Fine Line

Chapter Five

"How could have I missed it?" On the third day of the forced observation period, the scientist found the reason of the miracle. "Where are you from, guys?" She had some doubts and wanted confirmation.

"The Tuamotu." Van answered for his friend as he was tired. "Mururoa, to be more precise. Why? Does it have anything to do with Gauguin and his health?"

"I knew it!" Nic was so happy she was almost glowing. Van had this idea that the woman was a lunatic, though he kept it for himself. She sure looked crazy sometimes.

"See," she added, "Gauguin's DNA presents a mutation resulting from long exposure to radiation. Though, I didn't took it into consideration initially because it was already there when I compiled your profiles at your arrival."

Van wasn't sure he understood where she was going with this.

"You, living in Mururoa, or in the area, had been exposed to high level of radiation since even before your birth. What with all the nuclear tests the French used to perform over there... if your family never moved from the region, your body is the result of generations of exposure to radiation. Those from the nuclear tests and those from the solar flares."

Van started to understand what she was saying. Gauguin's special health was the result of mutations that rendered him immune to radiation, or, at least, more resistant to it. He agreed when Nic asked him if she could do some testing on himself, to confirm whether or not he was showing the same modifications of the DNA.

NOVA entered its fifth week after welcoming the people from Earth. Not only the mystery of Gauguin's excellent health after his accident out-space had found answer, but also, the wormhole had been confirmed to be their passage to a greater future.

The modifications on the space stations had been completed and only remained for Leo to predict the next opening. In preparation to the big jump, the station had been relocated near the gaping mouth.

Nic, and her team, was busy giving instructions to the people on board regarding what to expect from the passage through space and how to react. She also organized the revival of the remaining thirty scientists still under the icy spell. To avoid any complication with the cryogenic chambers while traveling the wormhole, it had appeared more secure to wake up everyone.

The recent events had been explained quickly, along with the urgency of the situation. No objection came from the new batch of passengers. They followed with the decisions taken by their peers and integrated the different teams according to their respective field of research.

All was ready for the grand adventure when Leo gave the green light. A huge flare was predicted to occur in the following hours and the opening should remain open for a day or two. So far, the probes had spent only few hours inside the space tunnel, however, the station, due to its mass and size, would probably take longer to cross over.

The mouth opened on time as per the estimation. The space station slowly took the direction of the opening. The excitation grew inside NOVA as everyone stood still, waiting to experience the shortcut through space.

Van felt nauseous, disoriented. Traveling a wormhole took its toll on the body. Gauguin had blacked out almost instantly after entering the tunnel. Though, considering his past weeks and the fact that he woke up only recently, it could be understandable.

As they were standing at the center of the space station, the outside spectacle of quicksilver waves wasn't on the program. Van recalled the images and Leo's excitation at the first visioning of the data from FUTURE-I. He was a bit sad not to be able to observe the sights himself, though it was for security reasons. In case of any damages to the structural integrity of the station, the passengers had been confined in its core, the soundest pat of NOVA.

Van couldn't say how long the crossing lasted. He was out intermittently, awake at one time, and blacked out the moment after. Nic had attached biometric recording devices to a group of travelers so she could analyze the results once on the other side. The experience wasn't a pleasant one, though necessary, being the side-effect of the twists in the space fabric or Nic's ministrations.

The dizziness finally stopped. The walls seemed to stabilize and the floor regained its comforting rigidity. Van didn't realize before the station had completed the crossing, that his surroundings had been so affected by the hole in space.

The music preceding any announcement through he communication system chimed.

"Rejoice my friends. We are on the other side. Sound and alive!" At Leo's words, the clamor erupted throughout the space station.

They could start looking for a new home. A new beginning under a benevolent star.