Brane Child, Page 4

After an early breakfast in the dining hall, the test crew of the experimental ship Brane Child made their way along the station's main level, past shops and offices, and on toward the closest elevator entrance. Other people roamed the wide corridor, tastefully decorated with planters and an occasional fountain, but it remained far from crowded.

  The crew drew some attention because of their attire. Their light blue jump suits, adorned with colorfully embroidered patches, stood out among the business suits, lab coats, or T-shirts and jeans worn by most of the station's pedestrians. The fact that each crew member carried an overnight bag, proved to anyone who might be interested that Lisa Chang and her companions were outbound.

  She did not know how many people currently resided on Feynman station. The population varied widely from about ten thousand to twenty thousand people. It was a city without a nation, governed by the International Near Space Treaty overseen by the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. Any government, business, or private organization could lease space here.

  In addition to General Spaceworks, she knew of four other large corporations with a presence on the station, and there were always private organizations and universities conducting research projects. It was also a fuel depot and support base for ships, asteroid miners, and nearby observatories and other small stations. It even attracted a small but regular stream of tourists.

  They reached the elevators, and Lisa pressed the 'down' button without hesitation. The elevators actually traveled out and in relative to the center of the station, but it felt like down and up to those inside. The docking ring was one level 'down', and the small car began its descent. It was too late for second thoughts or worries. She was as prepared as she could be, but she could not help feeling she could have been better prepared if her employer was more forthcoming about the device they would be testing. She understood why they were not, but she still resented it. The claim that she had no 'need to know' made her feel as though they did not trust her, and she could not help wondering if they were keeping any other secrets from her.

  They shared the short elevator ride in silence with three men in gray coveralls with patches that marked them as station facilities workers. With them was a crablike maintenance robot about the size of a cocker spaniel. One of the workers smiled flirtatiously at Sandra. She winked and smiled back. He was, Lisa must admit, fairly good-looking, but she did not envy Sandra for being the focus of the young man's attention. She had other things on her mind.

  "This is going to be fun," Brax said as the elevator doors opened on the docking level.

  Lisa herself was feeling an odd mixture of excitement and dread, but it could end up being fun, she supposed. What mattered most was that it would end up being over. There might be additional tests afterwards, but by then she hoped to feel more relaxed about them.

  They made their way down a much more austere corridor than the one above them, although still wide enough for ten people to walk abreast. Before long, they arrived at docking bay twelve where the Brane Child was berthed. Two General Spaceworks security guards—humans, not robots—stood outside the closed doors. Each wore a black jumpsuit sporting a circular company logo patch and an armband that said SECURITY, as if the stun-sticks at their belts did not already say the same thing louder. The station did not permit projectile weapons, but the guards were intimidating enough without them.

  They nodded silent greetings as the four crew members scanned their key cards at the entrance.

  Gordon Fritz, General Spaceworks' Deputy Project Manager for the Brane Skip project and Lisa's current supervisor, was the only person waiting for them inside the docking bay's reception lounge. He was older than Lisa by at least a decade and was dressed in a conservative dark blue business suit with a Mandarin collar. His smile of greeting appeared strained, as if he felt more nervous than happy to see them.

  "I wanted to be here personally to see you off," he said. "You really deserve a more elaborate send-off. This is a big step in the project. It's the first manned test of something that might just open a way to other star systems, but we're keeping everything close-hold until we have more definitive answers on a few open questions."

  "Like the gray haze," Lisa said.

  "That's one of the big ones. I'm sure you know how it is."

  She did. The company's reputation would suffer and its stock value would fall if it made a big deal out of a test that ended in failure. The caution implied a certain lack of confidence on the part of the upper management, and it worried her. Her expression must have betrayed the direction of her thoughts because he adopted a more optimistic tone.

  "I have every confidence that today will go well and that you will bring back some answers for us, of course. But, as you are aware, we are venturing into unknown scientific territory. This is true cutting edge stuff. It could significantly alter the course of humanity. You all should be proud."

  He failed to mention that it could also bring in huge profits, but if they succeeded in developing a way to overcome the vast distances between stars, those profits would be well deserved.

  "Thanks, Mr. Fritz," she said. "I'm sure we're all aware of how important this is. We'll do our part."

  "I'm sure you will. But, I don't want you to take any risks out there. If something seems wrong or if you suffer any odd effects from the transition into skip-space, skip back immediately. Understood?"

  Is that what they are calling the gray haze now? Skip-space? It did have a less ominous tone to it. She could not tell if his cautionary reminder was because he knew something she didn't or because he didn't know all the same things she didn't. There were certainly more than enough of them to give one pause.

  "Understood," she said.

  "Good. Good luck, then. I'm looking forward to welcoming you back."

  He shook hands with each of them as they passed on their way to the pressurized boarding bridge connecting the reception lounge's airlock with the crew hatch of the Brane Child. The dock master had already evacuated the air in the bay in preparation for their launch. The ship was waiting for them in vacuum.

  She intended to lead the way down the collapsible bridge, but Brax, a huge grin on his face, strode ahead on his long legs, like a kid eager to grab a front row seat to a new movie. She found herself behind him walking next to Doc, with Sandra a step behind them.

  "Fritz is nervous about something," Sandra said softly.

  Doc nodded. "I noticed that."

  "He should be," Lisa said. "Like he said, there are a lot of unknowns." She sincerely hoped that was all it was. They still had no real idea how to navigate beyond the gray haze, skip-space, in order to bypass vast distances of normal space. The theory simply said it should be possible.

  "Come on, guys," Brax called, several steps in front of them. "Adventure awaits."