Gus was seething. The machine was broken and he couldn't fathom how or why it happened. Despite his obvious frustration, he still maintained enough self-awareness to comprehend that "not understanding how this could happen" was dumb. It was a machine and machines break. At the same time, he also realized that there were times when the Human psyche wouldn't succumb to the bounds of logic and reason. For Gus, this was one of those times. Gus had a Plan B but unfortunately, it included a lot of waiting and hoping, which nearly drove him mad. Gus knew he was never at his best when conditions were out of his control. With the fate of the woman he loved and his unborn child hanging in the balance, he was now at his all-time worst.

As Gus helplessly and impatiently hovered over the engineering techs who were trying to fix the machine, his mind started to get the best of him.

Was Maddy still alive? Was his son ok? No other pregnant Jump had ever been conducted before...at least as far as the Ministry was concerned. In fact, pregnancy was one of the few screenings they routinely employed for the Sweeper program he had run not so long ago. That particular realization wasn't helping him...

And then there was the dilation factor.

For Gus, this was the most mentally trying aspect of this exasperating situation. Every hour experienced on the ship was 53.62 hours he had missed with his family. And with 5.5 hours already gone, over TWELVE DAYS had already passed on the other end. This reality was still unfathomable to Gus. It also caused his blood pressure to rise and kept his stress level at max throttle. He knew he had to maintain his composure but he was having a very hard time executing that requirement. All his past experiences, not to mention his formal stress maintenance training was failing him...in spectacular fashion. From his perspective, the well-being of his son and the woman he loved hung in the balance. From the technicians' vantage point, they required some breathing room to fix the problem and Gus wasn't providing any.

Edward Karak had a front-row seat to this unproductive dynamic and tried to step in...

"Gus, maybe you should take a break. Come with me, let's get some coffee in the observation deck. The engineers will contact us the minute they have the situation under control."

Karak put his arm around Gus and purposefully walked him several feet away from the chair.

"No. I need to be here. I've already wasted 12 days! I want to be ready to go the nanosecond this stupid collection of bolts and circuit boards is back up and running."

Karak smiled and shook his head.

"So you think this is funny? Maybe even hilarious?" asked a nearly unhinged Lebanchek.

"No, you are Gus." Responded Karak. "Take a look at yourself. Have you considered the fact that your engineering smothering plan may cause the techs to solve the problem slower? We all get it, Gus. We truly do. But your actions are counterproductive."

Gus knew was right. He looked at the Professor for a moment, let out a deep exhale, and displayed a very brief but still discernible small smile.

"See, I knew you were in there somewhere," Karak said as he forcibly walked Gus out of the room entirely.

The mentally and physically fatigued Lebanchek was running on fumes at this point and didn't have the strength to resist Karak's lead. Within a few minutes, they found themselves in the observatory staring at the countless bright and quickly moving stars around them. It was a mesmerizing sight to behold and exactly what Gus needed to bring his heart rate down to a more reasonable level.

Karak was no idiot.

"Sorry Gus, but given the circumstances, you only get decaf," Karak smiled as he handed him a cup of coffee.

Gus said nothing as he passively accepted the drink.

"They will get it done Gus, don't worry. Besides, worrying won't speed anything up. You know this."

"Perhaps not, but why didn't we have a contingency in place? That could have sped things up. 5.5 hours...really? I've already lost so much time!"

"You are joking, right? No contingency plan? What do you think the engineers are using to repair the machine? Those spare parts are the contingency plan. Come on Gus, give these guys a break. Give yourself a break while you are at it..."

Again, Gus knew the professor was right. Even so, it still didn't make this any easier. As he looked up and gazed out the window, his thoughts returned to the uncertainty of the situation. Was his family ok?? Maddy had wanted him to stay behind. No, she made him promise that he would remain until the very end. "It's only four weeks," she whispered to him just before leaving. In the physical and mental state she was in he decided to verbally agree. Of course, he knew that there was zero chance he would stay. How could he? Plus, with the Professor next in command, Gus knew the final evacuation would be in good hands. He also knew that there was no conceivable way he could remain onboard for four more weeks and lose the first four years of his child's life.

As he was lost in thought, his audio communicator began vibrating. He awkwardly fumbled in his pocket for a few seconds before finally answering it.

"Sir we have fixed the Chair. Within a few minutes, we will be ready to initiate the seq--"

Gus hung up.

He placed the nearly full, now luke-warm cup of coffee on the table in front of him and left the observatory in sprint mode.

The Professor shook his head and smiled.

"Take care Gus, we will soon see you on the other side," Karak sarcastically uttered to an empty room.

Within 10 minutes Gus was strapped in and ready to go.

For him, the Jump could not come soon enough.

"How much have I lost, exactly?"

"Sir?" responded the confused tech.

"Time! Do I have to spell it out for you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry sir, yes, the delay. Dr. Wilheim departed 5 hours and 52 minutes ago."

Gus didn't respond. He already had mentally moved on and was now impatiently waiting for the final countdown.

"15 seconds, sir. Please prepare yourself and please try to relax. This could be disorienting and somewhat jarring."

Gus had never experienced a slower 15 seconds in his life. He wasn't the least bit concerned about what might happen to him or the fact that this was his first Jump. Finally, and with his eyes closed, he heard one of the engineers call out: "3-2-1" and then he experienced an intense blue-green flash all around him even though his eyes remained closed. Gus was finally on his way. The apprehension of not knowing when he would join his family was quickly replaced with the fear that he may have nothing to join on the other end. Either way, he was sure to find out in no time...