Author's note:
At the end of chapter 19, Robyn Bradford, the pilot of the Petticoat Crew took off from Samothea with Madam Gloria, Ezra, Yael and Freya, plus Annela in suspended animation in the escape pod.
1 Preparing for the Conference
Throughout the journey from Samothea to Celetaris, Gloria held Ezra's hand for security.
Normally a strong-minded and secure woman, the shocking strangeness of the space-flight unusually discommoded her. Even after emerging from the orbiting hyperspace beacon near Celetaris, during the slow and smooth descent to the planet's surface, Gloria forgot to let go of him.
Yael and Freya stared out of the port-holes in awed silence, as a giant blue, green and white globe moved slowly toward them, expanding as it approached.
Ezra let the girls undo their harnesses temporarily, so they could see better out of the port-holes. They were weightless in space now, so the slightest movement lifted them out of their seats, a sensation they loved. Gloria remained firmly strapped in.
Two hours later, Robyn gave her passengers the order to put their harnesses back on, preparatory to the sharp and bumpy deceleration through the atmosphere, during which the girls yelped for joy and Gloria gripped Ezra's arm with both hands.
Robyn Bradford landed the shuttlecraft safely at Ocean City astroport a mere ten hours after leaving Samothea.
It was dusk and the lights in the astroport beamed yellow cones onto the tarmac as the CSS Petticoat taxied into the disembarkation station, giving a last sighing nod as the brakes engaged. Steam condensed on the cooling air-frame and dripped onto the ground from the wings and rocket-motors.
The decontamination process began when hoses in the roof began to spray the craft down. When they finished, a plastic-lined corridor with concertina folds automatically pressed against the passenger-bay door and sealed itself.
Robyn pressed the button to open the door. She remained on-board, staying in quarantine so she could head back to Samothea as soon as possible.
Ezra led the way through the plastic corridor to a hygiene station manned by two nurses in full protective clothing, including full face-masks.
"Don't worry, girls," he said. "It's for our protection, not theirs."
"We're not worried," Yael said cheerfully.
"Can we do it again, please, Daddy?" Freya asked. "I liked the bumpy bits best!"
"Not for now, Sweetie."
In the medical room, the nurses took pin-prick blood samples and mouth swabs. Two minutes later, the testing machines gave verdicts on their immune systems, showing that there were no diseases on Celetaris that would endanger the visitors. None the less, they advised a shot against colds. Ezra agreed and went first. A nurse sprayed inoculants up his nose.
He sneezed and wiped his eyes with a tissue.
The others submitted to the same painless treatment.
"It tastes funny, Daddy," Freya complained.
"Yes, Sweetie. It'll pass."
At last a nurse signalled that the hygiene centre door could be released.
Danielle and Roger waited outside, heading a small welcoming committee from the Samothea Project Team, a half-dozen staff-members available at short notice.
The sealed door of the hygiene station opened with a relaxing hiss and there was Ezra, about five years older, thinner, bearded, but smiling with amazing relief and gratitude at his beloved sister and rescuer. If Danielle thought she would keep her composure, she was quickly disillusioned. Happy tears flowed down her cheeks even before she'd skipped a few steps and leapt into her brother's arms, who held her tightly.
There was too much pent-up emotion to say what they felt, but the way Ezra held his sister and kissed her demonstrated most eloquently how much he missed her. They hugged in the entrance until Yael tapped Ezra on the shoulder.
"Ezra, you're blocking the doorway and we want to meet everyone."
He found his voice at last.
"Danielle, thank you for saving me. Thank you for everything!"
"I missed you, Ezra. I'm glad you're back."
"This is Yael," he said, "a friend of mine. Yael, this is my sister, Danielle."
"Hello, Yael," Danielle said, all tears and smiles. "Welcome to Celetaris."
Ezra felt a tug on his trousers. He picked Freya up.
"And this is Freya, my oldest daughter. Freya, meet your aunt Danielle."
Gloria was last out of the hygiene centre. Despite all the amazing sights she'd witnessed - the inside of a space-craft, travelling through hyperspace, viewing a planet from thousands of miles away and flying over a city with a million artificial lights - yet she blinked in wonder at the amazing sight of an astroport with jet-cars, hover-buses, aeroplanes and space-ships arriving and leaving.
Hundreds of people milled about on the astroport concourse and transportation platforms, with night turned to day by flaring electric lights. But it was the noise that most shocked her. The distant roar of space-ships taking off under rocket power; the rumble of aeroplanes taxiing to and from their berths; the whoosh of levitating ground-cars and hover-buses; and, above all, the croaking loudspeakers announcing arrivals and departures.
Gloria struggled not to be overwhelmed by all the noise and confusion; but Yael and Freya seemed to absorb it all with no problem. The journey that had so thrilled and delighted the girls had jolted and shaken Gloria, frightening her in a way she hadn't expected, knocking her confidence. Ezra noticed Gloria hesitate and returned to guide her forward.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present Madam Gloria, Prefect of Samothea," he said formally.
The title was impressive and reminded Gloria of her status. The respectful welcome from the Samothea Project Team helped restore her dignity. Gloria smiled graciously at Danielle and her team and strode forward to meet them.
Because the CSS Petticoat hadn't been expected back so soon (it came back quickly due to Doctor Jane Bradford's concerns about Annela), so there were no news reporters nor a public audience, which was a mercy. Introductions could be made quietly and without a fanfare, hopefully lessening the culture-shock.
As the visitors from Samothea were meeting the Project Team, medical orderlies entered the hold of the shuttle and attached levitating blocks to Annela's pod. They steered the pod into a ground transport.
When he saw Annela's pod being moved, Ezra said to his sister:
"Danielle, where are they taking Annela? Should we go with them?"
"They're taking her to the medical centre at the Institute for Science," she explained. "We've arranged for doctors there to treat her. One of the doctors is a friend of mine - a friend of the Project - Cassie Leighton, the neurosurgeon."
Ezra nodded. He'd heard of her and felt reassured.
"She'll take good care of her, I promise. Come home with Roger and me for now."
"Thanks, Danielle. ... Sweetheart," he said to his daughter, "we're going with your aunt Danielle, but I promise you we'll pay a visit to your mother in hospital."
"Yes, Daddy. Robyn told me the doctors will make her better."
"They will, Sweetie."
At last the party left the landing-stage and made for the jet-car station.
As the jet-car levitated out of the astroport and flew over the city, Yael and Freya were glued to the windows, absorbing all the wonders of Celetaris. They cooed in awe at the soaring sky-scrapers of Ocean City. Hover-cars wove their way through the air. Moving walkways criss-crossed the streets, connecting buildings at every level, carrying thousands of people. Adverts on the shop-fronts blazed out. The night-time Ocean City was the most exciting place the girls had ever seen.
The jet-car soon reached its cruising height and turned away from the city, the thrust pushing its passengers into the backs of their seats. They flew over the dark-blue central ocean toward Arts City, one-hundred miles away. Below them, boats sat in the harbour with twinkling lights or skimmed across the surface, leaving trails on the water.
Turning before it reached Arts City, a mass of twinkling lights to the right, the jet-car flew across a large dark and empty park toward the Celetaris Institute for Science. It landed outside Danielle and Roger's apartment building on the campus grounds.
There was as much for the visitors from Samothea to wonder at in a modern apartment, full of labour-saving devices, lights, computers, books and video screens, as anything they had seen on the space-flight or the jet-car journey. Although it was night-time, it was dry and warm, which they had been told about but had not properly expected.
The three Samotheans stood in the living room, too wary to move or touch anything, until Roger invited Gloria to the large picture window with its vista over the Science Park. He showed her the science tower (the Vortex) to the right and the faculty and administration tower (the Needle) on the far left, both lit up and shining in the black night. Not so prominent, though lighted by a ring of blue, was the mushroom dome of the conference centre. Before it were the white rectangles of the medical centre, where Annela's pod was headed.
"Dinner will be in ten minutes, everyone," Danielle announced, having been at her computer, arranging its delivery. "Make yourselves at home."
Yael asked Danielle:
"What are our chores?"
