Quest for the Conestoga (Colony Ship Conestoga Book 1) by John Thornton Page B
Authors: John Thornton
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death was too much for that possibility to be seriously considered. Jamie and Paul were absent from the discussions, and except for Jerome’s very brief encounter, no one seemed to have spoken directly to them.
On another morning, while Jerome was doing his routine exercise walking, Cammarry ventured to the decontamination chamber entrance. She was wondering when, or if, there was going to be some official recognition of Karen’s death. On previous missions when an adventurer died, there was a public service of remembrance, but for this incident nothing had been said from the Committee. Once there had even been an entire team that failed to return. They too had been remembered officially after only a short length of time. That Committee’s current silence, in and of itself, was in some troubling ways ominous.
Cammarry turned a corner and she saw Michael, Jamie’s partner. He was dressed in radiation absorbing materials and striding purposefully toward the door which read ‘Restricted Access’ which was the passage to the only exit from Dome 17.
“Michael!” Cammarry called and sprinted toward him.
Michael turned. His RAM suit was perfect and all the accoutrements necessary for a mission were in place. His wavy, dark brown hair, and intense eyes gave him a rugged appearance. He was alone in the hall.
“Another mission is going out? Who are you teamed with?” Cammarry asked. Her mind was racing. She was wondering why Michael would be leaving Jamie after her horrific ordeal. She wondered if Jamie was going on the mission with Michael.
“No teams this time,” Michael replied tersely.
“What? What do you mean no teams? There are always teams. Who are you going with?”
Michael looked at the floor then up to meet Cammarry’s brown eyes. “Solo adventurer missions. One person per dome. Seven missions will leave this morning. I was the last to sign up.”
“Solo mission?” Cammarry relied. “Who?”
“LeeAnn, Roy, Dave, Constance, Vihaan, and Estrella. And me.” Michael did not elaborate.
Frustrated, Cammarry interrogated him. “Why solo missions? Why are you going? Jamie needs you here. This is idiotic. After what happened in Dome 3? Why send people out alone? Why was there no briefing? Why no meeting to discuss this? And I will ask again, why are you going?” Cammarry pointed her finger directly at him.
Michael looked from side to side. He then said in a low voice, “Jubal came to us individually. He said the Committee needed information on the other domes and he was looking for volunteers.”
“Michael, why would you volunteer?” Cammarry touched Michael’s arm. “Jamie needs you here.”
“Jamie is seeing Doctor Larsen, and well….”
“Doctor Larsen is incompetent and dangerous,” Cammarry interrupted. “She is wrapped up in her own deluded mind and should not be giving advice to anyone else. You and I both know that. Jamie needs to see Doctor Chambers if she wants to get real help. But why are you going on some ridiculous solo mission? You should stay here and help her.”
Michael’s eyes burrowed into Cammarry’s. “I had no choice in the matter.”
“Michael, of course you have a choice,” Cammarry replied. “You did not have to volunteer for some single person mission to another dome.”
“Actually, Jubal said if I did not volunteer, he was going to ask Jamie next. You know how she is; she would have gone. Especially now. I volunteered for the last slot so she did not go.” Michael’s eyes were wet and his lips were pulled tightly together. “Jamie feels responsible for Karen’s death, and she would go to make some kind of atonement. I could not let her find out Jubal was recruiting for these missions.”
“Jubal would never have asked her. The Committee would not do
On another morning, while Jerome was doing his routine exercise walking, Cammarry ventured to the decontamination chamber entrance. She was wondering when, or if, there was going to be some official recognition of Karen’s death. On previous missions when an adventurer died, there was a public service of remembrance, but for this incident nothing had been said from the Committee. Once there had even been an entire team that failed to return. They too had been remembered officially after only a short length of time. That Committee’s current silence, in and of itself, was in some troubling ways ominous.
Cammarry turned a corner and she saw Michael, Jamie’s partner. He was dressed in radiation absorbing materials and striding purposefully toward the door which read ‘Restricted Access’ which was the passage to the only exit from Dome 17.
“Michael!” Cammarry called and sprinted toward him.
Michael turned. His RAM suit was perfect and all the accoutrements necessary for a mission were in place. His wavy, dark brown hair, and intense eyes gave him a rugged appearance. He was alone in the hall.
“Another mission is going out? Who are you teamed with?” Cammarry asked. Her mind was racing. She was wondering why Michael would be leaving Jamie after her horrific ordeal. She wondered if Jamie was going on the mission with Michael.
“No teams this time,” Michael replied tersely.
“What? What do you mean no teams? There are always teams. Who are you going with?”
Michael looked at the floor then up to meet Cammarry’s brown eyes. “Solo adventurer missions. One person per dome. Seven missions will leave this morning. I was the last to sign up.”
“Solo mission?” Cammarry relied. “Who?”
“LeeAnn, Roy, Dave, Constance, Vihaan, and Estrella. And me.” Michael did not elaborate.
Frustrated, Cammarry interrogated him. “Why solo missions? Why are you going? Jamie needs you here. This is idiotic. After what happened in Dome 3? Why send people out alone? Why was there no briefing? Why no meeting to discuss this? And I will ask again, why are you going?” Cammarry pointed her finger directly at him.
Michael looked from side to side. He then said in a low voice, “Jubal came to us individually. He said the Committee needed information on the other domes and he was looking for volunteers.”
“Michael, why would you volunteer?” Cammarry touched Michael’s arm. “Jamie needs you here.”
“Jamie is seeing Doctor Larsen, and well….”
“Doctor Larsen is incompetent and dangerous,” Cammarry interrupted. “She is wrapped up in her own deluded mind and should not be giving advice to anyone else. You and I both know that. Jamie needs to see Doctor Chambers if she wants to get real help. But why are you going on some ridiculous solo mission? You should stay here and help her.”
Michael’s eyes burrowed into Cammarry’s. “I had no choice in the matter.”
“Michael, of course you have a choice,” Cammarry replied. “You did not have to volunteer for some single person mission to another dome.”
“Actually, Jubal said if I did not volunteer, he was going to ask Jamie next. You know how she is; she would have gone. Especially now. I volunteered for the last slot so she did not go.” Michael’s eyes were wet and his lips were pulled tightly together. “Jamie feels responsible for Karen’s death, and she would go to make some kind of atonement. I could not let her find out Jubal was recruiting for these missions.”
“Jubal would never have asked her. The Committee would not do
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