Chapter 22: Where to go next?

Ada Crisp turned to me and asked, "Where will you go first?"

"We haven't yet determined wh..."

"But my Committee has," interrupted Doctor Gentry, producing a sheet of paper, "and here is your itinerary."

I didn't accept the page he was holding out, although I knew that I would have to at least look at it before too long. I led the naming party back to the Mess where lunch had been laid on. During the lunch, Ada Crisp encouraged me to tell her about our experiences with the Enterprise. Perhaps interrogated would have been a more accurate description. I could see that Doctor Gentry was becoming more and more frustrated by his lack of opportunity to present his itinerary.

At last the reason for the interrogation became apparent when Ada explained that her two eldest sons had asked her to get all possible information about the Space Service. They had been bitten by the space bug ever since I had borrowed their younger brother's computer joystick to take to Palmdale with me.

I told Ada that I would send her a copy of the simulator training software that we used to train our shuttle pilots. Ada beamed at me while the Colonel muttered "Traitor" under his breath.

I turned to the Colonel and said with a grin. "But think, Colonel, they'll be reaching higher if they join the Space Service."

"You know. You have almost convinced me to transfer. However, I have grown too accustomed to keeping my feet on the ground. So, what with one thing and another, I think I'll pass.

After lunch, I bit the bullet and approached Doctor Gentry.

"You have a list for me?"

"Ah, yes. Here it is. You are directed to assess these systems in the order given," he said, as he extracted it from his briefcase.

He handed it to me and I scanned the list.

It read:

Star systems to be visited by the Space Service

Seven planets:
HD10180 in Hydrus.

Six planets:
Kepler-11 in Cygnus, HD40307 in Pictor...

Five planets:
55 Cancri in Cancer, Kepler-20 in Lyra, Kepler-33 in Lyra, Kepler-62 in Lyra, KOI-500 in Lyra, Tau Ceti in Cetus...

Four planets:
Mu Arae in Ara, Gliese 581 in Libra, HR8799 in Pegasus, Gliese 876 in Aquarius, Upsilon Andromedae in Andromeda, Gliese 676A in Ara, KOI-94, KOI-730 in Cygnus...

Three planets:
82 G Eridani in Eridanus, 61 Virginus in Virgo, HD 69830 in Puppis, 47 Ursa Majoris in Ursa Major, HIP 57274 in Ursa Major, HD 181433 in Pavo, HD 37124 in Taurus, HIP 14810 in Aries, HD125612 in Virgo, PSR B1257 +12 in Virgo, Kepler-9 in Lyra, Kepler-9, Kepler-30, Kepler-37 in Lyra, HD 31527 in Lepus, NU2 Lupi in Lupus, HD 134606 in Apus, HD 204313, Kepler-42 in Cygnus, Kepler-68...

The list was obviously copied. Almost certainly, off the internet, and then I grinned. I had recognized the specific page as I had found it during my researches. I looked at Doctor Gentry squarely in the eyes.

"I would recommend, Doctor, that you don't give up your day job in order to become a travel agent."

"Er? What makes you say that?"

"You've just handed me a list of stellar systems that have some planets in varying numbers. They are in all directions and up to almost three thousand light-years away from our solar system. The round trip, to take in that one system, alone, would currently take about eleven years. That's just not practical. A lot of the rest of the list is almost as bad. The order given is also a grave mistake. It's like giving someone, with a long weekend holiday, an itinerary that goes to China, then Poland, and finally back to Burma. As I said: 'Don't give up your day job.'"

"Hrmph!" he replied and backed off.

I turned to the Crisps and explaining why I had to return Bob Mather, and doctor Gentry to Washington, I asked them if they would like to come along for the ride. Ada was delighted to be asked and the Colonel grinned his acceptance.