She shook her head. “Government employees; no sense of humor. Between capsule ingress and orbital docking, the only thing we have to do is close and lock visors at T minus two minutes; the computers do the rest. Jesus, how hard can it be?”
“Abby, I think the basic concept is that we’re supposed to be participants. You know, one way or another at least show casual interest.”
Molly entered the dining room carrying a round cake, about a foot and a half across, that bore a striking resemblance to the 1980 Viking I mosaic image of Mars, and adorned with the Ares mission patch. Half a dozen O&C astronaut support technicians accompanied her. Smiling, she set the cake on the table. “This was traditional for shuttle launches, thought you guys might enjoy it.”
Gabe raised an eyebrow. “It was traditional before shuttle launches to eat a cake that looks like Mars?”
Molly chuckled. “Um…”
Abby groaned. “Pay no attention to her, she’s a little slow this morning.”
Gabe leaped from her chair, grabbed her stomach with one hand, covered her mouth with the other, and ran for the bathroom.
Jeff stood as Molly and the support team looked on with concern. “Relax, she’s fine. Nervous stomach. But I do think she speaks for all of us, she’s just a bit more demonstrative about it. This is really nice, Molly, and thank you.” He glanced at Abby and Susan; they both shook their heads. “Tell you what, if you’ll freeze this, we’ll be more than happy to eat it when we get back.”
Molly nodded. “I understand.”
“If memory serves, the last U.S. manned space mission without a space flight-experienced astronaut aboard was Gemini VIII, Armstrong and Scott. That was almost exactly 50 years ago… and didn’t go so well.” Jeff forced a smile. “This perhaps isn’t the best occupation for on-the-job training, so I hope you’ll forgive us for being a bit jittery.”
“Of course.”
A minute later Gabe returned, looking a little green around the gills. “Sorry.”
Jeff smiled at her. “You okay?”
“Define, ‘okay’.”
He chuckled. “Never mind.” He turned to Molly. “I think the best thing for us is to keep busy. What say we get on with it?”
“Sure. Why don’t we head over to the briefing room and get you the weather, though from what I hear, there’s not much to talk about. Promises to be a boringly pleasant day.”
Jeff grinned. “I can do boringly pleasant.”
#
Before dressing, Jeff used the bathroom. Then used it again. Too much coffee. The Advanced Crew Escape Suit’s Maximum Absorbency Garment was the one piece of issue gear that he preferred not to have to test. His mind suddenly flashed to the scene of Scott Glenn portraying Alan Shepard in The Right Stuff, waiting to launch in Freedom 7 and having to pee so bad he couldn’t stand it. Jeff shook his head. Let’s try not to go there. Once attired in NASA’s version of “Depends” – which probably cost a whole lot more than the ones you could buy at Wal-Mart – he donned the two-piece blue Liquid Cooling Garment and headed for the suit-up room. He encountered Abby in the hall, similarly attired. “I thought it took women a long time to dress?”
She rolled her eyes. “Dress? No. It’s the makeup and hair that takes time, and I’m not worrying about that today.”
“Well, you look very fashionable.”
“I’ve looked better.”
Jeff grinned. “Um, yeah, but these things look better on you than they do on me.”
She smirked. “An empty cement bag would look better on me than you.”
“No argument.” Gabe and Susan were already in the suit-up room when they arrived, sitting back in recliners as their suits were being prepared for entry. He shook his head. “You two in some kind of hurry?”
Gabe frowned. “You said to keep busy.”
He dropped into his recliner beside her. “Yeah, I did, didn’t I?”
“Well?”
“Yeah. Did you know that this is the very same room in which Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Mike Collins suited up for Apollo 11?”
She nodded. “Yes, and every U.S. manned space flight since Apollo.” She glanced around the room. “It’s humbling.” She took a deep breath and sighed. “There are some amazing ghosts walking these halls.”
Jeff nodded. “Yeah.”
“Alright, Captain, you know the drill,” said a USA suit technician.
Jeff stuck his legs through the back of the ACES then, bending over as far as he could, inserted his arms and head, then shoved forward and up, pushing his head through the watertight neoprene dam neck ring, and standing. “Ugh.”
“That’s good sir, you’re in.”
Once the suit was zipped and sealed, Jeff again sat while the technician slipped on his boots. Then he stood, was connected to life support, had his helmet and gloves fitted, and the suit pressure tested.
All the components of Jeff’s suit had a small Velcro patch attached with a red letter “A” – Commander. For Abby there was a yellow “B” – Pilot. For Gabe, a blue “C” – Engineer, and for Susan, a green “D” – Surgeon. When they once again had to suit-up in space – for orbital insertion or re-entry – it made sorting who belonged to what a bit easier.
The technician gave him a thumb up.
Jeff nodded.
His helmet and gloves were then removed and set aside for refitting in the White Room on the launch tower. “You doing alright, sir?”
“Yeah, fine.”
Finally, his pockets were stuffed with survival items – flares, radios, dye markers – and pencil, flashlight… and a photograph of Marsha.
“Okay, sir, you’re all set.”
“Thanks.” He glanced down the room at Gabe, Abby, and Susan, all now attired in bright orange launch suits. They all stepped forward and met in the center of the room. Jeff squinted at Abby. “You know, that color doesn’t really suit your hair.”
She laughed. “Yeah, I know. Wouldn’t be my first choice in fashion statements.”
“Oh, I dunno… not many folks get to wear these.”
Gabe twisted her head around. “I hate these neck rings.”
Jeff chuckled. “They keep the water out.”
“We’re going into space, not water.”
“If we have to abort the launch, we might go into water.”
“I’d rather not.”
He caressed her cheek. “Okay, then let’s skip that step.”
Susan reached into a suit pocket and pulled out a small vial. “Anyone want Dramamine?”
Gabe thrust her hand out. “Yes!”
Susan gave her a pill, took one herself, then glanced at Abby.
Abby smiled and shook her head. “You’re kidding?”
Susan shrugged and looked at Jeff.
“No, I think I’ll be alright.”
“If you say so.”
Jeff grinned, then turned to Molly. “Alright, let’s go.”
They took the elevator downstairs and exited through the traditional double doors leading to the historic 33-year-old Astrovan, still in use because the astronaut corps refused to let NASA replace it; too much tradition to junk. They waved to the gathered throng of photographers, climbed in, found seats and USA technicians plugged their suits into coolant water supplies available at each seat. Hal and Silvia Creighton were already inside.
“We thought you guys might enjoy a little company,” said Silvia.
Jeff nodded. “Yeah, thanks.”
During the Space Shuttle era, they would have also been joined by an astronaut to be dropped off at the shuttle landing strip to fly one of NASA’s Gulfstream II Shuttle Training Aircraft to assess local weather conditions. But since all of those were now museum pieces, Jeff had contracted with NOAA to provide their Gulfstream IV-SP, Gonzo, for the same duty, and it was already in the air.
As the convoy left the O&C building and turned west onto NASA Parkway East, Hal glanced around at them and said, “Anything we can help with? Last minute questions?
”
“What’s it like?” said Gabe.
“What? A launch?”
She nodded.
“Well, I haven’t flown one of your Jupiters, but I imagine it’s a lot like the shuttle; bumpy. But don’t worry about it. You guys have a pretty good track record. Trust in your ship. When you reach about 3 g’s, it’s kind of like being a bug meeting a windshield, but it passes quickly. Just sit back and enjoy it. It’s the mother of all E-ticket rides, and not many folks get to experience it.”
Gabe nodded.
Hal took Silvia’s hand. “I’ll tell you, we wish you had a couple of spare seats in there. We’d go with you.”
Jeff eyed them both. “Were the two of you on the backup team?”
Silvia’s eyebrows popped up. “You know about that?”
Jeff shrugged. “We never had any official word on it, but we always suspected NASA had a contingency crew, in case something happened to us. No point in letting a funded Mars mission go to waste.”
She nodded. “Yeah, we were on it.”
“Uh huh, kind of figured. The usual suspects.” He grinned, sheepishly. “Sorry, maybe next time.”
Hal shook his head. “If there is a next time.”
Jeff smiled. “There will be. It’s not a question of if, only when.”
Hal nodded. “Yeah, but I doubt we’ll live to see it.”
The convoy turned onto Kennedy Parkway North.
“Hal, Silvia, if we don’t complete this mission, complete it for us. You two, more than anyone else, know this needs to be done. America needs it. The world needs it. Hell, mankind needs it. People need inspiration, and this is the next step.” He looked around at Gabe, Abby, and Susan. “We’re going to try and get this done. If we fail, pick up the pieces, convince the powers that be, and try again. If something should happen to us, promise me you won’t let it be for naught.”
They both nodded. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” said Hal. “Frankly, I’d rather you guys made it back. There’re a whole lot of questions that I’m really looking forward to hearing the answers to.”
Jeff smiled and nodded. “Yeah, me too.”
As they approached the Vehicle Assembly Building and Launch Control, they turned northeast onto Saturn Causeway and headed for the launch pad.
“The first time you went up, were you scared?” said Gabe.
“Terrified,” said Silvia. “Sitting in there, strapped in, I don’t know how anyone can’t be thinking of Columbia and Challenger, it’s inevitable. But, try and shove it in back. You’ve got a job to do, just do it.”
Hal nodded. “Exactly. Keep your mind on the mission. Even though the computers are doing all the work, pay attention. Watch your gauges, pay attention to your metrics, follow it all, and try to ignore the bumps and jolts and shakes, they’re all just part of the ride. You know the routine by now, you know what’s supposed to happen, make sure it does. Keep busy and you’ll be fine.”
Gabe nodded.
“Actually, with a smaller crew than the shuttle usually flew with, you guys are kind of lucky. You’ve got more to keep you occupied. I always felt kind of sorry for the mission specialists, sitting there in the back seats with nothing to do but twiddle their thumbs and sweat bullets.”
Susan raised her hand and grimaced.
“Oh, come on. You’ve got everybody’s vital signs right there in front of you, you’ve got plenty to keep an eye on.” Hal pointed at Jeff. “What are you gonna do if three minutes into flight this old boy has a heart attack?”
Jeff rolled his eyes. “Gee, thanks.”
Susan shook her head. “Probably have one of my own.”
Hal waggled his finger at her. “No you’re not. At three minutes you’ve still got the escape tower. What are you gonna do?”
Susan nodded. “Abort.”
“There you go. And if it’s three plus thirty, and the tower’s gone? Abby?”
“What? If Jeff has a heart attack? Jesus. First I’d probably kill him, even if he was already dead.”
Jeff frowned. “Oh, fine.”
Everyone else laughed.
“And then?” said Hal.
Abby shook her head. “Oh god, um, take command, call Newport and declare an emergency, abort to orbit, reach for the re-entry checklist… and soil my nappies. Not necessarily in that order.”
Hal chuckled. “Right. If you’re on your toes, you can survive emergencies. So, stay on your toes. Your chances of coming through this alive will be a lot better if you set the fear aside and just pay attention to what you’re doing and what’s going on around you. Situational awareness, that’s the key.”
They all nodded.
As the convoy reached the end of the causeway it turned north, continuing to parallel the crawlerway, and began the incline up to the elevated pad. Everyone craned to see out the front windows.
Hal shook his head. “Can’t get used to that. It looks just like a shuttle stack… but without the shuttle. It’s weird.”
Jeff nodded. “Yeah, but they fly pretty good and have a hell of a lift capacity.”
“That they do. Heidi did a great job.”
“Yes, she did.”
“Why didn’t you use a Dragon?”
“Well, Elon offered us one, at a steeply discounted price, but they’re too damn big. The problem is mass, it’s just too heavy. Getting it into LEO is easy enough, but Mars orbital insertion? There’s no readily available service module for a mission like this, we would have had to build one. And then there’s the fuel requirement for Trans-Earth Injection. Because of the mass we would have needed another launch, another 241, and we didn’t have enough SSMEs for it. There were only 16 remaining in serviceable condition, and we used all of them as it is. So, after looking at it for a while it just got to the point where we couldn’t get there from here. Besides, this CSM was available, it works well for our purpose, it’s flight tested, and, comparatively speaking,” Jeff grinned, “it was cheap.”
At the top of the ramp they crossed the crawlerway, circled the pad, and pulled to a stop on the west side of the gantry.
Jeff sighed. “Well, gang, we’re here.”
They each glanced around nervously as USA technicians disconnected their suits. They exited the Astrovan and strode to the elevator. At the elevator door they all stopped.
“Well, this is as far as we go,” said Hal. “Good luck and Godspeed. Have a safe trip.”
Jeff smiled and nodded as they all shook hands. “Thanks. Sure appreciate everything you’ve done. You gonna hang around and watch the launch?”
“Yeah, we’re gonna watch from the Saturn V Center.”
“Cool. Then what?”
“Back to Houston, and back to work.”
Jeff thought for a moment. “Say, why don’t you two take a couple days off? I know a nice little bed & breakfast up in Newport.” He grinned. “You can have my room, I’m not gonna be needing it for a while. Hang around the MCC for a couple days, give Heidi and Chrissie some moral support.” He shrugged. “At least through TMI, and things quiet down a bit.”
Hal and Silvia glanced at each other and nodded. “Sure,” said Hal, “sounds like a good idea.”
“Great. You have transportation?”
“Yeah, a T-38 down at Patrick.”
“Good. Tell Uncle Sam I’ll be happy to pay for the gas.”
Hal grinned. “Don’t worry about it.” He glanced at Silvia again. “Um, why don’t we skip the launch and head right up there.” She nodded and he turned back to Jeff. “We should be there about the time you’re entering orbit.”
“Sounds good. Once were inside I’ll call Chrissie and have her send somebody up to Quonset to pick you up.”
“Okay.”
Jeff nodded. “Alright then, thanks. Well, talk to you later, and see you in two and half years. Don’t forget to write.”
Hal and Silvia both grinned. “Yeah.”
Jeff, Gabe, Abby, and Susan turned around and stared up 30 stories at t
he capsule mounted atop the Jupiter 241. Jeff, trying to hold back his emotions said, “How about we preflight our aircraft?”
They all nodded and stalwartly marched forward. Jeff reached up and touched the rim of one of the four 14-foot-diameter main engine exhaust nozzles, then smiled at Abby and gave her a thumb up.
She grinned and nodded. “With these engines, more thrust than anything that has ever flown before.”
“Yeah. Well, what say we go fly it.”
“By all means. It’s a good day to fly.”
“Yes it is.” When they returned to the elevator, Jeff picked up the phone next to the door. “Launch Control, this is Captain Grey, can you patch me through to Newport?”
“Yes sir, just a moment.”
“Newport, MOD.”
“Hey, Dianne, this is Jeff.”
“Hey boss! Didn’t expect to hear from you for a while.”
“We’re about ready to get in the elevator and head up. Tell FLIGHT we like her ship, and if she doesn’t mind, we’re gonna take her out for a spin.”
“Roger that. God bless, have a safe flight.”
“Thanks. See you when we get back.”
The crew stepped into the elevator, waved goodbye to the Creightons, and quickly ascended to the gantry’s 260-foot level, and the crew access arm. Owing to the limited confines of the White Room, Susan and Gabe went first, while Jeff and Abby sat, waiting in the elevator.
Abby took Jeff’s hand. “Nervous?”
“No, not nervous… scared.”
“Scared? Why?”
“I don’t want to die this morning. But more to the point, I don’t want you guys to die this morning.”
Abby smiled. “Well, then let’s not.”
He grinned and squeezed her hand. “Okay, good plan.”
She bit her lip and stared at him for a moment. “A long time ago you said it would be your privilege to fly with me anytime, anyplace.”
Jeff chuckled. “I remember.”
She kissed his cheek. “Will you fly with me this morning? To a place no one has ever gone before?”
He smiled softly at her. “Yeah, Commander, I will. And it will be my privilege to do so.”
Margaritifer Basin (Margaritifer Trilogy Book 1) Page 58
