Try out the Gram matrix approach

engine-proto/gram-test/gram-test.sage

@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+F = QQ['a', 'b', 'c'].fraction_field()
+a, b, c = F.gens()
+
+# three mutually tangent spheres which are all perpendicular to the x, y plane
+gram = matrix([
+  [-1, 0,  0,  0,  0],
+  [0, -1,  a,  b,  c],
+  [0,  a, -1,  1,  1],
+  [0,  b,  1, -1,  1],
+  [0,  c,  1,  1, -1]
+])
+
+P, L, U = gram.LU()
+solution = (P * L).transpose()
+mform = U * L.transpose().inverse()
+
+concrete = solution.subs({a: 0, b: 1, c: -3/4})
+
+std_basis = matrix([
+  [0, 0, 0, 1,  1],
+  [0, 0, 0, 1, -1],
+  [1, 0, 0, 0,  0],
+  [0, 1, 0, 0,  0],
+  [0, 0, 1, 0,  0]
+])
+std_solution = std_basis * solution
+std_concrete = std_basis * concrete