Orbital Maneuvers

by R Davison

  Susan laughed, and nodded her head in agreement. “I know,” she said, “we were always kept quite busy on the shuttle. I would think that things on the station would be a bit more relaxed than on the shuttle. You would have more time in orbit to do the things you needed.”

  “Well, they tried to keep us busy all the time to maximize the profits for the station. My favorite thing to do was to anchor myself by the viewport facing Earth when it was time for sleep. Then I would just watch the swirling white clouds and the blue water with the green and brown land in between just float by. The next thing I knew, it was time to start the day all over again. Ahh, it can be so peaceful from up here.” Alexander sighed as his eyes moved back to the planet.

  Susan’s smile faded and as she continued to look at the dark side of Earth. She asked, “Alexander, how long have you been in space? I mean, how much time have you spent in orbit?”

  Thinking for a moment, he replied, “I really do not know! I stopped counting after I passed four hundred days and that was a while ago on MIR.” He watched the slivers of sunlight flicker through the thin atmosphere and reflect off Susan’s hair as she floated in front of him. “Why do you ask?”

  “You weren’t in space continuously for over four hundred days, were you?” she asked.

  Alexander thought about his career, how much time he spent preparing for his first journey into space and the subsequent trips he made thereafter. “No, I have been in space on six separate occasions. The last stay on MIR was over three hundred days, I think.” He looked at Susan’s somber face and wondered what she was thinking, and where she was going with her questions.

  “What is it like to be in orbit for so long?” Susan inquired.

  “It was wonderful! It was hard work, but it was fun! As soon as I returned to Earth, I was always trying to find the quickest path to get back into orbit. I probably made a pain out of myself, pestering everyone and anyone I could to get back on the mission roster. You know, there is something very magical about being in space, the least of which is this beautiful view of our home,” he said pointing toward the planet filling the window. “It is just as magical to look out toward the stars once you are on the dark side of Earth. I would feel this sense of…unity—if that is the correct word—with everything. Just watching those points of light and wondering if there was someone in orbit around their home planet looking back at me. It makes one feel very small when you consider how vast this universe is.”

  Susan thought about what Alexander said and nodded her head in agreement. “Yes, there is something very magical about it, I feel that too. I also know what you mean about feeling small, it is very humbling to look into the vastness of space and consider that we exist on this very small oasis.”

  Susan was quiet for a few seconds before she finally asked, “Alexander, would you stay in space if you had a choice?”

  Alexander turned from watching the rising sun to look into Susan’s eyes. He paused for a few seconds while his eyes adjusted to the dark interior of the cupola and he composed his answer. “Susan, to be in space is a wonderful experience, but it is one that does come with a certain amount of danger and risk. I loved being on MIR, but I knew that I could always return home to Earth, aboard Soyuz, if things went wrong. You do not have that safety factor for what you are contemplating. You will also not have the safety factor of a companion to keep an eye on you, and to keep you company. Even with the two of us on MIR, it could get very lonely at times.” He stopped talking and tried to read Susan’s face to gather some clues as to what she was thinking. The pensive expression he saw only told him that she was having a very fierce battle inside.

  Susan turned away from Alexander’s probing stare and looked out the window again. She knew Alexander spoke the truth, as did Ivan and Paul. It did not make it any easier to make her decision knowing that bit of information. She had doubts about herself and she knew she must face them now, not later, and maybe Alexander could help. “Alexander…” Susan started and then hesitated.

  “Yes?” he said.

  Susan paused for a few moments, as she carefully chose her words. “Alexander, do you think that I am just running away from the reality that exists down below by choosing to stay on the station? Does it make sense for someone to choose the isolation provided by the station in orbit, over the known, and unknown hardships and possible companionship awaiting one on Earth? Or am I just being a coward?…Sorry, for all the questions!”

  Alexander turned to look at the bright clouds floating below them as he contemplated Susan’s questions. “You do not ask simple questions,” he said, shaking his head while still watching the clouds below. “Susan, you ask if I think are you running away. You are not running from a difficult situation to one that is easier. Each path you are contemplating is going to have challenges beyond what you might imagine now. They may also provide you with more pleasant times beyond what you might imagine possible. These are unknowns that everyone must face everyday of their lives just because of the uncertainty of life. You have to weigh the odds based on your experience and knowledge as to which is the most secure path for you.”

  Alexander paused and took a deep breath before he continued with his response. “Are you a coward for staying on the station? I think that you would be choosing a very difficult path to stay here; therefore, I would not think you a coward to do that. Returning to our home is going to take a lot of courage, also. There are going to be a great many challenges we will have to negotiate as individuals and as a civilization to survive this disaster. It is not going to be easy for anyone, and I have no feeling for what our odds of survival are. In time our fates will show themselves.”

  “Does it make sense to stay here? That is something I really cannot answer for you. I could answer that for myself. You must answer for yourself, knowing what you have, your capabilities and your endurance for challenges yet to be discovered—the unknown, if you will. You may feel that there is a sense of security on this station, above and beyond what you might have on Earth. That sense of security will not last long once the true feelings of isolation set in, and you realize that you are here for the rest of your life and must contend with whatever problems arise on your own.” Alexander paused and watched Susan for her response.

  After a few moments of reflection on Alexander’s answers to her questions, Susan said, “I understand all of what you have said, and I realize that I must make the final decision. So, why do I feel so guilty about wanting to stay here?”

  “Perhaps, Susan, you should put yourself in our shoes, so to speak. You are asking a lot from us to leave you here, completely on your own, stranded, and without the necessary safety precautions we have all come to expect. You argued with Paul to return, so you must have some idea of why we would not want to see you stay here by yourself. I think that some of the guilt you feel comes from knowing that you are trying to do something that you have already argued against doing.”

  “With Paul, my first response to his suggestion about staying was that it was wrong to do that. After a while, I realized that it was his choice. If he was not making it under duress, then we should allow him to exercise his right to decide what he does with his future, however difficult it might be for us.” Susan put her hand on Alexander’s shoulder and said softly, “Thank you for being honest and answering my questions. I know that it’s a decision only I can make, but it’s very helpful to see someone else’s point of view.”

  “I am not sure how much help I have been, but it is my pleasure to be of assistance. I guess I will go and see if Ivan has the CRV ready for departure.” With that, Alexander left Susan alone in the cupola to contemplate her future.

  XXIV

  Ivan needed a distraction after the discussion with Susan in the Kibo module, so he headed to the CRV to make sure everything was ready for their departure, with Nicholas tagging along out of curiosity to see what the CRV was all about. Ivan, much preferring to be alone at the moment, debated on how to discourage his new companion.
But, in the end he relented, thinking that Nicholas might prove more of a distraction for him than the CRV would. They floated to the little ship in silence.

  Nicholas sensed that Ivan had more on his mind than checking out the ship, and it somehow seemed to be more that just Susan staying on the station. He was not able to piece it all together, but decided that coming along with Ivan might not have been the best thing to do, at least for Ivan. In contrast to staying with Paul and Jerry in the Kibo module and suffering Jerry’s piercing stares, coming with Ivan was much more attractive.

  Nicholas peered into the vehicle while Ivan settled himself into the left front seat He noted that the CRV was actually quite small inside and was surprised that Jerry had not been injured when Ivan came crashing in. Seeing that Ivan was settled in his seat, Nicholas floated in. Making sure that he did not hit his head on the low ceiling, he slid into the seat next to Ivan. The seats were reclined, leaving the passengers no option but to stare at the ceiling. The passive pilots sitting in the two front seats had a more interesting view consisting of several small displays and digital readouts that provided information about the ship and its status. Nicholas observed that one of the displays had a countdown timer running that showed that there were forty-six minutes left until departure. In addition to the timer, the touch-sensitive display also offered several other menu options that could be selected. Looking over to Ivan, he noticed that Ivan’s seat had a controller built into the left armrest. “What is that for?” he asked.

  Ivan glanced in the direction Nicholas was pointing, and said, “That should be the control for the parafoil. To steer the CRV once the parafoil has opened. It may also be used for orbital attitude control while in orbit. It has been a while since I have been inside a mockup of this.” Pointing to the larger display, somewhat centered between the two seats, Ivan said, “This display is tied to a forward-pointing camera, which will give us our only view outside of the CRV.”

  Nicholas looked around, and said, “I see that there are no windows on this. What happens if the camera does not work?”

  Ivan stopped paging through the menus on the display to contemplate the question. It was something he had not considered before. “I guess you hope that the backup works.”

  “Is there a back-up camera?” Nicholas asked.

  “I think so. There should be, but I can not say for sure. This was designed for a fully automated, controlled return, so we should not have to do anything.” Ivan tried to sound convincing, but he also knew they were landing in an area that had not been programmed into the system before; therefore, they did not really know what they would be getting into. An inoperative camera would be the least of his worries.

  Nicholas did not look too convinced, but decided that they could be a lot worse off than crashing into some trees at thirty to forty knots. Along the computer display was a mechanical selector that gave them the choice of the preprogrammed landing sites. Beside that was a red button labeled in bold letters: LAUNCH. “So we just hit this and away we go,” he said, pointing to the button.

  “That is the idea. Clean and simple. Select your landing site, launch and enjoy the ride. This was designed for those who may not be trained to fly the craft or might be too injured to do so. It does not give a real pilot the opportunity to do much piloting though.” Ivan looked at the display trying to decipher the latest information it was showing. “Supposedly the computer is already programmed with the flight profile and landing coordinates for our touchdown in Edinburgh. All we have to do is hit the launch button,” he said.

  Nicholas studied the displays for a second, and said, “It is funny to think of what we went through to fly our jet fighters, to be in total control, and how much direct control we give up to get to and from space.”

  “Well, if you look at it from a cost perspective, it is much cheaper to let the machine do all the work and not have to train everyone on board to intimately know how to fly the craft,” said Ivan. “When it comes to saving money, automation will usually win over manual control for any task that is repetitive in nature.” Turning to look at Nicholas, Ivan added, “Besides, we would not have been able to fly our modern fighters if it were not for a computer, or many computers for that matter, always watching over our shoulders and adjusting the control surfaces to prevent the jet from spinning out of control.”

  “You are right. It is a symbiotic relationship at this point, but I can easily see the day when man will not be here at all, and computers and robots will do it all. I am not sure that I will like that. I think we need to be in the loop.”

  For a few moments, the men floated in silence watching the display while the computer ran a self-diagnostic test that Ivan had initiated. Nicholas’ mind wandered back to the conversation that he and Alexander had interrupted in Kibo. He felt uncomfortable with the idea of leaving Susan behind, even if she wanted to stay by choice. He knew that he would not be able to tolerate the loneliness of living on the station without companionship, and daily conversations on the radio would not make it any better. He conceded that he was a creature who enjoyed the company of others, and more importantly, needed others around him to fill in the voids of loneliness that can punctuate one’s day.

  He thought about the fact that, as a child, he was never alone. Living with his mother and sisters in a small apartment in Moscow, he knew nothing but closeness. In college, Nicholas often avoided the isolated study areas for crowded ones, ironically, finding it easier to concentrate on his assignments there. Thinking of all the friendships he had developed over the years, it seemed unusual to him that Susan would not have someone to go to. Ignoring his earlier concerns about Ivan’s mood, Nicholas asked, “Ivan, what do you think about Susan’s desire to stay on the station?”

  Ivan cringed at the question, but tried not to let his inner feelings filter through the barrier he had erected and was desperately trying to maintain. After a few very long moments, Ivan said, “Susan has to make a decision that she can be at peace with. It is something that she must live with, and what we think is immaterial.” Ivan knew he sidestepped Nicholas’ question; he only hoped that Nicholas did not notice.

  Nicholas persisted. “Do you not think that she would have someone to stay with? Some friends, or distant relatives?” he asked.

  Ivan sighed; obviously, this conversation was not going to be short. “She has no one other than her immediate family. She is also not one to impose herself on her friends, especially with the situation that is evolving in the United States now.” Hoping to derail Nicholas’ train of thought, Ivan desperately searched for a question to ask him, but his mind went blank, leaving him open to another salvo. Unfortunately for Ivan, Nicholas was on a roll.

  “With all of her connections through her career, I would think that there would be someone who would be happy to have her stay with them. Would not you? I do not know her that well but she seems to be a very nice person.” Hearing a noise behind them, Nicholas looked back toward the hatch to see Alexander’s head pop into view.

  “Are you two leaving without us?” Alexander inquired with a smile.

  Ivan, breathing a sigh of relief, said, “No, just making sure the CRV is going to be ready to go when it is time.”

  “This is going to be tight quarters for all of us,” Alexander said, as he floated inside and looked about the cabin. “Actually, it is much roomier than our Soyuz capsule, but no windows! How are we to enjoy the ride?”

  Nicholas, sidetracked from his interrogation of Ivan, pointed toward the display on the ceiling in front of him. “You can watch what we are going to run into on this display here,” he said.

  Alexander strained to see the display, but then gave up. “You may be able to see it from your seat but from back here it would be impossible,” he said. “Since there is no in-flight movie, I do not suppose there will be food service on the flight either?”

  Ivan looked back over his shoulder. “Not unless you are going to be our steward!” he joked.

  “Then I gue
ss we eat when we get down,” Alexander replied dryly, as he played with the seat harness.

  “If you have anything you want to bring back with you, you had better get it now,” Ivan said.

  “I want to get the laptop from MIR,” Alexander said as he headed out the hatch, “I will be right back.”

  Paul and Jerry had moved up to the Habitation module so that Jerry could get something to eat. Paul watched Jerry wolf down some snack foods he found in one of the lockers. He could only imagine that he was famished after his ordeal and tried to ignore the less than civilized table manners Jerry demonstrated. Paul ignored it as long as he could and finally had to speak up. “Jerry, slow down. What’s the rush?”

  Jerry stopped and looked as though he were a child caught dipping his fingers into the frosting on a cake. He slowed down his chewing, and then took a long drink of water from the container floating nearby. Paul did not have a good feeling about Jerry and was beginning to become more concerned that he might do something irrational if they were not careful in how they handled him. “How are you feeling?” Paul asked, gingerly testing the waters.

  “I’m okay,” Jerry answered in between gulps of water.

  “Did you want something more to eat?” Paul asked, hoping to draw Jerry into some sort of conversation. It was futile; Jerry just shook his head “no.” His eyes darted about the compartment as if he was searching for something hidden in the shadows.

  Paul was frantically searching for something that might be of interest to Jerry to get him talking without antagonizing him in the process. Before he found that topic, Jerry spoke out, startling Paul with the edge in his voice. “When the hell are we getting out of here? I just want to get off this stinking station!” Jerry said.