Read Virus-72 Hours to Live for Free Online

functioning station, but also for crew member
convenience. In the current configuration, there was only one path
around the circumference of the station. When the second ring was
complete, it would provide alternate routes. It seemed like a small
thing to a terrestrial person. When a crew member moved in the same
direction as the rotation or down-rotation, their angular velocity
was higher and they felt a little more G force and moved slower.
When they moved opposite to the rotation or up-rotation, their
angular velocity decreased so they felt less than 1 G and could
move faster and even jump. When two crewmembers, moving in opposite
directions collided, the lack of a second ring was an assumed part
of the apology.
    There were six spokes or center access
tunnels (CAT), across the giant ring, which crossed at a
cylindrical structure in the middle. Between each of the CAT, were
a dozen graphite wires, which evened out the forces and helped to
hold everything together. On either end of the center structure,
were the docking ports. On one end of the structure, was the
incoming docking station A and on the other end was the outgoing
docking station B. The center of the structure contained the
laboratories for the processes which needed zero-G environments.
Even though a point within the center structure was at zero G, the
structure was still rotating. The parts of the lab, which needed
zero G, were free to rotate within the structure at the same rate
as Oasis but in the opposite direction. Those sections were on
rollers with electric motors that maintained their weightless
environment on frictionless air bearing.
    The CATS or spokes crossed from one point in
the station to another, but few people used them. It was
disorienting to go from the near-Earth gravity of the spinning ring
through the zero gravity point then back to gravity; often
crewmembers 'chucked-their-cookies' in the passage due to Coriolis
Effect. It messed up their inner ear and wasn't very pleasant. It
wasn't unusual for someone to get sick and have a mess to clean
up.
    With one ring, traffic was going in both
directions around the ring and people didn't like it. It wasn't
natural to bump into people going in the other direction. The
aisles were narrow to maximize the lab and living space so passing
each other wasn't convenient. A second ring would provide paths for
people moving up rotation and the other ring for people moving
down-rotation, sort of an assumed flow path. Seemed dumb, but
everyone thought it would be better.
    Of course, the added ring doubled the
laboratory, manufacturing, living and most important recreation
space. Those were important and added to the feeling of home, but
the thought of having two rings just seemed to even things out and
everyone hoped it would make the station work better.
    The station was only about half-staffed and
once the outer ring was complete, the full staffing would reach 75
astronauts. There were four lifeboats equally spaced around the
perimeter. They could carry eight occupants and be launched in 3
minutes. When the station was complete, it would have 10 lifeboats
with five on each ring. At one time, the lifeboats were going to be
larger and at the center rotation point, which would make docking
and launching easier. However, the crewmembers needed the lifeboats
close, having them in the center was too far away. The center docks
at the rotation point were used for large vehicles from Earth and
supply vessels to Mars and the moon.
    The station's primary purpose was research
and manufacturing. Over the years, they found many processes and
materials were ideally suited to be manufactured in space. The
research onboard Oasis was to find new methods for space
manufacture and to maximize the benefits of the existing
processes.
    Starting in 2045, the International Space
Consortium, which was an international corporation made up by the
participating governments paid for and ran the station, The
personnel were provided by