I UNDERSTAND AN EXCURSION IN THE TRANSPOD IS A VERY STIMULATING

EXPERIENCE.

Kwait was momentarily taken aback at Marshia’s intrusive explanation of the strange sight in front of him.

“ Transpod?” he asked.

AN EXCELLENT OBSERVATION TOOL USED MAINLY FOR ENTERTAINMENT.PLEASE. STEP INSIDE, DR NAIZE.

Kwait ducked unnecessarily as he entered the transparent passageway. He couldn’t help but place each foot gingerly, holding his arms out like a tightrope walker. Kwait paused and swallowed hard telling himself that no matter what his senses told him, he was safe and no, Marshia was not laughing at him. She was just a machine. He silently urged himself forward.

Kwait made himself look up from his feet. Any trepidation he’d felt swiftly left him. His eyes and mouth opened wide as he gazed out at the familiar constellations that shone back at him with unbelievable clarity.

He had reached the centre of the clear sphere before he realised he was no longer walking on a solid floor but was being held by Marshia’s gravitonic projections.

A gentle hiss and the faintest of movements told Kwait he was being sealed in and this strangest of crafts was floating free.

SIMPLY LEAN IN THE DIRECTION YOU WISH TO GO, DOCTOR.

Kwait experimented with a gentle lean.

The huge white wall that was Marshia’s exterior fell rapidly away. The sensation was supremely exhilarating. A feeling of power and security engulfed Kwait. He knew it was him in the transparent sphere that was moving but it still feltall the world like the gigantic space ship, the planet looming beyond and the surrounding stars were all dancing to his tune.

“It’s fantastic!” said Kwait making the transpod dip and swoop around Marshia. “Streemly will love this.”

IT IS VERY POPULAR WITH SOME CREW MEMBERS.

Kwait turned the transpod away from the bright mass of Marshia. Stars and deep space captured his attention. He gazed out of his tiny bubble totally enthralled.

“This is truly amazing,” he said. “You must keep one set of optical sensors trained out there all the time.”

BETA SCANNERS HAVE GREATER RANGE AND DEFINITION, DOCTOR.

“Yes, but it’s so beautiful.”

IT IS VERY POPULAR WITH SOME CREW MEMBERS.

“Don’t you sometimes just stare out there in wonder and think about ... I don’t know ... where it all came from?”

A NON-CAUSAL EVENT IN PRE-SPACE-TIME.AN INEVITABLE HEISENBERG EVENT.

“Don’t you wonder about things, Marshia?”

I ANALYSE, CATEGORISE AND FORMALISE MY INPUT DATA, DOCTOR.

“I suppose wondering is not in your repertoire.” Kwait was not being derisive. NO, DOCTOR.

“We ... people ... I ... wonder too much perhaps.Sometimes I feel so small.So powerless.Foetal. Things happen. Stars explode. Planets die. Animals, people die in such pain. We’re so helpless. Why?”

IT WOULD SEEM LOGICAL THAT THE QUESTION IS INVALID.

“What question?”

THE QUESTION OF WHY THINGS ARE AS THEY ARE, DOCTOR.

“Yes,” Kwait said absently. He squinted at a particularly blue star. “Perhaps life is the universe’s attempt to overcome its own limitations. We areall of this universe. Defined and encompassed within it.”

I AM CURIOUS ABOUT SOMETHING DOCTOR.

“What’s that, Marshia?”