On board SS-Beta somewhere over Terra |
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On board SS-Beta somewhere over Terra |
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The com annunciator made the low buzz that meant the call from Houston had finally come in - Commander Susan Harden sat forward in her seat and her motion pushed her gently against the Staban restraints - she hit the C/R toggle and Jay Johstone's face wiggled into place on the vidscreen. "Good news, Susan..." He smiled broadly. "The League finally made their contribution to the X Fund and the Secretariat has just signed the bill for full expenditure! You are authorized to proceed to operational phase and assemble your team. Congratulations!"
| As the Senator's image swirled into the dispersing electrons of the screen and vanished, Susan relaxed into her Z-G command chair and let out a hearty sigh. Finally! After all the talking, all the negotiations, all the dealing - the Xlife Mission was finally going to be a reality. |  |
Five billion Eur-Dol Credits up-front and an additional three and a half billion New Yen in two years- it was a dream come true. After the long hiatus of the Earth-Only administrations of the past fifteen years, the search for Life in the Solar System was finally going to be resumed. Fifteen years! All the research of the 20th Century suspended, almost forgotten...
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The Xlife Mission! Pick the likeliest planet (or moon) in the Solar System for the existence of off-Earth life and design the robotic vehicle-explorer and the instruments and experiments - and money no limit? It was a dream come true - her dream. |
Now the work would begin in earnest. Much of the team was already in place. The space station's research agenda made sure of that. Commander Harden tapped her stylus and the rosters swam on the screen:
Hypothesis Science and Reference Group
She considered the challenges these groups would face, the great questions of Life on Other Planets that had lain fallow for fifteen years: Planetary Conditions, the Origins of Life, X-Biologies, Extreme Environments.
Well, nothing to do but get started, to open once again a chapter in the great Quest.
She hit the hail button. "Now hear this, this is Commander Harden speaking..."
On this Webquest, your class is the crew of Space Station Beta. Divide into the Research Groups (all, some or even just one) and answer one or several questions that are at the Group links. Then create a product - this could be a research paper, a Hyperstudio project, a website, a debate, an enactment - the only limit is your imagination.