Chapter Eleven: --continued--

Jonathan climbed into the passenger side of the truck. The supplies were loaded carefully on the back. "What are we doing, exactly?" He asked Andy.
"Routine observation mission. There is a system that looks like it has habitable planets that nobody's been too before. Before a family claims colonisation rights, we're going to drop in and check things out. Thats what the microsatellites are for - essentailly spying on other worlds to see what they're like."
"So we're just going to fly over to another system and drop some sattellites in orbit?" Jonathan asked.
"That pretty much it. Not bery glorious, sure, but it's still exciting seeing a whole new world. Maybe there will be life - I have yet to find a system with life in it. Y'know, interplanetary law dictates that you can name species if you discover and document them."
"Really?"
"Yeah... maybe I can name something. That'd be pretty fun."
"Y'know, kid, once you find something the haredst part is finding a name for it." Jonathan thought about Norman, who once again seemed to be nowehere around. He was used to it, however. Norman had dissapeared for long times and still managed to find his way more than once.
"I guess yiu're right." Andy said, leaning over the steering wheel. The Spaceport wasn't far from the Spacing Commission building and it was a relatively short drive.
The truck's storage space slid off the bed and into the cargo hold of the ship with ease. Andy parcked it in a designated spot and climbed out. He and Jonathan walked over to the ship where Captain Fortworth and Helen were waiting.
As soon as the two men were seated in the cockpit, Captain Fortworth siad "SC-109 to Port Orpheus control, requestion permission to launch and break orbit for system communication grounds."
A woman's voice came of the speakers of the ship a few seconds later. "SC-109, this is Port Orpheus control, you're launch is pre-approved and your window will be open in three minutes. Watch for an incoming passenger liner on the 34th parrallel. Good luck."
"Thank you, control," The Captain replied.
Jonathan was surprised at how smoothly the ship took off. He no longer mistook it for a shuttle - he had originally assumed it was such an earthly Vehicle because of the engined it used in atmosphere. In actuallity, it was a full-space faring vessel. Shuttle engines had been developed sometime before or during the Destruction, so it made sense that these people would have the technology.
The ship glided up to space smoothly and set off for the outer system.

As the engines pushed the ship past the outer planets, Jonathan found himself sitting in the cockpit with Helen. She was the second in command on the vessel and held a rank of Liuetenant. She was showing Jonathan the basic controls of the ship.
"This is another emergency action panel," she explained. "If, for example, there were a hull breech in the cickpit here, you could shunt the control of the ship to other panels through out the ship from this one. I always thought it pretty useless, since there are so many redundant safety features, but there you are."
"I suppose it makes sense to be extra safe, though. You never know what might happen out in space." Jonathan replied.
"You know, that's very true. But I've still never heard of anybody once having to use this panel or one similar to it on any ship." Helen explained.
The two sat in silence for a moment, staring as an asteroid drifted past their feild of view.
"Helen?" Jonathan asked.
"Yes?"
"If you travle through space with your minds, why are we still drifting around this system? We're not mind-traveling now, are we?"
"You're right, we're not," Helen explained. "And there' s a good reason. Changing the perceptions of the entier universe isn't exactly an easy task. It takes a lot of pressure and concentration to break through to the Mind and have it change things for you. What space ships tend to do is lumber back and forth from the edges of systems."
"I was told that you could go from orbit to orbit." Jonathan said.
"Oh, you can." Helen said. "The problem with that is physics. If you drop into orbit from a standstill or from another orbit, you're dealing with a lot of physics all at once. You're stationary in dead space, and then you exist that close to a gravity well, you start falling fast, and you essentially lose control. Nasty accidents happen that way. Also, if you're in orbit and you drop into the orbit of another world and, say, have your tradjectory reversed, it creates terrible strain on ships, damaging and sometimes destroying them."
Jonathan thought about it for a moment. "So you get around this by changing the universe in deep space?"
Helen noded, and siad "Thats the basic idea. There's a lot less that can go wrong out on the edge of a system. Gives planetary authorities a bit of warning and time to organise th orbits of various vessels, as well."
Just then, Andy and Captain Fortworth joined them in the cockpit.
"Learn about the ship?" Captain Fortworth asked Jonathan.
"The important parts." Jonathan said.
"Good. You're going to be in control of the the vessel's drives and whatnot whi;e we join the Mind and transport the ship to the new system. Normally, this is Andy's job, but we should be able to get there quicker with his help in the mental end of things. It's dangerous to run a ship withut a consciencous crew-member," Captain fortworth thought back to when he transported Jonathan to Port Orpheus. That had been a dangerous trip, indeed.
Jonathan noted that Captain Fortworth was still being rather breif with him. He didn't understand why. The captian seemed to be avoiding him as much as possible.
"Jonathan, this is very important - be sure not to wake us up. It will look almost as if we are in a coma. It is imparative that you let us wake up naturally. Do not force us awake. It is not a wise plan."
"Yes, sir." Jonathan replied.
"Alright then," Captain Fortworth said, making a motion towards the pilot's seat with his hand, indicating that Jonathan should take it. "It make take a number of hours for the perceptions to change. Try not to say anything either. It might influence out concentration."

Word Count: 19,283
Day Left:19
Sanity: Losing Faith
Cafinated Beverages: At least five