“You are the sun my love,” he said in low tones as he bowed. “I can only stare.”
The surveyor shot up into the sky using the cables as a guide. When the proximity warning light flashed on the Ksync, Elizabeth slowed the probe's ascent. The visual from the machine showed the pods as they made their slow descent to the planet. She maneuvered the probe to view the interior of the pods, one at a time.
“There's nothing inside that would excuse this delay!” she uttered in astonishment. Signaling the probe to return, Elizabeth tossed Adonis the controller. Then reaching through a fold in her robes, she withdrew her own Ksync.
Activating the device she called. “Captain Dranius, your attention.”
The surprised voice of the captain replied. “O-Sophia, you grace me by your call.”
Cracking a smile she continued, “Captain, save me your pleasantries and your excuses. I expect a pod in the next twenty minutes on the ground. And, Captain, don't keep me waiting, my patience right now is very fragile.”
“By the Order,” he replied, using as confident a voice as possible.
Chapter 25 Welcome Home
One by one the ships of the MARC fleet maneuvered into docking position with the MARC station. The U.S.S. Columbus watched over each ship with its motherly eye. With the tenth ship safely docked, Captain Sterling gave the order for the U.S.S. Columbus to complete its journey. Over half of the station's bays were now filled around its circular exterior.
As each ship’s crew was cleared by decontamination, they were welcomed by representatives of their corresponding dome city. The process of moving each families’ belongings to the surface of Mars then commenced. Once planet-side the families would take a high speed journey by train to a temporary site. After a month of training they would set out to tame the wilds of Mars and become the settlers they were meant to be.
At long last, the crew of the U.S.S. Columbus had been granted permission to enter the station. They were lined up and grouped by family in the loading bay.
“Captain Sterling, it is my pleasure to welcome you and your crew aboard,” greeted Admiral Conrad accompanied by a small group of officers.
Saluting first, the captain then replied, “It is an honor to meet you, Admiral Conrad.”
The admiral returned her salute and added. “I had hoped to offer your fleet a more suitable welcome after such a long journey, but as you know we've been a bit busy. I'm sure you won't mind abbreviating this ceremony and getting to the business at hand.”
“Not at all, Admiral,” Captain Sterling agreed. “We have a seemingly endless number of items to address.”
Admiral Conrad walked briskly through the ranks of the Columbus, shaking hands and exchanging salutes. One little person in the mix grabbed her attention.
“And who do we have here?” asked the Admiral.
Looking up at the tall officer, Jessica gave a big smile and replied, “Jessica Quinn on duty!” Glancing from side to side she added. “With my father, my mother ...oh and Wispy too!” The girl's hovering sidekick bounced at bit by her side.
The admiral returned her smile and knelt down in front of the girl.
“Well, I couldn't bring the big band to play, Jessica, but I can offer you a welcoming gift,” joked the admiral. Reaching to her collar, she lifted a necklace of shimmering stones from underneath. Unclasping the necklace, the admiral stretched the string around Jessica's neck. She re-clasped it and gave her another smile as she stood back up.
“Those are heart stones from the mines of New China,” she explained. They shimmer red only for those who are kind of heart. I can tell by looking, that you are worthy to wear them." The lights of the station danced among the stones as Jessica jiggled her new necklace. The girl gave the admiral a surprise hug in return.
Turning her attention to Jessica's parents, the admiral addressed them as well. “I take it this young lady belongs to you.”
Ashley rubbed Jessica's head as she pulled her back from the admiral.
John saluted and replied. “Sentinel Commander Quinn and Dr. Ashley Quinn, Admiral.”
The admiral returned the salute.
“The most precious gem of all,” she complimented them. “I understand Dr. Quinn that many people here owe you a debt of gratitude for your miracle working.”
“I have an exceptional team,” Ashley replied.
"Mars will put them to the test," challenged the admiral, "but they've overcome quite a bit to get here. Keep it up and I'll know where to find my replacement,” the admiral complimented her. Admiral Conrad parted ways, resuming her way down the line of families.
#
“Your request for a warrant is granted,” Admiral Conrad informed the small group in her office. “There's one large problem, however, I don't think you can serve it anytime soon.”
Captain Sterling replied, “I beg your pardon, Admiral, but I thought you had military jurisdiction on Mars.”
The Admiral nodded. “It's not a problem with jurisdiction, Captain. It's a problem with transportation.”
The faces of the captain, Commander Quinn, Lieutenant Jennings, and Dr. Quinn were more than mildly perplexed.
“You see, Captain,” the admiral explained, “we’re still unable to communicate with New China or New India since the Argo passed by. Moreover, the high speed trains to both cities have ceased as their plasma stations have malfunctioned. I have a tech crew working on it from our end, but that doesn't seem to be accomplishing much. The problem seems to be on their end.”
“So what's the best route to New China on foot?” requested the commander in an unusually serious tone.
“Well you'd better pack some amazingly comfortable boots, Commander, because that would take you months,” the admiral related to him.
“I've sent in two different teams by air,” she explained. “Neither one has reported back. One disappearance could be a result of this planet's crazy weather, but two... I'm not betting on chance. Somebody or something is cutting us off from the area.”
“What are your satellites or probes showing?” Commander Quinn asked clearly frustrated by the unexpected challenges.
“Our satellites, haven't come back online,” the admiral answered. “Our tech team is preparing to launch replacements, but if you've missed it, Commander, we've been a bit busy. As to probes, well that's the other piece that doesn't seem coincidental. Months ago, New China requisitioned every probe that wasn't tied down for some sort of research project.”
“How does that happen?” Jonathon questioned, his frustrations continuing to build.
Sensing the commander's strife, Captain Sterling interjected, “What do you recommend, Admiral?”
Moving to a circular table in her office, the admiral pulled up a holographic map of Mars.
“Take the train to New America as planned,” she began to outline, “and stock up with supplies as though you are going to colonize outside the dome. Highlighting New America, the Admiral traced a trail along the non-functional track to New China.”
Instead of looking for a place to settle, you'll of course be following the existing track to New China by ground car,” she explained. “If we establish contact with New China or I get eyes in the sky, then I'll personally make sure you get the intel. Check your Ksyncs early and often.”
“Commander,” the admiral stressed with concern, “you'll receive a standard briefing in New America about traveling outside the domes. Since you'll be travelling beyond them, I need to make sure you get the uncensored version. This is a new planet. By new, I mean volatile. In under a century, this planet has gone from a Martian dust bowl to a living breathing organism. I have reports on my desk filled with every kind of crazy hazard you can imagine. We have landforms still in flux, volcanic activity, rainstorms that will strip your armor, and that's just the beginning. Make sure you don't discount your wildlife briefing either, they aren't making it up.”
The group stood silent for a moment, trying to process everything they had heard.
; “I'm not sure this was on the travel brochure,” joked Lieutenant Jennings in an attempt to break the tension.
“Indeed Lieutenant,” the admiral agreed. “You're going to find a lot of what was advertised at MARC Control doesn't match up with reality.”
“We have our work cut out for us then,” Captain Sterling acknowledged. “Let's get the crew moving planet-side.”
“Captain, I was thinking the same thing,” the admiral agreed. “I need to borrow your think tank here for a short task. The security protocols on an ore carrier are still broken. I was hoping that a doctor and her exceptional team would be just what the admiral ordered.”
The remainder of the group exited the admiral's office while Ashley remained.
“I have a few elves that are good at helping me work my magic, Admiral,” Ashley related to her. “If I could page Lieutenant Mercedes from the Columbus and Sub Lieutenant Anderson from the Melbourne, they will speed this up.”
“By all means, Doctor,” the admiral encouraged her. “Anything you need to work your magic.”
Chapter 26 Rock Bottom Epiphany
For the first time since the launch of the colonial ships, the students of the MARC Academy gathered in person within the space station's bay. They were charged with assisting the station crew to unload the MARC ships. To accomplish such a task, several of the students were crash trained in the operation of hover loaders. The loaders looked like old fashioned motorcycles with fixed air jets under them instead of wheels. Attached to the front of the loaders were robotic arms which could expand or contract as needed to carry cargo. The hover loaders were nimble for their size, allowing them to maneuver the maze of cargo stored in the loading bay with ease.
When they were satisfied that the recruits could perform the job, most of the bay’s crew were reassigned. The vast majority of regular station workers had transferred over to the sister bay. They were working voraciously at loading the pods travelling down to Mars. The majority of the unloading now fell to the academy recruits.
Having worked for two hours straight, the students were taking an impromptu break in one of the few open areas of the cargo stacks. Stephanie pulled her hover loader up parallel to Kevin’s while four other students parked in a mismatch.
“Hey Kevin,” yelled one of the academy students as he shut down his hover loader. “You and your girlfriend need to stop making out and get to work. I want some time to check out the station club, not spending all day moving boxes.”
“Were you hanging your head out the porthole on the trip, Ryan,” Kevin replied. “You’ve loaded nowhere near the crates that Steph and I have.”
Ryan smirked appreciatively at his classmate’s ability to make a comeback.
“You’re starting to sass like your girl there, Kev,” Ryan tried again to get a reaction from him. “Maybe she’ll make a man out of you yet.”
Stephanie couldn’t bite her tongue any longer. “If your ego wasn’t taking up half your cranium, maybe you’d have enough smarts to have a girlfriend too.”
Par for the course, Stephanie had a unique ability to punch hard with her words. Kevin had seen her ability to find an Achilles' heel with her tongue lashings on numerous occasions.
Ryan climbed off his hover loader and stood up straight as he walked over to them. Still sitting, Ryan towered over them like a giant. No one had to guess why he was nicknamed “brick wall” during fit matches. If it wasn’t for Stephanie’s father refereeing, one of them would have likely spent some time in the med center from a match by now.
“You know, Kevin. I’m going to have to find a way to shut your woman’s mouth,” Ryan threatened standing by Kevin, but staring at Stephanie. “If it wasn't for her father, I’d tie that vicious tongue of hers in a knot myself. Without that option, it looks like I’ll just have to make my point with you and trust she gets it.”
Kevin quickly stood up to defend himself as Stephanie searched for way out of the mess.
“Can’t take a little heat, can you tough guy?” Stephanie began to lay her trap. “Can you stand a little competition? You’re so worried about getting to the club to meet all those ladies, but you’re wasting time right now.”
“You hoping I break his nose an extra time or two?” Ryan asked. “You’re not going to talk your way out of this.”
“So you don’t want to leave now and go to the club while we finish this up?” Stephanie cut in quickly.
“What are you talking about?” Ryan replied his interest momentarily piqued.
Stephanie pointed toward two stacks of crates needing to be stored.
“You and your three amigos here get the stack on the left, Kevin and I get the one on the right,” she began to explain. “If you park those crates before us, then you get the rest of the day off. Of course if we somehow manage to beat you four knuckleheads, then we go on a date while you finish our work.”
Ryan pondered her challenge for a second. Stephanie was hands down the best pilot around. She could likely park twice the crates that he could. Now Kevin on the other hand was an alright pilot, but nothing like her. There’s no way two loaders could work faster than the four of them.
“Alright, you managed to buy some extra life insurance,” Ryan stated as he turned his gaze to Kevin. “You know, I’d much rather cruise the dance floor than hang out in this hole. Let’s get this over with so I can show the ladies some of the new moves from Earth.” Ryan showed off a quick dance move as he made his way back to his hover loader.
Kevin shook his head and looked over at Stephanie. “Sometimes I wonder what kind of magic carpet ride you’re taking us on.”
“You love it,” she smiled and shot back, “you can’t deny it.”
The six hover loaders flew next to their cargo stacks, two on one stack and four on the other. The riders looked at their Ksyncs as the seconds clicked off to start the race. With the simulated sound of a starter’s pistol, both groups raced their loaders to the crates. Stephanie and Kevin quickly grabbed a crate and headed off to the destination showing on the loader’s screen. The four boys had a volatile start, two of them almost crashing into each other while trying to secure a crate.
“C’mon you boneheads, don’t screw it up and we win!” Ryan yelled at his team.
The engines from the loaders screamed throughout the station’s cargo hold. The loaders flew tight circles around and over the stacks of cargo. Several times, there had been close calls. One time Kevin almost crashed into a support beam. Another time one of Ryan’s team had nearly broadsided his hover loader. All of the recruits were well trained, however, and though their speed added a level of difficulty, maneuvering the loaders was quite easy compared to their academy flight runs.
The problem for Stephanie and Kevin was mathematical in nature. If it was two on two, then they would be setting a winning pace. This was four on two. The numbers weren’t adding up in their favor, and Stephanie knew it.
When she made the bet, however, Stephanie was gambling on an ace card. At the time, she didn’t know how she was going to use her neuroband to get ahead. That was until she flew by a shelf full of giant packing wrap. Waiting for the right flight path, she saw Ryan racing right toward the open crates with a crate of his own. Flying on an intercept course toward him, she pictured the entire line of crates falling right on top of Nick and then threw the image in his direction. Her plan worked brilliantly as his hover loader took a sharp turn downwards, crashing right into the stack of cushioned packing materials.
She didn’t have time to gloat, however, as she had to switch her concentration back to flying. In the transition, she didn’t see another hover loader streaking into her flight path.
Stephanie screamed as her loader hit the broad side of the hover craft. The impact of the crash sent her loader spinning out of control while the other craft fell out of sight. Pouring all her skill into the loader’s controls, she managed to keep it from smashing into the bay’s wall. As she regained her senses, Stephanie threw the loader’s throttl
e to full speed and raced toward the crash site.
She spotted the wrecked loader hanging part way out of a smashed crate. Landing at record pace, she jumped off her loader and ran to the accident scene. Looking at the wreckage, her worst fears were realized as she recognized Kevin’s shoes hanging at an awkward angle over his loader. She jumped over a chunk of broken metal to reach the other side of the craft. Seeing Kevin, Stephanie fell down in tears. Somehow keeping her senses, she ripped the Ksync off her belt and found the station’s emergency channel. As she spoke to the medical tech on the line, some of her fellow students landed nearby and rushed to aid them.
#
Surgery had made amazing progress since the days of her great-grandfather. No longer did doctors work with scalpels in their hands. Miniature robots now performed even the most difficult procedures. Moving in ways physically impossible for hands, robots helped develop a long list of medical advancements in the operating room. In the early years, human doctors guided their mechanical aids by remote. In time, new techniques demanded the reaction time that could only be provided by a computer. Now, virtually all surgeries were automated routines performed between a computer program and its robotic companion.
Stephanie looked through the clear walls of the operating room. Kevin was being prepped for surgery. He lay unconscious on the white table. The doctor was checking the routines on the robotic machine that would perform surgery on Kevin. Stephanie was reminded of Wispy when she looked at the device though it was perhaps a flattened version.
When everything checked out, the doctor positioned an outdated robotic machine in a standby position. She then placed surgical contacts in her eyes. They would allow her to see the same three dimensional pictures that the computer saw. The procedure was a holdover from the past. Older patients were too paranoid to allow computers to perform unguided surgery. As a compromise doctors were required to stand by. They were ready in a moment’s notice to take over a procedure should something go wrong. The MARC station apparently hadn't caught up with the times.
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