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At this point Bohr was cut off. The captain intervened.
"I have, at this moment, activated the final automatic sequence for retro power," said the captain. "This sequence will take us right through to the final orbit insertion at Gamma .8 without a possible manual override. The sequence is too complex for anyone to tinker with. And in respect to the insanity you have just been exposed to," he began to laugh. "Really! That is no longer worth wasting any breath over, in discussing it. Am I not right?"
His face became hard once his thin laughter had died down. He raised his hand as though he swore. "Anything that does not constructively add to our goal of landing at Gamma .8 must be regarded as academic treason from this point on, and must be met with appropriate measures."
Bohr stood aghast. With his mouth still open from his last words he shrugged his shoulders and vanished. At this instant the giant screen of the auditorium came alive with a laser projected simulation of what happened to the ship. Magnetic flow engines located on the periphery of the ship slowed its rotational movement. At the same time the main engines were turned on and held at .001G, trimmed to precise balance. This sequence repeated itself until it was held at .300G. Then a computer generated cartoon showed us how the agro plant was converted; how its flats of plants were rotated ninety degrees at a special adjustment station, together with their associated light panels.
I recalled the last gravity change process. No information had been given then. We had simply been sent to the auditorium where a long movie had been playing.
It felt good to know what was going on. The agro plant conversion process was to take two hours as we were told by one of the officers of the ship, after which the gravity change would continue.
Since we had three tens of normal gravity by then, we were invited to unbuckle and move around. The officer even announced that the dance floor was open, one floor below the auditorium.
Few people seemed eager to dance, however. I certainly didn't feel like dancing after the way Bohr was rebuffed. I went down stairs, though, with Natalia. To my greatest surprise, I noticed Bohr on the dance floor, having a great time with Jill. He had shed his glistening Gold suit, for some tight black jeans and a black and silver striped shirt.
I asked Natalia for a dance.
"Not now," she said quietly.
"What about me?" I heard a voice from behind me. It was Odessa.
I bowed, and off we were as floating through space. Dancing at three tens of normal gravity is indeed a lot of fun. We bumped into Bohr more than once.
"I haven't seen you so alive, not in years," she said to Olaf when Jill had become exhausted and we had all retired to a sitting area built into the wall.
"The same goes for you, 'O,'" Olaf replied and began to grin. "You haven't called me Olaf for years."
"I'm surprised at you too," I said to Bohr, after I gained my breath again. "Why have you given up so easily in the auditorium?"
"Given up! Who has given up? Not I! I never give up," he grinned. "It just isn't the right moment to push further. What humanity is there in pushing them into a violent conflict with the captain, over something they don't yet understand? Men like the captain are dangerous. You'd be surprised to find out what they are capable off."
"Besides, Olaf has said enough," added 'O.' "The ship is full of intelligent people. To force feed them would be an insult to their dignity."
"Whenever I'm at this ship," said Olaf, "I realize that the intelligence that went into the building of it, is still around. How then can I loose hope?" His face became serious though. Neither smile nor laughter seemed possible. "Many of the people might die, because of the captain!" he said and closed his eyes. "They may support the captain on this mission as far as he demands, but they can't escape the consequences of the insanity of their actions."
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