CH6 (87)
Life on Athos returned to normal for everyone. Jim was busy keeping all the construction projects running smoothly.
Rick and Kate were out teaching others how to hunt and where to find what they wanted. Then Rick would teach them how to clean what they caught and put it in the freezer.
Alexis spent most of her time teaching others and Emily all she knew about plants.
Kali did her best to get into as much trouble as she possibly could, enjoying every minute of it.
Kate and Madison were almost certain the soul of the old Kali was in the new one. They were both so much alike.
One day Lucy informed them that the Moon Shines and all three cargo ships were in orbit with more people and a great deal of supplies. Rick, Kate and Alexis were immediately drafted for shuttle duty to help get it all down to the planet.
It was a lot of supplies.
Material to build one more silo.
Material to start construction of the first large part fish catch and part onboard factory ship.
Material to start the ship for the Castle's that would be done in a little over 4 years.
Mining materials.
Parts to build the first two GETS trains. Once those were completed workers could start using it instead of shuttles.
Material for several more floors of the city tower.
A large amount of personal items. Enough shampoo, towels, tissue paper and other items to supply a large hotel for months.
Captain Zhukov was meeting with Jim and Rick. "I thought you would like to know Rick that it looked like things were getting better on Earth. We saw no evidence that they are ready to build any kind of space ship and in fact are still having trouble just getting off their own planet."
"No more nuclear exchanges?" Rick asked.
Zhukov shakes his head. "No new ones in evidence. They are however having a small problem with a new virus that is making its way around the planet slowly. It seems to have a roughly 10% mortality rate. It sounded like they were chasing it down though, so it should end soon."
"Any conflicts?" Rick knew there was always one somewhere.
"They seem to have two at the moment. One is about China and the United States trading shots, just no new nuclear exchanges. …. The other seems to involve Russia and a large number of other countries. Both seem to be relatively quiet when we left." Zhukov informs him, trying not to put any tone into his voice.
"Anything on the Sun Rises?" Rick asks, wondering what the time line was like.
"He was just returning to Tellus just as we were leaving. So I don't think you'll be seeing him for at least 2 months. I don't know what he found or if he found anything at all.
I'll be leaving as soon as my ship is empty. Each of the cargo ships will be leaving as they become empty as well." Captain Zhukov leaves them.
"Sounds like I have a lot of work to do." Jim tells Rick. Four ships loaded with cargo and new colonists meant no one was likely to see Jim for weeks to come.
Rick watched Jim leave. Rick was still impressed by him. His life may have been filled with alcohol at one time, but all that was changed now.
Rick had noticed that Kate was more happy now that she had her father back. Having the Quellers here had also improved her mood. Recovering some of her old life had been good for her.
Rick found Alexis alone with Emily and Kali in their dome. "Hi pumpkin, where's your mom?"
Alexis smiles, she knew Kate wasn't her birth mom, but she had done more for her than any other woman ever had. She still loved that her dad called Kate her mom. Maybe one day even that thought would be a thing of the past.
"She's doing shuttle duty. Mom has another 3 hours of it before she is relieved. Then I take her place." Alexis explains.
Rick noticed that both of the girls were down sleeping. "How did you get them to do this?" Rick waves his hand.
"It's a secret and if I told you I'd have to kill you." Alexis grins.
Rick saw an ulterior motive for her secret, so he walks over and takes Alexis in his arms. "We're only trying to do what's best for you pumpkin. We both want you go find another Paige for you to have fun with. Life isn't all work, or at least it shouldn't be."
"But my knowledge and greenhouses is what makes the colonies work early on." Alexis was still willing to fight to stay.
"I know, that's why we're letting you go for the first year. Otherwise you wouldn't go at all. School and friends are important. I know Paige was your friend, but was she your only friend?
We want you to have the chance to make some friends. And I'm sure my mother is dying to spoil you. Maybe she'll get you up on the stage with her. The two of you know a lot about Earth. You'll be just as big a hit as she is." Rick offers, trying to get her to see it will not be all bad.
"It would be nice to see grams." Alexis did miss her. But still didn't like this idea.
"And just think when your mother and I, with Emily and Kali, get back we can all move into our new home. Then a year or two later we can go back to Athos and go boating.
Trust me; those days will get here all too soon." Time can fly when you're not thinking about it.
"Since it's almost lunch and it looks like I'm going to need the practice soon, I'm going to the kitchen. … Are you alright here?" Rick wasn't leaving if Alexis had something she wanted to talk about.
"No we're good. I'll wake them up in time for lunch. Then I was thinking of a quick trip out to the garden area with Emily. See how things are going." Alexis explains her plans.
"You're the best big sister ever pumpkin." And Rick kisses her head and heads for the kitchen.
Alexis walks over to the monitor after Rick is gone. "Lucy, you have everything we downloaded right. And are taking it all with you when you go." Alexis wanted to make sure they had a copy of it all when they left.
"I have it all stored away. Even the stuff Captain Zhukov brought back from Earth on his latest trip." Lucy confirms.
"He downloaded still more items? … Like what?" Lucy had Alexis's attention now.
Ramjet technology along with it's off shoot of Scramjet technology for atmospheric fighters.
The X-47B is a tailless, strike fighter-sized unmanned aircraft.
Every Stargate movie and TV series episode along with the information on the theoretical weapons used on the show.
Every Broadway play ever produced. It was a personal request from Martha.
Lucy explains the list.
Alexis was at first shocked by all the weapon technology they had stolen, however hearing Martha's request got that all shoved to one side.
"Grams! She must be planning something." Alexis was grinning. "It would be nice to see her. I do miss having her here."
"You think the Oracle is correct? We really need weapons to kill with?" Alexis wanted Lucy's opinion.
"I'm only to aware that killing is wrong Alexis. However the Oracle has never given us something we didn't need before. If we need weapons, it must be for a good reason." Even Lucy had trust in the Oracle.
"I just hope it doesn't change mom's people into people more like Earth. There was some much fighting and killing. It was sad." Alexis shook her head remembering she even had to be careful where she went. Or she might get picked up and sold or raped or worse.
Maybe that's part of why she liked the summer home so much. Get away from the big city for lots of reasons.
It is now 3 months later:
Alexis had decided to stop trying to change their minds and was going to wait until the time came and then fight for her case to stay.
Rick, Kate and Alexis had spent their time teaching each of their particular skills. Even though they had an Emu farm, they went hunting for them just to teach them.
The uses of alligator skin was explained when it came time to start shipping out things to Tellus.
Shawn and Madison hadn't talked about going much. They were waiting for the type of planet Roy had found. While the Quellers already knew they were not moving to the new planet.
To be honest they were hoping Madison and Shawn wouldn't be moving, however they would still have Jim with them. And it was only for 2 or 3 years.
"The Sun Rises has entered orbit." Lucy tells them all one day.
They use Lucy to get everyone into the Recreation area while Rick goes to greet Roy after he lands in his shuttle.
"Rick! Good to see you again." Roy really did like coming to see the Castle's. Their work had done so much for the future of Tellus.
"Roy, good to see you." Rick shakes his hand. "I presume you have something to tell us."
"I do. I even have a few tablets to share with you." Roy takes them from the pilot that came with him. "We can go find the others."
Rick takes him to the Recreation area, where everyone is waiting. Roy is momentarily taken back that everyone is waiting for him.
"I've got three tablets for you." Roy lets them take one from him. Rick and Kate share one, while Shawn and Madison share another one and Alexis gets one and sits between the Quellers, just so they can see.
"First up, the system I went to actually had two planets that are perfect for us. One maybe a little more so." Roy starts out with.
"TWO!?" Everyone almost says at one time.
"Let's start with the first one. As you will see it is almost all entirely water. The only land mass is a fraction of the land mass here on Athos." Roy points out.
"It's about the size of our island on Ariel." Kate is shocked.
"That is essentially correct. We did send a shuttle down to land on it. What we found was very little wildlife. The plant life was equally limited. … The council is looking at building a factory on the land mass. It would build these modules that would be connected to each other to form a floating city.
In order to get the dirt to have planting beds and parks we would need to take it from the sea floor. So the first thing to be built would be a dredging barge to get the dirt.
Based on the size of the planet they are thinking two floating cities, provided that they can avoid crashing into each other." Roy concludes the first planet.
"I like the idea of it. Once the city is complete it would be perfect for doing ocean research." Shawn liked it, just wasn't sure what they or anyone else was going to do on it.
"It is going to be a special project. A perfect place for a contractor to set up shop. The council is already looking for one to take on the project." Roy tells them.
"It doesn't look like a planet we have anything to do on, except maybe for Alexis or someone she has been taught to run a few greenhouses to help feed the workers. And where does everyone live?" Kate points out.
"Actually that has already been thought about. The factory used to make the modules is going to have living quarters on the upper levels, with greenhouses on top of that.
We actually got the idea from the oil rig platforms that Miss Alexis had downloaded and brought back with her." Roy tells them agreeing with them.
"Not for us. …. So what about the second planet?" Kate asks.
"Next page." Roy tells them. "This planet like the last one is another moon. They are both about the same size and roughly the same size and weight as Ariel.
This planet is something similar to Athos. It is mostly water with one major land mass that is actually larger than the land mass here." Roy tells them smiling. If they could make this planet work, they should be able to make it work too.
"It looks bigger and there is even a dessert area like here." Alexis notices.
"It does. We are all hoping that the two places are similar. It would mean that we could have a mine in the same location and help with the needed resources." Roy tells them.
"It has an ocean." Shawn sounded happy and got Madison to hold onto his arm. A silent 'Please come with me'. "Any chance we could take one of our submarines with us?" Shawn asks.
"I already have a team picking it up for transfer to the Sun Rises." Roy tells him. Getting Shawn to start smiling.
"What's our time frame?" Kate asks.
"All three cargo ships have already left Tellus. They actually left at the same time I did. It is roughly two months from Tellus due to the distance involved. However it is only one month from here.
If we want to get there at the same time they do, we need to leave tomorrow. So I need an answer now. Are you willing to start another colony, and if you are you need to get packing since we leave in the morning." Roy tells them.
"Kate and I have already talked anticipating you would ask, …. and we're in." Rick tells him.
"Since you are taking one of the submarines where is it going to be housed?" Shawn asks.
"All three cargo ships plus my ship is loaded with supplies and people. You are going to get a dome colony just like this one. Plus a dome that will act as a barn, and another dome that will be built near the water's edge to hold the submarine." Roy tells him.
"Greenhouses, medical, windmills, quads, farm equipment, silo?" Rick asks. Wondering just what they were getting.
"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes and yes. The farm equipment is going to come in parts that will need assembly just like last time.
Also due to the distance of two months between this planet and Tellus, it will be at least 4 months before you see the next ship. So you really will be on your own at first.
It's part of the reason why all three cargo ships and my overloaded ship is being sent all at the same time.
As for the other planet. The council had already started construction of a fourth cargo ship. When it is done it along with one or two of the other cargo ships will ship out a contractor to start construction of the factory.
So say in about a year, you will have a neighbor since both of the moons orbit the same gas giant." Roy points out smiling. "The council is thinking of building larger shuttles someday so you can travel between the two without needing an explorer size ship." Roy tells them still smiling.
Roy saw such huge potential in these two moons, eventually.
"Server space and monitors for Lucy?" Kate was taking Lucy with her.
"Yes and yes." Roy responds getting Kate to like this plan.
"We already know we are staying." The Quellers tell him.
"And until you reach the same level of construction there I'll be staying as well. Plus there is still a lot of construction to do here." Jim tells him.
"Babe?" Madison asks Shawn.
"I get an ocean and my submarine, maybe an hydroponics building someday. …. Yeah, I'm in." Shawn tells him, getting a kiss to the side of his head from Madison.
"Better get started packing then, since we leave in the morning if we are going to meet the cargo ships." Roy tells them.
"OH GREAT! … More baby food." Madison moans, remembering what it took to get here. Getting everyone to start laughing.