The Chimera Scheme

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Chapter 1

Disaster

Cooper Wallach sat out on the deck at the table in his bathrobe and slippers sipping gourmet coffee from an antique mug. The warm breeze of mid-afternoon caught the corner of the page as he read from the afternoon edition of the Houston Star dated April 29, 2070. 

At a little past 11:28 PM last night, Central Standard Time, the space exploration vessel Chimera carrying a crew of 247, and 17 children born since the mission began, transmitted a routine message to NASA confirming that they were rounding Pluto, and was never heard from again. It was to be their last orbit before beginning the second half of their 12 year mission to explore the solar system.

NASA had expected the radio blackout caused by Pluto blocking the signal and waited for Chimera to reemerge at 11:36.

By 11:37 NASA realized there was a problem and began hailing Chimera on all emergency frequencies, and continued to monitor the situation, even turning satellites toward Pluto to help in the effort. 

After 20 minutes of frantic effort the mood became bleak.

One NASA employee said, "It was a sick feeling here, not being able to do anything but watch and listen."

At 1:08 am CST one of the satellites picked up a massive radiation cloud emerging from behind the planet and drifting along Chimera's approximate course.

NASA officials believe the cloud to be all that remains of the vessel.

Chief Director Dr. Cooper Wallach who personally headed the project, stated,

"We just don't have any answers. Whatever happened seems to have happened very quickly. We haven’t heard from any of the crew that may have escaped via landing craft, and right now we hold out very little hope that anyone survived. We will continue to monitor for another 72 hours in the event that someone may somehow have made it."

When Dr. Wallach was asked whether there would be a rescue operation, he answered, "Rescue what, a cloud of radioactive cosmic dust?”

The Chimera disaster is the single biggest in the 110 year history of NASA. It took over 14 years to build the ship at a cost of just more than a trillion and a half dollars. It had been the brainchild of Wallach's close friend, Nobel Prize winning planetologist Dr. Nathan Willis who was aboard as Chief Science Officer. 

Many public officials commented on the catastrophe. 

Reaction from People's Party Senator Moseby was strong. "This is a terrible tragedy for all of those who have lost loved ones, as well as for the taxpayers of this nation who have supported NASA. 

We are all victims of its fruitless attempts and empty promises. We are led to believe that they can solve the problems of Earth by looking for the answers in the stars, and while the notion is noble, they just haven't delivered.

I believe that it is time for some answers, and I understand that Chief Director Wallach has none. No hope. No answers. We are left instead with a cloud of radioactive debris, the loss of 264 lives and a trillion and a half dollars."

Cooper folded the paper closed to keep the wind from turning the pages and leaned his tall thin frame back in his chair stretching. He rubbed the back of his neck and yawned pushing his thumb and middle finger into his eyes to brush away what was left of the sleep that he had so desperately needed. His mug found its way to his lips as he thought of his friend aboard the Chimera. 

It was Willis who had suggested that he sell the old house and move after struggling so long over his wife's death, and it was Willis who had found this place and then virtually moved in. Sometimes he’d even be entertaining guests. Somehow though, it was never a burden. He’d show up after stopping at the store to pick up steaks and have them on the grill when Cooper pulled up in the driveway.

The wind threatened to scatter the paper across the yard pulling Cooper back to the present. He finished his coffee and made for the shower. Half an hour later he was dressed and in the garage. He put his clubs in the trunk, and slipped the envelope containing his resignation in the glove box. He had just enough time to go to work, say his good byes, and make the tee time he had reserved 2 weeks ago. He also had an evening appointment at the cryogenics lab. As he pulled the car onto the road he wondered what Willis was up to, whether or not he was still awake. He recalled the conversation they had the night that Willis sprang the whole crazy scheme on him in the first place. 

“You’re serious, of course.” Cooper was in the rec. room pouring his third brandy. The tone was flat but invited a response.

“Why not, we have everything we need.” shrugged Nathan Willis from his stool at the snack bar in the kitchen. He wore a yellow shirt and green dress slacks. His deeply receded hairline, premature for a man in his late forties, shorter stature, curly salt and pepper hair, and Roman nose coupled with the bright combination would have made him look clown like were it not for a pair of designer glasses.

“Ooh, the Populists will have a ball with that. They’re already trying to push the program into extinction and we have a president who wants a second term.”

“Coop, you were more fun before you got political. It’s not a problem.”

“Don’t you read the paper?”

“Not if I can help it.” Nathan retorted. “It won’t be a problem because they won’t know.”

“What!? Oh, I see. We simply take it upon ourselves to alter a NASA mission involving thousands of people and we keep it all a secret.” Cooper’s tone was becoming caustic. 

“That’s very good Nathan. You have quite a future as a comic. I’d say your ambition has exceeded your grasp.”

“Yeah? Well, at least I’m still reaching. These days it seems that your ambition only goes as far as your liquor cart.” Nathan replied in partial disgust.

Cooper had finished pouring his drink. He was older than Nathan by eight years. His features were sharp but not overly pointed and he wore his silver hair combed back to cover a thinning crown. He headed back to the kitchen where the aroma of steak still hung in the air from a meal served more than an hour ago.

“You were the one who, after Rachel died told me that, I needed to kick back and ‘Have a drink once in awhile. Learn to live a little.’”

“Live. Not crawl into a bottle and die. Look at you Coop. You go to work, put in your time and you come home. You sit here alone and you drink.”

“Alone!? You’re around. Hell, you’re here more than I am.” 

“You go through a bottle and a half of brandy a week.” Nathan pointed out.

“I don’t have a drinking problem.”

“You rely on it too much.” 

“Thanks for your diagnosis Doctor Willis. Do you have a prescription?” Cooper asked in sarcasm.

“Sure. Take one reason to live administered anally to kill the bug you’ve got up your arse, and call me when you’re sober.”

“Wonderful. Any idea where I can get that filled?”

“I may be able to help with the prescription but you’re on your own as far as administering the dosage.” Nathan quipped. Cooper threw him a glance from his stool across the bar and the joke was over. Nathan’s voice picked up an earnest tone. “Coop, 6 years ago when you landed in the director’s chair, you told me that you wanted to get us to the stars and this is your opportunity to see your dream.”

“No, Nathan. Not like this.” Cooper protested, shaking his head after having a swig of brandy.

“How then?” Nathan shrugged. “You think you can get presidential approval? How are you going to sell it? Package it as a bold step forward?”

“We got to the Moon that way.” Cooper replied.

“Coop, Kennedy didn’t have the People’s Party to contend with.”

“Yes he did.”

“Okay, but they were in Moscow. They didn’t have control of the House.” Nathan reminded.

“I thought you didn’t follow politics.” Cooper answered. There was no response. “Aside from the fact that it’s ridiculous I have a career to consider.”

“It’s not a problem.” Willis explained. “The mission has two and a half years till it begins and another five and a half till we leave the solar system. You retire when you have your time in four years from now with a full pension.”

Cooper was incredulous. “You mean resign in disgrace amid the political fallout that this little scheme of yours will create! Besides, they pushed full benefits back five years. I’ve got nine years left.”

“Retire early.” Nathan instructed.

“No!”

“Fine. I’ll make you the sole beneficiary of all my assets. That should take care of your problem.” resolved Nathan.

“My problem!? Right now my finances are the least of the problem. You’re talking about taking a ship and crew to the other side of the galaxy. Did it ever occur to you that something could go wrong?”

“It’s a risky mission.” Nathan conceded, taking a swallow of lemon water.

“A mission?” asked Cooper straightening himself. “A mission has well defined plans. It’s developed with a purpose and has clear objectives.”

“The mission has a clear objective and the plan is feasible.” Nathan gestured in a cutting motion. 

“There is nothing clear about this even if you could pull it off.” rebuffed Cooper. “It’s full of unknowns and loose ends.”He moved his hands as if trying to get them around his words. “And it isn’t a mission. It’s a… damn Chimera scheme! It isn’t what it is anymore. You’re making it something else, and then, who knows, it could become something else again.” He folded his arms and leaned forward on his elbows for emphasis. “Besides, no one has ever been out of the solar system before let alone traversing interstellar space.”

A vague smile pulled slightly at Nathan’s lips for an instant before he leaned forward, almost mirroring Cooper “That’s exactly the point isn’t it.” 

Cooper drew a deep breath, scratching his left ear lobe from a mosquito bite suffered earlier and exhaled audibly. “First, no one has ever built a ship that can travel to the other side of the galaxy. How do you know you can get there in this one?”

“We have a five year cruise prior to departure to help determine whether Chimera is capable of making the trip.”

“What about the cryogenics?

“What about it? They’re being used successfully on a short term basis for organ transplants.”

“No one has ever done super long term cryogenic research.” As soon as he heard his own words Cooper realized the error in the point he’d tried to make.

Nathan opened his mouth momentarily in incredulity before speaking. “You can’t be serious. Are you sure you want to use that as an argument? The ship is already fitted with it.”

“Okay, scientifically speaking we may be able to do this, but Nathan, we’re completely outside the law here.”

“You like long term research? How many times over the centuries has science been advanced by those who were willing to risk breaking the law?”

“Damn it Nathan, we’re not talking about digging up cadavers on principal for the sake of advancing medicine.”

“Really? How is this any different, fundamentally, morally?” There was an earnest conviction in the question that gave Cooper pause. 

“Look at the alternatives, Coop. Do it their way, and even if the Chimera mission succeeds, it will be the end of the NASA Deep Space Exploration Project for at least as long as the Populists are in power. You’ll have given almost thirty years of your life to a dream that is only being denied because of politics, and you’ll have had had a career whose crowning achievement will have been to turn around and come back.”

Cooper rested his elbow on the snack bar rubbed his forehead with his thumb and forefingers and looked across at Nathan, thinking.

“And I’ll be personally responsible for stopping the advance of space travel and exploration for the foreseeable future, is that it?” Cooper surmised. 

“I didn’t say that, but at least this way you get a shot at your dream.”

Cooper could feel his bottom lip stiffen although he knew that he was losing his resolve. “How do you expect to keep this a secret?”

“Don’t tell anyone.” Willis answered off handedly. 

“The crew?” Cooper asked, opening his hand.

“Yeah, eventually.”

“And how do you keep 247 people from spilling the beans?” Cooper asked in a tone that conveyed the impossibility.

“I won’t give them any beans to spill.” Nathan replied matter of factly. 

“Nate, maybe it’s the brandy, or maybe I’m just tired. Why don’t you just spell it out and spare me the mental gymnastics.”

“Let them embark on the mission thinking that they’ll have to return just as NASA has it planned.” Nathan explained. “As we orbit Saturn I present the crew with the possibility of leaving for the other side of the galaxy.” 

“You’re going to vote on it!?” laughed Cooper.

“It only seems right.” Nathan answered.

“Majority rules?”

“Nothing so cruel.” Willis replied furrowing his brow slightly. “Unilateral veto. When the time comes for the Chimera to disappear it will happen with unanimous cooperation from her crew or it won’t happen at all.”

“What if somebody says no?” Cooper questioned.

“We come back to Earth.”

“If they report you?”

“I’ll stand trial.”

“If that happens the press will have a field day.” Cooper hooted before using his hand to gesticulate a headline. “‘Nobel Prize winner attempts to steal NASA mission’ ”

“I wouldn’t be the first scientist painted as a madman.” came Willis’s casual reply.

Cooper looked at his friend of more than thirty years. “You’re really willing to risk it. You really believe you could get them all to go with you.”

“No. I mean, I don’t know if they would, but, I think it’s a real possibility.” Nathan postulated.

“Why? What makes you think that you could get that many people to unanimously agree to a one way trip to the other side of the galaxy?” asked Cooper still trying to get his head around the idea.

“Remember who these people will be,” Nathan reminded him, “scientists and astronauts, all of them among the very best in their field. They already have a burning desire to explore and learn. I’ve been gathering intelligence, preselecting and screening potential candidates for this mission for the last 6 months, looking for qualified people who posses not only necessary skills but the mental attributes that would make them willing to take that particular risk.”

“You’ve been loading the dies.” indicted Cooper.

“Mmm, hmm.”

“You’ve been scheming for months. Damn it, Nathan!” shouted Coop. “Why couldn’t you have just talked with me about this?” There was no answer. “Once again, it’s too late. I’ve got no way out. I either resign in disgrace when you disappear, or I fire you and run the risk of scrapping the mission. You pull this crap all the time!” 

“I’m sorry Coop.” 

“Oh yeah! Yeah, you’re sorry, till the next time it happens.” Cooper brooded.

“Well, if this works, there won’t be a next time.” Nathan pointed out.

“It would almost be worth it just to be rid of you.” Cooper thought for a moment. 

“Nathan, it occurs to me that you really don’t need my help to pull this off.”

“True.”

“Why tell me?”

“Because you’re my best friend, Coop. I know I’m a pain, but you’re the closest thing I have to family. I couldn’t live with letting you think that the mission was a catastrophic failure.”

“Yeah,” Cooper considered, “but now that you have you know what’s bothering me? It’s the idea of never getting to know how it turns out.” 

“Well, I’ll tell you what, Coop.” Nathan offered. “You help me pull this off and I promise to do my best to get you word on the results.” 

“Oh sure, Nate.” Cooper humored. He rested his left elbow in front of him and placed his thumb on the side of his jaw with his closed hand in front of his face before lapsing into silence. Nathan recognized the posture and let him think. Cooper’s gaze was directed within as he sat slowly turning the glass of brandy with his right hand. He stopped at length, looked at the glass, and then pushed it away with the back of his hand before looking at Nathan. “How long did it take you to get over losing Dianne and Kieth?” 

“You never get over it Coop. You just learn to go on.” Nathan answered in quiet encouragement.

Cooper nodded in understanding, and then said, “You know, we probably shouldn’t talk about this after tonight.”

“Why? You gonna remove me from the mission?”

“I’ll let you know that tomorrow when I’m sober. No. I’m just concerned about security.”

Willis drew a quick breath and furrowed his brow. “You know Coop, if you do decide to can me I’ll understand.”

“Would you?”

“Yeah, I would but, if you decide to let me stay on there is one thing you can do for me, if you will.”

“Sure Nate. What is it?”

“Build that crate so that it makes it to the other side of the galaxy.”

“It’s not a problem.” Cooper assured him.

****

It was just getting dark when Cooper pulled his car into the parking lot at Kryotex. They had provided the cryogenics protocol for the Chimera project and he had been dealing with them for years but today he was there for a routine physical. After the exam he had a conversation with the cryogenics specialist.

“Are you sure you want to wait?” she asked. “We nearly have your berth ready now.”

“I know.” acknowledged Cooper. “It’s just that I’d like to take a little time and enjoy my retirement before I come in.”

“Well the decision is yours of course but you already have all the arrangements in place and the longer you delay the more it will cost and the greater the chances of contracting an illness or having an injury that would make cryogenics out of the question.”

“I’m well aware of the risks.” Cooper assured her.

She nodded her understanding. “How much time do you think you’ll want?”

“Let’s push the date back a year.”

“A year?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I figure that should be about enough time.” Cooper assessed.

“A lot can happen in a year. In a year I met my husband, fell in love, got married, and had our first baby.”

“At this point in my life I’m not planning on falling in love or having children.”

“Niether was I.” she retorted. “The point is that anything could happen. There are many things that could happen that may change your mind about your decision, or your eligibility.”

“I’ll take my chances.” Cooper answered, and then added under his breath, “Nate has taken his.”

“What?” asked the doctor.

“Nothing.” Cooper answered.

Willis had been right. The exploration of space was halted in the U.S. after the election of 2088 when the Peoples Party came to power with a super majority and senator Moseby at the head of the ticket. They had promised sweeping economic reform and they delivered. They socialized all energy and utilities, health care, and education as well as the insurance industry. The result was a drop in the cost of living as prices on products fell. Jobs became plentiful as manufacturing returned to the U.S. incentivized by lower energy costs and the next election virtually made the U.S. a socialist country. 

The economy expanded. Even foreign companies moved into the United States helping to finance the socialist regime and ensuring its continuation while the other political parties squabbled among themselves. The socialists held sway for more than a century, until, at last, the economy which had been their friend for so long contracted. Stagnated by regulation and overburdened by the weight of government the economy was crumbling. Congress acted by passing the Marketing Act of 2201. It was supposed to open new venues for small businesses by limiting where large corporations could market. Instead it spawned an economic collapse. Social services could no longer operate. Medical facilities were forced to shut down. Goods of all kinds became scarce. The country struggled through the next decade but the socialists still maintained their hold, pushing through more taxes, regulation, and governmental expansion. They then voted to suspend elections until after the economic crisis.

Americans took to the streets. One group of protestors took control of Ellis Island on 02/22/2222 by means of holding a political rally and then refusing to leave. The idea was to remain for twenty two days to protest the suspension of elections, the failed policies of the government, and to call for a return to the intended principles of the U.S. constitution, but two of the protestors, a young couple, walking together with an American flag around them were crushed beneath a vehicle in a clash with police on the third day. The police claimed it was accidental, saying they had fallen in front of a half track. Others said they were pushed in front of it by the police. Either way the image of their mangled embrace wrapped in a soiled and bloody banner touched off a firestorm. 

The incident set in motion a chain of civil disobedience and protests that led to the Second American Revolution. The revolutionary forces were bolstered by some military defections but most of the armed forces remained under governmental control. After only three days of resistance Canada and Brazil both came to the aid of the revolutionary cause. Forced to fight a war on two fronts and unable to garner foreign support the socialist government capitulated. Every Peoples Party candidate was defeated in the ensuing election. The newly elected congress called for a new constitution written in the language of the day, and written so that the common people could understand it. 

The result was the United Confederate States of America.
 

Chapter 2

Priorities

Nathan Willis awoke amid the sound of retching and the acrid stench of vomit. He too was overtaken by the urge. His naked body was stiff. Shaking with the first effort he partially missed the trough. His next attempt was more successful and the retching soon subsided. A mucousy yellowish stream was slowly flowing down his arm.

He leaned on his elbow and looked around the cryo-chamber from his upper berth trying to focus, although he probably shouldn’t have. It would take awhile before his eyes would respond normally and there was no sense in straining. Right now his gaze produced only fuzzy images. He smiled; amused by the realization that each eye was looking in a different direction. 

The hum of an approaching medibot drew his attention and even in his present state Nathan could make out the pyramid of sea green composite drawers and trays that it used to store supplies and hold instruments while performing procedures. They had first been designed for use as surgical assistants and eventually they were put on floor duty but their lack of simpatico made them poor nurses so, they were put into the role requiring the most knowledge and the least compassion. They were great doctors and wonderful surgeons. It only took a moment for the bot to do a retinal scan.

“Hello Dr. Willis. You are doing well but you are in need of nutrition and sleep. I’ll give you a mild sedative.”

“I don’t want it. I just woke from being asleep.”

“Correction. You’ve just regained consciousness after cryogenic suspension and your system has been seriously depleted. You require sleep in order to restore normal processes and muscu-”

“Fine!” snapped Nathan with as much vigor as he could manage. “Just give me the sedative and spare me the lecture.”

The bot complied and then made some adjustments to the controls for his cryoberth.

“You seem to be out of sorts. I could give you an antidepressant.”

“No. I’m sure I’ll be in better spirits when I’m able to get out of this rack.”

“Very well. I will return when you wake. The sedative will take effect momentarily.”

“Before you go, tell me what the date is.”

“The date is 3629.363 AD”

The sedative and the despair overtook him at the same moment plunging him into troubling dreams of a small green and blue planet. Willis woke 14 hours later and found that he was wired to a muscle stimulator. As he began to sit up a medibot caught his movement and approached. It said nothing but began removing the adhesive patches and disconnecting him. 

“Am I free to leave?” The bot was silent. It finished its task and when it turned to go Willis noticed a pair of hemostats jammed through its speaker.

A second bot approached. “Dr. Willis you are free to leave. Please remove yourself from the berth. I recommend that you proceed directly to your quarters and bathe.”

“I recommend a pair of hemostats.” growled Willis climbing down to the floor and grabbing a recycled cellulose robe.

“Hemostats would not be a suitable substitute for personal hygiene. You have not bathed since-”

“I know how long it’s been since I’ve had a bath!” Willis found himself yelling and realized that people were staring as he headed up the corridor to his quarters. He placed his hand on the sensor and the door slid open. He stepped inside and it shut behind him. He noticed the blue light on the com was blinking and pressed the button to hear the message.

“Nate, It’s Roberts. I’ll be in my ready room.”

Willis walked over to the entertainment unit in the wall, turned on Mozart, and headed for the shower. He broke open the vacuum sealed pouch containing a clean uniform and got dressed. He checked himself in the mirror and decided that he didn’t look so bad for a guy who was more than 1500 years old. 

He stopped at the galley for some Jell-O with fruit puree. It would be a few days before anyone would be able to tolerate solid food and the lack of a regular crew in the meantime meant it was help yourself service.

Captain Roberts stood looking out at the stars. He had been dictating a log entry and was halted in the process by the door tone. He turned toward it saying, “Come in.” The door slid open. “Ah, Dr. Willis, welcome to the 37th Century.”

“Hello, Captain. I take it you want to discuss our situation.”

“First of all, how much do you know about our situation?” Roberts asked, lowering his lanky frame into a contoured chair and pressing the com button in the table with a scarred left hand.

“About as much as I could figure out from waking up 3000 years too soon and taking a shower. What’s our position?”

“We’re about a third of the way across the galaxy along the approximate flight path that we set before our departure of Earth’s solar system but we’re drifting off of it.”

“Why?”

Captain Joseph Roberts reached for the panel in the table and a holograph of the Chimera appeared. It showed the ship swerving to miss several large meteors before being impacted in a glancing collision by a smaller one that rolled along the port side. His words were matter of fact, but their metered pace betrayed his emotion.

“The collision took place while we were at sublight speed for a core change. Our navigation systems have been impaired. There’s been some inner hull damage, and eleven members of the crew are dead.” 

Nathan let the words hang in the air as he studied Roberts. At a little over fifty years old and 6’2” his slim athletic but almost lanky frame and narrow features added height, while a full head of soft waving hair absent of gray gave him the appearance of a man in his late thirties. The captain seemed to naturally posses an energetic yet graceful, somewhat formal manor, the result of a military education. It was well suited to a commanding officer.

The silence was broken by the door tone.

“Come in.”

Commander Alex Mali age 34 entered in his usual loping gait. A shock of black hair bronze skin and Polynesian features would have left him perfectly at home on a surf board, as indeed he was but it was not Oahu he preferred. He was wearing a lab coat, left open to trail in his wake, sneakers, jeans, and a tee shirt. The front featured a graphic of a skeleton racing ahead of an avalanche on a snowboard with the words ‘Board to Death’ beneath it and ‘Devil’s Basin Siberia’ above it. “Captain, Chief, I've been assessing the damage to the cryoberth area and it isn’t as bad as we originally surmised. The fluid that we thought was leaking from the berths had actually been sprayed from a ruptured line that the techbots had shut down. I think we can safely revive the rest of the crew over the next 72 hours but, some of them closer to the damage may need immediate attention. The medis are monitoring those.”

“You told me there were cracks in those berths and the fluid levels were low.” Roberts reminded.

“Yes, I did, but the cracks were outer shield and the fluid was lowered by the medibots to conserve it.”

The door tone sounded again.

“Come in.” the captain answered.

As the door slid open, Lt. Comdr. Rodney Gully, head of propulsion and power, sauntered into the room. He was followed by Lt. Cheryl Leach, chief navigational and recon officer, and her husband Comdr. Cox Leach, first officer, and head of security and systems. He was about three inches shy of six feet making him an inch taller than her. His deep expressive brown eyes and wavy ash blonde hair parted on the right brought softness to a handsome clean shaven face.

“Good. Everyone have a seat please.” The captain instructed, and then added “Where’s Lt. Edwards?” 

“The reverend was with Ensign Daniels in the aft cryo-chamber when I came past, and from the looks of things he may be awhile.” Rodney drawled. “It seems Audrey walked in just in time to see a bot cleaning up the remains of her husband and daughter.” 

“I’ll brief him later, sir.” volunteered the first officer.

“Thank you Cox. Alex has just informed us that the remaining members of our crew can be safely revived over the next 72 hours although some may need immediate medical help. Has anyone else got anything new to report?”

Rodney began.

“Things are about the same in propulsion captain, except that we started repairs on the steering systems. I can’t give you an estimate on how soon we can have it fixed because most of my team is still on ice.”

“How many do you have right now, Rodney?”

“Three, sir.”

“That should be enough. Put them all to work on it.”

“I meant three counting myself, sir, and someone needs to monitor the main drive.” 

“Alright, I’ll do it. I think I can keep an eye on a containment grid. Commander, put me on your duty roster until your team is back in place.” 

“Yes sir, but how are you at taking orders?” quipped Rodney, not sparing the Tennessee charm.

The humor of the polished Air force educated Roberts taking orders from the rough cut Southern Gully was not wasted on the rest of the officers.

“A bit rusty I’m afraid.” Roberts responded lowering his gaze in what was meant to be a mock warning.

“Well, sir, we’ll have ya up to speed in no time.” countered Gully completely undaunted. 

“I’m sure you will commander.” Roberts placated. “Let’s move on. Cheryl.”

“Sir, most of the-” She was interrupted by the door tone.

“Come in.” Roberts answered, and a strongly built balding man in his mid forties wearing a stained uniform came quietly into the room and seated himself next to Willis.

“I’m sorry I’m late, sir and I apologize for my appearance.”

“How is Ensign Daniels?” asked the captain.

“Sedated.” answered Edwards. His answer brought puzzled looks from his peers. “Not my doing.” He explained in a less than satisfied tone. “I was trying to convince her to leave the chamber. She grabbed my sleeve and gave me a slight shove. I slipped and fell into the mess on the floor which, contained more than fluid. She screamed, and before I could make my way back to my feet to calm her, one of our marvelous mechanical doctors rendered her unconscious. She’s in her quarters.” 

“Lt. Leach was just beginning her report when you arrived.” The captain nodded and Cheryl resumed.

“As I was saying, the guidance systems are now testing functional but we can’t be sure they’re operational until the steering is back online. Our position is still within a half degree of our original course but it won’t hold there for much longer. We’re headed toward a star cluster that is generating enough gravitational pull to alter our present course by at least five degrees starboard and two degrees elevation. We also have serious damage to both of the long range recon vessels. One of the techbots had unsecured the Curie, to service the landing struts prior to the meteor storm, and before it could be resecured the Curie slid into the Nobel and broke it completely in half. Fortunately there hasn’t been any damage to the hangar bay or service areas so we will be able to cannibalize the Curie to rebuild the Nobel.”

The captain was silent for a moment before he spoke. “How long before our trajectory starts to decay?”

Cheryl’s freckled face was tight. She looked at the table and shook her head slowly as her red hair brushed over her shoulders. After thinking for a moment she looked at the captain and answered. “Maybe eighteen hours, sir.”

“Cox?”

“Nothing new, captain. The computer and communications systems are working fine and there’s nothing to report in the way of security.”

“Nate? I know you have nothing to report at the moment, but is there anything you’d like to add?”

Dr. Willis took his hand from his chin and raised his gaze to look around the table. “I’m sorry I got any of you people into this mess. If it wasn’t for my arrogance you’d be back home with your families instead of on a crippled vessel careening across the galaxy to God knows where at three times the speed of light.”

Roberts had been watching Willis. His tone was authoritative and reassuring.

“First of all Dr. Willis, you don’t know that. Second, now is not the time for regrets or self pity. We have to address our situation, and we need your help. Comdr. Mali, bring the doctor up to speed and fill us in on the little purple planet.”

Mali dimmed the lights from the table console and brought up a holograph of a star system that lay along their present course. 

“This is where we’re headed. It’s a solar system similar in some ways to that of Earth. The planet that the captain mentioned is the fourth of twelve and the star is of a slightly larger size than Earth’s sun which it orbits every twelve thousand one hundred eighty hours. The days are twenty eight hours long so there are four hundred thirty five days in a year.” 

The holograph zoomed in on a violet sphere orbited by two moons. Dr. Willis immediately began to take interest in the planet before him. He pulled up an interactive holographic screen and began running analysis.

Mali continued his explanation. “After the collision, Chimera determined that we were not going to be able to safely reach the other side of the galaxy. It began scanning for habitable worlds along our flight path and found this one. It then began waking us.”

Commander Leach spoke in his usual quick matter of fact manner. “So, if we get the steering fixed we can maintain our course past the approaching star cluster and reach this planet, and if we don’t, our course is pulled down and away and we’re headed out of the galaxy with only enough supplies to sustain us for another five years, provided we survive the ride past the nearest star.”

“That, would be, a correct assessment of the logistics,” Mali falteringly conceded nodding his head, “but it isn’t quite that straight forward.”

“Why am I not surprised?” drawled Rodney leaning his tall broad shouldered frame back in his chair. Straight sandy hair partially covered his forehead as he gazed out from steady blue eyes that hinted at age and humor.

Mali continued. “The planet has a 28 hour day. The annual cycle is 428 days. It seems to have arable soil, plenty of water, and a tropical climate over its entire surface. There is little or no volcanic or seismic activity. It exhibits signs of abundant plant life. It shows no signs of any technology but-”

“But it has an abundance of low spectrum radioactivity.” Willis interrupted barely looking up from his work. “Colonizing this planet could kill everyone aboard. We could initially shield ourselves from the radiation but, eventually we would have to learn to live on the surface and that is going to mean exposure.” 

“Some choice.” Cox remarked not sparing the irony. “We either all die of radiation poisoning or we starve to death in deep space. Alex, I thought you said the planet was habitable.”

“Not me Comdr. Leach. Chimera determined it was habitable.” answered Mali.

“Maybe Chimera was right, Alex. Captain, I have an idea. Will you bear with me while I run a short experiment?” Roberts nodded. Willis pressed a button on the interactive display and the violet planet was replaced by sunflowers in varying stages of development. “While we were talking just now, I ran the radio wave information on the planet. We know that the planet is probably sustaining abundant plant life so let’s see what happens when we run a theoretical model of its radioactive spectrum through these plants. This model shows a time lapse of one year, immediate and constant exposure on the surface.” 

The plants all began to wilt and die almost immediately. “Okay. That’s the expected result. Now, let’s try the same plants exposed to measured doses of radiation building gradually to full and constant exposure.” As the time lapse progressed, the more mature plants slowly died while the seedlings mutated, becoming low and bush like with multiple seed heads. “Interesting, don’t you think?” 

“It’s Interesting, but it doesn’t prove that we, any of us, could survive on the surface.” 

“No, Comdr. Leach it doesn’t.” answered the captain, “but it is… interesting.”

“Mmmaybe.” conceded Rodney. “But it’s hardly a viable alternative.” 

“No. We’re a little short on those at the moment.” said Roberts flatly. 

“Maybe there’s another choice, captain.” Cheryl volunteered. “We know that we can salvage one of the recon craft if we rebuild using the parts from the wrecked one. What if we turn that recon vessel into a seed craft and point it along our original course?”

“Can that be done?” Roberts asked.

“Where are you going to put a cryo-chamber in a long range shuttle?” inquired Mali.

“We use the remaining hull from the Curie.” Cheryl answered. “We should be able to add a cryo-chamber and accommodate a crew of maybe twelve to fifteen.”

“What about power?” asked Gulley.

“The engines of both craft seem to be intact and we still have a working backup from each.”

“Ya know it occurs to me that one way or another we’re not going to need those backups. Why not just mount all four engines? The extra speed and power could only help your chances.” Rodney observed, a smile vaguely pulling at the corner of his mouth.

“That would make it one fast ride.” said Cox smiling at Rodney, who, by now, was openly grinning.

“Hillbillies and hotrods.” Roberts remarked shaking his head. He took a deep breath to clear his head, and exhaled audibly before he continued. “It’s a good idea. Let’s pursue it. I want two sets of plans for it, one with all four engines, and one with two. Before Rodney Ramjet here straps every bit of propulsion he can find to this new creation, I want to make sure that we can move forward with it, even if, we find a need for those spare power plants.” 

“Like modifying them to be used as directional thrusters or, using them to boost our own power output to minimize the effect of passing close to a certain star system?” Lt. Leach inquired.

“Yes. Like that.” Roberts concurred, obviously pleased with the suggestion. Over the years he had come to appreciate her creativity and foresight, and in some ways her drive mirrored his own.

“Hmmph. Well, if a certain C.O. would stop gabbing and get down to propulsion we could get the steering fixed and not have to use those units.” Rodney knew immediately from the apprehensive faces of his fellow officers that he had played one card too many.

“Nervous, Commander?” 

“No sir.”

“You should be.”

“Oh, with you helping sir, we’ll be able to get the steering fixed in plenty of time.” said Rodney dismissing the suggestion and trying to recover from his failed joke.

“I wasn’t referring to the steering.” intoned Roberts with the intimidating calm of someone with rank. No one dared laugh but there were several smiles. 

“Captain, we need to think about who is going to crew the vessel, or rather, the effect of taking a crew for it.” Lt. Edwards ventured.

“You mean the personnel gap that’s going to be created when the seed vessel leaves.” Cox surmised.

Edwards answered. “It’s more than that commander. This crew, any crew is trained to function as a single unit. Each member fills a niche. Remove one and there’s a vacancy of duty, expertise, and relationship that causes a ripple effect. It’s more than one person missing. It’s many people all missing whatever it was that the one was providing. Multiply that by however many are going to be part of the new crew, and then multiply again by the angst of the situation.”

“The commutative law of synergy, just as the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, so the whole is less than the sum of its losses.” concurred Mali. 

“We’ve got some time before we talk about a crew.” Resolution and direction merged as the captain spoke. “Dr. Willis I want you to continue working on just how it is we’re supposed to survive on this new planet. Cheryl, assuming we’re able to maintain our present course, how long before we arrive at this little purple planet?”

“One hundred thirty three days.” she replied.

“Alright, Comdr. Cox, Lt. Mali, you get the crew of this vessel functioning, and find a uniform. Dr. Edwards, you’ll be assisting them in their effort. I will be in steering and propulsion with Commander Gully, any questions?” There were none. “Alright, let’s get to work.”

It had been more than twelve and half hours since Roberts had arrived in steering and propulsion. He had monitored the main drive without incident and had occasionally traded off to help with the steering, in lieu of taking breaks. They had just completed testing the repairs. Gully had his arms folded and was leaning back against the rail that surrounded a control unit for the main engine. The slightly smoky sweet aroma of heated synthetic and vegetable lubricant hung in the air which was filled with a soft pulsating whir coming from behind him. 

“Thanks for your help captain. You know, you do alright. You got some engineering background don’t ya?” Asked Rodney as he wiped his hands and then handed the cloth to Roberts.

Roberts shook his head in the negative while wiping his hands with the solvent cloth. 

“My background is as a pilot and navigator.”

“Well, it’s okay with me if you’ve got a license to wreck ‘em.” Gully smiled. “At least you 

understand how to fix ’em.” Roberts smiled back looking at Gulley whose relaxed pose and demeanor reminded him of a shade tree mechanic. Roberts smiled and continued wiping his hands. “Sir, I know it’s your ship and all, and you can go anywhere you want but, you’re welcome to stop by propulsion anytime.”

“Thanks Commander.” There was a genuine appreciation in the captain’s tone. 

“Speaking of wrecking them-” Roberts nodded upward referring to the discolored corridor beyond them. 

An inquisitive expression crossed Gully’s face as he turned his head to what it was the captain had noticed. “Oh, yeah. It gets worse as you go toward what used to be the other engine bay.” Gully went into the corridor followed by Roberts. They ducked hanging access panels and damaged cables as they made their way. “When we overloaded it, to create our little diversion back at Pluto, it generated so much heat that it welded the housing for the main drive right to the mounts.”

“Which is when you reported that you couldn’t jettison the engine.” 

“Yes, sir.”

“So you blew the safety collar around the mounts before it melted, depressurized the bay, and used the vacuum of space to evacuate the engine, collar, frame, mounts and all. Good work.”

 As Roberts spoke Gully noticed that his tone and demeanor was no longer that of his office but of one colleague appreciating the expertise of another. They stopped as the hall ended at a sealed access door. Beyond it was the vacuum of space and the wreckage of what had been the other engine bay. Roberts gaze traveled around him. “Looks as though our fake disaster nearly became real.”

“Well cap’n, let’s just say that when we finally tossed that firecracker it had a real short wick.” 

“Mmmm.” agreed Roberts nodding slowly and squinting into a mass of burned wires that hung from above before looking at Gully. “Well, commander, looks as though I need to take a little less license.” 

Gully’s mouth dropped open for a moment before the words came. “Sir, I didn’t mean…” 

“Oh! No. It’s alright. I know you didn’t mean anything by it, Rodney.” Roberts assured him. “It’s just that…” Roberts halted himself. It was clear from his expression that his focus, for the moment at least, had turned inward.

“Second thoughts?”

“Yes. About fifteen and a half centuries too late.”

Gully studied his superior. “Do you really regret taking the leap?”

Roberts drew a deep breath. “No. Any jump into the unknown is liable to be dangerous but I deeply regret the price that others have had to pay.” 

“Well, sir, what’s done is done and it won’t help to dwell on it.” Rodney answered.

“What about you, commander? Do you regret your choice?”

“No sir. Everyone was dealt the same hand and knew what the stakes were. Besides, I still like our chances.”

Roberts looked around again at the damage caused by the intense heat. It was clear that the wheels of his mind were turning. When he spoke again it was clearly with an air of command. “Commander, I would like to take you up on your offer. Can you put me on your roster for short duty after hours?”

“Yes sir.”

“We need to cross train wherever possible to help fill in for people like you who are going to be leaving on the new seed craft.”

“You really wanna be rid of me don’t ya?”

A smile crossed Roberts’ lips. “Don’t flatter yourself Rodney. You haven’t gotten to me as much as you’d like to think. It’s just that you know more about long range propulsion units than anyone on board and since Chimera will soon be at her final destination your expertise will be best used piloting the other craft.”

As the hours became days Dr. Nathan Willis was spending all of his time in the lab, most of it alone, partly by choice and partly because Lt. Comdr. Mali had commandeered most of the lab techs to help with the shuttle project. The lab’s proximity to the collision area had left it a mess, and Nathan had bothered with only cleaning up enough of it to work. The remainder had been left for the assistant lab techs and bots. They had only found time to finish the job a few hours ago leaving the floor permanently stained from traces of chemicals and soil samples. The lab was an octagon. Each side was a separate work area. Large plates in the floor covered hydraulic work space and storage units that could be lifted into service as needed.

It had been a week since Chimera had revived the crew and Willis had spent it running computerized models for the survival of human life on the surface of the little purple planet. He was following what appeared to be a promising scenario. He keyed the last of the information for his most recent adjustment, and submitted it to the main computer. A moment later the results were returned with an undesirable outcome. Willis pulled off his glasses and flipped them in the general direction of the monitor, shaking his head and exhaling in disgust. He rubbed his eyes and strained through a lack of sleep to look at the time. 

His stomach was growling. He looked down at it. “Hmmph! I haven’t heard from you in centuries.” He headed back in the general direction of his quarters for some rest, planning a stop at the kitchen along the way. His route took him past the classroom. 

The large holographic image of the planet for which they were headed caught his eye. He stopped to observe the weather patterns which were clearly visible on an image of such size. The small group of six year olds was seated on the padded floor with their backs to the transparent sound proof wall through which Willis was peering. The classroom was outfitted with lots of hands on tools and interactive equipment. Dr. Willis had visited on several occasions but, today he intended to go undetected. It was too late. 

Lt. Edwards, who, was teaching, emerged from the back side of the projection and noticed him. The door slid open as Edwards spoke.

“The planet orbits its sun every 435 days.” Edwards was saying to one of the children. “Dr. Willis, please come in and join us for a few moments. We have been talking about the planet we’re approaching. I have been asked a question for which I have no answer. I was hoping that, since you stopped by, you could provide one.” 

“Sure.” Willis shrugged jamming his hands in the pockets of his lab coat and making his way toward the group.

“Kent, why don’t you ask Dr. Willis the question you asked me a few minutes ago?”

A small boy of about 5 years of age with dark eyes and curly hair looked intently at Willis and asked, “Does the planet have a name?”

“No.” answered Willis. “It doesn’t. Maybe we could think of one.”

Lt. Edwards picked up the cause.

“Does anyone have any ideas on what we should call the planet?”

“Brian.” volunteered a little black girl in cornrows.

“Bernie, why would you call it Brian?” asked the teacher.

“I like Brian.”

“Well, that’s fine but, I think maybe we should call it something more descriptive.” Lt. Edwards directed. “What can you tell me about this planet?”

“It’s purple.” observed Carl, one of the Leach twins.

“We should call it Violet because violet means purple.” asserted Trista, a little girl with blonde hair and freckles.

“Violet is a girl name.” remarked Curt, the other twin.

“It’s also a color and a very good description of the planet.” answered Lt. Edwards printing the word on the board. “Any other suggestions?” 

There was a lull as the children had no immediate ideas.

“Hmm. I have one.” Willis volunteered, walking to the board and picking up the eraser.

“What if we erase the last 3 letters,” which he did, “and instead of calling it Violet we just call it Vio?”

“Vio.” repeated Kent. “I like it.”

“V-I-O. That’s easy.” commented Curt.

“Yeah, and it isn’t a girl name.” agreed Carl.

“Does it still mean purple?” asked Trista, obviously worried that the change would alter her purpose.

“Well, it will mean this particular purple planet.” explained Lt. Edwards, since Willis had been slow to answer. “What do you think of the name, Bernie?”

“I still like Brian.” She replied, slightly disappointed.

“But Brian doesn’t mean a purple planet.” Trista interjected.

Bernie thought for a moment before conceding.

“Well, if we can’t name it Brian, then I guess Vio is okay.” 

“Alright. Vio it is.” Edwards concluded. “Dr. Willis thanks for your help.”

“Your welcome, and thank all of you for helping to give the planet a name.” answered Willis waving and starting to head for the door.

“Dr. Willis?”

Willis turned back toward the group. “Yes, Kent.”

“How come when we get to the planet we’ll have to stay inside the ship?”

“I heard my Mom and Dad talking. It’s cause of the radi-action.” Bernie volunteered.

“I’m sure we’ve taken up enough of Dr. Willis’s time.” Edwards intervened.

Willis knew that he could take the out that Edwards was giving him, but he also knew that soon these children were going to have to face the reality of life on Vio. They deserved some answers. 

“You mean radiation.” corrected Willis as he waved off Edwards. “We first need to make sure that the radiation level is safe for us to go outside the ship.”

“What if we can’t go outside the ship?” Kent persisted.

“Then we’ll just go someplace else.” said Trista.

Willis explained. “Chimera is wearing out and can’t go far enough to take us someplace else. There is radiation on Vio, and we are going to have to find a way to live there. Until then we’ll need to keep away from it by staying on the ship. Does that answer your question, Kent?”

Kent nodded, biting his bottom lip.

“What’s radiation?” inquired Carl.

“I think I’ll leave that to Dr. Edwards.” smiled Willis, sliding his hands back in his lab coat pockets.

“No problem.” answered Edwards. “Let’s go over to the lab.”

As the children got up and followed Dr. Edwards to the hands on area at the back of the room Dr. Willis, stomach growling, headed for the kitchen. He heard the sound of dishes as he rounded the corner into the dining room which was adjacent to the kitchen and separated by a long snack bar.

Audrey Daniels set a plate and a glass on the island and disappeared into the walk-in.

Nathan seated himself at the far edge of the snack bar and waited for her. She reemerged with a small basket containing the items gathered from the refrigerator. Her dark shoulder length hair framed a pretty milato face with a walnut complexion, high forehead and cheek bones. She had deep brown eyes, and a slightly narrow chin below a set of generous lips. Her nose was small but well matched, helping to give her an impish appearance. Audrey hadn’t noticed him, and he waited curious to see how long it would take before she did. She had just started to prepare a sandwich when she broke down in tears.

“Hey! Hey! What is this?” Nathan got up from his stool and came into the kitchen, reaching into his shirt pocket and offering her a handkerchief. “That’s an awful lot of tears just because you forgot the mayo.”

“A handkerchief, you’ve actually got a handkerchief?” she answered, still sobbing and wiping her tears with her hand.

“Yeah, Yeah, I know. It’s an all but forgotten, unsanitary old relic but, it’s clean. Here take it.”

“Thank you.” There was a pause while she tried to regain her composure. “And I don’t like mayo.” 

“Yeah. I really didn’t think it was the mayo.” Nathan answered.

“I should have just gone back to my quarters when I got off duty.” Her breathing was still wracked.

“Why, so you could be hungry and miserable by yourself? Come on. I came down here because my stomach thinks my throat’s been slit, and you didn’t go to the trouble of getting all this stuff out just to cry over it so, what all do you want on your sandwich?” 

“Everything that’s there.” she answered, still gathering in her emotions. 

“Okay. Let’s see. Bologna, cheese, and pickles.”

“Oh wait. I almost forgot.” Audrey went to the pantry and came back with a plastic jar.

“Peanut butter!? On bologna!?”

“Hey! It’s my sandwich.”

“Whatever floats your boat.” Nathan replied taking the jar and spreading the peanut butter on the bread.

“Fine. I’ll get you a plate. Do you want anything from the walk-in?” 

“Yeah, a couple leaves of lettuce, mayo, a tomato, and hot sauce.”

“Hot sauce!? On bologna!?” she mimicked.

“Hey! It’s my sandwich.” answered Nathan, keeping with the jest.

“Whatever floats your boat. Mayo and hot sauce we’ve got. Tomatoes and lettuce too, if you want to wait two months.” quipped Audrey, vanishing into the walk-in.

Nathan had just finished making her sandwich when she arrived with the hot sauce, mayo, and a bottle of herbal iced tea which she poured into the glasses while Nathan finished making his dinner.

“Boy, it figures.” Nathan observed, grabbing a bite. “We’re awake for only a week and already you people in Hydroponics are two months behind the demand.”

“Better watch what you say.” cautioned Audrey, taking another bite of her sandwich. “I can make you a tomato so hard you’d think it was a billiard ball.”

“Oh, I believe it. Before we went into suspension they were using one for a 5 ball at the rec-deck.”

“Uughgh!” She growled in mock frustration. “Have you got any idea what it takes to even grow vegetables in space? It isn’t exactly the perfect environment.”

“Yeah. I’ve noticed the problems of coping with a less than ideal situation.”

“So I’ve heard.” She answered, taking time to swallow and grab a swig of tea. “Wanna talk about it?”

“Heh! Like you need someone else’s problems on top of what you got.” Nathan took a bite of his sandwich.

“Well, maybe if you told me your troubles it would get my mind off of mine.”

“What about your work?”

“Work? We just finished planting today. We’ve worked like mad for the last week. Now, there’s not much to do until the seeds germinate. We’ve got two people on loan to Comdr. Leach.”

Nathan looked at Audrey. Neither of them spoke but focused on eating instead. He understood the vacuum created by her loss. He had seen firsthand what it did to his old friend Cooper Wallach, how he had used alcohol to fill the void, and how, fired by purpose, he had dried out after they had discussed sending the Chimera across the galaxy. He finished his sandwich, thought about making another, and decided against it. “I’ll tell you what. I’m beat. Come to the lab after you’re shift tomorrow. I’ll fill you in on what I’m up against.”

“Okay.” Audrey agreed. “What time?”

“Make it about eighteen hundred.”

“That’s good. Paige…” Audrey had tried to check herself but it was too late. She looked at Nathan for an instant with the dull surprise of one who had been shot. The spontaneous mention of her daughter’s name had just exposed the gaping wound of her grief. She tried to fight it but it was clear to Nathan that she was losing, and he knew there weren’t enough one-liners in the galaxy to hold it back this time. Nathan didn’t bother trying. He simply held her and let her cry.

Audrey stopped by the lab the next day at the agreed upon time and found Willis in a chair with his feet up on the counter looking at a screen while listening to Mozart.

“Busy?” She inquired in playful indictment.

“Yeah.” Willis retorted with a mock tough guy attitude before offering a straight answer. 

“Actually, I was just going over the results of the tests I’ve run thus far and trying to figure out what I should try next.”

“Does the music help?”

Willis shrugged his shoulders.

“It helps me relax. I’ve gotten nowhere. I think maybe I’ve been trying too hard.”

“Can I take a look?”

“Be – my – guest.” Willis said gesturing to the lab at large.

Audrey moved over to the screen and the console in front of it. 

“Let’s see. Whatcha got? Hmm... well, you’re making progress. So far you’ve found 324 ways to kill everyone in 20 years or less.” she quipped. 

“Yeah. It seems to be a gift I have.” Willis’s tone was somewhat dark and self incriminating. Nathan knew that she meant nothing by the remark but, he found no humor in the possibility of being personally responsible for such tragedy.

“Sorry. I was just trying to lighten things up.” 

Willis didn’t answer. Audrey decided to leave him alone for a bit in hopes that his mood would change. She worked over the test results for several minutes saying nothing, stopping only to take off her lab coat and lay it on the counter. Her analysis on the data made sense, but his lack of any real progress didn’t. 

“Are these all the results from all the scenarios that you ran?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?” Audrey asked.

“Yes.” answered Willis somewhat annoyed that she asked a second time.

“Okay. Let’s double check.” She stated matter of factly.

“What is it that you want to double check?” asked Willis slightly flummoxed. 

“To make sure that we have every single scenario that has been run.”

“You don’t need to waste time running the query.” Willis assured her becoming somewhat stern and getting up from his chair. “They’re all there.”

“Good.” Audrey smiled, trying to stay pleasant. “Then we won’t find any missing.”

“I said, yes! That’s all of them! What part of that don’t you understand?” Willis’s tone was now sharp and he was clearly offended. 

“Look! Dr.” Audrey warned, turning to face him. “I came down here to here to see if I could offer you my help as a fellow scientist and that’s what I’m trying to do, but I’m not going to be treated like one of your lab rat assistants. I know you’re the great Dr. Nathan Willis, and I’m not, but I do okay. I don’t have your years of experience and I’m nowhere near as gifted as you but, I’ve done better work than a lot of people who are more talented than me.” Audrey felt her face flush, but she wasn’t backing down.

“I’m a good scientist because I’ve mastered the fundamentals, and I know how to be thorough. You’ve been beating your brains out on this for better than a week with no 

progress. Now, if you don’t want my help that’s fine with me. I can turn around and walk right out of here. It really doesn’t make me much difference because most of my life was shattered to bits by an asteroid, but if I were you Dr. I’d make real sure that it wasn’t my ego that killed the rest of the people on this ship.”

Nathan drew a breath and exhaled in a sigh.

“Fine. You win. Run the query.”

“No. Run it yourself.” She picked up her lab coat from the counter and was gone. 

Nathan turned out the lights and sat alone in the lab with Mozart.

The next day he decided to run the query. No surprise. He hadn’t missed a thing except for the very first model that he’d run using sunflowers at the officers meeting. He felt vindicated but decided that he still owed Audrey an apology. He found her down at Hydroponics.

When she saw him coming she busied herself with checking seeds for moisture.

“How often do you check those?” asked Nathan trying to be friendly.

“Random samples every 2 hours.” she answered coolly.

“Well, I suppose you can’t be too careful.” He had meant it as a compliment.

Audrey stopped what she was doing and turned to face him. Her expression made it clear that she had not taken the remark as intended.

“I meant that it’s good that you’re checking.” 

Nathan was obviously digging himself a deeper hole.

“Is there something you want Dr. Willis?”

“Uh, No. Well, yes. I came down here to apologize for my poor behavior yesterday evening and to ask if you would please reconsider my offer.”

“You apologize by insulting me?”

“No. I meant that you were right. That you- that I- that anyone, can’t be too careful.” 

Nathan stammered trying to explain. 

She could see what was happening and found it amusing that he was off balance.

“Did you run the query?” She asked, a smile pulling at the corners of her lips.

“Yes.”

“Find any missing scenarios?” she asked looking at him sideways.

“None missing, but one I had discarded.” he answered.

“Discarded? Why?” she asked turning to face him.

“It was the first one I ran and I didn’t use a human model.” he explained.

“Can I see it?”

“Stop by the lab?” Nathan asked hopefully.

Audrey shook her head slightly and exhaled in mock exasperation. “Okay. I’ll be down after my watch.”

Nathan decided to take the morning off and he headed for the fitness center. 

*****

Lt. Cheryl Leach stood on the scaffold next to the Nobel, or more correctly what used to be the Nobel. It had become a new craft altogether. 

“How’s it look?” She asked the technician emerging from the vessel with a scanner.

“We’re ready.” she answered crawling out. “There’s no leakage now, and the frame is solid around the fins.”

Cheryl nodded to another technician who began pumping Cryo fluid into the tanks.

“Captain in the bay!” shouted Rodney, as he accompanied Roberts into the service area.

Instantly everyone came to attention.

“As you were.” answered Captain Roberts walking across the bay toward Lt. Leach. “Lieutenant!”

“What can I do for you, sir?” asked Cheryl smiling down from the scaffold.

“Well ahead of schedule I see.” observed Roberts.

“Yes sir.” she answered, smiling broader.

“I just wanted to get a look at her.” said Roberts as he gazed at the craft.

The outer hull was complete, and it was easily twice the size of the old shuttle. Aside from using everything they could possibly salvage from the Curie, the captain had given his approval to use hull plating from the burned out engine room. The extra material added considerable size to the vessel. It now stretched nearly half the length of the service bay. It sported four engines, evenly spaced around the fuselage and mounted aft in tapered housings. Ahead of the engines, the simple tubular line of the main compartment was uninterrupted except for the additional landing struts. Coolant fins stretched lengthwise from the engines and gradually decreased in width as they came forward disappearing into the body of the craft at about the middle. Well beyond them, the top of the craft began to narrow and drop, eventually coming to a point like a hawk’s beak.

“Well, Captain, what do you think?” Rodney inquired.

Roberts considered for a moment taking the vessel in before he spoke. He waited for the Lieutenant who was coming down the stair ladder from the scaffold.

“Long, lean, simple sleek lines. I think, Commander, that you got your hot rod. What do you call her?”

“She doesn’t have a name yet, sir.” answered Cheryl.

“Yeah.” Rodney agreed. “We’ve been kinda stumped on that. I know they say it’s bad luck to rename a ship and she came mostly from the Nobel, but she’s no longer the same vessel.”

“I say, why risk it?” countered the lieutenant.

“No. She’s not the same vessel. She’s a reincarnation. May I make a suggestion? Call her the Phoenix Nobel.”

Gully and Leach exchanged expressions of approval. 

“It’s perfect Captain.” affirmed the lieutenant.

“Phoenix Nobel.” repeated Rodney shaking his head. “Now, why didn’t I think of that?”

“You’re not the Captain.” quipped Cheryl.

“Captain Roberts!” The voice came from a dark skinned 2nd lieutenant who was part of Commander Leach’s security team. She had just entered the service bay and was approaching at a brisk clip. She was also wearing a lightning ball side arm. “Sir there’s been a disturbance in the galley. We got it under control, but one of the crew was injured. The others who were involved are confined to quarters under guard. Commander Leach has asked if you could join him at the clinic.”

“Lieutenant, what’s this about?”

“That sir.” she answered indicating the Phoenix Nobel.

“Tell the Commander we’re on our way.” Roberts directed.

“Yes sir.” The lieutenant turned and was gone.

“Looks like we have a problem. Since the two of you are in charge of this project I would like both of you to join me.”

“Yes sir but, maybe somebody just got antsy.” Rodney surmised. 

“Cox wouldn’t bother the Captain if he didn’t think it was serious.” countered Cheryl.

“Let’s go find out.” directed Roberts, and the three of them left the service bay.