As Wendy reached the starboard window, a group of six people entered the Command Center. They were all dressed in gray jumpsuits and black boots, and each wore communications headgear and carried backpacks full of supplies. They stood around near the hatch for a few moments, shaking their limbs to adjust to the artificial gravity after their trip through the weightless corridor.

Wendy watched them bemusedly. The last time she had seen any of them was over ten years ago, but it had seemed like only days. The passage of time really hit home when she took in the changes in her friends, who had obviously spent a little time outside the cryo-chambers while she slept.

Lieutenant Riggs, who was always more handsome than he had a right to be, had grown his sandy brown hair out to shoulder length. He had apparently been making full use of the weight gym, for his arm muscles bulged bigger than ever. He was every bit the rough and tumble character Wendy remembered, and she hid the fond smile that suddenly crept onto her face.

Corporal Savant was the only woman among them. Her blonde hair was once again freshly cropped, and she was wearing a wicked looking sidearm on one slim hip. On the other hip, she wore not one, but three communicators. Each of them was connected to a different terminal somewhere in the ship so that she could, in essence, phone home to any part of the Reliant she wished. She nodded to Wendy in greeting, and Wendy nodded back.

Private Post seemed to have lost even more weight--almost an impossible task, since he had been a scarecrow in the first place. He was fidgeting and glancing around the room, looking for all the worlds like he would rather be somewhere else.

Ensign James had finally sprouted a beard and his voice had lowered. He was laughing and talking with Ensign Segal, who had whispered something in his ear. Wendy was certain she would rather not know what he'd said, since it was probably about her. Segal would gossip about who ate toast at breakfast!

The twins, Privates Allen and Nathan Fuller, were side by side as usual, keeping to themselves. They were examining the contents of their packs and making sure each had enough of whichever supplies they were discussing.

"Wow! Would you look at that!" said Lieutenant Riggs as he strode across the room and stepped in front of Wendy to stare out the window. "I've seen planets that were smaller than that thing. Just think of all the work they must have done to build and maintain it."

"It's incredible," said Corporal Savant as she shoved Riggs out of her way to get a better look. "Just imagine the communications systems on that baby!"

"Savant, you're so one-dimensional," Riggs complained. "Sometimes I think you have no imagination at all."

"That's not true. I often find myself imagining that some day I'll kick the crap out of you, Irwin," Savant told him.

"Ugh! Don't call me that! I told you never to call me that," Riggs groaned.

"Captain, are you sure it will be safe to go inside that thing?" Wendy asked him as she elbowed her way past the others to take her turn in the window. "Did the people who evacuated leave anything behind that might be hazardous or something? After all, we have no idea why they suddenly left."

"I wouldn't be too worried about that, Miss Nation. But, there may be a few remaining animals, since vegetation should still be able to grow, and only the people were evacuated. A good sidearm would not be a bad idea. With any luck, maybe we can even find out why this Folly was abandoned while we're looking around in there. That would be quite a scoop for you, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, sir," Wendy agreed, her eyes glowing with interest.

"The Ace Reporter always gets her man," Riggs teased with double meaning, pulling on a lock of Wendy's hair. She sidestepped him easily, and managed to land a soft kick on his shin.

"Oh, hurt me, baby!" Riggs cooed.

"Captain, I've spotted an EVA lock," reported Commander Porter. "Your crew can board the shuttle and head in any time. I'm establishing stationary orbit now."

"Thank you, Commander. Too bad you can't come along for the ride."

"That's probably a lot more excitement than I'm willing to have anyway, sir," he said. "But thanks for thinking of me."

The Captain laughed. "No problem, Dan. We'll bring you back a souvenir if we can. Come on, crew, let's go see what's out there."

"And hope this trip isn't another folly," Wendy added.

"Our civilian journalist sounds like she needs some reassurance," said Lieutenant Riggs. "Stick close to me, honey, and if anything tries to hurt you I'll wrap my big, strong arms around you and make it all better."

"I doubt that being in your arms would make anything better," Wendy told him with a disdainful sniff.

"You never know until you try," he said.

"Can it, Riggs," the Captain snapped. "You signed the hands-off clause same as the rest of us. Unless a woman is willing, arm wrapping is out of the question."

"Even for you, sir?" Riggs asked with a raised brow.

"Yes, even for me," he said, then gave Wendy a sidelong glance of inquiry, as if to ask if she would be willing. Wendy blushed and turned away from all the men.

"Corporal Savant, do they give you this much trouble?" she asked the only other female present.

"No, they wouldn't dare, because they know I'd take 'em by the balls and toss 'em out the airlock," she said. Her tough manner did not seem to match her sleek beauty, but anyone who had seen this dynamo in action knew the statement was not an idle boast.

Wendy followed as the troop headed back into the corridor. She almost lost her footing when the gravity suddenly wasn't there, and Riggs caught her arm and helped her to one of the hand holds along the wall.

"See there, we make a great team, Nation," he teased her. Wendy blushed.

The shuttle bay was located on the bottom of the same rotating orb as the Command Center, so they were only in the weightless corridor long enough to enter the first hatchway, marked "Loading/Unloading". They each climbed down the rungs that led below, and entered the shuttle bay. When they were all assembled again, they headed into an air lock, where they put on their spacesuits.

Although Corporal Savant had teamed with Wendy to make certain she was properly suited up, Riggs made a point of double checking it. Wendy couldn't help but enjoy the extra attention he lavished on her, and everyone else shook their heads at each other and rolled their eyes, waiting for him to finish.

"Everybody ready?" Captain Edwards asked pointedly.

"Yes, sir," they chimed, and Riggs opened the hatch.

Sergeant Banks stepped out of the shuttle as the eight people approached it, and stood at attention in front of the Captain. "Shuttle's ready for departure, sir."

"Good work, Sergeant Banks, you got that ship ready in record time. Come on, crew, let's get this bird in the air."