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after the disembarkation date.
     
    “Conditions remain warm, the sky clear of rain although readings taken from the meteorology section indicate bad weather may be on the way. Building work continues apace whilst the arboretum has rooted nicely. Fields continue to be fenced and ditched and the ploughing has already started. Initial reports indicate the seeds will be ready for drilling in four weeks time. Earlier today we ran into what may well be the first problem we have encountered since arrival. A workman was injured whilst probing for oil in the Katuss cave around three miles west of the city. It appears he drilled into an unforeseen gas deposit or something like that. He was taken straight to the medical bay and all he would do was scream, ‘it burns, it burns.’ Science officer Xen is currently attending to him. The source of the gas or the potential long term effects is as yet unknown. We’ll endeavour to find out more in the coming days. Until that time the mine is closed, all workmen who might have come into contact with the gas confined to quarters as per Confederation policy. Doubtless we’ll know more in the coming days. Otherwise everything is coming along as it should.”
     
    4
     
    The next week was the slowest of Arianna’s life and everybody she spoke to said the same. Officially they were supposed to be making the final preparations for the landing but such was the ship’s efficiency that this had all been done months ago and there was little left to be done except wait. Ambra, like most of the other children, was completely out of her mind with excitement and it was beyond anybody’s abilities to control her.
     
    But at last the fabled day dawned. The people rose from their beds expectantly, passengers for the last time. All but the most essential work was cancelled for the day and they congregated in the corridors, chattering in hushed voices until the great announcement which finally came mid-morning. “Ladies and gentlemen. My fellow colonists. This is Admiral Kalp speaking. Please make your way over to the observation decks. We are about to decrease Tachyon speed after which a view of Hearthfire will be visible immediately.”
     
    Arianna seized hold of Ambra’s hand and hurried with her to the nearest observation deck just above the arboretum. The wide corridors were thronged with people hurrying to get a good view. They need not have worried. The observation deck was on a ramp so that everybody could see what was happening. Jak joined them a few minutes later and they pressed their noses towards the glass in unison with the eleven thousand others. Suddenly the stars outside blurred. Arianna felt a strange sensation of weightlessness and then, in an instant, everything was back to normal. Everything except the view. She saw it all in that perfect marble orb before her: the blue and green of the oceans and continents, the grey of the mountain ranges, the yellow deserts and the white of the swirling clouds and the snow at either of the Poles. She had expected cheering and wild, ecstatic dancing. Instead everybody just looked upon the place with open mouthed wonderment. Here was home at last. Ambra gripped her hand tightly. When Arianna looked down she saw the little girl’s eyes were bulging with wonder. Her head was full of questions and she danced around in a state of extreme over-excitement. Other children who had never known anything except the starship did the same.
     
    Sol pushed his way through the crowds, his eyes scanning every face. He had been to three viewing platforms already by the time he finally found them, at which point it was too late. The slowdown had come and gone. He had missed the magical moment with his daughter. Sol stood to one side with his back to the wall, watching the three of them, the perfect happy family. He looked around at the families holding hands and embracing and now Arianna turned to kiss Jack before bending down to hug Ambra. Sol felt like an