I was alone in the galley, eating hot soup and working a stereograph puzzle when Brightharp stuck his head through the doorway.
"Pavel? You're going to want to see what's on the monitor." Then, after a slight pause: "We're all going to want to see this."
I sensed the excitement in his voice and pushed the puzzle aside, letting it fall apart as it drifted across the room. "On my way," I said.
I fought to stay calm, trying not to expect too much. We were all too keyed up, too ready to find something of importance; I was afraid of disappointment, and not only of my own.
By the time I got into the main cabin, the others were gathering around the large monitor. I took a quick mental census, and no one seemed to be missing. Two or three people were drifting free, but most were sitting, strapped into chairs or wall cushions.
On the screen was a suited figure viewed from behind; captions in the upper left indicated we were watching from Constance's camera, which meant we were seeing either Rubena Leppink or Alex Mawk-Betzel. The figure was standing upright in the middle of a long corridor. From the figure's size, I guessed we were watching Leppink; she was next to a lantern which had been mounted on the wall at chest height. Constance was too close for us to see Leppink's feet, nor could we see a ceiling; beyond, the walls seemed to curve out of sight even before the light faded.593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0k6gd53b2o
Jammer was at the cabin console, controlling the sound and video; she glanced up at me, nodded, then turned back to the console.593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa5J93JfumT
"I think we're all here now," she said. "Rubena, you want to give us a quick rundown on what you've found? We're on Constance's camera here."593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd83lvQCLxV
Leppink turned to Constance, and seemed to be facing us. Now I could make out her face inside the clear steelglass helmet.593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHAFHcY2pmv
"I don't know how much you can see back there, but this looks an awful lot like one of the corridors on the Enterprise. One big difference is, the ceiling here's a lot higher." She looked up and Constance did the same, our view angling upward so we could see the ceiling far above Leppink's head. "I'd guess six or seven meters, easy," she said. Both heads tilted back down and Leppink smiled. "But here's the great thing."593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXj4Jcefa5D
She crouched, then jumped. Up she went, then immediately came back down. She was grinning.
"We'll have to get a precise reading, but it feels damn close to a normal one gee. I feel like I'm walking along in the Enterprise."
The picture on the screen shifted to Mawk-Betzel's viewpoint. He was just back of the corridor doorway---which was at least twice the size of those on the Enterprise---one hand on the frame; from the way the video moved around, it was obvious he was still weightless. He was far enough from Constance and Leppink that we could now see their booted feet planted solidly on the corridor floor.
"You two have had enough of the fun," Mawk-Betzel said. "Now it's my turn."
I don't know why, but I was overcome by a rush of panic, and I wanted to yell out STOP! I was suddenly afraid that it was a trap, that as soon as he was inside the corridor, the doorway would seal shut behind him and something terrible would happen to them all.
Mawk-Betzel carefully pulled himself into the corridor, the gravity settling him firmly to the floor.
Nothing happened.
"Yeah," he said. "This feels great." He started walking toward the others.
"How far down the corridor have you gone?" I asked.
"This is it," Leppink said. "Once we realized what we had here, Sophia told us to wait until everyone was there to watch. I can't see much, except to know that it goes a long way. It curves, so our line of sight gets cut off."
I looked up at the clock. "You've got a couple of hours," I said. "Take it slow, but see if you can find out how far it goes."
"Thanks, Captain," Leppink said.
"I'm not the captain," I quickly replied.
"Not yet."
A few people laughed, and I hoped everyone thought of it as a joke. Especially Constance.593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Fx6lvUKVF
The corridor gently curved to the right and continued unchanged for half a kilometer. The walls were smooth and unbroken, but set in the ceiling high overhead were regularly spaced depressions lined with strips of a milky blue material that might have been lights, although they now gave off no illumination.593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalt1oJoUC4
The team had only three lanterns with them, so they couldn't mount any to illuminate the corridor. That would be the first task of the next team in. Instead, they carried the lanterns to light their way, leaving darkness behind them as they went.
They reached the end of the passage before their shift was over, but didn't find much else. At the end of the corridor was a single door. I ordered them to leave it untouched and return to the shuttle. Surprisingly, there were no objections. I think they were more tired than they let on; probably from the extra effort of moving in full gravity, and the comedown from an adrenaline high. Even I felt tired, and all I'd done was watch them. Leppink mounted one lantern at the end of the corridor, leaving it on to provide a beacon for the next team; then they all headed back.593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4cPeXGnF4
But despite everyone's exhaustion, I sensed once more a renewed energy and excitement. Gravity, and this time suitable for human beings. A coincidence? None of us thought so.593Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTNrnWXfNKD
