Chapter 4, part 1
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
The ship was nearly complete. It was a massive ship almost 100 meters in length and probably 50 meters in width. Shem had modeled the hull after numerous TV shows and movies. What it most resembled was a huge version of a shuttle from a popular 1960’s TV show. This grand ark was to carry forth the human race. You would have expected it to have a naval gray exterior but not this ship. Shem was partial to the color back and wanted his ship black.
Shem Finch had just two days left before the launch. Its passengers were already arriving at the base and being kept quarantined until it was time. They knew not of each other until their arrival. One barrack hosted the females and the other the males. All of them bewildered about what was to happen. The old prison looked dismal and deserted. It was in bad need of a paint job.
“Shem, come take a look at this.” Monica was hunched over the main computer in the rear of the cockpit. She was looking at the satellite images pulled from the probe.
“I’ve programmed the coordinates into the main computer and now I am looking at the satellite pictures of this planet. It looks so similar to Earth except it has less ocean and the polar caps are at the side running east and west instead of north and south. But look, if you were to think you were looking at earth, see here where Australia would be, it’s only a bit bigger. It just would seem that the oceans were smaller and the land masts were bigger.” Shem leaned over to look at the computer screen. She could feel the heat from his body behind her.
“Hmmm. That is interesting. Well I suppose we’ll find out what this is all about in a couple of days. Now you said you’ve put in the coordinates into the main computer?” Shem took a step back to allow Monica to stand up.
“Yes and we are almost ready to turn the crank on this puppy. The reactors are almost finished fueling. Do you want to go over launch procedure again?” Monica was a perfectionist. Shem had taught her that.
“Okay in a few minutes. First I want to go back and make sure we have the main passenger compartment ready. Are all the other items loaded on yet?” Shem was referring to the item each passenger wanted to bring forth to represent the human race and its entire existence.
“Almost, we are waiting on a rose bush from someone’s grandmother’s yard. She’s in England. Oh and we are also waiting on some other thing, but I’ve forgotten what it was. It’s funny how most of the passengers wanted to bring books. They’ve all been loaded into the computer. Along with all of your Star Treks and Star Wars stuff.” She teased him.
“Well thank goodness for that.” Shem seemed unphased by Monica’s teasing.
Shem turned and walked out of the cockpit. Monica was tired and a bit disheveled. They were all running on a couple of hours sleep at night. There would be plenty of time to sleep later. Just as that thought hit her, she decided to sit down for a few minutes before continuing her computer programming. Slowly her eyes began to close and then she was out like a light.
Shem moved back through the sleeping quarters. It much resembled that of a sleeping car on a train. Each compartment had two bunks on one side and on the other a long bench style seat upholstered in gray canvas. A small table latched to the wall when not in use and would unlatch to come down and be a divider between the bed and the bench seat. To the front of the compartment was a small bathroom that contained a small sink, toilet and shower. This was to be home for two passengers for the next six months. Together, they would all forge new housing on the new planet. Shem entered his compartment and sat down on his bunk. Five minutes he thought to himself, just five minutes. Shem laid down on the bunk and closed his eyes. He was snoring within 30 seconds.
The ship was nearly complete. It was a massive ship almost 100 meters in length and probably 50 meters in width. Shem had modeled the hull after numerous TV shows and movies. What it most resembled was a huge version of a shuttle from a popular 1960’s TV show. This grand ark was to carry forth the human race. You would have expected it to have a naval gray exterior but not this ship. Shem was partial to the color back and wanted his ship black.
Shem Finch had just two days left before the launch. Its passengers were already arriving at the base and being kept quarantined until it was time. They knew not of each other until their arrival. One barrack hosted the females and the other the males. All of them bewildered about what was to happen. The old prison looked dismal and deserted. It was in bad need of a paint job.
“Shem, come take a look at this.” Monica was hunched over the main computer in the rear of the cockpit. She was looking at the satellite images pulled from the probe.
“I’ve programmed the coordinates into the main computer and now I am looking at the satellite pictures of this planet. It looks so similar to Earth except it has less ocean and the polar caps are at the side running east and west instead of north and south. But look, if you were to think you were looking at earth, see here where Australia would be, it’s only a bit bigger. It just would seem that the oceans were smaller and the land masts were bigger.” Shem leaned over to look at the computer screen. She could feel the heat from his body behind her.
“Hmmm. That is interesting. Well I suppose we’ll find out what this is all about in a couple of days. Now you said you’ve put in the coordinates into the main computer?” Shem took a step back to allow Monica to stand up.
“Yes and we are almost ready to turn the crank on this puppy. The reactors are almost finished fueling. Do you want to go over launch procedure again?” Monica was a perfectionist. Shem had taught her that.
“Okay in a few minutes. First I want to go back and make sure we have the main passenger compartment ready. Are all the other items loaded on yet?” Shem was referring to the item each passenger wanted to bring forth to represent the human race and its entire existence.
“Almost, we are waiting on a rose bush from someone’s grandmother’s yard. She’s in England. Oh and we are also waiting on some other thing, but I’ve forgotten what it was. It’s funny how most of the passengers wanted to bring books. They’ve all been loaded into the computer. Along with all of your Star Treks and Star Wars stuff.” She teased him.
“Well thank goodness for that.” Shem seemed unphased by Monica’s teasing.
Shem turned and walked out of the cockpit. Monica was tired and a bit disheveled. They were all running on a couple of hours sleep at night. There would be plenty of time to sleep later. Just as that thought hit her, she decided to sit down for a few minutes before continuing her computer programming. Slowly her eyes began to close and then she was out like a light.
Shem moved back through the sleeping quarters. It much resembled that of a sleeping car on a train. Each compartment had two bunks on one side and on the other a long bench style seat upholstered in gray canvas. A small table latched to the wall when not in use and would unlatch to come down and be a divider between the bed and the bench seat. To the front of the compartment was a small bathroom that contained a small sink, toilet and shower. This was to be home for two passengers for the next six months. Together, they would all forge new housing on the new planet. Shem entered his compartment and sat down on his bunk. Five minutes he thought to himself, just five minutes. Shem laid down on the bunk and closed his eyes. He was snoring within 30 seconds.
posted by Tracey at 8:56 AM
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