The Long Reach — George W. Harper

Reunited and retired to a private Eden topside of ARK ROYAL, QUIZZER's six people serve as proxies for a radically new computer which is so secret it is guarded by an automatic self-destruction system which will blow the Ark's antimatter bottle system if it is discovered. The computer is a myth and the real purpose of the fiction is to protect the actual masters of the Ark. It may have sounded so nice, six biological immortals safely hidden away from mortal eyes, but the reality is horribly different and the six experience a soul killing lethargy of boredom which increases by the day. Underlying theory behind the Ark calls for a baby factory where the 50,000 original personnel will approximately double every 50 years, after which the Ark will seek out a suitable planet and spend another 50 years terraforming it before setting off to repeat the process 50 years later. There is none of this business of simply dumping 50,000 people on the surface and flying away to the next stop. The Ark will spend 50 or so years terraforming the planet, erecting factories, planting crops, etc. until the colony is firmly established. During the ‘down time' while the Ark orbits the planet there is nothing for QUIZZER's people to do, but their little exploration vessel is secreted in a concealed private berth so they will set out to explore the immediate neighborhood . The results are utterly discouraging and upon their return to the Ark four of the six announce their determination to go below and age normally. Their bodies may be physically around 30 but their souls are approaching 200 years and they want out. Barely started on their epic journey and verging on disaster. Jeremy resolves the crisis with Kirby's assistance. No one belowdecks realizes it but their mainframe computer is slaved to a duplicate computer topside and Kirby creates personas within the computer, providing this with biographies and complete documentation. Given a total population exceeding 120,000, with 60,000 now resident on their new planet, the task is easier than it might seem. After all, who would suspect stowaways in their midst? So the Ark continues, with several adventures along the way.