“I got this, Becca,” Williams said. “Commander Dominic Williams. Your acquaintance is recognized.”
Williams performed what Foster guessed was a traditional Radiance greeting, placing one hand to his shoulder. Foster had heard about it from time to time, but never did learn it, she always assumed that most Radiance living on Earth adopted human customs. What was playing out before her showed otherwise.
The Javnis looked at Williams and in a deep monotone voice said. “Wrong hand.”
Williams stopped as the feeling of embarrassment hit him hard. “What?”
“You used the wrong hand for the greeting.”
“Oh well let’s try—”
“Don’t try again,” the Javnis said as his four eyes shifted to his computer screen.
“Well it was great talking with you,” Foster said to the Javnis. “Sorry, didn’t catch ya name?”
“Tolukei,” he replied.
“We’ll let you get back to it Mr. Tolukei,” she said.
“Just Tolukei, we do not have surnames.”
“It’s just a navy custom.”
“I am not part of your navy. Neither are you.”
“Yea but . . .” Foster stopped in the middle of her sentence. Tolukei was going to be a piece of work, based on their limited interactions. She smiled and simply said. “I’ll get going.”
Tolukei mumbled. “Yes, you should.”
Foster turned her attention away from Tolukei and toward the rest of the bridge. Its layout was different compared to that of UNE battleships. It was smaller and partly inspired by the layout of Radiance bridges. A captain’s chair was in the center while the helmsman sat up front. Next to the helm was the science officer’s station, communications off to one side and the psionic workstation on the opposite.
There was no central hologram that gave the captain and others a 3D projection of the ship or the system they were in. In fact, many of the computers on the bridge still used computer screens, budget cutbacks she figured, as a large part of the budget for the ship went toward the colonization equipment and extra cryostasis pods for the thousands of colonists aboard.
Williams poked around at the other stations on the bridge to familiarize himself with the crew and systems, as Foster approached the front to speak with her first choice in a science officer, Dr. Travis Pierce. He sat back in his leather chair and examined the contents of his computer screen, while a data pad and holo pad rested on its desktop-like surface along with half dozen data crystals.
“Dr. Pierce, glad to see you were able to make it,” she said to him.
“Well, apparently, I didn’t have much choice, funds are low right now and my landlord wanted to raise my rent,” Pierce said. “I hear rent isn’t an issue for those living in Sirius.”
“Once we’re done here, you’re gonna have an apartment better than you had in Vancouver.”
“What makes you think that?”
“Well, you know, gut feeling.”
“I doubt we’ll find Earthlike planets at Sirius. It’s not even possible given the age of the Sirius system.”
“There’s gotta be something of interest.”
“The entire Sirius system was created some two to three hundred million years ago; the dinosaurs walked the Earth when that system was in its infancy. Life on Earth started some three and a half billion years ago.”
Foster grimaced. “Oh,” were the only words she could muster.
“Do the math.”
She crossed her arms and stared at him. “You gonna be the negative Nancy of the crew?”
Pierce laughed. “I’m going to be the one to remind everyone not to forget science when pleasant things start to happen.”
Foster glanced at his screen and saw the time on the bottom right corner. Departure from Earth was due soon. She took a seat in her captain’s chair and activated the small computer mounted onto the arms of it. A blue and white holographic projection of a woman appeared in front of her suddenly. It caused her to yelp and draw the attention of everyone on the bridge.
“I am sorry, Captain, did my presence surprise you?” the holographic woman said.
“Not every day I see somebody appear in front of me like that.”
“My bad, Captain,” Williams called out from the aft section of the bridge. “I just activated it now.”
Foster looked closely at the hologram. She wore a UNE navy uniform, though the flag on the back was that of the UNE rather than a country of origin. She had long, braided hair and stood with her hands behind her back. There was little emotion or movement coming from her body, which led Foster to believe it wasn’t a holographic transmission but rather a computer program.
“EVE, I presume?” Foster said to the hologram.
“That is correct, Captain Foster; I am Electronic Versatile Entity version 1.8.”
Foster grinned. “1.8? That’s the latest update, nice.”
“That is correct.”
All UNE ships were outfitted with an AI known as EVE which served as the central computer system. EVE was capable of quantum computing, taking control of the ships operations if requested, as well as being able to speak and interact with the crew as if she were a holographic member of it. It was no surprise to Foster that the UNE was working on developing an android version of EVE for the next ship under construction as it would give the AI a chance to physically assist the crew. For now, however, they were stuck with the hologram as with all other ships.
“Well pleasure to . . . meet you,” Foster said.
The slow countdown to departure began as Foster enjoyed the new-car-smell of the bridge and her leather chair. She browsed through several ship-wide reports on her holo pad revealing the status of all sections. Several crew members were shocked to see that they were all issued holo pads to replace their data pads.
UNE command gave the final thumbs-up to the exploration fleet to leave, as the final colonists, crew, and supplies were boarded and ready. This is it, Foster thought as she stored her holo pad off to the side of her chair.
Foster opened a comm link with Rivera. “Engine room, are we good to go?”
“All my systems are green,” Rivera’s voice replied.
Foster faced the helm. “Ensign Collins?”
The young ensign checked his terminal. “Good to go, Captain.”
“Colonists are meandering about on the habitat ring but will be entering cryo shortly,” Williams said as he skimmed through a projection on his holo pad.
“If anyone’s having second thoughts now is the time to speak up, ain’t no turning back now!” No one spoke. They were all ready to make the huge commitment to the ship, crew, and human race. “Ensign Collins, take us out.”
“Aye, Captain.”
The powerful thrusters of the fleet of exploration ships flared and sent them away from Earth and the moon as they repositioned themselves in the direction of their destinations. Once they were clear of all space traffic from transport ships heading to and from Earth, Mars, the belt, and the moons of the gas giants, the small fleet entered sub light speeds, traveling at approximately half the speed of light.
The ESRS Nikola Tesla began a journey to Luhman 16 and was expected to arrive in 2046. ESRS Stephen Hawking was expected to arrive at Wolf 359 in 2048. A year later the ESRS Freeman Dyson would arrive at Lalande, and approximately a year after that the ESRS Carl Sagan should arrive at Sirius.
Foster’s holo pad beeped, she received a last second email from her mother and the last message she’ll receive from Earth until they reestablished contact on arrival.
“Good luck, your father would be proud.” The message said.
6 FOSTER