NIRI TE 'S FANFIC "LAST FLIGHT OUT "

Started by Niri Te, January 10, 2013, 08:37:46 PM

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Niri Te

 
CHAPTER EIGHTY-EIGHT
   Once the initial shock wore off the faces of the Marine Researchers, Jason asked, "Want to see your Avatars?"
    "NÌLUN!"  said Sharon to the nodding approvals of everyone at the table.  "But I think we can all wait until we have eaten."
   "No problem," replied Jason, "Why don't we meet back here at lunch, grab sandwiches, and stroll down to the Med Section.  When we are all there, I will guide you folks to see your slightly different Avatars."
   "Slightly different?!" asked John, "In what ways?"
   "Oh, no major differences.  One of the differences may be due to diet, and the other is genetic, but slight in appearance. Let's just meet back here in four hours."
   The "Undersea Renegades" all agreed, and wandered off to their quarters, or duty stations, depending on their shift schedules. 
   "Well, here comes Wendy from the Flight Deck," announced John, as he spotted his muntxate sprinting down the companion way as to not be late.  "Slow down, Sea Biscuit! No one has even gotten their sandwiches yet," commented Sharon.
   "I just didn't want to hold up everyone," said Wendy while trying to control her breathing.
   Once everyone had their sandwiches, (actually stuffed pita bread, as it was easy to prepare and less messy to eat.) Jason played "Pied Piper", and lead the Undersea Renegades, and the crew of the "Old Dog" to see their Avatars.
   Once through the waiting rooms, administrative section, and labs, they walked through a set of double doors, into a huge room that was bathed in a soft, almost electric blue light. It was segregated into sections by equipment of two different functions.  The first quarter of the room was filled with ten consoles, the purpose of which was to control and monitor the Gestation Tanks each for Avatars that were developing.  The other three-fourths of the room contained the Gestation Tanks themselves.  In a small anteroom, there were chairs and tables that were used as a break/lunchroom by the Avatar techs.  Jason lead everyone into this room to give them a briefing.  In his briefing, Jason explained the two minor differences between the members of the Eastern Sea Clan, and the other known clans of the continent.
   "The first, and most obvious difference," he explained, "is the slightly purplish tint of the clan members skin, as opposed to the blue of the other clans.  This is due in part to their diet, which is between fifty and sixty percent seafood.  They HAVE the genetic predisposition for the purple coloration, genetically, but the amount of seafood that they, and you folks, eat, once you get your Avatars, will determine the intensity of purple shading."  He went on to say, "There are stories of island clans that are VERY purple, from which your clan MAY have descended millenia ago."
   "The other difference is that you will notice SLIGHT webbing on the fingers and toes only out to the middle knuckle of the fingers and toes,  This webbing will NOT hinder your ability to use a bow. The Eastern Sea Clan are every bit the marksmen that the other clans are.  Here again," Jason concluded, "We don't know if the island clans exhibit more webbing on their extremities."
   One by one, everyone was brought up to "Their womb" as Jason liked to call the tanks, for a timed three minutes maximum, during which time, Jason answered everyone's private questions about their personal Avatar.
   After everyone had visited their future bodies, they all returned to the Mess Hall to process the experience together, before returning to their duty stations or quarters.
   "Wow, Honey!  What did you think of THAT?!" asked Sharon of her hona yawnetu alor.
   "THAT was an eye-opening experience," replied Pamela, as she sank into a chair, and closed her eyes.
Tokx alu tawtute, Tirea Le Na'vi

Niri Te

 
EIGHTY-NINE
After several minutes, Pamela opened her eyes, and said, "Well, we can talk about this later.  I had better head to my Duty Station now."  With that, she rose from her seat, kissed Sharon on the forehead, and left for the Engineering Section.  Sharon finished her cup of coffee, and ambled off to her bed for a two hour nap.
--KNOCK-- KNOCK --
  "Major West, Ma'am?"
   "Yeah, I'm up!  Wait a minute,"  replied Sharon, as she threw on a Flight Suit.  "What's up?"  she queried of the unknown person at the door.
   "Our long range scans show somthing out of the ordinary,and Colonel Hill wants ALL the Flight Officers on the Flight Deck.  Your wife is also there with Major O'Reilly, Ma'am."
   "This IS important," said Sharon, as she started down the corridor at a trot.
   Sharon strode onto the now-crowded Flight Deck to see Major Edwards, and Captain Williams at the controls, as well as First Lt. Bonner running the Flight Engineer's Console.  All the other Flight Crew members were paying attention to the graphic displays while scattered around the room.  As Sharon walked into the room, Major Ring pointed her out to Pamela, and she and the Major walked over to Sharon.
   Sharon scanned the screens, and started thinking aloud.  "What is making THAT strong of a return?  Is THAT range correct?  They are tangential to us and CLOSING!  Can we backtrack his course and give us an approximate departure point barring mid-course corrections?"
   Pamela said, "We have the Ship's Main Computers working all that out, as we speak, Major."
   Colonel Hill added, "Let's just allow the computers to o their JOB, Major!  You have smoke coming out of your ears!  Take a break before yu burn out some brain cells."
   "Closure rate will give us a Closest Pass of 400 miles, in five hours," announced Neville James, the Navigator on Duty.
   "These guys are running FASTER than WE are," said Major Edwards.
   "Well, GEE WHIZ.  I guess that we AREN'T the faster bunch in the universe, after all,"  chuckled Sharon with a grin.
   Colonel Hill, always concerned for the welfare of those in his command, raised the Mess Hall on the intercom, and ordered supper rations for everyone on the Flight Deck, to be brought forward, at the usual serving schedule.
   "The computer is still defining the Point of Origin," reported Neville James, "It looks like it will be somewhere in the Perseus System."
   "WHOA! Ninety-three light years tangentially behind us!" exclaimed Ian Riley, one of the Flight Engineers from the original ISV crew.
   "Alright, Folks, I want broad scan radar frequency reception turned on," ordered Colonel Hill, "Let's see if they are looking for something in their way, that's NOT on a Star Chart."
   "Hey, Ian," said Sharon, as she and Pamela walked up next to him.  "Ninety-three Light Years is to the CLOSEST stars in the constellation.  There is stuff in there that is THOUSANDS of Light Years away," she cautioned.
   "I know, I was just going with the agreed upon distance to the constellation," answered Ian.
   An hour later, First Lt. Bonner announced, "I've got a Doppler signal that is NOT ours.  We ARE reflecting."
   "Range," called out Major Edwards, as he pulled down a Heads-Up Horizontal Situation Display.
   "Eight AU." called out First Lt. Bonner.
   "This guy is HAULING," thought John aloud.
   "I have a course change, the Object is turning to intersect our projected course at a shallower angle, and it looks like it will be in front of us," called out Major Edwards.
   "I have data coming in now." reported First Lt. Bonner. "They will cross in front of us ten million miles ahead of us.  Closest Separation will be when they pass us one hundred-thousand miles to our starboard in six hours."
   "That is about the time that we clear the Oort Cloud, isn't it?" asked Colonel Hill.
   "Plus or minus ten minutes." replied First Lt. Bonner, "I think they want to show us what their ship will do in Interstellar Space."
Tokx alu tawtute, Tirea Le Na'vi

Niri Te

 
CHAPTER NINETY
   With the new course for the over-taking vessel laid in, the stress level on the flight crews abated, and the crew on duty was now just monitoring the relative locations of the two ships.  Supper was cheerfully delivered on time and was ftxìlor (delicious).  After supper was finished, Colonel Hill dismissed all non-critical personnel from the Flight Deck, so that upcoming crews would be fresh when their Duty slot began. Pamela's Duty shift was over during the meal, so she and Sharon retired to their quarters.
   "I wonder WHY he crew of the other ship has not made any attempt at contacting us?" mentioned Pamela, as they entered their quarters.
   "Perhaps because there is no one ON it," responded her Yawnetu.
   "You mean something killed them all?" offered Pamela.
   "No, My Love, I mean that perhaps that is an automated research vessel," replied Sharon.
   "Perhaps you are correct, Honey.  Do you mind if we go to the Flight Deck when this close contact happens?  Wendy will be flying the ship then."
   "Let's take an hour nap, grab some soup, and g do it." agreed Sharon.
   Sharon and Pamela walked into the Mess Hall, and grabbed a bowl of mushroom soup, courtesy of the Old Dog's mushroom "farm,"  and a cup of coffee, and were beckoned to sit with Shuttle Pilot Dan Warren and Nevil James, by Colonel Joe Hill.
   "So, are you two going up to watch the show?" asked Colonel Hill,"We have the ship's optical telescopes slaved into the computers, and they are hooked into the video system.  We should get quite a show."
   "We have been broadcasting a binary message giving whoever-receives-it, a history of our species, hoping that they will reply," mentioned Dan.
   "Well," added Pamela, "We have take the first step by offering the Olive Branch.  Now we just have to wait and see if they accept it."
   The five of them walked onto the Flight Deck together, thirty minutes before the Space Craft was to make its closest separation. Twice in the past two hours, the other ship made slight adjustments to its course, to bring it parallel to the ISV.  When Colonel Hill was informed of this, he stated, "I believe that they are getting as close as they can without our warp bubbles interacting badly."
   "It would be a shame to waste this opportunity by not video and audio recording any possible radio traffic," added Sharon.  She went on to inquire, "Are we going to spectrally analyze their drive system to see what they are using?"
   "That is being taken care of as we speak." said Major Ring, as he and Major Megan O'Reilly walked on board the Flight Deck.
   "This is going to REALLY be cool!" said Chip Higgins, as he, too, entered the Flight Deck.
   "Have we made any progress on nailing down where they may have come from?" asked Sharon.
   "As a matter of fact, we have," noted Ian Riley the shift's Flight Engineer.  "We believe that they originated at H.D.16175 Beta, the only planet orbiting H.D. 16175, a 'G' type star that bears a strong resemblance to our own Sun.  The planet, however, is different from our late Earth.  While its Sun has an almost identical 6,000 degree Kelvin temperature, compared to our Sun's 5,788 degree Kelvin temperature, this planet has a 990 day year, and sits at a mean 2.1 AU from its Sun in a orbit with an eccentricity of 0.59."
   "2.1 AU, huh? That would put it at almost the inner boundary of our asteroid belt for a received energy comparison.  Unless their Sun is hotter," said Sharon, as both she and Pamela took out their touch screens, and started tapping on them.
   "What are you two doing?" asked Colonel Hill.
   "We are pulling down more data on that System, from a 20 June 2009, joint Doppler study from both the Keck and Lick Observatories.  Sir, we do NOT think that there is a strong possibility that they came from H.D.16175 Beta, and here is why:  Here is the data from that study on the planet.  Its temperature is 243.7 degrees Kelvin, which works out to 21.01 degrees Fahrenheit. All water on the surface of that planet is frozen solid.  It's mass is 1,398.716 times the mass of Earth.  Or to give you a better handle on it, 4.4 times the mass of Jupiter while it is only one and a half times the size of Jupiter.  There is a strong possibility that this planet has a fairly large metallic core.  Doppler studies done by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, show the core is likely heavy metals, while its atmosphere is predominantly hydrogen, helium, and hydrogen deuteride.  The star that they circle is a third generation Type G heavy metal rich star, which would explain the make up of the planet, if it formed from the star's accretion disk. Unless they are radically different from any carbon-based life forms, they are either underground or only use the planet for refueling, if they are hydrogen fusion powered.  No carbon-based life form could breathe that atmosphere.  The gravity on that planet would be CRUSHING even by Jovian Standards."
   "Do you think that they would be more interested in its metal content than its atmospheric composition?" asked the Colonel.
   "Well, unless they SO FAR advanced in their technology, to where they can process the hydrogen on the ship, or they have found a way to survive the planet's gravity and have a processing plant on or beneath the surface of thee planet, that would make the most sense."  remarked Sharon.
  "I hate to break up this discussion of planetary chemistry," announced Wendy, but the ship is three minutes out and I am putting both it and the telemetry on the screens."
    All eyes turned to the view screens and the rapidly dropping distance given in tenths of AU's between the two ships.  At two minutes out, the other ship sent a fifty second high speed burst transmission, which the ISV's Electronics Teams captured and saved, for future study.
   "Are the telescopes getting angular measurements on the object?" asked Ian.
   "HOLY COW!" exclaimed John Edwards, "That ship is TWELVE miles long, THREE miles wide, and a Mile-and-a-HALF tall!"
Tokx alu tawtute, Tirea Le Na'vi

Niri Te

   
9:23 PM
CHAPTER NINETY-ONE
   "Well, what do you people think of that ship?" asked Colonel Hill, after everyone recovered from the shock of seeing such a HUGE vessel.
   "I wouldn't want to fight THOSE guys hand-to-hand.  Can you imagine the size of the people in that sip?" wondered First Lt. Edward Daniels.
   "I think that you have it all wrong." said Amber Wells, one of the Flight Officers of the ISV.  "I think that ship is an ARK.  Anything that huge must have a pretty good percentage of that species population as well as some of their flora and fauna on board, in an attempt to find a new home."
   "Those are very good theories," remarked Pamela, "but Major West and I think that the ship is a Russian Doll, of sorts."
   "How so?" asked Wendy.
   "We think that if these astronauts are set up to refuel at HB16175 Beta, the pressure where they would be mining, would be greater than the pressure at the upper surface of the metallic liquid hydrogen on the planet Jupiter, which is 3.5 MILLION PSI.  I think that we need to explain this with a model you are familiar with;  That being, the planet Jupiter.  Back in the late twentieth century, the scientific community decided to have a Zero Point for the descent through the Jovian atmosphere.  This Zero Point was where the pressure was the same as the pressure at sea level on planet Earth.  They arbitrarily called this floating Point, the Surface of Jupiter.  It didn't matter that the location of that pressure was a mere fraction of the descent to the planet's liquid surface, which is made up of molecular liquid hydrogen.  This molecular liquid hydrogen is hundreds of miles thick and it rests upon a layer of liquid metallic hydrogen, which needs a pressure of 3.5 million PSI to form.  This layer of liquid metallic hydrogen is 25,000 miles thick and surrounds the planet's molten iron-nickel core."
   "So why do you think that this group of people would want to mine a planet even more hostile than Jupiter?" asked Colonel Hill.
   "Because, Sir," responded Sharon, "If they are using hydrogen fueled drive systems, liquid metallic hydrogen is the most dense fuel source in total specific impulse per cubic millimeter of fuel.  The liquid hydrogen that we used during the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries had an S.I. of 460.  The S.I. of pure metallic hydrogen is 1,700.  The only difficulty would be the chamber temperatures if it was also used  as fuel for a chemical reaction rocket for that engine's jump-start capability.  In that mode, the reaction temperature would be 6,000 Kelvin, demanding a VERY efficient magnetic containment.  THAT technology, puts these people right up there with the very best space faring peoples in existence."
   "OK, but how can they KEEP the hydrogen in that state?" requested Wendy.
   "That is actually not that difficult," replied Sharon, "First, you keep it away from stuff that it reacts violently with, and that is about it.  Metallic Hydrogen is metastable.  Once the tremendous amounts of pressure, remember that 3,5 million PSI tht I mentioned earlier, has done it's work.  That work is then chemically stored in the metallic hydrogen.  THAT is what CAUSES those fantastic specific impulse numbers.  The really DIFFICULT thing is mining it, and getting it off the Gas Giant in question." said Sharon as she sank into a chair.
   After half a minute in the chair, Sharon said, "The pressures at the five-Earth-Mass liquid iron-nickel core of Jupiter are in the neighborhood of 14 billion, 500 million PSI and a temperature of 63,000 degrees Fahrenheit.  I would just LOVE to know the physical properties of THAT alloy.  If you think THAT is something, HB16175 Beta is FOUR TIMES the size of Jupiter with accompanying increases in pressure and temperature."
   Seeing the glint in the Major's eyes, Colonel Hill tried to restore some sense of perspective to the conversation.
   "Keep and even keel, Major. Keep and even keel. Remember, we are traveling five light years to assimilate with a Stone Age culture!"
Tokx alu tawtute, Tirea Le Na'vi

Niri Te

  CHAPTER NINETY-TWO
   "Well, it's been four years to the day since we left the Oort Cloud.  What do you think, guys?"  asked John Edwards, as a conversation starter.
   "I think that we have melded into a very smoothly functioning team," observed Chip.
   As the group exchanged good-natured conversation over breakfast, the only time that all the Under Sea Renegades were in the same place and all off-duty, Sharon wondered to herself about the other members of the team.  How would they handle "regressing" tens of thousands of years, to a stone age culture with their highly analytical minds, and knowledge of highly scientific subjects?
   "Hey Major! Are you still With us?" queried Transport Jim.
   "Huh? Oh yeah, I'm still here.  I was just thinking about something ..." replied Sharon.
   "You weren't thinking, you were WORRYING.  I've seen that look before when you were trying to pry the Star Shooter, Eywa rest her spirit, from the RDA under the pretense of using her for research," stated Steve. "So 'fess up!  What has your mind in that state?"
   Sharon thought for a moment and said, "I am just wondering how many of you are going to be able to happily turn your backs on scientific study with all the technology that we had at our disposal, and join the Stone Age for the rest of your lives?  I am very sure that I will be happy living that way, but I truly love the Ocean.  In addition to that, I would always go out of my way to live primitively every time that I went wilderness camping.  When you folks leave all the technology behind for the last time, will you feel any pangs of regret or trepidation?"
   Sharon's yawnetu was the first to speak up.  "My scientific curiosity does not depend on technological instruments.  These help to quantify knowledge, but my curiosity will still be the same!  But I see what you are saying, My Love.  You are wondering if any of us will regret Throwing the Baby Out With the Bath Water for turning our backs on ALL of technology, and regressing to a Stone Age existence out of fear of or revulsion to, the greed of the RDA, Correct?"
   "That is correct, my Love.  If there are going to be any regrets about acting rashly, NOW is the time to discuss them while we still have six month t think about this," cautioned Sharon.
   "Oh, I know," replied Steve.  "I have thought about that once or twice in the last year, and I truly believe that there is enough on Pandora to keep us VERY occupied and happy," he assured everyone at the table.
   "I have wondered how I will deal with turning my back on all of my scientific training and experience, when I leave the ISV for the last time." said John Edwards.  "But I know that for everything that you grasp, you must first put something down.  I will do fine, I FEEL that in my heart."
   "If we are to start a family," offered Wendy, "We will have to do it on Pandora as Na'vi.  If I have a Na'vi family to care for, I won't miss the ISV."
   "Well, I am still wondering about that," added Jim, "But my first love is the Ocean, and once I get to experience the Eastern Sea, if our genetic progenitors will accept us, I don't think that I will have any problems at all."
   "Well THAT's a really good thing," said Ian Riley as he joined the group at the table.  "By the way," he continued, "Are we all up to speed to start deceleration in fourteen hours?  That is when we enter the boundary of the Alpha Centauri system."
Tokx alu tawtute, Tirea Le Na'vi

Niri Te

  CHAPTER NINETY-THREE
   "So how goes everything?" asked Sharon, as she walked onto the Flight Deck.
   "We are closing on Pandora at point five-three light speed," reported John, "Our orbital insertion date is still three months off."
   "Cool, it's on the ship's flight plan that I slow her to point four-five light speed.  Out of curiosity, what is our remaining fuel on board?"
   "If we hold to our projections, Sharon, as we have for the entire flight out here, we will have sixty-two percent fuel remaining when we park this Grand Lady," remarked Captain Ian Riley, almost reverently.
   "Tse, look at the good side, Ma 'Eylan, if the Na'vi have decided that they have had their fill of the ayhumon, we can always 'saddle-up' and take the 'quick tour' of this star system.  I understand that the RDA hit the Mother Lode on Pandora, so they never even looked at the five other planets or twenty-four moons in this system," voiced Sharon.  "You know, we could fire up the scopes and sensors, on the way in and get the 'quick and dirty' on some of the other objects in this system." replied Ian.
   "That might not be a bad idea," stated Colonel Hill as he walked onto the Flight Deck.  "Captain Riley, cold you raise the electronic and research sections and have them send people up here for a skull session?  I'm going to go to the Mess Hall and get them to rustle up some snacks and coffee for about fifteen people," as he disappeared down the Companion Way.
   "WIYA! I was just making an idle comment ..." said Sharon, "I didn't think that an ALL HANDS TO THE BRIDGE, was going to be generated by it!"
   "You come up with better ideas than you think, sometimes," voiced John, as he got up from the Command Pilot's Seat.  "Your throne awaits, Madame!" he said, as he made a grandiose sweeping motion while bowing, ever so slightly.  Sharon gave an exaggerated Royal Nod, and smiled to John as she sat, causing Ian to crack up at the sight of the two of them playing off each other.
   Major Thomas Ring, Major Megan O'Riley, Captain Pamela Wright, and Loren Anderson all sprinted onto the Bridge together, with Megan breathlessly stating, "What did we find?!?"
   "We have found anything YET, but Major West thought that it would be a good idea to have a look around the neighborhood, before we became too complacent," announced John.
   "I have wondered if perhaps when the RDA was thrown out of Pandora, if the Out Going ISV, had made a short diversion to another celestial body with the Alpha Centauri system, and dropped off a dozen, perhaps two dozen people, but no more, as they would be missed," mentioned Major Sven Kriegson.
   "THAT could get a little Dicey, if it was learned by the Na'vi on Pandora,  So if that is the case, that planet or moon would HAVE to be 'Sanitized' before ANYONE, not on this Bridge EVER found out," stated Colonel Joseph Hill, as he reentered the Bridge.
   "IF that needs to happen, I believe that those who make contact, should be Military Personnel ONLY, and should be wearing RDA uniforms, and posing as RDA.  They should find out WHAT equipment, weapons, food and fuel, those people on the surface have.  And where it is, BEFORE ANY triggers are pulled, Sir." stated Major West, to Colonel Hill.
   "I don't want to get ahead of ourselves," cautioned the Colonel.  "But it WOULD be advisable to have a plan, and the proper personnel in place, just in case.  If such a response IS required, Major West, here, will lead it, with Major Edwards, Captain Wright, Major Kriegson, Captain Riley, and Lieutenants Daniels, Orr, and Bonner, rounding out the group."
   "That's sounds like a GREAT example of planning on the fly, Sir," said Sharon.  "But with all due respect, Sir, shouldn't we get all these engineers and technicians up here LOOKING to see if there even IS anything to sanitize?"
   "Great point, Major.  Let's get out of the way, and let our experts set up the equipment to run spectography, surface temperatures, radiation levels, and infrared scans, for ANY fauna on the suspect objects, for warm-blooded life forms."
   As the engineers and technicians were setting up and starting to run their scans, Sharon asked Colonel Hill if it wouldn't be a good idea for her to contact Blue Heart Gate, and tell them that the ISV would be arriving in four months.  He agreed with her that announcing their planned arrival time would raise less eyebrows than showing up a month late, but suggested that she wait until all the Science Geeks leave the Bridge to do so.
   Three hours later, Sharon keyed the Mike, "Blue Heart Gate, his is the inbound ISV, we are four months out, inbound.  As we get within a week out, please fire up a radio beacon from one of the parked ISVs, so we know where to fly and park over Eywa'eveng."
Tokx alu tawtute, Tirea Le Na'vi

Niri Te

   CHAPTER NINETY-FOUR
   "OK Folks, so what do we have so far?" said Colonel Hill, as he selected a roll to go with his cup of coffee.  He and his senior officers, decided to meet behind closed doors on the Flight Deck in order to keep information of the scans of the planets, and their moons, Need-to-Know, Eyes Only.
   "Well, Sir," said Major Ring, "We have only been at this six days, and already we have a wealth of information.  Those people never looked at what was in the neighborhood.  The Inboard planets are FAR more lethal than Pandora, and they have no moons.  The Outermost planet is at the same distance from Alpha Centauri that Pluto is from Earth's Sun, and it is SIX times the size of Jupiter, frozen solid, and nothing human or human built could survive its gravity.  It's moons are in the same condition, all be it smaller.  The  planet  just outside th orbit of Pandora, has six moons.  Five are somewhat benign for carbon-based life forms and One, in the closest orbit to that planet is a carbon-copy of Pandora, as far as we can tell.  The only difference being that it is ninety percent oceanic."
   "DOWN Renegades! DOWN!" calmed Colonel Hill, when he saw the reactions of all the Marine Biologists on the Bridge.
   Major Ring continued his briefing with, "Well, from there we go to the next planet out, which, by-the-way, we will pass within three million miles of, in ten more days.  It's atmosphere is a carbon-copy of the Earth's 20,000 years ago, and it has a gravity only ONE-POINT-TWO times that of Earth.  If I wanted to set up a forward staging area, THAT would be my first choice, followed by the closest moon of the other Planet."
   "I can plot us a course to orbit that moon and have it for you in five minutes.  If you don't want the ship's computer to give you a Direct-To Route, to the Moon in question, Sir," offered Captain Nevel James.
   "Do we have any orbiting remote sensors aboard?"  asked Major John Edwards.
   "We have six," reported Major Megan O'Reily, "Plus we have Over-the-Horizon scanning capability."
   Colonel Hill smiled and said, "Let's have a look and see what is down there."
   New destination co-ordinates were entered into the ship's computers and they were told to plot a solution for an imperceptible heading change for any one not on the Bridge, or looking out a view screen.  That last possibility was handled by Colonel Hill coming UP on the view screens and giving a little "Pep Talk" and safety briefing.
   Six days later, the ship's powerful telescopes were trained on that moon, with video recorders slaved into them.  Everything from low frequency radio bands through near IR, up to Gamma radiation, was monitored.  If someone or something moved, turned on a light or a radio, and if there were small reactors providing power, even deep underground, those on the Bridge would soon know it.
   When the ship was one day out, another skull session was held on the Bridge.  During the meeting, all of the amassed data was shown and discussed.  What they KNEW, was that SOMETHING was going on Down There, but there were gaps in the data available to come up with a positively Definitive picture.  An Away Team would HAVE to descend to the surface.  Attack plans were drawn-up, in case it came to that, but there was not much more that could be planned in any great detail, because there were far too many variables that could not be known with any degree of certainty.
   Showtime arrived and eight heavily armed military personnel, all with prior combat experience boarded the shuttle.  Two hours before they walked down the companionways a ship wide announcement was made by Colonel Hill, that there were some strange readings emanating from a moon they were passing by, and the had to check them out.  One shuttle was outfitted to descend to the moon's surface, and return with a maximum away time of sixty hours.
   "Do we have the L-Z location loaded into the Nav Computers?" asked Sharon, as she buckled into the Command Pilot's seat.
   "Loaded and Ready to go," replied Major O'Reily, "We are fully provisioned for this mission, Ma'am.  I supervised the loading, myself."
   "Way to go!" responded Sharon, "Let's kick the tires and light the fires!"
   "Shuttle Two, you are cleared for release at your discretion," said the voice on the radio.
   "Shuttle Two releasing now," announced Sharon, as she tripped the Unlock Switches.  "Well Kiddos!"  Sharon continued to th se aboard, "Get ready for the E-Ticket Ride. Tally-Ho!"
Tokx alu tawtute, Tirea Le Na'vi

Niri Te


CHAPTER NINETY-FIVE
   "OK Folks, we are going to land this thing right in front of their hangar door.  With this snow storm, I don't want to land it a quarter mile away on their naturally camouflaged landing zone.  When we go to a thirty foot hover, I want two magnesium flares dropped from the rear loading ramp," briefed Sharon.
   "The last time that I flew in anything like THIS, I was flying into Nome, Alaska in January!" groused John good-naturedly.
   "Well you didn't have the special awareness tools that we do now, so this is nothing more than some old fashioned, good Army training, Buddy," chuckled Sharon.
   "Way Point Five Miles.  Approaching at Sixty." announced the computer.
   "Begin Pre-Hover Checklist," said Sharon, while disengaging the Stall Warning Horn, and unlocking the Engine Gimbals.
   "Radar Altimeters set at close range.  Area Radar Display on line," reported John.
   "I have the Controls." announced Sharon, as she slid the Close Area/False Color Situational Display into place.
   "Way Point one mile.  Approaching at Sixty." came the SITREP from the computer.
   The Way Point was a Forty-Five Degree dog leg to the right in the half mile wide valley, with four thousand foot tall cliff faces on both sides.
   "Call Pinnacle Obstructions for me." requested Sharon of John.
   (Pinnacle Obstructions were small rock outcroppings, or even dead tree trunks or pipes risig out of the ground, that John's Fine Detail Screen was showing him, while Sharon's Coarse Detail Screen was used to navigate the shuttle to its destination in front of the Hanger Doors cut in the cliff face.)
   Sharon was intent on the visual display, while listening for the Audio Count of Time To Turn.  There was absolutely zero talk that did not directly concern flying,  ever since Sharon announced "Cone of Silence" as they entered the narrow valley.
   "Way Point in Three...Two...One...WAY POINT." advised the Auto Pilot.  Just as the audio started the word "Way Point", Sharon eased the ship into a thirty degree bank, right turn to remain on the Flight Plan.  The moment that she leveled the wings, the Auto Pilot advised, "Destination in Three Miles. Approaching at Sixty."
   Sharon called, "Throttles Sixty, Thrust Twenty Degrees." As she retarded the throttles, and John swung the engines on their gimbals to deflect their thrust down twenty degrees.
   "Destination in Two-Point-Five-Miles.  Approaching at forty." alerted the Auto Pilot.
   Sharon left the Power and Thrust Vectors untouched, but she now had her right hand on the throttles, and John, his left hand on the Thrust Vector Levers.
   "Destination in Two Miles.  Approaching at Forty." was heard on the Flight Deck, but both Sharon and John were cast in stone.  They did not move, or even appear to blink.  Onward they flew, and when the Auto Pilot announced, "Destination One Mile,. Approaching at Forty." They dropped the Thrust Vector to thirty degrees, slowing the craft to twenty miles an hour.  Sharon flipped a switch, changing the Auto Pilot from Approach, to Landing Mode.  Immediately the Auto Pilot said, "Destination Point--Seven Miles.  Approaching at Twenty. Altitude One-Hundred."
   "Sharon keyed the Line-of-Sight Microwave Radio, and said, "Two minutes out," to which the Radio Operator on the ISV broke squelch twice.  A minute later, the Auto Pilot announced, "Destination, Point-Two Miles out,  Approaching at Twenty.  Altitude One-Hundred."
   And Sharon called, "Throttles to Fifty Percent."  Slowing the ship to Ten Miles an Hour and dropping it to Fifty Feet.  At a tenth of a mile out, and John called, "No Obstructions to the Hangar Doors,"  which were now in-sight on the screens, they cut the ship's forward speed to five, then two miles an hour, and descended to Twenty Feet.  When they were two-hundred feet from the Hangar Doors, they brought the ship to a hover and pivoted it one-hundred-eighty degrees to face the direction from which they came, and set her down in the snow of the moon. 
   As they lowered the rear cargo door, they noticed the wide OPEN Personnel Door at the edge of the Hangar Door.
   "This is NOT S.O.P.," said John, and Sharon ordered, "Masks ON. Lock and Load!"
   Eight mask-wearing, heavily armed military personnel stood at the entrance of the Underground Complex, as Sharon went in, with John  covering her.
   "Well, THIS was unexpected!" warned Sharon on her radio, "We have a highly decomposed body, five feet inside the doorway.  Be glad that you have your masks on."
Tokx alu tawtute, Tirea Le Na'vi

Niri Te

   CHAPTER NINETY-SIX 
   "MAN! That was reduced to a skeleton!" remarked Major Kriegson, as he lit up the remains with his flashlight.
   "OK People, I want a Jungle Trail Formation as we descend into the complex,"  instructed Sharon.  "Major O'Reily, you take Point, and Lt. Daniels, you and Lt. Orr take Trail, and don't let anything sneak up on us from behind."
   They worked their way to the Hallway, and followed farther into the Mountain.  About thirty yards in, there was a passage that lead to a set of double doors labeled Comm Shack.  Inside, the lights were on, as well as the radios, but the static had not been heard by anyone in a few years, until this team walked into the room.  Definitely, not by the Two decomposed bodies in the room; one in a chair by the radios, the other, in a heap in the middle of the room.
   Sharon reached over and turned off the radios, after jotting down their frequencies in her notebook.
   "On the way back up,"  said Sharon, "I want to spend a little time here, and remove the radios, to take them back with us to the ISV."
   With nothing more to be learned in the Comm Shack, they continued their journey into the core of the facility.
   Another hundred feet further into the complex, they came to another set of double doors marked, Combined Mess.  They walked through and found sixteen more bodies, most in MILITARY uniforms, dead at their dining tables, plates of decayed food in front of them.
   John slowly walked down the aisle looking at what remained of the different bodies, and stopped at the head of the table.
   "I think I found the ranking man at this table," he announced, as he took his knife and cut off the epaulette of a Captain and tossed it to Sharon.
   "Well, everyone at THIS table was wearing a Military Uniform," observed Sharon.  "As ALICE said, 'Curiouser and curiouser!'  Let's comb this place, and see what we find.  If you come across something DON'T touch it.  Notify John or Myself."
   As they fanned out in the room, going chair by chair, Major O'Reily raised her voice enough to be heard, and alerted Sharon to the fact that the convection stove was still on.  Sharon and her muntxate came to take a look.
   "Whatever hit these people, hit ALL of them in seconds.  The remains of the Cook are in a pile in front of a still hot stove," observed Pamela.
   "MAJOR, YOU NEED TO SEE THIS!" shouted Sven from the doorway of the walk-in freezer.
   Sharon, Pamela, and John, came trotting up to Sven, stopping in their tracks the  moment they entered the freezer.
   "Close the door behind you John," advised Pamela.
    Halfway to the rear wall of the twenty foot long freezer, stood Sven, peering down at the freezer-burned, but well-preserved body of one of the cooks.
   "THIS is the first big break that we have gotten in this mystery," said John.  "Perhaps the surgeon can do an autopsy, and tell us what happened down here, and how long ago it happened," he added.
   "Let's leave the body here," counseled Sharon, "until we locate the Sick Bay."
   "Sick Bay?" questioned Lt. Orr, as he walked in.
   "Yeah," said Pamela, "They will likely have a few Body Bags," as she stepped away from the body eliciting a "WOW" from Lt. Orr.
   "We may be able to get some Medical Records out of the Sick Bay," said Sharon, as she headed for the door, motioning for the others to come with her.
   The Sick Bay was the next room down the hall, but the first on the Left side of the hall.  As they entered, they observed three more dead, all medical personnel, as evidenced by their clothing.
   Inside the Sick Bay, they found the Data Chips containing the entire Medical Records of everyone at the complex.  They also found several body bags, of which they helped themselves to one.
   The next section of the complex, was the Living Quarters, where Sharon assigned each bed a letter and instructed the party to take each bed and mark its letter on that person's personal bag, a cloth laundry-sized bag, and fill it ONLY with any personal data devices, photos, and paperwork, before placing the bag on the freshly-made bed.  They were then to go to the next unchecked bed in the room and repeat the process.
   The last room in the Complex was the Commander's Office, and Quarters, where a decomposed body was found slumped over the deck, arm outstretched for a pile of papers.  Six data chips were taken from his desk.
   When the party had scoured everything, they returned to the freezer in the Mess Hall, placed the body in the bag, and returned to the Comm Shack, where they removed the two shoe-box sized radios and returned to the shuttle.
   "OK, now that we have the documentation, the radios and Body stowed, let's head for home." said John.
   "On our Way," replied Sharon, as she started running through the pre-start checklists.
   Eight minutes later, the Shuttle broke her contact with the Moon and went to a pre-take-off taxi of forty feet altitude, and forty mile per hour speed until they cleared the valley.  Once clear of the valley, Sharon gave control of the ship to John, and he pointed the nose upward at a twenty degree deck-angle, advancing the throttles to 85%.  Once the ship went through fifteen miles altitude, they switched the engine's power to Rocket-Drive, and headed for the Rendezvous Point.
   Two hours later, John keyed the mike and said, "Shuttle Two requesting docking clearance, and to be met by Colonel Yatsimi.  We have a body recovered from the Base that she will want to run a full autopsy on."
   The reply was almost immediate, "Shuttle Two. You have docking clearance, the Med Section has been notified and the Colonel will be awaiting your return.  Welcome Home!"
Tokx alu tawtute, Tirea Le Na'vi

Niri Te

   
  CHAPTER NINETY-SEVEN
 
"Airlock Pressurized. Unlocking Hatch." said Lt. Orr.  Moments later, the hatch swung open, and the shuttle crew stepped onto the ISV.
On their way out of the Collar, which they called the short tubes that joined the shuttles to the ISV, Sharon, John, and Pamela let the Medical Personnel know exactly where the body that they brought was stowed in the Cargo Hold of the shuttle. Then they went to the Engineering Section to get the Data Chips deciphered.
   "Away Team, please report to Colonel Hill in the Combined Mess," was announced on the ISV's intercom.
   "Well, I guess we get to Debrief over a hot meal," joked Megan, as they detoured into the Mess Hall, instead of continuing to the Engineering Section.
   As they walked in, Colonel Hill waved from a set of tables that were pushed together.  Sharon pointed to the food line, which was open in spite of this odd hour, at Colonel Hill's insistence. And he nodded.
   Once they had each made their selections, they all joined Colonel Hill around the table.  Before anyone could say a word about the mission, Colonel Hill told them that Now was the Time to replenish their energy reserves, there would be plenty of time for Debriefing later,
   Once everyone had finished their breakfast, of scrambled powdered eggs, shrimp, and mushrooms, the last two items, harvested from the 'Old Dog', they withdrew to the Commander's Quarters. As the last of them left the Combined Mess, the first of the 'Normal Hours' started shuffling in for breakfast.
   "So, there was NO hostile fire, when you searched the entire Complex?" asked Colonel Hill, with a relieved look on his face.
   "They were all dead, Sir," came the reply from Sharon.
   "From the advanced state of decomposition, I would guess three or four years," added John, "Except for the cook in the cooler, they were all reduced to skeletons," he continued.
   "The odd thing about it,"  said Major Kreigson, "was that it seemed like they all died instantly, within seconds of each other, perhaps even simultaneously."
   "That is true, Sir," agreed Sharon.  "ALL of the personnel either died AT their Duty Stations, pursuing normal duties, in the Mess Hall, eating, or sleeping.  The one well-preserved body that we found in the walk-in freezer, in the Galley, may give us many answers.  In addition to the body, we recovered the complete Medical Files of all Personnel, the Radio Logs, as well as the Commander's Computer Files.  Colonel Yatsimi has that lone cadaver in her lab as we speak, Sir."
   "That's good. I also understand that you had the presence of mind, to grab a trove of information, Major West," praised Colonel Hill.
   "Sir.  The one thing that I would like to give to you, is this copy of the Radio Frequencies that they were monitoring in their Comm Shack, as well as these Flash Drives.  Each is labeled, containing the complete Comm Logs, Duty Logs, of everyone on the Out Post, as well as the Commander's Personal Logs.  In the Cargo Hold of the shuttle, is also one laundry bag per individual, containing the personal effects of each man who bunked at that facility," stated Sharon.
   "Thank you Major West. If we were not ending this voyage in a few scant months, but continuing our journey as a Science Expedition," stated Colonel Hill, "I would appoint you as Deputy Commander of this vessel."
   "Thank you for your trust in me, Sir," responded Sharon, "But I was just doing what I believe ANY Away Team Leader would do in an effort to reconstruct what the conditions of a pre-Apocalyptic event were, i order to get a true picture of what the events were, prior to such an incident."
   "Be that as it may," replied Colonel Hill, "That was quite a Heads-Up example of forensic data gathering, Major West.  I think that we will be able to figure out what these people and their operation, were all about.  WELL DONE. All of you!"
Tokx alu tawtute, Tirea Le Na'vi

Niri Te

   

       CHAPTER NINETY-EIGHT
"In the two days since you guys brought us your Little Package, we have run almost every test that 22nd Century medicine has at its disposal, and we STILL don't know what killed that guy," said Colonel Yatsimi, over her breakfast coffee.
   "Then you have run out of tricks?" asked Megan O'Reilly.
   "No, we have one more that will tell us something in about two more days.  It is a total TOX Scan for both natural antibodies and artificial substances.  At the DNA level on the bones of the body.  We should know at that time, WHAT killed this guy, even if it was a naturally occurring cause."
   "You really have NO ideas?" asked Sharon, hoping to get a handle on how Colonel Yatsimi's mind worked.
   "There IS one anomaly that stands out, but I'm not even sure, HOW something like this could even happen.  I'm wondering if it is not a result of decomposition, but that makes NO sense at all.  The ONE thing that we discovered about him, was that there was a complete absence of ANY electrolytes ANYWHERE in his body.  And THAT is just not possible!  According to all the tests, but the one battery in question, HE JUST DIED!  His spirit just LEFT his body, IF you believe in that sort of thing."
   "I DO believe in that sort of thing, ESPECIALLY since we got out of a HELL, rapidly in the making, in the way that we did.  I hope that you are not offended by that, Colonel," replied Sharon.
   "Oh, no offense is taken.  Each of us has very strong personal beliefs in that regard, and I would never begrudge someone anything that personal," reassured Colonel Yatsimi.
   Sharon left the Mess Hall for her quarters twenty minutes later, almost certain of what happened, although she had no idea WHEN it happened.
   Sharon and Pamela met at their doorway, and entered their quarters, both breathing a sigh of relief.
   "So how did your emergency repair of the High Frequency Antennae Array go, Oeyä Yawnetu?" inquired Sharon.
   "We fixed everything just fine, and then ran tests on all the other antennae systems as well.  And you will be OK to send your message to Pandora tonight," answered Pamela.  "Let's take a three hour nap before we greet the day with breakfast."  Ten minutes later, they were both sound asleep.
   Discussion over breakfast, by most of the Away Team, was, for the most part, dominated by discussions on what each of them REALLY happened down in the Complex.  Three possibilities were held between the members.  A small group of two felt that it was some form of Space Illness that they all picked up somewhere on the Moon.  Two more thought that it was some form of radiation that would not register on dosimeter badges, and the rest all felt that Eywa killed them all.
   Ten minutes before her Duty Shift began, Sharon walked on board the Bridge, and took her seat at the Flight Deck.  Within moments, First Lt. Bonner relieved First Lt. Orr as Duty Flight Engineer.  After some small talk, the relieved crew made their way to the Mess Hall for breakfast and things settled down to normal on the Flight Deck.  About half way through their shift, Sharon keyed the microphone for the High Powered UHF radio and said,
   "Blue Heart Gate.  This is the inbound ISV. Major Sharon West, Commander of the Insertion Team for the ReConn Mission to the Outer Moon.  We have returned from our mission to investigate the strange readings that we received from the Moon on the next planet out from Pandora. We have found a complete underground RDA base that was manned by 46 personnel.  There was no fight.  Every single person in the underground RDA base was dead.  From our testing of their bodies, and other information that we recovered, they all died within SECONDS of each other, in an instant. About four years ago."
   The message continued to say, "We have not been able to determine scientifically, what single incident  killed all of these people instantly, and at the same time.  If I may be allowed to interject my belief based on what I saw, and what I experienced leaving 'Rrta, I believe that Eywa killed them all.  Laugh at me if you must, about a quarter of this Ship thinks that I am crazy, but THEY can't explain how these men died.  I willl be awaiting your return message and I will reply to it as soon as I receive it.  Or in two days from now, if I receive nothing.  Major Sharon West. Out."
Tokx alu tawtute, Tirea Le Na'vi

Niri Te

   
   

CHAPTER NINETY-NINE
   "Time to get up, Sleepy Head.  You were out cold!"
   "Tse, Oe lu txen! I'm awake NOW, Pamela," said Sharon.
   "Kä yom ko!  Let's go eat!" suggested Pamela, "Colonel Hill says that he has some interesting news to tell you over your meal."
   "OK. Let me run through the shower," said Sharon, as she headed to the bathroom.
   The two of them walked into the Combined Mess, squeaky clean and fairly hungry.  They acknowledged Colonel Hill as they walked to the serving line, where they secured their meals.  The Commander, along with the other Under Sea Renegades, and members of the Medical, Electronics, and Engineering sections, were all present at a group of tables that had been shoved together for the occasion.
   "Well, it looks like we have a full house!" said Sharon by way of a greeting.
   "Have we got news for YOU," blurted out Chip Higgins, to the disdainful look of Colonel Hill, who motioned to Major Megan O'Reilly to give Sharon the whole story.
   "Well, Major West. You know that you were scheduled to come out here to this system to fly the ship that you had modified to become the Star Shooter, may her soul rest honorably.  We found you mentioned twelve times in the records of the base on the moon that your Away Team just explored.  From the records and radio traffic that you brought back, that Moon Base was built and staffed four years before the Battle for the Well of Souls.  You were scheduled to go THERE and NOT to Pandora, to take your Ship and fly reconn missions to catalog the types and amounts of "Rare Earth" minerals on that Moon.
   You could have heard a pin drop for several moments, after Megan's revelation.
   "Well," replied Sharon, "Now I guess I know where I would have wound-up, and flown.  You say that these people were not dropped off from Pandora when the RDA vrrtep got their eviction notice?  Hmm, I wonder when that bunch became so evil that Eywa decided that she had to take them out?"
   "You really believe that Eywa is as powerful as many on Earth USED TO BELIEVE the Judeo-Christian God was, BEFORE the Age of Scientific Enlightenment swept away the old superstitions?" asked Major Thomas Ring.
   "I believe that Eywa is the local name for the female aspect of the Judeo Christian God that you dismiss so readily," retorted Sharon.
   Without raising his voice, Colonel Hill restored order at the table by saying, "All right, Folks.  Let's not start the Great Religion versus Science Wars over out meal.  Roger that?"
   Immediately the conversation was returned to the facts at hand.
   "One thing that we now know, is that the last radio transmission that was sent from there, was at the end of a flurry of traffic between the Base you were at and a hidden Outpost on Pandora that was under heavy Na'vi attack, four years and two months ago.  Then EVERYTHING went suddenly quiet."
Tokx alu tawtute, Tirea Le Na'vi

Niri Te


   CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED
   Four hours after the conversation over the meal, Sharon entered the Bridge and asked the just-On-Duty Sven Kriegson, if she could send a message to Blue Heart Gate, to which he replied, "Nìlun! Of course!" pointing to the empty First Officer's seat.
   Sharon slid into the seat, switched on the headset, and activated the microphone.
   "Blue Heart Gate, this is Major Sharon West.  I have learned information that may be critical to your knowlege of what went on here.  I will wait half an hour for you to get your key personnel in place, to hear first hand what I have to say.  I am still awaiting your next message.  Major West. Out."
   Half an hour later, Sharon rekeyed the microphone.
   "Blue Heart Gate. This is Major Sharon West. Here is what I learned four-and-a-half hours ago.  The facility here was built and staffed fouryears before the Battle for the Well of Souls. I, as a qualified astronaut, was to fly a ship that had just been built on Earth for the purpose of detecting and quantifying, many different types of "Rare Earth" minerals over the moon we just explored.  I was to come out here, n the next ISV that was scheduled to leave Earth, what turned out to be six months AFTER when the Battle for the Well of Souls occured.  When the RDA vrrtep were sent back to Earth, my services as an astronaut were no longer needed.  So I went to study and get my degrees in Engineering and Marine Biology, which is why I am the Eyktan of the Under Sea Renegades, here on the ISV.
   "One of the things that we brought back to the ISV from the moon, were all the computerized records of the Base, including all of the radio logs from this base's inception.  When we walked into the Comm Shack, there was a body at the radio console, with the radio still on.  Apparently Quaritch kept them in the dark about his Battle Plans against the Na'vi.  They only learned about it three days after it happened.  Because of that, I don't think their hearts were evil, at that time.  But the radio traffic that they received from a Colonel at the Hidden RDA Outpost, constantly vilifying the Na'vi people, and DEMONIZING Eywa, turned their hearts.  By the time that they all suddenly died in moments, four years and two months ago, there was no traffic about there being ANY Na'vi here.  I think that it is too cold and too oxygen rich for them here.  This moon is a carbon copy of the Earth about 40,000 years ago.  VERY pure air. Humans could easily live here, as long as the dressed like they lived in Upper New England.  We have the fuel reserves to mount a more thorough search of this moon in the daylight, not in a blinding snow storm, and for more than rwo hours, if that is what you would like.
   "If there is anything else that you would like from us, just ask.  If there is anything that we could ask, it would be to be allowed to live in our Ayuniltìrantokx, and to live by the Sea that we could not protect while on Earth from the Greedy Humans, but that we loved so much.  We will turn all of the computer and hard copy data that we recovered from that Moon when we arrive at Blue Heart Gate.  Eywa Ayngahu.  Major West. Out"
   "You sure dropped a bunch of information in their laps, Sharon.  But I think that it was a good call," said Major Kriegson.
   "I think so too," replied Sharon, "I sure HOPE that they can trust us, and allow us to live Nì'Na'vi," said Sharon, as she rose from her seat to head aft.
Tokx alu tawtute, Tirea Le Na'vi

Niri Te



  CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED ONE
   Eight hours later, Sharon had been on duty for two hours, when the speakers came to life.
   "Incoming ISV. This is Jake Sully.  I have a large contingent of Na'vi ayeyktan, with me today.  We all wish to extend our welcome. and look forward anxiously to your arrival.
   "To the Under Sea Renegades, a special message from the Eastern Sea Ikran Olo'eyktan, Atumopin.  Poe plltxe SAN "Ayngeyä ketse lu oer!" SÌK.  In other words, "Your Tails are MINE!"  She is very excited that Lovers of the Ocean will be joining us, and insists that you join her clan, or establish your clan near hers.
   "To Major Sharon West, KEHE! Ayoeng KE fpìl fwa nga lu keye'ung. We DON'T think you are crazy.  You need to know that four years ago, we eliminated a remnant RDA Outpost.  In the midst of that battle, ALL the RDA commanders dropped DEAD!  I think Eywa foresaw the damage to Pandora that these types intended, so NO!  we DON'T think that you are crazy.
   "Major West, you seem to be one of the eyktan aboard this vessel.  We think it best to stay in radio contact in order to transition you to our home.  I understand that you each have Uniltìrantokx for yourselves.  I trust that you each are trying them out, and becoming familiar with them.  It makes Mo'at nervous to know that there are bodies without spirits floating around!  Yes. She remains.  But Neytiri has assumed the role of tsahik by my side.
   "We have made repairs to the facility, and have maintained its operation.  The manager of this facility is Pxati Fenwick.  She requests a manifest of all cargo which is aboard.  It is suggested that your ayhumontokx remain aboard in orbit when that time arrives.  The landing field is in good repair for the use of your shuttles.
   "We are now concerned that the RDA has set up bases throughout this region of stars.  We will rely upon your information on the Base that you encountered, and trust that you will maintain surveillance on any suspect planets or moons in the Alpha Centuri system.  If we are lucky, Eywa has eliminated any threat.  We also request that you scan the surface of Pandora for geothermal abnormalities.  Several of our aysahik have had premonitions of a volcano in the sea.  We would appreciate confirmation.  We will send you the radio frequencies of your sister ship which is in GeoSync.
"Jake Sully. Out."
   "Well, what do you think of THAT?" asked Lt. Bonner.
   "I think that the breakfast table will be BUZZING with conversation, when we release the Na'vi's suggestion and EXPECTATION that we are getting used to our Ayuniltìrantokx!  And to think that we were afraid that they might not allow us to use them for a while," crooned Sharon.
   The remaining Duty Cycle flew by, and when John Edwards, and Ed Daniels relieved them, and they shared the contents of the message, John's "YEAH BABY!!!"  could be heard halfway to amidships.
   As the relieved crew walked towards the Combined Mess for breakfast, Sharon said, "It's SHOWTIME!!!!!!"
Tokx alu tawtute, Tirea Le Na'vi

Niri Te

 

  CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED TWO
   Fifty feet shy of the entrance to the Combined Mess, Sharon and Lt. Bonner spied Pamela, Megan, Col. Yatsimi, and Major Sylvia Lyon, , rounding the corner to the Companion way that they were on.
   Major Sylvia Lyon, was the head of the group that took care of the Avatars from Conception until they were "driven", by those for whom they were made.
   They waited until the six of them could enter and sit together.  When they reached the serving line, Wendy, Chip, Jim, and Dan, came in through the double doors.
   The ten of them shoved two tables with a seating capacity of fourteen people together, just as Colonel Hill, and Captain Stanton Edwards, the Executive Officer of the Electronics Section, walked in.  Once the now twelve of them were seated, Colonel Hill asked Sharon if the yelling that he heard earlier from John Edwards was about good news.  Sharon replied that it was, but perhaps it would be wise to have everyone finish their meals first, and then she would pass along the information.
   Neither Sharon nor Lt. Bonner let on about the magnitude of the good news.  Once everyone had finished their breakfast and was starting their second cup of coffee, she began.
   "OK.  Everyone has calmed the raging beast within, so this is a good time to bring up the radio message that I received from Jake Sully, aka Toruk Makto.  Jake assured me that all of the aysahik and ayeyktan on the continent where Blue Heart Gate is located, are impatiently awaiting our arrival, and will welcome ALL of us with open arms.  There are NO exceptions to that statement.
   "The second thing that he said is that they need us to do some research scans on Pandora's Oceans.  Several sahik experienced simultaneous visions of a volcanic eruption of major proportions, killing MANY ayNa'vi on an island."
   Chip Higgins said, "Here is where we get to be the Good Guys, riding in over the hill, and I can use what I am trained as. I'M ON IT!"
   "That brings us to the two last little points that he brought up," continued Sharon.  "Jake told me that those of us of the Under Sea Renegades, can consider ourselves ALREADY welcomed AND claimed as family members by Eyktan Atumopin the leader of the Eastern Sea Clan."  Sharon glanced at everyone at the tables and smiled, saying, "This brings us to a small point that Jake made at the close of his message."  Sharon again looked around the table until she spied Major Lyon, and nodded at her.  "ALL the Na'vi are hoping that ALL of us are getting used to our Na'vi aytokx NOW.  And the first time they see us, they want to see us in our Na'vi aytokx!"
   It took about ten seconds for that last statement to sink in.  While each person handled it in their own way, there was NO doubt in ANY ONE's mind who in the the Combined Mess, that some absolutely exceptional news was just shared at the Under Sea Renegade Table.
   Major Lyon stood up and said, "There will be NO mad dash to my Section.  We can only decant and bring online, TEN Avatars a day, but before the week is out, EVERYONE on this ship, will have been in their Avatar at least TWICE.  I will draw up a schedule today and have it posted on the Ship's Computer Screens by dinnertime."
   At dinner, the list for appointments to drive the Avatars, was up on the ship's computer system for all the crew members to see.  It held to the military tradition of RHIP, (Rank Hath Its Privaleges)  with a few obvious changes.  The most notable change was the fact that Colonel Yatsimi was going to be the last person to animate her Avatar.  Her explanation for this was that she needed to supervise the entire operation of all the ship's cadre getting their Na'vi aytokx for the first time, in case there were any problems.
   Two would be taken at a time with Colonel Hill, and Major West, going first.  Next would be Captain Wright, and Major Edwards.  Wendy Harrington, and Major Kreigson would be next, followed by Lts. Orr and Bonner, and finally, Lt. Daniels and Major Wrigby.
   After dinner had been eaten, and everyone in the Mess was enjoying coffee, Colonel Hill went to the head of the Mess Hall, jumped upon an unused table, and got everyone's attention.
   "I realize that everyone in this room is pretty jazzed about getting their Avatars, and that is a great thing."  Colonel Hill went on to say, "But that carries a certain responsibility with it.  We will NOT be walking around just LOOKING like a bunch of Na'vi, but we will be SOUNDING like Na'vi, too.  For any OFFICIAL Operations, the language WILL be ENGLISH.  But for ALL of our interpersonal conversation, we WILL start to speak Na'vi. I DON'T expect everyone to speak it like Toruk Makto on Eywa'eveng speaks it, but I DO expect EVERYONE on this ship to start trying.  Those that are better at the language, help those that need the help, and you will be helping yourselves as well.  A month before we park this ship, we will all start wearing Na'vi clothing.  When we arrive, we WILL assimilate.  Everyone on this ship WANTED to come here because we were SICK and TIRED of the way that most of our species lived.  And now the Na'vi have graciously accepted EACH, and EVERY ONE of us, AS THEIR OWN, so it is high-time we started BECOMING like the Na'vi.  THAT IS ALL. Eywa Ayngahu."
   With that, Colonel Hill jumped of the table to the floor, and returned to the tables where the Under Sea Renegades were sitting.
   "Txantsan, Ma Eyktan!" said Sharon, as Colonel Hill sat down.
Tokx alu tawtute, Tirea Le Na'vi

Niri Te



  CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED THREE
   The Fog cleared from Sharon's vision and she saw the face of Major Lyon who said, "Fìtsenge lu Sharon West! Olo'eyktan te Äo Tampxay Renängetxs. (Here is Sharon West!  Clan Leader of Under Sea Renegades)
  "How do you feel, Major?"
   "Oe lu fpom, Ma Tsmuk!"  (I am well, my Sibling!) answered Sharon.  "Lu Colonel Hill fpom?" (Is Colonel Hill well?)
   From her right side, hidden from view by equipment and one of the Lab Techs, Sharon heard, "Oe lu siltsan, Ma Sharon." (I am well, Sharon)
   Major Lyon looked at Sharon and said, "That was some good Na'vi, but this is important, so we will keep it in English.  Touch your thumbs to each of your fingers...," and she went through fifteen minutes of progressive neuro-muscular and balance tests.  When she asked them to go from sitting on the gurneys to standing along side them, they each grabbed their own kxetse (tail), for fear of doing damage with them.
   Half an hour after "coming-to" in the na'vi metokx (two bodies) they were released to go where they pleased on the Ship.  They did not need to worry about nudity.  The techs were dressing all of the Avatars in military cargo shorts, with tail holes cut in them, and exercise T-Shirts when they were decanted and placed on the gurneys.  This was done before each Avatar's driver climbed into a link chamber.
   On their way out of the Avatar Suite, Joe and Sharon got a bit of a surprise.  As soon as they walked out of the doorway, there were twenty people lining the sides of the companion way.  They were not there to gawk, or wolf-whistle, they were respectfully "checking-out" the first two Uniltìrantokx (DreamWalkers), to see if there were any problems for those inhabiting them.
  Both Joe and Sharon assured them. that everything felt and worked just fine, and the only two things that they would have to get used to, was their eyes being able to see a much wider spectrum, and being MUCH bigger.  Joe was ten feet tall and Sharon, who was a tall human female, was also ten feet tall.
   As they turned the corner to exist the Avatar Wing, there were glass windows on their left.  These separated the Companion Way from the Waiting Room for the next two future Mipa Na'vi. (New Na'vi)  Pamela and John were moments from going to their link chambers, and they both gave Joe and Sharon each a hearty Thumbs-Up through the glass, with Sharon mouthing the words, "Coffee in Mess Hall" to her Yawnetu (Beloved), as she walked by.
   "Fra'u lu ha mipa hu fay Uniltìrantokx." (Everything is so new with these Dream Walker Body), said Sharon haltingly.  "Slä oeru lu oeyä menari keteng." (But to me, are my two eyes different.)
   "Srane," replied the Colonel. "Oe 'en si mì mune trr, moe tsun niyume moeyä aynari." (Yes, I guess that in two days we can learn our eyes. [four eyes, two people])
   "I need to rest my brain from assembling that Na'vi On the Fly.  Can we just enjoy our coffee for a minute, and let our brains reboot, Colonel?" asked Sharon.
   "That would be fine.  There is one thing that I would like you and wife to do over the next few days;  I would like you, and everyone else on this Ship to think of HOW they would like to be called, among each other, on this Ship in another month. At that time, we will hold a Shipwide "Retirement Party," for all of us Military Personnel.  The party will span two shifts so that no one on the Ship is left out.  When that party is over, except for official duties, we will refrain from addressing each other by our rank."
   "We will come up with something, Sir.  It will probably be out first names, but I am not sure," responded Sharon.
   "Will you eventually pick a Na'vi name?" asked the Colonel.
   "I will be honored to use one, but I will Not pick it," responded Sharon.  "Tsat lu nìpxim Atumopinä meuianga kem krra lu meuiä." (That is rightly Atumopin's honorable deed, at the time that is proper.)
   Three cups of coffee, and forty-five minutes later, John and Pamela walked in grabbed some coffee and sat at the table.
   "Srak, ngeyä metokx lu fpom?" (Question Yes/no, your two bodies are well?), asked Sharon of the both of them.
   "Srane! Moe lu sìltsan. Moe kawkrr fampìl moeyä meuniltìrantokx txansan lu!" (Yes!  Our two are good. We never thought our DreamWalker Bodies excellent are!) exclaimed Pamela.
   "Oe mllte! (I agree!) agreed Sharon.  She went on to say to John, "Go to your wife on the Flight Deck. THAT will put a smile on her face."
   John looked at Colonel Hill, and Joe said, "Go ahead!  You are not flying the thing!"
   John offered his sincere thanks, and made his way forward.
Tokx alu tawtute, Tirea Le Na'vi

Niri Te


  CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED-FOUR 
   John almost made it to the double doors, when Sharon said, "Pey oeyä tsmukan. Ngeyä muntxate lu keranom peyä Uniltìrantokx set!" (Wait, My Brother. Your wife is getting her Dreamwalker body now!)
   John had a sheepish look on his face, and Pamela pointed AFT towards the Medical Wing.
   John walked into the Avatar wing, three minutes after Wendy and Sven entered their link chambers.  John was allowed to look on the monitors of the Animation Wing, so that he could watch Wendy's Avatar getting checked out by the medical personnel.  When it looked like they were ready to release Wendy, John thanked the Medical Personnel and positioned himself where he would be at the spot where Wendy and Sven would have to pass him. Moments after John staked out his position, his muntxate and Sven rounded the corner.  A few moments were spent talking about each of their initial thoughts on these new bodies, and the three of them made for the Mess Hall.
   Pxeunitìrantokx amip (The three new Dream Walker Bodies) walked into the Combined Mess in high spirits, grabbed some coffee, and joined the lahe (other) Na'vi around the slowly filling table.
   "Txon lefpom Ma Eylan!" (night joyous, dear friends), greeted Wendy,as she did the best that she could to sit a table designed for a person four feet shorter, and continued; "Srak moeru SUPX fìtsenge set!?" (Yes or no, to us is soup here yet?)
   Colonel Hill pointed to the stoves in the kitchen and said, "Tsatseng lu supx mì tsa'u apxa pxetsngal." (There is soup in those three large cups.)
   Wendy excused herself from the table, looked in all three pots, and came back with a pretty good copy of space-faring, chicken and rice soup.
   "Nga sunu tsat?" (You like that?), asked Pamela.
   "Srane," (Yes), said Wendy between spoonfuls.
  "Srak, ngaru supx sur pxel lìsre ngeyä Na'vi tokx?" (Yes or no, to you is soup taste like before your Na'vi body?), queried John.
   "Srane. Slä Oe lu nì'ul 'ohakx set." (Yes, but I am more hungry now.)
   "OK guys, let's switch back to English for just a little bit.  I'm not two hours in my Na'vi tokx (body) and I already have a re'o a tìsraw! (head which hurts), suggested Sven Kriegson.
   "We are going to have to Turn-In pretty soon.  I have to fly from midnight to four, so we are going to ease on back to our Quarters. Hayalovay! (Until next time!)
   As Sharon and her wife made their way out the double-doors, John leaned over to Wendy and said, "I don't have to go on duty until Four, so we can sit here for a little bit, if you like."
   Wendy replied with, "We can keep Colonel Hill company for a little while so that he doesn't fall asleep too soon, and return to his human tokx earlier than he wants."
   Sharon closed the door to their quarters behind them, and Pamela boiled the water for a pot of Green Tea.  The two of them were as nervous and giddy as if they each were sixteen, and it was the first time, all over again.
   They sat across from each other, after Sharon went into her personal "Special Occasion" stash, and got the only two tins of Smoked Oysters to make it out of the Under Sea Lab, setting one tin in front of each of them.
   The two of them enjoyed their repast while the strains of Beethoven's Eroica played softly from a Personal Listening Device that belonged to Pamela.  When they were finished snacking, Pamela turned off the music, stood up and put her hand on Sharon's saying, "Za'u sì lawk rey'eng."  (Come and discuss the Balance of Life), a the two walked over to their marriage bed.
   Each of them sensuously undressed the other, and they curled up together, on the top of the bed.  They lay there stroking each other, while they were kissing.  After a few moments, Pamela slid her hand down the back of her Mate's head to the tswin, gently encircled it with her fingers, and slowly slid down it to just above the neural fibers, looking at Sharon expectantly.  Sharon carefully took Pamela's tswin in her hand and they joined the two.
   What they each experienced next, was something so powerful and fulfilling on both a physical and emotionally psychic level that it almost knocked them both unconscious.  They could only lay in each others arms for half an hour, trying to process the wave of thoughts, physical sensations, and emotions of themselves, their partner, and this unique psychic BEING that was the product of their tsaheylu.
   Forty-five minutes later, they could each move to a sitting position on the bed, and stroking Pamela's head, in her lap, Sharon said, "Oeru lamu kawkrr u'o tsafya," (To me was never something like that way!")  "Set Oe nìngay Kame nga, Oe ulte Moe slu 'awsìteng ulte fi'u lu a yuey sì txantur 'u." (Now I truly see what you, I, and WE become together, and this is a beautiful and powerful thing."
   "Oe mllte, oeyä kosmana steli ftu Eywa." (I agree, My Wonderful Gift from Eywa), said Pamela.
   Five minutes later, they had passed out in each others' arms, and awoke in their link chambers.

Tokx alu tawtute, Tirea Le Na'vi

Niri Te

  CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED-FIVE
   "Well, Major West, what did you think of your first test drive?" asked Captain Jason Taylor, one of the Avatar Techs.
   "It was absolutely GREAT! How long can we do this? And how often?" asked Sharon.
   "Every single day, fratrr!  According to Captain Moore, here,"  said Pamela.  "There are eight more link chambers than there are personnel on this ship," she continued.
   "That will work," said Sharon, "But what is the medical evidence? How many hours is the max, and then how much time is required in our human bodies?"
   Captain Waddell offered clarification: "We have found that the most extreme durations are 18 hours in the Avatar and 6 hours in the human bodies.  For a practical long term limit, it would probably be best if we held to the same durations that the Active Flight Crews will on this ship, that being, 13 hours in Avatar and 11 hours in human body."
   "Yeah, we could swing that, and still get in all of out Flight Time," said Sharon.
   "I have a question," inquired Pamela.  "There are two Very Big Na'vi that are "sleeping" in Sharon's and My bed.  How are we getting them back here?"
   Colonel Yatsimi walked up and said, "You're NOT! None of us are.  We have taken an entire cargo hold, and turned it into living quarters for all of the human aytokx (bodies), with private quarters for the married couples."
   "Well that sounds like a fine bit of prior planning that is going very well in execution," said Sharon.
   Thirty-five minutes later, everyone had been to their billeting assignments, and were relaxing prior to eating dinner.  Pamela and Sharon, were lounging in their "room" that had been quickly assembled in the cargo hold by screwing together temporary walls.  These walls formed a 10x12 foot room, and they shared a Females Only Latrine, 20 feet aft of their quarters.
   "After what WE have just experienced, I think we ought to each have some tea, and crash-out for the night," said Pamela, who went on to promise, "I will wake you up with plenty of time to have a cup or two of coffee before piloting the Ship."
   "Sharon looked at Pamela, smiled, and said, "Irayo, oeyä hona Yawnetu alor.  Frakrr new oe livu ngahu." (Thank you, my adorable, beautiful Beloved.  I always desire to be with you.)   She drew Pamela into her embrace, lightly kissing each of her eyelids.  They slid between the sheets together, with Pamela joking, "Tse (Well) THIS time we won't get the amazing worm hole ride the moment that we drift off."
   Sharon awake with Pamela kissing her on the cheeks, saying, "Tìng Säpom!" (Give a kiss) Sharon snatched Pamela in her arms, rolling the two over, where Sharon was now on top.  "Slow down, Hot Rod!"  You have to pilot this Ship pretty soon," said Pamela between kisses.
   After cleaning up, Sharon and Pamela walked into the Combined Mess, for soup and coffee.  As they sat down at the table with "Transport Jim", and Steve, Sharon asked, "It has been so long, I don't know what shifts you guys are on, so what IS it?  Rewon Lefpom (morning pleasant?) or Txon Lefpom? (evening pleasant?)"
   "Rewon lefpom for me.  We are on the same shift," said Transport Jim.
   "Txon lefpom, for me.  I'm getting ready to go to bed." answered Steve.
   Just then, Lt. Bonner, Sharon's Flight Engineer, walked up and sat opposite Pamela at the table.  "BOY! Was it just ME, or does EVERYONE go through a worm hole on the way to and from their Blue Selves?"
   "Neat ride, huh?" said Wendy, grinning broadly.
   "It was OK, once I had DONE it once, and KNEW what to expect."
   "It was pretty cool," said Sharon, who tapped on her watch letting her Flight Engineer know they had ten minutes to drink up and make it to the Bridge.  "Moe rä'ä za'u hawngkrr, Ma Tsmukan." (We two mustn't come late, My Brother.)
   Sharon kissed her wife on the forehead, and She and Lt. Bonner headed for the Flight Deck.
   Sharon and Lt. Bonner walked on the Bridge with two minutes to spare, relieving John and Lt. Wrigby.
   "Tse,  Ma Tsmukan, nga salew set fpi krranom ngeyä Uniltìrantokx?" (Well, My Brother, you go now for the sake of getting your Dream Walker Body?)
   "Oe lu alaksi, Ma Tsmuke." (I am ready, My Sister.) said Lt. Wrigby as he headed for the Medical Section.
Tokx alu tawtute, Tirea Le Na'vi

Niri Te


  CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED-SIX
   Once the initial Change of Command was behind her, Sharon keyed-up the radio t the frequency that Scott Comstock gave to her as an addendum to Jake Sully's last message.
   "Newest ISV in parking orbit, this is Major Sharon West, Pilot in Command of the inbound ISV, from the now uninhabited planet Earth.  We are inbound at point-four light-speed with the last humans to leave Earth as it became an uninhabitable inferno.
   "We received Jake Sully's message and would be honored to assist you in your scans of Pandora.  We have a total of fifty-two souls aboard, with all the nominal job specialties aboard, as well as, a complete Marine Research Team, of which I am a Member.  Please give us a list of the types of scans you would like us to run on Pandora when we arrive in orbit, so that we can "Hit the Ground" running as we pull into formation with you.  Please give us the separation distance from your ship that you want us to take up Station at.
   "Be advised that we have transponding planetary and atmospheric probes aboard this vessel.  We will be actively monitoring this frequency, as well as the one for Blue Heart Gate, from now on.  Major West. Out."
   Sharon turned to Lt. Orr, and said, "Hey Kevin, do me a favor, and dial up Blue Heart Gate's frequency."
   "Already laid in, Sharon," was Lt. Orr's response.
   Sharon nodded and keyed the headset, "Blue Heart Gate.  This is Major Sharon West, Duty Command Pilot on the inbound ISV.  I will be Burst Transmitting a complete Manifest at the end of this transmission, on this frequency.  Please let me know if you received it in it's entirety.  It will be nine-hundred-twenty-two lines of data, ending with our current propulsion fuel stores as of an hour ago.
   "To answer your earlier comments concerning our ayuniltìrantokx, we are each scheduled to spend 13 hours in our ayuniltìrantokx a day.This is possible because we have 8 more link chambers on board, than there are people to fill them.
   "We would like an answer on protocol so as not to offend our gracious hosts.  Should we wear shorts and shirts, or native aytewng?  We are all quite comfortable in aytewng, but if you would like our first meeting to appear more professional, we can wear the shorts and shirts.  We don't want our first meeting to get off on the wrong foot.
   "Concerning the manifest, you will notice on line 218, that we listed an estimated 600 pounds of shrimp.  We have not gone crazy, we set up a shrimp farm on the Mining Transport.  With the scientific knowledge of the Under Sea Renegades, we had such an efficient shrimp farm operating, that we had a steady supply of shrimp on board the Transport before we docked with the ISV, as well as after."
   Sharon went on to voice a concern of the biologists, though.  "This might be a bad thing, though, in that we don't want to introduce an off-world species of fauna to Pandora.  The results of such an introduction can NOT be anticipated with any certainty.  We are thinking of killing all of the shrimp and having the Mother of All LUAUs on Pandora, enjoying a good meal and at the same time, ensuring that we do NOT cause ANY damage to the ecology of Pandora.
   "Please tell my Na'vi Mother Atumopin, 'SAN Thank you for accepting me and the other Marine Biologists into her Clan.  We will do our best to learn what the Clan wants to teach us. SÌK.' Major Sharon West. Out."
   With that, Sharon released the transmit button on the headset, turned to Lt. Orr and said, "Transmit the Manifest, and that will take care of what they asked us for."
   After they had been on Duty several hours, Sharon asked Kevin, "Moe lu hasey ye'rin, pefya ngal nume ngeyä tokxit?" (We are done soon, what way you learn your body?)
   Kevin answered, "Tse, oe fpirìl oe liviyìng,fpil tskereng fa oeyä kxtetse." (Well, I am thinking I can soon float in the air, practicing with my tail.)
   Sharon replied, "Tsat lu sìltsan säfpil.  Pamela sì oe sweylu fmì tsat nìteng." (That is a good idea.  Pamela and I should try that also.)
   Kevin answered, "Mengal new kerä oeti?" (You two want going with me?)
   "Srane Oeyä 'eylan! Irayo!." replied Sharon. (Yes my friend. Thank You.)
Tokx alu tawtute, Tirea Le Na'vi

Niri Te

 
  CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED-SEVEN
   Sharon West and Kevin Orr walked into the Combined Mess together, after their shift was over.  After they had gotten their breakfasts, they walked to the Under Sea Renegades table, with Kevin taking an offered seat, and Sharon sitting next to her Yawnetu.  Sharon addressed the entire table saying,
   "Kevin has a GREAT idea for a way to REALLY get used to our ayuniltìrantokx.  If it is possible."
   Chip Higgins said, "Uh-oh, THIS might push the envelope!  What did you two cook up?"
   "Oh, nothing much," voiced Kevin, "I just think that we SHOULD have a zero G Hold on this ship, that has heat and an atmosphere for us to practice floating in. Right?"
   "I just KNEW this was going to come!" said Megan O'Reilly, the ISV's Chief Engineer.  "Do you two adventurers think that you can give me til tomorrow morning to get something set up, and functioning for everyone?"
   "That will be FINE, Major O'Reilly.  We are behind your efforts one hundred percent," said Sharon.
   After breakfast, Sharon and Pamela retired to their quarters to give their humon metokx (Human two bodies) a rest while they got more used to their Meuniltìrantokx (Two Avatar bodies).
   Having already taken the "ride through the rabbit hole" once before, both Pamela and Sharon knew what to expect, so their journey to their "Blue Selves" was no longer startling, just a pretty, psychedelic ride to their "Na'vi selves."
   "Tse oeyä hona Yawnetu, srak ngaru 'efu fpom mì nngeyä Aena Tokx fìrewon?" (well, my adorable Beloved, yes/no, to you is feeling well-being in your Blue Body this morning?) asked Pamela, as she kissed her mate on the forehead.
   "Oeru 'efu tìyo ulte ngaru tut?" (I feel perfect, and you?)  queried Sharon of her wife.
   "Alunta moe ketsun lìng vaykrr rewonay, moe tsun näk kofi mì yusom tseng ulte tse'a t'o ayta' lengean lu tsatseng. Tsakrr moe tsun kä sätswayon tsenge malkrr kxamtrra wutso fpì nerume txo tì'eyng lamu pamlltxe teri ngeyä upxare." (Because we cannot float in the air until tomorrow morning, we can drink coffee in the Eating Place and see if any Blue Skins are there.  Then we can go to the Flying Place after midday meal, to learn if a response was said concerning your last message.)
   Sharon put her fingers to her temples and said, "Let's keep it in English for a while, my brain hurts!"
   Sharon and Pamela walked into the Combined Mess, spied Colonel Hill and Colonel Yatsimi at the usual table, along with John and Steve.  As the two of them left the serving line with their coffee, Colonel Hill summoned them over to the table.
   As they sat down, Colonel Hill asked them, "Do you guys know that Chip Higgins suffered a mild heart attack earlier today?"
   "Oh my! No!" said Pamela.  "Is he alright?"
   "It was very slight, and his humon tokx is resting right now, under light sedation," informed Dr. Yatsimi.  "We are trying to keep him occupied in his Uniltìrantokx in the lab, which helps out his human body greatly."
    "Well, I never knew him to be a track star, but he still always kept himself in shape, so THIS IS a little unexpected," viced Sharon. "Are you going to keep him locked up in the Med Section, or will you let him come up here and join us for some lunch? It might do his emotional health a world of good."
   "Oh, we will be sure to have his Blue Self here for lunch, Major.  Of THAT you can be certain!" promised Colonel Yatsimi.
   "How many of the ship's company have spent their first day as uniltìrantokx?" asked Pamela.
   "About half," answered Major Lyon, as she sat down. "Everyone including the Good Doctor, here, should be familiar with their Blue Selves, by the beginning of next week."
   "Well, that will be a good thing," observed Sharon.  "Do you think that it would be a good idea, if we found the best Na'vi speakers among us, and had that person or persons, conduct classes twice a day, so that everyone on board could grab one class a day regardless of their schedule, Colonel Hill?"
   The Colonel thought about it for a moment and said, "That's a very good idea," turned to Colonel Yatsimi asking her, "You guys are pretty autonomous down there, have you got anyone that is capable of teaching or helping to tutor others on this ship?"
   "Let me put out some feelers, and I should be able to let you know tomorrow," was the doctor's reply.
   "I do not feel qualified to teach advanced students, but do feel qualified to tutor intermediate students, and teach beginning students," offered Pamela.
   "Well, let's see if we can place you with some numeyu (students) that you feel comfortable with," decided Colonel Hill.
   Sharon spoke up, saying, "I know of someone who IS an advanced Karyu (teacher), but it is a delicate situation.  My wife and I would like to speak with you privately about it, if we could."
   "Well, then, I suggest that the three of us withdraw to my quarters, with a pot of coffee and some rolls, and see if we can't come up with something.  We will all meet back here in one hour, for lunch, and welcome Chip to our table." declared Colonel Hill.
Tokx alu tawtute, Tirea Le Na'vi