A Dreamer's Worlds

Beyond Sol (Part 1 of Reconnaissance in Space!)

Navigator David Carter leaned back against his chair. They'd just started their mission, a twenty year journey beyond the Sol System. The Sol System. He'd been surprised when people started calling it that. He'd always thought of it as a sign that humans were starting to think that they weren't alone, that something else was out there just waiting for people to find it.

At least, that's what David thought. Who knew what Captain Neil Turner, a Christian, thought. Maybe he thought there wasn't anything living, just minerals for humanity to take. He knew the astrobiologist, Kurtis Bauer, thought there was something. They'd talked about it before, wondering what kind of creatures they'd meet.

David made a slight adjustment to the starship's course. The ship, named Reconnaissance, had the fastest engine created by mankind. Capable of going faster than light, the ship went at speeds that the scientific community could only label as warp speeds.

Which made the science geek in David squeal in excitement. The future was now, with the crew of the Reconnaissance as its witnesses.

David tapped his fingers on the control panel. He was the only navigator, the only pilot. His job was to bring the Reconnaissance to its destination, far outside the solar system he called home.

"David, how long until we're out of the system?" The captain had moved without David's knowledge and the navigator's hand almost hit something it shouldn't.

"Maybe half an hour, sir. It's hard to get an estimate at this point." David tapped the control panel. The ship was almost too new; no one knew how long the Reconnaissance would take to get anywhere. There were theories, of course, but no real tests. That was part of the mission, testing the theories that created the engine.

Captain Turner was silent for a moment.

"Is the artificial day/night cycle turned on?" David fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"Yes sir, it is." He said, even though that wasn't supposed to be his job because he was the navigator and not the one in charge of the ship's computer. Or was he? He was certainly trained to deal with the ship's computer. David made a mental note to check his job description and see if it actually was his job.

While David was lost in thought, Neil had wandered off. He didn't need to be on the bridge all the time, especially when Carter clearly had everything handled. He could check in with Mathias Rodier, the ship's doctor. The whole crew had been injected with a chemical that was supposed to slow, if not stop, aging. The chemical was also barely tested and only supplied because the Russians were really good at convincing people. Neil had some suspicion that the chemical would do something horrible. The fact that most of the doctors Neil talked to were convinced that he and his crew would be fine did not help.

That's why Neil liked Dr. Rodier. The man said they'd probably be okay, but there was definitely a chance that something bad would happen. A scary truth, but the truth nonetheless.

The door to the medical bay slid open beautifully, a testament to the quality of the ship. Neil knew it was odd, but he always thought that the work put into a door represented the rest of the structure.

"Doctor, how is everyone?" Neil didn't even check to see if Dr. Rodier was in. The man wasn't one to wander; Neil had learned that in training with him.

"Yes, yes! Everyone's fine!" Came Dr. Rodier's voice from the closet. Neil stared at it.

"Are you fine?"

"Yes!"

"Are you fine and not stuck in a closet?"

There was silence for a moment.