Day 46

[from ARK]

Dear Diary,

Today I received some excellent news. After almost three years, the construction of my greatest creation, the Space Colony ARK, is finally complete. It is fully furbished, and ready to be inhabited. We've secured the use of the United Federation's shuttles in order to transport personnel and goods to the ARK, but they won't be allowed to dock there permanently, so anyone wishing to return to Earth will have to make use of the ARK's escape pods. I have made sure the pods have been tested rigorously, and they are guaranteed to be able to withstand re-entry.

Due to the logistical difficulties involved in travelling to and from the ARK repeatedly, most of the scientists I have recruited to join me aboard the ARK have agreed to take their families along with them. The ARK has more than enough capacity for them all, and is equipped with every convenience they could possibly require, including a state-of-the-art medical facility. While it may not seem that homely, I still hope that they will all feel perfectly at home aboard the ARK.

That being said, however, Jenny still refuses to join me aboard the ARK. She simply does not feel comfortable with the idea of living on the station, thousands of miles away from everyone she has ever known save for myself. I can empathize with her, but I do not share her fear of isolation; indeed, I will be perfectly content to continue my research amid the infinite solitude of space.

Julian also wishes to remain behind, so that he can remain with his friends and complete his education here on Earth. I admire his dedication to bettering himself intellectually, and so I will honour his desire to remain on Earth, as well as that of my wife. While I would like for them to join me on the colony, I will not force them to do something that would make them unhappy. I am certain that someday, Julian will grow into a great scientist like myself.

As for Colin and Meredith, I have not contacted them yet regarding whether they wish to join me aboard the ARK. I'm sure they are still busy dealing with Maria, who is still in the hospital. I don't know whether the doctors have found out what is wrong with her yet, but if there is anything I can do to help her, I will more than willing to lend my expertise. My granddaughter may only be a few months old, but already she means the world to me.

While I wait for news regarding Maria's condition, I shall begin the preparations for my journey to the ARK. This of course means packing up my current experiments and unfinished research papers, so that I may finish them on the colony once I reach it. There is still much to do before I am ready to leave for the ARK.

***

Dear Diary,

Today, I was finally able to speak to Colin and Meredith. The news regarding Maria is much worse than any of us could have feared. She has Neuro-Immune Deficiency Syndrome, an incurable degenerative disease that will slowly destroy her immune system, causing her to grow more and more frail until it finally claims her life. There is little that can be done to even treat her, let alone cure her.

Colin and Meredith were both in a state of shock, and so was I, when they first told me the dreadful news. However, the disease will not kill her right away, and in the right environment she may still lead a full and happy life. To that end, Colin and Meredith begged me to take her with me aboard the ARK. I was uncertain about taking such a young infant to the colony, but in the end I could not say no to them. The colony's isolation means it is free from diseases, any of which could prove fatal to Maria with her condition, and with the state-of-the-art medical facilities located there, she can be cared for even better than here on Earth.

What is more, we have not given up hope that a cure could yet be found in time to save her, as well as the other unfortunate souls suffering from this disease. With the collective scientific knowledge of those who will be aboard the ARK, myself included, such a cure surely cannot remain outside our grasp for long.

The first personnel shuttle will be leaving for the ARK tomorrow. Aboard it will be Professor Francis Montclair, Professor Alexander Gibson, and their families. Professor Gibson is a good friend and colleague of mine, and specializes in the field of medicine. Perhaps I will be able to enlist his help in attempting to develop a cure for Maria. In the meantime, however, all I can do is continue to prepare for my own departure, which will now be delayed until Maria is well enough to leave the hospital. If she ever is well enough to- No. I cannot allow myself to think in such a manner. She will pull through, and someday, I will cure her, and all those inflicted with that terrible disease. It is my duty as a scientist, as someone who has dedicated himself to the betterment of humanity, to achieve this. For her, and for everyone on this planet, I must do this.