Chapter 2: Convair Intergalactic Testing Labs

Perseverance Colony, October 7, 2131
Convair Intergalactic Testing Labs

Ray Clark was double checking the math from his terminal with a slide rule. Yeah, computers are infallible, but programmers weren’t. As he angrily wrote down another error, Steffan Bridges stepped into his office and helped himself to a half cup of coffee. “Hey Ray,” said Steffan. “Don’t you have family on Bradbury Canal?”

“Yeah my sister and her kids, why?”

“They had a hull breech.”

“What?” Suddenly everything went dim. Something told him that Laurel and Harrison were gone. He knew deep down that the PMP saw them as a roadblock to taking over Mars. He didn’t want to believe what his friend, Dr. Steffan Bridges, just said, but his gut told him it was true. He grabbed the telephone and dialed Harrison Scarlett’s personal telephone, but there was no answer. He tried his sister’s personal telephone, but again, there was no answer. Then he tried to call her office telephone and somebody answered.

“Marconi-Edison Bio-Electronics, how can I help you?” The woman who answered sounded flustered.

“I need to speak with Doctor Scarlett.”

“Uh ... there’s a bit of ... there’s...” and he heard the telephone drop and the woman began crying. Then a man picked up. “Hello, can I help you?”

“I need to speak with my sister, Doctor Scarlett, or her husband, Harrison Scarlett.”

“We don’t know where they are, the colony is in a bit of an uproar.”

“Why? What’s going on?”

“Nobody knows for sure, all the pressure doors closed about fifteen minutes ago, they’re opening up one by one now.”

“Thank you. If you see them, tell them that Laurel’s brother Ray called.” Doors opening one by one means the system is testing to see how widespread a hull breech is. His next call was to his wife, Tammy. “Honey, something happened at Bradbury Canal, I’ve got to go see what is happening and check on Harrison and Laurel.”

“I take it you won’t be back for dinner tonight?”

Ray rolled his eyes. She knows that he’ll be on the train going there by dinnertime. “No, I don’t know how long I’ll be. I’m worried about Laurel and the kids.”

“Maybe you can sleep with her while you’re there,” said Tammy as she hung up, slamming the telephone down in her drunken rage.

Ray shook his head and logged off his terminal, he didn’t have time to deal with Tammy. He got up and stepped over to his boss’s office. “Doctor Sax, I have to go to Bradbury Canal. I hope it’s nothing, but...”

Dr. Monika Sax looked up from her terminal. “Travel is restricted to there.”

“My sister and her husband live there; I have to find out...”

“I’m sure they’re fine,” said Dr. Sax. “But go on ahead. Don’t forget your pressure suit, the train isn’t going to couple to Bradbury Station.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Ask your brother-in-law for me how his project is going.”

“Yes ma’am.” Fighting against the knot in his gut, Ray Clark signed out a pressure suit, helmet, and air pack, then headed over to the train station. It’s been ages since he’s been to Bradbury Canal. It’s where he grew up, and he hated the place, and the moment he was able to get a job in Perseverance City, Mars’ unofficial capital, he jumped and never looked back, except where his niece and nephew, Christa and Alan were concerned. They were his “spare kids” and he was their “emergency back-up dad.” Since Tammy wasn’t interested in having children with him (her daughter from her first marriage would have nothing to do with Ray) he poured his energy into Christa and Alan.

The ticket counter at the train station was crazy. Travel to Bradbury Station was for citizens of Bradbury Canal only. Luckily, Ray was able to produce evidence he was a citizen of Bradbury Canal. “Bradbury Canal please,” he told the ticket agent.

“Travel to Bradbury Canal is restricted to residents of Bradbury Canal that are traveling in a pressure suit,” said the agent in a bored sing-song voice.

“Does it look like I’m wearing Armani?” said Ray, tugging at the metal collar of his pressure suit.

The ticket agent handed him a ticket that was marked “UNPRESSURIZED” meaning that he was ticketed for an unpressurized car and he was going to have to wear the helmet all the way to Bradbury Canal. “Better hurry,” said the agent.

Ray moved as quickly as he could while putting his helmet on. He got to the gate for the train to Bradbury Canal and when his ticket was scanned, the gate shunted him to an airlock out to the open platform where he found his car at the tail end of the train. He got aboard just as the doors closed and he found a seat where he could plug into the train’s oxygen and electrical.