The weeks passed, and it was finally time to go. Captain Metcalfe made the rounds at the domes and spoke with Melon for the last time. To his surprise, Melon was not in a container! "Melon, are you sure you should be doing this? I mean, it is academic now, but what convinced you consider such a thing?"

"Your medical people. They were sure there would be no problems. I have been out of the container for two days now. I am fine. I find you are going back now to save clan members on your home world. I wish you good hunting Captain Metcalfe."

"Thank you. You and your clan have been very helpful and generous to us. I will not forget what the Te'Hat has done for our people. It will be a long time before my return. Do not forget me."

"Your name is already in our written history. No Te'Hat will forget you!"

"Well, I didn't expect that! I am flattered. Be well, Melon. The clan is well within your claws." He used the honored compliment on this occasion as he bowed to the representative to the Sce'Rood.

"And the humans are safe in your hands as well Captain Metcalfe. Be well." He raised his third leg in parting as he went with a group of people which were escorting him.

The captain personally made sure the domes had everything they needed. Each dome had a warehouse to store supplies and protection for vehicles and equipment. All told, they would be leaving behind about two hundred thousand humans to fend for themselves on this planet. They had the mining colonies on both moons, the Intrepid and the Valiant plus their crews, and a couple thousand on the permanent Searth colony. In the worst-case scenario, the colonists could bug out to the orbiting ships until the Atlantis and Wanderer returned. Levi also wanted to make sure the two ships had everything they needed. Mining in the system would supply them with everything they needed. However, some things are difficult to procure. So as a parting gift to the two ships left behind, he let them borrow some strategic vessels and equipment the Atlantis already had in surplus.

Since the other captains were enhanced, it was easier to coordinate all those efforts. Many times, he would hold a four-way conference in his mind when they needed to discuss the overall execution of plans. He often thought consortium meetings would be much shorter if the members were enhanced.

Levi caught a ride back to the Atlantis. He needed to check in with the Admiral before departure. Levi felt so at home on his ship. He was always glad to return to her. Sonny indicated Admiral Johnson was headed for dinner at a local restaurant. Levi called Leo and told him he would be joining him for dinner. At the restaurant, he spotted Leo and sat down at his table. "So, how is it going?"

"Getting it done Captain. Have you seen the diplomatic squadron lately?"

"Yes, I have. They have made it their mission to become the resident experts on the Te'Hat. They even put sensors on the Te'Hat to study them in their burrows and have learned a lot."

Leo was enthusiastic. "Yes, and their formal education on respecting other cultures and language barriers have been carried out by Alice. We left Earth on a colonizing mission. We did not anticipate diplomacy with the locals. Alice had done her historical research on Earth diplomacy and put together a training program. It seems to be working out well. I am not aware of any incidents concerning the Te'Hat."

After the admiral had finished dinner, they sat back and had some coffee. Levi looked over his coffee cup at his old friend. "So, you will be the king of Searth while I'm away. Will you have any trouble with the two princes?"

"Captains Williams and Schmidt? No. We have a good professional relationship and Ironed out all the duties and responsibilities. There won't be any problems."

"I appreciate your confidence, sir. It's only that we will be away a long time. Ten years is plenty of time for something to go wrong."

"Some things will go wrong, Levi. Murphy's Law, you know. What troubles me most is the earthquake vision. I will worry about it the whole time you are gone. I will almost be relieved when it happens. I will be well prepared for it when it does happen."

"It's not nature I'm most worried about," Levi implied.

"What is it, Levi? It's not like you to worry," now the admiral began to worry.

"I'm worried about Captain Schmidt. He has displayed a penchant for power grabbing. Remember Leo, the bunch he came with. I don't want to color your judgment, but he became captain because of family connections, not because he was trained for it."

"Captain Schmidt is a capable man, Levi. However, I think I hear what you are saying. I will watch out for any mutinies and coups. Does that make you feel better?"

"Better now that I have said what was on my mind. Ten years is a long time my friend."

"I know, I know. I should be the one concerned about your ten-year journey. I don't worry because I know you are the best of the best. Between you and Sonny, we will see the Atlantis back in ten years." He extended his hand across the table. Captain Metcalfe shook his hand, looked him in the eye and said: "I Promise."

Early the next morning, after spending a night shift on the bridge, he made himself lay down for a thirty-minute standby nap. One of the many benefits of being enhanced allowed you to pause all but essential processes and go immediately into delta wave rest. After his rest period, he had his favorite glass of orange juice. He put on his shoes and dressed in his better-pressed uniform and headed back to the bridge. Everyone wore the same kind of shoes, especially if you worked in the weightlessness of the command section. The shoes were actually a device. Sensors embedded in the footwear gauge the force of your feet to the floor and adjusted the magnetic component required to keep your feet on the ground. The real trick is to accomplish this without impeding the natural gait of the wearer. The flooring in the command section was a little different in composition to let the shoes know to begin adjusting. This way you could wear them anywhere and not have to change them out depending on where you were.

On the bridge, Captain Metcalfe was suddenly struck with a little déjà vu. Again, he was leaving significant numbers of his fellows behind to fend for themselves. The colonists will fare better than the stranded souls on Earth. They were not in mortal danger as those billions left behind on his home world. Atlantis must go back to find what carnage the neutron star had left behind.

Verbal communication with the bridge crew was not necessary. The captain received real-time status from all the stations through his connection with Sonny. He could also communicate with multiple people simultaneously. Levi usually only spoke to the crew out loud when something needed to be imparted to everyone, or converse to an individual. Consequentially, the Atlantis bridge was an unusually quiet place. However, the bridge became chattier when the captain was not there. The other commanders taking the other shifts were not enhanced, and so needed to express their decisions verbally.

The captain sat down in his chair and brought up the initiation protocols. "Good morning everyone." He said out loud to break the perceived tension in the room. He signed two hundred and seven reports in the next several seconds and then went over last-minute reports from engineering, the power grid and life support.

"I want to thank all of you for doing your very best in getting us here to Searth. Your training and your dedication have made all the difference in saving the human race. As we are about to leave a familiar place once more, I ask of you again, to perform at your very best. We do not know what we will find when returning to our solar system, but I am sure it will require all our training and devotion to the mission and our work. But first, we must get there! Five years is forever to wonder and worry before we arrive. I have always found staying busy helps keep stray thoughts from bothering you. So, let's get this show on the road and say goodbye to Searth for a while. Navigation," the captain barked.

"Aye, Captain?" The lieutenant asked over his shoulder.

"Is our course plotted and sites set for home?"

"Course plotted, and ready to go home, sir."

"Helm!"

"Aye Captain?"

"Best speed out of the system."

"Aye, sir. Best speed out of the system."

"Captain," the communications officer called out. "I have a transmission from Admiral Johnson."

"Put it through. Helm, don't go to light speed just yet but continue on our course."

"Aye, sir, making the corrections."

The panel in the front of the bridge that usually had Searth on it changed to the visage of the Admiral. "I'm sorry I was a little late in calling you. No emergency. I wanted to wish the Atlantis Godspeed on their journey. Come back to us."

"Thank you, Admiral. I know I speak for all here on the Atlantis in wishing you smooth sailing on your journey as well. Keep the faith. We will be back before you know it!"

"I doubt it will be before we know it, but I understand. We will be okay here. Now get out of here and save someone will you!" The Admiral smiled.

"Aye aye, sir," he saluted as he also smiled.

"Very good. Johnson out." The transmission ended.

"Helm, best speed out of the system."

"Best speed. Aye aye, Captain."

"Sonny."

"Yes, Captain."

"Everything nominal for leaving the system?"

"Surprisingly so."

"What do you mean by surprisingly?" Levi usually regretted asking for a clarification from Sonny.

"Above the mean for performance."

"For humans, that is," Levi wasn't sure he was joking.

"For Atlantis and by extension, the human crew."

"I think we will take that as a compliment. Excellent work everyone. Steady as she goes, helm."

"Steady as she goes. Aye, Captain," the lieutenant quickly responded.

After Levi put in a double shift to make sure they didn't have any problems getting past the clusters of asteroids from the Patch, which orbited this star. The asteroids were not homogenous like in their home system, but a patch which comprised about a third of the orbital circumference. Back in his quarters, he decided he needed to take a nap. He laid down and decided to visit with Sonny and Alice. He invited them to his inner apartment. "Well, it is just us now," he said with a sigh.

"If you refer to the inventory of enhanced humans we machines communicate with, yes, it is. However, we communicate with everyone on this ship." Levi thought about mincing words with Sonny but decided against it.

Levi inquired, "So, what are your assessments of the other three captains progress as E-Humans?"

Alice answered, "As you know, we downloaded each of their brain patterns before enhancement. We are as familiar with them as intimately as we are with you."

"And?"

Sonny finished for Alice, "Their psychological profiles suggest they will do well as you witnessed before we left. After they had adjusted, the captains welcomed the change."

Curious Levi asked, "Alice, does this give you more data to the question you asked me concerning E-humans and immortality?"

"Yes. It does support other data we have collected. We will continue to monitor and advise."

"Well, I'm going to take a nap. I will see you guys later."

"It has been busy the last couple of days. Rest well Levi," Sonny said as both of the machines left.

As Levi drifted off, he could not help but wonder what the role of the machines would be if everyone was enhanced.