Grand Admiral McCart
McCart finally allowed himself a moment ofā¦ jubilation, as he stared out over the Bridgeās primary windows. Such awe. Such wonder. Planets unknown to mankind, around a star previously just a blip on a telescopic image. A message on the Admiralās inbox came up.
"Congratulations old man, how does it feel to be the Grand Admiral of the first space expedition outside our solar system? Forget Mayor of Lockhart, Admiral. I'd be surprised if you weren't nominated for president. Congratulations in advance."
McCart joyously shook his head. He was content with the message.
[color=DarkSlateBlue]āCongratulations to you, too, Hunter.
It feelsā¦ overwhelming. Weāll talk about it more over a bottle of wine sometime.
And president? President of what? I do have dual-citizenship, you know? President of Texas, or were you thinking something moreā¦ D.C.? Or maybe President of Toy Land? President of St. Henryās Home for the Senile?
I suppose we shall see.The uproar that had erupted on both the Bridge and the Relay was most definitely echoed throughout the whole of the ship, indeed the whole fleet. It seemed almost like a deafening buzz of applause and cheers, right for at least 15 minutes. From the FCC, the Admiral could see the various smiling faces of the young men and women aboard. It inspired a ākinkā of pure ecstasy in the old man for a moment. He remembered Katie at that moment ā sheād love to be here.
He waited for a moment to allow the hum to die down, slightly. At what seemed the apex, he stood up from his chair and stood just in front of the
navigational module, using it as a pulpit above his congregation. From his raised position over the Bridge, he stared off into a few of the eyes that caught his own. Raising his right hand as if calling a cab, he called the attention of Captain McCoy.
āVeris. Bring up a camera and focus it on me. Iād like to address the fleet. Broadcast to all public facilities,ā the Admiral said to his trusted side.
A small, spherical pod was discharged from the ceiling of the Command Level and kept itself in hover around the Admiralās FCC. Itās lights turned from green to red, indicating broadcasting. The screens and holo-modules of the Bridge, likewise, manifested the Admiralās face. It was safe, at least to McCartās mind, to assume the case was the same on the Thunderchild and the Apollo.
Clearing his throat, the Admiral began to speak, culling the roars of the crew to attention.
āLadies and gentlemen, damen und herren, madamoiselles et monsieurs, damas y caballeros: myā¦ fellow children of Gaia, my fellow Earthlings. Welcome to Kepler-62.āThe crew burst into cheering once more, forcing the Admiral to humbly stretch out his hand as if to understandingly snuff their cheers away.
āAfter over two years, we are finally at our destination. Many of us have just woken from cryosleep today. Many of us havenāt been in cryosleep for awhile but with all the busy-bodying, I bet it feels like cryosleep.
āWe are all the very first humans to use hyperspace, leave our local system, and see with our very own eyes the horizon of another star. Before us lies perhaps a system filled with destiny.
āFor the time being, we will engage slowly. Apollo shall work on deciphering which of the planets will be the safest to engage and then Iāll determine whoās going where and when.
āCongratulations. Now if there be life out there other than our own, letās introduce āem to our King.āAt that, the Admiral initiated a
track from his personal datacore, and broadcasted it to each of the ships public facilities.
