Quick Reads Series Vol. (4)

By Marsell Morris

The God Machine

After saving humankind from certain destruction at the hands of wolves in sheep's clothing, thanks to the effective use of his God Machine, Lucifer is finally celebrated as the hero he thought he was.

Repossession Of Earth

Returning from a visit of a distant alien planet on the other side of the galaxy, Colonel, Simon, Cooper, accompanied by his sidekick, Atom, discovers Earth has been overrun by hard to kill, man-eating, beast, and sees how and why they were brought to his home world.

Galactic Express: Stargazer

With the discovery of wormholes, the age of deep space exploration and tourism has arrived. The Stargazer, a super space-liner, visits many interesting points of interest. However, behind the actions of two nefarious actors, the Stargazer is set upon a course of destruction, and with time running out, it is not clear the ship can be saved.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Marsell Morris
• Release date: May 27, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463559369

Marsell Morris

Marsell was born in Detroit Michigan in the year of... well, a good while ago. After graduating from Cass Technical High School, Marsell went to work for the Chrysler Corporation as a conveyor loader. Shortly after beginning his employment with Chrysler, he married, and fathered three children. Thirty-one years later, and after having gained the position of production supervisor, he retired at fifty.After retiring, he began playing golf everyday and all day. Having lowered his handicap to near scratch, and winning a tournament at even par, and behind a debilitating injury, he was unable to continue playing. He had a lot of free time on his hands, whereupon, he took up writing as a hobby and time killer and discovered he had talent for spinning a yarn.After pounding out eleven urban fictions, covering everything from drug use, prostitution, gang crime, murder, and romance/erotica, and having always been a science fiction fan from his teenage years, he thought he’d try his hand at writing a Sci-Fi tail, which culminated in his first work “Alien Plot - First Contact” now retitled "Alien Offensive - Nanobot Storm" and its four sequels, and which, at one time before he ran into problems with its publisher, was considered good fodder for production as a movie, not because he is such a great writer, but because of its unique, previously unexplored, plot.He still lives in Detroit, and being a compulsive writer, he spends most of his time wearing out his fourth keyboard replacement, while pursuing what he loves doing — writing more tails with unique story lines.

Book preview

Prologue

The year is thirty-one-fifty-seven and Earth is barely habitual. The entire planet is covered by an almost un-breathable smog — the direct result of the continued burning of fossil fuels. Although, many scientist and politicians, predicted the thoughtless and unrestricted polluting of Earth's precious and fragile atmosphere would produce conditions that would become irreversible, the large corporations with deep pockets, and no shortage of those willing to be paid, were able to stop any restrictions or regulation that were proposed. The invention of the antimatter power source came too late to save Earth's atmosphere. However, antimatter did make it possible to economically venture into space.

Some scientist of the time believed the Earth would heal itself. The problem was the healing would take as much as a thousand years. Until then, a new home for humans had be developed.

With the aid of antimatter drives, capable of propelling any space craft to velocities near seventy-five-percent-light speed, the first worldwide, large scaled, project, was the building of an enormous space station. The next project was the moving of all scientist to the moon, and then to terraform Mars and establish mining and breeding colonies, there — both crucial to humankind's survival.

The mining colonies produced a critical element needed to build antimatter power sources, elements not found on Earth in significant quantities.

The breeding colonies were needed because there was something in the smog, not understood, that rendered ninety-percent of Earth's men, sterile, but only had the same affect on a small percentage of women who didn't live as long as the men. For that reason, the breeding colonies consisted entirely of women. It was dictated each fertile man could have as many wives as he could copulate with over a given time, but he had to visit each wife on a predetermined schedule.

As for the space station — the rich, the courts, the heads of corporations, the politicians of the government, and the office of the President, were housed there. There was no longer a single person holding the President's office. It was now held by a triad composed of the three oldest politicians in office, who served as only figureheads and didn't have any actual decision making powers.

Another short termed plan, offered by some politicians, was to build another space station for the increased production of livestock and agriculture.

The government's long termed plan was to advance science, completely inhabit Mars, and regenerate a healthy, reproducing, human species that could return to Earth once the atmosphere had healed itself.

A less urgent long termed plan was to construct a mammoth intergalactic space ship, a kind of Noah's, Ark, dubbed, Vita, that would ferry humankind's genes, along with everything a burgeoning self-supporting colony would need, to a distant planet in the galaxy of Andromeda, where they would propagate and colonize — well, that was the plan, anyway.

Unknown to humankind, there are those who have other plans.

Chapter 1

Hey, David, hold up for a moment, said, Bradford, the assistant prosecuting attorney practicing on space station Athena. How do you think it will go?

Come on Brad, you were in the courtroom during the whole trial. How the hell do you think it will go? Lucifer is clearly insane, and Judge Hampstead will probably let him continue to live. We both knew that going in, but, even knowing that, I, like you, would have rather had him executed. But, hey, having him sent to the mining colony on Titan for the rest of his life is better than nothing. At least he won't be able to harm anyone up there, and I hear it's pure hell on Titan, said, David, as he searched for an autonomous shuttle, and seeing one just pull in to departures, begin walking faster.

I agree, but he did have a good defense attorney, didn't he — the hack, said, Brad, while trying to keep up with David.

Have you forgotten — when you were on the other side, you've gotten a few fellows off with light sentences that we both knew were guilty? I can remember when I was working for the prosecution and I saw who was working the defense, and it was you, I knew I was in for a tough case to prosecute.

Yeah, but that was when I had no choice. I was assigned those cases and I had to do my best. Besides, if I hadn't been so successful, I wouldn't be working with you right now. But, damn, even if Lucifer is the smartest human to ever live, the crazy mutha killed four hundred good men and women on the moon. It just doesn't seem right that he continues to live.

That's our justice system, buddy. Come on, we'll be late, and you know judge Hampstead doesn't play that crap — the old buzzard. He alta retire with his old ass. This is the year of our Lord, thirty-one-fifty-seven, and I know he's been on the bench for at least a hundred years, and has been a raving liberal the whole time. I can't remember the last time he sentenced anyone to death no matter what they'd done, and I don't think he'll begin with this case.

Yeah, you're right, but you won't hold it against me if I wish the murdering mutha freezes to death, will you?

David laughed. No, Brad, I won't, he said, as he and Bradford stepped onto the shuttle.

Aw, Christ, I forgot my Dramamine, said, Bradford.

You're still getting sick, huh? I would have though you'd get used to trips in the go-cars by now.

Yeah, me too, but the doctor said it was an inner ear thing and there is nothing he could do to help me, and that I'll never get accustomed to shuttle rides or space flights.

Well, don't sweat it, Brad. The flight up only takes a couple minutes and you've always recovered by the time we get to the space station. Maybe you should stop coming with me when we have to visit off station?

Yeah, well, I've thought about that. Even with getting sick, I do enjoy visiting the moon, or Earth, or Mars, every now and then. The only problem is I don't like spending the whole flight in the can. As a matter of fact, I think I'll go in there now. Just the thought of flying is getting to me, and I'm getting a little queasy already, and we haven't taken off yet.

David laughed, again. Go ahead, buddy. I'll knock when we've docked with the station, but it'll only take a minute or so from moon base.

It was then the whine of the antimatter drive engines of the shuttle could be heard, and Bradford rushed to the toilet with one hand over his mouth. David watched him leave and shook his head. I'm glad I don't get sick like that, he thought.

Chapter 2

As the shuttle on the way to the space station, Athena, rose up over the rim of a crater, providing a panoramic view of Moon Base, Apollo, a science installation, the antimatter drive kicked in, propelling, in seconds, the shuttle at half-light-speed, to near the space station orbiting Earth two-hundred-thirty-thousand-miles away.

The inertial dampers shut down allowing the shuttle's passengers to again move. It took longer to climb into the damper couches than did the entire flight.

David remained strapped in his couch against weightlessness, as he peered through a porthole at Athena, a huge, double doughnut, construction, that rotated slowly, with many small shuttles bustling around it like hundreds of gnats. He saw a larger interplanetary shuttle rise up from the upper ring, and hesitate for a moment, and then vanish, as it's antimatter drive kicked in, probably propelling it to Mars. Another interplanetary shuttle slowly approached the station and fell in behind his shuttle, waiting to dock with the centralized, arrival, hub of Athena.

David knew the artificial gravity would soon be activated as the shuttle aligned and docked with the rotating station. Those few passengers who wanted, could safely float for a few moments. The artificial gravity would only equal one-one-hundredth of a G. Enough to keep anyone from drifting, but not enough to harm anyone in case they weren't grounded. But, once Athena's gravity took over with it's 1- G, gravity, a person would feel exactly as they would on Earth. Fortunately, it all happened quickly. No one would be hampered by any long termed affects of zero gravity.

Bradford drifted into David's line of sight, still looking a bit sick.

Hey, Brad. Don't tell me you're still sick after such a short flight?

It's got to be psychological, but yeah, my stomach is churning a bit.

Well, you better get your feet on the deck. The shuttle will be docked shortly, and then the station's rotational gravity will take over, and I'm sure you don't want to land on your face under one G.

It was then the pilot's voice came over the PA. This is your pilot. Please remain in your couches. The station's gravity is about to engage.

Bradford grabbed the arm of an empty couch, flipped himself around and was about to lower himself into a sitting position when, behind a heavy clump, the station's gravity engaged, slamming him down into the couch as if he were on Earth and diving into a chair. Fortunately, he had only a half-foot to fall.

David only shook his head as he disengaged his seat belt. Will you come on and quit playing. We have to get around to the other side of the station and up on the second level and we're due in court in less than three hours and I want to get there early to go over my notes.

Brad, with a sheepish grin, said, Coming, boss. That was close, wasn't it?

David didn't respond as he reached for his document bag in the overhead. His mind still on the sentencing hearing of Lucifer. Huh, Lucifer is an apt name for that monster. Why is it, creative genius is so often marred by some form of insanity or something? How anyone can be so cold-hearted that they would blast a hole in a scientific dome on Moon base, Apollo, killing one-hundred-fifty-seven of the worlds most accomplished scientist, and setting back the human species, maybe, hundreds of years, is beyond me. Hell, even the physicist, who invented the antimatter drive, was killed. Christ, what a loss. If I had my way, I'd . . . " His thoughts were interrupted by a slap on the shoulder. It was Bradford.

Thinking about Lucifer again, huh?

Yeah, how'd you know?

I've seen that look on your face often enough since we became involved with his case and you were looking at him in the courtroom. I'm ready to go. How about you?

Yeah, let's get this over with.

It shouldn't take long. What are you going to do after the hearing? Going to pay Mars a visit? asked, Brad.

As a matter of face, yes, I am. It's that time again.

Well, what's the problem? You don't sound too enthusiastic about going and getting laid.

Your right, Brad. Normally, I would be looking forward to visiting the breeding colony and getting it on with one of my wives, but not this time.

Sorry to hear that. Not getting along with one of your wives, huh

Yeah, that's part of the problem. It's that we just don't like each other, but the regulations say I have to visit her anyway because babies are desperately needed. If it weren't for those erectile shots they give me when I arrive, I wouldn't be able to do much anything with her.

Say, listen, Dave. After the hearing, I'll go with you to the Mars breeding colony even though I'm not scheduled. I have a wife that I don't particularly like, the same as you. What I've got in mind is we might be able to swap wives. There is nothing in the rules that prohibit that. What do you think? asked, Bradford, as the pair stepped into the long hallway that curved up and out of sight a mile away. Let's take a cab. I don't want to take another flight outside the station.

Sure, why not? said, David, as the men crossed the wide corridor filled with people. It's better than taking a tram. Those things will take for ever to get all the way around to the other side of the station and we don't have the time. You know — I've been thinking. You might have a good idea, Brad. How is the woman you want to swap in the sack?

No problems there, and she's already delivered one male child. You don't have to worry about that. But does it make any difference? However she is can't be any worse than visiting a person you don't like, right? As long as you get along together and they give you a shot, you'll be able to take care of business. Maybe more than once during the three days you'll be there.

Point taken. We'll give it a try. I remember how the shot affected me once before. It took two days before my soldier stopped saluting, and three before I could sleep on my stomach. said, David, as they took the front seats in a personal transport that looked more like a futuristic golf cart. David pushed the microphone button on the dash of the autonomous cab, and said, Level one criminal court. The vehicle began moving slowly at first as it accelerated to a fifty-miles-per-hour. To the uninitiated, the ride would be unnerving, but there was absolutely nothing to be concerned about. Each vehicle communicated with all the other vehicles. Each vehicle knew exactly where the over vehicles were and what they were doing. A clear path to a destination was computed long before a vehicle reached that destination. And because the station was so large, fifty-miles in diameter, it was three-hundred-fourteen-miles around. Of course, outside the station transport that were similar to the cabs, but were larger and more like shuttles, was available, but that required boarding another space shuttle, and then wait for other passengers going to the same area, all taking time David didn't have, and Bradford didn't like because of his motion sickness.

Oh, Christ, David, I'm going to be sick again, said, Brad, his eyes closed, and grasping the side of his seat.

David looked at Brad, who seemed to be turning green. Will you take a dramamine shot and settle down.

Oh, yeah. Brad found his dramamine, dermal injector, in his document bag, and pressed the business end of the injector against his palm where it, almost, pain free, injected a measured dose of the calming medicine. Immediately, he felt the affects of the dose. Thanks, Dave. I'd completely forgot you reminded me to bring my medicine.

Yeah, I knew you'd need it. This isn't our first trip, you know. Why don't you have something done about your ailment? They can do all kinds of things with gene manipulation, now. Hey, they've figured how to extend our life-spans to near two-hundred-years, I'm sure they can cure your motion sickness.

I've been thinking about it. I'll check into it later.

The men road in silence the next hour and a half, as David wondered why there wasn't a way to take a shortcut across the middle of the station to reach the far side. What he didn't know was the connecting arms holding the doughnut shaped station together, were utilized to house the machinery needed to keep the station running smoothly, and only technicians were allowed in those areas. Another thing he hadn't considered was that everything, as he was now, was tipped on it's side with up being towards the central axis of the rotating station, but unlike he in the speeding cab, to climb to the center of the station's rotation required trips up in several elevators. And once at the center of rotation, where gravity was near zero, an individual would have to turn around and be lowered back down another arm in elevators toward the outer wheel of the station. Such a venture is not practical except for the technicians, who work there, and would take far longer than taking a cab around the outer rim.

As the cab came to a stop outside the court, another cab zipped up and stopped behind. It was Lucifer's defense attorney.

David and the other attorney exchanged curt waves and with David leading, the trio headed into the court, no one speaking.

Entering the courtroom assigned for the hearing, and heading up front, David, saw Lucifer, well shackled and already seated on the defense side of the courtroom. Other than court officials and one reporter, there weren't any other people in the room.

Do you see that? whispered, Brad.

David didn't respond, as he, after letting Brad go in first, slid into his seat at the prosecution's table and on the right of the defense table. As he waited for Brad to slide in, he got a close look at Lucifer's new hair style. Lucifer had shaved his head, leaving two tuffs of hair on top, one on each side of his head. He'd managed to get the tuffs of hair to stand up in a slight curve as if they were short horns growing out of his scalp.

This guy is really carrying the Lucifer thing too far. Or, he really is crazy and thinks of himself as being the devil, David, thought. Judging by his crimes, I'd imagine the latter.

As David unpacked his document bag, the judge came in.

The court's bailiff announced, All rise. The Court of Criminal Justice is in session, the Honorable Judge Hampstead presiding.

Everyone remained standing until the judge took his seat.

As expected, the sentencing went rather quickly. David presented his case for execution while stating how Lucifer, with malice and forethought, blew out several sections of Scientific, Moon Base, Apollo, thereby, causing a sudden and absolute vacuum inside the station and killing over a hundred scientist, and therefore should be executed.

Lucifer's lawyer tried to offer something, anything, that he thought might be redeeming about his client, but was hard press to offer much more than Lucifer was, at one time, a brilliant scientist whom had mental issues that weren't his fault.

But, despite David's best argument for the death sentence, Lucifer was deemed marginally insane, and was given a life sentence, to be served on Titan, one of Saturn's moons.

After reading the sentence, Hampstead went on to say that if not for Lucifer's mental issues, he would have ordered his execution, but lacking the conscious, or convincing argument, to order a death sentence, he was ordering the next worst option.

Lucifer listened to the verdict and after hearing his destiny, stuck out his tongue at the judge. He knew that once sent to Titan, no man has ever returned. He knew that he and other lifers would be the only humans on the moon, and as a whole, would be left to their on devices, but he wasn't worried. Something inside his head assured him he wouldn't remain there long.

The elements that made the Titan, maximum security, facility, so secure were several. First, there were no guards, other than androids, to overpower. Guards were not needed on Titan — there was no place to go. Once a prisoner died, his body was collected by the droids and taken to be cremated. The droids also maintained the oxygen manufacturing installation as well as the sparse shelter the prisoners resided in. If a droid showed signs of malfunctioning, or did break down, a signal would be sent by that machine to send a replacement, and the malfunctioning machine would deactivate itself and sit down to be encased in the ice that constantly formed on the moon's surface where it averaged a temperature of negative, two-hundred-ninety-degrees, Fahrenheit.

There weren't any space going vehicles stationed on Titan, or any other way to get off the surface. The few meager rations sent to the convicts were delivered by autonomous ships that never landed. And despite all that, Lucifer's brilliant, but twisted, mind, was already planning his escape even as he was led away to begin his sentence. How he would get off the moon, he didn't know, but something in his mind said he would.

Chapter 3

You know, Dave, every time we take a long trip in one of these interplanetary shuttles, I can't get accustomed to the idea we loose time compared to the rest of the universe, said, Brad, as he glanced through the front viewing port of the craft, and just as quickly glanced away. And the way everything we see up front outside the shuttle seems to be like looking through a weird cone or something. Look at the way light is distorted,' he said, as he glanced forward again, and then looked away. I can't even stand to look out front. It makes my eyes jump and gives me a headache."

David didn't look, as he tried to rest with his couch laid back. He knew better. The distortion of light in front of the craft did the same thing to him. Well, why do you look, then? You've taken this trip enough times to know what to expect.

I don't know. Curiosity, I guess, Brad, said, as, he too, laid his seat back and looked up toward the top of the cabin.

But you know we're moving at about half-light-speed, and we are experiencing everything differently than the rest of the universe, said, David. Time has slowed down for us, and . . .

Yeah, and that's another thing, Bradford cut off David. It appears that my chronograph is running the same as always. I know it's true that we loose time, but I just can't get my head around it.

Well, if you're asking me to explain it, you're asking the wrong person. You need to talk with a physicist. Maybe one of those egg-heads can explain it in a way that'll make sense.

No, it's not that important, but you do have to admit it is weird, don't you? I mean, I understand that we're traveling at near half-light-speed, and can make it from Athena, all the way to Mars, that is about forty-million-miles, away, in a few minutes, but the way things look outside the shuttle is strange as hell.

Yeah, everything about quantum mechanics is weird to me, but it is what it is and I accept it. Besides, not being a physicist, and trying to make sense of it, is only a waste of mental capacity. I have too many law cases to be concerned with and I'll leave the quantum world to those better equipped to comprehend, said, David, his eyes now closed.

I know, I know, but it's still weird, said, Bradford, as he tried to relax.

It was then the pilot announced their arrival at the Mars' reception and departure center. Their shuttle approached a massive, transparent, dome, that was as large as a small city. It had hundreds of weird, spider like, droids, with ten-foot leg spans, crawling over the outside, which gave the dome a creepy appearance.

Hey, we're here and I didn't get sick, said, Brad.

Probably because the Dramamine is still working, and with you thinking about how things look outside the shuttle, you weren't thinking about being sick.

Yeah, Yeah, you're probably right. Come on, let's grab a Mars shuttle and get over to the breeding colony. I can't wait to see the woman you want to swap.

Will you slow down, Brad. Before we visit the breeding colony, I want to visit the new, Icarus, deep space launching center. I hear it's where the Vita, Ark, is being built.

Say, I wouldn't mind seeing that, myself, Brad, said, as the men boarded a Mars shuttle, and a woman's voice asked their destination through the speaker on the dashboard.

David, said, Icarus.

Confirm, destination, please, the voice, said.

David, repeated, Icarus, Deep Space Launching Center.

Warning, your destination requires a trip of one-point-three-seven-hours, underground. Are you claustrophobic? the mechanical, voice, asked.

David looked at Bradford, and then, said, No.

Your departure will begin immediately. Please remain seated during the entire trip. Enjoy the ride, the, obviously, automated, voice, said.

I wonder if that voice is from some kind of machine or is it from a real human? asked, Bradford.

Don't know. It sounds like it's not a human to me, answered, David, as he looked around and saw several other shuttles entering tubes that seemed to be going off in every direction.

Yeah, me too, Brad, said.

After the warning, and without delay, the shuttle rose up off the platform and slowly maneuvered toward a series of ten-foot in diameter, transparent, tubes, about a half-mile, away. As the shuttle neared the opening of the tube, an airtight hatch opened with several triangular shaped panels sliding aside, and closed, once the shuttle had entered. Inside the tube, the shuttle gradually accelerated as the tube sloped down toward the ground.

I'll bet that Ark ship thing is huge, said, Brad, as he saw through the transparent side of the tube, before their shuttle dived below ground, a massive dust storm on the horizon. Wow, will you look at that, he, said.

I see it, David, said.

It's good we don't have to fly through something like that. I've never seen a storm before. It's scary. I'm glad this tube goes underground.

That's exactly why these tubes go underground. Those storms only have winds that top out at about sixty-miles-per-hour, but they have all kinds of dust and small stones in them that can be dangerous. Not only that, even though the terraforming is going pretty good, Mars' atmosphere is still pretty thin, and not dense enough to burn up all meteors before they hit the ground, let alone most radiation.

Do you think anyone will ever be able to walk outside on the surface of Mars without a suit?

Sure, in, about, another few-hundred-years. Not during our lifetimes. What's the matter, don't you listen to your news messages on your communicator?

Well, to be honest, I don't have time. I always have to work so hard to prepare for a case. You know, Dave, I'm not what you'd call brilliant. Not many people know this, but I had to take the bar exam three times to pass it. I guess this means you won't want me as your assistant anymore, huh?

Well, since you're being honest with me, let me be honest with you. I always check the credentials of my assistants, and I know that, and I still want you by my side in a courtroom. Anyone willing to keep trying after failure and who doesn't quit, is the type of person I want as an assistant. I'm the leading counselor, and as long as you continue to produce the material I ask for, and on time, we'll do just fine. What I don't need is some young person who thinks they know everything and who wants to argue with me all the time. So, don't worry. We'll be together for quite a while. Well, as long as you continue to produce, anyway. You know, I wasn't always a lead prosecutor. I had to assist for many years until I was recommended to become a lead by my leading counselor, and I'll do the same for you once you have a few more years of practice under your belt.

Thanks, Dave. I was worried about whether or not I was doing what you needed of me.

You're doing just fine, Brad. So quit worrying.

I will. Thanks.

The men road in silence for a while, as they watched illumination light after light pass with not much more to see while underground. The tube meandered on, mile after mile, with an occasional long sweeping turn. It, infrequently, emerged into the open as it exited the wall of a deep creator and then, after crossing the creator, dive back underground as it entered the other side at two-hundred-miles-per-hour.

Boy, it's good I'm not claustrophobic, said, Brad, as they were, again, plunged into semi-darkness.

If you were, we'd be in an above ground shuttle, even though that isn't the safest way to travel on Mars.

Yeah, I know. Say, is it me or is the tube sloping upward a bit?

No, it's going up all right. We must be getting close to our destination.

I hope so. I don't like it down here. I don't like it at all down here hundreds of feet underground. What would happen if the shuttle broke down or something. Hell, we can't even get out and walk.

Walk? David laughed. Where would you walk to without a life-support suit. You're forgetting the atmosphere outside this shuttle is not breathable.

I know that. I was just saying . . . you know . . . what would happen if this thing broke down? Look . . . there's light up ahead.

Yep, we're going up, all right. I wonder if they'll let us visit those parts of the Ark, Vita, that are finished, if we promise to stay out of the way?

I'm sure they will after we've come all this way to see it. Hey, maybe they'll have some kind of tour we can join, or something?

Maybe, so, Brad. I sure hope so, David, said, as the shuttle, after slowing, came up out of the ground and immediately entered another huge dome through several airlocks.

Holly crap, this dome is ten times bigger than the one we left. It's a miracle the whole damn thing doesn't come crashing in. And will you look at all those spider droids crawling all over it outside.

Hemispherical, said, David.

What?

Hemispherical. That's a type of dome that is self-supporting, said, David, as the men climbed out of their shuttle parked in the arrivals area.

Hemispherical, huh? What are you, some kind of walking encyclopedia or something?

No, I read every now and then. Hey, Sir! David called to a person wearing a uniform who was walking by.

Yes, Sir. How can I help you? the young fellow, asked.

You work here, right? asked, David.

Yes, Sir. I'm a tech who works on door latches on Vita. My name is Paul 21,005.

Nice to meet you, Paul. This is Bradford and I'm David. Say, do you happen to know if there is a way my partner and I can take a quick look around the Ark, Vita?

Sure. We have folks visiting it all the time. As a matter of fact, you can go up with me. I'm on my way to work. But I warn you — you might have to find your own way back down here.

Go up? questioned, Brad.

Yes, of course. We're building the Vita Ark in segments. We build the segments down here on the surface and then ship them up to be installed on the Ark that's in orbit around Mars. You don't think we could build something that large on the surface and then get it up in space, do you?

You know, I hadn't thought about it. Of course it's being built in space if it's as large as I've heard, said, Bradford.

Oh, it's large all right. Come on, follow me. My shuttle is leaving in a few, said, Paul, as he began walking toward an area that had several shuttles, some parked, others, departing.

Say, Paul, can you tell me what are those spider things crawling outside the dome? They're everywhere, even on the Mars arrival dome we left from, asked, Brad.

Those? They're breech repair droids. With the thin atmosphere outside, some small meteors make it down to the surface and every now and then, one strikes the Dome and punches through. Those spider droids rapidly repair the punctures. There are so many of them and they work so fast, that, sometimes, we don't even know anything had happened.

Yeah, that makes sense, said, Brad, as he followed Paul and David onto Paul's shuttle. There were several other young looking men already on the craft. They talked about everything except the Ark. To them, it was no more than a job.

As Paul's shuttle neared Vita, Bradford was dumfounded. Aw, hell no, he whispered, but not quiet enough that everyone else couldn't hear him as they all laughed, but understood. I mean . . . I mean . . . nothing that large can fly. It's as big as a city. But, but, but, where is the front? Who is going to pilot it? I know it won't be able to go that fast, will it?

Paul slapped Brad on the shoulder. I know, buddy. I was the same way when I first saw it, and if you want to ride with me to my job's location, I'll try and answer some of your questions, although, I'm not an expert on the thing.

Brad didn't respond as he watched the shuttle slide into a hatch that had to be ten stories high and a hundred yards wide. The shuttle slowed as it neared a long line of numbered, wheeled, vehicles. With a soft clank, the shuttle the men road in, automatically, matched hatches with one of the parked vehicles. Both hatches, the shuttle's, and the vehicle's, opened simultaneously, and two people on Paul's shuttle got up and climbed into the wheeled vehicle, then both hatches closed as the person carrying shuttle moved on to the next, parked, wheeled vehicle, and the process was repeated.

The next wheeled vehicle was Paul's. Followed by David and Brad, he climbed into his four-passenger vehicle. Yep, this is me. Good old number eleven, he, said, as he punched in his authorization code, and it began driving. Okay, let me explain some basics about the Ark. Most of what you see outside is just a hull while most of the interior is nearing completion, but a few areas are still in a vacuum, hence, these pressurized vehicles. We're building the Ark from the center and inside out. The hull is mostly completed to serve as an anchor to tie everything down. So far, nearly all the interior is completed and pressurized. That's where we're going now. I've heard the whole Ark thing will be completed in a day or so, although, I don't think it will take that long. Mostly all left to do is to ship up all the things needed on the trip to Andromeda. Like I told you earlier, I, and a few other guys, install the hatch latches so that any hatch can be manually shut and latched should a loss of pressure happen. Once I get to my job, you two can have this vehicle and can go anywhere you wish. You don't have to worry about trying to get out of this thing in a vacuum because the vehicle, when sensing no pressure, won't let you. And it won't let you go where any heavy lifting is being done. The master computer knows where every machine and vehicle is and won't let them get into each other's way. Ah, here we are, my job, he, said, as they pulled up to an automatic hatch the size of a garage door. It opened and closed after the shuttle entered the airlock. On the pressurized side of the lock, he got out. Okay, fellas, she's all yours. Have a good tour and I'll see you later.

Wait a minute, said, Brad. You didn't tell me how it is possible any man can pilot or captain something this big.

Oh, sorry. There won't be any humans on it during it's voyage to the Andromeda galaxy that is about two-point-five-million light-years away — just droids that will maintain the Ark, and care for the frozen human eggs and sperm, which are the only things near human on the Vita. Once Vita is within a certain number of light-years of Andromeda, the droids will begin making test-tube babies, which they will raise and teach how to do everything necessary for another human colony to survive. Survive that is if a suitable planet is found. If not, the Ark, with it's human genes, will continue to search for a planet until something stops it. Cool, huh?

I'll say, said, David. Just think about it. It's possible this ship could still be going thousands or millions of years from now. Out there somewhere in the universe, all alone, and maybe after our sun has gone red giant, and there is no more Earth or humans in this solar system. Who knows, it could encounter another intelligent, civilized, alien species, and they could adopt our human survivals, and maybe crossbreed with them, making them super humans. Thrilling, isn't it?

Yes, Sir. But whether or not it could still complete it's mission depends on how long frozen human eggs and sperm can remain viable, and if a planet can be found in that time limit.

Yes, that's true, Paul, but it's still something to think about. Anyway, thanks for the ride and explanation, and have a good day, David, said, as he climbed behind the steering wheel of the vehicle.

My pleasure, David and Brad. Now, I've got to run. I'm running late. This thing is almost done and they should launch later today or early tomorrow. I hope you'll be able to come back today or tomorrow to celebrate the launching.

That soon, huh? asked, David.

"Oh, yeah. These folks don't mess around. They literally have an army working on it, and I wouldn't be surprised to watch it leave this evening, maybe, sooner. From what I understand, there won't be a big celebration. As soon as its provisioned, off it will go. It's not like there will be humans onboard. As a matter of fact, a good part of it is already provisioned and the droids that will be onboard are already stored in the armory area, somewhere. Besides, Andromeda is two-million-light-years from us, and even if the project is a success and they find a way to send a message back to let us know about the success, it would take two-million-years to reach us. The way the guys in charge see it, is none of us will be around to