by Les Broad
CHAPTER 3
Several hours later Nikki's list had been examined, person by person, and Sarah had needed to make only one change. Bryn was able to confirm that the computer had worked out a course, and that dictated a departure that was now fifty three days away.
Sarah seemed happy that the leavers could be assembled and briefed in that time, but made it clear again that those staying would be told of the mission only when it had left. She told Bryn that she would send the leavers up to the site in small groups to be accommodated on board, but she and Marge would not return until the date of the departure.
The days passed quickly as groups arrived, knowing nothing at all about what was expected of them. Nikki and Bryn briefed each group as they arrived, dealt with questions, fears, and a few refusals. With ten days to go the whole complement was in residence, including those who had initially refused. There was an atmosphere of optimism on board although everyone accepted the huge risks. Two days before departure KonTiki was fuelled from the carefully assembled and created mixtures that had been gathered over the past two years, leading Bryn to mutter, constantly but inaudibly, about the weight of his beloved KonTiki, the engine power predictions and the containment on board of the fuel for acceleration to multiples of light speed. His stress level rose visibly with each passing hour and Nikki had to ensure that he took rest, otherwise he would never have stopped working. She also made sure that everyone else kept, as far as possible, out of his way.
Sarah Gifford arrived alone. Marge Dorowitz had declined the chance of seeing KonTiki leave because, she said, she couldn't be a witness to something that sent so many people to their deaths. Sarah knew her too well, and although she accepted the words, she knew the real reason was that Marge would, at some point, break down.
Sarah spent a lot of time meeting each and every one of the leavers, encouraging and supporting them and in some cases tempering their wild hopes. When she finally disembarked for the last time she had tears streaming down her cheeks as she stood with Bryn and Nikki on green grass.
"I'm sorry," she said, "I don't think I can stop the tears.”
"Don't worry," Bryn said cheerfully, "if you can't be honestly emotional now you'd be less than human. Look after them, Sarah. When we've gone there will still be thousands who need you."
"And they couldn't have anyone better," Nikki added, then paused. "This is it, isn't it? When we go back up those steps, we lose contact for ever, whatever happens. You can't know whether we're alive, or spread across the galaxy in molecules. I should say something significant, shouldn't I?" Sarah realised that, far from saying anything significant, Nikki could say nothing at all as she started to cry as well.
"Well, you two, this really won't do." Bryn looked at the two tearful women. "It's as well that those on board can't see their Mission Commander weeping away, and Sarah being worse." His tone was gentle and understanding, helping them to recover some composure.
"This is goodbye, then," Sarah said, "my thoughts go with you. Make it work."
"We will, Sarah. Gifford base is as good as established." Nikki hugged Sarah and turned away, quickly climbing aboard and disappearing from Sarah's sight for the last time.
"Mr Jenkins, I commend the wellbeing of the souls aboard to you. Take them swiftly and safely, assist Commander Weaver as and when she may need it and may this exceptional vehicle live up to your expectations. Goodbye, old friend." Sarah hugged Bryn briefly then walked away as fast as she could before she broke down again. She was a couple of hundred yards away before she trusted herself to turn, and then she saw her old unsentimental colleague and friend crouching down, running his fingers over the grass for the last time before he, too, climbed aboard and hauled up the access ladder behind him. Sarah could just hear the door being forced closed.
Later, much later, she sat alone on a small hill a mile distant. She knew that the tension on board would be almost unbearable as Bryn checked and checked again that everything was in order. Those 180 people were to be in that metal vehicle for the next thirty nine months, and only the next hour or so would be spent on this planet.
On board as Bryn carried out his huge list of final tasks Nikki addressed the complement, thinking that now she must get used to calling them settlers. After her introduction over the on-board address system her voice became a little more serious.
"We are," she said, "now in a small, confined space that is to be our home for the next 39 months. It is not going to be easy because although each person aboard has a small private space for his or her exclusive use we are going to be in very close constant contact with each other. Personal hygiene will be difficult to maintain, but please do what you can. We are accompanied by animals, and I would ask that we all tolerate some discomfort from their presence. However, if anyone feels particularly bad about this as the weeks pass, let me know. I may not be able to do anything about it but I do want to know about serious problems.
"Boredom is going to be a problem. We have been unable to bring any printed material other than for engineering purposes and while the computers on board will be able to provide some entertainment it will be very limited, as we all know. This brings me to the difficulty of sex. We are all of an age to be sexually active and it would be unreasonable to expect everyone to be celibate for the entire trip. If you intend to have sex with anyone there are two things that I would ask and one that I must insist on. Can I firstly ask that it's done as infrequently and discreetly as possible and secondly that we try to avoid forming relationships. If anyone wants to take issue with me on this point I will explain face to face, but you should all realise why I am saying this. I must insist that pregnancies are avoided as we are simply not equipped to deal with pregnant women or children.
"Other problems will undoubtedly arise during the months to come. As Mission Commander I will always be available to give whatever help and advice that I can, and will arbitrate in disputes if it is necessary. Let us try to make this trip as easy as we can for each other. Thank you for your attention, now please prepare for takeoff. Strap yourselves in well when we go - the first hour will be the worst."
Nikki turned off the microphone and went to find Bryn. They were now inside the computer predicted takeoff window and would be for another three hours. If they missed it another year would pass before they could try again.
She found Bryn as she expected to, on the Bridge with his flight crew. His second engineer, Alison Scrivener, third engineer Nina Werner and navigator Louise Ryan were squashed in with their relief crew, Gordon Mitchell, Zoe Hill and Andrea Toyne. The air of calm professionalism contrasted starkly with Bryn's tension of recent days and weeks.
"Bryn?" she asked. He anticipated her question.
"Give the order to go in two hours, Commander, and we'll be away with no problems."
"OK, Chief. Two hours and I'll be back." She left him with an affectionate squeeze of his shoulder. It meant much to Bryn that she trusted him and his team completely.
The engineers had checked everything so often that had anything been less than perfect it would have leapt out at them. Eventually Bryn turned to Alison and Nina, who looked at him expectantly.
"I don't see that there's anything else we can do. Both sets of engines are on line and set to function as they should?" Two nods confirmed this. "We're airtight and pressurised?” Two more nods. "And the artificial gravity will function normally when it goes back on?"
"Yes, Chief, but when does it go on? Whose responsibility is it?"
"You've got a mental block about that, haven't you, Alison? It compensates automatically for the loss of natural gravity as we rise, as soon as you, yes you, Alison, enter the code during takeoff. Code it in before we have full power from the launch engines and it'll drain too much and we'll sit here for ever. OK?"
"OK, Chief." Alison checked the entry codes again and squeezed into her takeoff position, checking that she was physically capable of operating her terminal. She pronounced herself satisfied and squeezed out
again. The two hours passed quickly and Nikki came back to the Bridge exactly on time. Bryn looked up at her with what he hoped was a relaxed smile.
"We're all set, Commander. There's nobody outside who can stop us. Give the word and we'll be on our way."
Nikki sat in the command chair; she'd imagined this moment so often but now it was actually here she felt her throat tighten. Her mouth was dry, minute beads of sweat appeared on her forehead and her hands shook.
"Let's get strapped in." It was said really just to check that her voice worked. It did. She flicked on her microphone and addressed the settlers.
"You have two minutes to strap yourselves in. Say goodbye to planet Earth. Chief Engineer Jenkins tells me that the next hour or so will be rough, but after that we have 39 months of smooth flight ahead of us. Good luck everybody." The mike was flicked off again.
"Right, Chief. Two minutes then fire it up." Nikki was quietly pleased with the dispassionate way she had moved them from being earthbound to being willing astronauts. If she could be relaxed about it all it would help everyone else, or so she hoped. Bryn set the autotimer on the ignition computer, checked that everyone on the Bridge was secure and strapped himself tightly to his own takeoff seat. The countdown had started. He hadn't put a cancel option into the sequence - they were going.