The week-long flight from Earth had proceeded in a flawless manner. The New Hope's initial design had been scientifically engineered to mechanical perfection along with its sophisticated master computer.

Abe expertly slowed the great ship's rapid descent with the braking retro rockets to deftly touch down on the cold, dark side of Earth's bleak moon near the Tsiolkovsky Crater. A precise landing was instantly recorded in the ship's computer flight log. A quick operations check confirmed the vessel's stable status in the inky blackness. A copy of the report was relayed back to Earth via a satellite uplink.

The time had arrived to initiate the most important phase of the nursery mission. Abe and Babe worked quickly and methodically in performing the sequence necessary to conceive the genetic pairs of new children, activate the growth chambers, and start the acceleration process. All vital biological functions and nutrient solutions were controlled by the main computer to minimize any remote possibility of human error. With the first phase of their critical mission completed, the couple's main objective now was to simply monitor the overall systems and maintain the other functions of the spacecraft. Events continued to progress as planned, and their crucial mission promised to be a monumental success in mankind's favor. The dire necessity of Earth's repopulation seemed destined to soon become a reality.

Computer analysis confirmed that the delicate unions of the matched eggs and sperms were dividing and growing. The happy couple was justly pleased with the success of their previous work. After the fifth day, Abe activated the computer to start the educational sequences when conditions became optimum.

Babe was to be responsible for the special care and feeding of the paired animals residing in the ship's onboard zoo. Abe's duties included monitoring the animals' breeding cycles, activation of the hybrid agricultural garden, and maintenance of the aquarium systems. Their fundamental goal consisted of the establishment of a perpetual food supply, in addition to the vast stores already onboard. Surplus birds, fish, and mammals were destined to return to Earth at the conclusion of the mission.

Babe wasted little time in forming a strong, permanent bond of love to the pair of doves in the zoo. She simply had to enter the room, and instantly they would take to the air and simultaneously land upon both of her tender shoulders! The same actions held true for Abe and the large pair of mighty eagles. Strangely enough, the eagles and doves seemed to understand the significance of mutual love and harmony in this unique, extra-terrestrial environment. Absolutely no clash occurred between the natural predators and the usual victims. All life-forms lived in placid peace aboard the New Hope.

Between their required duties, plus eating and sleeping, the couple made passionate love. They needed it, both mentally and physically, in order to maintain their genetically perfect, synchronized balance. Each was an intense, integral part ofthe other's being. The plants and animals alike seemed to literally thrive whenever they were physically joined together. The soft glow of their aura emanated the love, peace, and prosperity evolved into the natural order of life in the cramped world of the spacecraft. History was in the making, whereby a distinctive, new race of humans was escalating far above any known intelligence in the galaxy.

As Babe was actively involved in her routine duties, companion doves on her petite shoulders, she sensed the first feeling of intense dismay she had ever experienced from Abe. Abandoning her new responsibilities, she raced to the aft section of the ship to aid her mate. Her doves had quickly followed on silent wings.

Upon arrival, her transcendental feelings of trouble were confirmed by her anguished mate. Through telepathy, Abe explained that the ship's sensitive computer had just calculated that Earth's hot, molten core had neared maximum pressure density and was either going to violently explode or blow open a great rift to relieve the vast internal pressure rise! Both immediately realized that Earth was soon to be destructive history and quite possibly themselves as well, depending on the generated force of the blast.

The distraught couple understood that in all probability, they would never see their "parents" alive again. Overwhelming remorse for their beloved creators hastily haunted their combined intellect. Abe urgently tried to radio a warning to Earth. There was no response .........

Suddenly, the moon itself shook violently, trembling before the awesome powers of the universe. Instinctively reaching for each other, the couple knew their very existence faced great peril. Following the initial quake, a tremendous surge in gravitational forces threw them to the metal floor of the ship. The entire moon was being blown from its orbit! The Earth had disintegrated in one blinding flash of final glory! Inky blackness engulfed the ship again within milliseconds. Direct consciousness proved impossible to maintain, fading quickly with the accumulation of intense forces generated by the rapid acceleration of the moon itself. Time elapsed silently of which Abe and Babe were unaware in their present state of mind and body. They had become merely circumstantial victims, suppressed and subdued by nature's own original form of cosmic propulsion.

Abe awoke as the great ship's incredible speed diminished. His immediate concern was of Babe's safety. He instinctively sensed he would die without her vital part of himself. Tense moments passed as he hovered over her limp body while checking her life signs. It frightened Abe to learn that he and Babe shared no telepathy if one was in a subconscious state. Babe shuddered slightly and Abe knew she was alive. Overwhelming love for life reigned supreme as Babe's smaller framed body slowly recovered from the G-force black-out. Their beloved Earth had become just another page of history, . . along with all of her resident peoples and cultures! Abe and Babe painfully surmised that they represented the last remnants of the entire human race.

The ship's intricate computerized static flight log indicated they had been traveling beyond light speed for nine consecutive days! Their location on the dark side of the moon was fortunately responsible for their continued life. The lifeless rock had acted as a huge radiation and heat shield during the cataclysmic explosion. Abe and his precious mate softly wept together in sorrow for the destruction of their home planet and many friends.

Blatantly accepting the untimely, radical situation, Babe hastily prepared a nutritious meal, supplemented with vitamin injections to counteract the unexpected nine day fast. After satisfying their nourishment requirements, the couple proceeded with a safety check of the remaining parts of the vessel to assess any hidden damages. One oxygen tank had ruptured. All else seemed to be intact, except the computer's indication of a pathetic non-function warning covering all of the embryo growth chambers in relation to direct knowledge intake and retention! Computer and human analysis alike failed to isolate the critical malfunction. The computer screen also conveyed the fact that their moon and ship had passed near a large, dense planet at the end of their ill-fated voyage. In doing so, the gravitational effect had been sufficient to decelerate the moon, enabling the occupants of the New Hope to regain consciousness and coherent reality. The immense planet showed to retain an orbiting moon of its own. Unfortunately, subsequent scans proved the planet itself to be totally void of any life-forms. Abe impressed upon his mate the need to survey the new moon for possible life signs.