Kingdoms Away 1: Jorian Cluster Archives Read Free

where
everything was sealed into cupboards that could and would pivot. He
packed up the rest of his things, and closed the last hatch.
Peering down, he saw Charles sitting and waiting for him in the
tube entrance. Charles had to be placed with the other animals, in
deep sleep in special chambers. Most of the species were in special
embryo tubing, ribbons and ribbons for each species kept in four
different locations. But Al had been given permission to wake a
number of creatures as prescribed by the psychologist on board.
“We’ll need the companionship.” She’d looked at Al with a twinkle
in her eye. “Not the gator.”
    “Yes, ma’am.” A few laughed but most gave him
a worried look, knowing his sense of humor too well. On the final
day he patted Charles on the head, running his fingers through the
thick fur. The wet nose sniffed and Charles’s head dropped
sleepily. Al played with his paw for a moment smiling at the short
legs. Bush dogs were funny-looking things but Al loved him. He
sealed the chamber. He seemed to being doing that a lot lately, and
checked the instruments ensuring Charles was moving into deep
sleep, and then hibernation, then freeze. In the tests even in that
state the attites were still active, responding to the animal’s
automatic systems. They truly were amazing.
    “All done?”
    Al nodded. “Charles and all animals are in
deep freeze, Chen. I’m on my way to E deck. You?”
    “Just came to pick you up, we have sleep
chambers side by side.”
    Al laughed. “How romantic. Hope Simon
understands.”
    “I’m a sentimental fool, Al. Simon’s on my
other side.”
    They chatted on the way up and across, seeing
the teams already in place to help them prepare. The room was
clinical almost if you ignored the grey walls, floor and ceiling.
Tubes hung from the ceiling, connecting to rows of white chambers.
It was times like this Al understood why people didn’t respond well
to him. He balked at being told what to do even when he knew he had
to do it. And now? He and Chen were merely subjects to be bossed
around, poked and prodded, drugged, and told to be still. He saw
Chen’s hand waving before he was firmly told off by his team. His
own team didn’t give him a chance to even respond and pushed down
his freckled hand. Simon was already asleep with the chamber lid
sliding across. Lights were madly blinking off and on, with data
streaming across a small monitor on the side of his chamber.
    Finally, tucked in without the bedtime story,
Al drifted. Hating the forced sleep, he ran through the checks. All
links to their base had been eradicated. A hundred thousand tons
would lift from the surface. The Tun would rise into the sky and
out to space. Back on Earth the detonation sequence would begin
thirty minutes after their takeoff. He could watch the explosion
after, because it would be monitored, and it had been estimated
that a six-hundred-meter crater in diameter would be left. They had
bets on the exact size. At this point of the journey discretion and
all secrecy were discarded … his eyes finally closed …
     
    … when he opened his eyes, the same bossy
team were telling him to get out and get dressed. God knows … ah,
ah, no religious expletives! Charlie knows what they did to them
while they slept.
    “Mess duty, Dr. Reos.”
    Someone shoved a tablet into his cold hands.
He rubbed his eyes and was told off. Grumbling a little but happy
to have woken up, Al hastily obeyed and headed out to the kitchen.
The Tun appeared to be the right way up now, inside at least and,
from the monitors he checked on the way, they had docked and
connected to the Tunuen. When he arrived the cook yelled at him.
“You’re late, get over there and do those dishes.”
    Al didn’t bother responding. The dishwashing
plant guy had to serve meals, while the server medic had to cook,
which had been the zoologist’s job, his job, but Al considered it a
fair deal. He’d taken a little side trip to check his