I can see it in your eyes. I don’t know where you’re going, but follow your heart.

Marty and Angie knew that something big was up. They had been summoned upon their return to Area 51 to a special meeting with both General Wilson and Arthur. The recent attack on the X-2001 weighed heavily on their minds and the mood was somber.

General Wilson had his usual resolute face on. “We’ve reviewed your recordings of the alien encounter, your actions in this matter were exemplary. You both are to be congratulated for your effective use of tactics to defend the ship. It is one more justification for sending you on these missions. In light of this unprovoked attack and the continuing assaults on the citizens of Earth, we have come to the conclusion that we need a manned presence in space. Pursuant to this judgment, we are in the process of the creation of a Space Command, which will be responsible for the defense of the planet Earth and the exploration of space.”

“Is this an international effort?” Marty asked.

“Yes, it is. Earth now has a common enemy and our petty differences have no place in the big picture. Most nations knew that there has been a threat from outer space, but the true nature of this threat was not clear. Now, we can state that we have known about this threat since 1947 and have been taking steps to counter it. I defer to Arthur, who will provide you with the details, but I want you to know that your efforts to find the alien home world are of the utmost priority.”

Arthur took the podium and cleared his throat. “You’ll be happy to know that you and your crew are going on leave. We are in the process of having a new more advanced star ship built and it will be flown up to our new Space Port where you and your crew will be stationed for the next missions.”

“Is this Space Port part of the ISS?” Marty asked.

“No. The ISS will remain in orbit and be the primary platform for zero gravity experimentation. The Space Port employs Antigrav technology and has much more advanced facilities for you and your crew as well as the maintenance crews for the new ship.”

“How long is our leave?” Angie asked.

“You have four weeks from today. You will report to Edwards at 0800 on the fifth of October. You may go wherever you wish, but you are under orders not to discuss the aliens or the new ship’s missions to find the alien star.”

“How more advanced is this new ship?” Marty asked.

“Well, for one thing it’s much larger. You will not be able to land it on Earth. That’s why the Space Port is being built to accommodate it. Besides the dock, the port has provisions for over five hundred people. The ship itself is over twice the size of the X-2001 and is fitted with more weapons and more advanced Landers.”

“Can a ship that large still go through a singularity?” Marty asked.

“The engineers assure us that it will. In fact, it will be able to make a longer jump than the X-2001 could. You two will take it out on its maiden flight and test it on a short jump.”

Here we go again: guinea pigs are us.

“Since this new ship is larger, will the crew be expanded?” Angie asked.

“That’s a possibility, but we’re still discussing that. Additional crew members would be useful, but since these missions are dangerous, risking more people at this time may not be wise.” He smiled. “Have a nice leave, and we’ll go over your next mission when you get back.”

Marty and Angie smiled back, but they were not looking forward to going out there in a brand new ship. They had barely gotten used to the last one.

###

When they got back to the barracks, Marty and Angie found that the rest of the crew had already departed. Neither Angie nor Marty could blame them. Being cooped up in this god-forsaken place was like serving a sentence in San Quentin.

“So, where are you going?” Marty asked her.

“I think I’ll go visit my parents. Where are you going?”

“Nowhere. My parents are deceased, my two ex-wives are married and I have no idea where my children are.”

“You’re welcome to come with me.”

“I don’t know about that. Your parents don’t know me. I’d be a stranger in a strange land.”

“They would love to see you,” she said with a solicitous smile. “They’ll think you’re courting me. They’ve always bugged me about getting married.”

“Do you think that’s wise? They’ll be upset when they find out the truth.”

“Nah, they’re used to it.”

He laughed.

A marine barged through the barrack's door. “Hey, if you guys want to get out of here, you had better get a move on. The last plane to McCarran leaves in less than an hour.”

“We’ll be packed in ten minutes,” Marty said.

And, they were. The marine drove them to the airstrip so that they could get aboard the plane.

“I feel like I’m going on my first leave from the Air Force,” Marty said. “All I have is my duffle bag.”

“We can purchase things we need when we get to Las Vegas,” Angie said. “Have you checked your account of late?”

“No, why?”

“We’ve been given a sizable back pay.”

“It doesn’t matter to me. I don’t really have anything to spend it on, plus my children are still getting support.”

The plane began its trip down the runway.

“Where are your parents?”

“They have a ranch outside Navojoa.”

“That’s in Mexico, I take it.”

“Yes. It’s in the state of Sonoma about 360 miles south of the border.”

“Navojoa. That’s a strange name. What does it mean?”

“It’s from the Mayo language and means Cactus House.”

“That’s sounds descriptive. Is this place out in the desert?”

“It is semi arid, but the land in the Mayo valley is some of the best in Mexico.”

“I need Lia. I don’t know any Spanish, except for a few phrases like por favor, muchas gracias and buenos dias.”

She laughed. “That’s a good start. Actually, my Spanish isn’t all that good. I’ve been away from it for some time.”

“Oh, well, at least we won’t have to battle aliens or test new space ships.”

She gave him a soothing smile. “Let’s not dwell on business. We’re on leave and we need the break.”

He smiled back. “Agreed.”

###

Marty drove the Jeep Avenger that they had rented down a winding dirt road, kicking up dust that trailed back a hundred yards. They passed various cacti along the side of the road.

“Nice road,” Marty said.

“Hey, this is Mexico. We don’t have the wealth of the United States.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean it as an ethnic joke.”

“I know, but this is typical of the rural areas in Mexico.”

“I feel that this would be more authentic if we were on horseback.”

Angie looked at him with a smug grin. “We can do that. My parents have horses. Do you know how to ride?”

“It’s been a while, but I can handle it.”

She pointed to a Spanish style home behind a stone portico. “It’s right up ahead.”

“A nice hacienda,” Marty said. “Your parents have done well.”

“It’s not really a hacienda, but they saved their money for years to buy it. It was their dream.”

“Achieving a dream is what life is all about.”

A sign above the portico read:  Rancho Las Amor de Mayo.

“What’s that mean?” Marty asked.

“Basically, ranch of those who love the Mayo valley.”

“That sounds romantic.”

She smiled. “Basically, it is.”

The house itself wasn’t all that impressive but it did command respect with its yellow tiled roof and stucco sides. A woman dressed in jeans and a light long sleeved shirt greeted them. She removed a large straw hat when she saw her daughter. Her face was weathered but still quite handsome. She had dark eyes that seemed to be laughing even when she wasn’t.

“Mother, this is Martin Sinclair. We work together.”

“I am pleased to meet you, Señor Sinclair.”

“I’m honored,” he said, giving her his best smile.

“Please come in,” she said, motioning to the large wooden door with wrought iron hardware.

If the outside wasn’t all that impressive, the inside was beautifully appointed with dark hardwood floors and archway entrances lined with reddish stone. A large elaborate fireplace dominated the main room. The walls were decorated with murals showing various aspects of Mexican peasant life.

A tall man with a weathered face and wavy gray hair appeared. He had a steady gate despite his years. His wife gestured to Marty. "This is Señor Sinclair, Carlos. He and Angelina work together."

"Welcome," he said when he shook Marty's hand. "How long can you visit."

"We were given four weeks," Marty said, trying not to sound eager.

"Ah, this is good. I could use help with the maize harvest."

"Well, I live in Los Angeles, but I grew up on a farm in Iowa, so I've helped on quite a few corn harvests."

"Excelente!"

Angie’s mother smiled, obviously happy that she would have her daughter home for longer than just a weekend and that she had a man interested in her.

Angie was excited, but not for the same reason. “Martin would like to see our ranch, el padre.”

“Si, Si. Of course. You will need to visit el Capitán.”

“Martin will need a mount.”

“Si. Go and enjoy.”

“I need to show Martin to his quarters,” Angie said.

“There is a room next to yours.”

Angie motioned for Marty to follow her. He picked up his duffle bag and did so, ascending a spiraling rough-hewn log staircase to a hall on a loft. This part of the house was obviously designed for guests because it was isolated from the main living area. They stopped at the bathroom, which was spacious and had a large open shower room that was made up of irregularly colored marble tiles. The bathroom had a large open entrance. Evidently, they didn’t believe in privacy.

“Very nice,” Marty said, looking around.

“Your room is down the hall.”

He smiled and followed her to a room that was both simple as it was elegant. The queen-sized bed had a comforter emblazoned with Hopi Indian symbols. Similar Indian artifacts decorated the walls.

He placed his duffle bag on a large wooden chest at the foot of the bed. “Very nice! This sure beats the barracks at Area 51.”

Angie frowned. “Anything would beat that dump.” She moved to the doorway. “I’ll be right back.”

Marty lay on the bed and stretched. The mattress was firm but very comfortable, and it was easy to fall asleep.

“Hey, get up. We have work to do.”

He sat up, rubbed his face and crawled off the bed. “Sorry about that.”

She gave him an apologetic smile. “Come on, I’ll show you around the farm.”

She took him to the stables where several horses were kept. When she pulled a white stallion out of its stall, Marty’s eyes widened.

“Oh, my god! That’s a Lipizzaner, isn’t it?”

“Señor Sinclair, meet El Capitán.”

Marty rubbed his hand down the magnificent horse’s snout. “I’ve only dreamed about horses like this.”

“Yours is in the next stall. Saddle up, señor. We’re going on a ride.”

Marty pulled another white Lipizzaner out of the adjoining stall and began the process of saddling it. The Spanish style gear was different than he was used to, but he managed. They rode out onto a landscape filled with yucca and cacti that was the home of lizards, snakes and scorpions. Mountains in the distance framed a postcard-pristine landscape, pulling anyone who ventured onto it into a mythical past.

The fields of maize stretched for acres. This was the principal crop of Angie’s parents’ farm. Irrigation came from a small creek that flowed through the property. The two riders paused near this creek to admire the swiftly flowing crystal clear water before they rode off to the west. Marty could scarcely believe his eyes. They had come upon a beach on which white-capped waves gently washed and seagulls dove and soared in a gorgeous blue sky.

“This is the Gulf of California, isn’t it?”

“Yes, señor. You do know your geography.”

They galloped along the beach through the crashing waves and refreshing sea breeze like two Spanish conquistadors from a long distant past enjoying a romp in the new world.

But, this was the modern world. Angie pulled up. “This is a far as we can go. There’s a tourist beach just past that rock.”

“I could get used to this,” Marty said. “I haven’t had this much fun in ages.”

She smiled at him. He wasn’t sure if she had taken his statement as some veiled commitment or not, but he didn’t care. They trotted back to the stables, locked in conversation about the farm and the land. Marty unsaddled his mount and he and Angie rubbed both mounts down before putting them into their stalls.

###

Marty spent the next weeks helping Carlos harvest the maize and other crops. He also repaired the tractor and the combine as well as several other pieces of equipment. With his help, the maize was safely stored in several grain bins ready for shipment. Angie had also helped with the harvest and the cooking. She was happy to see that Marty was happy here, and her parents sensed that she was satisfied.

Angie and Marty rode when they could. They often spent time resting by a gurgling stream just talking.

"So, what do you think of all this?" she asked him to a backdrop of water flowing over rocks and birds announcing the end of day.

"It's wonderful. I'd love to spend my last years in a paradise like this."

She sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"It's too bad that we have to go back."

"Yeah, I agree."

She stared at him with serious eyes. "I have bad news."

His eyes flashed with concern. "What?"

"I've been made your superior officer."

"I don't get it. I thought that you already were."

"It's been made official."

"So, what's the bad news?"

"I've been ordered to discipline you."

"You're kidding, right? I realize that I have a few behavior problems, but I've always . . ."

"You're a loose canon. You don't follow orders and you're a trouble maker."

"So, what are you going to do to me, Commander?"

"I suppose that I’ll have to punish you."

“You mean that you would punish me when we’ve been partners and good friends?”

“I don’t really want to, but I have my orders.”

He smiled. "I guess I’ll have to endure it. It sounds like it will be fun . . . for you."

She grinned. "And, I'll enjoy every minute of it."

He laughed. "I guess I had better behave then."

She laughed. "You got that right."

At the main meal on the next to last day before going back, Marty made an interesting revelation. Angie wasn’t sure that it was the wine talking or not.

“You may not know this,” he said to her parents. “But, your daughter here is my commander, and she’s the best commander I’ve ever served under. She and I have been through much in the last two years. We’ve seen things and have been to places that most people could only dream of. I’m glad that she brought me here, because this place is wonderful. I have never known that life could be this good. Perhaps, we will make this a frequent destination.”

“You are always welcome, Martin,” Carlos said, offering a toast, which Marty was more than happy to join. “I am very happy that you find our humble home so enjoyable.”

Angie’s mother didn’t say much, but it was obvious that she was pleased. Angie didn’t know what to think. She was unsure of this unfamiliar situation. She had never considered Marty as a suitor, but the possibility of it had crossed her mind.

###

Marty stood in the shower and allowed the warm water to pour over his head. He had had too much to drink and the morning brought with it the usual pounding head and queasy feeling. Nevertheless, it was worth it. He felt a foreboding that he just couldn't shake. No, it wasn't the impending war with the aliens. What bothered him the most was Angie. He had been working with her for over two years and he was beginning to like it. The consequence of that feeling could be painful, especially since she had been made his superior officer.

He felt her presence like a male dog senses a female in heat. He couldn't tell if it was the faint whiff of perfume or that he could hear her breathing despite the noise of the shower. He looked over his shoulder to find a smiling Angie watching him.

“That was some speech you gave my parents last night.”

“I meant every bit of it. I’m not one to make empty comments.”

"I figured it was just the wine talking."

He answered with a teasing smile. "The wine does its own talking."

She watched him in silence for several minutes while he finished his shower. When the water stopped, he hesitated to exit the open shower in her presence.

She gestured for him to come over to her. “Come over here. I have something to give you.”

"Can you wait until I dry off?"

"That's going to be tough; you forgot a towel."

"Shit!"

"I have one in my room. Come on."

"Come on, Angie, I'm indecent."

"Nonsense. Come on."

He did so, but he was timid and embarrassed, shielding his genitals with his hands.

She looked down at his hands. "You're not prudish, are you?"

"Well, I . . . No."

She gave him a big grin. “You have nothing to be ashamed of, señor."

His cheeks reddened.

He followed her to her room a few steps behind. When he arrived at her room, he hesitated to enter.

"Come in," she said, gesturing.

"What are your parents going to think about you having a naked man in your room?"

She laughed. "They will be ecstatic."

He laughed, but his was more subdued than hers. He entered her room as if he were fearful and timid. She approached him and pressed her lips to his, startling him. He felt her hand on his back and flinched when it moved down to his buttocks.

When she finally backed off, he stepped away, but she came right up to him for another kiss. He succumbed to her aggression and locked his lips to hers for a longer, more energetic kiss that ended with her hand slapping hard against the flesh of his bare behind. He reacted to her unexpected assault by jumping back.

"Ow! Careful. That's bare skin."

"Get back here," she ordered, pointing to the floor near her.

He reluctantly obeyed, and she immediately smacked his behind again.

"Ow!"

Her face flushed with anger. "You will do as you're told, mister."

"Are you punishing me, Commander?"

She had a look that said that she wanted to devour him. "Oh, my. I'm sorry. I guess that I'm really having way too much fun. I apologize. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry. I've always wanted to do that to a man, you know."

"I understand. It's okay. I deserve having my ass smacked."

Her eyes exuded playfulness. She placed her hand on his tight, well-defined abdominal muscles. "You're beautiful."

He didn't like where this was going, especially when she put a hand on his. "What is it that you wanted to give me?" he said.

Her eyes flashed with a return to reality. "Oh, I'm sorry." She went over to a large dresser and picked up an object, which she held up. "My father wanted you to have this." She held it out to him, but he was reluctant to use one of his hands to accept it.

"Take it," she demanded.

"Its beautiful." He looked up at her from the object in her hand, a five by seven relief carving of a Lipizzaner. "This is El Capitan, I assume."

"Yes, it is." She gave him a teasing grin. "Now, take it, silly. You can use it to hide behind."

He gave her a mock frown. "It's a little too small for that, Angie."

She laughed. "It certainly is!"

His cheeks flushed bright red.

###

Angie and Marty settled into their passenger seats on the X-1001 and waited for launch. The ship sat silently on Edward’s runway ready to take them to their new destination.

“Hey, Brian. How’s this thing running these days?” Marty asked.

“It’s purring like a kitten,” Brian said with a smart-assed grin. “Steve and I have been ferrying people and equipment up to this Space Port for the last several months. I should have been a bus driver.”

“We haven’t been up to see the new ship,” Marty said. “I hear that it’s almost finished.”

“They’re putting the finishing touches on it. I don’t know how they got it up there. It’s huge.”

Marty glanced at Angie before turning back to Brian. "Maybe they'll assign you to the X-2001."

"That would be great. I'm tired of being a ferry captain."

"Two minutes to launch, Brian."

"Execute on count, Delphi."

"Yes, Brian."

The ship rolled down the runway and jumped into the air. They soon reached the stratosphere and achieved orbit. Both Marty and Angie were used to this. What they weren't used to is the approach to the Space Port. It appeared as a giant erector set with large horseshoe-shaped structures curved around it. Contained within the erector set beams like some huge caged beast was the new star ship. The X-3001 was an expanded version of the X-2001 with a few differences. There were no fins and two triangular-shaped bulges ran in parallel down the body of the black wedge-shaped craft like twin spines on a wedge-shaped turtle.

Marty was impressed. “Wow! That’s a lot bigger than I had visualized from Arthur’s description.”

“Such a big ship for our little crew to ramble around in,” Angie quipped.

“I’ll bet that half of that ship contains weapon systems,” Marty said.

“Right,” Brian said. “They’ve installed at least a dozen antimatter bombs and two independent energy beam weapons.”

“I guess that we’re prepared for war whether we want it or not,” Marty said.

“These aliens should have known that we would not sit back and let them try to take us out,” Brian said. “Once the military gets involved, there’s no holding them back.”

Amen to that, Marty thought.

The X-1001 slowly passed by the huge new star ship on its way to a docking station. Marty and Angie studied the new vessel with interest. They both knew that they would have scarce time to really study it before taking it out on a test flight. Angie turned to smile at Marty before returning to ogling the immense ship.

Instead of linking up to a docking ring, the X-1001 slowly entered a large hangar and gently sat down on the smooth floor, the entire maneuver executed with its engines off. The hangar door slowly closed to allow the large chamber to be pressurized.

General Wilson and Arthur Wasserman greeted Marty and Angie the instant the two test pilots disembarked.

"Welcome to your new home," Arthur said, shaking hands with both.

Wilson saluted. "We need to get you two up to speed as quickly as possible. Finding the alien's home world is a priority since we've been experiencing more attacks on our ships. We believe that they're building up for a major invasion."

"What will happen to the X-2001?" Marty asked. 

"The X-2001 is being refurbished and will be put in service as soon as possible."

"Is our crew back?" Angie asked.

"Most of them," Arthur said. "George and Karl just got into Edwards right after you departed. They'll be transported up on the next flight."

A young female Air Force cadet walked up and saluted. The fresh face beneath her cap had a professional expression, but it hinted of playfulness. Her uniform looked as if it was brand new and even her shoes were spit-shined.

"Escort these two to their quarters, sergeant," Wilson said.

She saluted. "Yes, sir."

Marty and Angie followed the female cadet out of the hangar to an elevator that transported them up three decks to a special section devoted to providing housing for the star ship crew. Much to their surprise, their quarters were adjoining and a room between them was common.

After returning the cadet's salute and watching her departure, Marty turned to Angie. "What's up with the common room?"

"I don't know, but it is nice."

Marty scratched his head. "Well, I guess we had better get settled. I'm sure that things are going to heat up."

"Yes," Angie said before heading to her quarters.

The room was much larger than she had anticipated. The bed was in a separate room with plenty of cabinets and dresser space for clothes. She gasped when she opened the closet. Inside were five brand new uniforms and pairs of shoes. Three were dress blues; the other two were white. All had matching caps. Inside the dresser drawers she found ample quantities of new underwear, T-shirts and khakis. All were correctly sized.

The main room had a desk with a terminal. When she touched it, she got a surprise.

"Welcome Commander. You are scheduled for a briefing at 0100 hours on the command deck."

"And you are?"

"I am your personal assistant, Commander."

"Thank you."

"You are welcome."

### 

Arthur Wasserman appeared to be both upbeat and concerned at the same time. It was obvious by his body language that he felt uneasy about the possibility of a galactic war and the fact that the only two people who could fight it were seated in front of him. On the other hand his occasional smile indicated he was happy to have these two people on his side.

"You two are scheduled for a test flight of the new ship. Take it out two parsecs at least thirty degrees to the ecliptic plane, turn around and check out the Oort cloud. We have reason to believe that the aliens are hiding there. Some also believe that they're hiding behind trans-Neptunian objects in the Kuiper belt."

"Are we to engage them?" Angie asked.

"Not unless you are attacked. We need to know where they are staging for an invasion."

"How maneuverable is this new ship?" Marty asked.

"Despite its size it should be as responsive as the X-2001. The engines are more powerful and the worm drive is more stable. You can tell us what you think of it after you try it out."

"What if we don't like it?" Marty said with a facetious grin.

Angie rolled her eyes.

Arthur stared at him with a confused frown before breaking into a laugh. "Trust me, you'll like it."

"Shouldn't we take George or Karl on this test?" Marty said. "They have more knowledge about the trans-Neptunian regions than we do."

"You probably should, but it's not worth the risk. It would take too long to find replacements before the next mission."

Translation: we are expendable.

"When do we go?" Angie asked. 

"Next week. They're still working on the finishing touches."

"Can we discuss it with our crew?"

"Yes. They're up here now."

Trapped like rats.

### 

Angie and Marty found a use for the room between their quarters: a perfect place to socialize with their crew.

"What did you do on your leave, Uma?" Angie asked her after taking a sip of Cabernet.

"Oh, I celebrated Diwali with my family. We had much fun."

"Diwali?"

"It is a festival of light over dark. There is much color and fireworks."

"Sounds like fun."

"It is wonderful."

"How about you, Ferris?"

"I observed the fasting of Ramadan with my family."

"That doesn't sound like fun."

"It is at the end when we celebrate the festival of Eid al-Fitr. There is much feasting and rejoicing."

"I like that part," Marty said.

"I say," Tyler said. "These religious feasts come around at the same time. I observed Rosh Hashanah with my friends."

"What did you two do?" Uma asked.

Angie flashed a smile at Marty before replying. "We spent the entire time at my parents' farm near Navojoa, Mexico."

"Yeah," Marty said. "We helped her father harvest the maize crop. I haven't worked that hard since I was a youngster on my parents' farm in Iowa."

"You grew up on a farm?" George said.

"Yep. I sure did."

George guffawed. "I'll bet you never imagined that a farm boy from Iowa like you would end up being a space jock."

"Amen to that." He smiled. "As Paul said in Hebrews 6: Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God." He smiled. "I guess my blessing came later."

"When are we going on a new mission?" Uma asked. "I am ready."

"It'll be after Martin and I test the new ship," Angie said. "We're scheduled to go next Wednesday."

"Where do you go on these test flights?" George asked.

"Wherever they tell us," Angie said.

Marty smiled. Good answer.

### 

Marty looked around the command deck. "I like the decor. It looks more like an office than a space ship."

"It's too large," Angie said. "We could hold a convention in here."

"It feels so empty with just the two of us."

"Space Command has given us clearance for departure, Angie."

"Take us out of docking at 1.5 mps, Delphi."

"Yes, Angie."

There was no sense of movement except for the slow passing of the dock's girders on the main screen. After clearing the dock the ship began to turn up at a thirty-degree angle to the elliptic. As the engines ramped up, the images of the Earth and Space Port on split windows of the main screen shrunk quickly.

“Ten minutes to jump, Angie.”

“Thank you, Delphi.”

“You are welcome, Angie.”

“I wonder how some of those comets out in the Oort cloud don’t get tangled into the singularity we create on these jumps,” Marty said.

“I believe that it’s because they don’t fit. The space that our ship occupies is distorted so that it will fit into the singularity. The comets can’t occupy that space.”

“I love it when you explain things,” Marty said with a teasing smile. “It makes you sexier.”

“I think that you’re full of it,” she said, returning his teasing smile.

“A lot of people share in your assessment.”

She laughed.

They remained silent for a few minutes before Angie turned to her partner. “Do you really think I’m sexy?’

“I sure as hell do, but I’m biased.”

“What do you mean by that?”

He never answered the question. The ship began to twist as if it were being rung out. Marty felt as if his head was being rung out as it was flushed down the singularity.

And after the snap back: “We have entered normal space, Angie.”

“Turn us around and plot a course to the fringe of the Oort belt, Delphi.”

“Yes, Angie. Our entry into normal space will be at 80,000 AU.”

“That will be fine, Delphi.”

The main screen displayed a star field that tracked from right to left as the ship turned. The engines screamed from the strain but the mood on the command deck was more relaxed.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Angie said, sounding miffed.

“What question is that?” Marty said, sounding calm.

“You said you were biased.”

“I am. I work with you and you’re my commander.”

“Ten minutes to jump, Angie.”

“Execute on count, Delphi.”

“Yes, Angie.”

After several minutes of silence, Marty turned to his partner. “I still don’t understand how we can traverse parsecs of space by going through a singularity.”

“What do I look like: a nuclear physicist? I don’t even know how they can generate a singularity.” She grinned. “Does that mean that I’m no longer sexy?’

“Not a chance. You’re the essence of sexuality.”

The ship began its torturous twist, ending the conversation. This time Marty imagined that he his head was inside his chest.

“We have entered normal space, Angie.”

“Bring us down to 500 kps, Delphi.”

“Yes, Angie.”

The forward engines fired, slowing the march of stars on the main screen display. Marty began to scan for energy sources ahead.

“What the hell is that?” he said, switching the image of a brown object to the main screen. “Is that a gas giant way out here?”

“I doubt it. We’re out a light year. See if it’s radiating any energy.

“The surface is at 800K,” Marty said. “There is also evidence of neutrinos. The atmosphere is hydrogen and helium. I’m reading a mass that is at least five times Jupiter.”

“I’ll bet that it’s a brown dwarf star.”

“Karl would love this,” Marty said. “This is Sol B.”

“Get all the reading you can,” Angie said. “Karl will thank you.”

“I’m detecting several large non-radiating objects. They’re composed of ice with rock and iron.” 

“Those are comets, or the source of comets. Are you picking up any other energy sources?’

“No, but the Oort cloud is humongous. If the aliens are out here, they may be difficult to find.”

“I think that the more probable location is the Kuiper belt,” Angie said. “There are many dwarf planets and planetoids in it, and I believe that they would make better hiding places.”

“Now, if it were me, I would hide out here next to this dwarf star. There’s nothing like a nice fireplace out here in the cold dark recesses of space.”

“Maybe these aliens like cold places,” Angie said.

“Perhaps. We won’t know until we find their home world.” He rubbed his face. “If you think it would save time, take us to the Kuiper belt.”

“We had better patrol the Oort cloud for a while. Otherwise, Arthur will accuse us of shirking our duty.”

“Well, it sure beats flying through an asteroid field.”

“Take us on a course through the center of the Oort cloud, Delphi. Inform us of any alien energy profile on long range scan.”

“Yes, Angie.”

Angie switched off her command station and stood up. “They were in such a hell fire hurry to get us on this test flight, they never did give us a tour of the ship. I say we take it now.”

Marty stood up. “I second that emotion.”

They went to the back of the Command Deck where twin elevators occupied the back bulkhead.

“This slug has two elevators and they look like they could hold at least a half dozen people,” Marty said. “Why did they put in two?”

“They must anticipate a larger crew.”

The elevator took them to Deck 2, which contained the living quarters and common areas like the mess and recreational rooms. As they walked down the corridor, Angie and Marty looked at the placards on the doors to the individual quarters.

“Well, I’ll be,” Marty, said. “Our quarters are adjoining like on the Space Port.”

He followed her into hers. As on the Space Port, there was a common room in-between.

“It’s not as large as the one on the Space Port,” Angie said, “But it is well appointed.”

“You would think that we’re on a cruise ship,” Marty said. “We don’t need this kind of luxury on missions.”

“Perhaps, they’ve envisioned more lengthy missions,” Angie said. “Ones in which we would be out for months.”

He grinned. “In that case, I take it back.”

Marty inspected his quarters and marveled at the size of his bed and the amount of storage that was available. The bath had a nice-sized shower. He hadn’t experienced this kind of luxury on any military assignment in the past, but it didn't really matter. He was glad to be still in the game.

Marty and Angie entered an elevator and descended to the third deck, but when the door swished open they found pitch black. Marty played a small flashlight around to quickly determine that the deck was empty, unfinished or both.

Angie was curious. "Delphi, what is the intended purpose of Deck three?"

"I don't know, Angie. They didn't tell me."

Angie and Marty exchanged surprised looks. Not only had Delphi come up with an undefined answer she had used contractions. Was this the result of new programming?

The fourth deck contained all of the equipment for planetary exploration. The larger Landers were housed in a hangar with a door to space. The decontamination chamber and medical stations were more spacious and better equipped.

Back up on the command deck, Angie closed her command station and yawned. "I'm going to take a nap. When you get tired of meandering around in the Oort cloud, take the ship on a jump to the Kuiper belt and then wake me."

"Will do," Marty said. "Have a nice nap."

She gave him a satisfied smile before sashaying off. Marty spent the next three hours making long range scans. Discovering nothing, he had Delphi make a one light-year jump to the outside of the Kuiper belt.

He switched his monitor to Angie's quarters "Angie, we're at the Kuiper belt."

She awoke and looked up at his image. "I'll be right up."

After only a few minutes, she appeared on the command deck barefooted and wearing pink silk pajamas that were so shear they revealed every gorgeous curve, the precise location of her nipples and the exact contour of her breasts.

"Ah, I don't think that your uniform is regulation, commander."

She laughed. "I got this in Vegas. What do you think?"

"I would be arrested for what I'm thinking."

She giggled this time.

"I slowed us down to 1500 kps and put us on course to Earth," Marty said, trying like hell to keep his mind on business. "We're approaching a dwarf planet just slightly larger than Pluto. We should have Delphi capture scans in high speed as we past."

"Delphi, begin scans at one hundred thousand kilometers from the planetoid. Remain in full stealth mode."

"Yes, Angie."

Images of a very cold world began streaming in, each offset in view from the last. Obviously, the surface was a mixture of rock and frozen water, judging by the reflections of a distant sun. This dwarf planet appeared lifeless and scarred from many ancient collisions. Actually, it was not entirely lifeless. One of the images contained five saucer-shaped objects arranged in a circle. Several additional saucers appeared in subsequent images.

Angie sighed. "Well, I guess we've found what the military wanted us to find. I just hope they don't send us out here to engage them. I don't relish taking on that many enemy craft at the same time."

"I just hope they don't detect us. We're too far out to get help."

"We're out of range now," Angie said. "If they had spotted us, we would be seeing energy buildups by now."

"I agree."

She yawned. "I'm going back to my quarters and take a nice hot bath. Tell me if you run into trouble." She smiled. "Or, if you get bored, you may activate the surveillance camera."

He hesitated for several seconds before answering. "Will do."

He watched her beautiful departure before scratching his head. "What the hell is wrong with her?" he said to himself. "These jumps are making her act weird."

Or, am I just making excuses?