Cooper had to stop for a while, after reading the whole saga. It had played out exactly the way he'd hoped it would, but it was still an emotional rollercoaster to follow in the first person. The fact that his absence had started a war between his kids was not a pleasant thing to learn.

It was then that it occurred to him that the story was only just getting started, and he started reading again.


Work continued at a breakneck pace in Lazarus Base for a while. Word had spread within seconds of their return that the experiment had been fully successful; and that meant the mission was finally going to happen.

It took far less time to prepare than expected. They'd been building one station after another for forty years, and then redesigning it again as the theories were put to the test. In a way, twenty years of beta testing the self-sufficient Base was a great way to finish the Station.

But with the Gravity Equation solved, the powers that be had to be informed.

"Government's Man is here." Getty said softly.

Murph nodded, not looking away from the controls. The Control Room was the last part of the Station to be assembled, now that they had a Drive to make it fly.

"Murph, how does this all play out?" Getty asked quietly. "You know that the second they figure out the Beta Test worked, they take it off us. Professor Brand's journal says that they made their own plans for Plan A. That's why he told them it was possible, as long as he was in charge. It was his condition that they allowed Plan B. It's why they put money up at all. They stayed out of our way all this time, because of that. The second they find out that it wasn't Brand who cracked it, school's back. They'll go right back to old patterns."

"I know." Murph said quietly. "Did I ever tell you why my dad named me 'Murphy'? He said I was named for 'Murphy's Law', but that wasn't a bad thing. He said it meant that whatever can happen, will happen." She looked to Getty. "My whole life, I've been fighting 'Murphy's Law', and I got fairly good at it. We have to make sure that only one thing can happen."


He was exactly what she expected, and she disliked him immediately.

Senator Barton looked around as he was escorted in. He was flanked on both sides by a Marine Guard. Murph was waiting in the Main Conference Room when they made it there.

"Senator." Murph said. "Professor Murphy Cooper, we spoke on the phone." She extended her hand, but he didn't shake it.

"Yes." Barton wasn't impressed. "So, you think you've been able to do in six weeks, what your predecessor couldn't do in thirty years."

"That's right." Murph said, sitting down, Getty on her left, his guards taking position at the doors; giving them privacy. "And before you go any further, you should know, Professor Brand kept a journal."

"Meaning?"

"I know about the original meeting, where you agreed to this plan." Murph said carefully. "None of you thought this could work. Well, good news: It's working."

"Yes, just as the Professor dies, and the Lazarus Project is declared an official failure, you suddenly have a magic wand to wave at the problem." Barton sneered. It was clear he didn't believe it.

"Still, it might be wise to take a look at the minutes of that meeting." Murph observed, eyes flicking briefly to the guards that he brought with him.

What followed was a showing of the evidence that NASA and SETI had presented to prove there was a Wormhole, along with the conclusion that someone had to construct it. They followed with the evidence that the earth was doomed.

Murph let Getty make this point, showing footage from the dying crops and the ruins of the suffocating towns all over the world.

"Plan A was to escape." Murph said, looking at Barton, but talking to his people.

"It was a hail mary play." Getty put in. "That's why there was a Plan B. A solution in the event that Plan A couldn't work, and humanity doomed to extinction. Plan B was to send a Population Bomb, made of thousands of embryos, and all the equipment to raise them. It was sent with Endurance out through the wormhole, to a hopefully habitable world. The human race will be looking for a rock to cling to for a few good generations; whether Station-Born, or Tank-Born."

"Fortunately, it looks like we can do both." Murph reported. "The Gravity Equation has been solved. Plan A is back on the table at last." She sent a smile to Barton, and then another to his guards. "The Charter included plans to evacuate the world, with the construction of as many Stations as possible; plus the construction of Cryo-Bed Lattice Satellites for those we couldn't get airborne in time."

"Unfortunately, we're a good bit behind schedule." Getty put in. "Which is why we can't waste anymore time. The rate of suffocation is increasing across the world."

Barton had heard enough. "Yes, we have all these numbers already. We have for forty years. The part we don't have?" He glared lightly. "After thirty years, you're telling me you suddenly have the solution? Brand was the only one who even understood that mess of gibberish you call a formula, and now-"

"Now we got someone who could not only understand it, but finish the job." Getty said, pointing at Murph.

Barton looked Muph up and down, and she recognized the look instantly. It was the same look her school teachers had when she was a child. It was a look that said: And who are you, little red-haired girl, to think you're smarter than we are?

It was a look that Murph hadn't seen for a while, and she didn't like seeing it again. Not even a little bit. "It's a bit of a fairy tale ending." Murph allowed. "But I can prove it. Without a blackboard being involved."

Barton scoffed. "By all means."

Murph pushed her chair back from the meeting table, and then kept pushing back, until she came around the table, still in her chair…

...which had no wheels. Murph's chair was floating at a steady height above the floor.

Barton did his best to look unimpressed. The two guards were openly gawping. Murph stood up, and gestured for them to examine it, the way a magician did with an audience. "There is a trick to it." She told them as they took turns sitting in the chair, gliding around the room. "The simplest trick there is: It's real. It's as advertised. The chair is being held up by an opposing gravity, repelling the earth's gravitational field precisely. No matter how much weight you put on it, the opposing field compensates."

"Well, Doctor. This is impressive work." Barton agreed, already seeing the angles. "And, to be clear, you can adapt this to a larger structure?"

"The whole Base will be a Space Station in a few weeks." Murph confirmed. "Plan A is a partial success. If we can find somewhere to go, it's a total success."

"Even if we don't have anywhere, we believe we can get this Base to total self sufficiency within a few months. That alone would be enough to make Plan A a success." Getty put in.

"Well, this is impressive work indeed, Doctor Cooper." Barton said again. "Obviously, I'll have to check in with the President, tell him that it's good news. I'll be taking the prototype with me when I return to Washington, and I'll need you to collect all the supplementary materials too, for… verification."

Murph tensed. Here we go. "Why would you need to take the formula?"

"Well, obviously a discovery of this magnitude is sensitive material." Barton told her, as though speaking to a small child. "We need to keep the formula secure; until we can decide the best way to make use of the resource… And you have civilians on this base. It's not at all secure."

"This Base is classified." Murph pointed out. "The only civilians here are the families of people who have worked, and in some cases died to make this possible. The formula was meant to make Stations like this one fly. Why take it away from here? What could be more appropriate a 'use for the resource'?"

"Due respect, Professor: That's not your call." Barton told her.

"Due respect, Senator: Why the hell not?" Murph fired back.

"I will remind you that all of this has been funded by the US Government." Barton said with biting understatement. "It would be best to keep that in mind."

"You were funding us to do a job, and we did it." Murph countered. "The best people, the experienced people, who have spent their entire careers training for this precisely, are all here and already assembled. To speak plainly, it would be foolish to replace them now that they can finally finish the job."

"Then let me be more plain." Barton countered. "There was no real understanding that this would ever work out. We let you pick the people, because we never expected that anything would come of it. The world ending was enough to give the previous administration reason to throw money at a… well, a joke. Now that it seems we have options, we have a responsibility to ensure that the right people get priority."

Murph wasn't even surprised. "And by the right people, you mean…"

"You are aware, I hope, of the situation outside this base. It's difficult to keep the party, and the public in line. People who are in a position to shape the policy and implementation are few and far between." Barton gestured at the charts and pictures that Murph had put up. "As you say, the situation is getting pretty tight. Your conclusions… well, it's not hard to figure that out; if you have influence enough to get hold of the relevant facts. Now that we have something to offer-"

"Leverage." Getty put in. "So, to translate, now that we've given our lives over to building a lifeboat, you're free to take it from us and let the rich and powerful people bid for a seat on the Ark while the rest of us drown."

"The Station you want to launch is a closed system." Barton said, as though Getty was the unreasonable one. "Every person in this Base is taking a spot that could be put to better use."

"Every person on this Base is responsible for its success. Every person you bring in has no idea how any of this works."

Barton's mouth became a thin line. "This is how the world has always worked, Doctor Brock, you know that. I assure you, we'll keep enough of your people on board to ensure the safety of the people we choose to go."

Murph flicked a glance at his guards again. They were professional, keeping watch over their charge. But their eyes were flicking to the pictures Murph had shown. "Senator… What you said, about how people who were able to shape policy were few and far between… You're one of those people, aren't you?"

"I am." Barton agreed.

"Then, Senator Barton… I beg of you." Murph made her plea. "Don't fall into the same old patterns. Exploitation of resources, of people… As you said; this is how the world has always worked. And look at how the world ended for it. It's what lead to Climate Collapse, mass starvation, and finally extinction. In a predatory system, the world has eaten itself, and now that we have a chance to let all that go, to start over and focus on saving lives… You're arguing that we use this lifeboat the exact same way we use everything else we've ever built."

"I'm not arguing that 'we' do anything. As I said, it's not your call." Barton said. "And I don't appreciate being lectured by a civilian."

"You let the public think that NASA disbanded, after we refused to drop bombs from space onto starving populations." Murph told him. "Do you not get this? The wars are over. All that's left are refugees. If anything the human race has is worth saving, we have to break the cycle!"

Barton smirked. "I wonder if you'd be so eager to 'break old patterns' if you weren't on the Base."

"Meaning?" Getty asked sharply.

"Meaning, I'm going back to Washington; and I'm taking the prototype with me, as well as all the supplementary materials." Barton said again. "And you, Professor. You'll be coming with me; since you're apparently the only one that can recreate this formula."

"I'm not going anywhere." Murph said firmly. "I'm in charge of this Base now, and the people here are under my authority."

"The people here are also under contract with the US Government." Barton pointed out. "A word from me would be enough to have them all fired."

"Why?!" Murph was gobsmacked. "These are the people you need running the base!"

"These people, are… to be blunt… assets."

"Expendable assets?" Getty guessed.

"I will say this again: Nobody thought this station would work out." Barton actually seemed annoyed that he had to say it twice. "The disposition of this Base is now too high a priority to be left in the hands of civilians that we didn't assign." He looked hard at Murph. "We didn't pick you, Doctor. Brand did. And he's dead. I don't mean to, in any way, minimise what you've accomplished. But frankly, this is way above your pay grade."

"You don't pay me anything." Murph countered.

"You are not authorized to make decisions as important who gets a seat."

"I can decide anything concerning the preparation and launch of this Base." Murph told him. "Brand gave me the authority when he named me his number two. The rest of the Directors here resigned when he died. If you had a problem with my credentials, you had twenty years to say something." Murph glanced at his guards again. "Maybe I'm not your choice, but you're not qualified. Remember, this isn't just selling seats on a lifeboat. This is about choosing which members of the human race get to survive for the next generation."

"Exactly. We can't leave that decision up to you." Barton said. "That decision lies with the United States."

"Actually, no it doesn't." Getty raised a hand. "Take a look at the Charter. Personnel and Procedure is up to Station Commander."

"Subject to the Government." Barton insisted.

"Actually, I looked at the Charter before you arrived. We don't need your approval." Getty told them.

"You do now." Barton said blandly.

"Not legally."

"Let me make a call." Barton was already reaching for a phone.

"And… what? The laws change to suit you?"

"Only the ones that need to." Barton said smugly. "I always win these arguments, Doctor. Always. I set policy. You follow orders. That's the way it's always been; that's the way it always will be, that's the way it is."

"And here we didn't think the government could be that efficient." Murph's eyes flashed. "Senator, ask the people who know me best: I don't like having unqualified liars making choices for me; regardless of the facts. And I flat out despise people who make self serving choices, knowing that people will die, and not caring."

Barton grew notably taller. His guards tensed, hands drifting to weapons.

"Doctor Cooper, you are relieved of your duty." Barton said firmly. "And so is your staff. All of them. Everyone on the base. We'll have replacement personnel here within the week. My guards will escort you to your office, where you will collect all data and equipment pertaining to the Prototype; and then you'll be escorted from the premises; as you are no longer authorized to be here."

Getty looked sickly towards Murph.

"Tell me something, Senator. Does it occur to you that the Base is laid out a little oddly?" Murphy asked calmly.

"I said, you're excused, Doctor Cooper." He said tightly.

"A little... sideways?" Murph pushed. "You see, this Base isn't just our research station. It's been rebuilt from the inside out, to be the first permanent orbital colony. Seriously, look at the hallway. Turn your head sideways."

"I'm glad to know you were prepared." Senator Barton commented. "But you aren't running the place any more. Soldier, remove Professor Cooper from the Base."

Murph looked to Getty, trusting him to read her mind. Getty pulled out his device and tapped in a message. Murph felt her device buzz, but didn't reach for it. She looked sideways out the window and saw others in the Base were all reaching for their devices. He'd sent a mass-memo to the whole base.

She would later find out it was just two words. "Lazarus Rises."

There was a roar that made Murph's ears hurt, even from inside her own office, when the ground started to move. It was such a smooth ride that it took them all a few moments to realize it.

The roar wasn't from the machinery, or the steel grinding on concrete. It was from the people. The crew had waited a full generation for this moment, and their roar of exultation was louder than the sound of the station taking off, as it was meant to do.

There were few windows outside. The Senator wasn't quite sure what was happening, but he looked into the corridor and saw the entire population of the Base grabbing for something to hold onto, and he got the message. He and the soldiers all held onto the wall mountings, the table... anything they could reach.

Murph and Getty went to the wall and opened a wall panel that revealed several harnesses. They put the harnesses on over their shoulders, now strapped, standing upright, against the wall.

The soldiers found another panel and followed their lead, helping their charge do the same.

After several moments of shuddering and rotating, the PA sounded off. "We have cleared the launch bay!"

Another roar went through the base, this time Murph was cheering with them.

"Altitude is rising at a rate of fifty meters a second and accelerating. Increasing Gravity Drive to 20% of power. Doctor Murphy Cooper, please report to the control room!"

"Like hell!" The Senator roared at his security. "Arrest that woman!"

"That would be unwise." Murph warned quickly as she unstrapped herself. "You see, this Base has a mass of almost half a million tonnes, and it has all the aerodynamic properties of a large brick. We're already at an altitude of 400 meters. The cross currents in the atmosphere get pretty unsocial in another thirty seconds or so. Getty and I are the only ones who are qualified to run the Gravity Field Generators. So you either let me at the controls, or you arrest me and find out what a dirt storm can do to a plane the size of a skyscraper. You'll see what gravity can really do, when you aren't controlling it."

The Senator turned to Getty, who was also climbing out of his harness. "I'm promoting you to Head of this Base. Get us back on the ground."

Murph and the Senator both looked expectantly at Getty, who took a deep breath... and crossed his arms, stepping over to stand beside Murph.

"You've got 15 seconds left to decide, Senator." Murph's gaze was pure ice.

"You're bluffing. You'll crash too. Twenty years of work? You won't let it go down." The Senator called her on it.

"It may not be the best moment to appeal to my better nature, given that you just tried to have me arrested for doing my job." She countered. "Ten seconds."

Seven second silence.

"Fine. Go." The Senator declared finally, surrendering.

Murph grinned like a shark and ran to the control room.


"Nice of you to join us!" Ellie barked. "You know that I can't fly this thing, right? I just look pretty and tell people to put their seat backs and tray tables in their full-"

"Move, Ellie!" Murph dove on the control panel, and started working controls. "Gets, rotate the drive core seven degrees!"

"Seven degrees, aye!"

"'Aye'? Are we playing out Star Trek fantasies already?"

"Altitude at 100 kilometers. Gravity Drive at 35%" Ellie called.

"We need at least seventy-five percent power to reach escape velocity!" Getty countered.

"I am aware of the math." Murph was weirdly calm. "Crosswinds?"

"Eighty-five knots from the southwest." Ellie reported. "Getting stronger, too. Altitude at one hundred seventy meters… Drive at 55%."

"We're not going to make it." Murph grit her teeth. "Getty, turn the drive 65 degrees counter-clockwise. Turn us into the wind!"

"Are you crazy? The cross will smash us back down again!"

"Rotate on Z-Axis twelve degrees." Murph was spooky relaxed as she hit the PA. "All hands, brace for instability! We're going horizontal!"

Soon after, The Base was on its side, once again; and everyone held on tightly as Murph tried to make the whole Base fly on a breeze that they actively should have avoided.

"Aerodynamic properties of a brick, huh?" Getty commented under his breath.

"Yeah well, so was the Space Shuttle." Murph reminded him.

"Altitude at eight hundred hundred meters… Air pressure is dropping, we're beyond the dust!" Ellie said brightly. "Gravity Drive at 68 Percent of capacity!"

"Wind won't help us this high up…" Murph had a single bead of sweat running down the side of her face. "Cut power to the entire base, lock everything into the drive!"

The lights went dark, and there was a chorus of shouts and screams from outside as the Base appeared to lose power.

"Gravity drive at… Seventy two!" Ellie shouted in panic. "Is it enough?!"

"No." Murph was pure ice. "Getty, turn the entire drive ninety degrees! Let's see if we can get enough lateral movement to skip her off the atmosphere."

"Can we get enough speed for that?" Ellie was worried.

"We're about to find out."

"Murph, take her back down. We can launch again with better weather conditions, more charge time…"

"We set down now, they'll never let us try again." Getty told Ellie. "The meeting did not go well."

"We crash, and it hardly matters!" Ellie insisted. "It's impossible!"

"It's necessary." Murph was actually smiling. Let's hope it's genetic, Dad!

The next few minutes were a hellish ride in a washing machine for the people inside. But then there came a moment when Getty felt his stomach trying to climb up throat, and his feet left the floor. He let out a shout, thinking that they'd lost speed for lift, and were falling to the ground…

But then he realized. The Gravity Drive and the actual gravity of earth had stopped competing. They were in Zero G.

As if to answer the thought, the lights came back up. Outside the window, the earth filled the left hand side of the viewport, but their feet were 'down' on the floor. Murph controlled 'up' and 'down' in the Station now. At a steady speed, the earth turned to be 'below' them again.

Murph still had her hands locked on the controls. She still looked calm, but she wasn't moving. Getty came over on shaky legs and put his hands over hers without a word. Hands trembling, Murph prised her fingers open and stepped back from the control panel.

"Care to do the honors?" She croaked out.

Getty shook his head. "No."

Murph looked to Ellie, who was smiling at both of them, eyes shining. "Oh, don't even think of offering it, gorgeous."

With a smile, Murph keyed the PA again. "Att…" She cleared her throat and tried again. "Attention all hands, this is Doctor Murphy Cooper. On the insistence of my two closest friends in the world, I'm lucky enough to be the first to tell you, that Lazarus Station has achieved a cruising altitude of five hundred kilometers, and all systems are working perfectly. We made it, people. We made it."

The roar that answered her from every corner of the Base would have been audible from the surface.

Murph barely heard it, throwing her arms around Getty and Ellie, hauling them close for a tight embrace, laughing happily at the success.

"Well, as much as I hate to interrupt the heartwarming moment…"

The three of them turned to see Senator Barton stride into the Control Room, flanked by his guards.

"Now that we've stabilized the situation... You're under arrest." The Senator glowered at Murph. "Pray that I don't have you shot for treason, too."

"You can't arrest me, Senator."

"Watch me."

"No, she means you legally cannot." Getty put in. "Maybe you didn't read the Cease-Fire Accords from the Resource Wars, but it states that any inhabited craft over an altitude of 400 kilometers is officially declared 'International Waters'. At the time, there were only two space stations, and it was the guy in your job who couldn't find the money to bring them home safe, after the shooting stopped. So you declared them independent and let them starve, or suffocate. You can't give orders here. To us, or your guards."

"These men work for me."

"These men work for Para-Military Contractors. Under law, they can only operate under contract; and only within US Territory. And you can't order us either. The government is a civilian body. A governor or a Senator cannot give orders outside US territory. This station is now under International Treaty Law." Getty pointed at Murph. "She's the Captain now."

The Senator turned white as a sheet, and turned, very slowly, to his guards. "Listen to me. I don't care where we are. I care about the fact that if we ever want to see earth again, we have to go through her, and take command of this station. You're the ones holding the guns, and you work for me."

Murph stepped forward and made her case. "You're in neutral territory now." She told the soldiers. "You've been following us around all day, listening to the numbers. Earth is finished, and they've known it for forty years. This station is the last chance of a future for the human race. And you heard how he plans to use it. If you have wives, children, I can promise them safe passage here, and long lives. Something nobody back there can offer, until I get on the phone, and teach them how to fly their stations, their arks... whole cities, if they want. And I will do that. That was always our charter. But I can't do it if you shoot me." She gestured at the Senator. "He just gave you an illegal order. But he's right. You're the only ones on board with guns. Decide the fate of the human race, right now."

The soldiers took two seconds to decide... before holstering their guns. "My kids. I want it in writing." One of them said his nametag read 'Simpson'. The other said nothing, but it was clear he agreed.

"You got it." Murph promised. "Make sure the Senator doesn't push any buttons. I'll have a shuttle organized to fly the Senator back to ground level. If you want to go with him, you can."

Ellie smirked. "Orders, Cap'n?"

"Take us to an elevation where we can broadcast to as many people as possible." Murph told them. "We have to tell everyone we can that there's a way out."


Cooper laughed hysterically as he read the story of how Murph had taken off with the first of the Space Stations. His girl had taken over the human race without a shot being fired, and she'd done something good with it.

Then he kept reading, and found out it wasn't always that easy.


The US Government was screaming bloody murder. Senator Barton was fired the minute he got back to earth. Murph found out later that it wasn't because he'd broken the laws and tried to give illegal orders; but rather because he was supposed to negotiate passage for certain ranking members of the Government and their families. Instead, he'd made sure that none of them could reach the station at all.

"What do you see, Ellie?" Murph asked the next morning.

Ellie had been perched over the orbital cameras all night, observing the earth. "It's what you expected, Cap'n." She reported. "They've started a crash upgrade to the high altitude aircraft. They're trying to get to us."

"Can they make it?"

"Hard to tell." Ellie reported. "They aren't exactly spacecraft, but… What do they think they can do? Those Sky-Sleds are meant to parachute back to earth after a supersonic flight. It was a rich man's way to get between continents, back when there were rich people. What can they do?"

"They can call our bluff." Murph said darkly. "They can launch their sleds, and gamble that we won't let them fall out of the sky."

"Will we?" Ellie couldn't help but ask.

"Best not to chance it." Murph agreed and went to the controls. "Take us to two thousand kilometers. Far enough that we wouldn't even get back to them in time if they decided to try for it." She glanced over at Getty. "Are we transmitting?"

"Broadcasting our coordinates on every frequency." Getty reported. "Anyone who's got so much as a pair of binoculars can find us now. They'll never be able to cover it up."

"So, if they can't treat Lazarus Station as a secret lifeboat for themselves, what's the next move?" Ellie asked.

"To save as many people as we can." Murph reported. "It won't be easy." She glanced at Ellie. "Put me through to the President. Time to get this going. But since we aren't ready to do that, time to involve politicians."


A week later, the government put it to a vote. Five minutes before the vote was scheduled, they decided to put it off until after the next election.

"I don't get it. Why would the Government vote against building more stations?" Getty complained as the news reported it.

"They didn't vote 'no'. They can't vote no." Murph said, unsurprised. "But they also can't vote yes."

"That's my point. Why the hell can't they vote to save lives?"

"Remember what you said, about how no small number of places in the world were on the verge of offering human sacrifices to keep the harvest rolling in?" Murph spelled it out for him. "Well, it's a few years later now, and no small number of places in the world have crossed that line, and any other you can think of. They hate us, Gets."

Ellie got it first. "And a politician would get more vote- uh, be better serving the public's will, if they argued against the Stations as a solution."

"They've spent almost a hundred years blaming science and academics for the state of the world. A college education isn't affordable, so 'educated' became code for 'rich brat'. And here we are." Murph nodded. "But if the Powers That Be come out and say that, then they can't negotiate their own passage up here. So they can't say no, and they won't say yes. So they put it off."

Getty got it. "Well that's just obscene. In fact, it's pure evil. People are going to die! And what do the politicians want to do? Change the subject until after the next election. Which, by the way, is two years away. Does the earth even have that long left?"

Ellie piped up with their best estimate. "Five years. Maybe eight. But there won't be much left of it by then." Ellie rubbed her eyes. "I'll tell you the honest truth, Getty. I'm not so sure we have the right to tell them so."

"What do you mean?" Murph asked.

Ellie looked ancient suddenly. "What I mean is, this Station has enough room for another five or six hundred people. A thousand if we start putting folks in Cryobeds. There are still two billion humans down there. Maybe telling them we're the only lifeboat is cruel."

"Maybe it is, but it's the only way to get people building more lifeboats." Murph said seriously. "I'm going down there."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Getty said immediately.

"Can't be helped. Besides, I promised the Senator's Bodyguards that I'd let them go home to their families and bring their kids back. We have to start using the Gravity Drives on something the size of a Ranger eventually."

"I'm going with you." Getty said immediately.

Murph smiled, despite herself. "I knew you would. Ellie, keep it together until I get back."

"I don't like this either, Captain."

"I'm travelling with two bodyguards, and a guy who wasn't sure whether to be a doctor or a Priest. Exactly how prepared would you like me to be?"


The UN wasn't based out of the States anymore. The money had dried up, and nobody wanted to share their Resources with other nations. With War preferable to starvation, the Resource Wars had come and gone, and the UN had only twenty members left.

But it made the point that the stories were true. The transmissions from space were genuine. By the time they landed at the new Headquarters in Geneva, there was a huge crowd gathered outside, watching the skies.

"There's no question, we've got the world's attention." Murph said. She'd parked the Ranger, of all places, in the parking lot beside the Assembly Hall, about to go in. She'd taken the chance to use their own 'phone' to call home. "We were smart, broadcasting to everyone we could reach." Murph said quietly into the Comm. "But the Top Secret side of things bit us. Most of the planet had no idea we were even working on this. Some people thought it was an Alien invasion, most thought it was a hoax."

"What are you telling them?"

"Everything except for the Wormhole. We're trying to get people to accept the existence of a lifeboat. Trying to explain 'Bulk Beings' is not going to play well."

"Well, for what it's worth: You got your wish." Ellie reported. "We're looking at the feed right now. We've checked it and rechecked it. This conference is indeed transmitting to the whole world."

"No pressure, or anything." Murph drawled, and disconnected, turning to her primary 'bodyguard'. "We weren't properly introduced before, Sergeant Simpson." Murph shook her hand. "Call me Murph."

"Bartholomew." The guard shook his hand.

Murph smothered a smirk. "Your name is Bart Simpson?"

"I've heard all the jokes, Ma'am."

"I'd imagine that's so." Murph agreed, aware it was probably a nerve. "If you want to find your family, I can make sure everyone's looking at me for the next hour or two. Getty knows how to fly this thing. The two of you can make that kind of flight and be back quick, if they know you're coming."

Simpson hesitated. "To be honest, boss… I work for you now. If this goes really badly, I'm not about to take your escape craft."

"Whether this goes good or bad, they won't do anything while I'm on stage." Murph told him. "They'd be more likely to sneak out back and take apart our Ranger to see how she flies; before we get back to her."

"Hate to say it, but she's right about that." Getty admitted.

"Go get your kids." Murph told him. "Be back before my address is over."


Murph took the stage, and began her presentation. It was all the same evidence she'd given Barton; with a slightly more determined edge, now that she could point to the proof in the sky.

There was dead silence from the assembled world leaders as they listened. Murph knew that the general public was watching too, so she didn't hold back.

"The projections are at 100%. They have been for thirty years." Murph summed up. "They've always… We've always known it. As the Blight spreads, it kills plants. Less plants mean less Oxygen in the atmosphere, which means the Blight thrives; which means even less plants. Those of us who survive starvation… Will not escape suffocation."

And still, only silence.

"The Plan has been in place for thirty years, and finally, all the pieces are available to make it happen." Murph declared. "We can escape the earth before it's too late. Those that will not fit on the stations can still be saved, preserved against disaster, until we can transport them to a new home."

Finally, a reaction. This was part of the story that they had never heard before.

Murph took a breath and quoted her father. "We've always defined ourselves by the ability to overcome the impossible. And we count these moments. These moments when we dare to aim higher, to break barriers, to reach for the stars, to make the unknown known. We count these moments as our proudest achievements. But we lost all that. Or perhaps we've just forgotten that we are still pioneers. And we've barely begun. And that our greatest accomplishments cannot be behind us, because our destiny lies above us."

Dead silence from those watching.

"I… I'm flat out begging you all to put the effort into living. Into staying alive." Murph was blatantly pleading now. "That's all. There's no agenda here, no secret plot for profit and power. The Charter of the Lazarus Missions, my life work, in fact; is to get humans off an earth that is turning to poison as we speak. Five years, and there may not be anyone left to save. Please. Lazarus and her people are safe. Don't let us be the only ones."

She stepped away from the podium. Still with silence.

Murph sighed. Fine. The hard way.


The Ranger was back where she'd left it. Murph was being chased by journalists and angry protestors, but she managed to shake them and return to her ship.

"Hey, Cap'n. I saw your speech. Powerful stuff." Ellie said from Orbit, over the Comm.

"They won't go for it. They're talking now, but the fact is, all of them had their minds made up before they got within ten miles of the place. If any of them could be swayed, they would have at least clapped politely when I finished." Murph told her. "New Plan. Get together all our most experienced engineers and flight personnel. We're going to launch those other stations ourselves."

"And… fill them with who?"

"Anyone who wants to come, eventually. Tell Howard it's Plan B." Murph told her, and disconnected; before she opened the cockpit hatch and addressed the rest of her passengers. "Any problems?"

"My place was being watched." Simpson cracked his knuckles. "It's not any more. I got them out." He made introductions to the three newcomers. "My wife, Lucinda; and our boys."

"And you must be George and Casey." Getty said with a smile to the small boys. "Your dad here is a friend of ours. In fact, he saved my life a week or two ago."

The kids were holding onto their mother's leg tightly. The woman looked quietly scared to death. "That stuff you said? Is it true? Is the world ending?"

"The world ended a while ago." Murph said plainly. "Care to leave it while you can?"


When they reached orbit, the kids looked awed, suddenly plastering themselves against the windows. They'd never see the earth from orbit before. "Whoa!"

"Too bad you didn't see it a hundred years ago. There was a lot of pretty colors to see down there." Getty said from the co-pilot's seat.

Murph worked the throttle, and slowed them down to a relative halt. "See the station?" Well, if my watch is right; and it is, it should be in direct geo-synch orbit over one of the other stations they've been building."

"Why?" Simpson asked.

"Because we can project a gravity field, same as we do with our own station." Murph explained. "We can actually lift Station Two a few dozen feet in the air."

"W-what good does that do us?" Simpson asked, amazed.

"Well, the Stations are meant to go from underground bases to Space Stations. Murph explained. "It's not like there are helicopter pads."

Simpson understood swiftly. "But there's a place for a Rangers to land, right?"

"A few dozen feet up means nobody else can get into the Station except us." Murph nodded. "I'll drop you guys off; and head back out. I'm sending engineering teams to all the other Stations, before anyone else can get to them. Barton said a week to replace all our people. Six days later now, and they've had the gates locked and the doors barricaded until we could get them out."


"Cooper, what do you think you're doing?"

"Those Stations are not government property." Murph said firmly. "Check the Charter. Once again, once the Primary Station has launched, it comes under our jurisdiction."

"Yes, but at this moment, they're on the ground." A familiar voice warned.

"Senator Barton?" Murph was stunned. "Is that you?"

The camera picked up another man who walked into frame. "It is, although it's Secretary Barton now. Of the newly formed Cabinet Posting of 'Homeworld Defense'."

"Are you kidding me?" Murph heard Getty hiss somewhere behind her.

"So, you've decided we're hostile, then?" Murph sighed.

"You've appropriated Government Property, and disregarded the proper chain of command."

"We've followed our Charter Procedures precisely. The Charter, by the way, that you wrote." Murph pointed out.

"Those procedures were written up by a previous administration." Barton reported. "We do not recognize those regulations as being in the best interests of the United States."

"Well, if you'd like to declare the laws regarding my station null and void, go right ahead. They're the only reason I'm still talking to you." Murph retorted.

"We'll have a draft resolution brought before the UN and passed within the day, declaring you to be pirates, and calling for the return to the stations."

"And we'll have landing sites within the day set and scheduled, the timetable transmitted to everyone with a TV, Radio, or computer." murph countered. "You want to arrest my people, you'll have to get past a crowd of refugees that have more faith in us than in you."

"Remember something, Doctor Cooper. That Station was built because we said so. You may have played a shell game with them-"

"As you did with the truth."

"As you say, but don't forget the fact that your bargaining position isn't as strong as you think it is."


"He isn't wrong." Howard said a few hours later.

The Station Charter included a hierarchy; as Lazarus Station went from an underground Base to a small town in space. The Science Council was made up of the Department Heads. Howard was Engineering. Ellie was Personnel. Murph was The Station Commander. They should have had an Operations Manager, but he had suicided a month before Murph made the breakthrough, and the Government hadn't seen fit to replace him. Murph took over his role too, having expected Brand to be the General Manager until he died.

"What's the situation, in real numbers?" Murph asked.

"Simple. We're way understaffed, and under-supplied." Howard told her. "We can generate food, water, air… But there's a lot more than that in need. If we're going to manufacture equipment, gravity drives, Rangers… We need material. The one thing we can't conjure in a lab is hard metals."

Murph nodded, filing that away. "In particular?"

"Steel and carbon composites are the most important things." Howard said. "There's no way to get Iron Ore from earth without landing craft, which we're making as fast as we can… We're cannibalizing a few things to get parts. One advantage to the smaller workforce than we expected. Lots of free rooms."

"And what's the word on that?" Murph asked Ellie.

"We're at 70% of capacity." Ellie put in. "But morale is good. Everyone's been doing the work of three people, and we're finally getting something out of it. They're raring to go."

"Good." Murph nodded. "Now, bottomline: Worst problem in the long term."

"In the long term? Power." Howard said crisply. "We're in a stable orbit, and we're high enough to avoid the space debris, even this long after the War. But we've used up almost all our juice getting here, to say nothing of lifting Station Two. We can't move this station again."

Murph frowned. "The Station has a Nuclear Reactor. How can we be overtaxing it? We're still in startup mode."

"The Gravity Drive works, Murph. But the power draw is unbelievable on anything bigger than a Ranger. We either need the Drive shut down, or we need more power."

"We shut down the drive, we go Zero G." Ellie put in. "The Base isn't designed for Zero G work. We'd trash half the base, and the people."

"So. The question. How do we get more power? We can't get fissionable material from nothing." Murph thought aloud. "The other stations?"

"We daisy-chained the lift. We used Lazarus Station to lift Station Two, then we fit a Gravity Drive and used Station Two to lift Station Three, and so on." Howard reported. "At the moment, only three stations are active. The others are all offline. We evaced their staff and pulled their batteries, their reactors… They can drift, waiting for us to crack the power problem."

"They've waited this long." Murph said with grim understatement.

"And how do we get people? Or materials? Or equipment?" Ellie asked.

Murph shook her head. "Power is all we need." She said seriously. "We combine power with Gravity, and we've got the whole sky to make use of."

"Seriously?" Ellie reacted. "That's the goal, here?"

"We can float the whole base, you think we can't float an asteroid full of Iron ore?" Murph shook her head. "I've been running the numbers on the Gravity Drive. The speeds we can achieve… With a Gravity Field to push micro-meteors aside, we can get as fast as…" She shook her head. "One thing at a time. We need power?"

"We do." Howard nodded.

"Alright, that's our priority right now." Murph noticed a familiar face gesturing from the doorway, and passed the meeting off to Ellie.


"How are the kids settling in?" Murph asked as the door closed behind them.

"Better than their mother." Simpson told her with a grin. "The kids are on a grand adventure. Their mom is trying to figure out the catch."

"Tell her the catch is that the earth is dying."

"I did." Simpson nodded. "But if occured to me that if you can't start mass evacuations right away? I know some people you might want to tap first."

"Who?"

"Well, before Barton came here, he was told to meet a few other scientists." Simpson told her. "See, the Government didn't have much faith that Plan A would ever work, so they staffed it out to a few other genius types. None of them ever had any luck either. Brand was the only one reporting any measure of progress."

And only because he was lying. Murph reflected. "Who did they get?"

"Nobel winners, mostly. Nobody on earth still runs a research lab." Simpson reported. "But I was following along while Barton met with them. I get the feeling they'd jump at the chance to get up here."

Murph smiled a bit. "The kind of people you'd need, to figure out a way to generate power in a hurry?"

Simpson nodded.

Murph grinned. "Bart, I'm refitting all of our Ranger craft with Gravity Drives. How'd you like to take one and go on a recruiting drive?"

"It'd be nice to do something I know how to do." Simpson agreed.


Cooper finished the second volume of the journals that had been left for him, and immediately reached for the next one. Murph celebrated her first New Years in space by hosting the few remaining people with her kind of education and agenda for the future.

The Brains Trust were thrilled to find out the Space Program not only existed, but was now independant. They were only too eager to sign on.

Cooper felt for them. Bitter, older people, who could remember a time when people looked into the mysteries of the universe. People like him.

Cooper flicked ahead two months. The power issue was becoming more of a problem, and the rhetoric from earth was getting more extreme.


"It's nasty as hell down there." Getty reported grimly. "I've been following the news. There was a riot this morning in Houston. One protest demanding that they all be allowed to come up here, the other protest demanding we be shot down. The two groups met and everyone felt obliged to start throwing punches. And rocks. Bottles. The occasional bullet."

"Who has bullets anymore?" Murph let out a curse under her breath. "How bad?"

"Bad enough, but then a low pressure system moved in and the alarms went off. The alarm towers in their area had been trashed, so only a few of them knew it… The Nitrogen built up and the whole riot stopped… permanently."

Murph rubbed her eyes. "The really painful part is that we can't get any of them up here until we crack the damn power problem."

"I know." Getty squeezed her shoulder, and she leaned into it automatically. It was a moment that lasted half a heartbeat, but Murph felt buoyed by it nonetheless.


"All right, folks. Here's your first lesson in Black Hole Mechanics." Murph told her class. Her original class had been a group of kindergarten level kids. She was now making her case to nobel winners; teaching them what she knew that they did not.

"As you've witnessed in our Beta Testing, the ability to generate a mini-singularity is theoretically possible. I need not tell you, I'm sure; the dangerous nature of this discovery. Weaponizing a Black Hole, even a tiny one, will lead to the end of our species at some point. Especially since we'll need to make more than one of them to power a dozen Stations."

There was a rumble of agreement at that.


"Look at you." Getty chuckled. "You're trying not to dance in your seat. You loved it."

"I loved every second of it." Murph exulted. "The people in that room were… They were good, Gets. They were smarter than me, they weren't lying about anything, they were genuinely trying to make something amazing. No bull about National Security, or National interest, no agendas or deceptions… It was a straight up think tank made of exceptional minds who finally had a chance."

Getty was quietly thrilled for her. "Must be nice, to finally have some people around on your level."

Murph swiftly reigned herself in. "It wasn't bad." She demurred.

"Don't do that." Getty told her seriously. "I love you, Murph; but I know I'm not within sixty IQ points of you. It's not something you should hide to make me feel better. You saved the world, Murphy Cooper, and without a shot being fired." Getty leaned in and kissed her nose sweetly. "You deserve to at least have the company of people like yourself."

"Maybe I do." Murph promised warmly. "But I want the company of people I love." She let out a breath. "Which is what makes this hard."

"You're leaving." Getty surmised. "I know you designed a new kind of spacecraft, and you're having it built already. Must be urgent."

"With the help of the Brains Trust, we think we can go from theory to practical application." Murph nodded. "Controlling gravity might be a power source after all. It's been a staple in a lot of the literature, to tap a singularity as a power source."

"How does that work?"

"Do you know how a solar panel works?"

"Well… no."

"Well, imagine that, only with a micro-Black Hole instead of a star." Murph offered. "If we can create a gravity field that powerful, we might be able to open a Black Hole in a lab, and keep the force of its gravity contained to a small area. Limitless power that will never burn out."

"Which would solve everything." Getty nodded. That much he understood. The first expedition to the Asteroid Belt was being planned. They'd identified several enormous asteroids made almost entirely of rock and iron ore they could harvest. Ice was also a popular item to be collected, also in the Belt.

But it was on hold, as everything else was. It was all happening so slowly, as the Station hovered, waiting for any one of the dozen ingredients it needed to get up to full capacity.

And every day that passed in stalemate, people kept dying far below them.

"Thing is, nobody's ever tried to tap a black hole before; much less make one." Murph sighed. "If it works, we'll have more power than anything nuclear or fusion put together can offer. If it fails, we'll have conjured a black hole and obliterated the earth. So the decision was made to relocate the Beta Test."

"To where?"

Murph hesitated. "The Wormhole."

Getty nodded. "Makes sense. If it starts to come apart, you can dump the whole experiment into the wormhole, let it fall into Gargantua."

"That's the plan." Murph nodded. "The equipment isn't actually that complicated. Only a skeleton crew is needed to actually run the experiment. In fact…"

"You're going." Getty said quietly. It wasn't even a question. "How long would you be gone?"

"A year if it works, to get to Saturn and Back…" Murph was watching him carefully for a reaction. "Two years if it doesn't work. The trip back will be low-fuel consumption. Always takes longer. If it works, a high-power trip will be half the time."

"Who else is going?"

Long silence.

Getty was stunned. "You're going alone?!"

"I don't want to risk anyone else." Murph admitted. "And frankly… I'd like to get away for a while. I don't know what to say to all those people who are coming aboard. I spent my life working on a secret project, now I'm apparently up for Sainthood, and that's not so easy for me."

"I know it's been hard for you to handle the attention." Getty allowed. "But this seems a little extreme in the opposite direction, does it not?"

Murph looked at her feet. "I… I want to go." She said quietly. "I wanna see Saturn. It's all my childhood dreams come true since we launched, and I've spent all of it in meetings. I've been The Last Hope long enough. I wanna be an astronaut too."

"Okay." Getty didn't even blink. "I'm going with you."


"You were right." Murph told Ellie. "He flat out insisted on coming with me. He'd stowaway if I said no."

"It's a dream for him too, even without you there." Ellie said. "He got bounced from the Astronaut program because of a heart murmur. Creating a mode of spaceflight with earth-normal gravity solves a lot of the physical strain problems. EM generation solves the radiation risks… Look, are you really sure you want to do this?" Ellie asked. "Because spaceflight across half the solar system isn't exactly a weekend getaway."

"I'm sure." Murph said quietly. "Frankly, the meetings are starting to make me crazy." She looked sideways at Ellie. "You don't approve of my travel arrangements, or my choice in crew?"

"No, I think you've been putting this off for way too long." Ellie went to her desk and pulled out a box. "Here."

Murph checked the box. "Champagne? Really?"

"In case the conversation goes well." Ellie said with an impish grin.

Murph rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the secretive smile. "Keep the place running until I get back."

"Aye, Cap'n."


Cooper wasn't sure he should be reading this. He'd never met Getty, but what Murph had chosen to record made him proud to know the guy, of only indirectly.

But it was still his daughter's love story playing out on the pages, and Cooper wasn't so sure he should be reading her private journals on the matter.

Not that it stopped him.


The new Ship was named 'The Jesse', and was on course for Saturn within three months of Lazarus Station getting into Orbit. Construction time was short, since it was basically two Rangers welded together, with a large detachable chamber added for the experiment.

Two days into the flight, Murph reported that all systems were nominal, and so they were setting the controls to automatic, in preparation for both of them going into cryo.

"But there's no reason we can't actually go into Cryo tomorrow." Murph smirked at Getty. "The estimates say it'll take two weeks to exhaust all our options if we have trouble with the Experiment. There's five weeks of food for redundancy in the event of system failure. Why not take a day?"

"I agree." Getty said with a smile. "But I didn't think you liked days off."

"Not when there was work to do. Now there's nothing to do, beyond what we're doing." Murph admitted. "That's never happened to me before."

"Me either."


The Jesse was powered by a Gravity Drive. Technically, it was falling towards Saturn, and doing so fast enough that they could walk around in normal gravity, with earth 'above' them, and Saturn far 'below'.

There were two viewports, one of them in the control room, looking out at the huge blank space, the other at the 'base' of the living area, giving them a view back the way they'd come, albeit through the floor.

Getty came into the viewport room, and found Murph had brought blankets and pillows from their sleeping cots, and laid them out on the floor beside the viewport, so that they could look back at the Earth..

"Wait for it…" Murph said warmly. "And there she is."

Far 'below' them, Lazarus Station glided past the earth, a clear shape against the clouds, framed by darkness and starlight. Getty killed the lights in the cabin to give them a better view.

"Y'know, we never really looked, did we?" Getty said quietly. "We were in orbit, and the only time we ever actually stopped to look at the earth is when we're flying a Ranger back and forth."

"Mm." Murph agreed. She patted the blanket, and he sat beside her. "Speaking of things we put off for far too long…"

"Not yet." Getty told her gently.

Murph nodded, laying her head on his shoulder. He'd been waiting longer than she had, and he was nervous too. Which was fine. There was no rush.

"Nobody's ever had this view before, Murph." Getty said quietly. "I mean, think about what's happening here. We're in a spaceship that you designed, flying to Saturn, having a picnic lunch while we 'stargaze' at the whole earth. I mean, the last time anyone saw the whole earth at once? The lunar missions. And those guys weren't setting out blankets or kicking their shoes off to be comfortable."

"The Apollo guys were Zero G all the time." Murph nodded. "Even the Lazarus Missions would have had to watch this view spinning like a top the whole way. Romily sent back a request for more dramamine if we ever got a resupply mission to them."

"Exactly. We're on a spaceflight where we don't have to justify every gram, where we can bend the schedule by a few days to take some time off… We're officially a space-faring race now. And that's thanks to you. You did an incredible thing."

"It wasn't just me." Murph demurred. "Part of the reason I wanted to get away for a year was to let the others have their chance to run their projects, work their departments… Easier to do without the boss in the room all the time."

"Yeah, I can see that." Getty nodded. "But like it or not, there'll be statues of you on every station. Forever."

"We're a long way from done, babe. That's why we're going to Saturn."

"True. But we're close than we've ever been," Getty nodded, very aware that she'd just called him 'babe' for the first time. "Which reminds me…" He stood and stepped off into the next room for a minute, and came back with a plastic box. "For you."

Murph opened the box, and took out a vacuum sealed package. "Strawberries?" Her tone was blatantly turned on. "Where'd these come from?"

"I grew them myself. The hydroponics bay needed every inch of space. There's enough magic in the air filters that we can have one planter box in each crew quarters. Most people grow herbs, I grew strawberries. Took me a month's pay to get the fruit, but I was able to harvest and preserve the seeds. I've been waiting ten years to plant them somewhere they'd have a chance to grow." He tapped the sealed wrapper. "That's my entire first harvest."

"I'm honored." Murph said honestly… before jumping up herself. "In fact, I'll match that." She went out to her compartment and came back with the bottle Ellie had given her.

"Champagne?" Getty was surprised.

"I'm told it goes really well with strawberries. Something about how the flavors mix. No crystal glassware, obviously, but we can't have everything." Murph nodded, collecting cups. "It was a gift from Ellie, hoping the mission went well."

"The mission, or… something else?" Getty drawled, and the bottle's cork popped to punctuate the point.

Murph blushed a little as he poured. "Are you mad?"

"Mad?" Getty almost laughed. He gestured at the blankets and pillows on the floor. "The minute I saw the room, I knew this was a date. I'm all for it, in fact. I'm just a little…"

"Nervous?" Murph guessed. "If I'm honest, so am I. I don't have a lot of experience in this area."

"Strawberries, champagne, privacy… and the impressive view of all time. I'm no expert, but I'd say we're doing pretty well so far."

There was enough champagne for two drinks each. Twenty minutes later, the strawberries were nothing but a delicious taste in their mouths; and things were far more mellow. They were stretched out in their little nest, her head resting on his chest as his fingers gently took her hair out of its braid. She found herself nuzzling into him a bit automatically. She honestly couldn't remember ever having snuggled with someone she cared about; and she was loving every second of it; feeling more human than ever.

In a lifelong crusade to save humanity, I've had very little human contact. She thought to herself.

"I told myself that I didn't volunteer for this mission just to have you all to myself for a while, before or after we went into the freezer." Getty said quietly, as if to answer her thought.

Murph smiled a bit. "I tried to tell myself the same thing about you, Gets. I really did." She sat up to look at his face. "But who are we kidding?"

He smiled a bit, looking back at the earth as she slid over tighter against him, pulling his arm around her shoulders cozily. "We didn't talk about it." He said softly. "I figured, it wasn't time yet."

"We were busy." Murph said quietly. "And don't think I didn't know you were waiting for me." She sighed. "I had hoped it would work another way. Part of me hoped that I could just hand the formula over to the people in charge, and they'd do the right thing. But they didn't, and so the work wasn't finished yet."

"For either of us." He promised. "I've got more practical experience with Cryo-Tech than most medics alive, which isn't saying much. But my workload jumps every time we get a new load of refugees, and they all need to get to a good healthy baseline before we can put them on ice. Medications, oxygen absorption… Zero G has a lot of benefits for some health troubles. There's a whole new kind of medicine emerging for Space Station life; and I get to write the book on it. But I'm one doctor among many. You? Your work can't be put off, or handed to anyone else."

"It's not fair to you." Murph said quietly. "Or to me. I've wanted a night like this with you for years, Gets."

"It's not fair to anyone if we pretend I can share you." Getty said honestly. "Every day that you're working, it makes it more likely the human race survives. I'm not so petty as to think that you need to make me your top priority. I'm not gonna be that guy. We're Lazarus Crew. Just because you're harder to replace than I am, don't think I care any less than you do about the mission succeeding."

"I know you don't." She vowed. "Gets… We've both been called to this, and if it's okay with you that you're always going to be 'mister Murph Cooper', then don't think for a second that you aren't a priority for me." She held his face between her hands, the way she did when she first admitted she had feelings for him. "Because you are, Gets. Maybe the world needs me, but I need you. So very much."

Getty leaned in and kissed her, tasting strawberries and champagne and something uniquely 'her'. "Mister Murph Cooper, huh?" He teased. "You're going to be so high-maintenance, aren't you?"

She snorted, and swatted him lightly on the cheek, even as she felt him rubbing the back of her neck comfortably. "Gets, I think we both know that this is for all the marbles."

"All or bust is the story of our lives, really." He didn't even blink. "And when we do have a chance to save the world, and be together?"

"You mean… like tonight, for instance?" Murph was already unzipping his jumpsuit slowly.

"Tonight, tomorrow morning… five weeks worth of food, you said?"

"For emergencies." Murph murmured. "But I'm feeling pretty lucky tonight, how about you?"

"Ask me again… later."

Murph pushed him back onto the blankets, and there was nothing more to say.


They had five days on 'vacation' before they surrendered to the timetable (and exhaustion) and got back to work. He'd kissed her goodnight and zipped her into the cryo-chamber; and she slept for months with a smile on her face.

In what felt like the blink of an eye, they were a few days from Saturn. They'd had another picnic, looking at at her rings; knowing their luxurious week of sweet, unhurried romance was ending.

"It's very beautiful. Space? It's incredible. All those years on the Base, and I couldn't even see stars. But they're amazing." Getty admitted. "And I say that while looking at the love of my life, currently wearing nothing but my shirt. I don't think I've ever seen anything more perfect than you, the way you look tonight, with Saturn out the window behind you." He put a kiss on the side of her forehead. "I love you."

"This is why I was born, Gets." Murph murmured happily, leaning into her boyfriend. "This week has been absolutely perfect, and I loved every second of it; and I love you too."

They smooched again, not wanting the moment to stop.

"We have to check in with Base." Murph finally surrendered. "We're thirty hours from the Wormhole. We can't pretend we're still asleep anymore."

"I know." Getty promised. "But there's still the return trip."

"Yeah, there is." Murph chuckled. "Assuming I don't kill us both, trying to create a black hole."

"Well, if this is our last day in the cosmos, it was worth it." He kissed her again. "Go switch the monitors back on; let them know we're here. I'll clean up, before anyone notices anything… dishevelled in the background of our reports."

"Dishevelled? That's what you're going with?" She teased, and switched the appropriate machines back on. She had time to change into her jumpsuit and tie her hair back as they started up; and she reported in. "Attention, Lazarus Station; this is The Jesse. Ship and crew are well; on final approach to the Wormhole. All systems are in the green. Are you receiving? Message ends, 1620… mark."

A few hours later, they got a transmission back.

It was Ellie. She looked haggard. "Nice of you to check in, Murph. It's been a long eight months back here. The 'Project' you left me on is working out like you thought; but otherwise, we're all trying to keep several balls in the air. Every time we landed an evacuation Ranger, there was a full-blown scrum of people trying to get aboard. The Government had to send troops to keep them from killing each other. But every now and then, the troops would take a shot at one of us. With you out of contact, I made the call to Secretary Barton. I told him to get those troops in line, or nobody on Government Payroll got a seat. As a result, The Government has admitted that they don't think the 'Caretaker Generation' thing is going to work, so now it's a mad dash for the lifeboats. Three months ago, three of our Ranger Crews were taken hostage. The mob in question demanded safe passage to the Station, in exchange for their lives. We knew we couldn't negotiate for the lives of hostages, or we'd never be able to close that door again. But we had no weapons… So we lost eight people, one at a time." She looked miserable. "A month after that, one of our Rangers exploded in the Docking Bay just after it got back. Thirty fatalities. Nobody you knew, I don't think; but we were able to confirm that one of the refugees we picked up was a suicide bomber."

"My god…" Getty commented.

"We were an inch away from shutting down our rescue flights." Ellie reported. "But then we were approached by a National Guard unit, who offered to screen our refugees, and protect our crews; in exchange for the formula. We vetted him as best we could, and there seemed no connection to any of our enemies. I fact, it looked like he was trying to build a co-op that could be turned into a spacecraft, if only it could be launched. There's been a trend towards people building their own airtight, self sustaining homes; hoping we could get them into space."

"Here's hoping." Murph said to herself.

"We managed to hammer out a deal with the Guardsman, to get our people protected when they made refugee pickups. We had to release the Gravity Formula. It was on the list of things that you felt was worth sharing, if we thought the other guy was acting in good faith." Ellie looked sick. "He wasn't. Turns out our 'honest broker' was working for Secretary Barton the whole time."

'Barton has the formula!" Murph covered her mouth in shock.

"We've been monitoring the communications, the TV Speeches… Barton's been tossing out some pretty heavy rhetoric. A lot of talk about 'taking back what's ours'." Ellie shrugged. "There's nobody that thinks he can convince an army, but if he can get them to fight, then we've just given them the way to get their troops to us." Ellie shook her head. "We don't have many offensive options. Or defensive ones, come to that. Our solar power is enough to keep the Base lit up and producing food and air, but… moving the station isn't an option. Our orbit is stable, but we're sitting ducks, if Barton can actually raise an occupying force… And he can. Our data says he's converting troop carriers and submarines into space worthy craft. Once he adds the Gravity Drives, we're finished."

Murph winced.

"Where did he even find an Air Force?" Getty asked. "Weren't the militaries disbanded after the Resource Wars?"

"So was NASA, officially." Murph pointed out.

On screen, Ellie sighed. "And that's the report. Our intel says he'll be ready to attack in six months. By the time you get back, Lazarus Station will be under new management." She let that sink in. "We're working on solutions to the Power problem, but nobody's game to try creating a Micro-Singularity here in Earth Orbit. If it goes badly, it'd be suicide. As much as I hate Barton, he isn't worth extinction."

"Agreed." Murph commented, though obviously Ellie couldn't hear her.

"Obviously, we're watching your next few days with bated breath." Ellie said dryly. "I hate to lay this one on you, Murph; but it's hardly the first time." She almost smirked. "Hopefully, Getty can help you with the stress. Good thinking, taking a doctor along."

Getty, watching over her shoulder, blushed, just a little. "Subtle, Ellie. Real subtle." He glanced at Murph. "So… No more nights off?"

She reached out and pulled him in for a sound kiss. "I won't go back to the way things were. And I wouldn't have traded the last week for anything, love." She let out a slow breath and released him. "But it's time to get back to work."


Murph's journal included notes on construction of The Jesse, and the Gravity Chamber that she was hoping to build the new power source in. Cooper got a good look at her notes, and started to feel like he'd been here before. There was something about this that just felt too familiar.

He realized, an instant before he read it on the page, and jumped to his feet so fast that he dropped the book. Cooper scrambled for it and flicked ahead, wanting to see if his hunch was right.

It was.


"You can't control the reaction from outside the chamber?" Getty fretted.

"It's a safety feature." Murph said. "If the Chamber has a beach, I don't want there to be even a half second delay between realizing there's a problem, and ejecting the whole section. I need to see it."

"Which you can do from the other side of a thick pane of plexi-glass." He reminded her. "Why do you have to be in the room?"

"Gets, the whole point of this is to see if we can create a micro-singularity under fixed conditions. If we can contain the gravity enough to tap it, then it's safe. If it's not contained, then it doesn't matter if we put a steel wall a hundred feet thick in the way."

"Oh, well; that makes me feel much better."

She gestured at his control panel. "The Bridge is as far from the Chamber as I can get it. You'll have the best chance of making it home if something goes wrong. That button there is the Emergency Safety. It'll shut down the whole chamber."

"When do I hit it?"

Murph gestured at the readouts. "You'll be monitoring the power levels. If this works, they'll go off the charts and stay there. I'll know in less than thirty seconds if this is going to work."

"If it doesn't work, this will be the last conversation we ever have." Getty warned her.

Murph gave him a look. "Gets, in all seriousness… I've checked everything there is to check a million times. I don't feel this is a huge risk."

"No, you're just trying to create a black hole, and keep it stored four feet from yourself. Why would that be risky?" Getty said with grim understatement.

She had lied about the risk. It wasn't quite that easy, or they wouldn't travel across the solar system to test it. Murph hid her smile. "I love that you still fuss over me, even after so many years." She kissed him soundly. "I'll be back soon, and we'll have made things better for a lot of people. But if it goes wrong, I just want you to know that in a life which involved Time Travel, Spaceflight, Dodging the Apocalypse, and becoming a World Power… This week is still the happiest and most content I've felt in my life."

As last words go, those are the kindest she could have offered. Getty thought to himself as she turned and walked off the bridge. It took her a few minutes to travel the entire length of the ship, and he watched on the monitors as she stepped into the Chamber.

"Gets, can you read me?"

"Loud and clear."

"I'm starting the experiment." Murph reported. "Keep an eye on those power readings. Either this works, or it doesn't."

"Hey, one thought?" Getty quipped, "If this fails, and we can't crack the Power problem? We may be safer on the far side of the wormhole, once Barton takes over."

"Ha! Why not?" Murph grinned. "In three… two…"


Getty watched the clock. She said it would only take her thirty seconds, and she had been out of contact for three minutes. The power readings were all off the charts, as predicted; which meant the experiment worked. If she was in the middle of something critical, he didn't want to distract her…

But as the timer passed four minutes, he couldn't stand it. "Murph? How's it going in there?"

No answer.

Finally, his nerves got the better of him, and he hit the Emergency Safeties.

With an alarm, the Chamber shut down, and the doors unsealed. Getty ran the length of the ship as fast as he could, calling Murph on his headset. She still wasn't answering.

Getty hauled the Chamber door open, and he found Murph, laying on the floor in the fetal position. She had only been in there a few minutes, but she looked permanently changed by it. Her red hair was wild and free, half covering her face as she rocked back and forth. The whites of her eyes were completely blood red, she was drooling on the floor; and her fists were clenching and unclenching so tightly she had broken three nails and drawn blood on her palms. More blood was tricking from her tear ducts, from her nose, her ears...

But the unsettling part, was that she was cackling like a madwoman.

"I… I… I saw... I saw! I SAW IT! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!"


AN: Uh-oh. Tune in next week for the next exciting episode. ;-)

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