“Zones will be broken down by the constellation region, and upon arrival to a promising location for observation, a region will be further divided into a sector. Each sector with promising potential for colonization will be further identified by their star systems, and during each step of travel, star maps, both multi-dimensional and one-dimensional, using constellation maps much like those found on Earth, will be made and accessible, with all of the finite details. These details will be robust and will include opportunities to volunteer on missions and quests, all will be made available within the Virtual Universe, by traveling to each numbered Zonal Matrix, and anyone can apply to serve in any region of space, contingent on availability or if the requests are still open.
“Once tech cities and a stabilized form of UAS governance has been established, the IMC will hand over control and request support for each newly-formed UAS Space Force zone, region, sector, or planetary system, and the UAS Space Force will begin to provide protection to all colonists. From there, the IMC will move on to the vast stretches of our Universe, until they reach the CMB, relative to Earth. If there is ever a threat to life and limb, to the mission, and to civilization, both the UAS Space Force and the Intergalactic Mission Contingencies will work together as much as is needed in order to bring stability back into that location.
“Finally, the UAS Presidential Command Spacecraft, or Presidential Spacecraft, will be commissioned and built in very much the same fashion. This will afford humanity the opportunity to see their President and her staff conducting operations throughout the Milky Way and providing support to the UAS IMC. As agreed upon by me, the principal investor in every aspect of the missions of the UAS Space Force, as well as by President Erin Carter and every member of Pathway, Pathway is hereby relieved of governance of any sort and will continue on to support industrial advancements as it always has. The entire solar system will be known effectively as the UAS Homebase, or Sol. I will always invest in the well-being of every citizen of the UAS, so as many wise individuals have quoted in the past, ‘ask, and ye shall receive.’
“There is much to do, still. So, let’s keep working together on all of this. I am proud of each of you for your efforts, your ideas, your submissions, and your willingness to work as a team. You have done so much, yes, we have done so much, and there will always be rewarding challenges that make life so full and enriching. Thank you all for listening. Please go to the UAS Governmental Website and vote. Thank you!”
As setup the President’s requests were subsequently and unanimously voted upon, and while simultaneously working on Earth matters, Eliza and Yesha had been working as President and Vice President of the USA and of the UAS. This arrangement was unanimously voted on, and the 30th Amendment now afforded Eliza and Yesha to be President and Vice President of both the US and the UAS. The UAS, now the most powerful party involved brought in all of the tech cities throughout the solar system as UAS citizens. The 200 nations setup envoys teams for each of the fourteen command spacecraft, which now included the UAS Presidential Spacecraft. As volunteers poured in, Eliza coordinated directly with Five-Star General Vesha Celeste and the UAS envoys with regard to Milky Way Galaxy-related matters. The UAS President and Vice President also worked through General Celeste with each of the proposed IMC Generals and Lt Generals, as well as the UAS envoys in matters top to bottom regarding the missions of the UAS IMC.
Eliza began to coordinate with her Presidential Spacecraft, who called himself Morgan, and its crew or those whom she considered her dearest friends. Her immediate leaders, as she had appointed, consisted of Doctor James Cooper, Vice President Yesha and Senator Yesenia Alevtina, Vice President of Pathway Joanne Gallant, and Doctor Sky Taylor. Like the other UAS Command Spacecraft, her crew contingency consisted of 1200 total crewmembers and their families.
Chapter 58: UAS Space Force, Section 2
In less than a day following Eliza’s address, Vesha oversaw the completion of the Presidential Spacecraft. She then had neurally linked to Eliza and her entire crew to use a jump gate terminal to jump to the ‘Presidential Command Spacecraft Jump Gate Terminal’ in order to give them a tour and an opportunity to settle into their domiciles. Several years of training would begin soon. There was much to learn, to be familiar with, because everyone knew our solar system was kinder and gentler than any other observed location, at least for the time-being.
“Wow, Vesha! You and everyone else who worked on the Presidential Command Spacecraft have done an immaculate job!” Eliza and everyone with her had been ecstatic as they went on their real-life tour through their brand new and very immense space vehicle. The Presidential Command Spacecraft Jump Gate Terminal was rather large within each of these behemoth-space-faring luxury tech cities with a series of drives, all of which could allow navigation to be quick and seamless. Eliza gathered everyone together and said, “When we are together, let’s go by first names. ‘General this, President that, or Doctor whomever,’ are terms, in my humble opinion, intended for reference during official broadcasts, public greetings, etc., so as your President, just call me Eliza. It seems more personable that way. James, Yesha, Yesenia, Joanne, and Sky, what do you think?”
They all looked at each other, and with approving smiles, Sky spoke up, “That is quite alright with me boss. I’m thinking we’re all on the same page with that one. In smaller circles, we all know who we are talking about, especially based on context. Plus, with neural links, the titles are in the data readouts anyway.”
“Agreed,” said Yesha, “Besides, being called ‘Vice President Yah Dee Dah’ is rather wordy for a simple ‘hello.’ Yep, I’m fine with being called Yesha, and I totally get it when it comes to the news, etcetera. Good point, too, Sky. The titles are right there in our neural digital displays. Impressive what you have here, Vesha.”
“This jump gate terminal is breath-taking and beautiful!” Joanne was ensconced. “I like the vibe, it’s just like the reception center at the Melrose Campus, so inviting, clean, glowing, and magnificent in every way. Above us, the art is so ornamental, full of history, and full of meaning. So, is there a window anywhere nearby, Vesha?”
Vesha was giving them the tour, “Yes, the history includes everything derived from the asteroids, comets, and individuals involved, as well as their known lineage and legacy. There are also windows scattered around every room. You’re probably used to seeing the light of day on Earth, but in the current setup, it’s as if you are floating just outside the vehicle, and as such from where we are, the Sun looks like any other star. Follow me.”
Eliza, James, Yesha, Yesenia, Joanne, and Sky followed Vesha. Behind them were other crew members, all of whom were following other tour guides and would eventually make introductions, if not right then, later on when their Virtual Universe Neural Downloads and Training kicked in while sleeping. The rest of the crew was still arriving and being escorted and guided by their families and friends by other personnel from Vesha’s crew and staff, the staff of UAS Command Spacecraft for Zone 13.
The jump gate terminal was spacious and disc-shaped, with the capacity to hold tens of thousands of personnel, and there were large, tall, and arched windows around the perimeter.
As Vesha, Eliza, and their small crew approached the windows, the majestic beauty of the Milky Way Galaxy filled them with awe. “Wow, I’ve never seen it from here. I think I might cry, this is so beautiful.” Joanne was impressed. She’d been all over the World, had seen and done so many things as Vice President of Pathway, but not once had she taken or considered having the opportunity to experience the spectacular imagery of space this far from Earth.
A brief moment passed, and Joanne noticed that she was lost in what she was beholding, turned around, and caught up to the group. She followed Eliza and James, who followed Vesha, and Joanne felt at peace with her crew as she caught up to and walked between Yesha and Sky. They looked at her, smiled, and followed Eliza and James.
Vesha then explained, “We can jump on the hyperloop network, wa
lk, or set up our teleport grids now, associated with this spacecraft, to explore. My recommendation is to use the hyperloop until everyone has established or properly coordinated their specific habitual teleport destination locations. I’d hate for you to find you’re breathing vacuum, are all of a sudden one with a wall, or are mortally conjoined with someone or something else.” Everyone thought for a second, slightly gasped, and then chuckled in a good-natured way.
“I can see the Virtual Universe as a good place to set that up, or I can go ahead and set the entire group up for that now,” said Sky. Everyone looked toward Sky, smiled, and nodded yes. A brief flicker of light occurred, and like that everyone, from crewmembers, family members, and guests had complete clarity on when and where they could teleport throughout the spacecraft, and all with extreme precision, so as to avoid any unseemly accidents.
“Thank you, Sky,” said Eliza, “Vesha, how about we all settle in to our domiciles for a few moments, and in small groups we meet at agreed locations for the rest of the tour, until it’s time for us to meet in the convention center for the solar-system-wide broadcast?”
“That sounds fair enough to me,” said Vesha.
Like that, everyone popped out of existence within the jump gate terminal and found themselves safely, as neurologically-planned, in their assigned domiciles, so they could settle in.
Joanne pondered as she lay in her domicile bedroom.
“Environmental Science Officer,” thought Joanne. “I’m in charge of observing, identifying issues, and developing solutions that enhance the quality of life and clarity of mind, as well as the delivery of anything necessary to preserve and enrich every aspect of the flora, fauna, and humanity, both on board and within any designated area as requested by the spacecraft commander, the healing diplomatic officer, or as necessary within the scope of the laws of Universal Ethics. Nineteen officers will be working with and for me, but that will grow exponentially as we setup Observation Posts and develop colonies and resorts on scattered locations throughout at least 90 sectors, or more, of the Milky Way Galaxy. All of this, while serving as Pathway Vice President on Earth. I can do this.”
Joanne was laying upon her beautifully and ornately embroidered afghan covering her California king bed, in one of the master bedrooms of her luxury suite in Sector three of the Living Quarters. Every suite was a condominium-style luxury suite and could be adjusted to accommodate up to ten family members rather comfortably, but with the popularity of Jump Gate Technology, it wasn’t entirely necessary to have 12,000 to 24,000 people, with visitors, or in this case tour guides, on each UAS Command Spacecraft. Typically, immediate family was accommodated, and arrangements could be made during off-duty hours for extended-family and friend visits, and this would provide a little more space for each crewmember onboard. Her domicile, once she had arrived, to her discovery, was everything she dreamed of and more, with curtains, furniture, Jacuzzis, the works all designed by the best and most creative minds. Each room was spacious, and every domicile had that spacious feel of a ranch-style home. As she and her parents had arranged it, the biopod room was kitty-corner on the other side of the hallway from Joanne’s bedroom, and her parents shared another room that was king-sized in the level below, accessible via elevator, stairs, or coordinated teleportation as approved by those whose neural identifications were registered to that particular room, or the Healing & Diplomatic Officer, in this case, Sky.
The kitchen was an open-themed and shared space with the dining and family rooms, stocked with all of the equipment, cabinetry, and beauty of clean and modern-day artistry and design for both aesthetic and utility. There were office rooms for each tenant with desks, computers, bookshelves that would populate with an array of informative and entertaining favorites as requested via a neural link, as well as with every other necessity any office would require. Even the laundry room was state-of-the-art with automated access and processing and delivery chutes from every room and back to the armoire, closet, or shelf items were encoded to be organized in. While smart suits and holo-ensembles were on the rise with popularity, it was nice to have a varied assortment of real clothing on hand, for positive morale or in the event systems shut down, which they never did. Downstairs, along with her parents’ master bedroom suite, were dual bathrooms with Jacuzzis and walk-in closets. There were also a series of personal gyms, saunas, and a spacious theatre room.
“Mom, Dad, what do you think?” Joanne asked her parents through the luxury suite’s intercom, which was activated via a neural link but provided another opportunity to reduce any unnecessary neural buzz. Neural silence mode was used often, and conveyances were made for optimal environments meant for peace, relaxation, and reduced stress throughout each suite.
“The view from the windows down here, well, you couldn’t ask for better. It’s as if we’re looking outside the spacecraft itself. So, when is your tour guide going to meet up with you? Since your Dad and I have gotten our youth back, we wouldn’t mind a little ‘alone’ time.”
“Don’t you have a tour as well?” Joanne knew what they wanted. They could arrange their furniture and interior walls in any quantity or manner they wanted. They could set whatever ambiance or environment they wished within their master bedroom. However, for these first few hours, they wanted a sense that they had ownership of that one spot in the spacecraft, and Joanne knew there would be no harm in giving them those precious moments. She had no guy in her life and never had. For her, it was always one exciting thing after another and time flew by.
“We do, but most of what we’ll be doing is on the first level. We both work in one of the Sector Three restaurants and have plenty of time to walk the gardens, a jaunt through the forests and jungles, and play on the sand and swim in the sea. So, if it’s okay with you, we wouldn’t mind a little time alone.”
“I understand. I was wanting to do some exploring until I’m pinged anyway.”
“Yesha, how are you doing?” Joanne was linking with her to see if she wanted to go exploring. Then she remembered that she was probably settling in with her Mom. Her quarters were probably fairly similar with some artistic differences, and it’d probably been a while since Yesha had an opportunity to spend quality time with Yesenia.
“We’re doing pretty well. I love these suites, Joanne. My Mom and I are settling in, and we will probably do some catching up, since she’s been pretty busy up in Massachusetts and I’ve been hands-tied with both Houses of Congress, the White House, and, well, away from her.”
“No worries. Just checking in. I completely understand. If you recommend any Sector 2 restaurants, please let me know.”
“Will do.”
Their link closed. Joanne then scanned her mind and activated the codes to teleport to her Environmental Science Officer sector on Level 3, of the spacecraft. In this case, since there was little conflict in coordination, due to the fact that most everyone was somewhere on the top level, or Level 1, she chose to teleport to the hallway just outside her work center. When she blinked, she found herself in a spacious hallway just outside a large inverse bow bay set of windows integrated into the walls on both sides of her, with glowing white lights, white walls, and a beautiful setting of lush foliage just on the other side of the windows on both sides. Right there before Joanne were to two wide inverse bow bay doors. They both read, “Environmental Science Sector, Level 3.”
She turned around to see the opposite side of the hallway, and again there were bow bay walls and windows, but this time they had lush seating arrangements before them, there was a sign with an arrow pointing to the Hyperloop Sector Terminal, and then a view through the windows, as spectacular as could be, of the Perseus Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy. She looked down and saw Pluto, far enough away, yet close enough to take in the spectacular details of its Earth-like green and blue appearance, mixed with ‘Plutonian’ crisp red mountains, and even some of its beautiful sprawls of tech cities. She then saw the shielding as it maintained a stationary orbit with and at a perfect
distance from Pluto on the side of the Sun, and then behind Pluto on the side of the great expanse, giving the planet both Earth-like qualities and protections.
All this splendor, all of the beauty, and all of the intriguing details and capabilities of every aspect of the spacecraft that she had seen melted her heart. She was impressed with everything she saw. Despite all, she still felt deep down, just a little swelling as she swallowed, the kind felt when the feeling of loneliness sets in. She tried to brush it off, she knew everyone was busy doing what they needed to do to settle in with their family members, spend time with their closest friends, and that Vesha and her crew all working as tour guides were currently doing training exercises on UAS Command Spacecraft Zone 13, waiting until every last individual on the Presidential Spacecraft was sufficiently settled in and had an opportunity to freely explore.
Joanne breathed in, took in the space-scape before her again, turned back, and stepped toward the doors. The wide doors quietly slid open, and then she heard a gentle and friendly, yet bass-filled voice say, “Welcome to the Environmental Science Sector, Vice President Joanne Gallant. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call for me or link to the Spacecraft AI. My name is Morgan PCS-ESS, but from this spacecraft, you can call me Morgan ESS, or simply Morgan. On board the Presidential Command Spacecraft, when executing duties throughout the Milky Way and in support of the UAS Intergalactic Mission Contingency, I will refer to you as ESS First Officer Gallant, or as you would prefer. When referencing you, I will take into consideration the audience and adjust accordingly. What do you prefer?”
“Morgan, you can call me Joanne.”
“Duly noted, Joanne. Again, if you need anything, just call me. I’ll know you’re calling me if you ping my neural link.”
“Neural link? Nice. I note you’re the Spacecraft AI, are aware that I am in my work sector. Yet, you speak as if you are the spacecraft itself. Are you, and if so, are you alive?”
Further than Before- Pathway to the Stars Page 102