Mission Plans

Cal has been in a foul mood lately. I guess because there is so many new people in the facility these days. Dr. Stone has brought all his research people and all their equipment down here, it's getting crowded. The good doctor and I went over the mission plans earlier this week, if all goes as planned we will be going some places and doing some things that no one has ever done.

I finally figured out why Cal has been so ill lately, it's his 50th birthday. Strange thing is, in all the years I and my family have known Cal, I've never noticed him celebrating his birthday. He can be a very private man, I don't think he likes his birthday very much. So, I decided to buy him a cake and a box of his favorite cigars and make a very big deal of it, I think he was surprised by it.

At first he seemed mad, but later in private, he told me that it was the first time since Jack died that he felt happy. This project has been a huge undertaking and has been extremely stressful on all of us, but especially Cal. I'll spend the next few days briefing Cal on the mission particulars, since he will be my co-pilot on this one.

He hasn't said it yet but, I know we need to find a replacement for Jack, and soon. I assume that Dr. Stone will be coming along with us on the trip to monitor the engines and all the computers that they've put on board my ship.

My ship, I haven't thought of it that way until now; but she is. I put in all the funding for her and helped design a good portion of her. All of the other ships Cal, The doctor and I have had a hand in, have served their purpose well and so will this one, but I have a good feeling about this one, she will be different.