Michael was woken at the appointed time by his Coxswain. "Morning, Sir I have brought you a coffee and just a single round of toast for breakfast. I did not think you would want anything heavy before your workout."
"Workout?" gasped Michael.
"Well.. yes, Sir, I knew you would want to set a good example for the rest of the crew, so I have programmed your workout at this time I could alter it if necessary," said Arnie reluctantly.
"Oh no! It's alright," replied Michael with more resignation than he felt. "I'II see you in the gym in fifteen minutes."
"Very good, Sir that's the spirit," beamed Arnie. "Enjoy your breakfast.”
He just managed to get out of the door before one of Michael's shoes smacked into the wall, just where he had been standing.
"Slave driver!” muttered Michael. Then he grinned to himself. Arnie never changed, he was always thinking of what was best for his Captain.
Michael drank his coffee appreciatively then slipped into his combat suit and set off for the gym. All spacecraft nowadays had a big, well-equipped gymnasium. It helped to keep the crew fit, both physically and mentally.
Arnie was waiting for him also dressed in a combat suit. He was a fearsome sight; even under the slack-fitting suit it was possible to see his bulging muscles. He already had a slight sweat on, so he had obviously warmed up.
"Bending and stretching exercises to warm up, please,” said Arnie. In the gym Arnie was in charge, even the Captain was a student. Michael was taken through a series of exercises, starting gently and gradually building up to strenuous abdominal sit-ups until he was quite breathless.
“We need to get that gut off you," threatened Arnie.
Michael did not think that his gut was that bad, but he knew it was pointless to argue. Instead, he said, "We had better do some more then.”
“Oh no, Sir, you're not getting off that easily. These ships have a new multi- gym that will exercise all your muscles by resistance. I think ten minutes worth should do for a start."
Arnie led him to a corner of the gym where there was a contraption which looked like a metallic skeleton. Each limb had several straps which were fitted tightly to the arms, legs and torso. Each universal joint on the contraption could only be moved slowly; therefore any movement that was made had to be really worked at. Arnie gave him a series of exercises to work at and after ten minutes Michael felt exhausted. Eventually he was allowed to take the torturous thing off and the relief at being able to move normally again was indescribable.
“On guard!” shouted Arnie as he leaped at Michael with a padded staff, three feet long. Michael moved quickly but not quickly enough; the staff caught him a glancing blow on his left upper arm. It did not hurt but it put him on the mat.
“You would have dodged that two years ago, Sir,” yelled Arnie, leaping to the attack again. This time Michael was quicker. He grabbed the staff and brought his foot into the pit of Arnie's stomach and straightened his leg. Arnie dropped like a brick and relinquished his grip on the staff. Michael was on his feet in a flash and aimed a savage blow at Arnie's head. Arnie blocked the blow but was unable to grasp the staff. The next moment Michael had the staff across Arnie's windpipe and pressed with all his strength. Arnie just smiled and physically lifted the Captain off him and threw him five yards across the room. Michael lay there gasping and winded; Arnie showed some concern and was going to help Michael but thought better of it.
“I'm not going to fall for that one,” yelled Arnie.
Michael opened one eye and grinned. “You're right, Arnie, I’ve got soft. I must sharpen up considerably. Can we call it a day now, please?”
"Just five minutes more, please, Captain." Arnie took him to where a heavy sand and foam filled bag hung from a supporting frame.
”Two and a half minutes of punching and one minute with the staff then a few stretching exercises to finish off.”
Michael gritted his teeth and laid into the bag. After a minute he was gasping but Arnie kept pushing him and in the last half minute Michael began to get his second wind. When he picked up the staff Michael began to feel more like his usual self and really laid in to the bag. Arnie was really impressed and as he gently wound down the session said, “Another week, Sir, and we will have you fighting fit again.”
“Thanks Arnie,” grinned Michael who was dripping with perspiration. “I hope I survive that long.”
Michael returned to his cabin and treated himself to a shower and a fruit drink. He felt good and alert but would probably suffer later with stiff muscles. He then sat down to do the calculations on his Sun grazing manoeuvre. He had just finished when the door buzzer sounded and the intercom crackled into life.
“Engineering Officer and his Assistant reporting, Sir."
“Come on in, Mr. Murphy,” said Michael opening the door. “Have you finished your inspection now?”
The two men entered and stood to attention. Michael stood to greet them and then invited them to sit down. “Right, Archie, what is the verdict?” asked Michael. “Is the ship in good shape?”
Archie began his report. It appeared that the ship was in very good shape structurally, as one would expect from a fairly new vessel. The C.A.M.I.D. units were in tip top condition. However, they had found a few flaws in the electrical systems; mostly to do with insulation problems. The worst case was a lead to one of the big valves. A sonic scan had shown the insulation to be crystallizing. It would probably have lasted for several years under normal conditions but with a manoeuvre like the one planned it could break down in a few hours.
A piece of insulation was completely missing from one of the pipes in the life support system and two of the power lines in the galley had been charred and weakened due to excessive use.
"Do we have the spares to do the jobs?" asked Michael.
"Yes, Sir, it will take about two hours, but we will have to shut down some of the electrical systems and the motors.”
Michael checked his watch, time was not a problem if the job was done now. "O.K start right away. I will go to the bridge, so keep in touch with me there. Take any crew members you need, but remember, I must have a one hundred percent vessel by fifteen hundred hours today."
"We understand, Sir, we will be as quick as possible."
The two engineers left and began their repairs. Systems were shut down as required and two hours later, as promised, the Chief Engineer certified the Ship as one hundred percent operational.
At fourteen forty-five hours all crew members were assembled on the bridge and given their instructions for the promised course correction. At fifteen hundred hours precisely the C.A.M.I.D. units were engaged and the preliminary acceleration manoeuvre commenced. Three hours later it was over and the Atlas was on her way, travelling very quickly indeed. However to an observer on board it looked and felt just the same. They would be at their closest to the Sun in six days time and the next manoeuvre would be in fourteen days time to decelerate before entering the inner Asteroid belt.
Michael had always had a fear at the back of his mind about a collision at this speed. It would be fatal if they were struck by a meteorite or a cloud of pebble sized debris. The only warning they would have of an approaching collision would be the scanning system and this, when travelling at this speed, would only give them three minutes.
The crew were exercised and worked very hard in the first few days with Mr. Sidebottom and Sergeant Brody plying their respective trades. It was always interesting to see the attitudes and the sense of purpose come together as a crew trained.
Sergeant Brody soon produced weapons experts out of the people who had never had a weapon in their hand before. It appeared that Arnie Sidebottom had met his match in Henry Hurst, the West Indian giant. When they trained it became a contest as to who would give in first; it was all good-natured but the element of competition was very real. There were some occasions when the physical combat sessions between the two became very fraught indeed with both men winning the honours on a regular basis. The end result was that the two men became very close friends; they also became very fit.
One of the surprises to both of the instructors was Neville Johnson, the Communications Officer. On the face of it he was a very mild-mannered, perfect gentleman. After a few days of combat instruction, Arnie found himself not concentrating as he should and woke up five minutes later with a nasty lump on his head. Neville had a ruthless streak in him and had seen a chance, gone for it and laid Arnie out. Even Henry had not managed to do that .
After the event Neville was quite distressed about it. Arnie soon put his mind at rest and laughed the incident off by saying that he had learnt a valuable lesson about not underestimating men in future.
After two sessions of weapon training, Sergeant Brody was amazed with the way Neville had taken to it. He was soon handling the weapons like a seasoned veteran and Sergeant Brody was impressed with his control; his hand and body movements were smooth and adept with no fumbling fingers, an extremely well co-ordinated man. Sergeant Brody also noted the glint of determination in the eyes of the Communications Officer when he trained; this man would use the weapons without remorse or pity if the situation demanded it. Neville was a classic case of 'Still waters running very deep.'
An unlikely friendship had arisen between Neville Johnson and Gary Mitchell, the sabotage expert. They had approached the Captain with their fears of being boarded by persons or 'Things' unseen. They reasoned that if the unidentified vessel, which Gary had actually seen, did not appear on their scanners, it may be possible for a smaller shuttle to actually put marauders aboard undetected.
It was a thought which had already occurred to the Captain who asked what their proposals were. Gary had suggested booby traps on the old fashioned basis of trip wires and pressure pads with small explosive charges, capable of being exploded remotely on the outside of the hull; a charge which would be strong enough to deter marauders, but not strong enough to damage the hull.
Neville's ideas were a little more subtle. He reasoned that if radio waves, as in advanced radar-type instruments, did not show up the vessel then they should try to detect their presence by another method. His suggestions consisted of a network of infra-red and heat sensors around the hatches based on the assumption that any living being would generate some kind of heat.
The Captain believed that both ideas had their merits and told them to get on and design their systems and monitors. This they did, with enthusiasm.
Meal times were very pleasant occasions. Ron Naylor, the Cook, prepared dishes which were simple, wholesome and nourishing. Fresh vegetables and fruit were served at least once a day on the standing orders of the Captain. There was a strict rota applied to meal-times; the Captain preferred the Crew to dine together, with just one person remaining on watch. This had three effects. Firstly, it was easier for the Cook to deal with one sitting; secondly, it was economical in time. Meal-times were over quickly and were less disruptive to the smooth running of the Ship. Thirdly it encouraged camaraderie and prevented the formation of exclusive, little cliques within the Crew.
On these occasions Charlotte brought a touch of colour and class to the surroundings. It was a new experience for all the men to be able to entertain a Lady and it kept them on their best behaviour. Charlotte and Michael had buried their feelings for each other and worked separate watches. In this way she was able to treat all the Crew members the same, thus avoiding favouritism, which could have created bad feelings and broken up the team.
As the days passed the Crew were moulded into an efficient fighting machine. They were drilled in combat manoeuvres, repelling boarders, evacuation procedures, damage procedures, search and rescue procedures and the procedure which everybody actually believed they would have to do, docking with a hostile vessel.
Each Crew Member spent some time learning the jobs of the others. This was done to minimize the effect of the loss of a crew member; a gruesome but realistic approach to the situation.
Thanks to the tireless efforts of the First Officer and Charlotte, the Co-pilot, the young Second Officer, David Boothman completed his training and was passed with distinction by the Captain when examined for his pilots wings. A small party was held to celebrate the occasion with the Captain and Co-pilot footing the bill for the drinks.
There followed five uncomfortable days as they passed close to the Sun. The vessel was put into a slow continuous roll to prevent one side becoming too hot. The life support systems were tested to their limits and, even running flat out, the temperature inside became a most uncomfortable one hundred and eighteen degrees Fahrenheit.
To ease the situation for the Crew the duty rota was cut to two Crew members on watch for two hours at a time, while the off-duty Crew soaked in cold water or simply slept.
Eventually the traverse was completed and the temperature began to fall, but no Crew Member escaped the awesome feeling of insignificance when the Sun filled the viewing panels for as far as the eye could see in every direction. Its raging surface and flares left a deep impression on everybody on board.
When life had returned to an acceptable level the engineers inspected the Ship and apart from replacing some badly charred wiring and some blackened relays in the life support the ship had come through unscathed.
Life returned to normal and the sensor and defence systems which Neville and Gary had been working on were fitted to the hull. They were hooked up then tested by Charlotte. All the systems worked well but Arnie thought the test was unfair since he considered that 'Charlie was the hottest thing he had seen for years, except for that bloody Sun.' He thought that the Cook should have tested it since everything he served was cold.
“That would have been a real test,” he argued.
As the Ship passed the orbit of Mars the next stage of the Captain's orders were instigated. The new standing orders required someone to be on duty in the observation bubble at all times. Although on the face of it this should have been an unbelievably boring chore, there were never any complaints. The Crew considered it a bonus to be allowed to stare out at the Stars which held such a fascination for them.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Following a fast but uneventful journey the deceleration manoeuvre was the next big event. Again, the whole Crew were on duty as it was a lengthy operation. To make the manoeuvre more comfortable the vessel was turned into a tail first attitude so that the deceleration would press them into their seats, rather than into their securing straps.
From the pilots point of view it required some very fine tuning of the C.A.M.I.D. system to select a suitable source of magnetism to work with. It was not like a conventional approach to a Planet where you could actually use the mass of the Planet to manoeuvre off. Mars was in the wrong position, but Jupiter was accessible.
Therefore Michael decided to use attraction from the Sun and repulsion from Jupiter to slow himself down. When the sources were locked on Michael turned the power up ever so gently; at first the increased weight pushed them gently back into their chairs. The velocity indicator started to count down slowly at first but with increasing speed as the power was increased.
Michael always considered it better for both the Ship and the Crew to decelerate as smoothly as circumstances allowed; it took longer but was less stressful. Twelve hours later with the Ship on full alert the Atlas moved gently into the inner rock fields of the Asteroids.