Solar

Landing

Daniel laid his head on his desk. "Twenty dead...I killed them," he whispered.

Mary wrapped her arms around him from behind. "Accidents happen. You lead four-thousand volunteers into space. Twenty died. That is very good odds. Learn from the mistake, if one was made."

Daniel looked at her. "You're a doctor..."

"Yes, and people die on the operating table all the time. We must continue or more will die." She said.

She ruffled his sandy hair. "Look at the data and see what happened. Was it engineering, manufacturing, or human error?"

Daniel raised his head and looked at the screen. "I need to reach out to their families and let them know personally the sacrifice their loved one made."

Daniel composed a short video then sent it to Earth Tech headquarters. He stood and took the few steps to the coffee pot. The room they were in was marginally larger than a holding cell, but much more comfortable. Daniel poured himself a cup then walked back to his computer as Mary sat on the bed. He chuckled softly.

"Did you know I cried the first time one of my drones blew up? I took it as a personal failure. My mentor taught me about acceptable losses. I lost security forces in the Ukraine, Africa, and Taiwan. I didn't cry over them, they were soldiers." He shook his head.

"Daniel, you are an exceptional engineer, but nothing is perfect. More than a hundred different manufacturers built parts for your fleet." Mary said.

Daniel nodded. "Yes, but every part was tested four different ways before it was installed."

The computer chimed. "It took nearly twenty minutes to send and receive a message to earth. That time was increasing by the minute. By the time they reach Jupiter, they would have nearly an hour delay. Daniel had a team working on that issue. On Earth, quantum networks weren't economically feasible, but in space...he couldn't afford long delays in information transfer. He sighed as he opened the video message.

Tamia's image filled the screen. "Samuel, has been locked in meetings all day. He has been informed. I will reach out to the families of each member that died. I will also transmit your personal condolences. May I ask what will be done with the bodies?"

Daniel nodded and started his recording. Mary looked out at the vast blackness that surrounded them. If she really looked she could see the blue dot that was Earth. It was slightly larger than the other stars. Even the sun had stunk down to an orb you could nearly look into. She sighed.

"We will be home in three days," Daniel said.

Mary turned and looked at Daniel. "Do you really consider Europa home?"

"I haven't considered Earth home for fifteen years. I was twelve when I decided to leave, and none of the recent events on the planet have made me doubt my decision."

Mary wasn't sure where her home was. Daniel had given her a way to conduct her research, then, by a twist of fate, he had given her someone to love. She did know that she would miss the feel of the sun on her skin and the sound of waves. She guessed that there was a price to all decisions and she had chosen science.

She glanced back out the window into the vastness of space; this view was almost worth it all. She was one of four thousand, and she would go further than all but two-hundred and eighty. She placed a hand on her stomach, it would be months before she felt anything, but she knew, and because of her husband, she knew her children would be born without defects. That was worth everything.

Daniel turned to look at her. "You've been quiet. Is everything okay?"

"My lab is in storage. I'm enjoying the cruise, but miss the swimming pool," she said.

"I'll make some adjustments. We can't have unhappy guests. Daniel said with a smile.

She chuckled. This was not supposed to be a pleasure cruise. She guessed that eventually transport ships between Earth and the colonies would be luxurious, but those times were not now. Sure they had good food, showers, their own bunks, but that was it.

"Daniel, when will colonial ships offer true comfort?" She asked.

He shrugged. "Give it a few years. The resources we save on security measures to secure our research alone will pay for these colonies, but the moon is sitting on a literal gold mine. As people see the wealth the colonies offer, more will colonize, which will lead to visits to Earth and other colonies. I currently have ships designed, but they aren't made to land on the planets or colonies. They will be reached by shuttle."

He yawned. "It's getting late," he muttered.

The remaining three days passed with Mary's major concern being boredom. She had browsed a few medical journals, and even looked at some of Daniel's future plans. Daniel had more than simply wished to get people to space, he had planned on sustaining and protecting them. The length he was willing to go to protect them.

She didn't talk about the issue with Daniel, despite the engagement, they hadn't really known each other that long, and she was now more than fifty million miles from the only home she knew.

When the Jupiter system approached, all thoughts vanished. It wasn't simply seeing Jupiter grow in the viewscreen, it was the ninety-two moons that orbited it. She tried to spot Europa, which would be her new home.

Daniel spotted her staring at the window in their room.He glanced at his computer. "It will be a day before we see her." He said.

"Her?"

"Europa was a woman Jupiter captured." Daniel answered. "You should study your mythology, we now live among the gods,"

It was easy to forget that Daniel was also a master of the history and mythology of all cultures. That was part of his appeal. "We won't see Europa until an hour before we land. I'll call you to the cockpit."

She nodded, butterflies skrirming in her stomach. Five months ago this had all felt like a fantasy. Now she was here.