Phoenix was the last of the Titan X crew to don a memory helmet as Sarah stood to the side and watched, monitoring the eBoard tablet. The inside of the device contained pads that cushioned his head. Without warning, those pads mushed around his skull for a comfortable fit. It reminded him of a football helmet, the recollection from when he played quarterback for the Naval Academy. That time in his life seemed like eons ago.

Sarah touched the tablet with the tip of her finger, bringing up a holographic image that ballooned out a few inches from the screen. She swiped her index finger to the side, scrolling through a list of commands, probably selecting the correct memory download. With what she wanted displayed on the hologram, she jabbed at the floating tab and instantly, a soothing warmth washed over Phoenix's head and grew into a mind numbing, body tingling euphoria that overwhelmed his senses. Naturally, he closed his eyes and felt himself drop into a world of virtual reality where he saw words hovering in front of him:

Memory File: SSA-001.737

Content: Orientation Video

Subject: Station Assembly 7/15/2045

Classified: Top Secret

Cinematic music cued as a deep bass rumbled and a drum thumped. Following that, a cello strummed with a harmonious rhythm.

Phoenix walked into a large theater-like auditorium, down the center aisle.

The precise voice of a female narrator began, "Welcome to the Space Station Arcturus. For the next three years, you will join us in our home among the stars. Thank you for attending the orientation in our lecture auditorium. If you are a university student, you will return to this room for daily class instruction as part of our education outreach program. If you are here as part of a research team, or are on work related detail, then you will report to your assignment chief for further instructions."

"You will find your assignment descriptions on the eBoard tablets mounted in front of you in your seat. Please log into the system now with the username and password given to you upon arrival."

Phoenix chose a chair and sat. Only now did he notice Nova, Callisto, Luna, and Ariel in the auditorium with him. They all looked at each other and took a seat in the same row as Phoenix. Ariel sat next to him. She smiled with a sparkle in her eyes. No one talked. The scene was surreal, captivating.

People of all ages appeared around them, filling the room, everyone calm, waiting with expectation.

A wall-size screen showed a pie chart. It changed as the surrounding people logged in, increasing from seventy-seven percent, ninety-six percent, and finally, one hundred percent.

"Thank you for logging into the system. The orientation will now continue."

The bass intensified, then fell away, ensued by a classical violin introduction.

"From its sprawling halls to its innovative laboratories, the Space Station Arcturus is mankind's greatest endeavor in the outer solar system. After man first stepped foot on Mars in the year 2033, the next phase of exploration began four years later with the initial launch of Arcturus components. Thirteen launches and seven years in transit, assembly began on May 5th, 2044. It was the beginning of destiny. Humanity's fingerprint among the planets, and a mid-station for our journey to the stars."

The bass instrument thrummed again. The strumming of the cello followed and faded.

On the big screen, a view appeared of the wheel-like station, rotating with the giant red spot of Jupiter as a backdrop. The stubby extensions of escape pod tubes protruded at various locations along the exterior. Contoured spacecraft orbited nearby, looking more like cylinder-shaped submarines than conventional winged ships.

"Over a year later, on July 15th, 2045, construction was complete. Hundreds of astronauts had labored around the clock, using massive cranes, specially designed space tugs, and help from robots with artificial intelligence. Because of dedication and perseverance, the fusion reactor fired a day later, resulting in power, lights, gravity, and climate control. Nearly four hundred million miles from Earth, humankind has achieved a scientific outpost orbiting the planet Jupiter."

The display on the screen changed to that of interior labs inside the station. Scientists peered through microscopes. Conducted research in advanced technologies such as cryogenic hibernation, asteroid deflector shields, and deep space propulsion.

Outside, astronauts performed space walks, used jet packs to maneuver along the exterior of the station. Humanoids assisted with work in zero gravity. They were easy to spot because they didn't need suits in the vacuum of space. Somehow, the humanlike robots moved about, impervious to the extreme cold and lack of pressure.

Back inside, engineers and mechanics ate lunch in a cafeteria, relaxed with tablet books in a lounge with a cup of coffee, and slept in comfortable quarters with windows overlooking Jupiter.

"This is not just an achievement for the United States space program. NASA has led the way since we became the first to send humans to the moon and Mars. But Arcturus is opening its doors and arms to countries around the world. Foreign research teams are submitting requests for work permits with extended stays. Arcturus is the wave of the future. Innovation is our motto, and the universe is our destiny."

"Congratulations on being assigned to Arcturus, and good luck with the rest of your journey among the stars."

Memory File SSA-001.737 Download Complete

Standby for File SSA-052.737

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Memory File: SSA-052.737

Content: Mission Update

Subject: Space Station Arcturus

Classified: Top Secret

Phoenix and the rest of the crew remained seated in the auditorium, but all the other people around them disappeared. An image of Admiral Woodrow Jax rolled across the giant screen in front of them, his silvery buzz cut disappearing at the top of the picture and reappearing at the bottom like poor reception on an old television. Phoenix had seen an old TV set in a museum years ago. A lightning crack of static divided the video in half before the feed resolved itself. His elbows dug into a desktop, his jaw clenched, and his dark eyes glowered at Phoenix as if probing the recesses of his mind.

"Listen carefully," he said, adjusting the collar of his khaki shirt, colored bars pinned to his chest. A bookcase towered behind him, packed with the spines of an ancient encyclopedia set. "The overall mission of going to Saturn's largest moon has not changed, but phase one of the mission is Arcturus. We briefly mentioned the term Arcturus to you before hibernation, but now you know it's a space station. The plans to go there are for good reason." The Admiral paused as if waiting for what he said to sink in. "Phase two of the mission will be the actual trip to Titan. The details of what you will find when you get there are yet to be revealed. What is more important now is why you're on Arcturus?"

"Two reasons." He held up a pair of fingers and grinned. But it was a nervous grin, not a cocky one, or one of those grins that intended to exploit an area of weakness and bask in the glow of power and control.

"Before I go there, you need to know what happened at the space station and why it only operated for seven years. Science," he faltered, emitting a chuckle, "has a way of biting back. And I chose the word 'biting' purposefully."

"We used Dr. Lawson to perfect the serum. She did a marvelous job of achieving immortality for all of you. She even changed it to the gas form. But why did you need the serum, you might ask?"

"Space has adverse effects on the human body. Loss of muscle mass. Decreased bone density. Exposure to solar radiation for extended periods of time. We have shielding, yes, but nothing is perfect. Nothing. Listen, the serum counteracts the wasting process. It maintains health and stamina in zero gravity. It also makes long distance space travel viable by increasing the life span of astronauts. Yes, you are officially astronauts, but I suppose the title means little now."

"As for what happened on Arcturus, we had developed a prior version of the serum on Earth before Dr. Lawson came along. This version had side effects in a large percentage of the test subjects. We thought we had eradicated the flaw, but not so." He tensed up. Flashed a smile. Got serious again. "The flaw is because of a certain gene in the DNA code. We thought we had isolated it. Figured it out. But no. We stored the previous version of the serum in a secure vault in the main laboratory on Arcturus. Vladimir Sergov, a Russian scientist with a thirst for eternal life, secretly injected himself. No one knew about it until it was too late... and let's just say, it ended badly."

"Dr. Lawson and her husband, Jake Soloman, were on the station at the time of the... unleashing. Sarah was assisting us with improving the serum. She had yet to perfect it, but she was close when everything went south." The Admiral swallowed, licked his lips. "You don't know, Mr. Soloman, by the way. Sarah, Dr. Lawson, she can tell you about him in due time."

"We had an inhibitor drug used to control the side effects of the serum, but because we didn't know Sergov had partaken, we couldn't help him. He changed into something... horrible... and he slaughtered almost everyone aboard the station. Several people reached the escape pods, including Dr. Lawson. We had designed and equipped the pods for a return trip to Earth. This meant cryogenic hibernation for the return flight. Jake's pod malfunctioned and went to Titan. I have granted Dr. Lawson permission to rescue Jake. That's one of the reason's we detoured the Titan X spacecraft to Arcturus, so she can investigate why he got sent to Titan. But there is another reason you are there."

Admiral Jax cleared his throat. "Actually, it was never a detour. I just kept it a secret because I didn't want any of you to object or cause any problems regarding boarding the station. After all, Vladimir Sergov is still on Arcturus."

A hesitation. He combed a hand through his hair.

"The final and most important reason for the pit stop on the way to Titan. Three stainless steel cases in the vault. No one knows what's in the cases, not even Dr. Lawson. Of course, she is the only one who can open them, and you can't open them until reaching Titan. The contents are volatile if exposed to normal room temperature. You must keep them at minus two hundred degrees Fahrenheit. The specialized cases make this possible."

"Your mission onboard Arcturus," the Admiral squinted and leaned in closer, "is to find out any information that will assist with Jake's rescue. Again, we know he landed on Titan, and we also believe that he may still be alive. I owe that much to Sarah. In addition, you must survive an encounter with the monster that Sergov became, secure the cases and escape to Titan."

"And if any of you are thinking about skipping the assignment and returning to the ship, Sarah is the only one with the airlock code. Those cases must make it back to Titan. This objective is mission critical. So, I would guard Sarah with your life if I were you. You will need her to get off Arcturus."

"Admiral Jax, out."

The visual rolled, cracked with static, and then faded to black.

Memory File SSA-052.737 Download Complete