by R J Murray
“I think so. Give me a minute to check clearances.”
The probe entered slowly, the hole barely big enough for it to pass through. Inside the station was dusty and empty. Bits of debris floated in the vacuum along with clumps of dust. The probe travelled inside for almost an hour with no signs of life, nanobots or corpses.
“It is clear Captain. Check the planet next. Three alpha probes and two beta, one each in polar orbit. Let’s see if we can find some life here.”
Horace wasn’t sure he would be missed if he just left the bridge and stayed in the lounge. Preliminary mapping of the planet took almost five hours but when they were done, they were satisfied that it was now uninhabited.
“Call FB One and let them know the results.” Horace said. He felt slightly mollified that they didn’t do that without asking him at least.
~~~~~~
“Nice place you found. Lots of land and sea, good atmosphere, gravity at one point three Earth normal, nice yellow sun and empty according to all the probes you launched. Nice selection and coverage by the way.” Eric said.
“Well you know. After doing this for so many years, I just have the knack. Of course, Science did help just a little.” Horace answered.
“She make you feel useless?” Eric asked.
Horace sighed. “Totally. I could have stayed home.”
“They are on every ship to take a load off of the captains shoulders. Science is there so you can concentrate on what you do best Horace.” Eric said.
“Drink until I pass out?”
“Running your ship. Drinking is a secondary talent. Shirley is a very good science officer, well trained and educated. Martha had a hand in picking the first group for the ships and she wanted the best out there with us. Let her do her job and take the extra time she gives you to enjoy your job all the more.” Eric finished.
“Who’s science on your ship?” Horace asked.
“Martha of course.”
Horace started laughing. “Well,” he said when he caught his breath, “better you than me. She scares me. Tiny little woman with a brain the size of a moon. She’s really nice and all but she makes me feel inadequate, if you know what I mean.”
“You are not alone my friend.” Eric agreed. “Which is a good thing for us. We grunts need all the help we can get in the brain department.”
“I hear you might have a little surprise in a few months. Is that true?” Horace asked.
“Little boy it looks like. Martha wants to name him Maxwell after her father. We will be joining you in about one hour. Talk to you then. Hell Raiser out.”
“Deaths Hand out.” Horace leaned back and looked at his bridge crew. They were doing a good job, acting as professional spacers. Most of his original surviving crew were still with him and leading departments aboard the ship. His ship. It sounded good. Still wasn’t thrilled with the name though. He was happy though with the crew, even his new science officer. Eric was right, he decided. He thought back over the events that led him here and realized suddenly that he had been in space almost fifteen years.
“Damn.”
“Captain? Something wrong?” Shirley asked.
“I just figured out how long I’ve been doing this. I think I just felt old all of a sudden. It will pass.”
She made a rude sound. “You’re not old. You’re barely into your forties. Just because some of us are younger shouldn’t make you feel that way. You are one of the originals you know. One of the first out here and you are all still going strong. The Admiral is older than you are and he’s getting ready to have his first child. With our life span, you’ve got another century or more to go.”
Horace laughed. “I’m not sure I can take too much more cheering up Science.”
~~~~~~
“New planet opening up for colonists. You said you had a few looking to make a new start. I have a few thousand who want to go from Acadia just because it’s new. I can have ships ready when you are so send a reply with the next load.”
Hazer listened to the reports on the new planet after Eric’s vid finished. It was a really nice planet, better than Earth had been even in the past and Hazer was a bit jealous of the new colonists.
“Pater, get this out on the coms. See if anyone still wants to go and set up the necessary staff to handle the paperwork and medical requirements.”
“Yes Sir. How much time do we have to prep these people? I think we will have a large turnout.”
“We have as much time as it takes. The ships arrive every two or three months. Make sure they all know it is a new planet. No cities, no farms, just open land. Make sure we have mules available to send with the first group. Did you finish the equipment list for the future colonists and could you find everything?”
“Not everything. I’ll send you a copy of the items we still need to locate. Farm equipment is still scarce since we opened up the Midwest American continent to farms once again.”
“I’ll ask if Acadia has any to spare. Thank you Pater.”
“You’re welcome Sir.”
Hazer leaned back and reflected. It had been close. He could have died at any time, spent his life running from the mob or been torn apart like so many other first and second tier Civil Servants. Eric had done him a good turn for no apparent reason other than he was the one who was ordered to go with the fleet. Elections were coming up next year and he would be out of it completely then. Perhaps he could join a colony, one of the new worlds, and start over. Perhaps find a good woman who wouldn’t think ill of him for his part in the suppression of the population. Something to think about anyway. Juan made it out there, no reason why he could not.
~~~~~~
“Franklyn, you gonna stay under there forever? Just order a new part. Sometimes things just get worn out and that tractor was one of the oldest things on this planet. Franklyn, are you even awake?” Syble kicked her husband’s boot to see if he was still alive.
“Almost got it hon. Five minutes and I’ll be out with the part. It’s totally fried this time. I guess I’ll have to get a new one.” Franklyn finally answered. “I had a wrench in my mouth so I couldn’t answer right away. You need to be a little less impatient sweetie.”
“Why would you put a wrench in your mouth?”
“Because I didn’t want to lay it in the manure.”
Syble sighed. “Dinner in twenty minutes. The kids are hungry so if you want to eat, be there by then. And wash first! No manure in the house.”
“Okay hon. I’ll even change my shoes this time.”
“Good. We been married for ten years and you still act like you live alone in a cave some times.” Syble smiled. He was a big kid at times and she loved him for it.
Horace came out from under the tractor, a fused bit of plastic and metal in his hand. “I have you to keep me civilized though. Wanna wash my back?”
Syble grinned and made a rude noise. “You wish. I need to get back and make sure Becky doesn’t burn the biscuits. Maybe later.” She leaned in and gave him a peck on the check then made a face. “Wash properly, okay. Maybe you should have kept out of the manure instead of saving the wrench.”
Franklyn took a deep breath. “Smells like money to me Syble. Nasty smelly money maybe.”
~~~~~~
“Time to get ready for bed Max.” Martha looked in the observation bubble and found her son leaning against the compound layers of glass, ceramics and plastics, his nose pressed hard against the curved surface. “You and your father.”
“When can I go outside?” Max asked as he was drug from the observation port.
“When we land of course. Strange question.” Martha answered. She saw Eric just ahead of her in the passage and called out to him.
“Just coming by to tuck you in.” He said.
“When can I go outside?” Max asked again.
“When your mother thinks she can handle it.” Eric answered. “You have plenty of time for that.”
“Wait. You mean outside now? In space?” Martha aske
d, a little shocked.
“Yes ma’am. Everybody else gets to go out. Why can’t I?”
“Everybody?” Martha asked, suspicious.
“We have made vacuum drill a requirement for all. You do remember that don’t you? It’s been that way for several years now.” Eric asked.
“Well yes. I know that but we are not crew.” Martha answered, her heart beginning to thump.
“All. Everyone without exception must be familiar with the suit and the experience of vacuum so they have a chance to survive an impact or a warhead. The ship is tough but if we get hit I don’t want to lose you or Max because of your fear of vacuum. Now, when was the last time you put on your suit and stepped out the airlock?” Eric asked.
Martha shook her head.
“Never? You have put on the suit at least? Please tell me you have done that much?”
“Yes, I put on the suit and wore it for four hours during the refresher courses.” Martha answered.
“Okay. Twice a year then you’ve done that much. How much EVA do you have?”
“You know that scares me.”
“Mom, I’ll go with you.” Max offered.
“We will all go as soon as we get to the next system. We’re stopping at the ice belt anyway and holding drills. It will be the perfect time for your first space walk.” Eric said.
“You cannot walk in space and I have always said that was a silly name for it.”
“You will go nonetheless. I will not have my family unprepared. We three will go out together. I will even tie you off to my safety line if it will help. Chelsea is too small for a suit yet but you will keep her vacuum bubble close. She doesn’t need to be in it, she can stay in the nursery while we go out. It’s just so you can get used to having it.”
Martha looked unconvinced and unhappy.
~~~~~~
“Hook up.” Eric said in Martha’s ears. The helmet speakers were loud and she touched the volume control with her chin to lower the sound. She could feel Max hooking his line to her belt and she looked for Eric on her left. He was waiting for her and guided her clip to his belt.
“Just take a few breaths and relax. Go to your happy place.”
“Several kilometers underground?”
Max laughed. “That was funny mom.”
Martha grunted and closed her eyes. She could hear the air hissing out of the airlock for a time then the gravity cut off and the door opened. She could feel the vibration through the handhold she was gripping tightly. She felt the tug of the safety line and drifted along with Eric. The bubble attached to her suit bumped her as she slowed. If this had been an emergency, baby Chelsea would have been strapped inside, protected by a vacuum proof play pen.
“Wow. Is that the Milky Way?” She heard Max asked.
“Sure is. Look over there. That is a gas cloud a few hundred light years from here, lit up from the inside by a few thousand new stars.” Eric answered.
“It’s pretty. Where’s Acadia?”
Again she felt a tug as Eric maneuvered to orient himself and his family.
“See the red star just below your toes? Look left about twenty centimeters and up that much. Yellow star in the middle of that cluster is Acadia.”
“I see it! How come we can’t see the cluster from Acadia?”
“Acadia is not anywhere near it for one thing. It just looks that way from this vantage point. The cluster is another three thousand light years away and the atmosphere distorts it just enough to look like a dirty smudge from the surface.”
Martha opened one eye and took a quick peek. The Milky Way stretched out in front of her forever, the whole thing brighter and more massive than she had ever seen before in her life. She had always had a planetary atmosphere blocking her view, dimming the glory of the heavens. Now she saw for the first time what Eric had seen from the beginning.
“It is so beautiful.” She said.
“Told you.” Eric answered, his voice a whisper in her ears.
“Mom, are you Okay? Are you crying?” Max sounded worried.
“I am fine. I’m just happy.”
~~~~~~~
“Our Twenty-fifth anniversary party is to be held at Seven o’clock at the park. All welcome. Food and drink provided, but bring something if you want. Music and live entertainment for all, old vids for the kids and a tour of the newest starship the Vengeance.”
The speakers had blared out the offers of fun, food and merriment for most of the week leading up to the anniversary of the founding of Acadia. In truth, parties had been going on for a month, but this was the official party.
“Hey! Your imperial majesty! Want a. . what are these again my dear?” Juan leaned over and gave his wife a peck on the check.
“These are hot dogs and those are bratwurst. The bratwurst is better, more flavor and natural casings. Serve with?” Agatha waited for the answer.
“Sauerkraut? And mustard.” Juan answered.
“I will have you eating schnitzel before you know it.” She said.
“A brat sounds good Juan.” Eric said, laughing at the couple. “Dark mustard. Hold the kraut for Martha. Kids, what do you want?”
Chelsea and Max ran up and looked at the food on the grill before answering in unison. “Hot dogs!”
“Hard to believe you are still the governor Juan. Four elections in a row and without cheating.” Eric said before taking a bite out of the bratwurst.
“I had a hard run this last time though. Bofur had a good chance to make it. He went back to rep for the south continent though.”
“I want him to think about retiring soon. We have that cute little ranch near the eastern ocean and we hardly ever get to spend time there. The kids like it there too. They love to fish and swim. Hard to believe we lived on Mars for so long. I’m second generation. Now the kids are first generation Acadian.” Agatha said smiling.
“Glad you’re here too. We had such a hard time keeping Juan inline before he met you. Always off on an adventure.” Eric joked.
“Come along. You need to say hi to a lot of people here and I want to get home before the kids eat themselves sick.” Martha drug Eric away, waving to Juan and Agatha.
They spent the evening greeting people and chatting with friends, most of whom had spent the last twenty years with Eric in space. Half the fleet was in orbit for the party.
“New colony started on Latonia. That makes three planets so far not counting Earth and Mars.” Phil said handing Eric a beer. “Good class at the academy too, almost three hundred this year. I’m going to miss that next year.”
“Still good to rotate back out for a few years, let someone else do the babysitting. I had my two terms as head of the academy and it was fun, but not the same as your own ship in a new system, first one in.” Lee said.
Horace and Steve agreed loudly and clinked steins together.
“I miss it too, when I’m on dirt too long. I don’t get to be first in either. I get to hear all about the wonderful new discoveries second hand. Like that world in sector five near the border with the Beaks. Nice looking place except for the gravity. One point five is a little high for me.” Eric said.
“Still, they will be those who would go there if everything else was good. Not pleasant but bearable.” Martha said.
“Not as unpleasant as that world with the slugs. Tides are fierce and there is one hurricane that seems to have been going on for twenty years. We didn’t even try to land, not with a poison atmosphere.” Hobbs said. “It was a methane ocean that covered ninety percent of the planet. The only land was under the ice caps in the north. It was pretty though. I wonder if the Otstrand ever saw those worlds or if they just skipped around looking for worlds already perfect for them.”
“We know they terra formed a few worlds. We don’t know if they had any interaction with any other species outside of enslaving their own cousins.” Martha said.
“Nothing in the files on Latonia?” Steve asked.
“Not that we ever found. Betty searched for an
y and all information once she was in control. We got tons of solid leads on planets but nothing on any other intelligent life forms.” Martha explained.
“The Beaks don’t care about any others unless they trespass on their territory. The Catroph just want to be left alone. Neither of them have anything on other life except us four. Maybe FTL is such a rare event that there are only a few who ever find it.” Steve suggested.
“It could be that a race must reach a certain level in science to find it or at least survive to a certain level. It might not be easy for a race to survive long enough to reach basic industrial levels, must less starships. A hundred thousand cubic light years and we found two. Otstrand and ourselves. There might not be anyone else in this arm.” Lee said.
“You sound a little disappointed.” Martha said.
“Aren’t you? Be nice to find another race that’s normal like we are.” Eric said.
Everyone looked at him until he blushed.
“Okay. Normal like you.”
“Better.” Martha said.
Eric shrugged and grinned. So he was weird. He was happy.
~~~~~~
Eric woke from a sound sleep and jumped out of bed, striding across the floor as he threw on his robe.
“What now?” Martha asked plaintively. This was not the first time a revelation had struck at night.
“Betty!”
“If she answers, you are in big trouble. This room is private!” Martha was up and grabbing her robe. She knew better than to roll over and wait for Eric. He wouldn’t sleep the rest of the night.
Eric ran to the front room yelling for Betty. Sounds from the other bedrooms made Martha aware that the noise had awakened the children too.
“Is Daddy being crazy again?” Max asked.
“Just a little sweetheart. Do you want to stay up and watch?” Martha asked.
Both children nodded and sat on the couch, watching Eric.
“I am here. What do you want?” Betty replied. Martha had put her own programs in Betty, including a grumpy woman just awakened at midnight.
“I need a play back. Astangii, the first conversation he had with us. Play it back!” Eric paced with vigor, as though his actions would speed the search. He rubbed his head frequently while he waited making his hair stand up in all directions.
