have something on this world called a World’s Fair, where each nation comes to exhibit its technological advances and celebrate its cultural differences and hopes for the future. It’s being held in Chicago this year, and is running until November. If we can get the ship fixed up before then and deal with this Lamphrey that is on the loose, I’m considering granting the crew some shore-leave to attend the event, and if we can arrange it with the organisers and the world’s scientific community we’ll also hold seminars to share the knowledge and technology we have.’
‘That would certainly give the crew something to focus on as they start to return to work,’ I said, thinking out loud. ‘And the flight over to Chicago might also be a good first shake-down for the ship once repairs are completed.’
He clearly appreciated my echoing of the things he’d doubtless already considered, and for the first time in many months we had a relaxed and informal chat as we both worked away in the lab to get it ready for the following day.
Apparently he was pleased with how the repairs to the ship were coming along, and was even hopeful that we might get a skin stretched over the hole in the side of hull within the next day or two, so that we could fully inflate the rest of gas cells in that part of the ship again. Many of the bags were already in place, partially inflated and secured with layers of netting as they had been originally before the hull had been ruptured, but as we were unlikely to need to take the ship up to extreme altitude anytime soon there was no point risking a full inflation of the bags until we were whole again.
For my part I told him about Hughes suggestion that I should start keeping a journal to record our adventures in this foreign world, though I skipped over the fact that Hughes had suggested this in part as something that might help me to recover my perspective.
‘You know Ashton, that’s a splendid idea,’ he commented with a curious hint of a smile on his face. ‘I’m surprised I didn’t think of it myself!’
It honestly took me nearly a whole second to realise the Captain had cracked a joke at his own expense, but when the penny dropped I couldn’t help but chuckle honestly.
‘I’ve never stopped to ask you how you’re finding having a twin brother for the first time in your life,’ I asked, unsure of whether I was stepping over the line for polite conversation.
‘Well its odd and no mistake,’ he replied without hesitation. ‘But you know the strangest thing? There’s a large part of me that would like nothing better than to sit down with him for an evening or two simply to discuss how our lives are the same and where they differ. I think it would be like one of those pointless ‘what if’ scenarios where you can’t help but wonder how your life would’ve changed if only you’d acted differently.’
We talked good naturedly for a short while longer until the lensing lab was completely ship shape again, and then as I headed back to my cabin the Captain took his leave of me and headed back down to engineering.
CHAPTER 24 - RESTORATION
I was up on my way early the following morning in order to get over to the Staton Island Sanatorium in time for Ariel’s second operation.
It was much cooler at this time of the morning, and a low mist still clung to the grass across the park as I made my way to the waiting patrol car, but even so the clear blue sky held the promise of it being another bright and warm summers day.
There was very little traffic on the roads at this early hour and as such I arrived at the Sanatorium and was getting cleaned up to go into theatre in the blink of an eye.
By the time I entered the operating room the surgical team had finished prepping and examining their patient, and I was just about to greet them all when I caught sight of Ariel on the operating table. Her face and hair had been washed,
‘That would certainly give the crew something to focus on as they start to return to work,’ I said, thinking out loud. ‘And the flight over to Chicago might also be a good first shake-down for the ship once repairs are completed.’
He clearly appreciated my echoing of the things he’d doubtless already considered, and for the first time in many months we had a relaxed and informal chat as we both worked away in the lab to get it ready for the following day.
Apparently he was pleased with how the repairs to the ship were coming along, and was even hopeful that we might get a skin stretched over the hole in the side of hull within the next day or two, so that we could fully inflate the rest of gas cells in that part of the ship again. Many of the bags were already in place, partially inflated and secured with layers of netting as they had been originally before the hull had been ruptured, but as we were unlikely to need to take the ship up to extreme altitude anytime soon there was no point risking a full inflation of the bags until we were whole again.
For my part I told him about Hughes suggestion that I should start keeping a journal to record our adventures in this foreign world, though I skipped over the fact that Hughes had suggested this in part as something that might help me to recover my perspective.
‘You know Ashton, that’s a splendid idea,’ he commented with a curious hint of a smile on his face. ‘I’m surprised I didn’t think of it myself!’
It honestly took me nearly a whole second to realise the Captain had cracked a joke at his own expense, but when the penny dropped I couldn’t help but chuckle honestly.
‘I’ve never stopped to ask you how you’re finding having a twin brother for the first time in your life,’ I asked, unsure of whether I was stepping over the line for polite conversation.
‘Well its odd and no mistake,’ he replied without hesitation. ‘But you know the strangest thing? There’s a large part of me that would like nothing better than to sit down with him for an evening or two simply to discuss how our lives are the same and where they differ. I think it would be like one of those pointless ‘what if’ scenarios where you can’t help but wonder how your life would’ve changed if only you’d acted differently.’
We talked good naturedly for a short while longer until the lensing lab was completely ship shape again, and then as I headed back to my cabin the Captain took his leave of me and headed back down to engineering.
CHAPTER 24 - RESTORATION
I was up on my way early the following morning in order to get over to the Staton Island Sanatorium in time for Ariel’s second operation.
It was much cooler at this time of the morning, and a low mist still clung to the grass across the park as I made my way to the waiting patrol car, but even so the clear blue sky held the promise of it being another bright and warm summers day.
There was very little traffic on the roads at this early hour and as such I arrived at the Sanatorium and was getting cleaned up to go into theatre in the blink of an eye.
By the time I entered the operating room the surgical team had finished prepping and examining their patient, and I was just about to greet them all when I caught sight of Ariel on the operating table. Her face and hair had been washed,
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