by Ben Bova
“Good thing it’s a clear night,” Thrasher said.
“I suppose you arranged that, too.”
“I wish.”
A bright, steady light climbed over the forest of darkened skyscrapers. “There they are,” Thrasher said, pointing.
From the TV inside the apartment, they heard Polk’s voice counting calmly, “Five . . . four . . . three . . .”
Linda leaned her head against his shoulder. He lifted up her chin and kissed her.
The bright light in the sky flared briefly.
“Trajectory insertion complete,” came Polk’s disembodied voice. “We’re on our way to Mars!”
The light still sailed serenely across the sky, but Thrasher knew that soon it would be gone from his view.
“They’re on their way,” he said, silently adding, without me.
“Don’t be sad,” Linda said. “You’ve done a wonderful thing. You should be proud of yourself.”
“Yeah.”
“You’re going to be a hero to everybody all across the whole world.”
“I guess.”
“You’re going to be very rich.”
He nodded.
Linda hesitated a heartbeat, then said, “And you’re going to be a father.”
Thrasher flinched with surprise. “You’re sure?”
“My checkup last week. I’m pregnant.”
He burst into laughter and pulled her to him, “We’re going to have a kid!”
“I don’t know if it’ll be a boy or girl, not yet.”
“Who cares? We’ll start astronaut training for him as soon as he can walk. Or her, whichever.”
Linda smiled and nestled in his arms while the Mars One spacecraft started its long journey.
END
