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Under construction... Ready to Launch..... En route...
Part One: The Voyage of The Cassiopeia
"Os & Phantom & The Wakarusa River Valley"© 2005 S.T.
"Os and Phantom Through An Appalachian Tunnel"© 2007 S.T.
(Os and Phantom are on the left)
"Cassiopeia Build, Intermediate Completion, Twilight"© 2006 Stephen Turner
"Cassiopeia Take Off"© 2006-07 S.T.
Dr. Ivan Calibash was a small man who combed his hair backward and checked his remote frequently. He had the curious trait of smiling as he opened his mouth wide in conversation. He possessed a parrot-like hooked beak of a nose. He was likable, but not the kind of man you could warm to. He insisted on warming up to you.
"So, what do you think, Doctor? Are we on the outside of the statistical possibilities, or are we looking at a comfortably acceptable margin?" The soundproofed walls of the conference room foyer caught the staccato words like arrows. Ralph spoke them like he was trying to impress all those present. It was slightly embarrassing.
"I don't know, Mr. Krimson. My opinion means nothing, actually. It's the computers that are unimpeachable! But it would seem to me that I remember a probability rate of one incident every one hundred voyages beyond Mars! And you say there was one incident before you even got into Marsspace.....?"
"They're still investigating the second one. There's a possibility, a strong one, that that one was a hoax! By the way, I don't know how great a possibility this is, but we have a troupe of actors on board......"
"Do you think it's possible that you could bring them in here? We have the facilities for a foolproof analysis here, as you must know......" Ralph looked at his friend and commander.
"Os....?"
"I don't see why not. I'll signal security......"
"Cassiopeia Aloft"© 2004 Stephen Turner
The troupe was a cookie cutter product if ever there was one. All the same size, same eye color and the same height, within genders, with the only major immediately visible difference between the sets of six were the hair color of the women and the builds of the men. They were male and female, evenly divided, with a mixed duo doing most of the talking, most of the time. These twelve clones put on quite a production as they entered the outer foyer of the space station. A particularly elegant, elfin actress, dressed all in black, seemed to speak for all twelve of them:
"Colleagues! We have been undone! The agents of the devil have descended upon our house of good fortune and prosperity and laid it waste. Where is vindication, to deliver us from this base infamy?!" Action in the lobby beyond the foyer froze.
Ralph and Oswald viewed the flamboyance with disbelief:
"Ralph, am I dreaming?"
"No, Os, unfortunately, you're not."
The other eleven members of the band chimed in, backing their spokeswoman, as the drama continued:
"Who will deliver us? Who will deliver us?"
"We have been accused, this fair night, of perpetrating a fallacy on the good minions of transport and social discipline of this fine empire! Do I hear a cry of protest from the unbiased quarter? Yes! Yes!"
Chorus: "We shall be vindicated.....!"
"You know, Os.... I'm beginning to enjoy this! They're really good!" Dr. Calibash was the devil's advocate.
"All the more reason to suspect them, Mr. Krimson." The good doctor had a talent for betraying the subtly obvious.
"While you're establishing a motive, if there is one, Dr. Calibash .....could we talk to Nebula Research about 560ane?"
"Certainly, Mr. Krimson! You know the way....."
The troupe carried on their impromptu performance, playing off interrogators, uniformed personnel and anyone who would listen. Oddly enough, they were viewed as a welcome change of pace by everyone they came in contact with, annoying only the interrogators.
"Cassiopeia Approaching Asteroid Ten"© 2004 S.T..
The whitecoat insisted:
"I must talk to your maintenance and communications chief! You haven't been monitoring that antenna! He has."
"But we checked with ship's computer and have all the information you need....!" The techno placed his arms akimbo, suddenly taking on the definitive expression of anal retentiveness, and again insisted:
"I want to speak to your maintenance engineer.....!" Oswald could see it was hopeless to confront this gesture of stonewall and deferred to his second in command...
"Ralph.....?"
"I got it!" Ralph switched on his remote to summon Maintenance Captain Zed, the man of the hour, front and center.
"Mr. Zed!" The static caused by a combination of nearby space flotsam and 560's emissions made the reply sound primitive:
"Yes, Colonel Krimson, sir?"
"Get down here to A10 astrophysics on the double! Your presence is deemed mandatory!"
"Of course, sir, yessir!"
"....Ten minutes on the outside, Zed! Leave now....."
"As you will, sir!" Zed's slight British accent added an edge of properness to his responses, causing Ralph to turn to Oswald and comment on it.
"....Obsequious, isn't he?" smirked Krimson. Strangely enough, all Oswald ever got from their mutual subordinate were blank stares and curt answers. Oswald started to ponder which early mission it was that little Master Zed was present on. On a whim, he hacked into the Earthcomputer for records of any flights a ten year old Philip Zed could have been on, using his remote while the others weren't looking. The Earth transmission back was instantaneous:
“Re: Requested information/clearance entry 2645eLCNineEC, concerning supplicant’s presence on remedial ship’s mission with one Philip L. Zed. Age 10, circa 2646. - Mars mission; Father of subject being transported to polar research group outpost on northern Martian pole. Child cared for by android governess for duration of flight. Mother deceased; No siblings. Highlights of flight and related data: UFOs sighted between Earth and Mars described as either equine or canine in configuration. Father of subject awar----”
After reading this, Oswald needed time to think.
"Orion Approaching Jupiter"© 2007 S.T
"Misty Titan"© 2006
"Cassiopeia Titan Landing"© 2006-07 Stephen Turner
"The Good Empire" © 2004 Stephen Turner
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