Deep Space Adventures - 14. DSA Chapter 14

“Who set up the website, My Lord?” Isaac asked, “Good question young Isaac, it was actually Lord Lucas Durham who organised that, and it has the promotions video, that you just saw, plus a lot of photos, a list of all the entertainment venues, sport and recreation facilities, deck layout plans of all the public access areas, plus layouts of the four levels of accommodation, and the costs for each cabin. Now you know Nathalia dear, why the space port terminal is being built, next door to the Bermuda Airport,” our grandfather replied.

“Yes, I see that now Martin, and I was wondering are we heading for Ganymede? Mum asked, “Yes, we are, but it is a little slower than the shuttles, so it will take us six days instead of just over three days to get there,” Grandfather replied.

For the journey to Ganymede we all enjoyed what the Galileo offers, and it was a very restful trip, and Isaac, Sam and I enjoyed checking out the 18-hole mini golf course, the giant chess board and the 6.5 metre high spiral and the fast straight waterslides and splash pool in the Serenity gardens, plus the basketball and tennis courts and soccer pitch in the sports and recreation centre, plus watching lots of movies in the giant cinema, all of the Sci Fi movies of course.

When we arrived at Ganymede, Isaac went to visit his family, while we went to the place to see our uncle, the Emperor, and we stayed there for nearly 2 weeks, before our parents decided that it was time to return to Earth, as Lord Lenegan had informed us that there was already a great number of bookings for the first three space cruises, starting in under two weeks’ time.

I went with Grandfather, to go and visit the Otterman family, and it was like they were long distance old friends, between grandfather and Mrs Otterman. Isaac agreed to remain as my protector, and he would return to Earth with our family, while Grandfather would remain on Ganymede.

Now with a full complement of crew on board, we set off for home on Earth, were the Galileo will start doing its cruises, with one cruise every 8 days, allowing the crew four days rest between every cruise. It was decided that for safety reasons, the Galileo will be parked at the Sahndrol Islands, when not on a cruise.

With still two weeks remaining of our school holidays, my parents agreed to allowed for me and Isaac to travel on the Galileo cruises for two trips, to fill in the time for us, and to keep me safe, with Lord Durham agreeing to accompany us for those two trips, and with the Royal suites and lounges on the Space deck and deck 1, with them having restricted access to those levels, it would be a safe place to stay and rest for the journeys.

We can also go into the VIP and Executive lounge areas, plus the upper deck of the Serenity Gardens Promenade, under escort with Lord Durham, when he is available. As we were passing the Moon, with just two hours left of the journey, Mum received a message from Lord Durham, informing us that he had arranged a media conference in the airport, after we have landed at the new Spaceport Terminal, and that he would be waiting at the Spaceport boat jetty, to transport us to the main airport terminal.

Now completed, the terminal includes a covered walkway that leads to a bigger and more improved boat mooring jetty, with an undercover shelter, with seating, and an identical one built 1.8 kilometres away, located between the old and new Airport terminals, and a ferry service is being established, to ferry passengers from the airport terminal, to the spaceport terminal.

When we landed, the whole family plus Isaac and two security officers walked down to the jetty, where Lord Durham was waiting for us on board the family motor yacht, and we made the short distance to the new Airport Jetty. Once at the airport jetty, we walked the short 300 metres to the new terminal, where Airport security escorted us to a lobby area, where a small group of media are waiting for us.

“Good morning, as you have seen on television and on newsprint, over the past two weeks, there has been some advertising that is promoting the world’s first holidays in space, thus allowing people here and now to be able to get into space, without having to go through a rigid training programme to be a crew members on a space rocket to the moon.

We are providing a three-day holiday, that takes people of Earth out into space, firstly orbiting the Moon, before heading to Mars, where it orbits that planet a few times, before returning towards Earth where the Space cruiser orbits our home planet a few times, before landing back here at Bermuda.

Over the past few weeks, you may have noticed some building works happening over on the peninsular that was once an airport runway, and that is now the new Space port terminal, and the departure point for all trips into space. The space vessel you may have seen three weeks ago is the Space Cruiser named Galileo, which is currently at the Space port, where it is preparing for its maiden space holiday flight in a few days’ time.

Harbour jetties have been constructed at the space port, and also alongside the Airport, between the old and the new terminal buildings, which will transport the passengers to the space port, in preparation of their holiday. Now any questions?” our mother said confidently.

“Yes Ma’am, I have a question for the Crown Prince if I may,” one reporter asked, “You may ask but it will be up to me on whether he will answer it,” Mum responded before turning to look at me a smiled as she gave a slight nod. “Your highness, Sir… will you be returning to Winchester College to continue your education, or has the assault by a customs official at Heathrow, changed all of that?” the reporter asked, and I looked towards Mum.

“Go ahead, but keep it brief,” Mum whispered to me, and I nodded my head in understanding before facing the media again. “I shall not be returning to England because of security risks, so I shall be remaining in Bermuda, but I will also be spending some time in space as well,” I responded.

“Sir, if I may, was it your decision or your parents to send you to a top private school in England?’ another reporter asked, “I requested to continue my education there, and together we selected that college, but because of what happened, that is not possible anymore. One last question?” I replied.

“Sir, would you be allowing us, that is the media present, to experience a short trip in your space cruiser, before the first guests begin their holiday?” a third reporter asked, and I smiled. “You will have to ask her Serene Highness that question, as I am not old enough to make that sort of decision?” I replied.

“Yes, they can, but it will have to be right away, and they must submit to a body screening scan, there will be no film or photographic devises permitted, and that includes mobile phone and tablets, and they must provide identification proof that they reside in Bermuda, and are a member of a media organisation on Bermuda,” Mum said to me telepathically.

“It appears that Her Serene Highness has said yes, but it must be right away, and for only those present here now, you cannot bring any recording equipment of any kind, including mobile phones and similar devices, we will keep them secured for you during the trip, and you need to provide Identification,” I announced to the media group.

“Sire, may I ask, are you telepathic, as it appears just now that you and Her Serene Highness were speaking telepathically,” a reporter asked, “Sorry, no more questions, now you need to choose right away if you are coming with us or not, and if you are please follow the two security guards down to the jetty,” I replied.

With a total of just six members of the media attending the press conference, we would all be able to travel in the motor yacht at the same time, and a few minutes later we arrived at the other jetty at the Space port, and after a short walk, we entered the main doors into the new terminal, where more security officers from the Galileo were waiting for them media, who had to hand over all of their electronic equipment, including their mobile phones.

After all of them had been scanned, and found not to be carrying any hidden forbidden items, the members of the media were led to where they passed through a large box that read their body temperatures, and scanned for any viruses or health issues that may be a risk to the crew of the cruiser.

From there, they headed to the elevators and taken to the upper level, which is really just a large semi enclosed area for the cruiser to land in, where the side walls on all sides, are just 4 metres high, which is just below the floor of the lowest level of the cruiser, where the main entry hatch is located.

The security officers led the four men and two women up the stairs to the cruiser, where they passed through the security screening once more. While this was all happening, our family just stood back and waited for the process to be completed, and followed the media guests inside.

“I will leave my son, to give you a basic tour of the passenger areas of the cruiser, enjoy the trip,” mum said to the media guests, before she and my brother followed dad to the elevator to head upstairs. “Good luck son,” mum said to me telepathically as she walked away, and I just smiled. “Right, let me start by saying welcome to the Space Cruiser Galileo, named after the famous Italian Astronomer. Does anyone know what other things he was apart from an astronomer?” I said as I started the tour.