Download the Book - Islam and Science Fiction
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From <strong>the</strong> Confessions:<br />
Of <strong>the</strong> original agglomeration of astrophysicists Kammholtz had<br />
ga<strong>the</strong>red, about a third (including my five comrades <strong>and</strong> myself) had<br />
expertise <strong>and</strong> physical qualifications which made <strong>the</strong>m c<strong>and</strong>idates for<br />
<strong>the</strong> mission. Only twelve could actually go. Over <strong>the</strong> next two years,<br />
<strong>the</strong> most extraordinary set of "coincidences" pared down <strong>the</strong><br />
c<strong>and</strong>idates. First, <strong>the</strong>re were two major drug-smuggling sc<strong>and</strong>als<br />
which tainted <strong>the</strong> reputations of a great many qualified c<strong>and</strong>idates. A<br />
strain of antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis infected a dozen o<strong>the</strong>rs. One<br />
group was seated around a conference table telling ethnic jokes at<br />
Kammholtz's expense, unaware that a malfunction in <strong>the</strong> telephone<br />
was broadcasting <strong>the</strong>ir rude comments over <strong>the</strong> public address system.<br />
Ano<strong>the</strong>r fifteen failed security screening for undisclosed reasons. At<br />
<strong>the</strong> last minute, six of <strong>the</strong> few remaining c<strong>and</strong>idates dropped out due<br />
to family emergencies or unspecified personal reasons.<br />
By <strong>the</strong> time <strong>the</strong> flight team was selected, <strong>the</strong>re were barely<br />
enough qualified c<strong>and</strong>idates to select from. All six of us made <strong>the</strong><br />
cut.<br />
Zeid was very nearly his old self again. It looked as if we would<br />
once again share an epic adventure, this time to <strong>the</strong> stars. While it<br />
was now almost a forgone conclusion among <strong>the</strong> team members that<br />
our job would be to take <strong>the</strong> ship, Jamil had not yet informed us of<br />
this. The possibility didn't seem to bo<strong>the</strong>r Zeid particularly, <strong>and</strong> I<br />
ga<strong>the</strong>red that such a symbolic act was something his conscience could<br />
deal with.<br />
Finally, <strong>the</strong> day came when Jamil took me into his full confidence<br />
<strong>and</strong> presented me with my orders to assume <strong>the</strong> role of strike team<br />
leader for <strong>the</strong> capture of The Starry-Eyed Dreamer. I was to inform<br />
only Faysal, my second-in-comm<strong>and</strong>. Toge<strong>the</strong>r, we were to study <strong>the</strong><br />
security of <strong>the</strong> ship <strong>and</strong> determine how to integrate <strong>the</strong> specially<br />
prepared weapons we would need into our instruments.<br />
The weapons included small, high-impulse, explosive projectiles<br />
which could be fired from almost anything with a tube of <strong>the</strong> right<br />
diameter, <strong>and</strong> a short-range but effective particle beam device that<br />
was externally identical to <strong>the</strong> accelerator of our spectrometer. (The<br />
accelerator was a calibration st<strong>and</strong>ard for <strong>the</strong> peaks we were<br />
interested in, <strong>and</strong>, though I didn't design it, it must have attracted <strong>the</strong><br />
interest of my superiors.) The little rockets were our precision<br />
weapons for use against individuals, while <strong>the</strong> accelerators would<br />
serve, like sawed-off shotguns, to h<strong>and</strong>le groups. In addition, we<br />
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