Tranquilitis Mare Medical Center, Luna
"Sir?" A voice said, the tone made it clear that she was probably on the hospital's staff. "Sir, no offense, but you should be up right now."

Fergus' eyes opened, revealing the face of a woman clad in a variation of the standard hospital uniform. She was wearing a clinical dress, an odd choice, but still within the code's limits. He had never seen someone wearing such a uniform, it was especially rare in low-gravity environments, for obvious reasons. He wondered why she chose it, then realized the way she had addressed him.

"My name is Fergus, please use it." He said, trying to use as friendly a tone as possible.

"Sorry Si-... Fergus."

"It's fine." He said, showing a soft smile. "I just find titles impersonal."

He got up out of his hospital bed, electrodes ducking at his skin. He winced as he pulled them off, letting out a weak yip like a dog that had been pinched. He picked up his candidate uniform from the open drawer next to his bed. Putting it on with surprising grace in the 1/6th g environment, he whipped himself towards the door with his arm on a handrail.

"Are the tests finally over?" He said with excitement.

"Yes. You have cleared the medical and psychological exams. The official announcement will be in your inbox. Good luck, Fergus."

"I've already said 'We've reached Alpha Centauri!' I hope to say 'We aren't alone!' soon."

"You expect to find aliens?"

"You could say that."

"Will you tell me something?"

Thinking it was odd, Fergus still replied.

"Depends, what is it?"

"Why did Technora deny you?"

"It was the essay in the psychological test. They deemed me unstable and a danger to equipment and personnel."

"What did you say?"

Fergus took a long pause before speaking again, trying to decide whether or not to tell her.

"I'll tell you in a few decades."

"I have a feeling that they were afraid you were going to give reports too cryptic to understand."

The two laughed, then left the room and went their separate ways. Fergus ran to his apartment, hoping to see an acceptance letter sitting in his inbox when he got there.

The air inside the massive Savage Greenhouse was stifling for most people, hot, humid, perfect for the wide variety of tropical plants within. This was not what many would expect to find within a greenhouse, for the plants weren't in hanging pots, displayed on tables. The dome was nearly a mile high and several in diameter, and was designed by the auburn woman that was humming within to be her own slice of jungle. The dome maintained the perfect humidity, temperature, and light control no matter what the outside world was experiencing. Leti sat upon a mossy rock next to her small river, notepad in hand, as she drew a flower that she had created through very specific, natural breeding practices. It was as large as a sunflower, with alternating colors of lavender and lime petals. She didn't actually know the diddy that she was humming, but she was fairly certain it was something from her childhood.

Having just finished drawing the plant that she had yet to name, she looked up in the distance, noticing some birds taking off in a hurry, in the direction of the dome's sole entrance. Someone else had arrived. She gathered up her gear, and moved silently, steps moving lightly over the spongy jungle floor. There were only a handful of people that had her authorization to enter here, and all but one were off-world as far as she knew. She decided to have a little fun.

Trish was always nervous when she entered any of Leti's greenhouses. Her boss always took her work so seriously, and Trish was clumsy on the best of days. But she'd been hired on as Leti's assistant, because while she may be a genius with plants and research, she didn't do well with other people nor trivial matters. Trish was clutching a tablet as she ducked around a large bush full of bright purple berries when a massive, feline roar came from above. Trish nearly fainted on the spot, before turning to run, tripping on her feet and falling onto a mossy patch. She was scrambling to get up when she heard laughter from the tree. Leti climbed down, holding her recorder, then pressing the button to roar. Trish flushed red, stood up, and thrust the tablet out. Leti smiled, and took it from the poor girl. Trish was the only person she got along well with that wasn't related to her.

"Oh! I've been accepted for the Gliese mission."[b]

She handed the rather long acceptance to her assistant, for it was full of preparation protocols and details. Trish knew her job would be to translate through the administrative jargon for the botanist. [b]"You leave in two years. You have been assigned as senior botanist and food production specialist. You will answer to... a Dr. Shuber, but only for administrative purposes. You will run all the research and projects. You are to travel to New Houston and begin making preparations for your work stations. You must set up a food production area, an isolation area and laboratory for studying the plants native to Gliese 581, setup protocols for all interactions with the planet's flora in its natural environment, and setup your own personal areas. You will be in stasis for the trip, so you must take that into account for all your preparations. They have a plane ready for you tomorrow morning."

Leti cocked her head as she thought it over, "Alright. Trish you are now in charge of all of my projects and divisions. You know how I'd work, so I want you to follow my protocols on all existing projects. If you wish to start your own projects, feel free, we have an unlimited budget after all. Oh, and get yourself an assistant, you're a boss now. Let's get all my things ready to be sent to New Houston. Oh, and thanks for your help, I couldn't have done it without you." Trish nodded, and immediately got to work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Two Years Later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leti looked out over her personal greenhouse upon the massive ship that would be her home for the near future. She'd setup the closest earth equivalent of a tropical rainforest. She'd planted the seeds, prepped the soil, prepared everything for a self sustaining system, all natural. She pressed a button that sealed the hatch. This jungle would go entirely untouched for the trip while the crew was in stasis. She walked to the much larger food production warehouse, staring out at the vast fields that she'd planted modified seeds for a wide variety of plants that would feed the massive population. The plants would grow so slowly, that when they all awoke from stasis, the first harvest would be ripe and ready. After that, the plants would resume normalcy, quickly and constantly producing all natural food. She sealed the hatch and moved on to the next and final greenhouse. This one had nothing growing in it, just crates and crates of supplies. This is where she would grow native plants, and she could only prepare so much until she was on the planet. She sealed the warehouse and moved to her laboratory.

There, she found Dr. Shuber, who turned to her, "You've done a fantastic job with all of this. Ready to finish up?" She nodded, they sealed the lab, and punched in the codes. All of the spaces were now locked unless, she, Dr. Shuber, or the Captain unlocked them. "Coming to the launch party?" Many of the crew and such would be out on the town for one last hurrah before going into stasis. Leti shook her head, she would spend her time exploring some of the ship she hadn't had time to check out yet. After all, she managed to complete nearly five years of work in two, so there hadn't been a lot of free time. Dr. Shuber left, and Leti began her exploration of the corridors, now wondering if she should've pushed for plants, both decorative and functional, should have been spread out about the ship. Maybe after they arrived. She began humming as she meandered her new home, still stuck on trying to remember what song it was that was stuck on her mind.

EIV Starfire, "Ten Forward" Bar
Fergus floated in the zero-g environment of deck ten, part of the central hull. One hand held onto a shining handrail, the other twirled his hair. The Earth hung in the sky outside the window, it was the same sight he had seen the day the Armstrong was launched. People said that the sight of your homeworld never got old, he certainly agreed. The blue and green of Earth entranced him, not just with the beauty of it all, but with what it symbolized. When he left for Alpha Centauri, the Earth was a sickly brown. Now it looked just like it did in his childhood dreams.

City lights dotted the globe, shining with the power of a hundred orbiting solar farms. The tiny blips of the factory ships circled the world, each one connected to a local space elevator. With his eyes still open, he imagined what the world looked like before it all. The image was vivid, as if he was there. It was peaceful, yet dull at the same time. He smiled, glad he was able to live in a time when humanity had finally begun reaching out into the cosmos. When he was a child he dreamed of visiting another star system, but knew it was impossible. Now he's doing it twice.

He found it hard to believe, especially the fact that his destination was Gliese 581g. Right when he thought he was insane, the news came out and everyone was talking about how the world he loved really did exist. It was like a dream, as if he would wake up in a rotting wooden bed inside his parent's lavish house any moment.

Hah! He thought They last thing they both heard was that the existence of Gliese 581g had been confirmed by their son who had gone to Alpha Centauri a few years ago! The last thought to go through their minds was the idea that I, their "insane and worthless" son was right about it all!

Thoughts flashed through his head as he wondered if he really could be right, if it wasn't just some freak of nature that began it all. Images of blue-green worlds dotted with city lights flashed through his head, the eternal image of his one and only true friend the only thing that remained the same. For once in his life, he felt like his dream was possible. Not the kind of possible he knew, the kind where everything works out fine, but the impossible kind of possible. The kind where, despite how unrealistic and stupid the goal sounds, it can be accomplished. The kind of possible like his particle accelerator, the kind of possible like the Alpha Centauri expedition.

"Attention anyone still onboard this grand vessel!" He said into an intercom panel on the wall "This will be said twice, but as you decided to stay onboard, you get to hear it first. The human species began as multiple tribes of hunter-gatherers with no social structure, then agriculture was created, and we become close-knit, stationary groups with excess food. That food let people focus on thinking instead of hunting, and thus the first sparks of science began. So many thousand years have passed since that time, and what happened in between then and now pales in comparison to what we will do. Our mission is to establish a colony on the planet of Gliese 581g, or Zarmina as it was called by the man who first saw it through a telescope back in the 21st century. It was passed off as a simple anomaly, but to be honest, I never lost hope in the first Goldilocks world. However, our mission is far more than just planting a flag. Our mission is also to explore, and to find new life. Europa held so many wonderful animals and plants, but I think this expedition will find something completely different. I expect to find a creature that answers when we speak. It may seem impossible, but so did the Alpha Centauri expedition, as well as the Jupiter Expedition, the Mars landing, the Moon landing, even flight itself was considered impossible once. If there is one thing I know, it is that impossible simply means it hasn't been done. I expect every one of you to support this mission with all you have, and in turn, I will support all of you. If you have something to say to me, then do just that. A good captain is not one that is strong and can stand by their choices, but one that listens to their crew. Unless we all work together, this expedition will fail, and failure is not in the human vocabulary!"

Tranquilitis Mare
"Shit" thought David to himself as he rushed on the simple outfit of the mission and out the door of his hotel. Waking up late on the day of the Gliese 581g mission was not something he wanted to do, and it had happened. His beard remained unshaven, as it usually was, he was planning to shave it this morning but he was already running late for the launch. Also considering that according to his acceptance letter, he was First Officer, it was probably one of the worst positions to be in and run late for the mission.

He rushed out onto Tranquilitis Mare's city center. It was the largest colony on the moon, and the most bustling. It would have been hard to catch a hover-taxi amongst this mess, but luckily he had choosen a hotel not to far from the launch site. One of the most famous facts about the launch site, and that was engraved on its sign, was the fact it was placed in the exact spot where Apollo-11 had landed. David really hadn't cared about the moon as much as he did other solar bodies. To him the moon was but a small stepping stone in space exploration.

David ran past the guards to the ship, shoving the acceptance letter into their hands and taking his badge. He looked up at the Starfire, a grand grey vessel. Its sublight-antimatter engines bristling in the back. Despite running late he paused a moment to look up at the grand construction. He had heard that Fergus McClain was its Captain, everyone had heard of him. He had been a Captain for the Alpha Centuari mission, one of the most famous missions in recent history. David was glad to be serving under him.

He rushed into the ship, suddenly feeling the Zero-G of it, and hurried to the bridge. He had arrived at the beginning of the Captain's Speech.

David burst into bridge.

"First Officer David Wilson, Security and Linguistics specialist, reporting for duty." spoke David, looking at Fergus.

Michael had been doing nothing before he got his message, correction he sat there staring at a rust spot feeling sorry for himself, he had no job at the moment and no friends, while he was pitying himself he heard a familiar ping from his data pad telling him he had a message the message told him he had been accecpted to the mission. Michael was elated he remembers falling asleep thar night and not much after.

Not long after.
Michael arrived at the starfire early that day grabbed a mop and bucket full of water and started cleaning near the labs. He liked to people watch and watching eggheads come and go talking about Glise helped him learn what was going on, and in the words of an ancient TV show "Knowing is half the battle."