The Return of Hayden

ISS Research Facility: April 15, 3:00 a.m.

"So what do I call you?" Annie says as she opens the door to the incubator where the cloned rat has resided since her conception. The all clear to remove her from the controlled environment had recently been received from Commander Smyth. Because the virus that created her had self-terminated, the quarantine was lifted.

The rat clone responds to Annie's inquiry through telepathy. You may call me ... Myra.

"So you are more like a female version of Kirac then?" Annie questions.

Yes, Kirac is my mate, Myra explains. We foresee a time in the future when we will be together for all time.

"You can really see into the future? What does the future hold for us? Will it be a good outcome?"

We of our mischief can foresee a time when Kirac and I will be united. As for the future of your race, the vision is distorted. The rift the Xzebulien race created in our universe caused cosmic ripples that echoed out into the void and beyond. Now that both our universe and theirs have returned to where they belong it will be some time before the universal quantum matrix affected by these ripples dissipates. At that time, we will be able to see the possible outcome more clearly. There are too many variables to consider.

Cmdr. Patrick Smyth enters the research facility. He approaches Annie, who has Myra on her shoulder.

"Is she ready to go, Annie? I am about to proceed to the dome to participate in the christening ceremony to celebrate the completion of the biosphere, but I need to know what to call her."

"She calls herself Myra, sir. She is looking forward to the event."

Myra jumps onto the commander's shoulder as he approaches her. Commander Smyth then leaves the research facility with Myra's tail wrapped around his neck. "Myra, I like that," Smyth remarks as he proceeds down the corridor to the transport tube. The other rats in the facility begin to brux and boggle, grinding their teeth as their eyes pop in and out of their heads very quickly. Through their telepathic connection with Myra, they will witness the event through her eyes.

A space shuttle is positioned just outside of the dome as visiting groups of high-ranking officials, along with those who reside on the station, congregate inside the biosphere to witness the event through the panels in the dome. The rest of the station's occupants are witnessing the event on the video screens in the common areas. The event is transmitted via satellite for the entire world to see. Commander Smyth joins them with Myra the rat on his right shoulder.

A small object is jettisoned from the nose of the supply shuttle stationed several hundred meters outside the dome's panels. The object is spinning end-over-end as it approaches the outer perimeter of the dome. It is a wine bottle with the label's logo displaying its origins—Earth2. It's the first bottle of wine produced by the winery on the station from the grapes collected in the biosphere's vineyard.

It is also the very first bottle of wine ever produced off world, in space. The picture behind the caption displays the vineyard and the dome's clear panels with the sun's rays shining through them in the background.

The congregation inside the dome witnesses the bottle as it draws nearer to the air lock at the top of the dome. The bottle collides at the top of the dome's airlock hatch and displays a fantastic array of breaking glass. The frozen contents explode into a colorful display of ice crystals and glass shards before they dissipate into the vacuum of space. The congregation applauds after the remarkable display. The same eruption of excitement is heard throughout the station and from around the world upon the completion of the event. After the ceremony, a group of vineyard workers approach the commander with the second bottle ever produced off world and present it to him.

"We present this second bottle of Earth2, representing our thanks and gratitude for the wonderful job you did in protecting and saving this station from certain destruction, sir. We all are forever in your debt."

Commander Smyth accepts the bottle, visibly moved by the offer. "Thank you," he says. "Thank you all for your generous offer and well wishes. I will have a special place to display this in my quarters, but I am not the only one to thank. If it weren't for Myra here ... well, it was a combined effort to save this station. She and her mischief are just as much to thank—in fact, even more so. I offer my sincerest apologies to Myra for attempting to jettison her into space. If I had been successful, then none of us would be here today. Can you ever forgive me, girl?"

The commander faces her as he scratches her behind her ears. Myra begins to brux, and her eyes start to boggle.

You are forgiven, Commander; in fact, we commend your actions. You were merely trying to protect this facility and the lives that reside here. You were simply dealing with the unknown, and you had no idea what the outcome would be. It was natural for you to assume the worst. We had to earn your trust, and we found the means to do so to insure a favorable outcome.

The group of people begins to applaud, louder and louder as the commander proceeds to the transport tube to return to his duties.

April 15, 4:00 a.m.

Shortly after the initial rift collapsed into nothingness, a similar rift appears in another part of space for a brief period. This is caused by the alien moon base exploding into a ball of highly charged plasma energy. As it too begins to collapse into nonexistence, an object appears spinning out of the vortex before it closes. It is a ship. The name on the side of it says USMS Hayden. The red emergency lighting in the interior of the ship goes out and is replaced by normal lighting.

Cmdr. Geordie Benson and Lt. Cmdr. Ian Bishop are sitting in their seats, unconscious. Their breathing is shallow and unsteady. Commander Benson suddenly opens his eyes and gasps for air. He looks over at his copilot Lieutenant Commander Bishop, who is also in a state of unconsciousness. He reaches over and shakes Bishop's shoulder, waking him out of the trance.

"Fascinating, sir," remarks Bishop. "Where did the rift go? And for that matter, where are Earth and the moon?"

"Unknown, Bishop," Commander Benson replies. "At this time, we could be anywhere in the universe—or the multiverse, for that matter. Who knows what we will find in this one. Even if we are in our own, we could be light-years or, dare I say, millions of light-years away from Earth by now. Talk about being lost in space. The rift must have thrown us into another area of space when we entered it. Power systems are back online. I am initiating thrusters to stabilize our flight path, and then I will take a star chart reading to try and figure out where we are."

"How long were we out, sir? That would be a primary point of reference to start."

"According to the ships chronometer, we were only out for a few minutes, Bishop. I...