Vacation In The Shade

Vacation: All I Ever Wanted...

Eyes twinkling with anticipation, Aster hit the send key on his touchpad sending the weekly Anthropological Observation Report to the Scientific Alliance. He then spun his chair around to face his work partner Sol.

"That's it!" Aster crows, "AOR number two hundred and sixty has been officially sent  to our superiors. Doesn't that make your fluids rush?"

"Frankly no." Sol doesn't bother to look up from his micro-scanner. "I don't see why we're being forced to take this time off when there's work to do."

Aster leaps up from his seat and rushes to Sol's side at the analysis platform. A well-placed tap of Aster's finger on a nearby control panel shuts down the scanner.

"I was in the middle of an analysis." Sol complains.

"Exactly," Aster says, "Work-time over, vacation-time start."

"Okay, okay. It's vacation time. So, tell me about this fantastic once-in-a-lifetime travel spot you've been hinting about for a dozen rotations now."

"Sure," Aster says with a smirk. "But have a seat. This place is gonna blow your mind."

Aster's smile grows as his fingers dance upon the control panel. The holographic projection system produces a basketball sized display of  Aster's dream vacation spot. Sol stares at the image of a planet pirouetting within arm's length.

Sol gasps. "You can not be serious." 

"Of course I'm serious." Aster counters. "What better place to visit than the planet we've been studying for the past five cycles?" Aster reaches out and stops the rotation of the image. He then grabs the image at two ends and pulls his hands apart to enlarge it. 

"Sol," he says with a flourish, "I give you planet 3R235, or what the inhabitants call: Earth."

Sol steps around the holographic image so that it hovers between him and Aster. "Insane. I always suspected you were mentally imbalanced, now I have proof."

"Just hear me out and--"

"No," Sol interrupts, "first you hear me out. Let's set aside the fact that if we're caught we'll be placed in prison. Based on everything you and I have heard from the science council, you're talking about visiting a planet that's socially, culturally and morally fractured. One hundred ninety six governments, each with their own agenda and all fighting each other."

"Not all." Aster says.

"Enough to be dangerous." Sol retorts. "The natives disrespect, abuse and enslave each other. Can you imagine what they'll do if they discover us? You want to risk that for what, a thrill? A good time?"

"There is that," Aster says, "but also..." He walks around the Earth image and gets close enough to Sol to whisper in his ear. "There's Fission Sand down there."

Sol turns to stare at Aster in disbelief. "How can-- are you sure?"

Aster puts an arm around Sol's shoulders and guides him to a lab stool as he continues to whisper. "Not only is it down there, they manufacture it, millions of pounds every year. They use it for fuel."

Sol closes his eyes and shakes his head. "Help me out, I'm still learning their units. Give me an idea how much that is."

Aster allows Sol to sit on the stool before answering. "They could fill this observation station five thousand times."

Aster spins Sol around on the stool to face the holographic model. Sol looks at the vision trying to take in what his friend and colleague is telling him.  Again, Aster is in Sol's ear. "I have a plan. When it works, we'll never have to work again. Permanent vacation."

"Okay then," Sol says, "what's the plan?"