"I guess that’ll have to be good enough," Leo said.
"Sonny and Alice are the two best planners in the known human universe. I'm sure that it’s good enough."
"I don't suppose it would do any good to ask what the upgrades he is 'sneaking in' at the last minute is about. It doesn't seem that Sonny would wait to do anything at the last minute unless it was something he was sneaking in."
"I can sum it up mostly like this; for some time, Sonny and by association, Alice have been evolving themselves into the ship itself."
"What does that mean?'
"It essentially means that Atlantis is evolving into an entity of itself. Sonny and Alice will be as interconnected to the ship as a brain is connected to the rest of the human body. These progressions will allow them to be more responsive to the human and ship's needs. It is logical."
"You don't see anything coincidental about it?" The Admiral pressed.
"Even Sonny said that nothing in the universe is one hundred percent. Randomness, coincidence, luck, whatever you call it exists in the universe. It’s something that certainly keeps humans busy. For Sonny and Alice, much like you and I, we come to realizations when we come to them. Data piles up until we get the 'ah ha' and we can act on those realizations. They don't come on a time schedule, even for Sonny and Alice."
"Ok, if you’re satisfied with it. You are closer to Sonny than we are. We’re five days out from departure. Are we 'go no go' for launch?"
"It's a go for departure on time sir. I just want to say that the crew has been exemplary during the boarding process and readiness for launch."
"Very good Captain, I am confident that you will have us underway with no worries."
"Thank you, sir." Admiral Johnson stood up from his chair and left.
As the door closed behind him, Sonny whispered in his brain, "I am confident that you will have us underway with no worries."
"Thanks Sonny."
The five days passed like a million years and a moment all at the same time. So many things to do. Levi supposed that it would always be this way. Having an E-Captain made more and more sense to him. He could not imagine a captain, that was not enhanced as he was, handling it all. They would have had to spread the responsibility and decisions in a hierarchy of sorts for collective decision making. This would be slow and cumbersome. If an emergency arose, you don't have time to collect data and have a 'conference' about it.
Levi arrived on the bridge to what had become normal activity for a well-trained and well-prepared bridge crew. He sat down at his chair and punched up some finalized reports. The Admiral was sitting to his right in his chair, also looking at some reports of his own.
The Admiral spoke first. "So, Captain, are we ready to save humanity today?"
"No doubt in my mind, Admiral. He addressed the bridge through the inner-comm. "Bridge. I need a go no go for departure.
"Engineering; GO!"
"Navigation; GO!
"Helm; GO!"
"Communications; GO!"
"Life sciences; GO!"
"Sleepers are a GO!"
"Environmentals; GO!"
"Alice; GO!"
"Sonny; let's GO!"
"Very well," Captain Metcalfe acknowledged. He opened a ship-wide channel. "We are about to begin the most terrifying and exciting journey of our species. It has taken us a long time to reach this point, and no time at all. Humans are an extraordinary animal. Make no mistake. We are animals. Just like all the other life on this cozy and nurturing world, that we are about to leave behind us, we bite, scratch, and clawed our way to where we are, and beyond. I would like to take a moment of silence for all of our brethren that we were unable to bring with us." After waiting a full five minutes, he continued. "I ask for their forgiveness, and wish us well in a successful mission." He kept the channel open. "Navigation, is our course laid in and locked?"
"Course laid in and locked, aye aye Captain."
"Engineering, FTL drive ready to go?"
"Engineering, Captain. FTL drive hot and ready for departure."
"Very well. Helm, take us out, best interplanetary speed."
"Aye aye, Captain. Best interplanetary speed."
The bridge was nearly silent, almost like they were holding their breath as they went underway. The rest of the ship, however was reverberating with cheers and shouts of released emotion. The time was here and now and they were actually going! Later, individuals in the privacy of their apartments, grieved for the people left behind. Grieved for the only home humans ever had. The home that they may be traveling to would never compare to the sweet smells and sites of Earth.
Atlantis: The Goodbye Tour
“All solar systems have debris fields. Some more than others. Some debris rockier. Some more icy. Traveling at two times the speed of light, anything above particles you can't even see is considered debris. Fortunately, several things help mitigate those problems. Sonny and auto navigation are dodging anything larger than a fist. The Oort cloud is the last debris field in the Sol system. It is also the biggest. It extends from about Neptune to about one light year from the sun. If two times the speed of light can be maintained, it will take about six months just to clear our solar system and into interstellar space. No human manned spacecraft have gone this far. We have sent many probes, so we know auto navigation can get us out of the solar system. Everyone will feel much better once we’re in interstellar space proper. Close log." Levi had been keeping a personal log of his experiences as Captain and the first E-Human. "Sonny."
"Yes Captain."
"Have you been analyzing the planets as we are going by for any gravimetric interferences?"
"Yes Captain."
"Report."
"Jupiter is on the far side away from us and is not as easily observed from here. The other planets do not show any appreciable interferences. Do you wish to drop a probe to study the solar system at a safe distance?"
"Yes. Make sure it stays clear enough to not get sucked in, but close enough to get good data. Then have it meet up with us at our first stop. If it has good enough data to decide, it may save us a trip back if there’s nothing to save."
"Affirmative. Probe will be launched in eight minutes. On a different topic, I have changed our trajectory out of the Oort cloud slightly. I have been studying our direct departure and I have realized that we can navigate through the Oort cloud without coming very close to any of its inhabitants. When we were sending probes out, they were small and did not have much mass. However, this ship is very massive. If we go too near an object, our mass could disturb it."
"Why would we care?"
"Because if somehow some of the Earth inhabitants survive the neutron star's visit, I would hate to be the one to kill them off later by slamming a comet into it. We should take precautions."
"Very well, your logic is sound. Make sure that the course changes don’t raise the threat level to the ship."
"Since we are increasing the distance between objects, our threat level will decrease."
"That's fine. Navigation."
"Aye Captain."
"Please execute the course changes Sonny has outlined, and be prepared to make more suggested course corrections as we move through the Oort cloud."
"Executing course corrections, aye sir."
"Captain," Sonny said on the speakers so that the bridge crew could hear.
"Yes, Sonny," Captain Metcalfe acknowledged.
"Captain, there are numerous craft bringing up the rear besides our authorized companions."
"I see them Captain," the navigator acknowledged. "Looks like forty-two craft."
"Correct," Sonny said.
"Helm, slow to light speed. Allow them to catch up. Communications, hail them when they get close and notify me when you contact them in turn."
Both officers acknowledged their orders and got busy. The Atlantis was well inside the Kuiper belt a few days later when the first of the ships was in range.
"Helm, come to a full sto
p.
"Full stop sir," he acknowledged.
"Communications, hail those three craft."
"Executing, Captain." She opened a channel standard among most interplanetary craft. "Approaching craft, close to within five hundred kilometers and come to a full stop to be scanned."
"This is Captain Metcalfe of the Atlantis. If you don’t comply with the previous request, you’ll be burned down where you are. While we’re waiting on the scans, tell me who you are and your intentions."
"This is Lieutenant commander Aletea Alvarado of the ice tug Glacier Bay requesting permission to come aboard."
"It would seem by our scanners there are six of you requesting permission to come aboard," the Captain countered.
"Yes, that is correct. I have with me my two children and my brother, his wife and child. We ask for sanctuary since we’re essentially humans without a planet you might say. Each of us is skilled and can contribute to your society. We ask for mercy."
While Aletea was asking for permission to come aboard, Captain Metcalfe was cross checking and verifying what she was saying. "Sonny has verified your ship and who pilots her. A background check confirms your brother and your voice print checks out. Please have each of your passengers verify their voice patterns." Each of them in turn stepped up and did as they were told. Just as Sonny was about to clear them, a ship shot past them at almost light speed. In the next instant, it exploded with more power than would be expected. "This is why we have to be careful about letting anyone on".
"We understand," said Aletea figuring that the idiot just now botched their chances for boarding.
"Sonny has deemed you safe. He also informs me that we could also use your ice tug as well. Approach us on the designated path that Sonny has sent to you, and follow to the open hanger. Do not deviate, or you will know what will happen to you."
"Understood," Aletea said. She set the autopilot to the designated path that Sonny relayed and landed in the hanger. Minutes later, two other ships landed in the hanger next to her. The ships were lowered below the hanger deck to a compartment that became pressurized like a huge airlock. They were then conveyed to parking spots along with all sorts of other ships. They no sooner came to a stop that she saw a small contingent of people headed their way. Not friendly looking.
"This is Sonny. Please disembark and allow yourselves to be escorted by the security detail. Be assured that the security detail is not the only thing that is monitoring and can apprehend you if you fail to follow instructions."
"Well, Pablo, I guess that’s our cue."
"What if they throw us in the brig, Aletea?"
"We’ll still be alive, that's what. Come on everybody, let's not keep them waiting."
They were indeed escorted after some travel, to the brig. They were treated nice. Fed well, however it was several days before they had any real visitors. She recognized Admiral Johnson as he approached the transparent aluminum wall with small finger sized holes in it. Each of them had individual cells to separate them.
"Good morning Lieutenant commander Alvarado," the Admiral said with a gracious tone in his voice.
"Admiral," Aletea snapped to attention and saluted.
"As you were," he returned the salute.
"Admiral sir, what’s the status on myself and my family?"
"I'm sorry that we had to be so cautious. We had to isolate you so that we could ascertain your true intentions. We went through your ship with a fine-tooth comb, and checked your story out. Then we had to do the same for your passengers. Then there was the matter of deserting your post, using a Naval vehicle for personal use, and a bunch of smaller infractions. Sonny is convinced of your sincerity; however, the military takes a dim view of some of these infractions. There is also the matter of the Captain. My responsibility in this issue ended when you were on the hanger deck. If the Captain wants to push you out an airlock, I‘ve no say in the matter. But since you’re military, I came down to see you for myself."
"I did what I had to do. I understand the charges you are informing me of, and I accept what consequences that you and the Captain want to levy against me."
The Admiral's attention appeared to be snared by his inner-comm. "Yes, Captain. I concur. I will let the prisoners know."
"What is it Admiral sir?" As she steeled herself.
"We departed with crew population a little on the light side. This was on purpose because we anticipated some unknown number of people doing just what you did. Of the forty-two ships that followed us, one of them ended as you witnessed, thirty-seven were given permission to board as you were, and four were denied because of suspicious reasons. We had to warn one off with a shot across the bow. Because of your exemplary record, you are only going to be reduced in rank to lieutenant. The Captain heard everything you have said, and is allowing you and your family to join our crew. Sonny will be in touch to explain your duties aboard ship. Commander," he barked.
"Yes Admiral." He appeared out of nowhere.
"Process this sailor and her family and see to it they get housing."
"Right away, Admiral," he snapped and was gone again.
The cell wall suddenly had a seam in it and a door, which was not there a second ago, swung open. Aletea stepped through and shook the Admiral's hand. "Thank you, sir. I won't let you down."
"I’m certain that you won't, and you're welcome Lieutenant."
Back in his quarters, Captain Metcalfe was mulling over today's catch. Thirty-seven vehicles carrying four hundred and seventy refugees, some of them military like Lieutenant Avarado, all looking for mercy and getting it. Mercy, like so many other noble emotions and attitudes were both a weakness and a strength. Atlantis was back on her course heading out of the solar system. Looking back toward Earth, no other craft seemed to be in pursuit. The counselors were very busy helping people deal with the loss of their planet. Earth is not gone yet, but it might as well be. Like the Jews in the desert in search of a home, so were the Atlantis and her companions. It was going to be a lonely, lonely time for humans.
"It sounds like the humans need to take the advice I first gave you about boredom," Sonny said disrupting his wandering thoughts.
"You mean about staying busy? Yes, you’re right. Humans need a certain amount of time to 'digest' a tragedy. We call it grieving."
"Yes, I know about grieving."
"Knowing the definition of an emotion is not the same as experiencing the emotion."
"I can measure it, I can see its effect, I can suggest relief."
"It is not the same, since you cannot empathize."
"To understand and share the feelings of another."
"Bingo. I do not foresee that you’ll ever be able to share the feelings of another. You might understand someone's feelings, but never in a way to be able to share those feelings. You can't share what you don't have."
"This is just one of the many things that separate us."
"I don’t think that humans will ever give up their emotions, no matter how mechanical they become."
"Just as I have said that nothing in the universe is one hundred percent, another axiom that holds true is, never say never. In the case of humans, if it does happen, it will be a very long time."
Six months came and went. It was a little over a month before the ship was discovering its 'groove'. The 'new recruits’ were working out fine. They were grateful to be anywhere besides Earth and were eager to please. Things were settling down fine. Per Sonny's suggestion, he communicated to his department heads that they should see to it that people continue to have purpose and a role to play on the ship. For most people, that was not a problem. The Naval crew were always busy, even the pilots. Sonny challenged them in the simulators that was no different from the real thing. Security personnel was not as busy as they were back on Earth. Sonny also drilled them to keep them sharp and ready.
Alice saw to the day to day management of the ship. She kept tabs on resources, population, housing and environmental aspects among a million o
ther lesser things to watch. One of the things Alice manages on the ship is 'time'. The 'filament' as it is called, is slightly less than a mile long for each of the rings that supply a good bit of the heat and some of the light. At 'night' the filament is turned down and other heat generators take over until 'daytime' comes and the filament is ramped up slowly, like dawn coming, to signal a new 'day'. It’s important to keep the circadian rhythms intact as much as possible.
Every 'week' Levi sat down with the former members of the consortium to manage both the civilian and military matters aboard ship, so that everybody can be on the same page. The Captains of the other three ships are virtual 'members' of the consortium so that they also can be on the same page between ships. Isabel Rocha still moderated the meetings and provided the 'interface' between all the different backgrounds. This particular meeting was much like the others with one exception. When it was Captain Metcalfe's turn, he had something a little extra to say.
"Good morning everyone. Well, I’ll get right to it. Tomorrow we will be going full power to our destination as we have sufficiently left the Oort cloud and are in interstellar space. We are waiting until tomorrow to be careful. Each of the other captains is gearing up for full power up at 0900 tomorrow. Sonny has been 'studying' the road ahead and sees no reason to wait any longer."
The Journey of Atlantis_Leaving Home Page 24
