Created from a combination of Mattel Mega Rig space toys and a healthy dose of Photoshop, the images and story were brought to life some months ago on Squaring the Circle, as the two part story. 'Fire and Ice'.
By contrast, his co-pilot and chief science officer, Inga Skarvald was calm and serene. Inga had met and married Tor, twenty years ago when they had been both been involved in the Mars expedition. She was a tall, elegant woman with an unshakeable, icy calm. Tor was prone to mad passionate outbursts ad fits of uncontrollable rage when things were not going well and the only person who dared approach him at these moments was Inga. The rest of the crew jokingly referred to the couple as fire and ice and despite this held them in the highest respect.
Tori Varr, Astrogator for the mission often found herself fascinated by the interaction of the pair and often likened Skarvald to the greek god Zeus and his wife to the beautiful nymph Callisto. Tori enjoyed mythology and one of her ambitions for the mission was to find and name a new astral body. Out beyond Saturn and the outer planets was the Kuiper Belt - a distant region of asteroids and other material and and Tori entertained the conviction that hidden in the remote depths of this region was a new planet, a large one with a considerable gravitational mass, that disturbed the asteroids in the belt from time to time and sent them inwards as comets. It was her dream to discover this new celestial body and have the privilege of naming it.
Tom Dachron was chief engineer on the ship, a tall, wiry man who had spent most of his adult life in space, born on the first Moonbase and one of the first generation of true spacers, he had an easy calm and utter confidence about him. Nothing fazed him and no problem was beyond his capabilities. Skarvald trusted him implicitly and often deferred to his superior technical ability, without a moments pause. Tom had saved Skarvalds life some years ago after the seals ruptured on a pressure dome that Skarvald had been working in. Forcing his way back into the dome after the emergency locks had closed off the collapsing dome, Tom had managed to force a mask onto the panicking Skarvald and haul him back out through the lock before the dome completely depressurised and ripped open like a paper bag . As Skarvald had gulped down the oxygen from the mask, Tom had calmly secured the breach and quietly alerted the medical team. Apart from a few burst blood vessels around his eyes and a very sore throat, Skarvald made a full recovery. Afterward he had quietly thanked the engineer for rescuing him and apologised for losing his cool during the event. Since then, the two men seemed to share an almost telepathic connection, Dachron sensing almost instinctively when Skarvald was troubled.
Tori Varr had planned out the mission schedule and working with Inga Skarvald, determined which parts of the system they would be able to visit within the comparatively short mission timeline. For one of he crew, and eternity would never be enough time to study Saturn, but Nascha Anischinaabe would have to content herself with this brief glimpse of the jewel of the solar system. Nascha had stared at the heavens every night as a child on Earth, the deep velvet blackness strewn with silvery diamonds. Living at the edge of the Mojave desert, light pollution was never a problem and she could see the arm of the Milky Way spread across the chill night sky without the need for a scope. Even at that young age, she had decided that one day she would walk among the stars, just as her ancestors were said to do in the next life, scattering diamond dust at her every step.
The hours ticked by and Skarvald was becoming more and more impatient to be at the controls of his ship, powering off into deep space. Through the telescope attached to the base, he could see the Heimdall drifting high above Luna, maintenance crews swarming around her like flies around a racehorse. He grunted appreciatively and straightened up from the viewport.
Tom Dachron was chief engineer on the ship, a tall, wiry man who had spent most of his adult life in space, born on the first Moonbase and one of the first generation of true spacers, he had an easy calm and utter confidence about him. Nothing fazed him and no problem was beyond his capabilities. Skarvald trusted him implicitly and often deferred to his superior technical ability, without a moments pause. Tom had saved Skarvalds life some years ago after the seals ruptured on a pressure dome that Skarvald had been working in. Forcing his way back into the dome after the emergency locks had closed off the collapsing dome, Tom had managed to force a mask onto the panicking Skarvald and haul him back out through the lock before the dome completely depressurised and ripped open like a paper bag . As Skarvald had gulped down the oxygen from the mask, Tom had calmly secured the breach and quietly alerted the medical team. Apart from a few burst blood vessels around his eyes and a very sore throat, Skarvald made a full recovery. Afterward he had quietly thanked the engineer for rescuing him and apologised for losing his cool during the event. Since then, the two men seemed to share an almost telepathic connection, Dachron sensing almost instinctively when Skarvald was troubled.
Tori Varr had planned out the mission schedule and working with Inga Skarvald, determined which parts of the system they would be able to visit within the comparatively short mission timeline. For one of he crew, and eternity would never be enough time to study Saturn, but Nascha Anischinaabe would have to content herself with this brief glimpse of the jewel of the solar system. Nascha had stared at the heavens every night as a child on Earth, the deep velvet blackness strewn with silvery diamonds. Living at the edge of the Mojave desert, light pollution was never a problem and she could see the arm of the Milky Way spread across the chill night sky without the need for a scope. Even at that young age, she had decided that one day she would walk among the stars, just as her ancestors were said to do in the next life, scattering diamond dust at her every step.
The hours ticked by and Skarvald was becoming more and more impatient to be at the controls of his ship, powering off into deep space. Through the telescope attached to the base, he could see the Heimdall drifting high above Luna, maintenance crews swarming around her like flies around a racehorse. He grunted appreciatively and straightened up from the viewport.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and a quiet voice in his ear. ‘Patience, patience’. Whispered Inga, drawing him close to her side. ‘Enjoy the space, tomorrow we will be strapped into the couches and confined in a tiny cabin, breathing each others air. For tonight we are free.’ Inga always knew the right words, thought Skarvald, always. He turned and kissed her gently on the cheek. ‘Yes my dear, youre right. Right.’. She stroked his bearded face and took him by the hand, leading him out to the dorms. ‘Come, lets get some rest, tomorrow, we change history!’ she said and dimmed the lights behind them.
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