THE TITAN EXPERIMENT

CHAPTER 17 - Selection Day

The next day, after scouring over a long list of astronaut candidates into the early morning hours, Sarah walked into a conference room with Wolf at her side and sat at a large mahogany table. The lighting was dim from several sconces positioned around the octagon shaped room. Metallic gray walls absorbed rather than reflected the light, giving their surroundings a gloomy feel, like they were on a space station, even though Sarah knew they were deep under the earth. They waited in silence, except for the repetitive sounds of her fingers drumming on top of the grainy wood. She felt a twinge of nervousness. Her mouth watered like she was going to throw up. Her stomach churned. Meeting the admiral had that effect on people.

But she had nothing but good news to report. Everything was going according to plan. Wolf had yet to exhibit any unusual side effects from the serum. She had accomplished what Admiral Jax required of her, at least tentatively. They still had to make a final assessment of the human trial, but so far, so good.

That was comforting.

In the meantime, they could test Wolf to see if his healing rates had improved. She would need a knife for that. Or a scalpel.

Before a smile could ripple across her face, the admiral waltzed into the room in his dark blue naval uniform, an eBoard tablet tucked under his arm like a file folder. He nestled into his chair and pulled up to the table. His short-cropped gray hair contrasted from his brown skin, the square features of his jawline providing a rugged frame of reference. He was a man everyone respected and feared. He had an air about him. It seemed to say, if you fail, you will pay. His piercing eyes reinforced that feeling, darting back and forth between Wolf and Sarah. He paused for a moment, as if in deep contemplation, and then he offered them one of those leering grins that further unsettled Sarah's nerves. She did her best not to focus on the diastema gap between his two upper front teeth that drew her gaze like a magnet. The struggle was real.

His dark eyes studied her, chin tilting to the side. Maybe it surprised him she had made a serum breakthrough in such little time? Or maybe he enjoyed making people feel uncomfortable? Without his head moving, his gaze darted from her to Wolf and back to her again. Then he stuck the tablet into an indentation in the tabletop, the slot designed to hold the device at a proper viewing angle. His finger touched the screen. He swiped it a few times, tapped the device once more, and then a picture flashed up on a wall monitor for Sarah and Wolf to see.

"I reviewed your selections," the admiral said, the usual slyness in his voice, "and I have to say I'm impressed. You seem to have an eye for talent."

An image of a black man appeared on the screen. He was young. African-American. Thirty-two years old, his dark hair cut close and his jaw set firm with determination. The fire of ambition burned in his eyes. After reading his profile, Sarah knew he had high aspirations. Lofty goals. He wanted to be an astronaut. In fact, he wanted to go to Mars.

"Commander Phoenix Drake," she said. "Top gun. Best fighter pilot in the Navy. Flies an F-49 Comet. Stationed on one of your prized boats, the U.S.S. Fortitude. If I'm correct, he's one of your favorites."

"I don't show favoritism to anyone, but yes, he's top notch. A fine selection for mission commander. He gets my highest approval."

Admiral Jax tapped on the eBoard tablet screen. The next picture was that of a woman with dark, wavy hair, bronzed skin, and a charming smile. She had a look about herself that oozed self-confidence, but she didn't come across as arrogant in the photo. Sarah pegged her as a natural born leader.

"Lieutenant Commander Nova Kailani," Wolf said. "Commander Drake's fiancée."

"A pilot herself," the admiral replied. "Drake's wingman. I don't like their relationship, but I look the other way because they're both that good."

"She's from Hawaii. Her family lives in Honolulu," Sarah said. "She'll make an excellent co-pilot for Commander Drake. From what I've read about her, Drake should be her wingman."

The admiral chuckled. "You may be right."

Another touch of the tablet and a third image pixilated on the wall monitor—a man of Italian descent with curly black hair. His name appeared on the bottom of the screen: Ensign Callisto Tenzing.

"Tenzing is an aircraft mechanic and a good friend of Drake," Admiral Jax said. "I can see you're picking the crew candidates from a close circle. Might work. The dynamics could cause them to gel under pressure. Or it could backfire."

"I don't think so." Sarah stood her ground. "I think they'll excel."

"For your sake, you better be right."

"She produced the serum, didn't she?" Wolf said.

"The jury's still out on that, but we'll see soon enough."

Sarah sat up straighter in her chair. "It's a chance I'm willing to take."

Apparently satisfied with her level of confidence, the admiral moved on. "The ensign comes with high marks in all his testing in the Navy. Mathematics. Physics. Mechanical components. Critical thinking, and other similar applications in a practical, hands-on approach."

"So, in layperson's terms," Sarah said, "he's good with his hands and his mind. If something goes wrong mechanically, he can fix it."

"Obvious deduction. And an excellent choice, Dr. Lawson."

The admiral pressed his tablet screen again, and another image appeared, that of an attractive woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes about the same as Sarah's. Her smile in the photo revealed a pair of dimples. Of all the crew candidates, Sarah thought this one in particular could bring a level head to the bunch. According to all her superiors, she was down to earth and sensibly minded.

"Dr. Ariel Fairhaven," the admiral said. "A civilian. Also assigned to the U.S.S. Fortitude under our cooperative works agreement with the Red Cross." He raised a brow at Sarah. "She's as good as they come."

"That's why I picked her."

The admiral snorted. "I didn't think arrogance became you, Dr. Lawson."

"I'm not arrogant, I'm confident. There's a difference." She glanced at Wolf. "Right?"

"Oh yes, of course. What she said."

Sarah rolled her eyes.

Finally, the fifth photo came up on the screen. A woman wearing a tank-top shirt with richly tanned skin... like she lived in a desert, or better yet, was born there. Her brown hair went down to her shoulders, and she had a sly smile on her face.

Wolf spoke up again. "Luna Skye. Hispanic. A civilian scientist from San Diego working in Tijuana, Mexico. Just so happens the Fortitude is anchored offshore in the Sea of Cortez. Close by."

"A geologist by trade and education, but she's known for much more," Sarah said.

"Try high minded and hard-headed," the admiral countered. "That's what the scouting report says about her. Are you sure she'll pan out?"

"Her pros outweigh her cons. Besides, I can keep her under control. I like to think of Ms. Skye as sure of herself."

"You would think that, wouldn't you?" Admiral Jax switched the screen to a side-by-side pictorial of all the candidates with their names listed beneath each photo. "Since they're all near the Fortitude, we should have no problem reeling them in." Then he added with a dry conclusion resonating in his voice, "We can start right away."

"Drake, Kailani, and Tenzing are on weekend leave," Sarah said. "Diving in the Sea of Cortez. When they get back from their excursion, we can round them up."

The admiral's countenance darkened. "Scuba diving can be dangerous, Dr. Lawson."

Sarah's stomach twisted as she shifted in her seat under the admiral's fierce gaze. "It can be, but what could go wrong?"