by Travis Sande
"Got it.” Yanna understood Derrick’s attempts to dodge the topic and obliged. “Do you know if anyone else is awake yet? I think shifts officially start at 08:00 and I didn't see anyone. I didn't think everyone would be up but definitely more than just you." Yanna was settling into her ride now.
"I'm not good enough?" Derrick feigned insult before laughing. "Sian was here a few minutes before you got here. Her ride was cut short by a schedule override approved by the commander. So at least Sian and Geoff are up."
"An override, what for?" Yanna looked to Derrick with a confused expression.
"I don't know, Sian didn't know before she left either. It didn’t seem like an emergency though, so it could be anything." Derrick replied.
"Sian isn’t exactly the most emotive person onboard, I doubt she would make an emergency very obvious. You could tell her the ship was exploding and she would just say ‘Understood.’." Yanna attempted to impersonate Sian’s speech as she said the words. Contempt oozed through the cracks of her comedy.
"I am sure if it was anything important we would be notified." Derrick said as the door suddenly opened.
"Whoa!" Yanna cried out as she jumped and turned to face the door.
"Ahh" Hank screamed. "What was that for?"
"They need to fix that. There needs to be a warning or something before the door opens. Sian scared me this morning when she came in." Derrick welcomed the sudden company for the end of his ride.
"Yeah, and it opens so fast, I thought I was under attack." Yanna broke into a bit of a laugh before turning serious. “This isn’t an attack is it?” She squinted her eyes at Hank dubiously.
Hank squinted back at Yanna. “Not yet…” He paused briefly before laughing and continuing, "What about me, I didn't expect anyone to be in here and you're yelling at me.". Hank moved into the resistance section and started his workout.
"You're just starting a workout now; don't you start at 08:00 too? Are you doing cardio later?" It was coming up on 07:00, and Derrick was curious about Hank’s schedule.
"I am on call twenty-four seven. I don't have a start to my work. I have to be available to break up any brawls between you animals at a moment’s notice." Hank joked as he sat down and adjusted the machine to a much higher tension than Derrick was using.
"Then why are you up before seven? I am sure your CCD would wake you up if colonel mustard makes use of his candle stick in the galley." Derrick knew that Hank was a fan of classic Earth history and tried to toss in references now and then.
"It would, yes, but Nik decided she wanted to coordinate laundry this morning at nine. I had the grand idea get this out of the way early. Hour and a half in here and then I am off to meet Nik." Hank sounded a little annoyed by his early activity. “I didn’t sleep that great, just need to fight through the fog and a workout always helps.”
"That's exactly what I did. Got here before six and I have to meet Ben by eight. Then Sian gave me an additional half hour. Something about not wanting me to die." Derrick made light of his illness and the steps Sian had taken.
"Oh, right, how are you feeling?” Hank turned serious for a moment, a rarity.
“Fine, feels like nothing was ever wrong. Whatever Sian gave me seemed to have worked. Plus, I am almost done in here, I’m hoping the rec area will be open soon.” Derrick could feel a slight discomfort starting in his chest. With only a few minutes left in the ride, he decided to finish.
“You're almost done, was it worth it?" Hank sounded dejected as he pushed through the exercises across the room.
"Honestly, I regretted it instantly but now I feel pretty good and I am happy I came." Derrick said.
"I am definitely feeling the regret stage, but I am glad you’re feeling better." Hank exhaled loudly with each rep of the upper body machine.
"You guys are so negative, enjoy your workout, your day is starting!" Yanna was now standing and pushing through an intense section of her ride. “Look at the size of you Hank, you must live in a gym back home. You’re acting like this is your first workout.” Yanna was breathing heavily as she made her way through the sentence.
"Back home I eat a giant breakfast, watch some cartoons, and make my way to the gym by noon at the earliest. Here, I had a handful of gel and went straight here.” Hank paused briefly before continuing. “Let me guess, you're beyond the regret stage like Derrick?" Hank grunted the end of his sentence, finishing up his last few reps before moving to the next machine.
"No, she actually just got here, and she walked through the door smiling." Derrick could feel the lightened mood of the room rubbing off on him. Initially hoping to finish his workout in early morning solitude, the company was a wonderful oversight providing a great distraction.
"A morning person? I thought those were only in fables." Hank joked, leaning back to start his core exercises.
"No, we exist, we're just rare. There’s a ceremony involved. Conducted under a scarlet moon on a unicorn's birthday, we are destined to smile in the AM" Yanna laughed at her own joke as the intense section of her ride completed and she was able to sit back down.
"That explains it, although the Phobos altercation likely caused at least some of the moon to become scarlet, there was a unicorn shortage." Hank was referring to a short-lived clash between two factions attempting to colonize the tiny moons orbiting Mars. Deimos handled the influx peacefully, utilizing diplomacy for all disputes. Phobos on the other hand, was a more violent situation. The Marsul syndicate refused to compromise, forcing a small scuffle to ensue before the Triumvirate was able to step in. Several lives were lost in the Phobos altercation. To this day, it is still considered a major hub for the Marsul syndicate.
Derrick noticed this was the first time Hank had referenced anything that could be attributed to his past. Perhaps he played a role in the Triumvirate’s stabilizing of Phobos. The timeline worked out, Hank would have been working directly under admiral Lest at the time. Derrick looked over at Hank with a renewed interest. He wanted to dive into specifics but decided to respect his privacy and leave the conversation light.
"Well you two have definitely made the end of my ride interesting." Derrick laughed as his workout was nearly over.
"Whatever we can do to make it easier on our infirmed crew member. Did Sian clear your lungs for use?" Hank joked.
"Actually, I am supposed to follow up with her at eleven. I didn't even think about it until she came in here this morning." Derrick became conscious of his every breath after the mention of his lungs. They seemed to be working fine as far as he was concerned. A small irritation could be felt, but it didn’t seem out of the ordinary after a workout.
"She was already in here?" Hank grunted as he continued his core workout. Derrick was shocked to see that he had the resistance set to three times what Derrick had used previously.
"Yeah, I was telling Yanna that she was pulled away for a non-emergency issue." Derrick corrected himself. “For what seemed like a non-emergency anyway.”
"I wonder what happened?" Hank said, puzzled.
"Not sure, actually thought you might know." Derrick's CCD began buzzing as he finished his sentence. His scheduled workout was complete, it was time to start the rest of his day. "Looks like I am done." Derrick got off the bike and felt the fatigue in his legs as they met the floor of the room. Exhaling deeply, Derrick prepared to exit. He would have just enough time to shower, change into a clean uniform, and grab something to eat if he hurried.
"I haven't heard anything about it. I am sure it’s nothing bad. Have a great day one, Derrick. I will talk to you later." Hank waved at Derrick while continuing his workout.
"Have a good day!" Yanna said, still enthusiastic as ever.
"Thanks, guys." Derrick exited the fitness pod and heard the doors close behind him.
Keeping a brisk pace, he went directly to his room. The ship was still empty as he made his commute back. The morning was wearing on and he had expected to see the galley starting to fill. Thinking nothing of it, he
continued to his quarters.
After showering and getting a new uniform, Derrick moved back into the galley for a quick breakfast. Ben, Nik, and Luke awaited his return, all three were seated and eating. Derrick moved into the kitchen and quickly grabbed a meal. With one more seat open at the table, he moved over and sat down next to Nik.
"Morning, Derrick, ready for a fun day?" Ben greeted him with enthusiasm.
"Morning, everyone. Yes, I’m excited to see what you have in store for me." Derrick said as he got comfortable and grabbed his spoon.
Luke and Nik both said good morning to Derrick before Ben responded. "Nothing too crazy today just some basic setup.” Ben was speaking with a mouthful of gel, a bad habit. “A lot of the experiments have already been started."
"Sounds great." Derrick said. "What are you guys doing today?” Derrick faced Luke and Nik, curious about their plans.
"I am meeting with Sian to sweep the rec area and then Eilik wanted to go over some more of the Unstable Rift Matrix with me. He wants to have me fully capable for the return trip if possible." Luke and Eilik had formed a close professional relationship over the last couple of years. Luke was honoured to have been selected by the Vryl for this mission. Eilik played a big role in getting Luke selected. Luke’s family had even had Eilik over for barbeques throughout training. Although he didn’t partake in any hotdogs, Eilik claimed to appreciate the gesture. Sincerity was always difficult to gauge through the translator’s monotone delivery.
"I have laundry with Hank and then I am on-call for Yanna if she needs me." Nik was in a similar situation as Derrick. All her free time made her the perfect assistant for Yanna.
"Looks like we all have busy days. What time do you want to head up, Ben?" Derrick asked.
"Anytime now is fine, just finish your breakfast." Ben had already finished eating and was waiting for Derrick.
While Derrick ate his meal, the four of them discussed Sian's sudden rescheduling. Speculating on various reasons that could have caused it. In the end they all agreed that speculation wasn't helpful, and they would just leave it to Sian.
"If it's anything serious, we will find out about it." Luke reassured everyone, and they decided to drop the subject.
Ben got up and took his used dishes to the kitchen area to be washed, rinsing them briefly before returning them to the cabinet to be sanitized. Ben remained standing near the cabinets, his body language clearly indicating that he was ready to move upstairs and begin the day.
"Have a great morning, guys." Derrick stood from the table and bid farewell to Luke and Nik.
"You too." Nik and Luke returned the goodbye.
Derrick returned his dishes to the cabinet and moved passed Ben toward the upper access door. Every crew member had full access to the upper deck, and Derrick didn’t hesitate to open it. Ben followed closely as the two of them ascended the stairway. It was a straight set of stairs that would elevate the upper deck above the engineering section. It reminded Derrick of an outdated subway access he used to play in when he was a teen on earth. Trading the stained, debris ridden mess for a pristine and sterile aesthetic.
Once on the upper deck, Ben moved ahead and opened the door to the bio lab. Derrick followed as they entered the decontamination room. A bright red light immediately caught his attention. An overhead light and several panels surrounding them bathed the small room in an unsettling red hue.
"What's that red light mean?" Derrick assumed it had something to do with the decon procedure but decided to ask for clarity.
"It means we do not have access to the lab. Grab a suit." Ben motioned to a suit hanging on the wall beside Derrick.
It was bright yellow and hung loosely over Derrick's clothes as he put it on. The face shield was large and prohibitive. Derrick struggled briefly, attempting to get a better view through the shield. It was clear that his view would be limited greatly, and he would have to get used to the lack of peripheral vision.
Safely in their suits, Ben activated the decontamination process. Red light gave way to yellow as it engaged and illuminated the glass walls encasing them. Mist blasted into the room, engulfing them. Like the rec area, a foggy haze obscured the view of pretty much everything in the room. For a moment, Derrick couldn’t even see his hand in front of him.
Suddenly, the mist dissipated as quickly as it had appeared. Vanishing into several of the vents that lined the tiny room. The yellow light turned off and after a moment, a far more welcoming green light appeared. Without hesitation, Ben moved to the internal lab door and opened it.
The room was larger than Derrick had anticipated. The entire back wall of the lab section was dedicated to glass containers. These must have been the variety of species they were brining to Setu. On his right was a greenhouse room that had multiple rows of soil in elevated containers. To his left was the main lab itself. A long table was mounted on the wall with several pieces of scientific equipment that Derrick didn’t recognize. Above and below the table top were sealed storage areas.
Ben broke the silence of Derrick’s curiosity. "As you know, our primary focus is to test sustainability on long term missions and bring several living samples to Setu. On the right is our garden that you and I will be responsible for." Ben began a brief overview of the area. "I got started yesterday and unpackaged most of the soil. Our goal is to be ready for a sustainability test on week fifteen. I would like you to maintain the garden. The course you took over the last few months should be sufficient. If you have any questions I will always be here. My initial plan was to aid you with the garden this morning, but Sian has provided me with some bacteria samples she wanted me to study." Ben was quite prepared, and Derrick welcomed the leadership.
"Bacteria from the rec area?" The mention of bacteria had piqued Derrick’s interest.
"That's correct, yes. She wants to understand how it was able to survive within the membrane. I also have several other tests I am scheduled to do today and as a result won't have time to assist you. In order for us to stay on track for our sustainability test in fifteen weeks, I have extended your shift today. I hope that's alright." Ben was already starting to grab vials as he finished his sentence.
"Of course, it's important that we keep everything on or as close to schedule as we can. I’ll get this done today." Derrick said as he started into the greenhouse. “Besides, it’s not like I have any plans.” Derrick embraced the scheduled extension. Normally his shifts would be brief just to quickly tend to and monitor the greenhouse operation. An extension was a minor inconvenience at worst.
"All of the resources you need will be along the right wall. Some of the soil patches are still sealed from launch but I got the majority prepped." Ben’s voice was muffled as he turned his back to Derrick.
"Thanks, Ben, you didn't have to do that." Derrick was very appreciative of the effort Ben had put in while he was napping.
"No problem, I was here yesterday and figured it couldn't hurt to get a head start. With Sian's special request this morning I am glad I did." Ben sat down on one of the seats attached to the workspace.
"I appreciate it. Well, I’ll let you get to it." Derrick moved inside and began opening the remaining soil patches. "How big is this greenhouse?" He yelled, loud enough for Ben to hear outside.
"It is one hundred ninety-two square meters, twelve by sixteen. It covers the same area as the four port side crew quarters below." Ben answered
The inside of the greenhouse area was a little underwhelming as nothing was growing. It was simply a large space with several rows of bare soil. The elevated planters were a similar shade of white to the rest of the ship with a slight metallic hue. Above, Derrick saw an intricate sprinkler system that would maintain humidity inside. Behind the piping was a bright single panel ceiling that was illuminated with a UV light.
As he brought his attention back down from the ceiling, Derrick could see Ben through the humidity barrier. It wasn’t easy to make out much detail, but Ben appeared to be opening the container provided t
o him by Sian. Derrick was curious if the sample was from his breath test or maybe the ventilation membrane itself. Without dwelling too long, he turned his attention to the garden. Ben had done much of the soil prep and Derrick saw only four rows remained sealed. He removed the polymer coating from the remaining sections and took them out of the greenhouse. There was a reclamation device located on the corridor wall near Ben.
"You fully prepped all the open soil, Ben? Fertilizer and everything?" Derrick asked as he stuffed the polymer coating into the receptacle.
"Actually, the soil pods were prepped before being sealed for launch. All I did was loosen the soil for planting today. They made it easy on us, every pod has a 10-10-10 slow release fertilizer mix. We shouldn't have to do anything too major for the first few weeks." Ben turned his attention back to the microscope display on the bio interface. "Hmm" he mumbled.
"What?" Derrick asked, curious about what caught Ben’s attention.
"It's just strange, this strain of bacteria doesn't appear to live outside of organic tissue. The humidity alone doesn't appear to facilitate its survival." Ben looked up for a second and let out a mild sigh. "That's just my preliminary finding, I have barely started. Just struck me as strange. Sian also provided me with seven different samples, so we will see."
"Sounds good.” Derrick had no idea what the implications of what Ben just said were. He decided to give a generic acknowledgement and get back in the greenhouse. “I will go get started planting. Is there any reason they opted for manual greenhouse supervision? I feel like robotics could have handled this." Derrick asked.
"Actually, that is what they had planned. The greenhouse was going to be an automated system, but the project fell behind schedule and they had to decide between implementing the new ventilation system or this automation. The ventilation system had too many positive applications for the entire ship, so this was pushed back. When that decision was made you were enrolled in the botany program." Ben answered. "The other option was to push back the launch which was deemed unacceptable."