From Sea to Shining Sea

By Frank M. Panek

From Sea to Shining Sea is a story of exploration and discovery in the depths of the seas of Earth and on the Jovian moon of Europa. In the height of the Cold War, a submarine operating out of Portsmouth Shipyard was diverted to investigate a potential Soviet threat in the North Atlantic. That submarine suffers a tragic accident and is lost with all hands. One hundred years later, the crew of an experimental research submersible, the R/S Balanus, was sent by the United Nations and the US Navy to investigate something unusual in some of the deepest waters of the North Atlantic. What Jack Wolfe and Wil Nelson thought was a demonstration dive of Sea Technologies and Explorations newest design was actually something quite different. The final test dive of the R/S Balanus would take the crew to explore the darkness and a dangerous unknown. Dr. Arnie Hanson of the UN Interplanetary Space Corps suspected that what drew the R/S Balanus to investigate the abyss was in some way related to what the crew of the spaceship Endeavor had discovered on Europa miles under the ice in the Sea of Conamara Chaos. If he was correct, what these two groups of explorers found could change the world forever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 7, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499082890

Frank M. Panek

Frank M. Panek has spent the last forty years studying fish and wildlife resources in the eastern United States as a government scientist. After earning a doctorate degree in biological sciences, he focused his professional career on the study of aquatic animals and has published numerous professional papers in aquatic and marine biology. Having always loved the genre of science fiction, he began writing science fiction instead of professional articles after retirement. From Sea to Shining Sea is his first novel.

Book preview

PROLOGUE

T he year was 1963 and the United States of America and the Soviet Union were at the height of a Cold War. The two greatest powers on Earth vied for dominance in a world filled with uncertainty and fear. A war of ideology, politics and economics gripped the entire planet as these two world powers played an increasingly dangerous game. The race for domination of the sky and space forced technologies to take humanity higher and faster. Likewise, in the depths of the sea, the race was on to go deeper and quieter. It was in this climate of global uncertainty, fear and paranoia that this story unfolds.

Captain Charles Sweet was responsible for a series of monitoring stations in the North Atlantic Ocean, as part of the US Navy’s Sound Surveillance System. He and his staff had the responsibility of monitoring the North Atlantic to protect the east coast of Canada and the United States from Soviet submarines. Captain Sweet took this responsibility seriously. He knew his station was the first line of defense against a possible Soviet submarine strike on the east coast. Tied into NATO Command, Captain Sweet’s post was just a small part of a much larger submarine detection network operating in the North Atlantic. This network, consisting of a number of naval assets, listened to acoustical sounds and monitored radio frequencies for any telltale signs of intrusion by a Soviet submarine. The work had intensified as relations between the two super powers had worsened and the world sat on the brink of nuclear annihilation.

This day started as any other day when Captain Sweet met with his section leaders for the morning briefing. Well, good morning gentlemen. I hope the last shift was once again uneventful. Do we have any reports of interest from the overnight watch? asked the captain as he reached for the stack of morning reports on his desk.

A tired and bleary eyed lieutenant responded. No, Sir. Sound surveillance was pretty much quiet last night. I don’t really have anything to report today. All the sound equipment is operating normally. My watch report is on your desk.

Thank you, Lieutenant Brown. That’s what I like to hear. What about radio communications? Do you have anything to report, Chief?

Well, Sir. I’m not entirely sure, replied Chief Clare Bryant. A young, dark-haired, pretty and very serious woman in her early thirties, Chief Bryant was new to her assignment as the radio officer for the station.

So what seems to be the problem, Chief?

Well, Sir, last night about 0300 hours, my radio technician said that he picked up a short burst of some type of interference that he couldn’t explain. I checked it out with him. We listened and monitored the frequencies for some time, but never picked it up again. I brought this to the attention of the technicians at SOSUS command. They heard nothing during this same time period.

Captain Sweet looked concerned as he asked, What type of interference was it and on what frequency?

That’s what’s interesting, Captain. It was on all the frequencies, responded a concerned communications chief. I have no idea what caused it, but by using some of our monitoring buoys I was able to get a general location. I placed it about 250 miles east of Boston near the trench.

That’s very good work, Chief. Please commend your staff for being on the ball and working a solution for what you observed. You may have inadvertently picked up something Soviet operating off the coast.

The military chain of command worked as it should have. Within hours the report from Captain Sweet’s station to the Sound Surveillance System (SOSUS) was at the North Atlantic Command and, shortly thereafter, Admiral Frank was made aware of the observation. As he read the report he was a little skeptical about the finding. The analysis of his staff at fleet command suggested that there was a high probability that this was some radio communications equipment failure. However, the Soviets were testing the resolve of NATO almost every day. They were developing more sophisticated and silent submarines. He had to wonder if this interference resulted from some new Soviet design that had slipped through the sound surveillance system. If so, it could represent a new threat to the Nation’s security. The Admiral needed to know more. He made some inquires of the Fleet Reconnaissance Squadron but nothing was reported for the corresponding date and time.

With nothing more reported from any of the listening stations and after a month or so of monitoring, the Admiral reluctantly put the report aside, as he just did not have sufficient evidence to commit naval assets to further investigations. However, he did not completely let the incident go and directed Captain Sweet to contact him directly should the interference be detected again. This is what occurred about three months later with an early morning call.

Admiral, please excuse my early call. This is Captain Sweet at the SOSUS monitoring station, said Charles, very reluctantly. It was completely outside of the normal chain-of-command that a station captain would call the Fleet Admiral - especially at 0300 hrs in the morning.

Yes, Captain. Thank you for calling. I assume you’re calling to report another incident? Correct?

Yes Sir. We picked up the interference again. It was identical to that reported a few months ago. However, this time we confirmed the interference with fleet reconnaissance. They confirm some type of signal which we have placed at about 250 miles east of Boston. That’s the same location we reported for the earlier incident.

Good job, Captain. Send your report to me at Atlantic Fleet Command as soon as possible. Thank your crew for doing an outstanding job on this.

Thank you, Sir. Is that all, Sir?

Yes, Captain…for now, replied the Admiral as he hung up the phone.

With new information in hand, it was time for Admiral Frank to take some actions. The objective was to identify and neutralize any threat. First up was a briefing of the Fleet Command followed by some plan of action by his command staff. The admiral knew that if the US Navy responded by repositioning the fleet, it would surely tip-off the Soviets that their operations in the North Atlantic had been discovered. Rather than that, the admiral decided to limit the response to just two surface ships and a single submarine and to have those naval assets work with SOSUS and the Fleet Reconnaissance Squadron to locate the source of the interference. The USS Glennon was on patrol in the area and was redirected to coordinate the search. In support of the Glennon, he also ordered the Commander of Submarine Force Atlantic to assign the USS Thresher, its newest nuclear submarine, to assist in the search. The USS Thresher was already in position at the Portsmouth Shipyard and planning to meet the USS Skylark for dive trials. With some minor changes to the planned cruise, those dive trials were now to be conducted in the area identified by Captain Sweet as the likely location of the unknown interference. The USS Thresher sailed from port on 9 April 1963 to investigate.

100 years later…

CHAPTER 1

COLD!

C old! It was colder than Jack could remember it ever being. It was not that he didn’t know how to work in cold conditions - after all, Wisconsin did get mighty cold in February. But this wasn’t his boyhood home. This was somewhere quite different and less hospitable. This was a place that he had visited often during his career and a place that always struck him with awe and fascination.

Two degrees down on the dive bubble, Jack said, as he tried to shake the numbing cold from his hands.

O.K. Jack, all lights are green and we’re ready for power-up for our shallow dive, responded Wil Nelson as he slowly manipulated the controls of R/S Balanus III. Wil, tall and slim and lightly bearded with longish red hair, was a former Coast Guard commander with more years at sea than he wanted to remember.

Well, here we go again, lamented Wil. "Do you think we finally got the bugs out this time? We have been at the design phase on the Balanus for years!"

I sure hope so, said Jack, shaking his head. "Diving under the ice in the North Atlantic to test the Balanus is getting a little old. I wonder how many more designs we’ll field test before UNUSE will accept our concept?"

UNUSE, or United Nations Under Sea Explorations, had contracted with Sea Technologies and Explorations, Inc. to design and develop a fleet of energy efficient, deep sea submersibles. They required a vessel that could operate at over 18,000 feet as a matter of routine and perform basic deep-sea oceanographic research and rescue operations under the polar ice caps.

Jack Wolfe had spent over 25 years as an oceanographer for the Naval Weapons Research Laboratory and specialized in Arctic operations during previous tours of duty in the US Navy. He was offered a partnership in Sea Technologies about five years ago to help develop the Balanus project.

Just then the radio squawked, "Sea Tech to Balanus. Confirm you are ready for tether separation?"

That’s affirmative, all power and navigational systems are nominal for separation, Wil replied.

It was hardly noticeable, just a slight nudge, a flickering of the cabin lights, and a quick power-up of onboard systems. "Balanus to Sea Tech…. we’re on our way….all systems are green for our initial 500 foot descent, said Jack via radio. Go ahead, Wil, and hit the external lights. It’s bad enough freezing in this, so let’s at least see where we’re going!" Jack exclaimed, as the Balanus rolled slowly to port on its descent into the cold ocean depths of the North Atlantic.

The Balanus project had not been without its problems. The current submersible was the third in a series of contrasting designs. The first one was a disaster, having suffered serious hull stress and cracking. Electrical systems had not withstood prolonged periods at sea temperatures just above freezing. Jack remembered Balanus II and its dive into the abyss with equal disdain. Under-powered and with a loss of buoyancy control, the craft was swept by deep-sea currents for nearly 100 miles before its crew could regain positive buoyancy. The extensive air and sea search by the Coast Guard didn’t help the corporate image or bank account. Sea Technologies’ stock dove and the company almost went under.

This craft, however, was very different from previous designs. It was greatly improved with its own small fusion reactor, state of the art navigational systems and a set of robotic arms and tethered probes. Hopefully, it would provide UNUSE with the vehicle for undersea explorations into the 22nd century and, hopefully, this would be their last test dive. In Jack’s opinion, all it really needed right now was heat!

Just as Jack started thinking about home, sitting in his favorite chair next to a warm fireplace with his wife Andrea and their 10 year old daughter, his daydreaming was interrupted by a violent shudder of the craft.

Oops, I hate when that happens. Sorry ... but I always forget how sensitive these ballast control valves are, said Wil, as he attempted to stabilize the Balanus.

Jack smiled and offered a little chuckle, Yes, but at least we know they work this time. As he manipulated the computer to improve the trim and stability, he radioed the R/V Sea Tech. Balanus to Sea Tech. How’s our telemetry looking?

Your telemetry is active and nominal. You are good for your initial dive to 500 feet. Have a pleasant journey, responded Phil Gordon, the Balanus Project Director, and Chief Engineer for Sea Technologies and Explorations, Inc. Phil was not only a highly experienced engineer, but a successful entrepreneur, having founded and sold (at a very healthy profit) two previous ventures. Jack, don’t forget to bring me one of those deep-sea critters that you told me about, and Wil, please don’t bump into anything bigger than you!

You bet, Phil, Jack replied. I hope to pull you up a whopper. But remember, everything here is for science and you know what that means! Our friends at Woods Hole get first crack at anything new. After all, I can only guess what these things are and I know… my friend, that you haven’t a clue either.

"Sea Tech, please be advised we are moving through 100 feet and continuing our descent with all systems nominal, said Wil, as his hands moved rapidly at the environmental control panel. Let’s see if the system will maintain nominal comfort levels without us having to readjust."

Balanus III incorporated many new state of the art systems that made it effectively self-sufficient for prolonged dives. It was a craft for exploration and adventure, designed to meet UNUSE’s demanding expectations for a vehicle that could go deeper and explore longer than any previous model. Its sleek shape and crew capacity of up to six made it unique among recent submersible designs - and Balanus’ abilities were sorely needed.

Conditions on Earth were deteriorating as population growth in the so-called ‘developing countries’ was quickly stressing the world’s food reserves and natural resources. Since 2048, UNUSE had taken on the challenge of turning to the sea to feed the growing human populations and to set aside critical areas to preserve the sea’s dwindling marine resources. Most coastal areas were either too polluted by non-point sources of agricultural and industrial wastes to sustain productive mariculture operations or were already in production. Scientists were being continually challenged to develop new technologies for deeper offshore sites. Forced upwelling of cold nutrient laden waters from deep ocean areas to warmer surface waters was one of the promising new innovations for increasing mariculture production in areas with unproductive surface waters. In essence, it simulated a small-scale man-made ‘El Nino’.

O.K., Sea Tech, we are at 500 feet and holding, said Wil. All systems are operational. We even have heat and Jack is happy at last. It’s time to see what she can do.

As Wil and Jack checked the craft’s operational and dive systems, a similar procedure was underway on board the R/V Sea Tech and at corporate headquarters in New London. Balanus III and Sea Tech where linked by state-of-the-art satellite telemetry that allowed a 21st century version of the old NASA Mission Control to monitor, interact with and instantly relay command decisions and operational commands to on-board computers on the Balanus. Back on board the Sea Tech, Phil verified the craft’s condition and authorized the dive.

Sea Tech to Balanus, squawked the com-link. You are authorized for your initial 10,000 foot dive.

Roger, Sea Tech, we are continuing our dive at 50 feet per minute. How’s the telemetry look, Phil? said Wil, as he monitored the dive program.

Mission Control aboard the Sea Tech replied. Everything is O.K. topside and the satellite feed is stable. Have a safe journey, Gentlemen.

"Well, Jack, it looks like it’s up to us and the Balanus to prove that the technology works. Everything looks fine from this seat. I suggest that we run a set of diagnostics at 10,000 feet before making the final dive to the sea floor. Sonar shows that we will hit bottom at our present coordinates at about 18,375 feet."

How are the environmental controls holding up? You know how temperamental they were in pre-dive testing. Just because we’re in a submersible doesn’t mean that we have to be cold and wet.

Everything seems to be operating as it should be, replied Wil. I see no problems with any of our systems. The reactor is on line and we have fully charged batteries… just in case.

Just in case? Jack hated to think of what could go wrong. Being a partner and holding a large part of Sea Technology’s stock, Jack knew damn well that the corporation couldn’t sustain too many more ‘bad cases’ of anything. UNUSE needed this craft and Sea Technologies needed to deliver it and to deliver it soon. This was it…. the dive, the place, and the opportunity for the company to get back into the competitive submersible market. Balanus was one of a kind and Jack was determined to make it indispensable for anyone seeking to explore and capitalize on the still largely unknown universe of the deep sea.

Jack’s wife, Andrea, also had high hopes for this voyage. Her hopes were that with the success of the dive stock dividends would allow her and Jack to make the voyage to Mars and the City of New Hope for their 25th wedding anniversary. It had always been her dream. Ever since her childhood, Andrea had fantasized about Mars and hoped that one day she would work for Space Corps in the construction of the City of New Hope. Well, that never happened. But dreams die hard and a promise was made by Jack a long time ago that one day the couple would make the voyage.

Let’s make this work, Jack said with some conviction. Deploy the tentacles and activate the science modules.

Wil turned in his chair to face a complex of computer modules and video displays that provided the command functions for the craft’s automated science centers. As his broad and ruddy hands operated the console, he thought momentarily about how technologies had improved over the last few decades. This user-friendly interface between the onboard computer of the Balanus and her crew would have required a full team of technicians, analytical laboratories and data processing equipment that could have filled most of the research space on those old oceanographic research vessels that plied the depths of the seas during the later portion of the 20th Century. It’s hard to believe how sophisticated, yet inherently simple, Balanus has made the mission. Obviously, UNUSE could do more with the Balanus Class submersible than they could with a whole array of surface - based remote sensing equipment.

"OK, Jack. I’ve engaged the science and analytical modules. It looks like we have good communication with Sea Tech and I’ve confirmed that the satellite link is operational. The tentacles are deploying now."

As the craft continued its descent, both Wil and Jack could hear the sounds of the pneumatic tubes as they extended outward from the hull and expelled threadlike sensory and analytical tentacles virtually around the vessel. It was an eerie sound. The monitors provided an image of the craft that resembled what early mariners would have only described as a monster from the depths of hell itself!

It looks like all the starboard arrays are off-line. I’ll reboot the starboard auxiliary computer and see if the arrays turn active.

As Wil worked the controls for the science modules, Jack strove to hold position at 10,000 feet. The sensory feeds dumped their output into the craft’s navigational system, which provided Jack with dive controls. At this point Jack had a choice. He could allow the Balanus to operate autonomously by computer control or to take over manual navigational and dive functions. For Jack, there really was only one choice.

The starboard array is operational. Check out the monitors, Jack! Virtually everything the computer needs to take us to the bottom and even more has been acquired and is being continually updated.

Yes, that’s fine, but I think I’ll just keep manual control here, said Jack with a tone of indignation.

Keeping manual control required that Jack over-ride the computer. As he entered the commands the computer went into audio mode… BALANUS AUTO-NAVIGATIONAL CONTROLS WILL BE DISENGAGED. PLEASE VERIFY YOUR COMMAND AND ENTER YOUR COMMAND AUTHORIZATION.

Jack did so and proceeded to take manual control to pilot the Balanus. As he did the craft’s auto-navigation system confirmed the command… NAVIGATIONAL CONTROLS ARE NOW ON MANUAL. AUTO-NAVIGATION OR EMERGENCY ASCENT CAN BE REAUTHORIZED BY VOICE COMMAND. BALANUS STANDING BY.

As Jack engaged the maneuvering thrusters, Wil continued to operate the science modules. The tentacles, now fully deployed, provided the crew with a 360 degree, three dimensional view of the sub’s surroundings, while monitoring currents, temperatures, water clarity and collecting instantaneous samples of a full range of environmental parameters and water chemistry. This was accomplished by the automated on-board analytical laboratory, which was constantly recalibrated to provide nearly instantaneous monitoring of environmental conditions. It also provided telemetry for both the R/V Sea Tech and corporate headquarters. In addition to all the high-tech analytical capabilities of the sensory array, the craft also used on-board laser and sonar systems to map the ocean floor and record seismic activities. The combination was particularly powerful and its potential applications for geological surveys and oil and gas exploration were unique.

Jack was anxious to make the remainder of the dive and to prove the worth of the Balanus. Let’s get a look at the bottom. Just then the silence of the ocean’s depth was broken by a bounding voice from above. "Sea Tech to Balanus. Jack, I see that you have taken over manual control. You need to reengage the auto-nav system. Remember why we’re doing this dive. We need to know the full capabilities of the Balanus. Do you copy?"

Jack replied with some dissatisfaction. That’s affirmative, Phil, but that’ll just have to wait awhile. I want to make sure that the propulsion and buoyancy controls are operating without a glitch. You know the problems we had on earlier dives. You just have to get the feel of it and learn what to expect. We’ll go back to auto-mode after we make the bottom.

Speaking of the bottom, we’re on our final descent and approaching 18,000 feet, said Wil. The bottom looks irregular and I’m picking up a warm thermal current at a temperature of 90 degrees and located 500 feet to starboard. I’ve also activated the bow video camera and graphic displays.

As Jack maneuvered the Balanus closer to the sea floor, the view from the bow video showed a curtain of sea-snow, the continual fall of organic material resulting from the drama of life and death in the euphotic or sun bathed zones of the sea. This organic snow provides the rich nutrients and energy for life in the depths.

Coming to course 090 at 18,025 feet and slowing to 25 feet per minute. How are we looking on that thermal current? asked Jack, as he squirmed to get comfortable. He had suffered a back injury during his college football days and the combination of cold, long periods of sitting and stress tended to aggravate things. Jack, slowly and carefully adjusted course. The monitors and tentacles showed a strong thermal vent 800 feet ahead at a depth of just over 18,000 feet. Thinking that this might be a good place to try the 3-D sensory arrays and to collect some biologics, he presented the idea to Wil, after which the two proceeded to implement the course change.

I’m steering a heading for the thermal, said Jack. What’s the temperature reading?

Deep-ocean geothermal vents are unique microcosms of life in the otherwise cold, unproductive depths of the Earth’s oceans. Discovered late in the 20th century, vents were well known for providing records on new and unusual life forms…life forms more similar to those in the Earth’s primordial seas than to anything living today. These areas lie in sharp contrast to the nearly uniform, very cold temperatures typical of the abyss.

After closing in on the vent, Wil noted that the sea temperature was approaching 185 degrees and Balanus was scanning a temperature immediately around the thermal vent at over 400 degrees. The images on the Balanus’ displays were both breathtaking and bizarre by any standards. Spewing vents with chimneys were formed from minerals brought to the sea bottom from the very depths of the Earth’s core. These were surrounded by communities of some of the rarest and least known forms of life on Earth.

Wow…just look at the size of those tube worms and sea fans. They must be between five to eight feet tall! said Wil, as he viewed the images received from the sensory array. There are also lots of small crabs clinging to just about everything.

How about we try the biologics sampler and grab one of those to take back for Phil? said Jack, as he gestured with his finger at the monitor.

O.K. replied Wil, as he deployed the collecting arm. He moved the collecting arm out of its cradle on the starboard side of the Balanus and activated the arm’s pneumatic collecting tubes. These tubes, integrated into the mechanism of the arm, allowed smaller biological specimens to be collected and transferred with minimal damage. After the specimens were delivered into the isolation and containment compartment, they were automatically labeled, scanned, and photographed. The creatures collected this way could be preserved for further study, retained alive in their own holding compartment or released to their natural environment. Their need for high pressures and waters laden with toxic substances, most notably hydrogen sulfide, required that the specimens be isolated. The two men worked together to collect specimens - with Jack piloting the Balanus and Wil operating the remote arm. Suddenly, something lurking in the darkness caught Wil’s eye.

Come to starboard another 10 degrees, I thought I saw something a bit larger move off in the distance.

Coming to starboard Jack replied So, what do you think you saw?

As Jack maneuvered the Balanus towards Wil’s unknown target the craft seemed to shake and loose trim. Wil lost control of the robotic arm. A quick look at the computer displays generated from the tentacle data feeds showed the culprit… a relatively large one.

Just look at the size of that octopus, it must have a span of fifteen feet or more!

Not only is he big, but it looks like my moving the arms around got the crabs scurrying. This guy came out of his lair to take advantage of the excitement. In fact, he’s got a pretty good grip on the sampling arm. I’m going to try to shake him off.

Wil maneuvered the arm, flexing it and raising it well above the bottom. The octopus, intent on taking a few crabs, dropped off and swam out of Wil’s view with a great burst of speed leaving behind a murky cloud.

As Jack regained control of the Balanus, Wil readied the arm to collect additional biological specimens. As the craft maneuvered in the cold darkness of the abyss, ever closer to the vent, vast swarms of small shrimp scurried across the viewport. The sensory tentacles compiled a three dimensional graphic account of their journey and the structure of the vent.

I guess it’s about time that we test the auto-navigational system, said Jack. Go ahead and up-load our pre-planned mission profile.

"Will do. We should advise Sea Tech that we’ll be engaging the system. That should make Phil happy. He’s worried about this aspect of the mission."

"I can’t say that I blame him. We have lots riding on this and I guess it’s about time that we really put the Balanus through its paces. I’ve sent a message to Sea Tech on a telemetry link that we are going to operate in the auto-navigation mode."

As Wil finished loading the mission profile, Jack engaged the auto-nav system by voice control. Balanus, this is Commander Jack Wolfe. You are authorized to proceed with mission beta test 113.

The metallically authoritative voice of the Balanus computer navigational system seemed to come to life. HELLO COMMANDER. VERIFYING AUTO-NAVIGATIONAL COMMAND BETA TEST 113. PLEASE STATE YOUR VERIFICATION CODE.

Jack looked at Wil and shook his head, Whatever happened to the old computer keyboard? Now we have to talk to a machine so that it can do all the jobs we like to do. Wil smiled and gave Jack an assuring nod.

Balanus, your command verification code is Wolfe 1-beta-113.

AUTONAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM HAS BEEN RE-ENGAGED. ALL SYSTEMS ARE OPERATIONAL AND BETA-TEST 113 HAS BEEN ACTIVATED. SHOULD YOU NEED TO OVERRIDE, YOU CAN DO SO BY VOICE COMMAND. COMING TO COURSE 250. DIVE CONTROLS SET FOR 25,000 FT.

Jack and Wil settled into their chairs as the Balanus moved to its new heading towards the abyss. The tentacles and sensory arrays were actively converting the blackness of the surrounding sea into three-dimensional visual images and instantly relaying the information to the R/V Sea Tech.

Well, Jack, how about we eat some lunch. It should take about twelve hours for the mission profile to play itself out and I’m getting hungry.

As the Balanus plied the depth of the abyss, Jack and Wil opened their rations for a warm meal.

CHAPTER 2

AWAKENING

I t had been a long and arduous journey, but Les Krangon was finally prepared to awaken the remainder of his crew, as the United Nations Interplanetary Space Corps (UNISC) craft the Endeavor VI approached the gas giant Jupiter. He and Lt. Bailey had piloted the craft since their departure from the Mars colony nearly two years ago, as the Endeavor made its voyage to what the crew hoped would be the first landing of a manned spacecraft on Europa. The trip was uneventful and at times Les was consumed with boredom. Having commanded many previous ISC missions and completed years of service on Mars setting up launch and landing facilities, it was clear to him early on that this was his most challenging and ambitious mission yet. He was offered the opportunity by Mission Control and the UNISC to be placed in stasis along with his crew. The android Lt. Bailey was fully capable of piloting the Endeavor on their journey to Jupiter’s moon Europa. Les wanted no part of that – no, if anyone was going to pilot the Endeavor it would be him. Lt. Bailey would be there only to assist him. However, for the remainder of the crew being placed in stasis to conserve resources and to reduce the sheer boredom of the flight made a lot of sense. After the long voyage, it was time for the crew to begin to stir and Commander Krangon knew that his hungry and sore team would need some rehabilitation before assuming their duties. But after the long and boring trip, time was now short. Insertion into orbit around Europa was only a few days away and everything had to be verified and operational before attempting