by Boris Licina
"A lush assortment, did you hear?", Oliver asked his father. "A real feast!"
"Everybody pick something different, so we share", Dad suggested since he was an Epicurean and appreciated new meals.
"Leave the child alone to eat what he wants", Mom could not care less.
The "child" of almost eighteen was curiously scouting the interior of the ship. This would probably go on during the entire six-hour flight, along with space gazing through small windows. Dad had planned everything. He did not want to waste a second on in-flight entertainment on the screens. This experience had to be lived through, no sleep and no relaxing!
"… the safety and emergency film is on", said the space flight attendant, "so please watch it through. We expect to take off presently, as soon as the control tower clears our take off."
Other attendants and stewards were checking the passengers. There were always panic attacks on such flights. Fear of flying, whether in the air or space, was rather a common, however unfortunate, reality. Still, unlike the airplane, the interior of the Falcon Enterprise was more pleasant, with a safety inspiring calming effect. Outside, it resembled an elongated and improved space shuttle, although a different ship inherited the shuttle. The windows were smaller than in any other aircraft, and oval, not round. The interior also reflected this aerodynamic design.
She would prefer a good beer, thought Ava, to pass the time. And this slight anxiety she was feeling. Being the new director of the space hotel was no small feat, neither was it without danger. When things went tough up there, it was a different matter altogether. A small catastrophe and a nightmare for the Company! Such news spread at such an amazing speed. But, fine, she would think about it tomorrow after she was officially instated.
Ava looked around, assessing her guests. Mostly families with kids, six and older. Then, the second largest group were younger, then older couples. A lot of teenagers travelling before college. The space was surely the ultimate parental going away present. A memory to cherish.
The motors started almost inaudibly. Jessica loved them. So powerful, so sturdy. She finished the check list with ground control and the ship. Technically, they were ready. Just the last passenger and cargo check. Then the ground control would give them the final GO. A few years younger than her, John was sitting beside her, more like some special forces member then a co-pilot, due to his chiseled face features. They had flown together before, so she was content. He was a textbook good pilot. Precise and careful. Focused and silent. One of those who would proudly walk on Mars and die for the mission.
"Falcon Enterprise, you have a GO for take off", the voice from the tower reverberated in the cockpit. Jessica nodded to John and began their flight.
6.
The Rene 9 space hotel might have seemed like a logistical nightmare, but in fact it was not. Fully booked, it hosted only two hundred guests in seventy rooms of various sizes. With thirty to fifty employees, the maximum number of guests was two hundred and fifty. The hotel itself resembled the Deep Space 9 station, for a good reason - the designers and architects tracked its design logic. Hence "9" in the name. The rooms, the restaurant and the pool, the gaming room and other entertainment were in the inner ring - two arms were for the guests, one for the employees. The outer ring was only partially open for walking - the space promenade, they called it. It was always crowded because the view to Earth was fantastic and there were some points, telescope rooms, offering views deeper into space.
The rest of the ring was dedicated to storage and food production. Fruits and vegetables were produced in the hotel, thanks to NASA and its VEGGIE project on the International Space Station that enabled planting and picking vegetables in only twenty eight days. The entire farm was automated and only one biologist, Rose Verdolac, was controlling the quality and the production. One production cycle was enough to feed two hundred and fifty people until the next harvest. Everything was adjusted and controlled by software to the second, from lights to every drop of irrigation. Nothing was to be wasted in vain. All other food was in the large storage next to the farm. There was enough food for a year, partially also because space food was more nutritious and richer then Earth's food. One meal a day was enough, theoretically, but the hotel divided this daily intake into three meals so that the guests would socialize more. The Company even opened its own space food production plant in order to exercise better control over this key point of hotel stay. The food looked normal, but was grown in space! With the other two hotels to be opened, the food production would become a profitable business. Cody liked to visit the farm, walk around the plants and watch them grow. It was a real farm to table project! Not at all organic, but there was no other way. The supplies were plentiful, because it was much simpler to haul everything in one flight, then to keep sending smaller quantities every now and then.
The hotel's control room was in the other part of the ring. Everything that needed controlling was done here. The hotel even had the ability to maneuver minimally, but that had not been tried so far. The big room, that the employees liked to call the Bridge, was divided into ring control and hotel management. The ring had two docking berths - one for the passengers and delivery, the other for the small hotel shuttle for regular controls of the hotel's hull when the sensors indicated a problem. Hotel management was more overseeing and occasional adjustment of an exceptionally smart maintenance system - from water quantities to lights in the ring. At any given time, the control room was occupied by at least two people, mostly four. An older, experienced astronaut, Morris "Mikey" Green, though only forty two, was in charge not only because of his experience, but also for PR reasons. Morris was media's favorite, the American son, the space adventurist and a role model. He represented additional safety of the hotel, and that was really important. Safety first. Because one wrong step and all three hotels would close.
Still, none of that made the hotel special as the opportunity to spend a day in the greatest hotel hall - the zero-gravity chamber. Even if it had been totally empty, the zero-gravity chamber would have been fun enough to spent your entire stay there! But the chamber was not empty, on the contrary! There were obstacles, crawling tunnels, half-closed simulators of famous space crafts from real life and fiction! It was situated near one of the guests arms, almost to the ring. It was open non-stop and very popular. Since the chamber was so spacious, it was not crowded - even with all two hundred guests inside. The entrance to the zero-gravity chamber cost extra, per hour, day or week.
7.
The corridors were slightly rounded, just like in games that Eli loved. And she was having fun! The smile on her face was not because of the gaming rooms or the zero-gravity chamber, but those corridors. Rene 9 was definitely not so bad as she had thought on Earth. In some places the hotel resembled a classic establishment and it was absolutely unbelievable that there were gaming rooms, or even a TV room! From Earth it all seemed like the waste of space, but up there, in space, there was suddenly a need to be close to other people. This feeling, Eli pondered, probably originated in the far history when people started to live in tribes to be stronger. On Rene 9 there was no such need, but the ancient instinct remained. Therefore, the TV room, or rather the hall due to its size, was a logical solution.
Eli dragged her hand along the corridor wall, looking at the ceiling lights, when she felt someone bumping into her.
"Oh, sorry … I didn't see you", Oliver said pushing his glassed back on the nose.
"No problem, pay attention next time", Eli said kindly. In school, she would just push the gawk away and be on her way.
"I'm Oliver", he offered her his hand. "I was just going to a telescope room. This is the right time to watch the Sea of Tranquility on the Moon! Where the Apollo 11 landed and …"
"OK", Eli stopped him abruptly. "I'm happy for you. But I have no interest in this Sea of …"
"What are you interested in, then?", Oliver asked though he wondered about this sudden openness of his towards this girl who never told him her na
me.
"A place without people who bug me", now she was already bored.
"Well, the telescope room is just the place! Protected from outside noise", he said smiling. "You should give it a chance."
"I'm not sure that's right for me. I'm more the gaming type."
"PlayStation, Xbox or PC?"
"PlayStation!"
"Great! Me, too. What game?"
"Half Life 3", Eli decided to get rid of Oliver with a trick. Half Life 3 was a myth, the game never to be released.
"Ha, ha", he laughed honestly, "if that were only true. If you'd like to do the telescope room sometimes, you're welcome. Now, I have to go or I'll miss the Sea of Tranquility … you never told me your name?"
"Another time, maybe. My name is Eli", she got scared by her reply! Had she not been planning to go to a telescope room with Oliver, she would have told him right out. Then she waved her hand and thought: that's space for you!
"OK, see you … sometime. Bye!"
Oliver hurried towards the telescope rooms thinking he really needs to stop looking at the floor or he would keep bumping into people. On Earth, he often managed it, to avoid people although looking down. He would get lost in his thoughts. On the other hand, he would never have met Eli if he had walked normally. She was sweet, he admitted to himself. In school, a girl like that would only pass him by. But, Eli was surely different; he did not meet many girls knowing the Half Life 3 trick. Still, he generally did not know many girls.
There were fourteen telescope rooms for six to eight people. The idea was to make them comfortable for a four-member family. There were only two telescopes in each room. Naturally, it was possible to install some more, but the hotel wanted the interaction of people when switching places at telescopes. According to the research done by the Company's psychologists, such interaction increased happiness and the tendency to spend money in the telescope room shops. Each hotel's entertainment space had a thematic souvenir shop, just like Disneyland. The rooms had to be booked in advance, and were not included in the accommodation cost, just like the zero-gravity room. But, the view was worth every cent! Oliver entered Room 12, closed the door and into the Mare Tranquilitatis.
8.
Morris Green had just left Ava's new office. She expected the office to be more "space-like", more like the captain's ready-rooms in SF films and TV shows. But, it was different, much warmer. The colors were earthen and calming, the furniture comfortable and nice. The room itself had a desk, naturally, but also a good sofa and armchairs; the conference room was separate. Pictures of Earth's landscapes, the Rocky Mountains forests, decorated the walls. Ava did not know if they were Martin's idea or the Company's design. This earthly paradise was "interrupted" only by a large, oval window, very similar indeed to the starship bridge. Although she did not enjoy gazing into space, she kept the window's electrical shades open. She had to get used to it all.
Ava had already talked personally to all important employees. She wanted to get to know them, learn about their problems, see what kind of people they were. Nobody stood out, all were top professionals. The staff had passed strict testing for the position in this hotel. Morris also left a good impression. He enjoyed his work as the technical manager, but he also had one less amusing function - that of a policeman. He was the "sheriff", should push ever come to shove. According to the Company's research, there was no need for that at the moment, because all the guests were under a strong influence of the space adventure so that the possibility of any problems was minimal. Nevertheless, in order to further minimize any threats, there was no alcohol in the hotel. No firearms, either. The only weapon was one taser, locked safely away in the control room's safe. Ava trusted they would never need it. Her thoughts were interrupted by short, pleasant sounds of the bell.
"Enter", she said.
Cody, the executive chef, entered the room. She had read his "file" with interest. She liked his competitive spirit - those are the people who succeed in their work - but also his passion for food. He gave out an air of relaxation and contentment. Certainly, this was supported also by his attire, similar to what she imagined would be the clothes of start-up entrepreneur. Jeans and a simple blue sweater, probably from GAP. Sneakers. A logical choice for someone on their feet all day. The breakfast was delicious, lunch and dinner next to sample.
"Hello, Cody. I'm Ava", she introduced herself and showed him the sofa. She sat in one of the armchairs. She poured some water in her glass and smiled.
"I'm hearing all the best reviews on the food. The feedback from the guests was good, no complaints. I know the working conditions are specific, so I'd like to know about the current and potential problems, is there anything we could improve and in what way?"
"I'm glad the guests are happy", said Cody, also smiling. For a relatively fresh cook, he had excellent results. Could they be better? "It is true about the specific location, but considering the preparation of the food we produce, there is no greater difference then in a hotel. I don't know if you, Miss …"
"Call me Ava", she interrupted, "I'd like a more relaxed relations to the most important people in the hotel. We are in space, there is no need for formalities."
Cody liked what he was hearing. With this long, blond hair and a classic business suit, she looked like any legal department employee in any corporation on Earth. But, he guessed the outfit had to match the position. Had to reflect some authority.
"Thanks, Ava. So, I don't know if you visited our storage and the farm, but they are not very different than those on Earth. The production cycle on the farm is a bit faster, but the storage just holds enough food for a year. No bigger problems there. Sometimes we get requests for specific food, which we oblige if possible. Every day we prepare one or two meals that are not on a traditional menu, we play around a little. Dinners sometimes include ethnic dishes, different each night, and that proved to be an excellent idea and possible within our supply limitations."
Cody stood up and walked around the room.
"What I see as a future possibility is the night menu, something a bit more extravagant, like a romantic snack with a view to space, Earth, Moon … Several courses, not enough to overeat, but to enjoy the taste. Naturally, space should be a recurring theme."
"Sounds interesting", Ava said, crossing her legs. "But I need some time to learn all the ropes. Then we can discuss such a novelty. For now, let's do good cuisine. Generally speaking, we have content, but it doesn't mean we can't play. Let's just watch the supplies and use the recommended daily quantities, within limitations, of course due to location."
Cody sat down again.
"I understand. It's already exciting", he smiled. "This idea belongs to the future. Close future."
"Great, I'm glad we agree. I will come by the kitchen later, maybe you can show me the farm. I haven't had time for it yet, though I've read about that technological miracle."
"It's a date, then! Welcome to your now job. If you need anything, just holler", he said standing up from the sofa.
"Thanks", Ava also stood up and offered her hand. "Thanks for the offer. I'll surely need your help."
He left the room and turned towards the kitchen. Cody was satisfied with his new director. He liked when people were not afraid to ask for help, when they did not just struggle to control everything. People who were his exact opposites.
9.
Another week and then back home, thought Jessica while she was watching the screen in the TV room. Sitting comfortably in one of the armchairs, she enjoyed watching the happiness of the hotel guests. Every time the same story. It was impossible not to be happy in space! And people still liked this big TV screen. Like a social meeting point. It was logical since hotel guests were mainly families, parents liked to spend some time there. The room was well-designed, as a cross between a living room and a small hall, with everybody watching the same screen.
"The flu outbreak rages on", Jessica's thoughts were interrupted by the TV reporter. "At this point, 7% of schools
is closed, most of the companies and public institutions are understaffed. The worst seems to be in the East. Let's go to Amanda Bars."
Amanda was standing on the Times Square, dressed in a jacket with a fur-lined hoodie. The wind was playing with her hair.
"Is this flu epidemic caused by some tourist that just crossed Times Square - the doctors are still trying to answer that. The number of the affected is higher than in the last several years, but only insignificantly. We've also learned that the illness runs a little longer than before. In case of fatigue or a slightly elevated temperature without coughing, CDC recommends that you stay at home and avoid doctor's offices. Visit your doctor if your temperature rises sharply. Try to protect yourself in public transport by wearing a face mask, use your antibacterial fluids."
Jessica turned around. The flu in question was of no great concern. It was more like a background noise to help her drown in her thoughts and day-dream. Far away from Earth, far from her interests. She decided to retreat to her room and enjoy a long, epic movie.
"How stupid", said Oliver's father to his beloved wife, "to search for the flu virus on Times Square! The first year journalism studies' idea."
"Ben, darling", replied Lika, who had not been named after Laika, although it sounded the same, "we are on vacation, there is no need for you to get upset. Why are you watching that in the first place?"
"You know that I fret at any journalist's fib, but you're right. It is better not to watch and to enjoy your company. Where's the kid, do we know?"
"Wondering around the hotel. Don't worry, he can't go far!"
◆◆◆
Eli and Oliver were sitting in a telescope room, watching the stars. After that first time, they would frequently meet at lunch or dinner and nod at each other, but they became close only in the gaming room. That is, the room full of gaming consoles and all possible video games.