17.

It was nearing one o' clock in the afternoon of the day following the mining expedition. Maria had been in the command center since a little after ten and had yet to see any sign of Brandon. She had been sure that she would at least hear something from him by this point in the day even despite his odd arrival to the medical facility the evening before though of course and as of just yet, she had not heard from him at all.

So, with no other pressing matters holding her attention or confining her to where she is, Maria begins to make her way back to the ships medical facility where she would be greeted with a 'good afternoon' by the doctor.

'Do you live in here or something?' Maria asked the doctor, 'as every time I come down here you are here.'

'A doctor's work is never done' Stanley simply replies.

Looking around the room confused Maria. The doctor had no patients and there were two nurses sitting in the far corner of the room chatting away to each other. Since the doctor did not seem altogether rushed off his feet Maria wondered for a moment as to if he really needed to be here before she makes her inquiry of him about Brandon.

'Have you seen Brandon yet today?'

'No, I haven't. How did you know that I wanted to see him again today?'

'It does not take a scientist to see that there is something wrong with him although I actually am in fact somewhat a scientist. Brandon forgets a lot of things and the way he just came in here last night. It's a bit worrying. He has Alzheimer's, hasn't he?'

'I cannot be sure just yet, but I reckon so, yes. He very well could be in the early stages.'

'I have yet to hear from him today so I may just go and try to find him, just to make sure all is well.'

Now looking around the medical facility himself and noticing that the nurses yapping has become a little louder that what it had been a moment or so ago Stanley decides to accompany Maria.

'I think I will walk with you if that is alright.'

'Sure.'

'Any problems ladies, use the com system to contact me' says the doctor addressing the two nurses who both manage to stop talking for all of about three seconds to glance over at the doctor before resuming their chat. 'Brandon's quarters are three decks up.'

'Three decks up? I did not know that, and he just happened to wander all the way to the medical facility in his pajamas before realizing something was wrong ... wow.'

Maria and Stanley soon arrive at Brandon's quarters and Maria knocks at his door and calls out his name. No answer is returned. She knocks and calls for Brandon again, still no response. Stanley twists the door handle; both Maria and Stanley looked at each other surprised by the fact that Brandon's door was unlocked.

Entering the room and beginning to look around Maria and Stanley continue to call for Brandon.

'Maybe he has gone wandering again' speaks Maria.

'Well, if he does actually have Alzheimer's and if it is in its early stages then it is quite unlikely but not impossible that Brandon would have two bouts of disorientation so close to each other. On the other hand, going walkabouts could explain why the door is unlocked.'

'There is every chance that he has had this for quite some time and there is also the possibility that just maybe it isn't Alzheimer's at all but something else entirely.'

Stanley just realizes at this moment that he gave Brandon two sleeping tablets the night before to help him sleep. This prompts him to move into the bedroom. Very soon after doing so Stanley returns to the living room area where Maria is still looking around for any evidence as to where Brandon may have got to. Her attention had been caught by a framed photograph of whom she presumed to be the Michaels family, Brandon proudly pictured with his grown son, and the wife Maria had heard so much about. She almost did not hear the doc return.

'He's gone' says Stanley as he sits down on the living room couch. His face has turned pure white as his right-hand brushes through his thinning pepper dashed hair.

'Gone where? ... Hey, are you alright? You look like you have seen a ghost.'

Just at the very moment that Maria had finished speaking that sentence she realizes just what Stanley may mean and her moment of realization is reinforced when Stanley looks over, up and right at her.

'You think will all the death and loss of life I have seen and dealt with in my lifetime that I would be used to coming across it by now.'

A moment of panic struck Maria as her own face drained of all colour.

'No, he is not dead ... Brandon cannot be dead.'

Maria went into Brandon's bedroom, almost tripping over herself while moving as quickly as she could. He just lay there in his bed. His pale face looked as if it had a smile etched upon it. Maria takes Brandon's hand and holds it for a moment before losing control of her emotions.

Even though she had only known him for such a short period of time there was nothing she could do to prevent her tears from flowing such is the effect he had on her and the connect they had felt between each other. Brandon's hand was cold, and his fingers were stiff. Stanley stood in the doorway to the bedroom telling Maria that it was quite likely that Brandon passed away peacefully in his sleep.

18.

A couple days past three weeks in space from Brandon's arrival and The Pathfinder had its first major loss. Any loss of life is a major loss though this is something that no one saw coming. There was no particular level he needed to be at for others to foresee this happening, it simply was his time to go while also having enough time to have a significant impact on a moment of history. In the very short time that had been spent up to now on this mission, Brandon did have a huge impact on the ship's crew and on Maria in particular, still ... some things do not end with death and a death can be a beginning for so much more.

The impact? Well ...

George Jones felt the loss; he couldn't help but feel that he got his opportunity through something with which Brandon certainly had a hand in. Yeah, Brandon wanted to up the security presence on The Pathfinder and his moment with George gave George a slight shove in the right direction. George also knows he still had to work for his position, that a conversation did not hand him any position though now, not that he needs a reason, he has got one, a reason to ensure he always puts his best foot forwards.

It did not matter to George that he never properly knew Brandon, there was no mentorship coming directly from Brandon, the sense of loss is there all the same, such is the effect of a onetime brief meeting, and an opportunity to make a would-be mentor feels as if it has been stolen, a crime in itself which may never receive justice.

The Owens brothers felt the loss. Their security section, the larger side of it at least, indeed got its go ahead from Brandon, their own purpose on this ship, their sense of immediate direction, given the go ahead from he who is larger than life itself. It had been coming, maybe it always was but being here with their current task feels like a kind of destiny.

If cleaning crew number thirty-two didn't directly feel the loss then they most certainly could see it. The corridors and common areas of The Pathfinder took on a somber mood, Brandon's death being discussed at almost every corner. Security and cleaning may not go hand in hand though they both may be more attuned to the mood of the ship as a whole than what most other groupings or sections would.

Robert, Simon, and Jeffery all knew that disaster had come to pay a visit, Robert and Simon in particular with all the effort they put in to getting The Pathfinder ready for its mission only to have something like this hit so soon. What else could they all do now but move forwards and do so in Brandon's name?

Brandon had not been the first choice to lead The Pathfinder. Three men with current involvement in the military had been given control. It had been thought that their force and experience could and would be a source of strength and lead the vessel to where it needs to go. Duty kept these men Earthbound to the point they could simply not leave Earth at the point in time when The Pathfinder was scheduled to leave. With that, it felt as a right choice had been made, a decision that was always meant to be and even in death and an inability to report this back to anyone on Earth, the right choice still had been made.

Having been a military doctor Stanley had a position on the world council. He made a last-minute suggestion that a man by the name of Brandon Michaels should be considered. Knowing the position he himself would be taking on, he also spoke to Maria of his suggestion. With time running out, the suggestion was not only considered but taken advantage of and indeed Brandon would be coming aboard.

This had not been known to Brandon, just how he really came to have his position. Maybe he should have questioned Maria when he made his arrival. Stanley as the doctor and as someone who had expected a lasting friendship to develop with Brandon would lead the memorial service and Maria would speak on what those previous few weeks have meant to her ...