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"Wow," Victriato use to coerce us? Another ‘grand’ scene like showing everyone the planet?" Bartie asks, and whatever in hiot nothing to hide," I say loudly "Let’s all go down"

Ahting against the sucking mud to reach her side The others follow me in I’m worried about them--should we let them follow us down into the unknown? But when A me that they should coone, and some of it sloshes down the hole A ladder stretches into the darkness

"Co free fro onto the ladder Before I can say anything else, she’s already cli down

I lower the hatch lid overtrapped in the narrow space--it’s so tight I can reach out both ar the hatch open is worse If someone thinks to follow us down, at least we’ll have soain

We clier to be out of the confined space As we reach the area between the levels, it gets even colder

My breath comes out heavy, and the warm air bounces around the enclosed space Chilly sweat drips downly

"On a ladder," Bartie says

"I know that, chutz Ito find out," A solid "We’re here"

We all jump down beside her There’s another hatch--we spin it open, and a s at the floor beneath Aoes down first, and I follow her

This is a bridge

It mirrors the one on the Shipper Level in miniature Theis smaller, but it still faces the planet Victria turns her back to the planet, but the rest of us all stand, still stunned speechless by the sight of the ly close The control panel angles under the s of desks behind it I think about what Shelby told oes well, and if these controls work like the ones on the e--you can just hit the autopilot button on the front of the control panel, and the ship will land itself

Propped up on top of the autopilot button is a floppy, already loaded with a mem card

"The last vid," A up the floppy

I snatch it from his hands My eyes question Amy--should we show theh I’ is clear

Everyone crowds around lance up once at the honeycoins

<<begin video feed>>

"What is this?" Bartie asks, drawing closer

Victria gasps Amy puts her arm around her shoulders and squeezes as Orion’s face fills the screen

He sits on a chair in front of the bridge I glance up, looking at the real chair, the one in the middle That’s where Orion sat as he filht that it cast Orion in silhouette

ORION: Oh, Amy I wish I didn’t have to show you this I really do Becausenow that you’ve seen the planet, how can I ask that you turn away?

Orion glances behind hihs too

ORION: Because that’s what I have to ask you to do If at all possible--I need you to turn away, lock this door, and never come back

Amy’s mouth drops open, but no sound co secret was that ere here? That the planet is just on the other side of that ?

Orion shakes his head I notice that Victria, her eyes glued to Orion’s face, shakes her head just barely too, the movement hardly noticeable

ORION: That’s not the secret

Orion reaches behind him and pulls out a sheaf of papers

"This is what he has," Bartie says, picking up a sheaf of papers froes are curled and the pages are dusty, but these are the same papers Orion holds on the screen

Orion clears his throat, then reads, holding the papers up so the camera can show the report

We all lean over the sheaf of papers Bartie holds, reading along with Orion’s gravelly voice

Date: 328460

Ship Status: Arrival

Ship Record: Godspeed has arrived at Centauri-Earth 248 days prior to expected planet-landing Preli, with appropriate gravity, air quality with sufficient oxygen levels, and liquid water However, additional scans have proven that the planet is already inhabited Not by any creatures we can tell are sentient, but the life-forressive

Date: 328464

Ship Status: Orbital

Ship Record: We have continued to scan the planet The life-forms on the surface have been confirmed Visual probes indicate that the planet is habitable but inhospitable Our current weapons do not seeainst the creatures on the surface

Date: 328467

Ship Status: Orbital

Ship Record: Crew is restless It is the opinion of our top statisticians and scientists that we should not fulfill ourat this point The surface is too dangerous Communication with Earth has been severed We cannot expect aid from other sources, and we cannot defend ourselves outside the ship We will conduct a vote with the crew, explaining the situation It is my recommendation that the crew remains on board the ship where it is safe Our needs are provided for, and the ship’s external engines can be redirected to internal maintenance

Date: 328518

Ship Status: Orbital

Ship Record: Mutiny The ship’s crew did not see the logic of staying aboard, despite nificant loss of life My scientists, however, have developed athem to obedience