Banished! — 3: Jada Volunteers

The ship’s crew stepped out onto the wide outside hull of the rocket, now a walkway about fifty yards wide, extending the entire length of the ship. Gyroscopes maintained this one side as the surface. There were inflatable extenders within each ship that would fit across the hull and turn this small surface area into a floating platform a half-mile across. The ship itself would not be seen with that platform secured over the rocket body. The ship itself would hold sleeping quarters, recreation areas, and the controls necessary for the ship’s operation.

It was impossible to gauge how distant the horizon was from their present location. There was nothing but water between. Presently, the waves rolling beneath them were slight, no more than several feet high. According to the scientists, that would become the normal weather to them … clear and easy. The sun overhead was less intense than Earth’s, even on this clear day. The experts also predicted occasional hurricanes that would most likely be worse than the cat-5 ones at home, lasting days at a time.

Matt was happy they had arrived on a nice day. There would be much to do before an extreme storm made that impossible, perhaps even scuttling the ship.

He hadn’t thought about the fact that he remained in charge of the Eriksson until a committee was selected and met to schedule the elections. He himself needed to pick several aides to help get the process started, so it could be accomplished as quickly as possible.

“Lieutenant Johnson,” he called to his Communications Officer, who was standing by herself, looking out over the ocean. “Carson Edwards,” he said to the man who had been his Chief Engineer for the journey here, standing nearer with his back to Matt.

Both walked over to stand in front of him, as if he were about to issue them orders.

“Relax, you two. I need help with getting all this started. Can I count on you to be of assistance? We need to get all this going, so I turn this over to whoever will be the true leaders here.”

The Communications expert nodded her head. “I would be happy to do all I can, Sir.”

“Call me Matt. I don’t remember your name right now. I’ve seen it before on the logs, but my memory isn’t what it was.”

“Jada, Sir,” she said, “I mean, Matt.”

Jada Johnson? Why not?

“Thank you, Jada. How about you, Carson?”

Carson didn’t look so eager, but finally he nodded his head.

“If you need me, I’ll do what I can. I’ve never been a politician or anything like that.”

“I think I know you two best,” Matt said. “You both were extremely competent performing your jobs, and facing up to the challenges of simply getting here alive. I think I can count on you.” He nodded at them, to show he was talking to both.

They both nodded back.

“Okay,” Matt continued. “Everyone needs to get some food in their belly. Let’s meet in my office in about two hours. Is that agreeable?”

“Yes, Captain,” Jada said. “I look forward to being of assistance to you. All the colonists on board are ready to get started also, I imagine.”

Carson simply nodded that he understood. Matt wondered if he could indeed count upon him. He found that surprising, since the man had been such a fine Chief Engineer. He had been selected upon Earth from a large number of experienced engineers.

Matt left the ship’s crew outside and re-entered the ship. He would take his own meal in his quarters, preparing the questions that would need to be answered in order to implement all that must be completed before he could finally turn over the reins to new leaders.

He hoped they would be competent, and another thought arose. May they be beneficent and caring.