Enaida relaxed in the lounge reserved for those assigned to Passenger Module Three. The medical specialists brought a few passengers out of sleep mode daily. That took up much of their morning, helping each person to regain consciousness and recover sufficiently to move around and function independently. In addition, they performed a series of health tests and administered fluids and drugs to each person as needed.
Once up, the passengers did a morning and afternoon exercise routine to help them maintain muscle tone. Then, on the third day, the Medical Specialists returned them to sleep mode for a sixty-day cycle.
Enaida sat with a Rabizut woman named Sirodee, resting after exercising.
“How did you find the exercise routine?” Enaida asked. She liked to start with something related to their recent activity. It was less threatening.
“It wasn’t too bad. Of course, we had to do a lot of physical training on the ground, but we never used the machines you have here.”
“I see you are 27 and single. What attracted you to this mission?”
“It sounded like an adventure, and they said there would be a lot of single men,” she said, embarrassed.
“What else did you have to do to prepare for this mission?
“There was an orientation to the spacecraft and a lot about the exciting adventure we would have. We had to go through an obstacle course. No one liked that. There was a course on survival skills, but they said it was only a precaution. They taught us how to use a scope to measure distance and find our way through dense forests. We learned to start a fire and keep it burning. They told us the crew would set up a science lab to test our food. Oh, and we slept outside in a tent once. Our trainers praised us for going out to colonize a new planet and how everyone on Tridon was proud of us.”
“Was there any instruction on what to do when you landed at your destination?”
“Not really. The trainers said those in charge would take care of that. The trainers emphasized it was important to have children to increase the population.
“Did they tell you anything about your new planet?”
“They kept saying the planet was very nice and similar to Tridon and how much we would like it.”
“You said you had a pottery shop before joining this mission. Did you make pottery?”
“Yes. It started as a hobby. Then, I learned how to make many different ceramic pieces -- mostly wall and table decorations. And I taught classes in my shop,” she replied.
“Where do you get all the materials and patterns?” Enaida asked.
“Mostly from a supply house. I did take a course on using natural clays and colorings, but that was too much work. So I only tried doing it once.”
Sirodee wasn’t the first traveler Enaida had found with craft skills, but she noticed most purchased the materials they used, and few did any actual design.
Enaida sent Sirodee to start her next exercise session, returned to the lounge, and called up the file on Relytem. He was walking her way, sweating profusely and breathing hard when he sat down. Enaida handed him a cold dianoma and an energy bar. She could see he was in poor physical condition. His overweight physique proclaimed, “desk job.”
“Any questions about the routine?” Enaida asked after Relytem's breathing slowed down. She knew he was one of the complainers.
“Is this exercise necessary? I’m a Laka logistics manager and entitled to special consideration.”
“Yes, exercise is essential. We all have to do it! Otherwise, in the weightlessness of space, your muscles atrophy. The more you do, the easier it will be to adjust to your new planet. So what interested you in this mission,” Enaida added to change the subject.
“Well, I am not married, and I heard from a friend that there were a lot of single girls going. Unfortunately, I never had time to meet many girls at my job.”
Enaida thought: He's going on a lonely hearts vacation. She wondered what would make him attractive to young women.
“So, how did you get chosen? I heard many wanted to go but were not selected.”
“A Laka had been selected, but his wife got sick, and he didn’t want to go. So, he arranged for me to take his place. Having the right friend makes a difference.”
She nodded, thinking this guy didn’t look like a survivor. He gets exhausted doing the warm-up. Relytem, like most of her other passengers, didn’t say much. They were still adjusting to the ship's routine.
The Commander had revised the procedure set by the Mission Planners. He wanted the medical specialists to evaluate how the travelers would handle stress and the challenges of coping with an unfamiliar world. Relytem would rank near the bottom.
Enaida had found only nine who she felt could survive in a hostile environment. Although she knew nothing about their destination, she had landed on two planets on prior missions and understood what being alone in a strange landscape was like. And on those occasions, the ship provided everything they needed.
That evening, she found her friend, Aterga, who was excited about a guy she had worked with that morning.
“He is taller than most and solid muscle. He's Amilikut and a hunter. He went through the exercise routine twice, both morning and afternoon, “she said wistfully. “His name is Nairben.”
“Aterga, this mission needs more men like that. But, unfortunately, most of the travelers I’ve had could barely survive a three-day camping trip.” It was apparent her friend was smitten with Nairben.
“Yeah,” she sighed. “All the others I’ve had were used to the comforts of urban life. A couple had technical skills useful in the landing habitat's laboratory. But they were very spoiled. One kept humming a popular new song.”
“Did the trainers tell them what to expect when we land?” Enaida asked.
“Crocit! They think it will be just like living on Tridon.”
“Anyone mention the stuff they brought with them?”
“Very few, Enaida. They brought whatever they could squeeze into their flight bag after the required clothes and toiletries for the trip. Most of the Rabizut and Mamlaka brought music and videos of family and friends on their Digital Applications Prosthesis – an implanted computing device called DAP. One guy brought some knives for carving. Some brought computer games.”
“It sounds like the Directorate planners wanted the settlers to feel this would be like a holiday trip. So, in the data file on my sessions with the passengers, I added a note suggesting an inventory of their flight bags.”
“Have you noticed there are more women than men? About four women for every three men.”
“Let me check. You’re right, Aterga. I hadn’t paid much attention to the full list.” That brought to mind what Sirodee had said about having children.
“Some of the men I’ve seen wouldn’t make my list.”
“Same here. Most are not the rugged survival types!”
“I’m exhausted. Time for bed,” Aterga sighed.
“See you tomorrow. It's been a long day.”
Enaida's DAP recorded each interaction with a traveler. She could add notes by speaking into her sleeve microphone. Her immediate concern was the lack of survival training. In her limited encounter with passengers, she concluded there had been nothing about the challenges confronting them on the ground. She thought the Directorate saw the world they knew and couldn’t imagine a colony starting from scratch.
She had just finished scanning her DAP passenger files when her communicator sounded. It was Gergin. He asked her to meet him in the Crew Galley.
The ship was still accelerating, and moving forward through the passageways was harder. But Enaida was used to this and floated along, using her three fingers to pull on handles placed at convenient intervals along the walls. She had done this for years and could move about gracefully without thought.
The passageway surfaces were white but colored by low-intensity lights. Since there was no rising or setting sun to denote the time of day, the light's color provided a visual indicator. The color was a green shade in the morning that gradually changed to a soft blue by evening. The colored lights slowly got darker. Later in the evening, only small lights near the floor and ceiling marked the passageways and open areas.
Up ahead, she saw Gergin looking her way with an unusual grin. Enaida was glad he had called. Being near him raised her spirits. They pressed cheeks and embraced, pressing their protruding foreheads together. She felt him hold her close, feeling his powerful arms.
“Hi,” she said with a flirtatious smile. “Just what I needed to end a long day.”
“Hi, plump cheeks,” he replied, referring to her full cheeks that softened her facial features. “I found a place where we can be undisturbed.”
“And where is this special place,” she asked with eyes revealing her desire.
“The decent vehicles. They are pressurized, empty, and have extra space between the crew and passenger sections. Only the pilots and the Commander have access cards. And my friend Retepin has offered me his card. We’ve been friends for years.”
“Sounds too good. What's the catch?”
“No catch. I have to finish my navigation report tonight. But we can do it another time when we can stay until after most are down for the night. It wouldn’t be good to have company.”
“You’re just shy,” she teased.
Gergin grinned. “Did you learn anything more from our travelers?”
“I did. Our passengers got some survival training but were told they wouldn’t need to use it, and most didn’t take it seriously. Who in the Directorate knows anything about survival training?”
“Good question. It would be nice to have some survival experts on the mission,” Gergin replied.
“And one guy got on the list without ever going through the acceptance process. He had a friend who hacked the file.”
“He's probably not the only one who did that.”
“So far, I am not impressed with this group.” she sighed.
Gergin wondered if there were any travelers with survival skills. He held Enaida tight, feeling the rise and fall of her breathing and her breasts against his chest. Then he whispered in her ear. “Get some rest. Love you.”
The officers would meet with the Commander in the morning, and Gergin would brief them on their destination. He had researched the galaxy database, which cataloged all known objects and regions with unusual flight risks. The approach to planet 26q395-3 would be tricky.
The Senior Flight Engineer had come into the gally and was standing near him.
“Eteppon. What's up?” Gergin said, looking up. He had done several missions with Eteppon and admired his ability.
“Nothing, Gergin. Just getting a drink and thinking about our engines. “
“Something wrong?”
“Not according to the instruments, but something doesn’t feel right. It's probably just my imagination.”
Gergin nodded. Eteppon had a reputation for having a sixth sense regarding spacecraft rocket engines. When something didn’t feel right, he would stay on it until he had an answer.
“Just what we need…engine problems when we’ve barely started the mission,” Gergin said to himself.
Eteppon filled a container with a cold drink and glided off to the rear of the craft, lost in thought.
The Senior Mission Navigator viewed his notes a third time to ensure he hadn’t overlooked anything. The length of this flight required passing through some unknown regions. They would be crossing through a K^Calbin black space to shorten the time to reach their destination's solar system.
Scientists have known about the K^Calbin for years, and extensive research advanced their methods for finding the access portals and exit points. In addition, the spacecraft had the latest navigation computer to handle the complex calculations for navigating to these points.
Greg found traveling in this region spooky and nerve-racking. There wasn’t much mission experience traveling deep inside these dark places. He had only done it once. Moreover, several missions had entered the K^Calbin and never returned.
Finally, he felt ready for the briefing and glided to his sleeping quarters.