First Steps

Yesterday, "Dr. MINIMCOM" declared Rei sturdy enough to take on some gravity. They started with .1g then stepped it up until they finally hit three-quarters g. Obviously, Rei is going to have to be able to stand in one full g to go back to the planet but right now, he had trouble with the three quarters. Rei's knees had just buckled which cause a bit of panic but at this point, I think he is ready to take the plunge. Let's see:

     “Back it down,” Rome shouted with alarm in her voice.
     “No,” Rei said. “I’m OK. I just have to figure out how much force to exert. Look.”
     He straightened up again. He bent his knees and then stood upright to demonstrate he had full control. “I got this,” he said.
     “Please try and flex your back as little as possible,” MINIMCOM cautioned. “The mixture of bone and constructors is set and it is true that with each passing minute, it will become more solid. But I would like to keep the stress to a minimum.”
     “Well, if I’m going to go back to the planet, I have to be able to take full gravity. Let me try a few steps.”
     “Rei, are you sure?” Rome asked.
     “Yeah,” Rei said. Rei removed his arms from both of his two helpers’ shoulders and simply placed one hand on each. Satisfied, he pushed each of them away, reaching down only to hold Rome’s hand. Carefully, he lifted his left foot and took one step forward. His knee seemed to give out slightly but Rei was able to recover quickly. He took a step with his right foot and there were no noticeable effects.
     “OK, guys,” he said, letting go of Rome’s hand. “Here we go.”
     Like a little boy trying on new shoes, Rei took small careful steps, walking from one end of the cargo bay to the other. As he walked, his confidence grew greater and greater until he was walking in what looked like a completely normal gait. Russell Montrell whistled his approval. Rei bowed his head slightly then came back to stand by Rome and he took her hand again.
     “OK, buddy,” he said to MINIMCOM. “One full g. Time to get this show…”
     “On the road,” Rome chimed in. “All right, MINIMCOM, full gravity.”
     “As you wish,” replied the livetar.
     The change from three quarter to full gravity actually seemed less noticeable than the prior increments. Rei tested his ability to walk again and did quite well. In fact, on his last lap, he actually jogged a bit.
     “I know I should be overwhelmed,” Rei said, walking over to MINIMCOM. “But you’ve always been there for us, buddy. I guess I never had any doubts.”

He did it! He can now walk in one full g. Time to return to the planet and ferret out who did the dastardly deed.