Chapter 2

No sleep cells on this part of the trip; we have a 12 week transit to our sister world Arilon almost 2 trillion kilometers away. Although our two stars are not binary our solar systems are considered to be so. They do revolve around a common point in space but have no comingling of astral bodies and even have separate Oort clouds. We are to pick-up a second astro-gator and a planetary specialist that will provide us with the coordinates for a world around a star on the other side of the nebula that blocks our view of the Galaxy anti-spin-ward from us.

We have suspected for hundreds of years that there might be planets around some of the stars we got glimpses of through the nebula; but until now had no evidence of their existence. A few ships have gone in search of routes through the nebula but none have ever returned. A Dr. Torbalt has retrieved data from probes he sent out showing that there are thousands if not millions of stars beyond the nebula; and that many have what appear to be planetary bodies orbiting them. These probes have also mapped a route through the nebula that a ship can use.

When we landed Dr. Torbalt and two of his staff were waiting to board and get underway. But being as it was late in the day Capt. Botor decided that the ground crew would restock the stores and clean the ship prior to departure the next day. Dr. Torbalt agreed and we were entertained by his staff at the central university where the good Dr. headed up the Planetary Sciences Dept.

The next day dawned ominous as it was raining heavily and we had to take a covered ground car to the ship. The Capt. proposed a one day delay but Dr. Torbalt ordered the ascent accusing the Capt. of being overly superstitious. Little did we know the portent of the Capt.'s feeling of dread.

It started almost immediately: as we lifted off one of the landing struts failed to retract, it was traced to an unset switch in the maintenance bay; just as we cleared atmosphere one of the lift engines went run-away and had to be shut-down manually as both the main and back-up controllers failed. As we started the main boost engines and started to get underway the entire forward sensor array went dead; we had to go motion dead as we tried to fix it. It turned out to be a circuit-breaker that broke in its clamp. It showed good but no current flowed through it. It took over 3 hours to find the trouble and replace the breaker.

As we hung in orbit awaiting repair of the sensor array we started getting everyone not needed into their sleep cells. When we started group #6 cells 21-24; the control panel for the group wouldn't even power up. Fortunately all ships carry back-up cells; 1 for each 4 main cells. We finally got everyone in a cell but it took almost 5 hours longer than it should have. Eight hours delay and we have only just now broken orbit.

I find my brother and tell him that I will see him when we arrive as our up-cycles do not co-inside. I then go to my sleep-cell to await my watch rotation and our arrival in just less than 3 years.

There was nothing out of the ordinary to report on my first two up-cycles; but about half-way through my third and last I noticed during my rounds that one of the engine monitors was showing a higher than normal temp on the fuel mix. I reported it to the control room and when Lt. Timoor checked it it showed normal on his panel. After convincing him to go to Engineering and check it there he came running back to the control room and set the emergency wake-up for the Capt. and Chief Engineer.

3 hours later when they all came back to the control room they continued to check everything else; that is when they found that we were almost one-half parsec off course. I found out later that the mix compensator for engine #4 had failed; thus the overheat but the control room indicator failed also, thus the incorrect reading. The navigation error was traced to the fact that the switch in auxiliary control that sets the nav-comps to off, over-ride or pole was in over-ride for computer #1 and it had developed an error. When it was turned off and reset then returned to pole mode the ship returned to the correct course. The Capt. placed a note in the ships log that 'because of my attention to detail and astuteness in catching the engine error a major trouble was averted'; I could very well get a promotion when we get return home. I completed my up-cycle and went back to sleep knowing that the next time I awoke we would be nearing our destination.