The Outer Moon (A Sapphic Sci Fi Adventure)

Chapter 4

               "I think we can do something like that," Jason stated over the communication link. "We already have online questionnaires set up to screen job applicants, and this would be something similar, just a lot more in depth. We can work through the questions you want, and start on that right away."

After they had a well-deserved rest, Pepper and Vanessa had sent a message to Jason to get the ball rolling on finding potential settlers for the new planet. The first goal, above all else, was finding people that would be able to get along with each other. Once they had that pool, they could pick and choose those people that provided critical skills that would be necessary for survival, and then move onto secondary skills that would be needed to make life there bearable.

As Jason stated, they were already in the habit of making questionnaires for job searches, but this was going to be much more in depth. They needed people that could be self-sufficient to do things on their own, while still being able to collaborate with a group. They needed intelligent people, but not too vain or narcissistic. They needed people that were well grounded but were not too set on convention. They needed people with self-reliance but weren't afraid of asking for help. Oh, and these same people also had to be okay with permanently leaving the planet and living in another solar system. It wasn't going to be an easy group to find.

But they were going to try.

The survey was going to be sent out all over the world. They were hoping to have a common language, when possible, but with the electronic translators it wasn't a complete necessity. The survey was 250 questions, but it was designed to have a hidden section that would be opened if the user answered everything with the parameters that would fit what they needed for the mission. Only the people that got to the second secret part of the survey, which wouldn't look any different from the rest, and then passed, would be eligible for their final pool of candidates. They had time. They had two months before Lena was expected back, and in the meantime, they could still collect all the equipment that they needed for the trip, which were in addition to the people that would be needed for restarting society.

"Do you think you can get everything we requested?" Vanessa asked. "And is there anything you want to add to it?" They had asked for everything from mattresses and batteries, to medicine stockpiles and equipment, hearing aids, solar panels, copper wire, toiletries, to tons of food to last a year for 500 people to make sure they could survive even if the planet didn't have any food sources that were safe to eat. Yes, they even asked Lena and Miles what to bring, and Lena was quick to point out that they should buy out the entire stock of a high quality sex shop, so they added that too. Not everyone would have a partner right away! You never knew, right?

Everything was being loaded onto four massive new Mars transports in space, though unlike most, these had no engines. They would be mated to the four larger ships from the Atlantis, including the two that hadn't been taken out of the second hangar bay, and would be brought with them. The space station and old mission ship out in the Uranus orbit would be loaded with all that could be carried from the alien ships, and then hooked to the smaller ships in pairs. That way they could bring as much as possible without having to send anyone back. Once they left, the world would know, and that would probably brand them as outcasts that were abandoning the rest of humanity.

They understood that, but it couldn't be helped.

"I think I can get most of it very easily, yes." Jason looked over the list with a chuckle. "I can tell which ones Lena suggested for sure. But I can see why that might be a good thing. It will be a small group, and it might be hard to find partners for everyone."