroy any antigens before Martha's own immune system could react to them. A very large number of units would be needed to compete with the billions of white blood cells circulating in Martha's system. A vascular filtering device was also available. It would be more efficient because the majority of the blood returning from the placenta would flow directly through the filtering device. Within this device fixed nano machines would perform their task of destroying the foreign antigens. This choice was complicated by the fact that the uterine veins enlarge by a factor of ten during pregnancy. A significant surgery would be required to install the device. After running many computer simulations the decision was made to combine both methods.

Doc Jules discussed with Martha the need for an additional surgery and she willingly accepted the risk. She did ask if the surgery could be performed with the telescopes so she could watch. Doc Jules said, "I'm sorry, this surgery actually involves opening you up so I can attach the filtering devices to your uterine veins." Martha in her typical fashion accepted this without hesitation and asked when the next surgery would be. Doc Jules told her that it would be about eight days before the auto supplier would complete the units and then they would perform surgery.

On the day of surgery Martha was greeted by Kate who said, "Doc Jules asked me to help him today and said that he would be a few minutes late." As Martha was changing into the hospital gown they visited about what it would be like to be the mother of the first Indigan. Kate admitted she and the rest of the female crew members were jealous of Martha's chance for motherhood. It had been a requirement that all crew members undergo voluntary sterilization prior to being accepted for the mission. Kate said, "I had never considered motherhood for myself because it would interfere with my profession and my lifestyle. Now that it is no longer an option I sometimes question my decision." Martha in reply said, "We all made similar decisions for our own reasons and I am reminded of something my grandmother used to say, 'It takes a whole village to raise a child'. I may be the physical surrogate mother, but I think all of us will be required to raise our new people."

Kate sighed and said, "I know what you're saying is true, but I guess it is my hormones that make me jealous.

Martha laughed and said, "I am sure that Doc Jules has some magic mixtures he could inject you with to control your hormones."

Kate replied, "I think I have had enough of his injections, thank you anyway." They heard Doc Jules entering the building and changed their subject matter to a frivolous discussion. He asked them if they were ready and they both said, "Just waiting for you". He then showed them the small filtering structures that he had in the sterile packages. Kate asked him how they worked. Doc Jules explained that the lower portion was placed around the uterine vein and the nano machines inside would gradually enlarge the opening allowing more and more of the blood to filter through the device. The device would adapt to the increased blood flow of pregnancy, but not all of the blood could be filtered which is why they needed the free circulating machines. Kate shuddered and said, "I am not sure about having these machines inside of me".

Martha replied, "We do what we must."

Doc Jules had Martha lie on the operating table, started an IV, and placed the cardiac monitors. He told Martha, "I will be giving you some medicine that will make you fall asleep. When you awake the surgery will be over." Martha nodded in the affirmative and before she could have said much of anything she was asleep. Doc Jules inserted the breathing tube through her mouth and into her trachea. He connected this to the auto ventilator and had the computer program in the appropriate anesthesia gas mixture. He then washed Martha's abdomen with the sterilizing solution and covered her with the sterile drapes. He scrubbed his own hands for the required five minutes and donned his sterile gown. Doc Jules picked up the scalpel and quickly reviewed in his mind the exact procedure that he was about to perform. With a single deft movement he cut through the skin of Martha's abdomen exposing the thin layer of fat. The small bleeding vessels were sealed automatically with the energy of the laser. The vertical muscles in the midline were gently separated and the peritoneum exposed. Doc Jules made a very small incision into this layer and inserted his finger to protect Martha's intestinal tract. He then enlarged the incision and placed a retractor and sponges which allowed him good visualization. Using delicate surgical forceps he freed the uterine vein from the surrounding tissue. Taking the nano machine devices he opened the small flap door and inserted it under the uterine vein. As he was closing the door around the vein he mumbled something to himself and Kate said, "Pardon me."

Doc Jules apologized and said, "I was just talking to myself, saying that I hope these things work."

Kate was surprised and said, "What do you mean, you hope these things work?"

Doc Jules finished securing the base of the pyramidal filtering device to the uterine suspension ligaments before he replied. He said. "According to the computer these will work, but I prefer things that I can see and touch. At times I have trouble accepting computer simulations."

Kate finished his argument by saying, "We do place our trust in The Visitor and its computer much like Brother Simon does with his God."

Doc Jules response was a simple hmmm, and he continued his work moving to the opposite uterine vein. He methodically separated the vein from the artery and the surrounding tissues and again carefully inserted the vein into the filtering device. He secured the filter in the same fashion and began closing the surgical wound. Kate watched him meticulously turn the cut edges of the peritoneum outward and tightly sew them together with his sutures. He closed each successive layer with the same attention to detail using sutures which would absorb over the next six weeks. He closed the skin with staples and applied a simple dressing.

As the computer was reversing the anesthesia allowing Martha to awaken, Kate asked, "Why did you spend more time closing the inside layers than you did the skin?"

Doc Jules laughed and said, "Surgeons are often judged by the quality of the scar they leave, but proper closing of the inner layers is much more important to prevent complications from adhesions and other internal scarring." Together they moved Martha onto the bed and Kate sat with her while she recovered. Kate was envisioning these microscopic machines in Martha's body and shuddered at the thought. She decided she was no longer jealous of Martha's selection as the surrogate mother.

Life slowed down slightly as they waited for Martha to fully recover from her surgery and for the hormonal preparation to take effect. Doc Jules used his increased free time to complete the fly rod that he had been working on. He made a date with Ann to meet at the garden pond for his first try at fishing. When they arrived at the pond, Doc Jules was so excited he did not even notice that the garden was empty of other crew members. Ann sat and watched quietly as Doc Jules joined the sections of his rod together and threaded his fly line through the guides. He then carefully tied a small ant pattern fly onto the end of the leader. Ann asked him, "How will the fish know they are supposed to eat ants if they had never seen any?"

Doc Jules explained, "I assume that they are genetically programmed and should instinctively recognize the ant as food. If this doesn't work I do have a secret weapon to try." He showed her a fly from his small box which looked amazingly like the food pellets they had been feeding the fish. Doc Jules began stripping out line and casting over the pond. He was able to cast half way across the pond. He allowed the fly to settle quietly on the water and his excitement became almost palpable when a trout rose next to the fly. His disappointment when the fish did not take the fly was transient and he simply lifted his rod and repeated the cast a few feet away. After a few cast one of the small trout took his fly and headed for the bottom of the pond. Doc Jules gently set the hook and reeled the fish in. He removed the hook almost reverently and released the fish telling it to continue growing. He turned to Ann and said, "It will be a few more months before these fish are large enough for the fish fry I promised you." He continued fishing and was thrilled to catch another small trout. The fish tired of his ant fly and after awhile Doc Jules gave up and sat on the bank with Ann. He was content to sit quietly and stare at the water with Ann nestled against his shoulder. Ann was studying his face and recognized that he appeared genuinely happy which was very satisfying for her. Doc Jules turned towards her and sincerely thanked her for her gift and completed his thanks with a soft kiss.

Brother Simon was walking about in deep thought and entered the garden not realizing he was invading their private time. He saw the fishing pole and asked Doc Jules if he had any luck. Doc Jules responded, "This has been one of my best fishing trips ever." Ann just melted with these words.

Doc Jules asked him what he was thinking about and he replied, "Do you know anything about the sugars on the cell surfaces?

Doc Jules replied, "Not much, seems they are involved in the autoimmune diseases. Why?"

"Well, all mammals except humans have both Neu5Gc and Neu5Ac forms but humans only have the latter. Seems my genetic modifications will cause our new beings to loose the Neu5Gc in order to allow brain growth. I've been considering the theological implications."

"Which are?"

Before he went on Brother Simon realized that he had forgotten Kate's admonition to avoid the garden area, he muttered something about needing to sort it out more and tried to excuse himself. Doc Jules accepted his excuse but began thanking him for helping Ann develop the garden pond and fish. The conversation continued despite his efforts to leave. Ann asked him if he was finished with the genetic development. He replied, "I know that my work is not perfect but I have done my best. I am ready to insert the new genetic code into the eggs Martha donated." Ann wanted to know where he got the genes that he had adapted from the human genome. He explained, "I felt that everyone on this mission was acting as earth's emissaries so I used genes from everyone on board, even from John Kotzebue." Ann commented on how they were all going to be the parents of their new Indigans. Brother Simon nodded acceptance of her statement and used that as his exit leaving them in the quiet of the garden.

Brother Simon began the final phase of his work by sorting through the genetic profiles of the frozen embryos that had arrived on the "Egg". He chose a male specimen that had a profile which lent itself to easy modification. The embryo was removed from the cryogenic chamber and allowed to return to normal temperature. He examined the embryo for signs of obvious damage from the period of freezing, and was happy to find no evidence of damage. He placed the embryo in a special solution to encourage growth and placed the container in the incubator. After six days the embryo had grown to the point that it had begun dissolving the tough shell-like structure called the zona pellucida, which had protected it. At this point Brother Simon placed the embryo in a solution which allowed the cells to separate into multiple potential identical twins. He was able to identify 12 complete cells which he placed in separate containers and cooled to prevent any further development. He used his instruments to examine each cell looking for the one closest to division where the chromosomes were tightly organized and therefore easier to work with.

His chosen cell was placed in the DNA auto analyzer and he began his genetic engineering. He had been working for months identifying the key genetic material which had been harvested and carefully stored. These individual genes were now spliced into the existing code one by one. Brother Simon had hundreds of individual genes to place in the appropriate chromosome to create their new Indigans. The machinery simplified the process immensely, but it was not until his fourth try that Brother Simon succeeded in producing an intact blueprint of his proposed genetic modifications. That night he slept well. The next task was simple in comparison. He took one of the eggs they had harvested from Martha and removed all of the nuclear genetic material. He then inserted his designed chromosomes into the cell. This human cell now contained the genetic code of the Indigans. The cell was carefully placed in the culture medium and allowed to begin growing.

Doc Jules was using this time to hormonally prepare Martha for the upcoming pregnancy. In addition she received an injection of the circulating nano-machines every few days. She was recovering nicely from the surgery despite her exposure to the very low oxygen levels. Captain Brezinski had arranged to meet with Martha and Doc Jules to review their progress and to assure herself that Martha was prepared to proceed both mentally and physically. It was an informal meeting to encourage frank discussion. Martha had asked if any testing of the filtering nano-machines was necessary.

Doc Jules had just shrugged his shoulders and said, "It appears you are the test and we're putting our faith in The Visitor that this will work."

Martha responded in her direct fashion. "It is more comforting to put my faith in Brother Simon, his God and in the rest of you. We accept the risk that we must in order to accomplish the mission we have accepted. For a reason that I do not understand I feel this task is what gives my life meaning."

Captain Brezinski was most interested in Martha's last comment and asked her for additional explanation of the feeling she had. Martha explained that her mother was a Buddhist and her father a Christian, but she had no significant religious beliefs prior to joining this mission. She then explained, "I had a dream about giving birth to a new and wondrous being and since then, I have felt an inner peace which I have never experienced before."

Captain Brezinski and Doc Jules again review the proposed protocols and the risk Martha was taking, but they knew that Martha was already content in her decision. At the end of the meeting Captain Brezinski gave her approval to proceed.

The next step was almost anticlimactic. Doc Jules had Martha present to the clinic and prepared her for a simple gynecological exam. He passed the slender glass tube through her vagina and cervix, injecting the developing embryo into her uterus which had been prepared with their hormonal therapy. The procedure was painless and took only a few moments. After Martha was dressed Doc Jules told her to rest quietly for a day and that they would know in ten days whether the pregnancy was established or not.

When Martha awoke on the tenth day, she had no sooner gotten out of bed than she felt a rush of nausea. She tried to tell herself that it was all psychological, but the nausea was too real to ignore. The decision to forego breakfast was all too easy to make. She presented to the clinic and when Doc Jules asked her how she was doing she explained that everything was fine until this morning when she became nauseated. Doc Jules smiled and said, "It would be a little early for morning sickness, but we will know pretty quick." He then drew her blood and placed the sample in the chemistry analyzer. Within minutes blood chemistry values began to show up on the computer monitor. They waited expectantly as the test results slowly scrolled down the screen. Suddenly Doc Jules broke into a big smile and pointed at a test results which had several red arrows pointing up. Martha looked at the results and saw the arrows were associated with a test called AHCG" and asked, "Is this the pregnancy test?" Doc Jules explained that the initials stood for human chorionic gonadotrophin and the elevated levels indicated that she was indeed pregnant.

Martha left the clinic with wondrous thoughts of the small blue baby which was growing inside her. These images of the baby developing within her progressed to the point where she was actually holding the newborn baby. Her reverie was unfortunately disrupted by another rush of nausea. She walked into the Long Branch and immediately went to the bathroom. Kate had seen her walk-in and when she came out of the bathroom noticed that Martha's normal brown complexion was pale and compromised by the bluish tinge to her lips.

Kate asked, "Martha, are you pregnant?"

Martha nodded in the affirmative and said, "The morning sickness was very evident this morning even before Doc Jules performed the pregnancy test. I do not like the nausea, but I am very willing to put up with it." Kate walked Martha over to a back table and made her sit down. She went to the kitchen to find some crackers and juice. She returned accompanied by Ann who had been working in the kitchen. Ann immediately gave Martha a hug. The three of them sat and visited about pregnancy and babies.

Kate remarked, "At least you do not have to put up with a mother-in-law's advice."

Ann interjected, "I am sure that you will be getting plenty of advice from the rest of us, who do not have any real experience. We will want to share vicariously in your pregnancy and will all have our own opinions on what his best for you and the baby."

Martha replied, "I would like to share this pregnancy with all of you because it is truly all of ours. I do miss having elders around, not so much for their advice, but for their sharing of their own experiences. Knowing that others have had the same feelings and concerns is very comforting. About all I have left from my family, following that horrible mountain climbing accident is my mother's diary. I cherish it because it is my link to who I am."

The conversation turned to methods of controlling the morning sickness. Martha admitted that Doc Jules had offered her medication, but that she preferred not using it if at all possible. Ann offered to search for specific foods that would help. Martha said, "I do recall that there is a portion of the diary that discussed what my mother did when she was pregnant with me on the mountain. Hopefully, a combination of certain foods and the traditional methods that my mother used will be enough to control the vomiting so that I will not need the medication."

The next eight months seemed to crawl by as Martha tolerated the misery of her pregnancy. Her intrinsic toughness kept her from complaining. The crew was like all expectant families, who fret about the mother-to-be and her baby. Instead of planning and working to complete the nursery in time the crew worked to complete the garden. As the pregnancy was coming to full development Doc Jules took increasing pains to document the fetal development and to prepare for the birth. Birth by cesarean section was necessary in order to limit the newborn baby's exposure to human bacteria and to limit Martha's exposure to the immunologic burden of increased placental leakage during the birthing process.

Doc Jules completed his exam of Martha and told her, "The baby appears to have reached full development. I think it is time to prepare for delivery."

Martha's smile revealed her excitement she asked, "It is early! Is everything okay?" Doc Jules explained that the testing had revealed full development of the baby and that the Indigans had a slightly shorter pregnancy. He then reviewed the procedure involved for the cesarean section and the need for sterility. As Doc Jules described the complex methods for maintaining a sterile environment for the baby, Martha was wondering how they were going to hold and cuddle this newborn infant. She finally interrupted Doc Jules by asking, "You do intend to let us hold the baby?"

Doc Jules was unable to answer at first because he had not considered the need. Looking at Martha's face which was so obviously pleading for an affirmative answer he knew that only one answer would be acceptable. He told Martha, "I will have to work with Mike to develop a flexible container for the baby which will isolate him from our environment, but still allow close contact."

Martha asked, "It will be ready when the baby is born so that he does not have to be alone won't it?"

All Doc Jules could do was promise to do his best. As soon as Martha left he called Captain Brezinski and reviewed the situation. After discussing the potential problems and benefits she approved the concept. Doc Jules called Mike with some hesitation because of their ongoing bickering with each other's priorities. When he explained the problem Mike responded, "Why do you wait until the last-minute and then expect me to bail you out." He continued without allowing Doc Jules to respond, "I can see where this is an important issue to all of the women aboard this ship and I am surprised that you did not see it as a problem until now. I will see what type of soft flexible material I can adapt so that they can hold this baby safely. I suppose it will need a clear hard plastic around the baby's face to prevent him from choking. We will also need a method of transferring the baby back to the sterile crib that you already had me design." He concluded, "I am not sure why all the sterile effort is needed anyway. It seems to me that since their germs did not harm us that our germs would not harm them."

Doc Jules had it admit that Mike could very well be right, but that he was unwilling to take the risk. He thanked Mike for his help and added one more request, "It would be nice if the unit was permeable to smells so that the baby and Martha could smell each other and bond faster."

Martha presented to the clinic a little early and was met by Kate who again was acting as the nurse. Martha's excitement was only partially hidden by her reserved Sherpa manners. Kate asked her if she had picked the name for the baby. Martha replied, "I think that the hardest part of this pregnancy may have been choosing the name. At the baby shower everybody had to bring a suggested name but I did not realize that you were going to make me choose the name. I felt that since it was everyone's baby we should have all voted on the name."

Kate was laughing as she recalled the most unusual baby shower. She said, "I am not sure what this baby is going to do with all of the toy cars, airplanes and horses that the men made for it. I do not think they really understood what a baby shower was for."

Martha had tears in her eyes as she recalled the excitement of Tom as she opened the small box and took out his handmade 1957 Chevrolet miniature car with bright red paint and doors that opened. The male crew members were like a bunch of little boys playing with the toys each of them had made. Doc Jules was the only one with a practical gift and had made a mobile using miniature fishing poles and brightly colored miniature fish. Martha finally answered Kate by quietly saying, "Indie." She then added, "If the new language we develop makes the name hard for them to say we can change it."

Kate's reply was a simple, "I like it."

When Doc Jules arrived he was all business. He asked Martha if she had any questions and hardly gave her anytime to respond before he began his review of the procedure for Kate. Kate listened again to her responsibilities and responded with a little uncertainty in her voice, "Okay." She continued, "I really think that we should have a real nurse rather than me with my three months of nursing cross training."

Doc Jules smiled at her and said, "You will do just fine and so far the decision of the powers to be to utilize you and Martha as nursing substitutes has worked." Doc Jules then completed his preparations for the spinal anesthetic and had Martha positioned on the table for the procedure. Martha had more difficulty bending forward because of the pregnancy, but Doc Jules had no trouble finding the proper vertebral space for his injection. After helping Martha lie on the table, with a pillow under her right side, he prepped her abdomen with the surgical scrub and drapes. Martha's very pregnant abdomen which was colored a golden brown from the scrub solution, protruded from the blue drapes like a golden icon. Before making his incision Doc Jules placed his hand reverently on the abdomen and said, "I have always found the pregnant abdomen to be not only beautiful, but also a wondrous thing. I suppose it is because it represents the essence of the difference between men and women."

Doc Jules positioned the table by tilting it slightly away from his side and picked up his scalpel. He looked at the scar from his previous surgery and commented, "Maybe I should have simply put in a zipper last time we were here." With that comment he made the vertical incision through the skin. The tissues were stretched thinly and dissected easily despite the previous surgical scar. Doc Jules carefully made a small opening in the peritoneum which he enlarged with scissors until the uterus began to protrude through the incision. The bladder had to be carefully dissected free from the uterus and protected with a retractor. He had Kate hold pressure against the lower uterus holding the baby up high. He then made the transverse incision low on the uterine surface below the baby. This incision released the amniotic fluid that the baby had been floating in. The fluid sloshed into the abdomen and out through the surgical opening onto Kate. She was startled by the sudden warm wet feeling that ran down her legs and into her shoes. Doc Jules apologized without looking up and said, "I learned my lesson as a first-year resident to always tilt the table away from myself when doing a C-section."

Doc Jules gently delivered the baby with the umbilical cord still attached. The baby was squirming vigorously obviously not enjoying his first exposure to the larger world. While Doc Jules concentrated on holding the baby, Kate clamped the cord with small plastic clamps and divided it. The baby was now forced to begin breathing on its own. The first few attempted breaths produced only the expelling of the amniotic fluid from its throat and lungs. The first real breath resulted in a strong cry which brought a cheer from everyone in the room. Doc Jules carefully cradled the very slippery baby against his body, supporting the head. He wrapped it in a sterile towel before placing him in the sterile heated crib.

Martha had been watching the surgery in the mirror and when the baby was delivered strained to count the fingers and toes. Counting the right number she broke down into tears of joy. Doc Jules did not notice her tears until after he had delivered the placenta and had saved the placental blood. He was surprised to see the stoic young lady crying and asked if she was having pain. Martha responded, "I am sorry I cannot help crying because I am so happy. He is so beautiful!"

Doc Jules responded, "My wife used to cry when she was happy and I never understood the logic of it. I suppose that is one of the feminine mysteries that will always puzzle men." Doc Jules then repaired the opening in the uterus and closed the abdominal wounds as he had done previously.

Martha was transferred to the small bed and positioned next to the baby so that she could watch it. The baby had quickly quieted down and found its right hand to suck on. Martha simply watched the sleeping baby without conscious thoughts being lost in the joy of the present. She desperately wanted to hold the infant to her breast but knew that Doc Jules had lots of scientific reasons why she should not. As a mother she knew differently. Kate expressed her concern that the baby was far too blue. Doc Jules assured her that the oxygen monitor revealed the baby to be breathing normally and that the name "Indie" was appropriate for their first Indigan.

The presence of their baby immediately changed life aboard their ship. The crew shared the responsibility for the feeding and holding of the baby. Amongst the supplies they had received from "The Egg" was a small supply of colostrum (the initial breast milk) which helps protect the baby during its first few days of life. Martha used a small breast pump to obtain milk for the baby which was first sterilized and then bottled. Doc Jules began vaccinating the infant almost immediately by selectively introducing the naturally occurring bacteria to the infant. Mike finished his "isolation bag" and everyone could actually hold their baby and smell it which further bonded them together. The baby was exposed to lullabies in several languages.

Mike and Captain Brezinski were sharing a "baby watch" and as Mike held the infant he remarked, "I never thought much about having children, but this is okay."

Captain Brezinski thought about her somewhat contentious engineer and his acceptance of the surrogate father role. She responded with, "You look good with the baby."

Mike was pleased with her comment but did not reply. As he handed the infant to Captain Brezinski for her turn at feeding he said, "Well, it looks like calm sailing from here on out."

Captain Brezinski sagged noticeably with his comment. She said, "The term is 'smooth sailing' and it implies fair winds and following seas. Calm for a sailor is a dreaded condition. My first Captain used to say, 'The greater the calm, the worse the storm'."

Chapter:21: The Calm

Captain Brezinski entered the garden for a quick check on the baby. Before the birth of Indie her concern with the garden had been primarily to balance the biologic request of Doc Jules with the engineering constraints of Mike. Now that the garden was the home of their baby it had become both the center around which their lives revolved and the barrier which separated them. The elaborate isolation protocols meant that they could observe through the glass barriers or enter in the isolation suits. She could not really appreciate the softness of the baby because their skin was never allowed to truly touch. The joy of holding the infant and watching it develope was tempered by the science that had made the birth possible. She watched Doc Jules carefully measure and weigh the infant. Indie began to struggle and cry from the injection that Doc Jules gave him. The separation that prevented her from picking up the infant and comforting him became even more of a barrier that she subconsciously resented. She knew that her parenting instincts had been stimulated by the birth and the knowledge that part of her was represented in this young child.

Doc Jules came out of the isolation airlock. He was not surprised to see the Captain at the observation window. Everyone found excuses to stop by and check on the baby. He greeted her and reported that the baby was meeting the projected growth parameters. Captain Brezinski smiled and asked, "Does that mean Indie is growing?"

Doc Jules said, "He is at the 70th percentile for a four-month old and more importantly the head circumference and shape reveals significant growth of the brain. Proper anatomical development does not guarantee success to Brother Simon's work, but it is a strong indicator."

Captain Brezinski said, "Indie did not care for your injection."

Doc Jules replied, "Causing babies to cry has never been a favorite part of my job, but at times it is necessary. I am vaccinating Indie against possible human infections and against the indigenous organisms on his home world. We will have to begin making him ill soon in order to stimulate his immunologic development. As a physician it is apparent that the childhood illnesses need to be experienced for normal development. As a father, the concept of intentionally making my child ill seems ridiculous."

Captain Brezinski asked him how this feeling compared to his previous experience with his children on earth. Doc Jules looked off into the distance and replied, "That part of my life seems so far away and yet your question brings back the feelings of being a new father. When my son was circumcised I decided that I would watch and when he started to cry I had to go sit down. From that point forward I concentrated on being the father and left the doctoring to others. Here I do not have that luxury."

Doc Jules then changed the subject to a discussion of Martha and her insistence on maintaining her hypoxic state. He thought that it was illogical for her to continue the hypobaric protocol and that it may even be detrimental. Captain Brezinski wanted to know why Martha insisted and Doc Jules said, "She thinks that the baby may need her and she wants to be ready."

Captain Brezinski had a small intuitive shudder as she recalled Mike's comment about calm sailing. She asked Doc Jules if continuing the protocol for a while longer would be dangerous for Martha. Doc Jules shrugged his shoulders and replied, "I do not see any significant short-term harm. As long as she continues the exercise program and her nutritional supplements she can continue without a major loss of calcium. It does create extra work for her and requires that she maintain a certain level of isolation from the rest of the crew. I see no logical reason for her to continue, but no absolute reason why she needs to stop."

Captain Brezinski said, "I think it might be a good idea to allow her to continue as she is; if her woman's intuition tells her that it is important, then it is. Forcing her to stop would seem less logical than letting her continue."

Ann came in through the outer door and saw Doc Jules. Her face lit up and she said, "Hi honey." She then noticed Captain Brezinski and her face flushed with embarrassment. She began apologizing for interrupting them saying, "I was just coming to relieve Martha on the baby watch."

Captain Brezinski said that she had to get going and wished both of them a good day. As she was walking back to her office she felt a mixture of jealousy that Ann and Doc Jules were developing a relationship and happiness for them. The past four months had indeed been less rushed. The crew had more time and energy to work on their own interactions. Her mind wandered back to her self imposed condition of celibacy. She reminded herself that if Brother Simon could do it, she could do it. She then started day dreaming of spending more time with Brother Simon. Her reverie was broken by a call on her communicator asking her to report to her office.

When she arrived at her office, Tom and Eric-Peter were bent over the computer module staring at the screen and talking so excitedly that they did not even hear her arrive. They both jumped when she asked what was going on. Tom explained, "I was doing the routine monitor checks for my watch when I noticed a change on the normally blank long-range radar. At first I figured it was an electrical aberration, but it persisted. I called Eric-Peter and had him check my calculations. He agrees with me that something is headed our way."

Eric-Peter corrected Tom slightly by saying, "The initial calculations indicate an object on a tangential course with a probable intercept. Readings over the next few hours will confirm this initial observation."

Captain Brezinski wanted to know the time of intercept. Eric-Peter explained that his rough calculations indicated an 80 percent chance of intercept in 10 to 16 hours. Captain Brezinski studied the small blimp on the screen and could detect no motion. She asked the computer if any rendezvous were scheduled and the computer answered her in the negative. She told the computer to patch her through to Mike's work area, but the Chief answered and told her that Mike was on his rest period. Captain Brezinski told him, "Contact Mike and tell him that his rest period is canceled and that he should report to my office ASAP."

The Cheif accepted her order without question. Mike however answered the order with a complaint, "First she forces me to take these ridiculous rest periods which are very tiring, and then she cancels it without explaining why."

The journey up the access tunnel gave Mike some time to cool down. When he arrived at Captain Brezinski's office his curiosity had been aroused and he entered the office with a genuine, "What's up, Captain?"

Captain Brezinski explained the finding on the long-range radar and that over the past hour Eric-Peter had been able to refine his calculations which indicated a 90 percent chance of an intercept in the next 12-13 hours. Mike asked if there had been any indication that the intruder was attempting contact. Captain Brezinski allowed Eric-Peter to explain that they had been sending identification messages without a response. He also explained that his calculations revealed a possibility of a random encounter with an interstellar asteroid of being less than 1 in a billion chances. Mike summarized their status by saying, "We are expecting a rendezvous with a silent stranger in less than13 hours."

Captain Brezinski explained that they expected final calculations to be available in about 1 hour. She was planning on a general meeting at that time to explain the situation. She asked Mike to launch a drone to intercept and photograph the intruder. Mike and Eric-Peter began working on proposed trajectories, acceleration and fuel burn issues. After several minutes of Mike scribbling on paper and Eric-Peter working on his computer they agreed on a proposal. Mike explained that they could have a rendezvous in 8 hours, but the drone would not be recoverable because of fuel exhaustion. The alternative was to delay the rendezvous an additional 4 hours and then recovery of the drone would be possible. Captain Brezinski said that she would accept the loss of the drone and preferred to have a better idea of who or what their intruder was. She then released Mike to begin working with the Chief on the drone.

Tom continued his watch duties and sent out the notification of the general meeting. Eric-Peter continued to refine his mathematical calculations. Captain Brezinski rocked back in her desk chair and thought. She did not feel that the intruder represented danger, but she could not help worrying. She began working through possible safety issues. There was not enough time to cancel their rotational velocity which meant that return to the arachnoid structure was not feasible. They would have to meet this challenge in the village. The hour of preparation time passed all too quickly. Eric-Peter had completed his calculations based on the improved radar information and had projected a 95 percent chance of an intercept in slightly less than 12 hours.

The crew was assembled in the Long Branch and rose for the Captain as she entered. She asked them to sit and quickly explained the situation to everyone. She took multiple questions, but had few answers. She issued her orders. The Chief and Tom were to return to the arachnoid structure with a redundant communication system. Martha was to report, with Indie in the isolation crib, to Doc Jules clinic. All hatches were to be buttoned down and the protocol for breaching of the outer airlock was to be instituted. Everyone was to assume their mission station in11 hours. All emergency supplies and systems were to be checked. The pond cover was to be closed and all materials in the food garden area were to be stowed or secured.

Captain Brezinski asked if there were any further questions. Brother Simon asked, "What should we do with the animals in the 'Garden'?" Captain Brezinski turned to Mike for his opinion. Mike responded, "I guess they will have to fend for themselves and if the airlock fails we will have to start over."

With no more questions forthcoming Captain Brezinski closed the meeting by saying, "I do not feel that this intruder represents a danger to us, but prudence dictates that we be prepared. We have a lot of work to finish in the next eleven hours. This meeting is adjourned."

As the drone neared its target, the long-range video camera became active and began relaying pictures back to their ship. The initial pictures were of poor quality because of the great distances involved which limited the camera resolution. Only in infrared was an image detectable. The faint image implied only minimal energy loss in the structure. Captain Brezinski was frustrated by the lack of information. Her years in the Russian Navy had taught her patience but knowing that something was going to happen in a matter of hours, challenged her ability to remain calm. When the drone approached to within search light distance the image quality improved significantly. The drone's camera now revealed a gray circular structure which appeared to be tumbling. The rapid approach speed exceeded the cameras ability to track and the images became jerky and more blurred. The images improved in quality as the drone passed and began to recede. The improved quality was temporary and the increasing distance soon negated the value of the images.

Eric-Peter worked on computer enhancement of the images. He soon had individual pictures of the approaching intruder which were of good quality. Captain Brezinski and Mike studied the images in silence. Captain Brezinski asked Mike for his assessment. Mike replied, "It appears to be a spacecraft without power and tumbling out of control."

Captain Brezinski agreed with Mike and had Eric-Peter release the image for the entire crew to visualize. She then asked Eric-Peter if he could estimate the size and mass of the approaching spacecraft. He used the known speed of approach and the relative increase in size of the image to estimate an approximate size about 2/3 that of the space shuttle. Captain Brezinski asked him to determine the impact forces of a collision between the ships.

While Eric-Peter and the computer were working on the mathematical solution, Captain Brezinski and Mike continued to examine the photographs. Mike pointed out an apparent area of damage which was visible only on one image. Captain Brezinski said, "Well, Mike, it looks like the spaceship that Brother Simon promised you has arrived. All we have to do now is figure out how to catch it."

Mike responded, "If we want to catch it we will have to slow it down and still maintain our intercept course. We need to attach significant mass to it with negative momentum. The problem is we have no way of approaching the craft directly." Captain Brezinski watched Mike begin to doodle on his ever present notepad. Soon simple line drawings began to appear and she recognized a stream extending from their ship to the approaching craft. Mike asked the computer what mass of water was ejected from one of the Kotzebue drives and the speed of the ejection. He began adding numbers to his sketch. He tore off the top page and began a more refined drawing which depicted the accelerated water vapor from their drive creating a water vapor tornado. This spiral of water vapor traps the intruder slowing the ship and gradually encasing it in a shell of ice. He looked up from his drawing and said, "If Eric-Peter and the computer can maintain control and trajectory of our ship while we direct one of our drives at the intruder we can slow it down enough. The water vapor will condense against the ship and add significant mass which will further decrease forward momentum and reduce the tumbling. It will still crash into us but with the crush protection of the ice layer and the much slower speed it should survive."

Captain Brezinski asked, "What will keep it from just bouncing off like a pool ball?"

Mike explained, "The ice that forms from the vapor will produce a snow like substance. This will in effect turn the intruder into a giant snowball which should crash fairly gently. Hopefully, it will be like throwing a snowball against the snowman and having the snowball simply stick to the snowman."

Captain Brezinski asked Eric-Peter if he thought they could control the ship while Mike used one of the drives to create his snow tornado. Eric-Peter said, "If we use a large volume of water with limited acceleration, compensation utilizing the remaining drives should allow adequate control. The computer and I will have to set up a simulation to prove that I am correct. I should be able to have a definitive answer within the hour. We will need to proceed gradually and adapt to the changes induced."

Captain Brezinski told Mike to commence with his plan.

Mike had Eric-Peter change the axis of the ships rotation slightly so that the spinning motion of the ship induced the spiral that he needed to create the artificial tornado. As the ship gradually assumed its new position Mike began expelling steam directed at the intruder. The spiraling action induced by the spin of the ship quickly created a funnel like stream. This funnel rushed outward to meet the onrushing intruder. As the molecules of steam found their target they immediately froze onto the extremely cold surface of the ship. The relative emptiness of the center of a funnel created a self correcting guidance system which trapped the intruder. The tumbling action of the ship produced a fairly uniform deposition of ice on the surface. As the ship closed the gap the quantity of water vapor that it encountered grew exponentially. The increase mass and the negative forward momentum became increasingly evident on their radar.

The crew was busy finalizing their emergency preparations, but everyone kept one eye on their monitors watching the simulation of the approaching ship as it was turned into a giant snowball. As the intruder slowed the vastly greater mass of their ship needed to be accelerated to maintain a reasonable intercept course. Eric-Peter and the computer were continuously updating the acceleration data and struggling to maintain navigational control. As they entered the last 30 minutes of count down prior to impact the stream of water vapor was turned off in order to allow positioning of their ship. The collision point chosen was just aft of their equator. This allowed a somewhat tangential strike into the thickest layer of ice. The external cameras were now able to visualize the approaching giant snowball. The crew watched as the snowball became gradually larger. The impact itself was anticlimactic. They felt a small but definite "thud" with a small earthquake like tremor. The monitors revealed a large spray of ice and snow particles emanating from the impact point. Mike and Eric-Peter turned towards one another and gave each other an excited "high five."

Captain Brezinski asked for a status report. The reports were uniformly satisfactory and they had sustained no significant damage. She turned towards Mike and said "I congratulate you on your catch. Your ingenuity continues to impress me and I am again thankful that you chose to join our mission."

Mike received the compliment with a smile and immediately began discussing how they should recover the ship. Their excitement reminded Captain Brezinski of young boys with their first bicycles. She left this planning to them and turned her attention back to their present situation. She released the crew from general quarters. A general inspection of the ship for possible damage was again required and the crew began their task without complaint. As the Chief and Tom began their long walk down from the arachnoid structure, Tom began to relive his fateful decision to take a shortcut. As they plodded slowly down the long stairway their retelling and embellishing of the story to ever greater heights produced a sense of light hearted gaiety. When they reported to Captain Brezinski their merriment was still evident. She tried to listen to their explanation but finally decided; you had to be there and told them to, "Just go back to work". The smile on her face was most evident.

Mike began the tedious process of extracting the intruder from the mound of ice and snow which now encased it. The drones peeled away successive layers using the lasers which were tuned to be absorbed by the water molecules. When the ice layer had been thinned to a meter, the Chief and several other crew members assumed control of the lasers and gently exposed the ship. The radar images had revealed a flying saucer shape, but until the ship was freed from its icy tomb this was only academic knowledge. When the ship was finally pulled out of the ice its resemblance to the "UFO's" of the 1950's was striking. Eric-Peter summed up the feelings of the crew when he said, "It would appear that the myth of flying saucers was based on reality after all."

Mike was eager to explore the ship's interior, but Doc Jules again tempered their enthusiasm with his concern about possible contamination. Captain Brezinski listened to their relative arguments and decided that some caution was indicated. She allowed Mike to use remote cameras to continue his exploration of the ship. No physical contact with the ships interior would be allowed until Doc Jules was satisfied. Work was also to begin on a method of adapting their docking mechanism to fit.

The ships interior was gently heated to evaporate the remaining ice and snow. A camera was lowered into the ships interior through the damaged central hull. A small command bridge was evident with four workstations. Three of the seats were absent suggesting ejection had occurred. The fourth seat contained a collapsed uniform and helmet. Several instrument lights were blinking suggesting that the ship still had some power. The camera zoomed in on all visible symbols and graphics for Kate to use in trying to decipher their meaning.

Kate began her study by comparing these symbols to those found on "The Egg". There was some similarity in form but no direct correlation was present. She asked Mike if he could recognize any probable function for the units that were connected to the symbols. Mike protested that he had no way of knowing what the symbols meant. Kate explained, "I was hoping that you could recognize some common engineering functions and that I could begin my translation process working from this commonality. If we could identify something that was standard like a rest room sign it would help. It would be our Rosetta Stone."

Mike began to jot down several features that he thought would be universal in design. He then studied the photographs of the interior. He said, "I would expect one of those flashing indicators would relate to the loss of cabin pressure. Another one should relate to an emergency backup power status. The sign over the rear airlock should read 'exit'. I will think about the controls and if I come up with anything I will let you know."

Kate thanked him and began accessing the data bank looking for possible links between the suggestions that Mike gave and known languages. The search was fruitless until Eric-Peter decided to access the computer aboard "The Egg". This computer recognized both of the warning lights. It could not directly interpret other symbols but it became the key for Kate to use. By using the computational power of their ship's computer with the limited vocabulary from "The Egg" the nature of the intruder was becoming evident. They identified an apparent radio with a repeating series of three symbols which Eric-Peter suggested may represent their communication frequency. Kate thought that it would be unlikely that a large number would coincidentally be limited to the same three digits. Eric-Peter explained that instead of using 10 digits as we do our computers use only two digits represented by an on or off condition. If the computer aboard this new ship used an alternative of positive, neutral or negative then all numbers would be representative by three symbols.

Eric-Peter quickly began converting the base 3 formula to our traditional base ten and arrived at three possible solutions. One of the solutions correlated with a frequency at the upper end of their present communication equipment's range. He had the computer broadcast a message consisting of prime numbers in base 3 to the intruder. Immediately lights began to activate aboard the intruder.

The crew performing the final cleanup of ice became alarmed and an emergent return to the ship was ordered. Captain Brezinski who had just started her assigned baby watch was called back to her office ASAP. When she arrived Mike was already demanding to know what Eric-Peter had done to activate the intruder. Eric-Peter began to explain his attempt at communication using the frequency he had arrived at by converting from base 3. Captain Brezinski listened to the explanation and reviewed the video images revealing the obvious change in activity of the control panel lights. Eric-Peter was excited to try a direct communication link using the same process that they had used with "The Egg". Captain Brezinski asked Mike his opinion and Mike replied, "It would appear that they have already established contact and that we might as well proceed."

Captain Brezinski concurred with Mike's assessment and told Kate and Eric-Peter to proceed. They watched as streams of mathematical data began to flow between the ships' computers. As with "The Egg", the mathematical language became the basis for active development of an interpretive program. Over a couple of hours Kate worked with the images to develop common translations for recognizable objects. Captain Brezinski allowed the entire crew to view the images which the computers were sharing. Kate's remarkable linguistic ability soon gave them a rudimentary idea of the intruder's language. Images of the space battle revealed scenes that could have been from a science-fiction movie. A more startling discovery was Eric-Peter's deciphering of the date. The battle that they were witnessing was fought more than one billion years prior. Mike objected saying, "There is no way that a ship's power supply could last one billion years nor could the components be expected to last even a fraction of that amount of time."

Captain Brezinski asked Kate, "Can you translate Mike's question?"

Kate did her best but was somewhat puzzled by the computers response. She translated, "The modules repair self were capable of maintaining metallic and silicone structures utilizing interstellar deuterium for an energy source. Inadequate resources limited repair of damaged structure. Maintenance of carbon based molecules was not possible."

Mike appeared very thoughtful and asked Eric-Peter to display the close-up pictures of a small structural crack he had taken on their first inspection. He then compared the original to a picture that he had taken earlier in the day. He said, "I thought that crack looked smaller than I remembered. This damn ship is repairing itself." He continued, "I wonder what maintenance of the carbon based molecules refers to?"

Eric-Peter answered, "I would assume it is referring to the dead crew member remaining in the ship."

Captain Brezinski said, "I have had enough excitement for today. We have a monthly conference in the morning and I would like a summary report at that time. I bid you goodnight." Captain Brezinski retreated to her quarters with images from the battle scenes firmly fixed in her mind. The destructive power of the armaments was awesome making all of Russia's weapon arsenal seem primitive. She was having difficulty comprehending such advanced technology being used one billion years prior. The realization that modern man had progressed from stone age implements to nuclear warheads in 4,000 years made her wonder how much more other civilizations had advanced in the past billion years. She fell asleep with both a sense of awe and the lingering sense of dread that Mike had accidentally created with his comment about "calm sailing".

Captain Brezinski opened the monthly conference and quickly dispensed with the routine business. She asked Mike for his report. He summarized the capture and initial evaluation of the intruder. It appeared that the electronics and control thrusters remained operational but that the life support system and the main drive were inoperable. Engineering drawings indicated that the main drive somehow utilized a rapidly spinning energy stream in the outer disk which was divided into two counter rotating portions. The structural damage impinged upon these movable portions and had produced a hole into the cockpit. When he finished Tom asked, "Do you have any idea how this flying saucer works?"

Mike shrugged his shoulders and said, "No, but I have the next 25 years to figure it out."

When Mike was done answering questions Kate was asked for her report. Her reply was given in a very academic fashion which as always was in sharp contrast to her personal image. She reported, "The language of the intruder is related to the language of 'The Egg' which appears to have decsended from it. The limited amount of correlation with The Visitor's language suggests that it, too is related. The database appears to be restricted to military information. Specific information on the builders is absent. The ships identification translates to 'The Guardian'."

Brother Simon asked, "How can you tell that the language of The Guardian is older?"

Kate explained, "There are mathematical formulas that are used to measure change in word usage and development. I have not completed the studies but I am very confident in my theory."

Brother Simon looked very puzzled and Captain Brezinski asked what was troubling him. Brother Simon explained, "I would have expected that the ship that The Visitor provided would be of a similar era. If the makers of The Guardian are significantly older than The Visitor how did this ship find us?"

Captain Brezinski addressed the computer, "Did The Visitor provide The Guardian for our use?"

The computer responded, "The age of The Guardian predates the development of The Visitor's civilization. Specific information on The Visitor is not available."

Captain Brezinski pushed the issue by asking, "Who sent us The Guardian?"

The computer had an unexplained pause before it responded, "The appearance of The Guardian is consistent with the concept of 'paradoxical coincidences' whereby the Ancient Ones provide needed help."

Captain Brezinski wanted to know who the Ancient Ones were, but the computer had no further information for them. The discussion revolved around the term "paradoxical coincidences" but no definitive meaning was arrived at. For once Mike did not make fun of Brother Simon's theories.

Captain Brezinski closed the conference by setting priorities. A formal docking of The Guardian at the end of the access tunnel next to "The Egg"was to take priority over any further investigations of the ship itself. Kate and Eric-Peter were authorized to continue their studies. Doc Jules and Brother Simon were authorized to proceed with an examination of any remnants of the dead crew member only after safety protocols were established. She hoped that their excitement was over and that they could return to the routine of the past several months. She knew the ship itself was a great stimulant with everyone wanting to know who the people were who built it and how it could be made to serve their mission. She had to smile at Tom's excitement at riding in a flying saucer. This thought reminded her of her own ship and the similarities between her submarine and the ship from the distant past.

Things went well for several weeks. The autopsy had revealed only minuscule amounts of intact DNA in the severely decayed corpse. Even at the frigid temperatures of space a billion years allows for natural molecular breakdown. The space suit revealed more than the autopsy. It was designed to fit someone very similar in build to themselves. The interior of the helmet was lined with a crystalline substance which conformed to mild pressure. The visual shield and ear cups indicated that the facial anatomy was also very similar.

Brother Simon used his portable microscope to examine the structural crack that Mike had identified. The solid appearing metallic material was in reality a microscopic honey comb. A type of nano-machine was seen moving through the tiny tunnels adding material to the structural walls gradually closing the gap. The activity reminded him of ants or termites building bridges and tunnels. Kate and Eric-Peter had been unable to find any information about the ship's origin or its people. Their curiosity remained unsatisfied. Captain Brezinski's sense of dread had all but resolved and her sleep was again restful.

Captain Brezinski's restful sleep was shattered when her quarters were suddenly flooded with a bright light. She awoke and with a military wariness was instantly alert. She glanced at the clock and noted the time, 0350. A shimmering white figure similar to the one she had visualized in the submarine appeared. The figure spoke, "You and your mission are in imminent danger. You must repair the life support aboard The Guardian. The neuro-navigational interface must be completed."

Captain Brezinski felt the same calm that she had felt many years prior when she made the decision not to scuttle her boat. She asked about weapons and propulsion. The figure responded, "These will be provided. Only faith will bring success."

With that the figure vanished and the light was gone. Captain Brezinski again checked the time, 0357. Captain Brezinski did not waste time thinking about what had transpired. She had the computer summon; Mike, Doc Jules, Brother Simon, the Cheif, and Eric-Peter ASAP for an emergency command conference. When they arrived at her office they found her dressed in her robe arguing with the computer. She demanded, "What type of weapons will we be provided with?"

The computer responded, "Captain, you have knowledge that does not exist in my data banks and I cannot provide the information you requested."

Captain Brezinski was swearing in Russian when she realized that her crew had arrived. They did not need to ask what was going on. She immediately informed them of the visitation she had and the messages that were given. Their state of sleepiness resolved immediately and their questions began. Mike was having significant difficulty accepting this "apparition" and wanted to know she was certain it was not a dream. Eric-Peter added to the doubt by saying there was no information on a neuro-navigational unit in the computer database. Captain Brezinski responded, "Eric-Peter if you would please check the database again I am sure you will find a large section of information on the unit."

While Eric-Peter was accessing his computer Brother Simon asked the ship's computer, "Does The Visitor communicate with the use of apparitions?" The computer again had a momentary pause before it replied, "Only the Ancient Ones use what you call an apparition to communicate."

Eric-Peter was intently studying the material on his computer terminal. Captain Brezinski asked him what he had found. Eric-Peter responded, "I am not sure how I missed this before, but there is a whole section of information on the neuro-navigational unit. It appears that this unit acts as a direct link between the ship's controls and the pilot's mind. The helmet acts as the interface with significant training and adaptation being required."

Captain Brezinski said, "When you arrived I was arguing with the computer about concealing data from us. The computer denies existence of this information prior to this time. It did admit that programming prevents full release of information to us. The Kotzebue affair still bothers me and I cannot help wonder what other information is being kept from us."

Chapter 22: Battening Down

Captain Brezinski allowed the discussion to continue for another half-hour. She then unconsciously slipped into her command mode of speech and delegated responsibilities. Her first priority was to silence the long-range radar drones. She wanted their ship to emulate a silent running submarine which was in the listening mode. The drones were to listen for any radio signals from radar or communication equipment and relay the information in a narrow band communication signal back to the ship. All possible radio noise from the ship was to be eliminated. Mike and his crew were given the responsibility of evaluating emergency repairs to The Guardian. She wanted a plan for the quickest possible repair and a second plan for more definitive repairs. Doc Jules was given the responsibility for adapting their emergency preparation protocols. Eric-Peter was assigned the task of developing the protocol for adapting the neuro-navigational unit. The Chief was assigned the responsibility of inventorying their potential defenses and possible offensive weapons. Brother Simon was to investigate the apparition and the nature of the message.

Captain Brezinski discharged them at 0510 hours and said, "I feel time is critical and I want your reports ready by 0700 hours. We will have a general meeting to review the reports and inform the entire crew of our situation at that time. You are dismissed and I wish you good speed and good luck on your tasks."

Brother Simon on his way out placed his hand on Captain Brezinski's shoulder. He very gently said, "God will bless you and guide you in this time of need."

Captain Brezinski placed her hand over his and replied, "I am afraid that I will need all of the help that I can get. Thank you for your support and your prayers."

Captain Brezinski sat quietly and collected her thoughts. She knew the threat was real, but the calmness that she felt with the presence of the apparition persisted. For the first time in her life she prayed, "God of Brother Simon, I do not know you or understand you, but I ask for your help in this time of our need."

Captain Brezinski had Tom summoned to her office. She quickly dressed while waiting for him. When he arrived she simply told him that they were in danger. He was assigned the responsibility of turning the long-range radar drones into passive listening devices. She explained her desire for their ship to run silently. He wanted to know what type of electrical noise she was most concerned with. Captain Brezinski admitted that she did not know, but that they should assume any radiation could be detected. Tom sat at the communication console and began programming the radar drones. He had to completely shut down their systems and then activate only the receptor circuits. He then modified the feedback protocol to limit the broadcast. His goal was to have the radio transmitter active only during brief periods and to transmit information in a short pulse. A survey of all communication energies within the ship was undertaken. All direct radio connections were re-routed and made low energy signals which had to be switched through the main computer. This slowed transmission slightly but also significantly decreased the energy radiating from the ship.

At 0700 Captain Brezinski opened their emergency meeting by reviewing the apparition and the messages. She then defined the framework for the meeting. "All reports are to be presented without interruption. Discussion and questions will be allowed after the reports are complete. I, as Captain, have the final responsibility for decisions, but I will need input from everyone." She then turned to Mike for his report.

Mike said, "Captain, we can temporarily patch the ship and install a simple set of oxygen tanks in 36 hours. The minimally functional life support system will require at least 60 days. A full restoration of the damaged system will require several years of work. The low speed directional thrusters are simple hydrogen-oxygen rockets and appear to be functional. Filling the tanks and performing a minimal operational inspection will require at least 24 hours."

Captain Brezinski thanked him for his report and asked Doc Jules for his report. He was amazingly brief and reported that other than making sure that all hatches were battened down, stopping their rotation and returning to the arachnoid was essential. A habitation unit would be adapted for Martha and the baby.

Captain Brezinski asked the Chief for his report next. The Chief responded in his brief military style, "Captain other than the mass of ice protecting us we have no defensive capability. Our offensive capability is limited to our small laser drones and rockets, in addition we have two remaining nuclear warheads."

Captain Brezinski turned towards Eric-Peter and nodded for him to proceed. Eric-Peter explained that the neuro-navigational unit was based on the complex circuitry contained in the crystalline lining of the helmet. An integration protocol was used to merge directly the pilot's neural circuits with the navigational and weapons systems. This produced an integration of mind and machine. He described briefly the protocol required to obtain this level of integration.

Captain Brezinski nodded acceptance of Eric-Peters report and asked Brother Simon for his report. He said, "The apparition that appeared to the Captain is apparently a method of communication used only by the Ancient Ones. I am unable to obtain any further information on whoever the Ancient Ones are. The validity of the Captain's experience is proven by the sudden appearance of the data on the neuro- navigational unit."

Captain Brezinski summarized the work Tom was doing and opened the conference for discussion. Tom volunteered for the fitting of the neuro-navigational unit. Captain Brezinski thanked him, but added, "I would expect that we will find that the helmet is destined for my head." After answering the few remaining questions to her limited ability, the Captain issued her orders. Mike was to perform the emergency repairs and when those were completed to continue on the construction of a reasonable life support system. The rocket tanks were to be filled ASAP. The Chief was instructed to ready the nuclear warheads and to prepare all drones. She ordered the rotation of their ship stopped using a 24-hour protocol. Return to the arachnoid was to be accomplished at that time. Fitting and integration of the neuro-navigation unit was to be completed ASAP. She closed the meeting by appointing the Chief as second in command for military operations. She explained, "The Chief is the second ranking person on board for military matters because all other officers are non-line-officers. He is vested with this authority only for military decisions."

The test fitting of the helmet showed it was much too small for the male crew members and did in fact fit Captain Brezinski. Eric-Peter asked Doc Jules to be involved with his development efforts. He wanted to make sure that the Captain's safety was not compromised. When Doc Jules reviewed the initial plan he was upset that it required the Captain to be inside "The Guardian" and outside an airlock. He asked if there was any way to connect the helmet to their computer so that the integration could be performed in his clinic. Eric-Peter examined the connections between the helmet and the ship. The connectors were very complex and when he accessed the auto supplier program it provided a 48-hour estimate for construction of an acceptable patch. When Captain Brezinski was given the option of improving the safety by waiting an additional 48 hours she declined saying, "We must get on with this."

Doc Jules reviewed the safety issues with the Captain and the need for preparing her scalp by first shaving it and burning it slightly. He explained, "The unit requires a low resistance for the electrodes to work which means the normal insulating properties of the hair and outer layer of skin have to be removed." Captain Brezinski nodded her acceptance and told him to proceed. Doc Jules used the barber's shears to first crop her hair to a short bristle. The Captain was aware of her dark hair falling around her shoulders. Her femininity was assaulted by the loss, but her conscious thoughts ignored the loss and concentrated on her task. Doc Jules then carefully shaved her head using first a hot towel and then a soap gel to soften the hair. He carefully dried her scalp buffing it slightly with his towel. He advised her that the solution would cause a slight burning sensation. He applied the mixture of DMSO, zinc acetate and acetic acid to her scalp.

She winced only slightly with the burning sensation and replied, "I am glad you doctors define pain as being always on the small side. I suppose if you told us the truth we would avoid you even more than we do now."

The Captain's scalp quickly turned from a pale white to a bright reddish hue. After several minutes the burning sensation moderated. When Captain Brezinski tried on the helmet again she noted a not unpleasant tingling sensation that seemed to sweep across her scalp. When she explained this to Doc Jules he nodded his approval and replied, "It appears that the protocol is working so far."

The space suit was several sizes too large for Captain Brezinski and she needed some help navigating through the airlock. Doc Jules and Eric-Peter followed her into "The Guardian" and helped her settle into the seat. The seat began to change as soon as the helmet was connected. It adapted to her size with the controls moving into a closer position to compensate for her smaller size. The sudden motion was disconcerting to Captain Brezinski. Doc Jules noted the startle response with her increased heart rate and respiratory rate. He was pleased that she returned so quickly to her baseline. He wished he had a more complete monitoring system, but reminded himself of his grandfather's saying, "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride."

Captain Brezinski soon felt comfortable and told them to proceed. Eric-Peter began phase one integration. The visor closed and suddenly Captain Brezinski's world was engulfed in an unbelievably intense red color. It seemed that the richness of the red soaked into her being. As soon as she became comfortable with the redness it changed. Her visual world was now a very deep blue. The color reminded her of the sky from a top of a mountain. This color again saturated her senses to the point that she could feel the blueness. Suddenly a vivid yellow color engulfed her. She could actually feel the softness of the yellow flower petals. The colors began changing much faster with different shades of intensity. The colors started blending together forming thousands of different colors. The colors were now replaced by shapes; simple geometric line drawings which quickly evolved to three-dimensional shapes. The shapes became colored objects which began to slowly rotate and move within her visual field. This movement intensified and the size of the objects diminished. She was working hard to keep up and more concentration was needed to follow them. About the time she felt that she could not keep up her visual field became a calm pale pink color.

The colors were now replaced by odors. She became aware of multiple changing odors. Some she could identify, others were completely foreign. Occasionally an odor would present and produce a very vivid memory. She was awash in odors and then they stopped. Now she noticed that her suit was much too warm and different parts became almost hot to the touch. The intensity of the heat increased to the point she began worrying. The heat moderated as quickly as it came and was replaced by first coolness and then frank cold. She was shivering and again the cold spots moved around her entire body. This in turn was replaced by a mild tingling sensation. This electrical feeling increased in intensity until she was unsure if she could take the pain. The pain at times seemed to radiate from within her and at other times seemed to originate on her skin. She tolerated pain well, but it reached the point she wanted to cry out and stop the integration. It stopped.

Now she began to appreciate a clicking sound; first her right ear followed by a similer stimulation of the left ear. At times the clicking seemed to come from both ears. The frequency of the clicks changed as well as the sound quality. Soon she was hearing a more complex beeping sound. The nature of the sounds continued to evolve until she was recognizing specific sounds. Simple sounds like train whistles evolved into bird calls and musical instruments.

Captain Brezinski realized that she was sensing actual words. It was not as if she was hearing them as much as feeling them. The words continued to flow over her both in English and in Russian. Soon these words were replaced by new sounds that she could identify by feel. She was now learning the language of "The Guardian". The words continued coming at a rapid rate sometimes accompanied by a corresponding Russian or English word. She lost all awareness of herself and was consumed by the interplay of words. She was not just hearing the words, but was feeling and seeing them. At first she was not sure if she was imagining the images, but as they became better defined their reality solidified. She was now aware of an integration of these sounds and her visual fields. The complexity of the images increased. Soon she was visualizing complex scenes from a very foreign world. It was a military world, familiar yet unfamiliar. The complex nature of the armaments and the variety of space ships was in contrast to her traditional naval experience. The discipline and order were familiar. She felt as if she could stay forever in this state. It ended. The visor opened and her present reality returned.

She heard Doc Jules asking her if she was all right. It took a little time for her mind to compose the answer. Doc Jules was saying something about her needing a rest period. She was tired, so tired that her mind seemed numb. She did not want to leave the world that she had been connected to. The doctor's persistent nagging gradually forced her to become more aware. Her thoughts cleared to the point that she could agree with the need for the rest. She allowed them to assist her back to the quarters in the emergency module. As she was helped out of her suit, she noticed the wall clock and realized over 2 hours had passed. She gradually resumed her position of command and began asking for updates on their situation. Doc Jules and Eric-Peter were much more interested in her experience. It took a little while to satisfy each other's concerns and then they allowed her to sleep. The two hour rest seemed to pass instantly. When Doc Jules gently aroused her it took her several minutes to regain her sense of reality.

Doc Jules asked, "Captain, are you sure that you have recovered enough to proceed?"

Captain Brezinski responded, "I feel this horrible urgency so we must move forward. If you think that I am compromising the mission because of my fatigue, you must insist that I rest."

Doc Jules admitted that from a physiological viewpoint she was stable and could proceed. Eric-Peter began reviewing the phase 2 protocol as they helped her back into her suit. She navigated the airlock without assistance and assumed her place. Doc Jules checked his monitoring equipment status and reported everything above minimums. Captain Brezinski told Eric-Peter to proceed.

The visor again closed and Captain Brezinski's world became centered within. She now responded to the verbal commands to move first her feet. The verbal commands were then accompanied by a visual display. She would follow the visual display moving her feet and legs through the virtual reality space. Calibration of her hand and arm motions followed. The specific small hand and finger motions required more time than all of the other motions combined. She advanced to the point where she assumed both the foot and hand controls. Her simple movements through virtual reality were replaced by a flight simulation. She did not understand the engineering or mechanics of the controls. She did understand flying both in the air and in the sea. She adapted quickly and gained control of her simulated ship. As she reached the point of mastering control of the ship in the virtual world she began to sense the tingling sensation.

As in the previous session the tingling progressed to actual pain. She worked hard to ignore the sensation and maintain control of the ship. The pain gradually transitioned to a burning sensation accompanied by the odor of burning flesh. The disgusting smell was more distracting than the pain. The simulation continued and she fought to maintain control. The pain resolved but was replaced by a need to urinate. This urinary urgency increased to the point she was sure that her bladder would burst. Concentrating on maintaining smooth control, when every movement increased the pressure on her bladder, was progressively more difficult. Gradually this urinary urgency was replaced by rectal urgency. She wanted to stop and take a crap in the worst way. She knew that she was about to have a horrible case of diarrhea and if she did not get relief, she would soil her suit. The colonic contractions produced such pain that she broke out in a sweat. She maintained control of her virtual ship only by mentally separating control of the ship from herself.

The pain and urgency resolved and were replaced by a mild sense of hunger. She welcomed the relief this provided. Hunger was soon accompanied by thirst. These senses are not saturated as easily as others. As her sense of hunger and thirst progressed they became an obsession. She was so dry that her skin felt brittle. Thoughts of food and water kept intruding upon her consciousness. The realization that she was dying of hunger and thirst finally caused her to lose control. The sensations vanished.

The flight simulation resumed and she could hear joyous music. As her sense of joy progressed to a near state of euphoria she found it very difficult to avoid over controlling the ship. Gradually the euphoria like state transformed into a state of sexual excitement. She became aware of her breasts and the aroused sensitivity of her nipples. Rhythmic contractions of multiple organisms made her loins ache. Her mind wanted to wander to the almost vacant zone of physical fulfillment. She had never felt such sexual satisfaction and need before. Maintaining control of the ship was as difficult now as it had been during the pain stimulation.

The simulation ended and the visor lifted. She was more aware of her surroundings and responded more normally to Doc Jules nagging questions. When she was satisfied that the ship was stable and Doc Jules was satisfied that she was stable they returned to the habitat. Over 3 hours had passed. After removing the suit Captain Brezinski said, "Now I understand how Tom felt, I need a shower." The warm shower was refreshing but her nipples remained sensitive to the spray of water. Her rest time lacked the drug induced stupor qualities of the first one. She slept only lightly and awoke easily when Doc Jules called.

Captain Brezinski was much stronger and dispensed with the doctors nagging questions and examination quickly. She was more confident despite her failure of maintaining control throughout the simulation. She instinctively knew that it was essential for her to be pushed to failure. The helmet and suit were becoming more comfortable. It was as if they were adapting to her. As they entered through the airlock into "The Guardian" she was pleased to see the first of the repair plates partially covering the large wound in the ship. She resumed her place and after Doc Jules finished playing with his monitors she nodded for Eric-Peter to resume the integration. Phase 3 began.

Captain Brezinski was immersed in a virtual reality as soon as the visor closed. She had control of her ship in a void. She practiced routine maneuvers preparing for the simulated combat that she knew was coming. Her first challenge was an attack drone with limited self defenses. She was provided with technical and tactical information through direct stimulation of her short-term memory. She sorted out possible strategies quickly and moved to the attack. Her goal was total destruction without allowing time for the drone to signal danger to other targets. She maneuvered her ship outside the projected detection zone of the drone. A photon torpedo was selected. The intense electromagnetic energy released would destroy all electrical components immediately and prevent any communication. A complete alignment of the torpedo track and the energy track of the drone was essential to prevent detection by the drone. Captain Brezinski aligned her ship to the rear of the drone and carefully adjusted the ship's attitude until alignment was correct. She felt as much as saw the indicators flashing that the target was locked on. She activated the weapon and launched it instantly. Passive tracking of the torpedo by her instruments followed it until impact. The intense electromagnetic radiation documented destruction of her target.

New adversaries continued to present themselves with ever more complex defensive and offensive weapons. The integration of Captain Brezinski's natural skills and previous training with the tactical and technical information provided by "The Guardian" was producing a potent weapon. The opponents soon exceeded this combined capability. Captain Brezinski felt pain as her ship was damaged. She could smell the smoke of the fire. Control of the ship became increasingly difficult and she attempted to retreat. Her screen and all sensory input went blank with the destruction of her ship. The lack of input produced a sense of loneliness that was so intense that she would have much preferred the previous simulations of pain. After an unknown amount of time the simulation began again. This time she better understood her limitations and knew that buying time was the best she could do.

She began a game of cat and mouse with the more powerful opponent. She was the mouse. She flirted with danger by entering into sensor range. The ship had to use resources and divert from its mission in an attempt to neutralize her. She kept pestering the larger ship much like black birds will pester a crow. Finally her opponent began to ignore her incursions and continued on its mission. Her weapons were not powerful enough to overpower the main protective shield. Her technical information revealed that the control thrusters created tunnels in the shield energy. She waited until a thruster became active and fired her phazer bank into the tunnel that was created. At the speed of light an explosion within the thruster produced enough damage to slightly limit the ship's performance. The simulation ended. There was no reward for a job well done. She knew intuitively she had done her best.

The next simulation began with a similar scenario. This time her opponents mission was defined; a large population center with significant manufacturing capabilities was to be destroyed. Her mission was to prevent this destruction. She began her attack as before. The superiority of her opponent's defensive systems allowed for a much shorter game of cat and mouse. The ship ignored her incursions and continued on its mission of destruction. Captain Brezinski was unable to detect a significant weakness in the ship's defense shield. Her attempts at delaying were not working. Her analysis revealed that only the combined energy of all weapons plus the impact energy of her ship would be enough to penetrate the shield and produce significant damage. She made her decision. She armed all weapons systems and began accelerating to full power. She aimed her ship at the aft starboard control thruster. As she neared the energy shield she fired her entire arsenal as quickly as possible. Her most potent weapons made only a minuscule hole in the shield. It was enough for her to penetrate with her ship at high velocity. Classical Newtonian physics then prevailed. Her ship collided with the massive opponent transferring its momentum to the area of impact. The resultant explosion of her energy system contributed to the destruction of the control thruster. Unlike her first failure the destruction of her ship did not result in blankness. She felt as if she was continuing. Her sensory input seemed to expand. Definitive objects could not be identified but she became aware of an expanded sensory world. The feeling was not unpleasant.

Captain Brezinski was aware of herself only after she was presented with a menu of options. She realized that she had passed onto the next level of training. The options ranged from solo combat, to battle command and had topics such as fifth dimensional navigation. She chose a category of Battle Command. The simulation placed her in command of a small fleet in confrontation with a similar size opponent. She no longer had to control her individual ship. Instead she was required to visualize the group has a whole. The initial simulations were relatively simple and progressed slowly. She was reminded of the submarine simulations of her command training. The complexity built rapidly as did the speed of decision-making. She was receiving input on the status and capability of her own ships and estimations of her opponents. She felt a loss of each ship almost as a physical pain. As the battle progressed the stimulation increased in speed and quantity. She soon was struggling to keep up. Suddenly everything went white and she lost consciousness.

Doc Jules was becoming increasingly concerned because of the Captain's rapid heart rate with a rising blood pressure. He had no idea when Captain Brezinski was experiencing. He knew her body was responding to an immense stress. He was about to have Eric-Peter stop the integration session when Captain Brezinski developed clonic contractions suggesting a grand mal seizure. As Captain Brezinski's body went rigid Eric-Peter discontinued the integration protocol. Doc Jules began trying to support Captain Brezinski's extremities to prevent injury during her violent contractions. There was no way to evaluate her airway much less protect it. As soon as the violent thrashing subsided, he and Eric-Peter half carried half dragged her through the airlock and back to the emergency habitat. Doc Jules struggled out of his helmet and suit as quickly as he could while Eric-Peter supported the Captain's head. Doc Jules then removed the helmet from Captain Brezinski. She was pale with very blue lips but still breathing some. He grabbed the angle of her jaw and pulled forward. By moving her jaw forward he opened the air passage behind her tongue. Her breathing came much easier and her color gradually improved. Eric-Peter worked to remove the space suit. Doc Jules used his emergency kit to provide supplemental oxygen. He started an IV. Captain Brezinski responded to the pain of the needle stick. Before Doc Jules could inject her with a strong sedative to prevent further seizures, she started talking. Doc Jules was poised with his sedative, ready to push her back to a state of unconsciousness. He decided to listen and see if she was rational before proceeding. She was trying to say something about not being ready to assume command of a fleet. She was becoming coherent and Doc Jules decided to keep his medicine at the ready, but to give her a chance to recover on her own.

Doc Jules realized that the Captain was actually laughing as she explained her foolishness in attempting to jump from command of a single ship to command of a battle fleet. Despite the seizure she no longer had the tremendous fatigue that was evident on the first phase and to a lesser extent on the second phase of integration. Doc Jules tried to explain the nature of the post ictal phase that follows a seizure. Captain Brezinski was not acting post ictal. Despite her five hours of simulator work and a major seizure she appeared strong. Doc Jules was at a loss to explain his findings. Captain Brezinski said, "During the first phase it felt as if I was being drained. The second phase was much more demanding, but I did not experience as much of the mental draining. This last phase obviously exceeded my limits but instead of feeling drained it was as if I was being nourished."

Doc Jules insisted on a four-hour rest period prior to resuming her training. Captain Brezinski knew better than to argue. She rested and possibly even slept some. Her mind was busy analyzing the power that existed with the interface. Working in synergy with "The Guardian" produced a "runners high" that exceeded anything she had experienced before. Her concern for the danger that they had been warned of did not diminish, but her confidence in meeting the challenge had grown significantly. If only they had enough time to finish their preparations.

Chapter 23: The Storm

Captain Brezinski had completed another training session and was halfway through her needed rest period. One of the long-range drones had detected a radar signal. Martha who was on watch called Eric-Peter for confirmation. By the time Eric-Peter had arrived an additional signal had been detected. The limited amount of data appeared to indicate that their quadrant of space was being swept by radar from two ships. Captain Brezinski was aroused from her rest. She began her ascent up the access tunnel and was asking for updates the whole time. Mike reported that he needed at least two more hours to complete his emergency repairs. The Chief reported that the nuclear warheads were ready and the drones prepared. By the time Captain Brezinski arrived at the control center, Eric-Peter had been able to triangulate the position of their threat. He estimated an arrival time of less than 1 hour.

Captain Brezinski reviewed the data. They were not yet prepared. The rotation had been almost stopped and emergency hatches secured. She ordered all crew members not involved with repair of the ship to transfer to the arachnoid structure immediately. Construction personnel were to carry pressure suits with them at all times. Their miniature sub would transport Martha and the baby, but the remaining crew would need to use the stairway. Captain Brezinski ordered the Chief to return to the arachnoid structure.

He objected saying, "Captain, I would be of more help working with the crew to finish the repairs."

Captain Brezinski replied, "Chief, as second in command, it is essential that you man the control room. I know your value to the repair efforts, but security of the ship requires one of us to remain in the arachnoid structure."

The drones were now reporting regular radar contact. Soon the sensors aboard the ship also were recording radar contact. Captain Brezinski knew that it would be mere minutes before they were detected. The sweeping contact was replaced by a steady signal. They had been found.

Captain Brezinski glanced at the clock 1650. Mike would not have the ship ready until after 1800 hours. She needed more time. Radio contact was made. Somehow the invaders knew their ship's primary communication frequency. Tom looked up at Captain Brezinski for instructions. She told him to ignore the signal. The messages became more aggressive demanding a reply. Captain Brezinski told Tom to act very sleepy when he responded. Tom sounded just like someone who had fallen asleep on his watch. Tom responded "This is Petty Officer Tom Akers acting as watch officer aboard the U.N. space vehicle Genesis, with whom am I speaking? Over."

The invader responded, "Connect us to your Captain immediately."

Tom responded, "The Captain is sleeping, but I will awaken her. She will be here shortly."

Captain Brezinski stalled for an additional 15 minutes. Tom kept explaining that she was on her way to the demanding invader. At 1720 hours she responded to the invader, "This is Captain Brezinski please give your identification."

The invader responded, "We are a representative of the Galactic Federation of Planets."

Captain Brezinski asked, "What is your purpose?"

"We have been sent to neutralize the mistake of your mission."

Captain Brezinski responded, "What is the mistake?"

"The decision was made not to allow Earth beings to participate in the effort you refer to as Genesis. Our review indicated that your species is too aggressive and must be restricted."

Captain Brezinski asked, "Why did The Visitor send us on this mission if we are too aggressive?"

"The one that you refer to as The Visitor acted without proper authority. Your evolutionary time was too short and your nature to aggressive. These genetic characteristics must be restricted. Only the genetic lineages of approved races are allowed to expand."

Captain Brezinski said, "I will need to verify this with The Visitor."

The invader replied, "All communications to the Earth or to the ones you call The Visitor are prohibited. Any violation of this order will result in the immediate destruction of your ship."

Captain Brezinski asked, "How are we to comply with your request?"

"All genetic equipment, embryos, infants and pregnant females are to be placed in the ship 'New Beginnings'. Control of your computer will be transferred to our ships. Following compliance with this your crew and ship will be allowed to return to Earth. Upon return to Earth all data files and drive information will be destroyed."

Captain Brezinski asked, "What will happen to the equipment and people aboard the 'New Beginnings'?"

"That is no concern of yours."

Captain Brezinski asked, "If we do not comply with your commands?"

"You and your ship will be destroyed."

Captain Brezinski responded, "I will need to have a series of decision-making meetings with my crew that will require at least 24 hours to complete."

The invader replied, "You have 1 hour to comply or destruction of your ship will begin."

Captain Brezinski closed the COM link without responding. She addressed the computer, "You have five minutes to explain what is going on or I will scrub this mission."

The computer responded only after another mysterious pause, "The battle that The Guardian was involved in was part of a great war. Many civilizations had evolved to the point that they are now dependent upon their machines for survival. They found the creation of new civilizations increased the amount of chaos in the world. This group decided to discontinue the work of the Ancient Ones. The remaining group wanted to continue the work of the Ancient Ones and felt that complete dependence upon machines was not right. The philosophical argument progressed until actual conflict ensued. The group supporting the work of the Ancient Ones was theoretically the lesser power. They were, however, eventually victorious, but only at great cost to both sides. The peace settlement allowed them to continue the work of the Ancient Ones. They agreed not to infringe upon those regions in space closely associated with the other group. Occasionally disagreement exists but it is settled in a local fashion."

Captain Brezinski allowed the entire crew to share in this discussion. She asked, "I presume that I would be right in saying that the support we have received from the Ancient Ones and the presentation of these two invading ships is the method of settlement in a local fashion?"

The computer responded, "From my analysis you are correct."

Captain Brezinski asked Mike for an update. Mike replied, "We are spraying the interior of the patch with sealant foam now and still have to connect the oxygen system. The work will be complete by 1800 hours."

Captain Brezinski opened an audio link command conference by first summarizing their predicament. "We are given a choice of abandoning our mission and our baby in return for safe passage back to Earth, or trusting in the apparition and fighting to continue our mission. The Guardian will be operational in a very limited manner before our deadline passes. We have no defenses other than our protective layer of ice. Our offensive weapons are minimal with only two small nuclear warheads and our construction lasers and drones. The capability of The Guardian is uncertain and the pilot untested. I will not ask anyone to risk their lives without voting unanimously to proceed."

Captain Brezinski asked Mike for his input. Mike responded, "Captain, I am not sure that our engines are robust enough to withstand two de-accelerations and an additional period of acceleration. The time frame required would mean that at best we would return as old men and women, assuming the engines were capable of surviving the required stresses. A more significant issue is the quarantine that we would be accepting for humanity."

The Captain turned to Doc Jules for his input. He said, "I have already lost two children. I was unable to protect them and have lived with that burden. To lose another child, whom I may be able to protect, would be unbearable. I choose to resist the demands of the intruder."

Captain Brezinski's eyes were filled with tears listing to Doc Jules' discussion. Her voice broke as she asked for additional comments. Hearing none she asked all those in favor of resisting the demands of the invaders to say aye. Her ears were filled with ayes and when she asked for those opposed she heard only silence. She announced that they would refuse the invaders offer for safe passage back to earth and defend their child. A lone aye was then heard. Captain Brezinski recognized Brother Simon's voice and asked him to say again.

Brother Simon responded, "Captain, I vote aye. I have been wrestling with my conscience about accepting violence. The need to protect the baby has won. I will oppose these invaders and willingly give my life to protect this child and the future he represents."

Captain Brezinski gave her orders prior to adjourning the command conference. One of the nuclear warheads was to be attached to the residual asteroid at the end of their rotation cable. The cable was to be released as if it had been severed from the attack allowing the hidden bomb to float innocently towards their enemy. The other warhead was to be loaded aboard The Guardian.

The computer objected saying, "The use of nuclear weapons is prohibited by the peace treaty."

Captain Brezinski asked, "Did I or any of my legal superiors on earth sign this treaty?"

The computer response was a brief, "No."

Captain Brezinski stated, "I declare that we are not bound by this treaty and we will use whenever means we have to preserve our mission."

Captain Brezinski asked if there were any other questions or comments. Tom raised the issue of communication. He said, "Captain, it would appear that a communications officer is required aboard "The Guardian". The neuro-navigational unit isolates you from the communication system. It would also appear that the invaders understand our communication protocols and a code system should be used when the ships are beyond the range of our internal communication system."

Captain Brezinski replied, "I acknowledge your concern, but only one seat is available and the risk is too great."

Tom replied, "Captain, I took the liberty of having the auto supplier build a replacement seat as a low priority task. The seat is pretty rough but functional. The risk would be lessened with someone available to assist you. Martha has taught me enough of the Sherpa language that we could use it as a code. She could translate for the Chief and I for you."

The Chief added his support to Tom saying, "Captain, the mission would seem to require the second crew member. I would encourage you to accept Tom's offer."

Captain Brezinski replied, "We are all risking our lives and if Tom is willing I will accept his help aboard The Guardian. The oxygen supply will be reduced from eight hours to four, but that should be plenty."

Captain Brezinski and Tom loaded the nuclear warhead the autosupplier had delivered to the village aboard a cart. Their acceleration from rotation was all but stopped. The bomb was almost weightless but its mass and inertia persisted. Tom was perplexed by the small size of the warhead. He had envisioned nuclear warheads being large monstrous affairs. They carefully guided their weapon through the air locks and into the access tunnel. The lift moved them to the end of the tunnel and they secured the warhead prior to suiting up in the emergency habitat module.

Mike's construction team was leaving as they entered. Everyone gave them a thumbs up sign. Captain Brezinski thanked them for their efforts and admonished them to expedite their return to the arachnoid structure. Mike helped them secure the warhead between the airlocks of The Guardian. Before departing he said, "I wish you smooth sailing with fair winds and following seas. We have done our best. If Brother Simon's God does exist we could use his help now. Good luck, Captain." With that Mike joined his remaining crew members on the lift and headed for the relative safety of the arachnoid structure.

Captain Brezinski connected to the neuro-navigational unit and began her pre-launch checklist. Before separating from the ship she checked to make sure that Tom was secure. She had to smile at the seat he was using. It consisted of a framework of metal tubing padded with pillows, much like a lawn chair with fluffy cushions. The seat appeared well anchored to the cabin floor and the restraining harness seemed substantial but crude. She said, "Tom, are you ready?"

With Tom's affirmative answer she separated from the docking bay and moved The Guardian slowly around to the back side of their ship. They had less than 10 minutes before the deadline was to pass. Captain Brezinski began a check of the armaments available. This was her first "live" interaction with the ship. The reality was similar to the simulations except for the armaments. Her simulations had been with full armament status. Her present inventory revealed only a few photon torpedoes and one workable laser. She found herself swearing in Russian and had to apologize when Tom asked her what the problem was.

Tom asked her what the apparition had said about weapons. She replied, "We were promised weapons and a propulsion system. We have about 10 percent of the normal armaments available, no main propulsion, and no shield. How we are to defeat two larger ships is beyond me."

Their discussion was interrupted by a call from Brother Simon. He apologized for interrupting their work and said, "I needed to say that our prayers are with you and remind you that the apparition said "only faith will bring success". You are loved by us and we trust in you."

Captain Brezinski thanked him for the prayers and the reminder about faith. The deadline passed and without further radio communication the attack began. Their ship was struck with high energy laser cannons. The energy vaporized large sections of their protective ice shield. The individual explosions created small shudders throughout the ship. The regular pounding created a steam cloud. Eric-Peter worked to keep their propulsion system protected and to keep the vapor cloud between them and the invaders. The steam cloud dissipated some of the force, slowing but not stopping the destructive force of the attack. A hit in the aft quadrant was used as an excuse to release the connecting cable. Eric-Peter used the thrusters attached to the asteroid to gently and discreetly accelerate it towards the nearest ship. It would require nearly 1 hour to reach the enemy ship.

Captain Brezinski concentrated her efforts on trying to formulate a battle plan using their minimal capabilities. She was stymied by their lack of an adequate propulsion system. She became aware of an aberration in her gravitometer readings. Tom relayed the message that the landing platform had been hit directly. It and "The Egg" appeared to have been destroyed. Captain Brezinski did not respond. She had become aware of a significant change in their capabilities. Her system revealed a new capability of travel in the fifth dimension. She remembered that one of the simulations included something about the fifth dimension. She had ignored it. Now she needed it. She informed Tom of the change and he said, "It would seem that the drive waited until its movement would be hidden by the destruction of "The Egg". I think this means we are supposed to utilize surprise as one of the weapons we were promised."

Captain Brezinski told him to advise the Chief that she needed to complete her training in fifth dimensional navigation before they would be operational. The Chief receive the message from Martha but was not sure of the meaning. He asked Eric-Peter if he knew what they were talking about. Eric-Peter became excited as he explained that our commonly perceived three dimensions were associated with the fourth dimension of time. A fifth dimension had been postulated that was coiled up around our existing dimensions. He explained how this dimension was critical for solving the mathematics of Einstein's equation of general relativity. The actual existence of this extra dimension was completely theoretical. He tried to explain how the gravitational aberrations they noted with the arrival of "The Egg" and again with the movement of the drive could be explained by a transformation in these dimensions. The Chief looked at him somewhat bewildered and asked, "Are they going to actually disappear into this extra dimension?"

Eric-Peter shrugged his shoulders and said, "I would assume that when they enter the fifth dimension we will lose all concepts of them." He added, "I would hope our invaders also lose all awareness of them."

Captain Brezinski immersed herself in the simulation. At first she was completely disorientated by what seemed to be a huge void. She became aware of a surface-like characteristic. She felt as if she were in the submarine below the surface and was viewing the water-air interface at night. She could sense that another world existed outside her reality, but she could not interact with it. The surface undulated and curved much like waves viewed from below. The undulations were far bigger than any wave she had ever experienced. The folding and curvature of the surface was a response to the quantity of mass that was present in that section of the universe. She thought it would be similar to what an ant inside a deflated basketball, that was partially collapsed, would experience. Once her mind accepted the illusion of being below the surface of a vast ocean her disorientation improved. She learned to navigate along the undulated surface. The mass of objects in the common dimensions produced a dimpling of the surface proportional to their mass. This was like viewing the hull of a surface ship from below as it distorts the surface of the water.

She practiced identifying specific structures by their characteristic dimples. She learned how to "pop out" of the fifth dimension next to specific objects. The final navigation was critical because small changes in the fifth dimension represented huge distances in the common dimensions. She needed to feel the gravitational force of her target and slide up directly alongside it. There were no compasses or stars to navigate by. She could sense the relative mass of the universe around her and thereby determined a relative position. She knew instinctively that with enough time this would provide a universal navigational ability but at the present this was beyond her capability.

The Chief was becoming concerned about the amount of ice protection they had lost. The frontal surface was being eaten away in a steady fashion. The ice was still protecting them, but becoming thinner all of the time. Mike suggested that they use their drives to add additional steam to the protective vapor cloud. The Chief agreed and added another navigational challenge to Eric-Peter. By using their drives they also moved away from the hidden bomb that was floating slowly towards the invaders. The Chief called Tom to relay their plan and report the deteriorating situation. Tom informed them that the Captain was still immersed in her training. The Chief replied, "Let's hope she finishes before our hull is breached."

Captain Brezinski felt fairly comfortable controlling the drive and navigating around known structures. She had not accomplished the wide area navigational section, but felt that she needed to move ahead. She stopped the simulation and asked Tom for an update. She then described her plan. They would slip into the fifth dimension and emerge next to one of the enemy ships. Hopefully, they would be able to strike a disabling blow before the ships became aware of them. They would then retreat to the fifth dimension and continue diversionary activity until their hidden bomb floated close enough. If needed, they would use their second bomb. She did not tell Tom that the delivery of the weapon may require sacrificing themselves. She expected that he already knew.

Tom relayed the Captain's plan to the Chief. The Chief agreed with the plan and asked that they expedite their attack because the thinning of the ice was becoming critical. Tom translated the response and the Captain replied, "Well, let's get going and take some heat off of our ship."

Captain Brezinski timed her engagement of the dimensional drive with a direct hit. She hoped the gravitational fluctuation would be hidden by the energy of the explosion. The drive immediately transported them to the large void with the undulated folded surface. Tom was aware only that his sensors no longer detected the violence that was being perpetuated against their ship. He could no longer appreciate the radio transmissions or other signals he had been monitoring. His immediate surroundings in The Guardian were unchanged. Captain Brezinski was concentrating fully and he could tell she was working the controls. Captain Brezinski relaxed momentarily and said, "We're going to emerge on the far side of the second ship. I will fire one of our photon torpedoes into the starboard thruster. We will then hide before they have a chance of shooting at us."

Captain Brezinski returned to her state of intense concentration and suddenly Tom's external viewer was filled with the side of the enemy's ship. Even at wide angle viewing he could not appreciate the whole ship. Captain Brezinski aligned her sights with the chosen thruster and just as the system was locking on she changed her mind. She turned and fired at a bland looking section of the hull. Their enemy was operating without the use of their defense shields to increase their effective fire power. The photon torpedo struck the hull and the burst of electromagnetic energy penetrated to the main electrical grounding bus. Like lightning striking a radio tower the energy released traveled along the ships electrical circuits destroying everything along its path. At nearly the speed of light the invading ship's electrical system was destroyed. This potent weapon began to glow with the energy released from the short circuiting of its own power system.

Captain Brezinski became aware of surveillance from the remaining operational ship and slipped back to the fifth dimension. She relaxed momentarily and stretched her muscles that had been held so rigid during the maneuver and attack. Tom asked her, "Why did you change your planned target and how did you know that you could penetrate into their electrical system?"

Captain Brezinski replied, "My conscious analysis had identified the thruster as the best target. I had a sudden intuition and changed my target. I have to presume that somebody was helping us."

Captain Brezinski brought them back to the protected side of the ship and had Tom contact the Chief for an update. He reported that the other ship had raised a dense radiation shield around itself as soon as their attack became apparent. The bombardment resumed shortly after, but the energy of the laser canon was slightly reduced by the energy field. The rate of destruction had slowed considerably. They had sustained damage to the inner airlock of the access tunnel and had a minor air leak. The hull remained otherwise intact and they had been successful in protecting their drives. Captain Brezinski asked for a time estimate on the arrival of their hidden bomb.

Eric-Peter replied, "The hidden bomb continues to close but we will need an additional 23 minutes to close within striking distance. The computer simulation however says that we have a 80 percent probability of sustaining significant hull damage within that time frame."

Captain Brezinski had Tom relay their intention of buying some more time. She had Tom confirm his time setting. His watch now varied several minutes from the previously synchronized time. He was perplexed by the variance. He assured Captain Brezinski that they had carefully synchronized their times. Captain Brezinski replied, "I had a feeling time varied depending upon our location within the fifth dimension. We will need to design a method of tracking the ship's time."

Captain Brezinski returned to the fifth dimension. Tom was as before aware of the transition only because his instruments stopped detecting any radio signals. The Captain positioned The Guardian in front of the remaining invader and gradually edged closer to the surface. She could detect a ripple on the surface produced by the energy of the laser canon. She concentrated on the firing rhythm and began to slowly rock her ship in cadence with the firing. She moved ever closer to the surface until she actually popped through. She immediately fired her lasers through the temporary tunnel which had been created by the invader's weapons energy transmission. She rocked her ship below the surface before the enemy had an opportunity to fire upon her. She knew her laser had penetrated through the energy shield but did not know if she had produced significant damage.

She continued to feel the surface with her sensors for changes that would indicate renewed firing. She was pleased that the intermittent high energy pulses of the laser canon, had subsided. The invader had substituted a continuous laser beam. It carried less destructive energy but required a smaller tunnel in the energy field. This tunnel was essentially completely filled with the laser beam itself preventing further retrograde attacks.

Captain Brezinski moved her ship to the far side of the enemy. She decided to attempt penetrating the shield with a photon torpedo. It was obvious that the enemy ship was becoming very sensitive to the gravitational fluctuations they produced. She had no sooner surfaced into the common dimensions when the energy field thickened significantly on her side of the ship. She fired her photon torpedo, but the energy was completely dissipated by the energy shield. She retreated back to the fifth dimension. She relaxed again slightly in the protected void. Tom had witnessed the ineffective attack and they discussed possible methods of penetrating the shield. Tom expressed concern that the shield would be capable of deflecting even the energy of their small nuclear warhead. Captain Brezinski agreed and decided to return to the ship for a conference with Eric-Peter.

She guided her ship up against the aft section of the gravity well that she could sense and they returned to the protected side of their now much smaller comet. Tom began explaining to Eric-Peter the effectiveness of the shield. Eric-Peter was very interested in the way the shield responded to The Guardian. The Chief suggested it would be necessary to create a diversion inorder to weaken the shield enough. Captain Brezinski was concerned that the shield reacted quickly enough that timing would be critical. The variance between Tom's watch and the Chief's was again obvious. They could not depend on time to synchronize their activity. Mike suggested that if triangular stresses could be brought to bear on the energy shield almost simultaneously that thinning and disruption of the continuous protection would probably occur.

Captain Brezinski decided that she and Tom would deliver the second nuclear warhead and that the Chief would take charge of the detonation of both weapons. She would then bring The Guardian into attack on the third point of the triangle. They would need to begin their attack slightly before the nuclear explosions in order to have distorted the energy shield enough. The plan was agreed upon and they would depend on a count down from Martha to determine their retreat time.

Captain Brezinski brought them back into the void and maneuvered The Guardian into position 60 degrees from the projected point that the hidden bomb would reach. Tom positioned himself in the airlock and strapped himself to the wall. He loosened the retaining straps on the nuclear warhead. Captain Brezinski brought their ship through the barrier and back to the standard dimensions. Tom opened the outer airlock and used his legs and back to push the warhead out of the airlock. As soon as the outer door was closed Captain Brezinski began attacking the enemy ship with her laser. The energy shield had already thickened dramatically. Her attack was futile as she knew. When she sensed the enemy scanners localizing her she slipped back into the fifth dimension. She continued her cat and mouse game of challenging the far larger enemy. The destructive laser continued unabated, eating away at the little remaining ice that protected her crew.

Martha was singing a Sherpa lullaby that contained a series of numbers. Whenever Captain Brezinski brought her ship out of the fifth dimension Tom would synchronize their time based on Martha's song. Captain Brezinski maneuvered The Guardian to the third point of the triangle. She did her best to estimate the timing sequence. She popped through the barrier and fired her last photon torpedo into the enemy. The force shield molded itself against the attack. Captain Brezinski added her attack lasers and continued to bring pressure on the enemy ship. She could sense her enemy's awareness of The Guardian and knew that they were in danger of being targeted. Tom continued Martha's count down and at the zero mark announced, "Detonation!"

Captain Brezinski slid back into the fifth dimension as both nuclear weapons exploded. The shield reacted by thickening against the bomb that Tom had delivered further thinning the opposite corner. The second nuclear blast forced itself against the shield pushing it tightly against the ship, but it held. The radiation and shock wave hammered the enemy hull. The invading ship was thrown about by the shock waves, but enough of the shield persisted to prevent complete destruction. The residual of the asteroid that had hidden the bomb was fragmented by the explosion. One large fragment followed the shock wave and slammed into the hull. This massive high-speed projectile acted like an old-fashioned cannon ball. It tore through the shield and the hull structure. This physical damage overwhelmed the shield and it failed. The residual shock waves now pummeled the ship. The structure of the invading ship collapsed.

Chapter 24: Aftermath

Captain Brezinski slipped back into the fifth dimension as the energy of the nuclear explosions began to build like a giant tidal wave. She sought shelter by diving as deep below the surface as she could. The energy created severe turbulence at the interface. This roiling of the surface created a turbulent flood of energy that raced after her. They were soon caught up in this raging river. Captain Brezinski fought to maintain control. It felt as if they were in a small row boat being tossed about by a storm as the flood current carried them downstream. She began to feel the sensory overload that had brought on the grand mal seizure during her simulation of the battle command. She had to let go and let the ship drift with the current.

The destruction of the enemy ship was detected by the ship sensors. A spontaneous cheer was raised by the entire crew. The Chief turned to Mike and said, "We did it!" This was followed by a back slapping hug. The Chief smilingly said, "Commander Harris, military action is now ended and I turn command of our ship back to you until the Captain's return."

Mike replied, "I have no desire to command anything, but I guess it is my turn. The Captain will be back shortly and she can have the responsibility back. We need to figure out a temporary docking mechanism. The air leak should also be repaired ASAP."

The Chief said, "Now that I am not restricted to this command station, I would like to volunteer to do something I am capable of and fix the air leak."

Mike good-naturedly said, "Well, if you are going to skip out and take the easy job you might as well do a damage control survey while you are out. I would expect that the Captain would require that we work in teams until our status is stable."

Mike began sketching different methods of securing The Guardian to the damaged access tunnel. Assuming the airlocks were still functional, he figured that securing the ship to the lift cable and having the Captain and Tom travel up the tunnel and through the outer airlock would be simple. Eric-Peter disrupted his thoughts by saying, "I am worried that the Captain may have experienced problems from the energy flow of the explosions."

Mike replied, "I thought that they would be safe by hiding in that fifth dimension. I am sure she will be here shortly." Even as Mike said it he knew that Eric-Peter was right and that something was wrong.

The energy storm finally subsided enough that Captain Brezinski could resume control of The Guardian. She maneuvered the ship until she found an area of relative quiet. She then relaxed enough to discuss their situation with Tom. The ship had survived the storm without noticeable damage. She and Tom were somewhat bruised from being thrown against the restraining harnesses. Their air supply was good for a few more hours. The dimension drive was functional and they had 50 percent of their control thruster fuel remaining. The biggest problem was that they were lost. Tom asked, "Captain, do you have any idea where we are?"

Captain Brezinski responded, "I can tell by the gravitometer sensors that we are a long way from where we started. I am unable to determine even a direction at this time." They discussed their options and decided their time would be best spent by having Tom do a detailed inspection of the ship while Captain Brezinski worked on navigation. She would need to accomplish the wide area navigational skills that she was unable to complete during the battle preparations. Tom set out to inspect their ship. He had wanted a ride in the "flying saucer", but he had to admit that the ride had become a little more thrilling than he had bargained for.

Captain Brezinski returned to the training module for navigation. She quickly moved through the regional navigation that she had previously accomplished. The wide area sectional navigation was much more complicated. It was based on the gravitational variance which the instruments would detect. The black hole in the center of the Milky Way acted as the reference point. She learned to sense the individual stars almost as if she were feeling their pressure. She was immersed in her training long enough for Tom to complete his inspection.

Captain Brezinski returned to active mode and began to plot her position and the position of the battle. She was surprised at her results and told Tom, "It appears that we are 1/4 of the way across the galaxy from where we started."

Tom was a bit of a "doubting Thomas" and asked, "How could we possibly have traveled that far in such a short period of time?"

Captain Brezinski explained that the universe was folded around the black holes. They had not actually traveled that far, but because of the sharp folding they were 1/4 of the way to the opposite side of the galaxy. Tom objected that because light travels in a straight line, it was obvious to him that the galaxy was straight. Captain Brezinski tried explaining that it was like looking through the fiber-optic scopes that Doc Jules used to look inside of them. He sees a straight line despite all of the bends that the scope makes. As long as light bends to follow the folds of the universe it would not be detectable.

Captain Brezinski explained her plan for returning home. She reminded Tom that "Home" was moving at greater than 1/2 the speed of light in an uncertain direction. Her calculations indicated the transit time back to the point of the battle would be almost 3 hours. Tom pointed out that they had enough oxygen for only 2 hours. Captain Brezinski said, "I will leave the oxygen problem to you and I will deal with the navigational issues."

Mike knew that the Captain was in trouble, but his immediate concern was to stabilize the ship's status. The air pressure in their dome had decreased to the point that all air locks were sealed. They had not really had time to prepare for weightlessness and there was stuff floating everywhere. He had Eric-Peter begin a minimal acceleration just to create enough force for things to settle down. He called to order his version of a command conference. He acknowledged the concern that Eric-Peter had voiced. His calculations and revealed that The Guardian had only enough oxygen for about 2 hours. Eric-Peter did point out that time was different in the fifth dimension. Mike responded, "Time maybe different, but the reality is that their oxygen supply is finite and we have no way of helping them."

Brother Simon suggested that they send out the series of radio beacons to act like an electronic trail of bread crumbs. The Chief was concerned about the security threat that they may pose. Brother Simon asked, "If another enemy ship presents itself, do we have any means of defense? If not, then what difference does it make.?"

Mike compromised and suggested that they limit the life of the beacons to 24 hours. He began to sketch out a pattern for the beacons. He released the Chief and another of the crew to begin their inspection of the access tunnel. He did his best to assign tasks to everyone so that no one had too much time to brood about their missing comrades.

Martha had her hands full trying to maintain their baby in the zero gee conditions. Simple things like diaper changes became very difficult. It is hard enough to stabilize an active baby on a changing table. Stabilizing a baby, who can float away, while trying to prevent contamination from the soiled diaper was a real challenge. Their complicated feeding system became completely impossible. Indie was hungry and was letting the world know about it. He did not care if there was a crisis. His crying became progressively louder. Martha, in desperation, gave up on the sterility issue and took Indie out of his sterile bubble. She placed him to her breast and he immediately began to suckle. He was so aggressive that he brought tears to Martha's eyes. She pulled him from her breast and scolded him for biting her. He settled down some and began nursing more reasonably. She held him, trying to rock him by stabilizing her hips and feet so that her upper torso would provide the gentle rocking motion. The post feeding burping of Indie was again a challenge because the spit up just floated away.

When the Chief reached the airlock for the access tunnel he found it partially ajar. He used the remote camera to visualize the outer lock and realized that it was almost completely destroyed. The camera revealed the tunnel itself to be filled with ice and snow. It was this plug of snow and ice which prevented a more catastrophic leak. The Chief retrieved the camera and simply sealed the inner lock with foam. Repair was going to be a major undertaking.

As he began the long hike back to the arachnoid structure he and Mike discussed their options. Mike wondered if they could use their laser to blast through the ice plug. The Chief doubted that they could do it from the inside because there was no place for the vapors to escape to. They discussed using the freight docking port on the aft side of the ship. Mike was concerned because the port had been unused since their launch from earth. The computer reported its sensors revealed a normal status for the airlock; however the docking configuration was significantly different and would not fit The Guardian. Mike decided to send an inspection team up the conveyor system to the automated supply depot. If the airlock was operational he thought they could use a cable system with magnetic attachments to secure The Guardian to their ship. The move from The Guardian would have to be made as an EVA transit.

Captain Brezinski was navigating The Guardian up the river of energy that had washed them away. She could feel the energy pushing against her and found that if she stayed just to the edge of the energy stream that she could navigate in the eddy currents. Just like in a real river the edges of the current became confused and even flowed backwards. By carefully keeping the ship in this interface she made better speed and provided a smoother ride.

Tom analyzed The Guardian's atmosphere. Mike's patch was holding. The oxygen level was 110 percent of normal but the pressure was only 75 percent of Earth normal. He disconnected his suit from the ship's air supply and took a breath of the cabin air. It wasn't bad. It reminded him of his first attempts at breathing outside of the arachnoid structure. He had learned his lesson and was careful to control his breathing. He figured if he was careful he would do okay breathing the cabin air and would save the ship's air supply for Captain Brezinski. She needed to stay connected in order to control The Guardian. He interrupted Captain Brezinski to ask, "How did they charge their suits for extra vehicular activities?"

Captain Brezinski responded, "There is an oxygen pressure outlet in the aft workstation. The pressure sensors reveal a normal reading. I am not sure how to translate the volume indicator so I cannot tell how long it will last."

Tom moved aft again and found the valve that she had described. He opened the valve slightly and breathed in the pure oxygen. His headache improved immediately. He began looking for a way of connecting this valve with the Captain's oxygen system. He found a small first aid type of oxygen bottle with the proper connection. The small amount of repair tubing available in the storage compartments would never reach forward enough to be useful. He could transport the oxygen with the small bottle but it would be tedious.

Mike knew that the oxygen supply aboard The Guardian was used up. He felt responsible for not insisting on a more elaborate life support system. Academically he knew that this was not a valid argument because of the time constraints, but emotionally he felt responsible. He could not bring himself to stopping the watch for the Captain and Tom, but personally felt that all hope was lost. He busied himself by working with Eric-Peter to dispatch a drone rocket to the "burned out" enemy ship. He wanted to boost the ship into their trajectory and capture it for use as the counter weight. Without a counter weight their rotation would not produce enough force to adequately simulate gravity.

Brother Simon suited up in one of the sterility suits and entered Martha's habitat. His brief greeting was followed by a request that she allow him to sit and pray with her. His simple request brought tears to her eyes. His prayer was a simple thanks for their deliverance and the protection of Indie. He asked that Captain Brezinski and Tom be returned to them safely. He closed by saying, "Thy will be done."

Martha thanked him for his prayer and for keeping hope alive. They began sharing their feelings for Tom and the Captain. Martha admitted that she loved Tom, but she also knew that she could never claim him solely for herself. She likened him to the cowboys of the Old West and their songs like, "Don't Fence Me In." Brother Simon liked her analogy and said, "Tom is truly an adventurer and a free spirit. It would be hard not to love Tom." He then went on to describe his feelings of joy and contentment that he felt when he shared time with Captain Brezinski.

Martha asked, "Do these feelings mean that you love her?" Brother Simon was quiet and did not respond for several minutes. Finally he admitted that he did love her.

Captain Brezinski was adapting well to the sectional navigation. It was like hiking and keeping your direction by feeling the warmth of the sun on your right side. She maintained the radial of the gravitational center in a relatively constant position. She adapted slowly as their tangential course cut across different radials much like having the sun rotate across the sky while hiking. The energy river was disappearing as the energy of the atomic explosions waned. She now maintained her navigation strictly using the skills of the sectional navigation. She would have liked to have had an autopilot, but knew that the builders of the ship would never turn control over to a machine. Machines were meant to assist and support. The interface she was using expanded her capabilities, but she remained totally in control.

The oxygen levels in her tanks were becoming low. Tom began to shuttle oxygen from the aft workstation to her reservoir. The small tank he was using provided a 15 minute supply of oxygen. It took him ten minutes to fill the tank, reconnect it to the Captain's supply and transfer the oxygen. The carbon dioxide levels were building inside the ship and had increased Tom's respiratory rate. The simple exertion of filling and carrying a small oxygen bottle was tiring. He struggled with his own hypoxia to keep Captain Brezinski's oxygen flowing.

Captain Brezinski was nearing the site of their battle. She told Tom to take his seat. She brought the ship through the surface interface back to normal dimensions. There was nothing. They had no way of determining which way they should head other than knowing the general course of their ship prior to the attack. Tom called out on the radio hoping for a response. There was no response, just static from the background radiation of the universe. They discussed their options and Captain Brezinski said she would begin a random search pattern in the fifth dimension hoping to locate their home. Tom became focused on his communication equipment. He had detected a faint radio beep. He had difficulty locating it accurately because of the weakness of the signal. It did respond to his messages but only with a beep. Captain Brezinski took his determined location and plotted her course. They slipped back into the fifth dimension.

The small radio beacon had detected Tom's call and forwarded it on to the next radio beacon. This chain reaction brought the signal to the watch officer who immediately called Mike. Mike listened to the garbled sound of the signal and could not tell for sure if it was real. He asked Eric-Peter to see if he could clean it up. He was reluctant to notify the crew because a false hope was worse than no hope. The Chief argued the opposite and that a statement of tempered hope would bolster the crew's morale. Mike agreed and announced the slight possibility that they had received a signal from The Guardian. He stressed that they did not know if it was from Tom and the Captain or if it was from an automated device. Eric-Peter's manipulation of the signal seemed to resemble Tom's voice.

Captain Brezinski concentrated on her navigation while Tom resumed his oxygen shuttle. He was fighting the worst hangover of his life. It seemed like the tank was taking longer to fill. Captain Brezinski again brought her ship to the interface and popped out of the fifth dimension. They had over shot their target, but now a second beacon was evident foreword of their position. Tom again issued his call but received only a beep in response. Captain Brezinski plotted her new course and slipped back into the fifth dimension. Tom resumed his shuttle, but was now taking 13 minutes instead of the previous 10 minutes.

Excitement aboard the ship increased exponentially when they received the second signal. Eric-Peter plotted their position based on the time lags between the reception by the first and second radio beacons. The time estimate for arrival was about 20 minutes. Mike told the chief to get his crew moving back to the supply depot and prepare for the Captain's arrival. He added, "And take the doctor with you just in case he is needed."

Captain Brezinski continued her game of hop-scotch with the radio beacons. Tom finally made radio contact. The reception was very marginal. Eric-Peter had plotted their course and told them that they had four more radio beacons to go. Tom summarized their status. Captain Brezinski decided to try and make a run for the ship. She calculated the course and distance. Saving the time of confirming their position at each radio beacon would hopefully conserve enough oxygen to allow a safe return. She based her navigation decisions on a dead reckoning of the ships position. She slipped back into the fifth dimension and moved forward. She kept the ship just below the interface so that she could watch for the characteristic dimple of their home.

Tom's oxygen shuttle was becoming harder than any mountain he had climbed on earth. The simple effort of transporting the bottle almost overwhelmed him. He was now taking 15 minutes for the transfer and was just maintaining the Captain's oxygen supply. He would occasionally take a sip of oxygen from the outlet to ease the dizziness he felt from the increased carbon dioxide level. He felt guilty for using the oxygen the Captain needed.

Captain Brezinski was nearing her expected point of contact when she noticed an aberration of the surface in her peripheral visual field. She change course and recognized the characteristic dimple of their ship. She moved her ship against the gravitational dimple and brought it through the interface back to normal dimensions. She noticed that the ship was now encased by an atmosphere of thick fog. Suddenly she detected the gravitational variation and felt the loss of the expanded capabilities that the dimension drive had given her. Her ability to utilize the fifth dimension had left.

Tom called the ship and could hear the joy of his crew mates in the background. He notified Eric-Peter that the oxygen situation was critical and that they needed to dock ASAP. Mike could be heard in the background telling Eric-Peter what to say about the damage to the access tunnel. Eric-Peter in his very controlled manner said, "The access tunnel is not operational. You are advised to proceed to the aft freight docking port."

Tom failed to respond and when Captain Brezinski looked over at him she realized that he had blacked out. She took over communications and advised Eric-Peter that she would need assistance because of the cloud of fog which obscured the ship and all landmarks. She noticed that her breathing was becoming labored and realized her oxygen had run out. She had to remove her helmet in order to breathe. The cabin air was better than no air. It was like being in an altitude chamber and taking off your oxygen mask. The subtle confusion of hypoxia begins to set in quickly. Eric-Peter was using precision radar approach techniques to guide her to the docking port. He had her increase power 5 percent and turn 10 degrees starboard. Captain Brezinski was using the secondary gyroscopic instruments on the panel which were similar to the instruments aboard her submarine and planes she had flown. They seemed primitive compared to the flow of information that she sensed wearing the helmet. She entered the world of fog and her visual sensors became worthless.

Eric-Peter told her to decrease her angle of attack 18 degrees and to turn to port 3 degrees. Captain Brezinski was concentrating hard but the carbon dioxide buildup was adding to the confusion of her hypoxia. When Eric-Peter told her to decrease her thrust to zero, she was a little slow in responding. Eric-Peter then had her use reverse thrust for ten seconds on his count. All of Captain Brezinski's advanced navigational and piloting skills were lost because of the hypoxia. Eric-Peter was talking her down much like air traffic controllers would a non-pilot who had to assume control of the aircraft because of the pilot's death. She automatically followed his commands. When his count reached 10 she stopped the reverse thrust. She was having difficulty in reading her instruments because of her blurred vision.

She perceived a sudden "thunk" as Mike's magnetic tie downs were attached to The Guardian. The Chief announced satisfactory capture of the ship. Eric-Peter advised Captain Brezinski to begin the shutdown protocol. Her confusion had increased to the point she was unable to recall the checklist.

The Chief had to orientate Doc Jules to working outside the ship. The dense fog obscured the view and the small crew used their positioning devices to keep themselves orientated. Doc Jules voiced his disappointment, "This is the first time I have been outside in years and I cannot see anything. This fog is worse than any fog I ever experienced fishing."

The Chief opened the outer airlock. He and Doc Jules entered. They cycled the airlock and entered The Guardian. Doc Jules monitored the ship's atmosphere as they worked their way forward. The pressure remained 70 percent of Earth normal but the oxygen concentration had decreased to 60 percent and the carbon dioxide level was 100 times normal. They found the Captain at the controls. She was still trying to perform the shutdown protocol. She was speaking in Russian and was obviously very confused. Doc Jules had the Chief attend Captain Brezinski while he worked on Tom.

The Chief placed the oxygen mask over the Captain's face. She became aware of a voice saying, "Breathe, Captain!" As she responded to the command her head began to clear and she recalled the shutdown protocol. This overwhelming task suddenly became simple with her brain receiving adequate oxygenation.

Doc Jules began CRP on Tom. He checked for a carotid artery pulse and was relieved to feel a rapid, but strong, pulse of 150 beats per minute. Tom was still breathing, but the rate was very rapid and quite shallow. He was obviously unconscious. his pupils still responded to light in the normal fashion indicating likely good brain function. Doc Jules placed the mask over Tom's face and used the pressure valve on the tank to force Tom to take deep breaths. After a few of these forced respirations Tom began to respond. As Tom awakened, he gradually became aware of Doc Jules, the Captain and the Chief. He finally became oriented enough to pull the mask off of his face and said, "Captain, we must have made it because even the Chief looks good to me."

Tom's strength returned quickly with the available oxygen. The Chief hooked up oxygen cylinders to both suits and prepared the two survivors for transit back to the ship. As they exited the airlock Captain Brezinski asked to inspect the tie downs. The Chief assured her that they were satisfactory, but she wanted to look anyway. She was very tired but the horrible mental fatigue she had experienced in training was not there. The nurturing of the interface had left her mind fresh despite her many hours of intense concentration. She called Eric-Peter and asked him if he had detected the gravitational flux of the dimension drive departing. His affirmative answer solidified her memories that had become somewhat distorted during her period of hypoxia. She responded, "The Ancient Ones must think that we can make it on our own now."

The End

I can be contacted at: DocKaluza@gmail.com or at:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Doc-Kaluza/172455206099307.

Cover art by Vila Design

Photograph by Ruth Eichholtz

