To Earth and Back

  For several seconds the room remained silent. Then, Captain Argon rose from his seat to address the council. “Dr. Stratford has laid before us a remarkable and disturbing turn of events. And I am sure no one disputes his sincerity or the gravity of this situation…. He has asked for our help, and now it is up to us to make a determination and come to a consensus.”

  Directing his comments to Ari, he said, ”We understand what has happened and what you are asking. But you must see that an informed decision cannot be made without more facts.”

  “Of course,” Ari acknowledged.

  “Then, if you don’t mind, I feel we should take a few minutes and give your colleagues the opportunity to voice their questions and concerns.”

  “I would be glad to answer whatever I can,” Ari said.

  Captain Argon opened the floor to questions.

  Senior Ship’s Counsel Morgan Lakeland, a very pleasant middle-aged man, was first to rise. Facing Ari, he said, “I think we can all agree that this is a most unusual request. Clearly, this young woman has experienced horrible events in her life. And Ari, no one here doubts your sincerity or your resolve, but surely you are aware that others among our crew have lost their case studies over the past several years. What makes this situation any different from these?”

  “I appreciate your question, counselor,” Ari said, considering. “Let me say this. I have spoken with many of the crew as part of my duties and have found that very few see their case study as anything more than that—a case study. They seem to find it easy to remain detached and just observe without becoming personally involved. I confess this has not been the case with me. An emotional attachment has formed, and I feel a deep commitment to Adie, not unlike a close friend or a member of my own family. I have also found that very few of these other deaths you mentioned involved people who were in harm’s way. Even Joshua, my first study, died of natural causes in the care of a loving family. Moreover, in nearly every one of these other incidents, the death came unexpectedly—suddenly, in many cases. I think we can all agree that this is not the situation here. We know Adie will almost certainly die a violent death, and we have the time and means to move her to safety with little risk.”

  The counselor settled into his seat and the rather gruff logistics officer, Andy Dunnaway, rose to his feet. With a confused expression, he said, “I assume there are a fair number of people living in this young woman’s compound. How can you expect to succeed? Surely they will resist?”

  Ari anticipated the question. “Yes, Andy, and on any other day of the week your point would be well taken.” Ari displayed a map of Adie’s compound and surrounding area, including the nearest towns. “But tomorrow is Saturday, and everyone except the tower guards, the cook, and maybe a few others, will be taking their weekly trip to this town.” Ari pointed to a town thirty minutes south of the compound. “Usually they leave early in the morning and start back just after dark. Some time ago, Adie had an unpleasant experience in town and has not returned since. She usually spends her time reading and helping the cook. My thought is to be on site at the same time everyone starts back from town and use the cover of darkness to get her out. The Syrians are not expected to attack until 0400 local time, the following morning.”

  Andy acknowledged the answer and passed the floor to Ryan Graves, senior ops officer.

  “You mentioned minimal risk,” Dr. Graves said. “What does that mean? How do you plan on pulling this off without injuring your crew, yourself, and the landing craft, not to mention Miss Behr and the others in her compound?”

  With a nod, Ari said, “Ryan, I simply can’t guarantee a mission without injuries, though I have done my best to create a plan that minimizes risk, and I will accept full responsibility for the mission and its outcome….

  “My plan calls for a reconfigured Sparrow with a crew of six: the pilot, ops officer, counselor, two nurses, and myself. The craft will be fully masked and therefore invisible, both inbound to the landing site and outbound. As such, the crew will be completely safe, except for the brief moments when I exit and reenter the vessel.” Ari sent a new image to the display. “This is a flash capsule, commonly used as a locator beacon. Tests have shown that without eye protection, a detonated capsule will result in temporary blindness, with full sight restoration in less than twenty minutes. My plan is to use these capsules to disorient Adie and any others who may be present. Then, I will approach and administer a sedative, and carrying her to the landing craft. She will remain sedated until we can put her down in a safe, lightly populated area. I should need no more than ten minutes on the ground, probably less. As far as my own protection, I’ll be wearing full body armor. Of course, there are still some details to work out, but I hope I’ve spoken to most of your concerns.”

  Ari continued to field questions from around the room, though some council members chose to pass.

  Finally, all that remained were the captain’s closing remarks and the council vote. Rising from his seat, Captain Argon cast his gaze down the long table at a rather nervous Ari. “I suppose extraordinary wouldn’t begin to describe the nature of our colleague’s petition,” he said, scanning the faces around the table. “And clearly our directives would suggest that we not approve such a request. Yet when we left Marcova, the senior mission controller advised me not to view all situations as strictly black or white. We are out here on our own. As such, we must have the latitude to consider facts and make decisions in the best interest of all parties. Ari is a valued member of our senior staff. I would even venture to say, an indispensable member. His well-being is of critical importance to all of us. Over the past few years, we have all come to know him as a singularly dedicated man—a passionate man...passionate about his work, passionate about his faith, passionate about his family. Therefore, should we be shocked to discover that after nearly fifteen years of observing this young woman, he has come to look upon her as a dear friend or beloved sister? And if we had at our disposal the means to deliver a loved one from certain death, which of us would not do everything in our power to make that happen? Ari brings a very unorthodox request of a profoundly personal nature before this council, asking a board of his peers to make an official judgment. To some, such a personal request may seem completely out of order. Yet, when one of our family members needs medical attention and we ask Ari for help, how is that different from what he asks of us today? Isn’t he asking our assistance for a loved one in distress?”

  Captain Argon paused briefly before going on. “We are a research vessel. As such, we are a very technical group. We gather data, test hypotheses, observe experiments, and solve complex problems. In human terms, rarely are we presented with a challenge as honorable as the one we have before us today. Doc Stratford has never given me cause to doubt his judgment. If he says the risk is negligible, I believe him. He has what I believe to be a viable plan to do what he feels is right. I, for one, would like to be a part of a noble effort that we can all feel proud of—this council and every member of this crew. Therefore, I am inclined to recommend this mission go forward.”

  At this point, nearly all opposition evaporated. Then, as the yes votes began to accumulate, Ari became visibly moved.

  The meeting soon concluded, and the council members started to file out, each expressing their support and best wishes; some with a handshake, others with an embrace. Doc Socal was the only dissenting vote.

  Captain Argon asked the ops and information officers to stay behind for a brief meeting with Ari. They met at the podium.

  “Well, Ari,” the captain said. “We raised a few eyebrows today. Nothing like throwing a little caution to the wind.” He smiled and patted Ari on the back. Then, shifting his attention to the information officer, he said, “Shayna, I don’t want to keep this from the crew. Whoever oversees this should stay in constant contact with ops. And Ryan, your ops officer needs to be completely open. We’ll trust the office of information to decide what is prudent to release. Let’s keep the focus on rescuing this
young woman and minimize Ari’s personal life as much as possible. If we manage this right, it can be a wonderful experience for everyone.” The captain turned back to Ari. “Do you have any problem with this?”

  “None...I just want to see her safe.”

  “Then clear your schedule,” Captain Argon said to Ari. “This mission gets your full attention from now until it’s over. Keep ops up to date on your progress—crew selection, anticipated problems, intelligence needs, and so on.”

  “Absolutely,” Ari said with an affirming smile.

  Ryan glanced at Ari. “You mentioned an ops crewmember—did you have someone in mind?”

  “I was hoping to get Jack Corban, if that’s okay with you.”

  Ryan nodded his approval.

  “Listen, I don’t have any idea what Adie is going to be up to over the next several hours,” Ari added. “I’d appreciate it if you would assign a female ops controller. At some point, Adie may not be presentable, but we’ll still need up-to-date information on her location and status.”

  “Well, that would be Candy Rayborn, then. I’ll put her in an isolated workstation and clear her for uncensored monitoring. She’ll need Adie’s tracking code, though.”

  “My next stop is the launch bay,” Ari said. “She’ll have the code within ten minutes. Hopefully, that’ll give you a chance to bring her up to speed.”

  Captain Argon thanked the two council members, and they departed.

  Ari delayed for a moment with the captain. “Sir, what you did here today, well, I don’t know what to say. I never expected—”

  “Look, Ari,” the captain interrupted, “every person on this ship has a job to do. Each of us is gifted with certain skills. Yours involve medicine. Mine involve leadership...and I lead by serving this crew. My hope is that the decisions I make and those I lead others to make will benefit the crew and move our mission forward.” He shook Ari’s hand. “We’re all here for you, my boy...Godspeed.”

  “I’ll never forget this, Jay...never.” The two men exchanged smiles and parted company.

  CHAPTER 28

  Ari entered the lift and headed down to Deck 11, contacting Merrick on the way.

  Most of the launch bay sat idle as the ground crew prepped a Condor-class landing craft for a follow-up lunar expedition. Merrick was on board working the pilot’s console when Ari’s call came in. He quickly glanced at his wrist display and did a double take. “Doc...aren’t you on duty?”

  “I’m on my way down,” Ari said, slightly stressed. “Where can I find you?”

  Merrick noted the serious tone and responded directly. “As you come out of the lift, I’ll be in the far—” He recanted. “You know what...I’ll meet you at the lift.” He wove his way through several technicians and down the ramp, moving swiftly across the launch bay.

  “I take it this isn’t a social visit,” Merrick said, approaching Ari.

  “Afraid not,” Ari said, noticeably anxious. “The council’s approved a rescue mission, and I need a pilot.”

  “Who’s in trouble? The research teams are all fine. They would have told—”

  “It’s not a research team,” Ari interrupted. “Syria is massing troops on the Israeli border. They mean to invade.”

  Merrick drew an immediate correlation. “Merciful heavens,” he marveled. “You’re going after Adie.”

  Ari’s tone was grave. “If we don’t get her out, she doesn’t stand a chance.”

  “So the senior council’s approved interspecies contact?” Merrick asked in disbelief.

  “They’re classifying it as informal contact; kind of a gray area in the directive.”

  “Okay...When’s zero hour for the invasion?”

  “Less than twenty hours from now, though we’ll be arriving much earlier…. Will you help?”

  “Are you kidding? No one would turn down a mission like this.”

  Heartened, Ari said, “If you’re in, we’ve got some work to do.”

  “I’m in! I’m in! What size crew, and how should I configure the bird?”

  “We’re looking at a crew of six: a counselor, an ops officer, two nurses, and the two of us. We’ll need a Sparrow set up for medevac, including a medical workstation and two gurneys with displays and overhead panels. The ops console will need the works—com, tactical, and intel. Aside from that, I need you to go into the historical archives and find some decent body armor for the two of us. Make sure the helmet has external audio, plus com and tactical display. And don’t forget the undergarments.”

  “I’ll need your measurements,” Merrick said.

  “Expect them within the hour.”

  “You mentioned a Sparrow. We have only one landing craft configured for emergency evacuation. I’m afraid it’s a Falcon, though,” Merrick said, pointing to a craft about fifty feet away. “I don’t think we’ve ever configured a Sparrow that way; not to say we can’t, but it could take several hours.”

  “Under normal circumstances, the Falcon would be fine,” Ari said, “except Adie’s compound is small—fairly tight quarters. I think we need something more compact.” He glanced at his wrist display. “My plan is to be on the surface at around 2130, local—a little over fourteen hours from now. Can you make that?”

  Merrick worked a quick mental calculation. “I believe so. Anything else before I get started?”

  “Yeah...an external pod loaded with flash capsules.”

  “Flash caps?” Merrick said, surprised. “I’d think the last thing we’d want to do is draw attention to ourselves.”

  “Merrick, my friend, we only have a short time to line all this up. I’d like to save the mission brief until everyone’s together. Oh, you need to reassign all your current duties. Use the senior council as your authority.”

  “Not a problem, I’ll get things going.”

  Ari offered Merrick his hand. “I’m glad you’re coming with us.”

  On his way to his office, Ari stopped by the psych division to see Walt Maran. Finding him occupied, he left a message with the receptionist and walked across the corridor to the med bay. When he entered, Brooke Hayden, the senior nurse, was speaking with a patient. Noting Ari’s agitated expression, she broke away and followed him into his office.

  “What is it, Doc?”

  “Where’s Katie?”

  “She’s off; should be at the sportsplex working out.”

  “Let’s call her in. Tell her it’s urgent. When she gets here, I’ll need to see both of you in my office.”

  ———————

  Katie arrived ten minutes later, sweat-soaked and face flushed from heavy exercise.

  Ari apologized for interrupting her routine and gave the two women a brief overview of the mission. “Clearly there is a degree of risk here,” he said. “I wouldn’t blame either of you for declining.”

  “Decline?” Brooke said. “Not a chance!”

  “I wouldn’t turn this down for anything,” Katie added, excited. “What should we do?”

  “Nothing just yet. I’m still assembling the crew, so Katie, for now, why don’t you go on back to your quarters? I should be contacting you within the next few hours. Brooke, you can just stay on duty. I want you and Katie to clear your schedules and line up replacements for the next forty-eight hours. That may be overkill, but let’s do it anyway. I’m heading for ops to recruit Jack Corban. I’ll keep you posted.”

  Ari was ascending to Deck 2 when Walt called. “I’m in the lift heading for Jack Corban’s office,” Ari said. “I’d appreciate it if you would join us there.”

  The meeting lasted a half hour, after which both men eagerly added their names to the crew manifest.

  “Candy Rayborn will be your controller here in ops,” Ari told Jack. “She’ll be able to monitor Adie without the censor.”

  “And the pilot?” Jack asked.

  “That would be Merrick Borgan. He’s down in the launch bay as we speak, converting the landing craft for medevac.”

  “Anything we ca
n do to prepare?” Walt asked.

  “For now, just continue to work your shifts…. Jack, you may want to think about how you’re going to manage the ops end of things. Aside from that, we’re waiting on Merrick.”

  Walt accompanied Ari back down to Deck 5 where they returned to their work centers. Ari cleared his schedule for the next two days and called Katie on the com-link. “I need you to come in and pick up an auto-injector. Then, go on over to zoology and have them charge it with three doses of tranquilizer, each dose with enough sedative to disable a person who is five feet, ten inches and 145 pounds. Bring the injector back here when you’re done.”

  Katie took over an hour to return with the charged injector. “Sorry for the delay, Doc,” she said, approaching his workstation. “Only two people can dispense this stuff. One’s on the surface with Doc Socal, and the other was in with the quarantined animals. She had to go through decontamination.”

  Ari laid the injector on his console. “Not a problem,” he said. “Look, I want you to go to the equipment room and prep two gurneys with full instrumentation. Then, contact Merrick Borgan in the launch bay. He’s our pilot. Let him know you’re bringing them down.”

  She acknowledged and turned to leave.

  “Oh, and Katie,” Ari added, “I know Borgan personally. He’s a very capable man. Right now, he has a huge load on his shoulders. You’re apt to find him, well, pretty focused. See if he can use your help.”

  Katie placed the call to Merrick midway to the equipment room.

  Her call found Merrick in the landing craft, reaching into an overhead panel, reworking a relay matrix to accommodate the med gear. Having difficulty with one of the contacts, he answered somewhat gruffly, “I’m in the middle of something. Can you call back?” He continued to give his full attention to the pesky connector, ignoring Katie's image on his com-link.