by Russell Fine
President Winters said, “Hello.” Then, looking at Garlut and Brealak he said, “It’s nice to see you again. Has your stay here been pleasant?”
“Our stay has been excellent. I am sorry we have to leave shortly, but Brealak and I will be back soon.”
“Good, I’m looking forward to that.” Looking at Jeffery, he said, “Aren’t you going to introduce me to these fine folks?”
“Of course,” Jeffery said. “These are my parents, David and Gwen Whitestone.”
“I’m pleased to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Whitestone. You should be very proud of your son.”
David Whitestone said, “Thank you, we are very proud of him.” Then they shook hands.
Debbie said, “These are my parents, Peter and Joyce Murphy.”
“It’s very nice to meet you. You may not know this, but your daughter is the highest-ranking women in the NASA Space Corps.”
“We didn’t know that. Thank you for telling us,” Peter Murphy said, beaming proudly.
At that moment, the orchestra stopped playing and Heather walked to the center of the room in front of the orchestra.
“It looks like things are about to start. Please excuse me. We’ll talk again later,” President Murphy said as he walked back to his table.
Heather walked to the front of the room. The orchestra stopped playing and she said, “We’ll be starting in a few minutes with a brief speech by President Winters. There are two tables close to the front of the room with blue tablecloths. These tables are reserved for the crew of the Star Rover who are with us tonight for this celebration. All of the tables with white tablecloths are open seating. Please take your seats as soon as possible. Thank you.”
Five minutes later she said, “I’m pleased to present President Winters.” Everyone in the room applauded as President Winters walked to the front of the room. Heather went to a table and sat down.
As soon as the applause began to dissipate, he began speaking. “As Heather said, I will keep this brief. I just want to introduce you to our guests of honor; Admiral Jeffery Whitestone and Captain Debbie Murphy.” He looked toward their table. “Please stand up so everybody can see you.”
Jeffery and Debbie both stood up and the applause started again, much louder than before. They looked around smiling at the crowd. Jeffery asked, “Will the members of the Star Rover crew please stand?” The Star Rover crew all stood up and everyone applauded loudly. When the applause finally began to die down, Jeffery and Debbie sat down again.
President Winters continued, “I don’t think they realize it yet, but they are true heroes in every sense of the word. They have played a key role in the evolution of Earth’s future, and they will continue to do so as they take the Star Rover to meet other members of the trade association we just became members of. On their next mission, they will be going to Coplent, the home planet of our first alien friends: Garlut and his daughter Brealak. Would you please stand up?”
Garlut and Brealak stood up and again the applause started. They looked around and smiled. Once again as the applause died down they sat down.
President Winters began speaking again. “I want the entire crew of the Star Rover to know we are all very proud of the job they’ve done and we are looking forward to the things they will accomplish in the future. Now I’m going to stop speaking so Justice William Goldberg of the North American Supreme Court can perform the marriage ceremony.”
Justice Goldberg walked up to the front of the room and President Winters went back to his seat. After another brief round of applause, Justice Goldberg began to speak. “I must say I have not performed a wedding in more than twenty years, but I’m looking forward to this one. Will the bride and groom please come up here and join me?”
Jeffery and Debbie walked to the front of the room. Justice Goldberg turned the microphone off and he asked Jeffery, “Do you have the rings?”
Suddenly Debbie had a horrified look on her face and she said softly, “Oh shit! I forgot about the rings!”
Jeffery reached out, grabbed her hand, and said softly, “I didn’t.” Then he reached into his pocket and handed the rings to Justice Goldberg.
Debbie looked at Jeffery with an expression that conveyed extreme affection and said, “I love you. When did you get the rings?”
“We can discuss that later.”
They both turned and faced Justice Goldberg. He turned on the microphone again and began the ceremony. At the end, he said, “By the power vested in me by the State of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Please kiss her already.”
Jeffery and Debbie had a long sensual kiss while the guests applauded. When the kiss was over Jeffery and Debbie went back to their seats, Justice Goldberg said, “And now the moment we have all be waiting for. It’s time for dinner!”
As Justice Goldberg returned to his seat there was a mixture of applause and laughter.
Jeffery and Debbie were congratulated by everyone at their table. After a few kisses and handshakes, they sat down. Debbie looked at Jeffery and asked sternly, “Why didn’t you tell me about the rings? You let me look like an idiot in front of a Supreme Court judge.”
“How did I know you were going to say ‘oh shit’ to the judge? Actually, I wasn’t sure we’d even need the rings, but I thought I should have them just in case. The concierge at the hotel ordered them for me a few days ago. I got them next day.”
“I know it worked out, but I still think you should’ve told me.”
An excellent dinner was served a short time later. Garlut even commented that he was sorry to be leaving so soon because he was going to miss the food. After dinner was over, Heather came over to their table and asked Jeffery and Debbie to go the World Council table. The people at the table had changed places. Prior to the wedding, the World Council members had been seated at two tables with their families. Now the family members were at one table and the members of the council were seated at the other one.
Jeffery and Debbie sat down at the table, and after a few more congratulations, President Winters said, “The decision to join the trading association was an easy one. But we want to make sure we aren’t being deceived in any way. When you go to Coplent, try to get out among the people and get to know them. I would like to know how they feel about the trade group. Also, we would like you to initiate contact with the planet that does the medical research. I think that’s where our people will find the most direct benefit.”
“I’m sure we can do that. You’re aware we’re going to the Procolt system first, aren’t you?”
“Yes, we know you want to time your arrival at Coplent to coincide with Garlut’s schedule.”
“It will probably be seven or eight months before we arrive at Coplent. I think it would be great if we could communicate our progress during the mission. Unfortunately, you won’t know anything about the mission until we get back. In my discussions with Garlut, he said one thing that every member of the trading association wants is some type of faster than light communication system. I’d like to be able to tell him we’re working on that. Could we make that a priority for one of our engineering groups?”
“I think that’s an excellent idea. I realize we’re not as advanced scientifically as some of the other members of the group, but perhaps all it needs is a fresh approach. I would also like to start construction on the next interstellar ship, but I suspect we’ll need more technology before we do that. If we don’t wait, we may be building something that’s obsolete before it’s ready for its first mission,” President Winters replied.
“I agree. I’m sure Garlut will help us when he comes back to Earth.”
“Since we already know what products we’ll be trading, I want you to take some cinnamon and various forms of chocolate with you and give them to the Coplent government. We’ll also give you twenty power modules to be given as gifts to them. Can you find room on the Star Rover for five hundred kilos of cinnamon and a thousand kilos of chocolate?”
“Yes, there’s plenty o
f storage space on the ship, but I’ll verify that with the ship’s chief engineer.”
“Good. I probably don’t have to remind you that when you’re on Coplent, you are representatives of the entire planet.”
“We promise not to do anything that would embarrass Earth. I have a small favor to ask, though. Garlut gave you five portable translators. Could I have two of them to use on the Star Rover?”
“Yes, I should have thought about that myself. They’ll be there tomorrow. I won’t ask where you’re going on your honeymoon, but wherever it is, have a good time. Heather will make any travel arrangements you need.”
“Thank you. I’ll do that,” Jeffery said.
He and Debbie got up and walked over to the other World Council table where Heather was seated. When Heather saw them, she rose and walked toward them. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“Yes, can you get us a shuttle back to the station?”
“The shuttle that brought you here is still there. Are you ready to go? Perhaps you should say a few words to the guests before you leave.”
Jeffery groaned. “Do you really think that’s necessary?”
“Yes, I do. Follow me.”
They walked back to the front of the room. The orchestra stopped playing and everyone stopped talking and looked at him.
“Debbie and I will be leaving shortly. I want to thank all of you for being here to help us celebrate our wedding. I would also like to thank NASA and the World Council for making this magnificent affair possible. Good night, everyone.”
There was a brief round of applause and then the talking and the music started up again. Heather led them back to the limo. Fifteen minutes later, they were on their way back to the space station.
When they arrived at the hotel, Jeffery stopped at the front desk and said, “Please don’t let anyone know we’re still here. If anybody asks where we are, tell them you don’t know. Can you do that for me?”
The man at the desk replied, “Yes, of course, I can do that. I’ll also inform the other clerks. Have a good evening, Admiral Whitestone.”
THE PROCOLT MISSION
June 2120
Jeffery and Debbie walked to their room, went inside, and didn’t come out for three days. During that time, Jeffery did speak to Garlut for several minutes. They discussed his upcoming mission and were looking forward to seeing each other again in about two hundred and ten standard days.
A week after the wedding, Jeffery and Debbie were ready to get back to work. He called the Star Rover and discovered Mike had taken the day off and Dean Crawford was on duty. He asked Dean to send the shuttle over to the station to pick them up. Dean said he would do it himself and he would be there in fifteen minutes.
Jeffery and Debbie walked to the shuttle bay and waited a few minutes for the shuttle to arrive. They were both happy to be getting back to work. When the shuttle bay door opened they walked to the shuttle and got in. Dean said, “I’ll bet you’re both glad to be back at work.”
“You’re right,” Jeffery replied. “We’re both glad all the fuss is over. How are things going on the ship?”
“The gravity system is working perfectly and everybody is happy about that. I’ve been working with Mike on the navigation system modifications and feel pretty confident I can handle it. Anne and Cathy have been working together on the new communication system and a protocol manual that Garlut gave them before he left. Also, they’re upgrading the long-range sensors. They’ll be able to operate up to one hundred thousand miles and can now detect lifeforms more accurately. They increased the ability of the systems to detect movement and radiation bursts.”
“That should come in handy. Anything else?”
“I don’t think so. Did you have a nice honeymoon?”
“Yes, it was wonderful,” Debbie answered.
When they arrived at the ship, they went to the bridge. Jeffery called Ron Rice and asked him to join them. After pleasantries had been exchanged, Jeffery asked him when the long-range sensors would be ready.
“It should only be another day or two. They also increased the resolution of our visual scanners. I can now read the screen on someone’s phone from a thousand miles away.”
“That’s pretty impressive. Do you feel confident you can maintain the gravity system?”
“Yes, I went over it with Quat. I really don’t see any way it could fail. But in the unlikely event there’s a problem, I’m sure we can fix it.”
“Before we leave they’ll be bringing the cinnamon and chocolate we discussed earlier onboard. They’re gifts for Coplent. Please make sure they’re stored properly. We’ll also be bringing some power modules for them.”
“Okay, I’ll take care of it. Anything else?”
“No, not now.”
Ron left the bridge and a minute later Jeffery and Debbie left as well. They walked to Jeffery’s quarters, which was now their quarters, and found a surprise on the door. The little nameplate that said, “Captain Jeffery Whitestone” had been replaced with a ten-inch-square engraved brass plate that said,
Admiral Jeffery Whitestone and Captain Debbie Whitestone.
Jeffery and Debbie were both surprised and pleased. The plate was very impressive.
Two days later, the modifications to the long-range and visual scanners were completed. All of the tests the crew performed went perfectly. Jeffery and Debbie were very impressed with the changes and they were now more confident the Star Rover would be the perfect ship for interstellar travel. However, there was one more surprise. The NASA engineers had completed a modification to the design of the particle beam weapon on the Star Rover that increased the power substantially and the range to thirty thousand miles. Jeffery was not sure if the ship needed a weapon that powerful but felt it was always better to be prepared for any situation. The weapons modifications would take two weeks. That meant it would be completed only a few days before they were scheduled to start their mission.
***
Time flew by. The weapons modifications were completed on schedule. Debbie and Jeffery decided they would stop just past the orbit of Pluto again to test the weapons systems before continuing on the mission. Jeffery was told to return to Earth immediately if the tests failed.
For this mission, all but three of the rooms would be occupied. The crew utilized twenty-one rooms since Jeffery and Debbie now shared one. Mike, as third in command, moved into the executive officer quarters and there were twenty-six paying guests. Each guest paid five million for the privilege of being on the eighteen-month mission.
The day before the mission was scheduled to start, all the guests arrived onboard. About half of them were college professors or other members of the academic community. The others were simply very wealthy people who were looking for an adventure. Jeffery was sincerely hoping that “adventure” would be lacking in the mission.
Late in the afternoon, Jeffery received a call from Max who said he was on the station and wanted somebody to pick him up and bring him to the Star Rover. Debbie volunteered to go. She returned to the ship with Max thirty minutes later.
When Max and Debbie walked onto the bridge Max said, “Good day Admiral
Whitestone; are you prepared for your mission?”
“Yes, sir. All the passengers are onboard. The new systems have been thoroughly tested, with the exception of the weapons systems. Everything is working normally. The material for Coplent arrived yesterday and is properly stored. We have food and air for two years. I believe we’re as ready as we’ll ever be.”
“Good! I’m glad to hear that. I’d like to speak to you and Dr. Weber. Is he in his office?”
“I’m sure he is. What’s this about?”
“I’ll explain it to both of you together.”
Jeffery and Max walked over to the medical office. When they walked in, they found Dr. Weber reading something on his computer. He looked up and said, “Hello Max, I haven’t seen you for some time. Is there something I can do for you?”
> “Hi, Frank. Yes, there’s something I need your help with. Are you aware of an epidemic of a flu-like illness in central Africa?”
“Yes, I’ve read something about it. The article made it seem like it was under control.”
“We’ve found a way to relieve the symptoms, but we haven’t found a cure. We’re working on it, but the virus is unlike anything we have seen before. The reason I’m here today is that I want to give you some blood samples containing the virus. We’d like you to take them to Coplent and see if they might be able to find a cure. If they can’t, Garlut mentioned a planet that specializes in medical problems. Perhaps you could arrange to have the samples given to them.”
“I’ll do what I can. Please send all the information you have about the disease to me.”
“We’re collecting the data now and you’ll have it in a few hours.”
“Do you realize we won’t be back for eighteen months? That would appear to be a long time to wait.”
“They’ve been working on this for over a year. The disease doesn’t spread very quickly. To date, we have three hundred cases and we have no idea how it’s transmitted. So far, forty of the patients have died from respiratory failure. The symptomatic relief does prevent that, but the patients who are receiving treatment are now showing signs of kidney failure. A cure in eighteen months may be the best we can hope for.”
“I understand what needs to be done and I’ll do my best to help.”
“I know you will. Let me know when you receive the information. Please review it as quickly as possible and if there’s anything else you need, call me immediately.”
“You can count on it, Max.”
Max and Jeffery left the medical office and returned to the shuttle bay. Jeffery took Max to the station, where another shuttle was waiting to take him back to Florida.
