T-Minus Two

by K. G. MacGregor

  Toloti smacked Todorov on the shoulder. “I told you.”

  Todorov slumped back in her chair and rubbed her face with both hands. “He was messing with me and I let him.”

  As Jancey heard the story of Brandon’s confrontation, the Fagans came in and sat at the far end of the conference table. Their scornful looks and whispering made it clear they were still talking about the incident. Apparently they felt threatened by the competition, but it would surprise her if Libby had kicked the scaffold on purpose. Not the sort of thing a NASA astronaut should do.

  “Let it go,” she said sternly. “Astronauts are trained to think ahead, not behind. If you do X and it causes Y, then you do A. If you do X and it causes Z, then you do B. Always know your next step, and don’t dwell on your last one.”

  Gunther and Jerry were the last of their group at the table, followed by Moriya Ito, the head of instrumentation.

  “I am sure you are all eager to get this last test over with. I believe you will find it to be the most challenging. Yesterday’s groups did not fare so well…only one of the teams passed. The Green team is being tested as we speak.”

  The Green and Blue teams should do better, Jancey thought, because their skills were better across the board.

  “We’ve tried to design exercises to see how our candidates will perform as a team under pressure. Obviously, we do not have sophisticated equipment here, so we do what we expect of astronauts—we adapt. Our friends at the Oceanographic Institute were kind enough to lend us one of their submersibles to use as a testing module.”

  He passed out training pamphlets and used a slideshow to explain the exercise. Teams were to remove the instrument panel and install the vessel’s onboard SONAR, a simple task that required connecting three sets of color-coded wires. Next was to calibrate the Fathometer to zero, since the vessel was in dry dock. When both instruments were functioning properly, they were to replace the panel and exit the module.

  “You will have six minutes to complete this task. During that time, you will notice a gradual drop in available oxygen. You may become disoriented or experience difficulty concentrating. One person yesterday reported hallucinations. Several passed out. Your first duty is to preserve the integrity of the vessel. Without it, you cannot survive. Imagine if you will…this is not a SONAR on a submersible in dry dock. It is a life support system on a spaceship a hundred million miles from Earth. If Tenacity fails, you die.”

  Ito’s speech brought back vivid memories of the cosmonauts she’d rescued thirteen years ago. If Tenacity failed on its way to Mars, there would be no one coming to the rescue.

  “Your second obligation is to survive. If you suffer debilitating symptoms and stay too long, you will pass out. In space, we call that dying. An ideal candidate does whatever it takes not to die.”

  * * *

  On the bus ride to the marina, Mila and Andi studied their training pamphlet and planned their approach.

  “When we get the panel off,” Mila said, “I’ll hook up the SONAR while you calibrate the Fathometer.”

  Andi shook her head. “Screw you. I’m in charge today. That was our deal. I’ll do the Fathometer and you do the SONAR.”

  “That’s what I said,” she hissed through gritted teeth.

  “It is not. You said it the other way around.”

  “Whatever.” There were moments in life she wished she’d been wearing Google Glass to record every word, but knowing Toloti, she’d have argued anyway.

  Several staff members were patrolling the dock in their yellow polo shirts, but the ones who stood out to Mila were the emergency medical technicians. When she stepped off the bus, she spotted their ambulance nearby.

  “Bloody hell,” she murmured, prompting a chuckle from Jancey.

  Two by two, they toured the submersible, a compartment barely six cubic meters with a glass dome. Mila and Andi made note of every detail—how to turn the power off and on, how to remove the panel, and how to activate the airflow in case of emergency.

  “For emergency air, turn the lever toward the green,” the technician explained. “If you turn it the other way—the red—all the oxygen is drawn out.”

  “Try not to kill us, Mila,” Andi said on her way out of the hatch.

  “I’d never kill both of us. Remember what I said? The strongest one must survive.”

  Jancey and Marlon volunteered to go first. When they emerged after five minutes, both bent over on the dock gasping for breath.

  “Bloody hell,” Andi repeated. “We’re gonna die down there.”

  Jerry persuaded Gunther they should go next. Unlike the pair before them, they used the whole clock. Instead of bursting out of the module when the air ran out, they apparently pushed the lever for emergency air. One of the EMTs entered the hatch and stayed several minutes. By the time the men emerged, they’d recovered.

  “I’m guessin’ they didn’t finish,” Andi said.

  “You know what I just realized? This is just one test, Andi, and from the looks of it, there might not be eight teams that pass. Maybe it’s like Jancey says. We just need to be logical about it. Plan what we’re supposed to do next. Even if we don’t finish, we have to make the right decision at the last second.”

  While the staff reset the module, the Fagans pushed past them and started down the dock.

  “I want to beat those two,” Mila muttered. “I want to pulverize them and grind them into the dirt.”

  She followed along on her watch. As the six-minute mark approached, one of the EMTs climbed onto the dome and peered inside, flashing the thumbs-up signal. Moments later the couple emerged. Like the others, they were spent and needed oxygen right away.

  “Guess it’s us now,” Andi said.

  It was several minutes before the staff waved them over.

  Jancey stood as they walked by and held out her hand for a fist bump. “Good luck.”

  The technician met them on the dock with tools—pliers, channel locks, a hammer and two flashlights—and the SONAR they were to install. “Don’t forget. Green means air. Red means dead. Clock starts when the hatch closes.”

  Their dockside preparation paid off. In a matter of seconds, they had the panel off and had located the wires needed to connect the device.

  “Kill the power,” Mila said, not caring who was supposed to be in charge. With the butt end of the flashlight in her mouth, she went to work loosening the caps and twisting the wires together. By the time she finished the second one, her head was pounding. Only one more to go. Gripping the light with her teeth, she sucked in deeper breaths in an effort to clear the fog. “You okay?”

  Andi panted and shook her head wildly. “Barely.”

  “Focus. We’re almost done.” She wrapped the last wire and pushed the SONAR into place. The beam on her light confirmed the Fathometer was calibrated. “That’s it. Power on.”

  With the flip of the switch, the console lit up. All that was left was to replace the panel.

  A loud pop on Andi’s side was followed by a stream of sparks, and suddenly, a fire around the power switch. An acrid smoke filled the cabin.

  “Fuck! We gotta get out of here.” Andi reached for the hatch.

  “No!” Mila grabbed the collar of her T-shirt and hurled her to the floor. “Hold your breath.”

  With smoke already in their lungs, it was nearly impossible not to cough. Fighting the urge to inhale, she tumbled on top of Andi and pushed the air lever to red.

  The smoke stung her eyes, but she focused long enough to see the flame expire. Then with what felt like her dying breath, she swung the lever back to green.

  * * *

  “What the hell is that?” Jancey jumped to her feet as a plume of smoke spilled out of the submersible.

  EMTs and staff converged on the dock where the technicians had dragged Todorov and Toloti out.

  Ito motioned for the other candidates to stay put, but Jancey ignored him. When she reached the dock, both women were sitting up taking oxygen.

>   The technician emerged from the hatch. “Looks like a faulty power switch. The whole thing fried.”

  Todorov removed her mask and scowled at him. “Are you telling me that wasn’t part of the test?”

  “Are you kidding me? You’re lucky to be alive, and so is everybody who was down here on the dock. With the oxygen level that low, it would have blown sky high if you’d opened that hatch. That was some heads-up thinking to kill the air supply and put it out.”

  Jancey shuddered to think of what could have happened. Everyone at NASA knew—the Apollo 1 fire had killed three astronauts on the launch pad during a systems test.

  It could have happened to any of them. If she and Marlon had been inside, their training would have kicked in and they’d have shut off the oxygen. Same with Jerry and Gunther, or the Fagans, because Jerry and Libby were trained to deal with fire emergencies. It said a lot about Todorov and Toloti that they held it together and did the right thing intuitively.

  The two of them…they deserved a shot at Mars as much as anyone here.

  * * *

  Andi Toloti was shaken. Her usually confident voice creaked with uncertainty and she wouldn’t look at Mila.

  Detective Kevin Onakea of the Hawaii Police Department had assured them his interview was merely a formality, something he was required to do because the incident involved damage to public property. “Is there anything else you’d like to add, Ms. Toloti?”

  She shook her head. “No…just that I’d be dead right now if it hadn’t been for Mila.”

  That probably was true but Mila didn’t want to dwell on it. It was five thirty and she was itching to get to the computer science building to see if they’d made the cut. Even though the fire wasn’t a part of the test, they’d failed to complete their assignment.

  “That wraps it up then. If I need anything else, I’ll follow up with…”—he flipped through his notes—“Sir Charles Boyd.”

  With her hands in her pockets, Andi’s head hung low as she exited the administration building. “It’s true what I said. I’d be dead if you hadn’t knocked me down.”

  “I don’t want to talk about it. It didn’t happen.” Mila expected to have nightmares, especially if she missed the cut.

  Andi turned toward the dormitory.

  “Where are you going? Let’s go check the list.”

  “I’ll save you the trip, Mila. You made the cut. Moriya Ito told me this afternoon while you were in the exam room. So did I, but I…I told him to drop me. I don’t have it.”

  “What do you mean you don’t have it? You’re one of the top candidates left.”

  “And I nearly got you killed today. My head is”—she gripped her scalp with both hands—“I cain’t focus like you do. I don’t think as fast. You said it yourself the other day but you were bein’ an asshole about it. I might be able to improve a little if I practice, but there’s a ceilin’ on how far I can go. I wanna be part of the project, but that needs to be here on the ground. As long as I can take my time and think things through, I’m real good at what I do.”

  Mila was admittedly relieved. Even though they made a good team for testing purposes, she couldn’t stand the thought of having to work closely with Andi for the next four years while they trained. Going with her to Mars forever would be purgatory.

  And at the same time, she was oddly disappointed. Of all the candidates, she and Andi were the closest in experience and expertise in their respective fields. If Andi didn’t have what it took, maybe she didn’t either. What if Sir Charles was keeping her on for analog testing only out of pity? It wasn’t her fault the switch caught fire. The selection committee wouldn’t want it to look like she didn’t get a fair shake.

  “I’m gonna get started packing up,” Andi went on. “They’ll probably want me outta the dorm within a couple of days. If you wanna wish me luck, maybe they’ll set up the organic chemistry lab here in Hawaii. I could get used to living in a place like this.”

  A different person might have offered a comforting hug, but Mila wasn’t a gratuitous hugger. Family and very close friends only. Certainly not for Andi. The woman drove her insane.

  Nonetheless, when Andi stepped closer and held out her arms, she quietly complied. It wouldn’t kill her to be nice.

  The lobby of the computer science building was empty. Half of this morning’s candidates were somewhere celebrating while the others, like Andi, were packing up, their dreams dashed.

  The list of finalists was alphabetical with Jancey Beaumont on top. Four married couples, each of which included one trained astronaut. The Fagans. The Clarkes, from Britain. Knut and Henrik, the gay couple from Norway. The Hatsus, from Japan. Marlon, Jerry, plus a Frenchman she recognized from the European Space Agency. Three other men she didn’t know, including the only survivors from the Red group.

  Out of sixteen, nine were trained astronauts. Five women total. She and Jancey were the only women not married.

  At least with Andi in the mix, Mila had known who her partner would be. Of the fifteen left, eight were already partnered with a spouse. That left seven potential partners. Far and away, her first choice was Jancey, but she apparently had already paired with Marlon. Her best shot at winning a seat was probably with Jerry or one of the other space agency alums.

  It was up to her to sell herself. Her background and accomplishments so far in the competition stood on their own. Her challenge would be finding someone she could live with. Or who could live with her. There weren’t many people in the whole world who fit either side of that bill.

  At the bottom of the list was a message.

  Enjoy your Friday, a well-deserved day off!

  You are cordially invited to a Hawaiian luau at the home of Grace Faraday.

  Get to know some of our funders, staff and your fellow explorers in a relaxed atmosphere filled with fun, food and traditional Hawaiian dance.

  Shuttle bus leaves at 5:30.

  p.s. See Alani in Admin for your tropical shirt!

  Chapter Eight

  Jancey stood before the mirror with her hands on her hips. Yellow capris hugged her thighs and the tropical shirt dipped low enough to show a little cleavage.

  “You look lovely,” Grace said, clapping softly to show her enthusiasm. She was dressed for the luau in a long floral dress, with a plumeria blossom tucked behind her left ear. She’d tried to get Jancey to wear one too—on the right side to indicate she was available.

  “I’d just as soon wear a space helmet.”

  For most of her adult life, she’d worn either a uniform or a pantsuit suitable for business. If the occasion called for something finer than that, she tried very hard to get out of going.

  She’d seen Grace’s stylist that morning for a super-short cut in anticipation of six weeks on Mauna Kea. “I hope I can train Marlon to cut hair.”

  “So you’ve decided on Marlon?” Grace’s voice lilted to show her disappointment.

  “We make a good team. There’s a lot that can go wrong in space and you don’t want to have to worry about how your partner’s going to handle it.”

  Grace pursed her lips and cocked her head to one side. Itching to say something, and she eventually did. “What about Mila Todorov? I looked over her application. She’s family, you know.”

  Jancey rolled her eyes. If Grace had gone so far as to pull her file, she was planning a hard sell.

  “Moriya Ito said she was quite heroic yesterday. Kept her cool under the most trying circumstances. He seemed to think the selection committee liked her quite a lot.”

  Funny how she always referred to the committee in third person, as if purposely denying she was on it. She had too much access and insider information to be on the outside looking in.

  “Of course they liked her. She dazzled everyone with how she handled herself. She’s a propulsion engineer. She knew very well what would happen if that door opened. Marlon and I would have done the same thing she did, and so would all the others who went through NASA training. The only
difference is Todorov got a chance to prove it.”

  “Do I detect a hint of envy?”

  Jancey sighed and slumped into an antique parlor chair. “It’s not envy. It’s…call it concern. I was there by the dock yesterday when all that smoke poured out of the hatch, and it scared the life out of me. I’ve never been so glad to see two people get up and walk away. The other one, Andi Toloti…she had the sense to drop out. I hate to see someone with so much potential as Mila bite off more than she can chew before she’s ready. This is dangerous work and I don’t think she’s mature enough to handle it.”

  “Remind me again how old you were when you went up on Guardian.”

  Twenty-eight. “I was very level-headed for my age. Besides, it’s a moot point. You and I both know the committee won’t select two women.”

  “Don’t be so sure. What the committee cares about most is success, and the science tells us women live just as well in space as men. Maybe even better. If anyone should know that, it’s you.”

  “What I know is there are a million things that could go wrong on a trip to Mars. The lander could come down on a boulder. The life support system could malfunction and poison us with carbon monoxide. The modified atmosphere could reject our crops or the water could be tainted with radiation. No matter what the cause, you know as well as I do exactly what they’d say if the mission failed. We never should have sent two women. That’s a conversation no one wants to have.”

  The arguments were as endless as they were exhausting, but it was clear Grace wasn’t buying them for a minute.

  “They could have said all those things when you were chosen for Guardian. They weren’t true then and they aren’t now.”

  “I hear you, Grace. But here’s the bottom line. I like my chances better with Marlon. He’s capable and he’s proven.”

  “And you’ll be giving up the chance to have an actual life instead of just a lifelong space mission.”

  “Is that what this is about?” Jancey began to pace the bedroom. “You should have listened to Jill, Grace. She had me pegged. I care only about myself and what I want. It’s a fact. I accept it. I want to go to Mars, not find everlasting love. Marlon will help get me there.”