"Your presentation was very thorough and quite impressive. You did a fine job representing NASA. I don't think the board members at ILT will have any problem approving our request. You are clearly very passionate about the search for other life in the galaxy."
Her heart began thudding even harder in her chest. "The question of the origin of life is the greatest question of all time," she responded.
He looked at her and gave her a warm smile. "Yes, I agree, and that is why we're here. Mrs. Evans, as you are probably aware, I am the mission coordinator at NASA, and I came here tonight to personally inform you that you have been accepted as special mission science advisor for the upcoming mission to 2021 PK."
A million thoughts simultaneously assailed her in that instant. Through it all, one spoke loudest: It actually happened! I'm going! When she had first submitted the request to accompany the mission, she never really believed it would be accepted. It was one thing to be a NASA scientist, but quite another to be an astronaut. It seemed like a fairy tale, a dream. And now, it was coming true. Her fantasy was becoming reality.
Dr. Goldsmith brought her back to the present. "I think this is the first time I've ever seen her truly speechless."
Rebecca turned to look at him, then looked back at Mr. Bremen, attempting to recover her voice. "Thank you! I...I don't know what to say!" she said, giving a short, awkward laugh.
Mr. Bremen looked to Mr. Coffner. "Captain Coffner here will be commanding the shuttle Vanguard for this mission."
The captain smiled and extended his hand. "Welcome to the crew. We're all looking forward to working with you. Congratulations."
"Here is your assignment, along with some forms and necessary documents," Mr. Bremen said, handing her a packet in a manila envelope. "Mission training will begin at the end of the month. Congratulations once again, Gunnery Sergeant Evans. We'll see you then."
The two men bowed slightly and turned to leave.
"Way to go, kid!" Dr. Goldsmith said once they were out of earshot. "I have to admit I'm quite envious. If I could've passed the physical, I would have jumped at the chance to go myself. When they told me you'd been accepted, I thought that tonight would be a great time to break the news. Don't you agree?"
She nodded absentmindedly, her thoughts still a jumbled mess.
"Come on, let's share the news with everyone else, and then we'll go celebrate. What do you say?" When she failed to reply, he chuckled to himself and shook his head. "I'll be right back," he said before walking hurriedly toward the front of the conference room.
In the back of her mind, Rebecca could hear him gathering all their colleagues together. With shaking hands, she grasped a chair from the nearest table and collapsed into it, one thought breaking through the confusion in her mind. I'm actually going!
"Aaaaaaaaaah!"
Rebecca pulled the phone away from her ear as her sister's scream spewed forth from the earpiece. She laughed as she waited for her excitement to die down. "I can't believe it! You're going into outer space! To another planet! I mean this is like Star Trek or something! You're going to be famous! Aaaaaaaaaah!"
Her younger sister, Katie, had always been the emotional one, and this time proved to be no exception. "So when do you leave?" Katie asked.
"Well, first we have to go through all sorts of training. Even though my primary assignment will be to operate the drill once we reach the planet, NASA insists that all shuttle personnel be cross-trained in all the basic shuttle operating procedures, from piloting to navigation." Rebecca sat down on the edge of the bed in her hotel room and kicked off her shoes. "Then there's the physical training. I've heard it can be pretty tough. It's been a while since I trained that rigorously."
"Are you kidding? This coming from my sister, the ex-marine? You've always been as tough as nails for as long as I remember. Remember way back in fourth grade when you beat up Bobby O'Conner?" Katie retorted.
"Well, that's what he gets for putting a fake spider in my lunch. You know how much I hate those things," Rebecca said, smiling at the memory.
"Yeah, and he sure left you alone after that. Don't worry, Becky. You'll do just fine, especially with all the hours you spend at the gym. But you still haven't answered my question—when do you leave?" her sister asked again.
"Well, the last part of the training is the mission simulators, and those are scheduled for the beginning of next year, so we should probably lift off about May or June," Rebecca said. Pulling the barrette out of her hair, she let it down and brushed her fingers through the tangled knots.
"Wow, that's a lot of training." Katie was silent for a moment. When she finally continued the conversation, her voice was suddenly filled with concern. "Becky, is it safe? I mean, you don't even know what's on this planet. What if there are...I don't know, things out there?"
Rebecca laughed and lay down on the bed. "I sure hope so! That's why we're going—with the hope that we'll find evidence of other life-forms."
"You know what I mean. Aliens or monsters or..."
"Listen to you! You've been watching too many movies. The probe reports don't show any signs of life on the planet's surface in the area in which it landed, but it did find water. The kinds of life-forms we're looking for are in the early stages of evolution and are probably buried under the surface of the planet. You know, worms, amoeba, stuff like that. I highly doubt there are any intelligent creatures out there. And if there are, we'll be prepared. ILT has developed more than just drills, you know. Each of us on the crew will have one of Ionian's new laser pistols. So if any of your 'monsters' do turn up, we'll blast them to oblivion just like on Star Trek," she said with mock bravado.
"Ha-ha," her sister replied dryly, clearly not amused. "Just be careful. You're my only sister, and I need you to come back so that my kids can move in with you when they become teenagers."
"Oh, no. I don't think so, sis."
Katie let the jest go unchallenged and returned to the main conversation. "So what's so important about finding a few worms, anyway?"
Rebecca sat up in the bed. "Do you realize that if we find life on another planet, even simple life, it will prove that evolution is true? It will finally bring unity to science. The problem now is that many scientists spend so much time arguing among themselves about whether or not life evolved that they lose precious time that could have been spent in the pursuit of increasing the quality of life or solving some of the world's problems. If we find life on another planet, it will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that evolution is true. On top of that, it will stop all of this 'Creation Science' religious nonsense."
"I guess I see your point, but just be careful. Religion isn't all bad, you know. It helps to keep my kids in line at times."
"Don't worry. I'm not out to destroy religion. I just think it's about time religion gets its nose out of science."
Her sister let out a slow breath, her amazement still evident in her voice. "Wow, Becky. I envy you so much. I bet Jeffrey's proud, huh? Have you told him yet?"
"No. You're the first one I've called."
"Really? Well, what can I say? I'm honored. Hey, how're you two doing, anyway?"
"Good. Real good. We just haven't seen much of each other lately. He's been gone for the last two weeks. You know, his usual research stuff," Rebecca commented flippantly.
"Well, that's not going to improve much now since you'll be in Florida for training," Katie said lightly.
Rebecca sighed. "Yeah. Tell me about it. At least, I'll be closer to you and Mom and Dad. Speaking of Dad, how is he?"
Katie's voice took on an edge of concern. "The therapist said he's adapting well to the prosthetic, and he'll be able to walk with the use of a cane before long. The good news is that his blood sugar has been down near one hundred and twenty, so he seems to be doing better. The bad news is that he's so stubborn he refuses to change his eating habits."
"Surprise, surprise. Well, what can you do?"
"Hey, hold on a second, Becky. Paul just got hom
e with the kids." Rebecca heard muffled voices in the background, and then the phone erupted once again with screams of excitement.
The youthful voice of her eight-year-old nephew suddenly burst from the mouthpiece. "Aunt Becky, is it true? Are you really going to another planet to meet aliens?"
She laughed. "Well, I don't know about aliens, Zach, but I am going to another planet."
"Can I come too? I promise I won't get in the way."
Rebecca smiled into the phone. "Sorry, buddy. They don't have a suit that'll fit you. But I'll try to bring back a little alien dirt or rocks for you, okay?"
"Okay. Thanks, Aunt Becky. Can we, at least, come see you blast off?" Zach asked excitedly.
"Of course you can, Zach. In fact, I'd be upset if you didn't."
"All right! I can't wait to tell my friends at school." There was a slight pause. "Mom wants to talk again. Bye, Aunt Becky." Another pause.
"Paul said 'congratulations.' He's putting Carolyn to bed, and I should go give him a hand. Congratulations, sis. I couldn't be happier for you."
"Thanks, Katie. Well, I'll let you go. I've got so many other people to call, one of them being my husband. Take care. I love you, guys."
"We love you too. Bye."
Rebecca hung up and lay back down on the bed, letting the phone slip from her grasp. I'm really going to miss them, she thought as she took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. Suddenly, unbidden yet familiar tears began to slide down her cheeks. As much as she loved to talk to her sister, each time they spoke together, she found herself growing more and more envious. For years, Rebecca had wanted to have children, but for whatever reason, she and Jeffrey were denied the joys of parenthood. With each passing year, she grew more and more sensitive to her age, her dreams slipping away with the sands of time.
Brushing her tears aside with the back of her hand, she took another deep breath to vanquish her emotions. Once again in control, she picked up the phone and dialed Jeffery's cell phone number. She couldn't wait to tell him the good news. Her excitement mounted with each ring, dispelling the remainder of her longing, until finally she heard him answer. "Hey, honey. What's up?"
"Jeffrey, you'll never guess what happened to me today!"
2
2021 PK
THE VIEWPORT of the sleek shuttle was filled with the image of the space station Independence, the sight of which caused Rebecca to marvel at human ingenuity. "Will you look at that," she said in awe.
Lisa Staley, the shuttle technician, looked over to where Rebecca sat several feet away on her right side. "You ain't kidding. We truly are homo sapien sapien. Wise wise man."
The station was by far the largest orbiting space station ever built. Its design was circular and reminded Rebecca of a bicycle wheel with four main spokes stretching toward the dome-shaped central hub. Reaching out toward empty space through both ends of the hub was a long shaft shaped like a lance with a point on both ends. The station's slow rotation on its axis simulated gravity in the outer sections, offering the eighty-person crew some measure of the comfort of Earth. Rebecca remembered reading in her briefing that due to the lack of gravity in the central spire, it was used mostly for storage and zero gravity experiments. Docked at the furthest tip of the spire floated a short cylindrical vessel—their destination.
"Independence, this is Vanguard on final approach. We're preparing to connect to the Cortex Propulsion Drive," Captain Coffner said as the shuttle edged closer to the enormous station.
The Cortex Propulsion Drive consisted of five separate sections that, when linked together, formed a ship that resembled an ancient sword. However, the only section that was currently docked at the station was the "hilt," which housed the bridge, living quarters, and power system as well as several other vital components.
"Isn't it incredible to think that we get to reap the benefit of millions of generations of human knowledge and creativity?" Rebecca commented as their shuttle flew up and over the other ship, aligning itself in preparation for docking.
"Yeah, it's truly amazing what the human mind can do," Lisa replied.
Rebecca turned away from the awe-inspiring view to look at her friend, her face reflecting unease. "Are you nervous at all about the fact that our fuel for the return trip is waiting for us at the planet? I mean, what if someone made an error and the supply ship is not where it's supposed to be? Our lives depend on so many calculations to be precise. How many times have they used this thing on real missions, anyway?" she asked.
Lisa laughed reassuringly. "Four but never as far as we're going. Hey, don't worry. The greatest minds on our planet planned this trip. NASA has left nothing to chance."
Rebecca turned back to look out the viewport once again. The docking was almost complete.
Captain Coffner toggled the radio. "Touchdown in five... four...three...two...one...
Mark." A thunderous boom enveloped her, accompanied immediately by a violent shake as the shuttle was clamped into place. After a moment, a voice was heard over the intercom. "Welcome to the Independence, Vanguard. We hope your stay, though short, will be pleasant. Our crew should have all the connections between you and the CPD double-checked and secure in just under fifteen minutes."
"Thanks for your hospitality, Independence," Captain Coffner said. "We'll wait for your green light."
As the minutes ticked by, the excitement of the blast off and docking at the station began to ebb, leaving Rebecca's mind free to dwell on the events of the past month. With the memories also came the feelings of concern and worry.
Noting the change in her friend's countenance, Lisa reached over and placed a comforting hand on her arm. "Hey, Gunny. Are you okay?"
Rebecca shrugged off her thoughts and smiled at the usage of her military nickname, grateful for Lisa's thoughtfulness. "Fine, thanks."
Her best friend always had a knack for being able to read her mind and her feelings, sometimes to the point of annoyance. Ever since they had met in the marines, they had been like sisters. The hours of training and short combat stint formed an iron bond between them that had been strengthened further in recent years as they worked together at NASA. In the back of her mind, Rebecca wondered if her friendship with Lisa might not have had something to do with her being assigned to this mission.
Lisa smiled back but wasn't fooled. "Are you still worried about your father?"
Rebecca smiled ruefully. "I've never been a very convincing liar, have I?"
"Nope," Lisa replied simply, trying to lighten the mood.
Sighing, Rebecca turned to look out the window again. "Yeah, I am. He seemed to be doing fine a month ago. He's always had a strong heart. I just...I don't understand what happened."
"I've heard that diabetes can do that to a person no matter how strong they are."
Turning to face her friend, Rebecca continued to express her concern. "I just hope he's okay by the time we get back. It's going to eat me up not knowing how he's doing for six months. And being confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life is going to be hard for him to cope with." She paused, looking uncertain. "Maybe I shouldn't have come."
"I know what you mean," Lisa replied, letting out a sigh of her own. "I miss my girls already. It's bad enough that I won't get to see them for almost seven months, but I'm going to miss Jenny's ninth birthday on top of that, and I'm taking their favorite 'aunt' Becky with me!"
Rebecca smiled slightly despite her concern for her father. "At least, you won't have to spend three hours trying to get pudding stains out of your couch and makeup off of the neighbor's dog while you're gone."
Lisa groaned. "Don't remind me!"
They laughed at the shared memory, then lapsed into an uncomfortable silence, each lost in her own thoughts. After several seconds, Rebecca became serious once more. "Lisa, why did you come? I mean, I'm glad you're here, but...but what if something happens to you? What if neither of us comes back? Who will take care of Jenny and Amanda with...with Brad gone?"
A momentary f
licker of emotion passed over Lisa's face at the mention of her late husband's name. "I've told you before, Becky, it's just something I have to do. Since Brad died, I've had to really come to grips with who I am. This opportunity came at the perfect time. It was a way for me to move on with my life."
"Yeah, but...what if...I mean, if they were...my daughters, I..." she said, leaving the thought unfinished, her chest constricting painfully.
Lisa, recognizing her friend's emotional struggle, remained silent for a moment before continuing. "Becky, I appreciate your concern. Besides," she commented casually, trying once again to lighten the mood, "it's not like anything is going to happen to us, right? And as for your father, you coming on this mission is probably the best thing you could do for him." Seeing Rebecca's confused look, she explained. "It gives him something to look forward to, something to fight for, kind of like this mission was for me. Not to mention, it's a little late to change your mind now anyway unless you want us to leave you here on the Independence," she said wryly. "You could always hitchhike! I think the Alliance shuttle is scheduled to dock in about four months!"
A lopsided grin spread across Rebecca's features. Sighing deeply in an attempt to ward off the remainder of her worries, she turned back toward the front viewport. "You're right. He's a tough old bird. I'm sure he'll be fine," she said with more confidence than she felt. "Thanks for your concern, Lisa. Anyway, with all the excitement of the trip, I'm sure the time will just fly by." At least, I hope it will, she added silently.
The comm suddenly came alive with the voice of the commander of the Independence. "Vanguard, you're locked and loaded. Have a safe trip."
"Thank you, Independence," Captain Coffner said. "We'll see you in a few months, God willing." He switched off the comm as the pilot, Ricky, reached forward and grabbed the piloting joystick. "Take us to the dish, Ricky."
The thirty-something dark-skinned Hispanic studied his instrument panel and then responded with a slight accent, "Sure thing, Capitán. T-minus five minutes."
Logic's End Page 2
