The hatch opened, Vella passed, followed by the copilot, who gave way to the woman, and the passage closed.
Before that, they had met in the hallway, where he had said to Vella, perhaps with a little more than ordinary propriety, a compliment. This is evident from the way she entered the command post, was a little confused and her face was glowing, not a constant shade of pink. Timba, on the other hand, was like a heroic, pompous male flirting with a female.
The crew, gathered in the command room, completely, five people, now had to hold, who is more convenient to call, a briefing or briefing, they are closer to the preflight divorce. From the words "dilute" in theory, the staff to their official places. Explain to people their work responsibilities, as well as, in case of unforeseen and emergency circumstances, what actions they will have to perform.
In a developed, intelligent civilization, there is usually a "meeting room and a table". On the Ribonne, this is also there, but the shape is more like a star and the number of rays in it depends on the number of participants in the conversation. When they sit, between them, on a flying soft disk, the distance approaches and it turns out to conduct a convenient dialogue, improving its result.
A table in the command center of the Flying Ferix spacecraft, with ten beams, designed half for the flight crew, and the rest for possible negotiators. The star table is located in the center of the room. At the heart of it, a powerful laser projector is installed, controlled by a computer brain.
Sitting at the "round table", you get to a business conversation and you have access to the universal information that has spread like a web throughout the entire space of space, built into the general information system, the space library. Although the distances are large, code signs instantly flash between computers, helping people, both in business and in their rest.
You can say, sitting at home, order a romantic dinner, on some planet Zigi-Zigi, in another galaxy. Then, immediately pay and get a "green ticket" by downloading it to the card and using it in the calculation.
– So, the team, all assembled, we can start a general divorce, – said Tomaka, taking the main place of the "round table". The rest of the crew settled down to their jobs, according to the "name", working plates.
To Tomaki's right, Pithons sat, his side of the table closest to the commander, and further away from him, Timba, Trimon, and Vella sat. All were on the same right side of the "round table". Tomaka looked at the small monitor embedded in his right sleeve, calculating in his mind the remaining time before departure.
– You are every expert in your work, have any notes and suggestions, please let us know now. Then you will have to cope with the forces at hand, in the sky! – Halliford warned, eyeing the crew carefully.
Everyone was a little animated, although no one had said a word yet, just the silence and cheerful atmosphere hanging in the air. But soon after the eyes turned to Pythons, he began to report to the commander and the others.
– Timba and Trimon have reported that the ship is ready to fly, – Pythons said, looking Tomake in the eye and immediately directing his gaze to Timba and Trimon, waiting for a sign of confirmation, his words just spoken.
Tomaka turned his questioning gaze to Dr. Vella, asking in his mind, – What about you? What did you do? Can you, with such beauty, do anything at all, except make up your eyes and lips?
Vella understood him without words, a little confused, but cheerfully replied: – Oh, I have, everything is fine, pills and potions on the shelf, everything is sterile and clean!
– Well, I wish you to conduct the flight without incident, we absolutely do not need them. I signed a contract with you, for a good percentage, so I do not advise you to get sick. We are leaving in five, and I hope that we will return together. That's all, did you have time to do your personal business, on the Ribonne? I see happy faces and a cheerful mood, let it remain so. The crew is prepared, please take the take-off seats, – the commander said in a commanding tone, emphasizing the words.
– The main thing is that there will be a place to sleep and eat in the near future, – the co-pilot said in half a voice, ironically, leaning slightly to Trimon's left ear. But he either did not hear or did not want to hear, just got up and went to his box, where he intended to continue, to prepare for takeoff.
Timba wanted to make a joke in front of the commander, but he realized that the business conversation between Tomaki and Pithons was more important than his jokes, and he decided it was better to catch up with Vella, who was already in the corridor. He really wanted to please her and of course, continue their previous, personal conversation, which no one heard, but everyone guessed what it was about. Dr. Vella, was against the harassment and courtship of Timba, who persistently tried to please her, than even more, pushed it away from himself. In the short time they'd been aboard the "Flying Ferix", she'd grown so tired of him that she'd even wanted to ask Commander Tomake for help, but something had always stopped her, and Timba's antics had gone unpunished.
Under the law, on the planet Raibonne, she could hold Timba responsible for harassment, but her character would not allow her to do so, it was easier to deal with him herself. And now, she did, but she was still a girl, and if Timba crossed the boundaries of what was allowed, then she would definitely have to turn to Tomake or Pitons for help.
– Wait, Vella, – the pilot shouted loudly, almost running to her.
Vella slowed her pace and, in the process, turned her head toward him. Her smile flashed against her fair face and bright black hair, so that he even slowed down a little.
– Timba, are you trying to annoy me with your courtship again? What is it? – she asked.
– I would be happy to ruin myself for someone like you, but no one will appreciate it, – said the pilot and smiled beautifully, showing clean white teeth.
– And you definitely need someone's assessment, does love want its strength to be measured on the scale of the sacrifice you have made? – she asked the question.
– I agree, she doesn't demand it, but she doesn't refuse it either. Although love, too, is not eternal, if it is not nourished by feelings, it simply disappears. And I don't want to waste my nerves, either, – Timba replied.
Vella and Timba came to the end of the road, where it had two hatches in the walls. One on the right, which leads to the command, flight room, the other on the left, to the medical center.
– Here, we'd better part ways, so that your people don't get hurt, – Vella said, and went to the left hand compartment.
– Thank you for taking care of me, the flight is just beginning, we will still have time to talk, – Timba was intrigued and hurried to his room.
Meanwhile, Tomaka and Pithons summed up the meeting and went to get the co-pilot.
The crew of the spacecraft "Flying Ferix", was launched.
Space and time, the secrets of galaxies and the secrets of planets, ghosts and living beings, all this is the engine of the pulse of the universe and our life. How many interesting and beautiful things are there in space, what we lack in our ordinary life? We know that during the day it is light, at night it is dark. This is a figurative example, in the ideal state of day and night, and not like on the planet Miran, where due to high humidity, there is a lot of cloud and it is always dark, although it flies in orbit, between two flaming stars.
Through the vacuum, between the planets, the curved lines of human destinies are built, there is a struggle between the minds, spaceships fly into the unknown, with their brave-at-heart commanders, such as Tomaka.
– Launch, permission granted, – a command voice said, over the central speaker that connected Tomaka to Central Mission Control, intergalactic station Eleuron, on the planet Raibonne, and his crew.
– Attention, crew, ten minutes to liftoff, take your seats and activate your shields. The main computer