CANAISIS ∞ Chronicle One: The Last Living Ship ∞ 1: A New Mission

10 ∞ The New Star

Day 00002 Mission Nilex

The center window of the front monitor changed to show the approach to the Bridge. Ahmid and Ayla dressed in the ship pants and shirt. Ahmid looked tall and thin in the grey clothes, his black beard a contrast. Gareth couldn't help but smile at Ayla, her short thin frame too small for her clothes. She had rolled up her arms' and legs' sleeves. With her colorful headscarf, it lent a comical aspect to the pallor of her face.

"Open the door, Canaisis." He stood up and turned to them as they appeared.

Ahmid stepped through first, looking around the room with amazed interest. His eyes rested on the forward screens showing several views of Canaisis' hull, the ball drones glowing white as they continued their sweep.

Ayla stepped in behind Ahmid, eyes widening. "I've seen records of those from earlier times, but to see them now... It's something I will tell my future children about, Captain."

Ahmid turned his attention to Gareth and bowed low. "This honor is something I, too, will tell my children about. Thank you."

Gareth didn't know what to say, so he swept his hand toward the high-backed officer chairs in front of his. "It's an honor to have your presence. If you'll take the forward seats, we'll prepare for launch. This is the last time you will see Earth, so now is the time to change your mind. When we arrive at New Jordan, centuries will have passed here."

Ahmid stepped forward eagerly, while Ayla trailed behind, her steps more certain.

As they all sat down, Gareth continued, "The chairs are reclining acceleration beds for high-G situations. You'll find the harness belts on the side. Make sure they're secured and tight but not uncomfortable."

While they did that, he secured his own with ease. "Canaisis, bring the drones in. Anything to report?"

"Negative, Captain."

"Give me a fly-by of the seed pods one more time, please."

The monitor's windows changed. The two furthest to the left and right showed the flyover, while the center lit up, showing the hull up close, rolling past. A seed pod came into view first in the center window. A flattened cylinder, dark black, with its lower half nested into the hull like it was a part of the ship. The other windows showed the four other pods also in place.

"All in order, Captain," Canaisis said to the room as the five windows showed the fly-by views of the seed pods sweeping past. As the drones passed the pods, they began to high-circle around them.

He looked closely himself, but he agreed—everything looked acceptable. "Switch to infrared. Let's see if anything has warmed up."

The views changed spectrum, but the pods seemed to be the same temperature as Canaisis' hull.

"Okay, Canaisis, bring them in. Give me orbital diagram of us and Luna, show any objects in orbit."

The monitor switched to a representational diagram of their position in relation to Earth and the moon.

«I've decided to go above the elliptical plane, Canaisis,» he thought. «We can ride Sol's magnetic lines up and out.»

Lines representing Earth's and Luna's magnetic fields popped up on the diagram. A dotted course line from their lunar orbital position arcing in close to the moon to emerge from the backside as it curved up and away. Canaisis had chosen to slingshot around the moon to increase their departure speed.

"Begin thrust, Canaisis," he said aloud.

Their chairs reclined, and the control boards of the officer chairs slid around to side of each armrest. A siren sounded off, and a gentle rumble could be felt through the seats. A new window on the forward monitor appeared left of center. It displayed an external view of the ship's aft, a glow growing around the edges of the two fusion thrust exhausts visible.