Breaking Interstellar: Android Lives Matter

by Michael Tobin

  Chapter Ten: Heavy lifters

  The afternoon sun is merciless! Two curious androids travel towards four immense structures that house the heavy-lift rockets. It’s been nearly a year since they’ve visited the structures, and they’re excited to see what changes have occurred during their absence. At 450-feet-tall, the huge towers dominate the scenery, even though they’re each separated by two-miles. They’re so tall, they create their own weather inside the upper reaches. On a humid day such as this, it often drizzles mistily inside the tall structures. Especially after all the rain that had fallen during the last few days. While this phenomenon can be minimized, it’s nearly impossible to stop.

  As they get closer to their destination, they come upon a long line of heavy-duty supply trucks waiting to enter the receiving areas of nearby warehouses. Anything that’s too delicate to be launched by magnetic-rail, or too perishable to ride the space-elevator for nearly a week, must leave Earth, on rockets. The only exception to this, is the 52-android persons, that each rocket will carry. While, they could ride the space elevator as do most space workers, their great number would overwhelm an already busy lifting schedule. Not only does the elevator lift supplies, it’s also the main transport for the workers and scientists that call outer space home. And like humans, they’re much too delicate for the violent acceleration of the rail-gun.

  So, they’ll ride on top, and be part of the 300,000-pound payload-capacity of each rocket. The balance of the payload, is reserved for the supplies that’ll be needed when the starships arrive at their destination planets. Most of those provisions consist of food, medical supplies and laboratory equipment for both human and non-human development, along with android maintenance and development equipment. All else that goes, including most of the biological material, has already been transferred into the starships at Mars. This process has been ongoing for more than 50-years.

  There are two solar systems that made the doctors final choices for the missions. Both are between 48 and 50-light-years distance from our own neighborhood. Each of the stars that dominates these alien systems, has several Earth-size planets orbiting within what’s suspected to be a Goldilocks-zone of habitability. Both the targeted planets, are estimated to be about 94 and 98-percent that of our earth, in mass. ‘Oberon Prime’, is calculated to be slightly less-massive than the second which has been designated as ‘Titania Alpha’. Either world, will provide adequate gravitational forces on the human body. They are within 3-light-years of each other, orbiting separate yellow-dwarf stars that mimic our own star, for visible white-light.

  Liquid water is known to be on each of the worlds, but the quantity and quality is unknown. The far-off solar systems, are located on the outer edge of the Orion-Cygnus arm of our galaxy. Relatively close to us when viewed on a map, but still at a tremendous distance, considering the minuscule speeds of twenty-third-century, human designed tin cans. The journey promises to be at least 175,000-years of mind-crushing boredom, followed by years of struggle on new worlds that only true pioneers can endure. If not for the ability to hibernate, this long journey would be too long for even an android to endure. Sooner or later, the severe confines would warp even their incredible mental capabilities.

  It isn’t long, before they’re beyond the security entrance of Charlie-Tower. The structures are lined-up in a row, with the first one designated as ‘Alpha-Tower’. Claire and Shane, who died in the mid-air collision, were scheduled to ride on the rocket from Charlie-Tower, so that’s where they’re headed. As they get out of their vehicle, they meet Alan Parker, who’s head-honcho for this specific structure. Charlie-Tower and the tall beast inside, are Alan’s bread and butter. He lives, eats, and breathes, everything that occurs within his domain. He even lives at the tower. Doctor Max, had prudently provided nice apartments for those in the upper echelons, that wished to make work their home.

  All the tower managers have taken advantage of these accommodations. After all, any other decent housing in the area, is 50-miles away. Except for the housing at Higgs-Field, but that’s mainly inhabited by younger, noisier people. High ranking management types, usually avoid that type of housing. Many of them, remember living there when they were climbing the ranks back in the day. Alan is always happy to receive visitors.

  “Good afternoon, Alan.” Wil greets, while shaking his hand. “Thanks for seeing us on such short notice.”

  “My pleasure, Wil. It’s always good to see you kids.” He returns the greeting, and turns to Nyla. “Hello Nyla, it’s so nice to see you.” He says sincerely, adding. “How is Doctor Max doing after the scare?”

  “Hi Alan. It’s nice to see you too. Max is doing fine. He was understandably shaken, but has since recovered his composure. But I don’t have to tell you that he won’t truly relax until his babies are off the ground, and beyond any Earthly troubles. Then it’s up to people like Wil and myself to bring his dream to fruition.” There, she beat Wil to the punch. Alan is pleasantly shocked at the news the two androids bring. He couldn’t think of any other who would better fill the shoes of Claire and Shane.

  Alan leads the pair of astronauts into the tower to meet the machine that will carry them to Mars. The last time they visited, only the first and second stages of the rocket were completed. But, now the rocket is assembled up to the point where just minor work needs to be completed before the launches. The androids are flabbergasted when they finally enter the huge open space of the tower, and come face to face with the monster that dominates the room. At nearly 420-feet-tall, the megalithic beast provides a sense of impending power like nothing they’ve ever witnessed. It stands 57-feet-taller than the Saturn V rocket that transported the first humans to the moon. Looking up, Nyla can’t even see the top third of the rocket. It takes a lot to shock these two, but as they stand transfixed, gazing up with eyes wide, Alan can tell that they’re shocked beyond recognition.

  After a few moments, Alan breaks their trance like stare. “She’s a real beauty, huh guys? And to think that she has three beautiful sisters, all lined up in a row. Did you know that the United States is absorbing 90-percent of the world’s carbon tax for the next three years, just so we can launch them?”

  Wil acquires focus once again. “She’s the most beautiful creature that I’ve ever seen. But as far as the damage these babies will cause to the biosphere, you know what they say…. you have to break a few eggs, to make an omelet. It’s just a shame that it has come down to this. Hopefully humanity will take better care of the next rock they inherit.”

  Nyla jerks her elbow, finding Wil’s midsection. “Hey, I thought I was the most beautiful creature you’ve ever seen!” She jokes with a laugh.

  “My dear, when I’m not in the presence of majestic royalty, you surely are. You surely are, indeed!” He says apologetically, putting his arm around her shoulder.

  “Hey, how would you two like the grand tour?” Alan inquires excitedly.

  Nyla brightens. “We wouldn’t accept anything less.”

  “Great! Follow me.” Alan directs the duo towards a multi-tiered elevator system that spans the entire height of the tall missile. On the way, he explains a little about the first-stage they’re passing. “As you may or may not know, the first-stage is almost 160-feet-tall, 43-feet-in-diameter, and weighs close to 5-million-pounds when fully fueled. The fuel is liquid-hydrogen and liquid-oxygen, as I’m sure you know, and will make up 98-percent of that total weight. During launch, the eight main-engines in this stage will burn through 5-million-pounds-of-fuel in 3-minutes. It promises to be one hell of a ride! One for the record books, I’m sure!” He says with incredulity, as they near the first elevator.

  When they arrive at the lift, Nyla and Wil can hardly keep themselves from gazing up at the imposing behemoth in the room. But the spell is broken when the doors open and they enter the elevator. The ride is so fast, Alan’s ears pop. They all notice that the air is laden with much more moisture here, than it was below. The first stop is the middle-section of the rocket,
where the second stage is married to the third. From this vantage point, the immense rocket stretches as far to the south as it does to the north. There isn’t exactly a lot to see, except for this surreal mid-point in the great beast, but Nyla approaches it and runs her fingers along the metal side. It seems to her, that it projects an aura of strength and power that’s unparalleled by anything she has ever experienced. She feels privileged to be a part of this magnificent adventure.

  “Here we have the mating-flange that separates the second stage, from the third.” He states, matter of factly. “This stage is 53-feet-long, 43-feet-in-diameter and has 5-main-engines that will burn more than 1-million-pounds-of-fuel while accelerating the rocket to well over 12,000-mph.” He reports, as they turn back to the elevator. Another lift takes them past the third and fourth stages, depositing them at the payload-section. From this height, Alan doesn’t enjoy looking down the length of the vehicle. It stands taller than a 40-story building, with everyone on the first floor, tiny as ants. The androids glance over the railing and are rewarded with a stiff dose of vertigo. Even space-hardened astronauts, aren’t immune to such reaction.

  “Wow!” Alan says wonderingly. “From up here, I sometimes feel like I’m already in outer space!” The air around them seems rarified, but that’s due to the high moisture content. Powerful ventilation systems try to relieve the phenomenon, but are somewhat failing in the effort. The rocket must be completely vented of extraneous moisture, before it can be launched. The extra moisture is estimated to add thousands-of-pounds to the vehicle if not removed beforehand.

  At this vantage point, they can see that the rocket has slimmed down from the 43-foot-diameter of the main stage, to approximately 38-feet for the payload section. The catwalk leading from the elevators, takes them directly to the main-entrance of the crew capsule. Above them, the machine reaches another 50-feet, of which 35-feet is the launch escape tower that will pull the section containing the astronauts, away from the rocket in the event of launch failure.

  However, if catastrophe strikes within the first 30-seconds of liftoff, nothing will escape total destruction. With millions-of-pounds of explosive fuel, a failure during this part of the launch would bring about a detonation equaling nearly a half-kiloton of energy. This part of the launch is always the most dangerous. That’s why the towers must be placed at least 2-miles-apart, and the rockets launched one at a time. The towers themselves are designed to withstand such a cataclysmic event from a neighbor; but not so strong as to survive the blast that almost occurred two days prior.

  The top portion of the payload section is where the astronauts will be housed during the journey to the starships in Martian orbit. The rest of the payload section is creatively filled with dried foods, medical supplies and lab equipment for android maintenance and creation; along with the genetic development apparatus necessary for creating the human life forms that the mission is all about. Much of what makes up the payload, except for the androids, has been duplicated and already placed on the starships via the space elevator that’s located on the equator in the country of Honduras. It can lift 5-tons of equipment into geosynchronous orbit in 7-days, and has been doing so 24/7/365 for nearly 25-years. The rockets will transport what would normally take the elevator system two years to accomplish. Everything a body will need for survival on an alien world, is lovingly packed for the extraordinarily long voyage.

  They walk with Alan along the catwalk, eyes wide as they gaze in wonder at such a beautiful machine that will soon be fueled, and animated to life. Leaving the Earth and humanity behind, as it races toward Mars and the awaiting starships. They approach the entrance hatch, above which is a sign.... ‘Mars or bust’. Inside, technicians are busily putting the final touches on this rather large open-space at the top of the rocket. 52 heavy-duty seats are being installed, along with all the equipment that a command center needs for the nearly 2-month journey to Mars.

  Over time, it could prove to be a crowded room, but by using a rotating schedule, many of the astronauts will be in a modified hibernation-mode. While others that are awake, will be free to monitor the progress of the journey from a series of science stations that are located at the perimeter of the large circular room. And for pure scenic beauty, there’s a 4-foot-tall high-definition monitor circumnavigating the compartment above the science consoles. Even artificial life forms can find enjoyment from a nice view; even if it is just a view of seemingly unmoving stars. With the display illuminated, the circular panoramic view is so seamless, it seems as though the capsule is missing much of its walls. The doctor spared no expense for his hero’s!

  “Well Alan, I just have to say, I’m very impressed with the design layout of this compartment.” Wil says, as he and Nyla tour the spacious flight deck. “I’m glad to see that the engineers didn’t create honeycomb-style cubby holes to house the astronauts for the journey. This open space will allow companionship and dignity, to an otherwise dull and boring trip.”

  “It’s very nicely designed, Alan.” Nyla compliments, adding. “It’s true what they say; with a little inspiration and a few dollars more, a person can go first-class.”

  “Well I’m happy that you two like what you see. To be honest, this space was designed by the androids that are going. They deserved as much input as possible for this mission to be accomplished as smoothly and comfortably as it can be. After all, if they aren’t happy, the mission will crumble before it even gets off the ground. And that wouldn’t serve the interest of anyone.”

  Alan makes a good point; the two androids think. With so much riding on the generosity and goodwill of android people who might benefit the least, it’s only right that they have the most say, in as much as possible. Even though this mission has a good chance for promoting android evolution, it’s a hopeless endeavor without them. With the assistance of all the technology going on the trip, the android pioneers will have a much higher chance for success in the long run. After all, the more planets a species can populate, the greater the chances for long term survival. Diversification, is the key to beating the universe at its own game of mass extinctions at the drop of a hat.... or an asteroid.

  Happily, satisfied with the ingenuity and progress of the heavy-lift system, the future passengers go back down to ground level with Alan. Thanking him for his courteous and informative tour. They take a long, scenic route back to the estate. The desert surrounding Higgs-Field, is very beautiful after all the rain that had fallen lately. Brightly colored flowers, and greener than normal cacti, sprinkle the hills and rock-outcroppings. As the convertible climbs a steep rise, a panoramic view of the airfield and towers become visible as they crest the top of the hill.

  Pulling off the road into a scenic-lookout, they walk some of the wilderness trails that follow the razorback of a canyon wall. They love to stop and smell the roses, even though in this case the roses are cacti, and they smell like dust. But, the view is incredible, and the company even better. Nyla is happy that Wil takes the time to enjoy more than just doing research behind some big pile of test tubes, or electronic equipment. Flying is a riot, but she often prefers to just get dirty, and explore what the planet offers for recreation. Even though the day is hot and dry, they manage to slip and skid their way along some tough trails that are frequented more often than not, by rabbits, Gila monsters, and snakes. Few people want to endure the campy ruggedness of the region surrounding Higgs. Especially after the planet started to heat up. And, one of the other reasons is because....

  Boom! .... One of the other reasons becomes obvious; as a sonic shock-wave bathes the area. Most people think of that noise as a barrier to having any fun outside. But Nyla and Wil don’t mind it so much because of their aviation background. High above in the distance, they see a tiny dot shoot skyward as it exits a vacuum tube and magnetic rail, which accelerated it toward space. A small white-ball of hot plasma shines behind it, as the liquid-fuel rocket motor pushes the craft to new heights. There’s even a good chance that it’s the teardrop that
they had used the day before.

  “Thanks for taking the time to let me see nature again, Wil. It feels good to be outside with all this wide-open space. I can only hope our new home will be as hospitable as this one.”

  “I’m confident that it will be Nyla. Spectrographic analysis of the targeted worlds indicates climates that may not be so different from this one. Before the runaway greenhouse gasses took over, I mean. Anyway, I just wanted to get outside so we can clear any cobwebs that might interfere with our decision to go on the mission. And I’m finding no such cobwebs. How about you?”

  “No cobwebs here either, Wil. I’m ready for the adventure.” Pointing skyward. “I think we can make an honest effort to build a future for ourselves out there.” Then, brushing as much dirt off themselves as possible, they head back to the car and continue the journey to Max’s and Shirley’s abode, never more sure of themselves as they are at that moment in time.

  As they arrive home, Max and Shirley hadn’t yet sat down to eat lunch, and are relaxing in the parlor. The repairmen had finished up with the floor an hour earlier, and the room looks like it did before Nyla’s fall. There’s even a new table and chess set, right where they should be.

  “Hey kids.” Shirley greets, warmly. “I hope you had a nice day making the rounds. Did you learn anything new?”

  Wil graciously lets Nyla spill the beans. “Well, we learned that we’re going to take the advice you both gave us this morning, and explore our full potentials in life. It won’t be easy, and we’ll miss you tremendously, but we’ve made up our minds to go.” Nyla informs, as Max and Shirley stand, hugging the androids.

  “I know you two will make me proud!” Max exclaims, and Shirley adds. “The galaxy will never be the same!” She responds proudly.

  “How are things progressing at the towers?” Max inquires.

  “All I can say, Max,” Wil reports, “is that you sure did pick good people to work for you. The rocket inside Charlie-Tower is ready to go, and Alan Parker is a dynamo of efficiency. But there are so many people working there, that Nyla and myself would only be in the way, if we tried to help. After Alice finishes with us, there won’t be much for to do.”

  “Fear not young ones,” Max advises, “for you see, I have a task that’s right up your alley.” He promises, cryptically.

  The two surprised androids look at each, eyes wide, knowing that Max isn’t going to disappoint them. He always seems to know in advance, when they require rescue from boredom. Max continues. “After Alice fixes you both up with some new goodies, I want you to take Bessie and go get our friends in Belize. In fact, take Carter and Tina with. I think you all could use some rest and relaxation for a few days before the launches. I’m sure Braxton, Kara, and the gang, will be happy to show you around their little kingdom.”

  The next morning, upon arriving at the Cybernetics Facility, Nyla and Wil are met at the door by Alice. She escorts them into her office, where she has a list of modifications that must be accomplished before the two leave Earth. Wil is quiet. He isn’t looking forward to any invasive manipulations of his time and body parts. Hopefully, it won’t be as time consuming or intrusive, as he imagines.

  “Alice, please explain exactly what’s required here today.” He inquires.

  “Straight to the point. Yes, well let’s see.” .... She checks her data pad. “First and foremost, you’ll each receive new power-cells. There’s been incredible advances in this area, and it will be a good idea to perform this procedure whether you go on the mission, or not. As it stands right now, you can stretch out a full-charge for about a week. Am I correct?”

  He responds with a glance and smile in Nyla’s direction. “Well yes Alice, that would be accurate if I wasn’t dragged off to the handball court every day, by Nyzilla here.” He fake-flinches, as she slaps him on the arm. “You see Alice, she’s a monster of activity, so I would downgrade that estimate by about 20-percent. Let’s say, 5-days between charges.”

  “Okay,” Alice responds as she scrolls through the data, “well, these new power-cells will provide energy for a month, with a life-expectancy of about 100-years. They use recently developed synthetic rare-earths, which are more stable. And, while in hibernation-mode, they won’t age at all. Or at least not very much. Both of those attributes are at least triple what you will get out of your existing power-cells. Not a bad trade, considering that the replacement procedure will only take about five or six hours. That will also include new voltage-regulators, software upgrades, and an inspection of your ball-joins.”

  “My goodness!” Nyla exclaims. “Can we get fries and a drink with that?” She jokes, and all have a good laugh which breaks the ice of trepidation. The future pioneers look at each other, and after a moment they shrug their shoulders, offering themselves up, to the lovely doctor’s care. The day goes about as smoothly as can be expected, when there are complex technological procedures being performed. The two androids, endure more than a little invasive poking and prodding, as technicians inspect all their moving joints using a micro-borescope device that resembles a fiber-optic instrumentation. Fortunately, they each pass the inspection with flying colors. The other procedures go smoothly also, and both patients feel a new energy flowing through their circuits.

  As they walk along a corridor on their way back to Alice’s office, they came upon a room that has a familiar voice emanating from within. Carter, is thanking Shawn for the wonderful new arm that the technician had slaved over, and made ready in such a short time. “Thank you again, Shawn. I’ll recommend you, to all my friends.” He jokes seriously, as Nyla and Wil knock at the entrance to the room.

  “Hello Carter, hello Shawn,” each calls out, “how are you doing Carter?” Wil inquires.

  “Hey guys. I’m doing great now.” Carter answers joyfully, as he stands and puts his new arm through some motions. “Shawn did a fantastic job, don’t you think?” He asks, as he comes closer to shake hands.

  Wil takes hold of Carter’s hand, shaking it good. Nyla does the same; but let’s him know that she and his new arm have already met. After she explains the circumstances, they have a good laugh. Then, checking the time, they excuse themselves after asking Carter if he and Tina would join them for some fun in Belize. Of course, Carter said that wild horses couldn’t keep them away. He and Tina would meet them at the doctor’s hanger at 09:00 hours.

  Alice, wraps up her post interview with the two patients, and wishes them smooth sailing and good fortunes when they arrive at their new home worlds. She hugs them both and says goodbye with tearful eyes.

  The next morning dawns bright, and hot. Two pilots dressed in green jumpsuits are on the tarmac chatting with Grady Williams, when Tina and Carter drive up. They join the group for a brief chat, Tina hanging onto Carter’s new arm. Bidding farewell to Grady, they climb aboard the good doctor’s sleek flying machine. Tina and Carter strap themselves into the comfortable leather recliners in the passenger cabin, while the two pilots enter the cockpit. Wil is captain, and Nyla has radio and navigational duties. Travel time to Belize International Airport, is expected to take almost 4-hours. They both look forward to seeing ‘the gang’ and some green foliage, which Belize still has in abundance, while Higgs-Boson Airfield.... not so much.

  They complete the pre-flight checklist, and soon have fires burning within both of Bessie’s ravenous combustion chambers. As Wil taxies towards the runway, Nyla contacts local authorities for permission to execute the flight plan that had previously been filed. After everyone is happy (including Bessie), Wil gently pushes both power levers forward, and the beautiful jet starts rolling. Accelerating slowly, he uses lots of runway and eases Bessie into the already hot New Mexico sky, heading southeast. It proves to be a much more relaxing flight than the last one that he and Tina had with this machine.

  As they approach the northern Belize border with Mexico, Nyla obtains permission from local air-traffic authorities to descend to an altitude of 2,000-feet from 42,000. After obtaining permission to a
lter their altitude, Wil looks over at Nyla with a devious grin, saying. “Please be a dear, and inform our passengers that we’ll be going weightless for a little while as we descend.

  Ten seconds after she informs their guests, Wil pushes forward on the control column, sending the aircraft into a hyperbolic descent that creates the illusion of being weightless. “Weeeeeeeeee!” Nyla exclaims joyfully. A pen floats out of her jumpsuit pocket, hovering in space, just a foot in front of her face. In the passenger cabin, Carter and Tina stay strapped into their seats to avoid damaging the doctor’s fancy interior. But they each have grins from ear to ear, as Wil, Bessie and gravity, give them a ride to remember. Carter, silently hopes that Wil remembers to pull up, before the planet gets in their way.

  They aren’t really weightless, but just falling to Earth at the same rate as the aircraft. So, if they were to push off from their seats, they would seem to float, but it’s just an illusion. Soon after Wil has his juvenile thrill, he pulls back on the control column, descending the next 10,000-feet in a more sedate fashion. From this lower altitude, the coral structures off the coast, come alive with a beautiful array of colors. It isn’t long, before the Great Blue Hole of Belize comes into view, far out on the horizon.

  At a distance of about 40-miles from the mainland, the deep submerged Cenote, enjoys a quiet life away from the crowded mainland. Nyla obtains permission to deviate from their flight plan so they could observe it more closely. Dropping to 300-feet altitude, Wil circumnavigates the ancient sinkhole and they all get the best possible view of the beautiful azure-blue reef, with its deep dark-blue hole. Below, are platforms used as bases of operation for tourism, but many are boarded up and mothballed. The heating climate, keeps many people at home these days. However, it’s easy to see the ‘Blue Hole Delight’ platform, and it looks like business is still good. Many wave at the sleek jet as it rips through the low atmosphere, Wil rocks the wings in response and continues on his way.

  Maneuvering the jet back toward Belize City, Nyla obtains permission to land. Wil, sets the aircraft down at the Belize International Airport, and taxis to a hanger that Max had reserved for them in advance. As the four Americans disembark from the aircraft, they’re met by local customs officials. Also, Braxton and Kara are there to assist with the process, just in case there might be a problem with androids being allowed to enter. Which is more than likely going to be an issue, because none of the officials had ever dealt with this kind of situation before. Max had called ahead, but quite often, information can take a long time to trickle down to the troops.

  None of the customs officers had ever met, or dealt with this type of person before. However, after some astonishment and confusion, Tina is allowed entry into the country; with her three pieces of ‘scientific-equipment’. She’s mortified by such treatment of her friends, but they didn’t mind so much. To the three androids, it seemed only logical that their presence would create some confusion. They know it will take a long time for humanity to get their minds around the fact that there is a new type of sentient being in the world; and that they deserve every bit the respect afforded to biological persons, because.... Well, because android lives matter!

  Outside the hanger, Braxton and Kara are finally able to greet their friends in a more personal fashion. “It’s so nice to see you all!” Kara exclaims, almost crushing them with her enthusiastic hugs. “I hope you had a nice flight!”

  Braxton moves in, shaking everyone’s hands, except for Nyla who gets a warm hug and kiss on the cheek. He had only met Tina once, and didn’t want to overstep any boundaries by pro-offering physical contact, beyond a handshake. “It’s so great that you could break away from your busy schedules, and come down here to pick us up.” He says appreciatively. “We wouldn’t miss the launches, for all the tea in China!” He mirrors the doctor’s words to Shirley.

  Nyla takes his arm and they start walking towards the vehicle. The sun is so hot; it didn’t pay to lollygag on a broiling ramp. During the walk, she says. “Brax, flying down here to pick you guys up, is a pure pleasure. You see, there really isn’t much we can help with up there anyway. Max has so many people working; they’re practically tripping over each other. Wil and I would just be in the way.” She says, with a bit of disappointment in her voice, as they all settle into the air-conditioned environment of the stretch limousine, outside of the hanger.

  Before Braxton can reply, Kara interjects. “Oh, now Nyla, I can’t believe you and Wil would be in the way at all! Especially with the desire you two have to help out with the mission before it leaves. As far as I’m concerned, the mission would probably leave a day earlier than scheduled, because of the quality assistance you both would provide.” She states firmly.

  Nyla looks at Wil, asking. “Do you want to tell them? Or should I?” She’s getting the feeling that this might not be ‘good news’ to her tanned friends, and wonders if perhaps it might be best to let Wil fields this one.

  Wil, incorrectly reads his partners signals. And, like a human male might, he doesn’t pick up on any nuances of the situation as he blurts out. “My dear, you’re on a roll, so don’t stop now!” He exclaims with an innocent laugh.

  Not blaming Wil for being completely oblivious to any social awkwardness, Nyla bravely delivers the news that she suspected is not going to please. “Well,” she says with trepidation, “as it turns out, Wil and I actually will be assisting with the mission .... Just not so much with the part leading up to the launches.” She hopes Kara, picks up on her meaning.

  Kara’s eyes go wide, and Braxton perks up as she asks. “Do you mean, that you guys will be escorting the mission to Mars, and see it off from there?” Kara inquires about the best-case scenario. However, deep inside the pit of her stomach, a knot is forming, as she considers the real possibility, and how she didn’t want to lose good friends this way.

  Before Nyla can respond, Braxton reaches, putting his hand on Kara’s thigh. “No, my dear. I believe Nyla is saying that she and Wil are going ON the mission…. to the very end; and beyond. Am I right Nyla?” He asks, sadly. It’s easy to be selfish when a loved one may never be seen again. They both know that this mission stands a good chance of ending badly. Especially when he and Kara had lived in space for so long and know how unforgiving it can be. Out in space, Mother Nature still exists in her most unforgiving and inhospitable form. She can be a ruthless adversary, if you don’t play by her rules.

  “I’m afraid you’ve hit the nail on the head, Brax.” The amiable android informs, with greatly diminished enthusiasm. She never considered that they might take the news with such heavy hearts. Everyone at Higgs seemed to be so happy for them. Maybe her friends up north are too eaten-up with the mission, for any kind of disappointment to register.

  Wil notices that the news isn’t very popular. “Hey. You two know us, as well as anybody. Do you think we would really be happy staying here on Earth and doing ‘lukewarm’ scientific research, until humanity’s light go out? Or go out among the stars and make ‘stellar’ scientific research, while illuminating a new set of lights for humanity?” He desperately digs deep, hoping an irrefutable argument, might break the sadness. He can’t believe it; they’ve only been in Belize one hour, and he and Nyla have already made their hosts very sad.

  “Well, when you put it like that Wil, how can a reasonable person argue?” Braxton, reluctantly answers.

  Poor Kara has tears forming as she speaks. “We just never actually imagined that you two would ever leave Max and Shirley. That, plus the shock of losing the two of you so suddenly.” That did it; she starts balling, and Braxton pulls her close. Nyla and Wil are beside themselves with dismay. But the news had to come out eventually.

  Tina’s heart goes out to Kara and Braxton. While at the same time, being so happy that Carter couldn’t go on the mission. Human love and selfishness, sometimes win without even a fight, but she’ll take all the luck she can get when it comes to Carter. And Carter…. well Carter was just glad he has a new arm, and
didn’t allow his emotions to lean either way. It’s a complicated issue for sure, but he did have an idea that might lighten the current mood.

  He turns to Tina, and prophesies. “Tina my dear, I predict that our little secret will brighten everyone’s spirits, wouldn’t you agree?” He asks with a hopeful tone.

  Tina’s face brightens like a supernova, as she exclaims. “Oh, what a wonderful idea! You have the best timing, Carter!” She leans over, planting hot kiss on his lips, quickly gaining the attention of their friends. The others perk up. Just then, any news would be better news.

  As the limousine cruises through the beautiful Belize countryside, Tina lets her own cat out of the bag. She looks exhilaratingly at her friends, announcing with elevated volume. “Carter and I.... Well, we have some exciting news.... We’ve decided to have a baby! We’re going into the fertility clinic at Higgs next week, and discuss our options with Doctor Tinibu, for artificial insemination.”

  “We can’t legally get married yet, but we’ll work on that, as time goes by.” She says like a true pioneer, adding. “Nothing in the world can stop us from living life together and making a family, so that’s just what we plan to do.” She says proudly, as Carter embraces her.

  That little piece of information lands like a nuclear bomb. It blow’s all the sadness right into the next universe. Everybody including Nyla and Wil, are completely blown away. If the limo didn’t have a driver, Braxton or Kara would have had to pull over to the side of the road, just so they could regain composure.

  Kara, immediately brightens up. Blinking rapidly, she wipes tears, exclaiming. “Oh, my god! Really? That’s wonderful news, Tina!” .... And maybe after the launches, the two of you might move down here with Max and Shirley.” It didn’t come out like a question. “Belize is a wonderful place to raise a family!” She’s almost back to sunny-side up.

  Braxton, Nyla and Wil also put in their congratulations. They know that Carter will make a great father figure. He has all the best training that Max’s scientist could provide, and the rest will come naturally, with Tina’s loving guidance, of course.....