Starship Armstrong - Season 2

Part 32 - Ignorance Is Bliss (VI)

Ensign Takahashi had agreed to come along as the Captain's 'pilot', and so she and Captain Littlecrow suited up and flew over to the orbital structure in the Vostok with Dr. Kang and his supplies.

Dr. Kang led the group back to where his team had patched into the Zethite computer system. It took them only a few minutes to attach their own neural interfaces and prep them for insertion into the simulation.

McAfree handed Littlecrow and Takahashi the neutral interfaces. They looked like white headband with a glowing blue interior side. McAfree mimed placing them at the base of their skulls and the two women copied her.

"Sit or lay down in a position you'll be able to maintain when you lose all muscle control," said Dr. Kang "If anyone has to make a bowel movement do it now before I start this. I'm not kidding you should both make an attempt right now."

"We'll be fine, Dr. Kang," said Captain Littlecrow.

"So you say," said Dr. Kang "We've coded a Foundation shuttle into the system."

"'We'" snorted McAfree.

"We're going to have the two of you resolve into the simulation from the shuttle so that it appears you have come from space."

"Sounds good," said the Captain "Ready when you are."

"I'm ready too," said Takahashi, giving a thumbs up.

"The first few minutes while you acclimate are notoriously unpleasant," said Dr. Kang "Brace yourself."

Captain Littlecrow experienced a sensation like all of her guts spinning in a centrifuge. Then her vision changed and she was sitting in the pilot's chair of the Vostok, flying through the atmosphere of a fully terraformed planet, and her eyes hurt. She was nauseous but she couldn't vomit. She steadied herself with a hand on the shuttle controls.

Beside her Ensign Takahashi was dry heaving.

"Kang!" the Captain swore.

* * *

Galen was thrilled when Dr. Kang's assistant had contacted him and told him to expect the Captain's visit, although he didn't like how cagey she was about what the problem finding the right planet turned out to be.

It had to be done on short notice but most of the preparations for the welcoming committee had already been made. In addition to himself, the world's foremost expert on non-terrestrial humans, the committee consisted of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Science, the Minister of the Interior, the highest ranking General in the Army and three photogenic children from different social classes carrying gifts of flowers.

A landing pad had been designated in the courtyard of Three Sisters University, also surrounded by flowers. Flowers seemed like a good way to signal peace to the non-terrestrial humans. There had been a lot of buzz around doves but working with them proved to be worse than herding cats. Flowers did what they were told.

Of course the whole area was ringed by photojournalists. That couldn't be helped. They had been warned, however, not to be intrusive. For what little good that would do. Spreading out from in and among the photogs was one of the largest crowds assembled for non-violent purposes in the history of Zethes. This wasn't something anyone was willing to miss, short notice or not.

It was a pleasant, well manicured area of Earth-type greenery. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It would make a good first impression. Of this Galen was certain.

The welcoming committee waited the minimum safe distance from the approaching shuttle as it slowly lowered itself onto the awaiting landing pad with a powerful hum. The entire committee could feel the historic weight of the moment as the spaceship touched ground on the planet for the first time since the age of myths.