Chapter 4 Homeward Detour
“Sir, permission to speak freely sir?” Cookie seldom asked for permission to speak, he just spoke. Something important must be bothering him. Commander Adams nodded his approval and beckoned Cookie to enter his cabin. Once the door closed, Cookie fidgeted a little and it was obvious he felt awkward. He also looked around, clearly checking to see if they were alone.
“Speak up Cookie, we're alone and I'm listening.” Adams could sense Cookie needed prompting.
“Well sir, its about you and Miss Alta. Please don't get me wrong because I'm sure I speak for every man on the ship when I say we wish you happiness.” Where was Cookie going with this? That definitely caught Adams attention and raised his eyebrows.
The commander paused just a few seconds before responding “Yes, I appreciate that but what's on your mind Cookie?” Cookie glanced down at his feet, wrung his hands and then looked directly at Adams.
“Well sir, it's just that we have been in space for over a year now and we have almost another year before we get home. We all like Miss Alta but it can be difficult to keep our minds where they belong when she is walking about the ship. It's just not good for morale sir.”
Cookie was right of course and Adams had to admit he had not given the matter much thought. “Actually, its about 292 days to get home thanks to the alterations Robby made. You wouldn't want me to confine her to quarters, would you?”
“Oh no sir, that would be cruel but please understand sir that the men may have tendencies to be more cordial, or friendly than under normal circumstances.” Cookie may not have a PhD in philosophy but he demonstrated a clear understanding of men and women, especially young men on long trips in a confined space with a young and attractive woman.
“Good points Cookie. I'll have to give that some thought and address the issue. Anything else?” Cookie mumbled a no as Adams replied “Dismissed.” Adams and Alta were not married yet and maintaining separate quarters seemed to be an instinctive call that worked for the better of the crew's morale. But what to do now?
…
Alta carefully unpacked the items from the second trunk and laid them across the bed. She reflected on those last frantic moments as she and the crew of United Planets cruiser C-57-D went through the Morbius residence to recover what they could of both scientific and personal value. Besides her garments and her father's journals, there were a few mementos of the mother she had never known. A woman’s lab coat, shoes that were too small for Alta, a strange piece of jewelry that was called a charm bracelet and a vial of liquid known as perfume. There were no photographs and as it turned out, Alta had no idea of what a hard-copy photograph was. She had never seen one.
Robby had fabricated a number of storage containers, including the aluminum trunks she packed, before an effort was made to remove the material synthesizer from the Krell lab. As Alta was going through her personal belongings, the crew made a thorough search of the house for anything related to the Krell that might reveal new technology. Dr. Morbius's office yielded a number of bound manuscripts filled with notes and sketches. His bedroom yielded nothing except a few personal items Alta wanted to keep.
Efforts to remove items from the Krell laboratory failed. Though most equipment was made from steel and plastic, it defied dis-assembly without actually destroying the item. Items fabricated from Krell metal were few but impossible to cut or remove. What appeared to be spare parts, some made using Krell metal, were recovered though the nature or function of those parts was never determined.
Alta does remember that despite the haste to salvage what they could, the crew paid all due respects to her father and Doc Ostrow, as they were buried with full honors on a planet that would soon explode. The nightmare of the monsters from the id would not pass until the forbidden planet and the horrible machine it housed were destroyed. Even with the planet gone, Alta would still wake in a cold sweat with vivid images of a beast she had seen only in her dreams. Her dream world friends could not always keep that beast at bey.
When Adams entered, he could see Alta was distracted, almost in a trance like state looking at the items laid out before her on the bed. He turned to leave but snapped back when Alta asked him “Is everything all right?” She had noticed him enter the cabin though she kept her eyes looking straight ahead.
He flashed her a smile but the shake of his head was saying no, everything was not all right. “I'm concerned about the crew's morale. You may not fully understand the problem because of your, er, um, limited experience, but men do strange things when they are contesting for the attention of females, especially young and attractive females. It isn't always good.” He paused then added “There are some other considerations as well.”
Alta was still acquiring necessary social skills but she apparently understood the issue with her answer. “All right, what would you suggest I do, or not do?”
“Mostly, be careful about what you wear. Anything revealing could be perceived as an invitation that