It was long shot, it pushed the limits of human ability and endurance, it was on the edge of technological feasibility, and it was a one way trip.
Epouranios 1540co was the destination, and after 574.4 relative Earth years spent in stasis, we were almost there. But 394 days, 13 hours, 4 minutes, and 47 seconds remained in our journey, and it was too early to be awakened. It must have been a manual override and that meant something was wrong.
A voice command cleared the display and the diminutive figure of my 1st Officer came into view. I stepped out of the pod, filled my lungs with my first conscious breath in a very long time, composed myself, and saluted her before she spoke.
"They're all dead Sir," was the last thing I wanted to hear, but as I stared into the eyes of Commander Green, the grim reality of her words shook the last bits of post-stasis fog from my brain. "Only the embryos survived."
We were the fourth and final mission to leave from Earth. A faith-based science and space exploratory company, G.E.N.E.S.I.S. or Galactic Explorations of Near Earth Solar and Interstellar Space embarked on a huge undertaking in what would now be centuries ago.
Our founder, Dr. Mark Franklin, led what was initially a small group of scientists not in an effort to recreate life or other worlds, but rather to explore and inhabit those already created.
It had taken decades but he and the G.E.N.E.S.I.S team had overcome all but insurmountable challenges to make exploration of the world outside the known realm possible.
Now, despite the success of all those efforts, here we were mere months from our destination and in the midst of tragedy.
I spoke, "Do you know what happened, Commander?"
Epouranios was a presumed rocky planet in the habitable zone of its red dwarf. It's distance from Earth made it unreachable upon its discovery, but Dr. Franklin's brilliance had led to an engine capable of reaching 98% light speed. A remarkable achievement that without which, our explorations would have remained a dream.
I stared into the watery eyes of Commander Olivia Green awaiting her report.
Ten years my junior, she finished first in her class at The Academy, and her post graduate studies earned her two doctorates.
Her intelligence, determination, and grit caught my attention shortly after she joined G.E.N.E.S.I.S. and when I was selected to Captain one of the Epouranios Colonization effort, there was never a question about who would be my 1st Officer.
She cleared her throat and began, "There was a power spike when the forward shield sent a disintegrating charge to a much larger than anticipated celestial object." "Everything aft of Command and Control was affected."
She continued, "The computer initiated Ship Safety Protocol, but the overload fried the primary Cryo Containment generator as well as the secondary UPS."
Her lip began to quiver, "The computer woke me, but by the time I isolated the damaged components and rerouted power, it was too late to save them."
I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She eventually looked up at me with reddened eyes and spoke, "There wasn't room in the morgue for everyone, but I placed Mike and Connie there." "Everyone else, I..."
She didn't have to say it. "How long have you been awake?"
"Thirty-six hours Sir."
"Olivia, it's just us. Why don't we suspend protocol for now." "You get some sleep. I'll wake you in 8 hours, then we'll say a proper goodbye." "Okay...Eric." "Thank you."
"It's my pleasure Olivia."
I spent the next 8 hours preparing the bodies of her husband, my wife, and finally the chapel so that we could pay our last respects.
I awoke her as promised, we made our way to the chapel, and we each listened as the other gave a tearful eulogy. Then with care borne from respect and love, we loaded them into the crematory.