The Heradians had set up a sterilised, airtight guest suite for us. First, we’d used disinfectant from the Rimor to thoroughly clean everything in the rooms to prevent any bugs entering our systems. We could then strip out of our spacesuits and wear coveralls overnight. We ate Earth rations from the ship too, of course.
The main room had a glass wall and several of the Kuthrad, plus one or two scientists questioned us the next day, Stroya and Gurd taking turns to interpret. Cultural questions arose, plus many about living in free fall, which, of course, no one from the colony had ever experienced. We were also quizzed about orbital mechanics and our reasoning for and method of selecting particular orbits. One of the scientists asked me to show them my entity and he took close-up video of him moving over the glass wall.
On day three, we spent most of the time back in our suits at the museum with Stroya. We were understanding more of the language, but Stroya translating for us was essential in such a scientific setting. We felt we had gained a far more comprehensive understanding of the Heradians and their attitudes to most aspects of life. A doctor also provided us with a detailed tour of the hospital facilities and showed us how the vitamins were rapidly causing bodily sores and various other illnesses to heal or retreat.
On the morning of day four, we boarded the Rimor. Chi and I remained in our spacesuits and, of course, Gurd and Stroya were now in pressure suits too. In the cockpit, Chi took the right seat as normal, I sat on the left and the aliens took the seats behind us. After improvising some protective coverings to stop our couch harnesses perforating their suits, we were soon ready to depart. Outside, Heradians had disconnected the tethers from the fuel tank and removed the pins securing the landing legs ready for our docking. Gradually, they made their way back to a safe distance.
‘I’m very anxious,’ said Stroya.
‘Don’t be,’ said Chi, ‘we’ve made lift-off as safe as possible.’
‘It’s this first bit, attaching to that enormous fuel tank which worries me.’
‘We’ve done it many times, Stroya, and most of the complexities are undertaken by computers,’ I said.
‘Anna, do you copy?’ asked Chi.
There was no answer. The joined Spirits had dropped into a lower orbit for the rendezvous and were still over the horizon.
‘Anna, come in please,’ said Chi.
Nothing.
On the third request, we heard, ‘Copy you, Chi.’
‘Hi, Anna. What’s the launch window?’ Chi asked.
‘You need to launch in forty-two minutes from my mark,’ said Anna.
After a few seconds, she added, ‘Ready… mark.’
Chi set the countdown clock running and fired up the Rimor’s engines. I wasn’t entirely sure what anxiety looked like in a Heradian, but in my mirror, I saw Stroya’s eyes narrow and her mouth close tightly. Her feathers seemed somewhat fluffed out.
The Rimor rose from the surface of Arctur, swivelled towards the tank and approached it. At a distance of about fifty metres, Chi turned the Rimor nose-up and the craft began to close vertically on the side of the tank which had the docking attachments.
We heard clunks and clicks from outside, the Rimor dropped slightly, and the computer said, ‘Docking complete. Fuel hoses connecting.’
‘The hoses are now pumping fuel into the Rimor so that we have our maximum load,’ I explained to our passengers.
‘Tanks replenished,’ said the computer. ‘Hoses disconnecting.’ A few seconds passed and it added, ‘Ready for lift-off.’
I looked at Chi’s countdown clock and said, ‘Eleven minutes to wait.’
‘I can’t believe this,’ said Gurd. ‘I believed I’d die on Arctur. Rescue seemed impossible.’
‘Thank you so much,’ said Stroya.
‘Just enjoy lift-off,’ Chi said. ‘In six minutes, we’ll be kicked in the backside by the huge thrust of the engines.’
‘Are those strap protectors properly in place?’ I asked and looked round to watch the aliens ensuring that the straps had thick spongy wads running between them and their suits. ‘We’ll get our people to improve on your suits back on Earth.’
‘We have a lot to learn,’ said Stroya and I could hear her voice trembling.
‘Five, four, three, two, ignition, fire!’ said Chi.
The Rimor and tank engines roared into life. The Arcturian gravity-well was even deeper than the Earth’s. This was a real test for the propulsion system. The whole spaceship took to the air.
‘Prepare for roll,’ said the computer as we felt the Rimor falling onto its back as the assembly climbed through five thousand metres.
‘Throttling back,’ said Chi.
The pressure we were experiencing eased very slightly as the engines dropped thrust for us to pass through the region of maximum dynamic pressure.
‘Go for throttle up,’ said the computer and we felt the thrust mounting and speed rising. We were past the worst.
‘Thirty thousand metres,’ said Chi.
‘Look at the view!’ shouted Gurd. In my mirror I could see them both staring out of the windows, looking at the surface of the world which had imprisoned them for centuries.
‘Eighty thousand metres,’ said Chi.
‘Prepare for tank separation,’ said the computer.
We felt the acceleration briefly cease, throwing us forward as the tank detached. Then the Rimor’s jets took over the task and we accelerated once more into the new blackness which heralded our arrival into space.
‘One hundred and twenty thousand metres,’ said Chi. ‘Almost free of the atmosphere.’
‘Stars!’ said Stroya. ‘So beautiful.’
Arctur was no longer a huge flat surface but had now curled in on itself, a shiny white and grey globe.
‘Orbit achieved,’ said Chi, and the engines cut.
‘Oh, oh!’ said Stroya.
I looked around and saw the shock on her face as her hands, all four of them, rose before her.
‘Free fall,’ I said.
‘Yes. Wonderful,’ she agreed.
‘You can undo your straps,’ I said. ‘We won’t rendezvous for another hour, and you won’t need the strap protectors for those manoeuvres.’
‘We’re catching the Spirit, but it will take time,’ said Chi. ‘We’ll be over the complex as we prepare for docking and you can speak to home on the radio and let them know all went well.’
Our passengers’ eyes were glued to the windows as the Rimor glided silently towards its rendezvous with the two Spirits. When communication was restored with the complex, although I missed some of the words, it was a delight to hear the natural joy of Stroya’s and Gurd’s conversations with family members back on Arctur.
Eventually, as we neared the Spirits, we took back control of our communications and Chi, with Anna one or two, began the conversation and minor thrusting which would lead to the Rimor’s docking. Once attached, Chi and I sprayed every nook and cranny of the shuttle before the airlock in the top of the hull was opened and we also disinfected it and the Spirit airlock.
The inner hatch opened and our passengers were given the friendliest welcome from the rest of our crew. Stroya and Tosh shared a hug which was more the like of two lifelong siblings meeting after years apart.
The aliens entered their self-contained section of the ship and we advised them to sleep, while Anna-one lifted the two Spirits back to the geosynchronous orbit and Tosh continued to learn more about the Heradians and their culture.
Eight orbits later, we began preparations to spold back to Earth. Chi, Tosh, Mary, the aliens and I were to travel in the adapted Spirit, which we now called Spirit 1, while both Annas, Bill and Terry took Spirit 2. The two Spirits separated and we got ready to enter hyperspace. It was decided to leave one hundred minutes apart to be certain of no disturbance of the dark universe while both of us were in transit.
With the strap protectors and improvised fluid containers in place for Stroya and Gurd to use en route, we were all restrained in our couches as Chi began a ten-second countdown.
We were frozen in the dark universe once more.