New Horizon's

Untitled Part 4

                                                                                     Partnerships
In the first three months twenty seven people left and were replaced. Partnerships were forming through natural progression. Builders with Builders, Doctors with medical staff, Scientists with all forms of Science, and so on. The time was approaching to have their first serious meeting. Up until now attention had been paid to formulating a lifestyle within the fenced confines of the Gilmore Base and by all intent and purpose they were doing well. Everyone had a roll to play as on a large stage, but on Outreach One, they would have to spread their wings and create the beginnings of a new world. At the first meeting there were five categories to be discussed, these would be the priorities following the touchdown of New Horizons. First on the agenda was Medical, Chief Surgeon Koshi Nakamura from Tokyo spoke of the need to check the health of everyone, for when a human body is closed down even for a short time as in an induced Coma there can be complications. "We will not arrive, drain the Formaldehyde, open our Pods and step out to be as we stand here right now. I therefore suggest that we ask for an earlier time of wake up, possibly one month or six weeks to allow for all readjustments to our medical conditions." His request was noted and would be taken to Nate Bradley. Security would be led by Major General Troy Bask of the US Marine Corp. "I suggest a period of five days in which myself and my men can research the area creating a ten mile safe zone. I am open minded when it comes to extra-terrestrials but I do not expect to encounter any human hostiles" His comments were noted. Building &Engineering had fallen into the lap of John Blackmore who along with his team had studied the mock-up drawings supplied by Nasa. "We have three hundred Pre-Fabricated units at our disposal" he began, "Most are homes of varying accommodations, along with Medical and storage units. Although the name of the game is, utilize what we have to suit all of our needs, and the greatest utility we will possess will be New Horizon, for as we know our Space Craft will be a permanent fixture, there will be no return. I would therefore suggest that all Medical, Laboratories, Storage, and in the interim, Catering be located on board the ship" All agreed and duly noted. Agriculture would be led by a figure known to all, Otto Van Brugger one of the most successful industrialists of modern times. A child genius and self made Billionaire, Van Brugger at the age of thirty five was owner and CEO of FID, Food Industrial Distribution. There was hardly a morsel eaten on planet Earth that had not passed through a Company owned by him. His reason for being on this trip were slightly different from all others. One year ago his wife and two children were killed by an Avalanche while staying at their holiday home in the Swiss Alps. The cause was noted as Climate Change. "Although I was raised on my parents farm and until recently lived on my own 1000 Acre industrial Farm, I would not be so confident as to call myself an expert in the field. However with enough competent Farmers on board this ship along with my experience in Distribution I can only see a progressive outcome to our Agricultural needs. I would like to say that although we have yet to hear from Billy Smart on Labour, if this had been a Board Meeting at one of my previous Companies, I would be very pleased indeed" Billy Smart was a London Cockney who worked as Contracts Manager for a large Building Company in England's Capital. "I have the largest group of men and women with abilities in many things. When called upon my team will be ready, I need say no more except, remember we are all equal on this mission."
Periodically and overnight individuals and families disappeared to be replaced by others. On the last weekend of every second month you could leave and spend time with your families under strict instructions not to speak about the program. Otto van Brugger had been verbally elected as the Peoples Commander. He quickly set up schooling for the younger children under the supervision of Lara Cummings, a form of higher education for the sixteen to twenty-year olds and Apprenticeships for those in the labour force who wished to learn a Trade. Slowly life began to feel quite normal but as training entered it's second year the reality of what was to come began to sink in. As time passed and they entered the run-in towards Take Off it was even more evident that the two year period given to acclimatise was 90% aimed at the 500 bonding as there was very little to learn regarding the flying warehouse in which they would travel under the soul supervision of Hector the Computer. In fact very little was mentioned about the most important subject on everyone's mind. "Would they survive the journey" After all being put to sleep for thirty five years as if it were that last thirty five minutes you steel on a Saturday morning, falling into such a deep sleep that it feels like another eight hours. But in this case each minute is equal to one earth year or 365 days. Was this truly the beginning of a new life for mankind, for the children and grandchildren of everyone? The deeper thinkers at Gilmore Base spoke of their concern over the way that the choices for future missions would be made. Would the richer more powerful Nations, once if at all this mission was successful disregard the poor, leaving them to their destiny, Climate Change and the horrors therein. Would Space Travel become like the old Immigrant boat crossings of the twenty second century, only this time through the vastness of space. Over these things the 500 would have no control therefore they were thoughts to be pondered and then buried as a distant memory. The plan was to launch two more craft of a larger scale every five years, but this could only begin to take place following the successful landing of New Horizons. Which would mean that the second and third crafts would be forty years behind them and would take thirty five years to reach Outreach One meaning that the original 500 would be on their own for seventy five years and if they did not begin to reproduce quickly there could be much less of a population than when they first arrived. This question would have to be raised at a meeting with Nate Bradley and his colleagues sooner than later.