“Welcome to the Cloud Leopard!” STEAM exclaimed. “She is a beautiful ship. Yes sir!”

The little robot was waiting outside of the elevator that brought Commander Phillips and the Alpha crew up to the platform that held the spaceship.

“It’s bigger than my school,” Carly said in awe while gazing up at the behemoth. “It makes me dizzy.”

STEAM led the group forward, walking beneath the huge craft, which seemed to stretch overhead forever.

“It takes my breath away to be near something so giant,” Piper said.

“It seems impossible,” Gabriel said. “Then again, I didn’t think robots could walk and talk. No offense, Steamer.”

Dash caught movement out of the corner of his eye. It was something small that flashed quickly across the hull far to their right.

“Whoa, what was that?” he exclaimed.

Everyone looked, but whatever it was had disappeared.

“What did it look like?” Piper asked.

“Could have been a bird but it was really hauling,” Dash replied.

The question remained unanswered. As they continued on, Dash kept glancing back, hoping to get another glimpse.

“STEAM will give you a brief tour. There’s a lot to take in, but trust me, by launch day you’ll know this ship inside and out.”

“Commander Phillips?” Carly said.

“Yes?”

“For what it’s worth, I think you chose the best possible crew.”

“I agree,” Phillips replied with a rare smile. “Enjoy the tour.”

“This way,” STEAM called. “Time for you to meet the Cloud Leopard.”

The four crew members followed the little robot toward a ramp that led up and into the belly of the ship, near its tail. They walked slowly, taking in every detail of the vehicle as if they were witnessing an impossible dream come true.

Phillips watched as they walked up the ramp and disappeared into the ship.

“Big day,” a man said as he approached Phillips.

Phillips turned quickly to see the blond teenager who had been observing the competition from the catwalk above the event arena. He wore a similar dark blue jumpsuit to the one Commander Phillips had on.

“It went well, don’t you think?” Phillips asked.

“I do,” the young man said. “How did the others take the news?”

“Disappointed, to varying degrees,” Phillips replied.

“What was Dash’s reaction?”

“Confused,” Phillips said.

“Will he accept the risk?”

“I don’t know. We should be prepared to go with an alternate.”

“Let’s hope it won’t come to that,” the young man said, and the two walked away from the Cloud Leopard.

—

STEAM and the crew stood tight together in a space that was barely large enough to hold all of them.

“This is an air lock,” STEAM explained. “In case you need to leave the ship while in space.”

“Leave the ship?” Carly said, shaking her head. “That won’t be happening.”

STEAM continued, “The Cloud Leopard will be launched from Earth without a crew on board. Once it is in space, it will not land again. You will travel to and from it aboard a shuttlecraft called the Cloud Cat.”

“We have to learn how to fly that too?” Piper asked.

“Yes,” STEAM replied. “We will now enter the engine room.”

A sliding door opened with the hiss of air and the crew stepped into Wonderland.

“Oh man!” Dash exclaimed.

“Wow” was all Carly could say.

“This just keeps on getting better,” Gabriel said in awe.

The space was the size of an auditorium. Directly in front of them sat an array of vehicles, all built from the same silver steel material as the Cloud Leopard.

“You will use these vehicles during the mission,” STEAM explained. “There is a hovercraft, personal water vehicles, a two-person submarine, and a rover.”

The crew went straight to the vehicles, giddy at the idea of playing with the wondrous, oversized toys.

“How cool is this?” Carly said, breathless.

“These are great,” Dash said. “But why do we need them? Isn’t the mission about going to a planet to dig up some stuff and get back?”

“Yes, but you need to be prepared for anything and everything, yes sir,” STEAM said.

“Yeah,” Gabriel said. “Don’t argue. I want to take these babies out for a drive.”

“You will have plenty of time to practice,” STEAM said. “Time to move on.”

The group re-formed and walked deeper into the compartment. One whole wall was taken up with an array of hard drives with thousands of colorful, winking lights. Beneath the drives were several touch-screen monitors that showed dozens of schematics of the engines and also held the ship’s controls.

“We are on the lower deck,” STEAM said. “There is another deck above us. The engines are below. All engine functions are controlled and maintained right here.”

“We’re going to have to learn how to work all this stuff?” Piper asked nervously.

“Yes,” STEAM replied. “But mostly as a backup. The ship is automated. Maintenance is performed by the ZRKs.”

“The who?” Dash asked.

As if on cue, a small round object the size of a golf ball flew from behind the vehicles and past their heads. Everyone ducked, though they didn’t need to, for the sphere had no intention of hitting anyone. It flew toward the rows of monitors and hovered in front of one like a high-tech hummingbird.

“That’s what I saw outside!” Dash exclaimed. “It was flying across the hull of the ship.”

The sphere was surrounded by multiple small rotors, which gave it lift and propulsion. A small panel on the device opened up and a tiny mechanical arm emerged. It gently tapped the screen to change the setting on one of the sliding controls. The arm retracted and the tiny gizmo flew off.

“Get outta here,” Gabriel said, stunned.

“That was a ZRK,” STEAM said. “There are too many of them to count, and more are being built all the time. In fact, they build themselves. They keep the ship running smoothly, not to mention many other useful tasks.”

“They can think?” Carly asked.

“Not like me, no sir,” STEAM said. “They are each programmed to perform a specific function.”

“They’re kind of cute,” Piper said.

“Now this is important,” STEAM said, and waddled forward.

He led them to a large metal rectangular device that was built into the hull. It stood eight feet high and ten feet wide. Across the face were seven small doors with windows and one large, oven-like door. Below the doors was a control panel with a rectangular touch screen.

“This is the most essential piece of equipment on board,” STEAM explained. “It is the Element Fuser. This is where you will insert the raw elements you retrieve to be processed into the Source. Without this device, your mission means nothing.”

“Note to self,” Gabriel said. “Take care of the Element Fuser.”

“Let us continue,” STEAM said.

They walked ahead to the forward wall, where a door slid open that led to a long, narrow corridor.

“This leads to the bow of the ship,” STEAM explained. “There is a parallel corridor on the deck above.”

On the lower deck, the gym was two stories high and had loads of sports gear like a trampoline, a basketball court, stationary bikes, and an elevated running track.

“What about gravity?” Dash asked. “You can’t do much running on a track if you’re floating in zero g’s.”

“The Cloud Leopard creates artificial gravity,” STEAM replied.

“So far so good,” Carly said. “Let’s see more.”

STEAM led them out of the training center and across the corridor, where another door slid open to reveal a large compartment that was part library, part laboratory. One whole side of the hull had shelves loaded with books. The opposite side had long tables with workstations and computer screens.

“This is the library,” STEAM said. “Between paper books and digital files, you will have access to thousands of volumes. I am sorry to say that there is no Internet in space.”

“Okay, so maybe the ship’s not totally awesome,” Gabriel said.

“Why the lab setup?” Piper asked.

“Research,” STEAM explained. “In case something you find needs close examination.”

“It’s perfect,” Carly said with enthusiasm.

They moved forward until they reached two doors facing one another on opposite sides of the corridor.

“The door to our right leads to the medical bay,” STEAM said. “Piper, Commander Phillips wants to focus your training on being the medic of the crew. Is that something you would like?”

Piper’s eyes went wide with excitement.

“Absolutely!” she declared. “That is exactly what I’d like to do!”

“This opposite door is off-limits,” STEAM said. “It is a safety issue.”

“Is that where the fuel is kept?” Piper asked.

“You could say that,” STEAM replied. “Now to the upper deck.”

An elevator brought them up, and STEAM pointed out the two dorms where they would be sleeping, the recreation room for relaxing, the dining hall, and the galley.

“Do we have to learn to cook?” Carly asked.

“No. That is a ZRK task. They will cook and clean for you.”

Gabriel’s eyes went wide. “You mean I don’t have to clear my place or wash dishes?”

“No sir,” STEAM replied.

“Somebody pinch me because I am dreaming!” Gabriel said.

“One last stop,” STEAM said. “I am saving the best for last.”

At the end of the long corridor, a door slid open and the Alpha crew got their first look at the navigation deck of the Cloud Leopard. The first thing they saw was the long, wraparound front window that looked out over the desert. Mounted above it was an eight-foot-wide monitor. Beneath the window were multiple touch screens.

Four flight seats stood next to each other, side by side, facing forward. Each had the exact same touch-pad control on the armrest that the candidates used during their race through the virtual asteroid field.

“This is where you will be whenever the Cloud Leopard enters or exits Gamma Speed,” STEAM explained.

“Gamma Speed?” Dash asked. “What’s that?”

“The technology that will allow you to travel the vast distance to the Source. Without Gamma Speed, the trip would take decades.”

Dash’s enthusiasm instantly evaporated when he realized that it was Gamma Speed technology that scrambled the metabolism of anyone over the age of fourteen.

“Now,” STEAM said, “one last feature.”

STEAM waddled to the rear wall of the navigation deck to a large circular hole in the hull. It was three feet in diameter with a horizontal bar above it.

“Have you noticed these?” he asked. “There is also one over there.”

He pointed to the opposite side of the navigation deck, where there was an identical hole cut into the same wall.

“I saw them,” Carly said. “They’re everywhere.”

“This portal leads into a series of tubes that are all over the ship. Most you cannot see because they are behind walls and belowdecks.”

“What are they for?” Dash asked.

“The Cloud Leopard is a very large ship,” STEAM said. “Moving from one compartment to another can be time-consuming. That is why you can choose to fly.”

“Fly?” Carly said, confused.

Next to the opening was a panel full of symbols. STEAM touched it, gave the kids a salute, and jumped into the hole. There was a brief sound of rushing air and STEAM was gone.

“Whoa, what?” Gabriel exclaimed, and ran to the portal.

“Where did he go?” Piper cried.

“Right here,” STEAM said.

The four kids spun around to see STEAM standing in front of the portal on the opposite side of the navigation deck.

“No way,” Carly said, stunned.

“It is a high-speed transportation system,” STEAM said. “You can get from the navigation deck to the engine room in eight seconds flat. Want to try?”

“Heck yeah!” Gabriel declared.

STEAM hurried back to the first portal, where Gabriel stood waiting.

“This is a diagram of the ship,” he said, referring to the control panel. “Touch the spot that says where you are and slide your finger to where you want to go.”

“Like this?” Gabriel asked.

He put his finger on the dot that designated the portal he stood in front of. It lit up green. He slid his finger to the galley, leaving a trail of light that showed his route.

“That is it!” STEAM declared. “Happy landings!”

Gabriel looked into the hole, suddenly unsure.

“Just jump in?” he asked.

“Yes sir,” STEAM replied.

Gabriel gave a shrug, grabbed the bar with both hands, and launched himself in feetfirst.

There was the same quick whoosh of air that was quickly drowned out by…

“Yeahhhh!”

Gabriel’s scream was gone in an instant.

The others stared at the portal, not sure what to do.

“Did it work?” Carly asked.

“Yeah, it worked!” Gabriel announced as he ran back onto the navigation deck from the corridor. “That was awesome! I was like…flying on a cushion of air! You guys gotta try!”

“I, uh, I can’t,” Piper said. “It’s not like I can walk when I get to the other side.”

STEAM approached Piper and put his small mechanical hand on her arm to offer comfort.

“I am sorry,” he said.

“That’s okay,” Piper said with a shrug. “We can’t have big old wheelchairs all over the ship.”

“That is true,” STEAM said. “But there is something we can do that is even better.”

STEAM kept his hand on Piper’s arm and touched a few buttons on her Mobile Tech Band. A soft tone sounded and the word INCOMING appeared on her monitor.

“Incoming?” Piper said quizzically. “What’s incoming?”

A slight whooshing sound was heard as a silver device floated out of the portal. It was a sleek seat with arms, a backrest, and a curved screen with controls. The device floated there silently. Waiting.

“What is it?” Piper asked, wide-eyed.

“Your new wheelchair,” STEAM said. “Though it does not have wheels.”

“It’s an air chair!” Dash exclaimed.

“For me?” Piper asked, barely able to contain her excitement.

“Four of them will be kept around the ship,” STEAM said. “They are more efficient for spaceship maneuvering, yes sir. They can even transition to an upright position.”

“That is awesome!” Carly shouted with joy.

Piper drove herself over to the hovering craft. She looked at it with a frown, trying to figure out how to board.

“Just this once,” she said. “I’m going to need a little help.”

Carly and Dash immediately ran to her, lifted her out of the wheelchair, and deposited her gently into the air chair. The chair dipped a little with her weight, then compensated and floated still. Piper grasped the joystick and gently eased it forward. The chair floated ahead.

“Yeah!” Gabriel shouted.

Piper moved the stick back and the chair floated back. She pushed down and the chair sank to the floor. She lifted it up and the chair rose up again. She moved gently to the right, then to the left.

“Easy?” STEAM asked.

She gave the robot a sly smile and jammed the stick hard to the right. Instantly, she flew into a fast spin.

“Yeah, it’s easy!” she screamed with absolute joy.

Everyone laughed and applauded.

“No! Wait!” STEAM cried. “Be careful!”

Piper pulled out of the spin, looking dizzy.

“Wow, won’t be doing that again,” she said.

She focused and found STEAM.

“C’mere, little man,” she said.

STEAM hurried over to her as Piper dropped the chair to the deck. She leaned over and gave the robot a hug.

“Thank you,” she said. “It’s perfect.”

“You are very welcome,” STEAM replied.

“I see you’ve completed the tour,” Commander Phillips said as he stepped onto the navigation deck.

Everyone started chattering, all wanting to be heard and give their thoughts about the ship.

“Whoa, whoa, I understand,” he said. “It is very impressive. We wanted to make it as comfortable and functional as possible.”

“Then mission accomplished,” Gabriel said.

“You’re going to have plenty of time to explore,” Phillips said. “But right now there are media people outside who would like to talk to you.”

The kids exchanged uncertain looks.

“I’ve never been interviewed before,” Carly said with concern.

“Just answer their questions as best as you can. STEAM, take them out, please.”

“Yes sir!” the robot declared, and walked for the door.

“Whoa, wait, can we take the tube?” Gabriel asked.

“Go for it,” Phillips said.

“Race you there,” Piper declared, and flew out of the navigation deck at full speed.

“Eeehaaa!” she screamed, her voice echoing through the corridor as she sped away.

Gabriel ran for the tube.

“No way you’re beating me!” he shouted as he traced his route, jumped in, and was gone.

“You should try, Carly,” STEAM said.

Carly was tentative. She traced the route on the pad and looked to STEAM for verification.

“Perfect,” he said. “Do not be afraid.”

Carly looked at the tube with trepidation, then suddenly lunged at the bar and grabbed it as if she were doing gymnastics on the uneven bars.

“Let’s go!” she screamed, and swung into the tube.

“You next, STEAM,” Phillips said. “We’ll follow.”

“Yes sir,” STEAM said. He quickly input the route, then leapt in and disappeared.

Phillips and Dash were left alone.

There was a long moment of awkward silence.

“Time for us to talk,” Phillips said.