DEDICATION
This work of fiction was inspired by the remarkable true story of the failed Imperial Transantarctic Expedition of 1914-17, and is dedicated with deepest admiration and respect to the memories of Sir Ernest Shackleton, Mr. Frank Hurley, and the men, dogs, and cat of the Endurance.
Chapter 1
2124/08/24: This ship is not pretty, but she’ll be a fine home-very-far-away-from-home. In that sense, she’s beautiful.
– Commander Ladd’s Expedition Journal
Ruby Ladd’s first official act as Expedition Commander was to fire the cook.
That wasn’t the plan. Not even close. The plan was to meet Captain Williams, look over the ship, review some details, then assemble the rest of the party to get acquainted before the next day’s launch. While Ruby knew most of them already, they didn’t all know each other, and they would be together for over a year. This initial meeting meant they wouldn’t be rank strangers at launch.
Even this was a backup plan. She’d wanted to have everyone together much earlier, but her bosses had other ideas. It was a minor hiccup; Ruby adjusted and moved on. The delay only heightened her anticipation. She had been earthbound too long.
Ruby had been traveling for three days already by the time she arrived at Armstrong Spaceport the night before – one day from Seattle to the orbital launch loop in Upham, an hour or so in Earth orbit, then two days on the Moon shuttle. At least, it was night to her – 2100 Pacific Daylight Time – but it wouldn’t be dark on this side of the Moon for another week, and according to the spaceport clocks, it was 0700. Breakfast time. She crashed in exhausted sleep and got up five hours later, space-lagged and groggy, but in time to eat lunch – a bacon cheeseburger, and a pretty good breakfast, at that. All it needed was a fried egg.
After the meal, she suited up and went outside. The blazing sun precluded even a glimpse of Earth. The view Ruby had from orbit was the last she’d get for a long time. She wondered for a moment if she was right to leave now, when things were so unsettled. But the uncertainty didn’t last. This mission could make things better. And she had spotted her ship.
Ruby bounded across the bright, pale surface for a closer look. She’d seen diagrams and models, but this was her first glimpse of the real thing. A Salish-class cargo transport, formerly named Polaris, had been completely remodeled for this expedition. Essentially a new ship, she needed a new name. Ruby re-christened her Endurance. On a mission this long, they’d need it.
Most of the cargo fleet had been replaced with the larger Weddell-class vessels, but Ruby had specifically requested a Salish. She had flown them early in her career, when Armstrong was under construction, and knew the class well. They were blocky and basic, reliable and relatively easy to repair, requiring only a small crew.
Although based on an old model, Endurance bristled with the latest communications gear, as well as photovoltaic panels and a furled solar sail. Her hull was thick with extra plating to protect her from meteors and other space debris. This physical shielding provided some protection from radiation, as well, but the most important safety feature was invisible. Magnetic shielding would protect the occupants from high-energy cosmic rays. Without it, any manned mission longer than a few days was unfeasible, but with it, the people aboard were almost as safe as they would be on Earth. This was proven technology, in effect at the Moon and Mars bases as well as on the ships that traveled between them. Ruby had some concerns about the amount of experimental equipment aboard, but that was part of the mission. The ship looked stout, strong, and as eager as her commander to be on her way.
Ruby presented her credentials to the guard on duty, and entered the airlock. When the light changed from red to green, she stepped into the ship proper. She removed her helmet and hung it next to three others on a rack beside the entrance, then made her way to her quarters in the forward section. The passage was finished in white, with large black arrows indicating “up” in relation to the ship, and bright yellow handholds at regular intervals to assist with zero-gravity movement.
The Commander’s cabin was just below the bridge. The Captain and First Officer had the cabins to either side. Everyone else would sleep below. They weren’t carrying much cargo, and the extra space had been converted into private quarters for all members of the party. Some cabins were tiny, but privacy of any kind was a luxury on a spaceship. In the months ahead, they would appreciate it more and more.
In addition to the standard sleeping bag and storage lockers, the Commander’s quarters featured a large forward viewing port, as well as a private head. The cabin was spacious enough to also serve as her office if she needed a private meeting with one or two others.
It was tempting to just gaze out the viewing port, but Ruby had work to do. She stashed her bags in a storage locker and changed from her spacesuit into the comfortable working uniform of dark blue pants and shirt with sky blue jacket. Close-fitting clothes worked best in low gravity, but these moved with the wearer and didn’t feel tight. Like her regulation camisole and briefs, they were made of an anti-microbial fabric that could be worn for a week or more without washing before it started to stink. They were unlikely to test that property, given that the ship was equipped with the latest in ultrasonic laundry facilities.
Ruby clipped her SkyComm to her belt and headed for the bridge. A noise from the galley led her back there to investigate. She had to work her way through a maze of transport bins, filled with fresh and pre-cooked food that had not yet been stowed. She cast an impatient glance on this disorganization, but did not resent the meat and produce. They would be on packaged rations soon enough.
“How long do you estimate it will take to put all this away?” she called as she entered the galley. “We launch at – ”
She broke off. A man sprawled on the deck. Several days’ growth of stubble shadowed his chin. He inhaled with a resonant snore that might have roused the dead but did not wake him. He clutched an empty tequila bottle like a teddy bear.
“Hey!” She shook his shoulder. He snorted and peered at her through half-opened eyes. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m the cook,” he slurred.
“I’m the cook, ma’am.”
His brows drew together in a puzzled frown. “No, you’re not, I am. And don’t call me ma’am. G’night.” He closed his eyes again and rolled onto his side.
Before he could snore again, Ruby nudged his ribs with her booted foot. “You’re supposed to call me ma’am. I’m the commander of this expedition.”
He opened his eyes wide. “Oh. Shit. You’re Ladd?” He sat up.
“Yes. And you are . . .?”
“Green. Ma’am. Lloyd Green. I’m the cook.”
“You mentioned that. You’re also drunk.”
“Yes, ma’am. As a skunk, ma’am. I was – nervous. Never been on – such a long mission before. Not as far as we’re going. It won’t happen again.”
“You’re right about that. Please leave the ship at once, Mr. Green.”
“Yes, ma’am. When shall I report back for launch?”
“You misunderstand. You’re fired.”
He stared at her a moment, then struggled to his feet. He staggered out of the galley, bumping into several transport bins as he made his way down the passage, and again as he returned. “Commander Ladd, ma’am? There’s something I have to tell you.”
“No, there isn’t. Now get off my ship.”
She escorted him to the airlock, personally secured his helmet, and made sure the guards knew Green was not allowed back on Endurance.
She met no other obstacles on her way to the bridge, where the man she intended to see was waiting. Frank Williams grinned and rose from his seat. He also wore the blue working uniform, but he had removed his jacket.
He opened his arms for a hug. She shook her head. “Sorry, Skipper, you work for me now. Hugs fall into the category of ‘inappropriate touch.’” She squeezed his shoulder and gripped his hand in a firm handshake.
“Even between friends?” He sighed. “A pity. Welcome aboard, Boss.”
“I like the sound of that.”
Williams smiled down at her. “You’ve earned it.” He was a good deal taller than Ruby, but few adults weren’t. He was also a little older, mid-thirties now. His shaggy brown hair was beginning to gray around the temples, but his blue eyes had lost none of their mischievous sparkle. He glanced out the viewing port. “It’s a beautiful day on the Moon.”
She smiled in spite of her weariness. “It’s always a beautiful day on the Moon, Skipper. This’ll sound strange, but I feel like I can breathe again. But it’s 0200 in Seattle, so excuse me if I’m not too bright-eyed.”
“You should’ve slept on the shuttle.”
“I tried, but . . .” She shook her head.
“Not sick, were you?”
“Not – much. Just excited, I think. I haven’t been off the rock in five years!”
“Cutting it a little close, though. We launch tomorrow – I was afraid we might have to leave without you.”
“I was a little worried myself, but the bean-counters had to balance the books before they’d let me go. How do things look?” They both sat, facing the forward viewing port. They had a glorious view of the bright moonscape against the black of space.
“Excellent. I can hardly wait to take this ship out.” He beamed. “No more puny orbit missions. We’re going deep this time. We get to kiss the sky!”
“You could have gone before this.”
“Not until they let you go, too. SCEI needs to make it right.”
“What, you think Wesley James is going to apologize?”
Williams shrugged and didn’t answer. But just being with him improved Ruby’s attitude. They’d survived the Chickering expedition together. He knew better than anyone what that ordeal had cost her, but he also knew how to cheer her up.
“Here’s the expedition roster.” He brought up the list:
Ladd, R.: Expedition Commander
Williams, F.: Captain
Wild, P.: First Officer
Nguyen, B.: Second Officer; Navigator
Crean, J.: Mission Specialist (Phys.)
Curley, A.: Mission Specialist (Geol.)
Eyestone, J.: Mission Specialist (Rob.)
Mack, Y.: Mission Specialist (Biol., Med.)
Gunner, H.: Documentarian
Green, L.: Cook
Keith, L.: Administrator
Nielson, C.: Engineer
A party of twelve? Funny – Ruby had been thinking eleven. She could put faces to most of the names on the list. She had selected the captain and first officer herself, and trusted Williams to put together a solid crew. She also knew half the science staff already, and accepted their recommendations for the others.
“Nielson, huh? Are you sure about that?”
“Best engineer in the Corps,” the Skipper replied.
“No question. But he doesn’t play well with others, and this is a long trip.”
Williams chuckled. “Exactly – long trip. I’d rather have the most skilled engineer than the most charming. And he knows you; I’ll think he’ll behave.”
“I hope so.”
“I’ve met with just about everyone in the past few days,” Williams said. “You know Wild better than I do – what’s he like?”
“He’s a rock. I’d trust him with my life and that of my children, if I had any.” She flicked her eyebrows up. “There was a time I had my doubts about you, Skipper, but never about Wild. He’ll be a good First Officer.”
“There was a bit of a problem with the cook.”
Ruby snorted. “Tell me about it!”
He frowned. “You heard already?”
She hesitated. “Maybe not. What was your problem?”
“I had somebody all lined up, very experienced. She was supposed to meet us here a week ago. The day before she was scheduled to leave for Upham, she fell down some steps in front of her house and tore up the ligaments in her knee.” He shook his head and grinned with disbelief. “Can you imagine if we had to cancel the mission because we didn’t have a cook?”
“The role isn’t exactly mission-critical,” Ruby said. “Most of the food is heat-and-serve.”
“Regulations, though. We have to have someone with the right permits. It worked out, anyway – I was able to hire one of the cooks at the spaceport, a guy named Lloyd Green. He comes highly recommended. ”
Ruby felt a pang of doubt. Now her count was down to ten. “Yeah, about that – I just fired him.”
“You what? But we leave tomorrow! There’s no time to find another.”
“Then we won’t find another.”
“Who’ll do the cooking, then?”
Ruby shrugged. “I will, if necessary. It’s not that hard.”
“But we have to have someone with the right permits!”
“Funny thing.” She held up her SkyComm and opened a document. “Is there still a problem?”
“I – guess not. What are you doing with a food handler’s permit?”
“You wouldn’t believe all the permits and certificates I have.”
“Actually, I would. Ready for anything, that’s you. But where do you find the time?”
“I have no life. And every time I get fed up with the suits at SCEI, I earn or renew another certificate. It keeps me sane and out of trouble.”
Williams shook his head. “So you really just boarded the ship and fired the cook?”
Ruby patted his shoulder. “Green wasn’t going to work. He was dead drunk in the galley, and we’re not even underway. Said he was nervous about the trip.”
“That’s only natural.”
She frowned. “You say he came highly recommended. What missions has he been on?”
“None. He was cooking here at the port for the last month. Before that, he worked in several restaurants planetside.”
She groaned and leaned back. “Well, no wonder he was nervous. Still, it’s just as well, if he was that scared.”
“You fired him because he was scared?”
“No. It’s crazy not to be. You and I both know this kind of work can get you killed.” She sighed. “I’m sorry. I should have talked to you first.”
He shook his head. “No, I’ll back you on this one. You’re the Boss. But why did you fire him, then?”
“Because he lacked discipline.”
“Come on, we’re not military, you know.”
“He wasted an entire bottle of tequila. Our tequila, from the supplies, and not that synthetic rotgut, either. Shared out in a month’s time, it could have been bottled morale. But worse than that, he lacked optimism.”
Williams snorted a laugh. “Optimism? What, believe hard enough and everything will work out fine?”
“Believe it, and then do everything in your power to see that it does. Make a plan that looks as far ahead as possible. Control what you can, and have a contingency for what you can’t.”
Williams grinned. “Disciplined optimism. That’s how you’ll run this show, isn’t it?”
“You know I will. Green couldn’t even organize his supplies. In the long run, we’re better off without him. Now, who’s this Gunner?”
“I thought you knew. The name seems familiar, but I didn’t hire him. Why do we need a documentarian? I can tell you now, we don’t have room for a whole camera crew.”
Ruby gazed at the name on the roster, and thought back to her meetings with the money people. That was the extra person. They had an idea for making a profit even if the expedition failed. But this was beyond anything she’d imagined.
“I might know,” she said. “I just hope I’m wrong.”