Banished! — 3: Jada Volunteers

The ship’s crew stepped out onto the wide outside hull of the rocket, now a walkway about fifty yards wide, extending the entire length of the ship. Gyroscopes maintained this one side as the surface. There were inflatable extenders within each ship that would fit across the hull and turn this small surface area into a floating platform a half-mile across. The ship itself would not be seen with that platform secured over the rocket body. The ship itself would hold sleeping quarters, recreation areas, and the controls necessary for the ship’s operation.

It was impossible to gauge how distant the horizon was from their present location. There was nothing but water between. Presently, the waves rolling beneath them were slight, no more than several feet high. According to the scientists, that would become the normal weather to them … clear and easy. The sun overhead was less intense than Earth’s, even on this clear day. The experts also predicted occasional hurricanes that would most likely be worse than the cat-5 ones at home, lasting days at a time.

Matt was happy they had arrived on a nice day. There would be much to do before an extreme storm made that impossible, perhaps even scuttling the ship.

He hadn’t thought about the fact that he remained in charge of the Eriksson until a committee was selected and met to schedule the elections. He…