Chapter 10

Máiréad and Ciar were with Jasmine, as she woke up after completing her conversion to Órarduine. As Jasmine woke, she slowly began to catalog the sensations surrounding her. The first thing she noticed was that she was lying in bed rather than standing in a tube. The idea standing in a tube brought forth her memory of being lowered in to a tub then watching if fill with a thick green fluid. She slowly worked through each of her physical senses. She knew from the sounds and smells that she was in a hospital or doctor’s office.

Before Jasmine began to thumb through her memories, she heard two voices, and their images appeared in her mind. “Jasmine,” said Máiréad and Ciar softly, “you are fine. Everything went as planned. You don’t need to worry.”

“So that part wasn’t a dream, and you aren’t figments of my imagination?” she enquired.

“No, Jasmine. Open your eyes. We are here with you.” Jasmine’s eyes popped open, only to be momentarily blinded by the light, but her enhanced vision quickly adjusted.

“If my conversion went fine, then why are you here?” replied Jasmine, inadvertently exposing her fears of what Craigly’s treatments had done to her.

“We are here to help you adjust to your augmented body as we promised. When a person finishes their session in the incubator, someone is with them when they wake up. This is to help you adjust to the changes in your reflexes due to the changes in your body. You are taller and have broader shoulders. This alters your balance somewhat, which is also complicated by the changes in your feet. However, we understand that you wore high heels a lot, so you will likely adapt very quickly.”

“Sorry for being so sharp.”

“We understand. Your five friends are up, and anxious to see you.”

“Oh, I want to see them, as well. Why were they up before I was?”

“Because Betsy and Connie felt you needed the extra time, due to the treatments you received were larger than those your friends received. By adding the extra days it greatly reduced the probability of you having complications.”

“Okay. Can I get up?”

“Yes. We would like to mind-link with you before you do.”

“Mind-link?”

“Remember, we are telepathic.” Jasmine nodded. “Well, mind-link is an aspect of that ability. Telepathy is an ability that lets you share or exchange thoughts with others. A clan’s mind-link expands the ability to share and adds being able to see each other’s sensations. A few clans are also able to actively share physical senses, such as vision. While telepaths can easily exchange thoughts with another telepath, they may not be able to establish a full mind-link.”

“Okay. This should be interesting. Does that mean I can feel your sensations?”

“Possibly.”

With Jasmine’s permission, Ciar and Máiréad established a mind-link with her. “Now we will communicate this way, though we can still communicate verbally.”

“I like this.”

Ciar and Máiréad held Jasmine’s hands as she sat up and then turned to hang her legs off of the bed. As she sat on the edge of the bed, she flexed her arms, legs and shoulders. “They do feel a little different. It seems like there is more weight on my chest, but it doesn’t feel as though it is pulling me forward.”

“Your chest is bigger, but the supporting muscle structure is different. Besides your shoulders being a little wider, your back and shoulders have more muscles to support the additional weight. Along with this, there is more muscle structure around your breasts, supporting them, so there will be very little sag. They won’t wobble as much when you walk or run.”

Jasmine looked down at her breasts. “Wow, they are bigger. My nipples really stick out.”

“Yes, you are a little bigger than us, but quite a bit smaller than Sarah’s clan.”

“Will I stand like you are?”

“Yes. Remember the structure of our feet and lower legs are different. Probably from your point of view, it will feel like, you are standing on your toes or the front of your foot. It is similar to wearing heels. Until your changes are complete you will need to wear heels. We frequently wear them, and although we don’t really need to, they do give us some advantages. Do you want to first stand in heels?”

“No, let’s try it this way.”

“Fine. When you go to stand up, think of it as standing on your toes.”

Jasmine slid forward to put her footpad on the floor, and then shifted her weight, to stand. As she moved to a standing position, Máiréad and Ciar found that they only needed to coach her senses a couple of times to stabilize her balance.

“Wow, I like this. I don’t feel any strain on my legs.”

“That is the way you should feel,” replied Ciar. “Your ankles have changed so that they efficiently transfer your weight to what you know as ‘the balls of your feet’. Now, let’s go for a walk.”

The three walked around the room, and then down the hall a short distance before Máiréad said, “You should put your shoes on now as you don’t want to over stress your ankles and feet as the changes are not complete.”

“Okay, although I don’t feel like I need them.”

As they were helping Jasmine with the shoes Ciar said, “We felt the same way. The shoes we have now are much more comfortable than I remember.”

“Where are we?” asked Jasmine, as they walked down one of the corridors.

“We are on our spaceship Dóchas,” replied Máiréad. “We are currently in orbit around Mars.”

“That’s what I remembered, but I wanted to be sure.”

“Jasmine, is there something you would like to talk about?” asked Máiréad, as she turned Jasmine so she could look her in the eyes.

Jasmine looked at Máiréad and then Ciar before responding, “Yes, I think that would be a good idea. First, where can I get something to eat?”

“Let’s go to the dining room. We can have something to eat while we talk. At this time of day there will be hardly anyone there. Or, we can get something to eat and go back to our suite.”

Just as they reached the dining room Máiréad asked, “How do your feet feel?”

“They feel fine,” replied Jasmine. “I feel more stable.” Ciar and Máiréad showed Jasmine how to request the food she wanted. They were shocked when she requested three large cheeseburgers and a milkshake.

“Jasmine, that is a lot of food. Betsy will be on our case if you get sick.”

“It all looked so good. I haven’t had a cheeseburger or milkshake in ages. Don’t worry, I am not going to stuff myself. Thanks for your concern.”

“Jasmine, why don’t we use telepathy to share what you want to talk about, or we could mind-link. Actually a mind-link would be more efficient.”

“This is going to take some getting used to,” replied Jasmine, as she took a bite out of the cheeseburger. “Wow, this is great.”

“I think I had several dreams while I was in the incubator. Several times, I dreamed about Emelia and Blaire. They were two of Craigly’s assistants, who suddenly went on new assignments. They were very close to me and several of my close friends. We were shocked by their sudden departure. Although, after my last experience there, I think I know what happened. The second series of dreams concerned my brothers and sisters. There is another issue, too.”

“Have you dreamed about them before?”

“Emelia and Blaire, yes. My family, no. The latest dreams about Emelia and Blaire were different to the first ones, or at least I think so. These are the ones that I find puzzling.” With that, Jasmine brought forward some of the dream she had had concerning Emelia and Blaire. It didn’t take long for Ciar and Máiréad to recognize the two women and their location.

“Jasmine, those are memories from mind-linking with both of them. This kind of mind-link is different to the one we mentioned earlier. The three of you did not have a strong telepathic link, and that is why it seemed to be a dream. While you were in the incubator, several of our security teams rescued them and 16 others from that location.”

Jasmine’s eyes filled with tears. Both out of concern for the way they looked in the dream, and happiness that they were now safe.

“How are they?” asked Jasmine, her thoughts thick with emotion.

“They are doing fine. They are being cared for, at An Clochán, by Betsy’s staff.”

“Blaire looked so worn out before her location changed.”

“Both were, since they have been continuously pregnant since leaving Craigly’s. They have carried twins each time, except the last, which was triplets.”

“What happened to the babies?”

“They were sold.”

“When can I see Blaire and Emelia?”

“Soon. First Sally and Erica want you to join your five friends in an exercise class three times a day.”

“Why?”

“This is to help you hone your coordination, strengthen your muscles and increase your stamina. There is an exercise machine in your suite that will also help. The reason for the exercise is that Sally wants all of us to be proficient in Aikido and several other martial arts techniques.”

“Exercise has not been something I do a lot of.”

“Before we came here, we would have said the same thing. There are several exercise machines in the suite which are fun to use. As security team members, we have to be proficient, but we enjoy the exercise anyway. I suspect we enjoy exercising because we do it together.”

“You said you had another dream that puzzled you,” asked Máiréad.

“Yes. My other dream was almost like watching a video of my family. If it is true, I learned that my brothers and sisters are now married. Both sisters have children, and one sister-in-law is expecting. I even saw where they lived.”

“Interesting.”

Jasmine started to recall the recent memories of her family. She had not brought back very many of the memories, when Máiréad said, “You experienced what we refer to as a ‘dream walk’.” Jasmine’s expression and thoughts clearly showed that she was puzzled by the comment. “A ‘dream walk’ can be thought of as an ‘out of body’ experience. You may want to think of it as projecting your vision to another location. You can be drawn to a location by the people there thinking of you. When you become skilled in using it, you can direct your walk.

“The night we rescued you and your friends, your mental plea brought us to the room where you were held. Viewing the room and your predicament let us plan on how we would rescue you, with minimum risk to both you and ourselves.”

“So that was what I felt just before you arrived. Wait, you related dream walking to projecting your vision, so how could I feel or sense something?”

“We have a few unique abilities when we dream walk. Not everyone has these abilities.”

“Okay. The other problem I see is Craigly’s daughters becoming obsessed with revenge, and altering the operation of Craigly’s companies to fit their vision. They are very nice people now, but achieving that goal could make them into new Craiglys.”

“Tell them. They have a lot of respect for you and your friends. You should tell them about your vision and let them make the decision. You realize that with nothing to draw them back into Earth society, they will likely want to stay with us.”

“I don’t see anything wrong with that, at all.”

“We have no objection to them staying, but from our perspective, it must be their decision as to what they see is best for them.”

“I knew right away that becoming a Golden Amazon and joining you was the right thing to do.”

“Some do, but others are more pragmatic. As you know, the conversion is not something that can be reversed. It is needed if someone wants to be able to fully contribute.”

“I agree. If I think they are simply following my choices, I will challenge them. Now, let’s go find my friends.”

“Let’s see, I believe they are in your suite.”

“My suite?”

“Yes. Your friends decided that, for the time being, they wanted to share a suite, and figured you would join them.”

“Good. Can we go back to my family for a moment?”

“Sure.”

“Is there some way we can check out what I saw?”

“Talk with Security, as I expect that Clarence can help you.”

“Clarence? Wasn’t he involved in the Chosen Ones incident?”

“Yes. An attempt was made by the Chosen Ones to compromise James and Clarence. They tried to use their family’s welfare as a lever.”

“I am glad it failed. Craigly was livid when he heard it had failed, but I am not sure why.”

“Interesting.”

“Let’s go to your suite,” said Máiréad.

It was the day after the status review, when Sarah’s Clan asked Siobhan’s and Maureen’s Clans to meet with them after breakfast. They gathered on An Clochán near where the two Dóchas class ships were being built. After the greetings and small talk had tapered off, Sarah’s Clan said in unison, “We would like your clans to assume command of Phoenix and Eagle.” There was a collective gasp from both clans. “Siobhan’s Clan will be on Phoenix and Maureen’s Clan on Eagle.”

“But we...” said Siobhan’s Clan.

“We understand your feelings,” responded Sarah’s Clan interrupting them. “We have seen the data from the operational validation testing of both ships. It shows that they are ready for liftoff. All the work that can be completed on Mars is essentially done. Phoenix and Eagle need a command staff, and your two clans fit that need to a tee.”

“We are not sure about this. Sure, we participated in the testing, but...” replied Siobhan and Maureen together, with their clans nodding agreement. “ ... we never thought our participation would lead to this.”

“We understand your apprehension. This is not the same situation that we faced when we stepped into the command role on Dóchas. You will not be alone. We will link with each of you, and the ship’s systems, during the dress rehearsal. During liftoff, we will only monitor your progress, as we believe that will be less distracting.”

“What if something goes wrong?” said Maureen, with a worried look on her face. She, really, wasn’t afraid to do it, since she loved flying. Many of the pilots thought her capabilities were well beyond anyone else’s, in either shuttles or star fighters. She had found the role she filled on Eagle to be very natural during testing. This she attributed to her experience on Dóchas’ bridge. It wasn’t a lack of confidence, but recognition of the ship’s importance to their community, and to an extent its size, that gave her and her clan pause.

“You know the answer to that,” replied Colleen with a smile. “The chances of having an uncontrolled emergency are less likely than the odds of us winning one of Earth’s silly lotteries.” Several members of the group laughed at her comment, but also nodded in agreement.

“I know, but...”

“Maureen, according to the shuttle AIs, you are one of the best shuttle pilots. Sabrina thinks your abilities in the Star Fighters exceed those of our best pilots, and the AIs agree with her.”

“Thanks for the compliments. I do love to fly them. I guess my apprehension is because so much of our future is dependent upon getting these ships off Mars and operational.”

“Maureen,” replied her clan, “we all have that apprehension.” Siobhan’s Clan nodded in agreement. “We know we can do it. We know that Star and Sarah’s Clan will assist, as needed.”

Bouncing up and down, Colleen said, “I can’t wait to feel the response of the ship to liftoff instructions.” The group was a little shocked at Colleen’s sudden change of demeanor, as she was one of the most reserved of her clan.

“We suggest that you run through the complete liftoff procedure at least twice. After you’ve completed that, practice liftoff with various systems malfunctioning, this will give you some experience in handling potential emergencies.”

“I sense there is more to this,” said Maureen.

“I do to,” added Siobhan.

“There is, we are taking the next step toward our future,” replied Sarah’s Clan in unison. “You will do well, as both Siobhan and Maureen have experience on the bridge and both Primary AIs have received Star’s knowledge. Again, we will mind-link with you only to monitor your activity. If assistance is needed, we will be there, but it’s not likely to be needed.”

Maureen and Siobhan each scanned the faces of their clans. What they saw mirrored was what they felt through their mind-link. Siobhan looked at Maureen, and nodded. With that, the two clans responded in unison, saying, “We accept the challenge. We are humbled by the faith you have in us. We will do our best to live up to the expectations of our collective family. This is not something that any of us sought and we all feel a bit overwhelmed by the responsibility.”

“Our mentor, Brigit, will join the crew of Phoenix at liftoff,” said Aoife. “Creidne will join the crew of Eagle when it lifts off.”

Siobhan turned to her family, “Let’s get to work. We have a lot to do before tomorrow.” Maureen’s clan watched as Siobhan’s clan went toward Phoenix, and then headed for Eagle.

“Why do you think Maureen responded the way she did?” asked Joyce.

“An interesting question,” said Aoife.

“I think we will see Colleen and Brandan at the helm, with Maureen handling flight operations. She is a fantastic pilot.”

“I disagree. She will be at the helm,” said Aoife, “although any of them could do the job, as is the case with us. Maureen held back because she thought the request was counter to our success. The combination of her flying ability and perception will make Eagle invaluable to us.”

“Do you think the doors of the bridge will open automatically for them today?”

“Yes,” replied Aoife, “They will both find the spirit of the ship, though it will likely not happen as quickly as it did for us. I wouldn’t expect that to happen until Phoenix and Eagle are fully operational, and have made a few excursions.”

Dinner on Dóchas and An Clochán had just finished when Sarah’s Clan stepped to the front of An Clochán’s dining room. “Good evening,” they said in unison. “We have a few announcements before we begin our normal session.

“Tomorrow morning, Phoenix will lift off, with Siobhan’s Clan at the helm and functioning as the ship’s Command Staff.” Those at each location cheered on hearing the announcement. After it quieted down Sarah’s Clan continued, “Once Phoenix has reached its planned orbital position near Dóchas, Eagle will lift off. Maureen’s Clan will be at the helm as its Command Staff.” This announcement caused another loud cheer, causing Sarah’s Clan to pause again. “For liftoff, each will have a minimal crew. The Departmental AIs on each ship will shortly begin informing you of your assignment. Staffing will post crew lists for both ships, once they are in orbit. You don’t need to pack since there is much more that needs to be completed before the ships are operational.”

Melinda stood on An Clochán, and once the room was quiet, said, “We are planning to record the liftoff from An Clochán. Is there any problem with providing segments of the video to Grand View’s TV and the newspapers?”

“I think we need to be careful about what we show,” said Lydia.

Chester of Keriann’s Clan said, “I really don’t see an issue with showing them high resolution photos of the liftoff or many of our operations. They should be available to anyone so perhaps someone can figure out how to achieve similar results.”

“We agree,” said Zoe standing with her friends.

“I suspect you are thinking of external views?” asked Leann, of the Engineering Group.

“Yes. Much like what we have all seen of a NASA liftoff.”

“The structure supporting the ships is standard dry dock style rigging. It is not as large as would be needed on Earth. In fact, on Earth they would likely need to build a ship this massive in a large body of water, such as an ocean bay or lake.”

“Melinda, show Engineering and Intelligence departments what you plan on doing. They should review any photos before you send them. This is still a learning experience for us.”

“I think you should provide a live feed of the liftoffs to Comrie,” said Claudette.

“Thanks. We almost overlooked that location. For Comrie, we could do a live holographic projection, so they would feel like they were there.”

“Good idea.”

Lana of Zoe’s Group said, “I think we are being a bit paranoid. We think it would be beneficial to offer Grand View TV live feed of the liftoff. During the broadcast, the host can cite a few general facts about the ships, just like a the space launches Earth’s audiences have seen.”

“Melinda, do you think your group can carry this off?” asked Sarah.

“Yes. We will consult with Engineering and Intelligence on the facts aspect. I’ll advise the TV station of the availability and timing.”

“Is everyone comfortable with this approach?” asked Sally.

“Yes,” replied everyone.

The group spent the next hour discussing different issues affecting them. One clan expressed concern that there could be other groups like Craigly’s on Earth that were just waiting for an opportunity to kidnap some of them. Terry started to respond, but saw Shannon stand.

“We suspect there are,” said Shannon. “It has been close to four years since the first of us became a part of the Golden Amazon species. In that time, we have learned a lot, both about ourselves and the technology available in our library. As we’ve made these discoveries, we’ve shared that knowledge with the others in our family. To me our sharing is the key to our success.

“We need to be strong and confident in our actions, then, when challenged, we need to respond appropriately. It is my hope that if anyone on Earth manages to capture one of us, it is a short-term issue and none of us are injured. If that occurs we should extract an exceptionally high price for their action, for two reasons. One is that it will tell them, ‘Hands off!’ Two, those actions go against the public positions of many Earth governments. In any case, our group will do everything we can to achieve that result.”

Rusty said, “We know the risks of space, of visiting Earth, and of life in general. Shannon is right; there is a strong probability that an attempt will be made to kidnap or subvert members of our family. It is possible they could succeed. We all know that, as a family, we will use all of our available abilities to release those who have been captured. We will do as Shannon indicated: those who treat us as enemies will pay an exceptionally high price for actively targeting us. By way of an exceptionally high price, I think a long life of constant agony is a higher price than a quick death, even though those who don’t die can return as a threat another day.”

“When we are on Earth,” said Sally, “we should always try to be in small groups. This will not eliminate the risk, but it will make any attempt on us more challenging. Together, several of us would have a better chance of dealing with any potential abductors.”

“Any other comments or questions?” asked Sarah. After a moment she added, “Well seeing none, sleep well as tomorrow will be an exciting day.”

At An Clochán the next morning, every one gathered in the arrival area after breakfast. For them, it was the best location to view Phoenix and Eagle when they lifted off. Earlier they had seen Siobhan’s and Maureen’s Clans enter their ships, along with some of the crews.

It was fifteen minutes before Phoenix’s scheduled lift off when Melinda began her broadcast commentary with, “Good morning from An Clochán Mars. We are pleased that you could join us to watch our Dóchas class ships as they lift off to join Dóchas in orbit above Mars. The one on the left is named Phoenix and the other is Eagle. There is still a lot of work to do before they are fully operational. For us it is more efficient to complete them in orbit. One advantage is that it allows us to optimize their structural requirements for space travel. Dóchas class ships are shaped like an ellipsoid with a length of 1500 meters, a width of 305 meters and a height of 145 meters. They are currently resting on a frame with their bow elevated at about 30 degrees. Their propulsion system consists of 8 pods arranged around the stern. When the ships are complete, there will be between 30 and 35 levels.” As she described them, the viewers saw an animated drawing.

On the bridge of Phoenix, Siobhan’s Clan was all business as they monitored the ship’s systems as the crew prepared for lift off. As systems became active those on the bridge could feel the ship come alive they felt the environment surrounding them change. This was a sensation that had not been present during their practices.

“Dóchas,” said Siobhan, “requesting permission to move to join Dóchas in Mars orbit.”

“Phoenix, permission granted,” replied Sarah’s Clan. “May the Gods and Goddesses be with you.”

Siobhan scanned the consoles along with her spouses once she confirmed there status she said, “Initiate lift.”

Together they watched as their displays as they felt the ship begin to rise. Although there wasn’t a real sensation of movement, everyone could sense the change, and then another when it lifted free of the rigging. Among the crew, there were no cheers, just a pleasant feeling of satisfaction as the ship began moving forward as it rose. When they were 3 meters above the supports, Siobhan said, “Keira, initiate departure sequence.”

“Aye. Setting acceleration to 0.012 kms.”

As Phoenix began to accelerate away Melinda said, “You just heard Keira acknowledge their departure acceleration as 0.012 km/s² using their shorthand phrase kms. Their flight plan has them accelerating for about 540 s. This will raise their velocity to 6 km/s. In about 81 minutes they will enter Dóchas current orbit which is 18354 km above Mars. After reaching orbit it will take another 30 minutes to catch Dóchas and then match her velocity. You can see on your TV a plot showing their progress and their path toward Dóchas. This plot can also be seen on the Órarduine website and is the same one shown on many monitors around here. Their orbit is a little more than a 1000 km above a Mars geosynchronous position. It does require some frequent adjustments to maintain their position.” As the flight progressed Melinda continued to point out aspects of the flight.

To those on the ground watching the liftoff, it was an amazing sight to see it rise a short distance above its supports then begin moving forward with a 30 degree rise. Compared to the visual impact of a NASA Space Shuttle lift off, the rise of Phoenix was dud. No bright lights. No thundering roar. Regardless, those at An Clochán, on Dóchas and at Comrie thought it was the greatest sight they had ever seen. The cheering as soon as they saw Phoenix slowly lift away from her supporting rigging. When she was well clear of the rigging, she began to accelerate as she rose into the Martian sky. When she was no longer visible, the crowds attention shifted to the large monitors showing live video from the Star Fighters escorting her.

On board Phoenix Siobhan said, “All systems nominal.”

“Propulsion is indicating that we are at 10% power,” said Keira. “Acceleration optimal.”

“That is considerably less than engineering had projected we would need,” responded Casidhe.

“Yes it is. It started at the value they projected but a few moments after we began moving it started dropping and stabilized at the current level.”

“Navigation is indicating that steering performance is exceeding expectations, as well.”

“Remember, we are not fully outfitted,” said Donna, the primary AI. “Those parameters will change somewhat when the ship is fully operational.”

“How much?”

“Once the ship is complete, I am projecting that we will be noticeably more responsive than Dóchas was, when she was new. Indications are that with our redesigned propulsion system, the new Dóchas class ships will have some 30 to 40% more speed than Dóchas originally had.”

“Even with all the additional mass,” asked Conan.

“Yes.”

“How can that be? I know Phoenix is based on designs we found in the library.”

“Our Engineering group used newly-discovered materials, which improved the performance of the designs. We operate in the same manner, but there have been improvements in the way that that is achieved.”

Melinda said to the TV viewers, “Phoenix has reached her velocity target and now has an ETA for orbit insertion in approximately 71 minutes. We will break now and return for Eagle’s lift off in 2 hours. When we return, we will have an update on Phoenix’s flight. Remember, continuous coverage is on our website.”

On Phoenix Melissa said, “We have achieved orbital height at 79.86 minutes after lift off. Orbital parameters are optimum to rendezvous with Dóchas.”

Keira said, “Aye. Deceleration to begin in about 23 minutes, precise time still being resolved.”

Siobhan said, “Well done. Kendra, advise Command Staff and Maureen of our status.”

“They know,” responded Kendra, from the communications monitor. “Eagle is powered up and holding. Their lift off is still as scheduled which is about 45 minutes from now. A holographic display will appear here shortly beforehand so we can see their liftoff; I have routed it to the auxiliary terminals in each department.”