Acceptance
by Gerald Lamb
The limitless void of space stood framed by the command room’s meter-thick glass. As the impact shield raised, like the visor on a knight’s helm, bright hues of cosmic dust refracting the light of a thousand stars shone in sharp contrast to the pitch-black void. The past twelve hours had been spent with the impact shield down as the Caelum Ignotum passed through an uncharted debris trail. Captain Doran sat in his seat staring, awestruck, at the view. Beautiful-the thought almost passing into words on his silent lips. The other members of the flight crew, equally transfixed, sat in silence waiting on their captain.
“It’s amazing how quick you forget its beauty,” said Doran.
The crew nodded their heads in agreement. Doran stood up then walking slowly down the glossy gray steps, he stopped in front of the glass. The flight crew’s eyes fixed on their captain.
“Now to business, what is the damage report?”
Doran turned to face the void waiting for his crew to give their reports. Silence, as penetrating as the vacuum, filled the command deck. Breaking the silence was the sound of boots as they squeaked against the bright slate colored floor. Senior Flight Engineer Sophia stood at attention-rigid.
“Taken by themselves all of our problems are minor. However, we don’t have the resources onboard to resolve all of them. We have issues with the air scrubbing systems, engine cooling, navigation systems, and the greenhouse needs work.” Doran turned toward the crew, “so we can’t fix all of the problems. Understood. How much of it can be repaired?”
All eyes turned toward Sophia.
She swallowed hard, “well sir, we have to repair the engines and navigation systems or else we’ll drift aimlessly for years, or until we smash into something. We can make repairs to the air scrubbers and greenhouse. That would allow the oxygen and food supply we have, if rationed, to last us the journey back home. Option B would be to use all available resource to sure-up the engines. We would have enough power to reach Irgendwo, but then we would be stranded there. And unless the planet really is Eden, we will be able to explore for a week, two if we go to half rations, and then wait to die as the air turns toxic.”
The implications of the statement impacted the entire crew, but it hit the captain like a kick to the chest.
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