The First Ones There

by Steven Wolff

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Think Tank Room

  The next day Daniel listens to all the proposals. They run the gamut from impossible to far-fetched to even a few that are brilliant, but they keep coming back to one solid option…the Daedalus.

  Daniel asks a room full of brilliant minds all sitting around a long table, “What’s the status of the Daedalus?”

  One engineer answers, “It’s not complete, by any means, but the ship is intact and has thrusters. Mostly it’s just a hollow shell, but that could also be a good thing… because at least there’s room to retrieve the crashed spacecraft.”

  “Space wise, what can you tell me about the Daedalus? Pros… cons?” Daniel asks.

  “The Daedalus was designed to land on Mars and keep astronauts alive for several years. Two to three months, round trip to the asteroid should be no problem; however, that’s when it’s completely finished. We’re barely halfway through with building it.”

  Daniel asks, “What do we need to do to make the Daedalus space-worthy, say… in a week or two?”

  One of the engineers speaks up, “The problem is that a lot of the navigation controls are still untested. There’s that… and you’ll need an experienced pilot to fly the ship. Plus you’ll need rations – food and water, first-aid and a crew capable of landing it, loading it up and flying back.”

  Daniel leans forward and rests both hands on the table, head facing down, “And it doesn’t help that we just lost seven of our best astronauts NASA has ever had. We put all our eggs in one basket, and now all we have are a handful of AsCans.”

  “AsCans?” Someone asks, raising their hand slowly.

  “Astronaut candidates.”

  “Ahh, thank you.”

  Daniel continues the conversation, “Anyone know how far along in the program are the AsCans?”

  “They are close to graduating in a few months.”

  “We’ll need someone with life support systems experience, an orbital mechanic, payload specialist, medic and a mission commander. Do we have any of them on staff?”

  “We do have a handful of promising recruits.” Someone answers.

  “Good – have them cut their training short and focus on getting familiar with the Daedalus. We need to have them confident in flying that ship in less than two weeks. Make it happen. Dismissed.”

  Everyone gets up and pushes in their chairs before leaving the room. Daniel puts his face in his palms and rubs his face for several seconds – sighing at the overwhelming task in front of him. He sits down in a chair and kicks up his feet on the table, enjoying the silence of the empty room –when suddenly there’s a knock on the door.

  “Enter.” He says, watching the door creak open. In walks a bald man in a white suit, holding a golden briefcase.

  “Daniel Adams, I presume?”

  “And you are?”

  “You can call me… the Investor.”

  “What can I do for you, Mr. Investor.”

  “Do you care if I sit down?”

  “Sure, feel free.”

  The Investor sits at the opposite end of the table where the shadows make it hard to see his face, “I’m here today representing both myself, and some very high-profile clients who are interested in reaching the asteroid first.”

  “Well, who isn’t?”

  “I’m serious when I say high-profile.”

  “High profile, huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Let’s just say… money isn’t an issue for them.”

  “Fine, I’m listening, but if you’re selling me something I’m not interested.”

  “We are looking for a mutual… oh what’s the word? Cooperation – with my clients and with NASA. Naturally they wish to remain anonymous so you’ll just have to trust me that they are interested in working with you.”

  “You know we just lost seven of our best astronauts last night in a shuttle explosion, right?”

  “Yes, that’s quite unfortunate.”

  “So then you know that we don’t have the means to go into space anytime soon?”

  “That’s not my concern. Why I’m here today is to work out a deal. We have our own means to go into space, but there are some things only NASA can do which is why I’m negotiating with you.”

  “Hold on, you’re saying you’ve got your own means to go into outer space? In other words you’re going to compete with us to get to the asteroid first… and you want us to help you?” Daniel stands up quickly and puts both hands on the table. “And I bet your anonymous sources from other countries because this idea is starting to sound ludicrous! Did Tony put you up to this?”

  “I’m not concerned what you think of the idea. I’m concerned with whether-or-not you are going to cooperate.”

  “Whatever it is, I can already tell you… the answer is no. The President of the United States has asked me personally to do what it takes to get to the asteroid first.”

  The Investor presses on the suitcase buttons, snapping open his golden briefcase. He reaches in and pulls out a document with an official seal on it before sliding it across the table.

  “What’s this?” Daniel asks, pulling the paper closer to read.

  “Take a look.”

  “It’s the seal of the President of the United States. How did you get this?”

  “It was given to me by Madam President herself. If you read several paragraphs down, you’ll see the words “Please give your full cooperation to this gentleman.”

  Daniel reads aloud. “… This is a matter of national security.”

  “So you work for the government?”

  “I work for no one except myself, Mr. Adams. I am merely an investor.”

  “Then what’s in it for you?”

  “That is none of your concern. What I need from you is NASA’s complete cooperation. No deviation, no wavering. Do I have it?”

  “How do I know this isn’t a forged document?”

  “Call the president if you’d like, I don’t care. Besides, do I look like someone who likes to have his time wasted on forging paperwork?”

  “I don’t know… do you? I’ll need some time to think about this…”

  “There is no time. I need an answer now.”

  “Then the answer is no.” Daniel says pushing the papers back. “I don’t like being bossed around and I don’t like pressure from random strangers who look like Mr. Clean.”

  “Are you not the least bit curious what I’m willing to offer you?”

  “Doesn’t matter… the answer is no! Please leave before I call security.”

  The Investor reaches into his gold suitcase and attaches a silencer to a golden gun. He pulls it out and points it at Daniel.

  “I’m sorry, you leave me with no choice.”

  “Wait, I’m sure we can work something out!” Daniel says, eyes locked on the gun pointed right at him.

  “Too late. Deal is off. Goodbye Mr. Adams.”

  “Wait! No!!! We can …”

  *Pa-thew* *Pa-thew*

  Daniel falls backwards into his chair before sliding off and onto the floor below, as red blood starts soaking through his shirt. The Investor unscrews the silencer slowly before putting the documents and gun back into his gold briefcase. He stands up, adjusts his tie and walks out the door casually – as if nothing ever happened.

  CHAPTER NINE

  The Memorial

  Several weeks pass and NASA is holding a memorial for all the lives lost, including both Ed and Daniel. Hundreds of people showed up to pay their last respects to the men and women who dedicated their lives to helping the human race reach for the stars. Howard, Josh and Lorraine attend, wearing all black and are comforted by many people who knew Ed.

  The following evening Josh and Howard are at the observatory, taking turns looking through the giant telescope at the glowing green asteroid when there’s a loud knock on the door. They both turn their heads and look when Josh asks, “Are you expecting company?”

  “It may be Amber… b
ut she should be in class right now. I’ll go check.”

  Howard opens the door, expecting to see Amber but looks up at a tall, bald guy in a white suit, standing in front of him.

  “Can I help you?” Howard asks.

  “Mr. Howard Shepard, I presume?”

  “Who wants to know?”

  “I’m someone you’ll want to talk to because I have something you’ve always wanted, but first, may I come in out of the cold?”

  “Um… sure.” Howard says, stepping out of the way to let him in. Josh watches as the man stands there, waiting for direction.

  “Please, come have a seat.” Howard says, showing him where he can sit. He puts the suitcase down next to him and places both hands in his lap.

  Josh repeatedly points at the gold briefcase in excitement, mouthing silently ‘Oh My Gawd!’

  Howard continues, “Before we go any further, if you’re trying to sell us something, I’m afraid we aren’t interested, especially in time shares or pyramid schemes.”

  “I’m not here to sell you anything Mr. Shepard, but instead, I’d like to offer you a proposition. If anything, I’m willing to offer you both a generous sum of money.”

  “Wow, that was quick. I knew my dad had several life insurance policies but I didn’t know they would pay out that quickly.”

  “I’m not in the business of insurance.”

  “You’re not?” Howard asks bluntly, “Then who are you with, Mr…?”

  “My name… is the Investor.”

  “Investor? So you’re from Wall street or something?”

  “I work for no one but myself. I have clients I work with, but ultimately money is no issue for me. I have tons of it and quite frankly I’m bored with it. That’s why people call me… the Investor. I use my money to make things happen… if it’ll benefit, or amuse me, of course. It’s the price I pay for what I call… entertainment.”

  “Okay… and what is it you want from me?”

  Josh quickly walks up and interrupts, “Hi, I’m Josh Wilkins, can I get you anything? Coffee? Donut? Massage?”

  “No.” He says annoyed, “Now, where was I?”

  Howard answers, “I was asking what can I do for you.”

  “Ah yes, my clients and I are looking for someone willing to go to space.”

  Howard interrupts, “Sorry, this isn’t NASA. We’re just an observatory. I can see where people see the giant telescope and confuse it with the space agency. Nope, we’re just amateur astronomers… just nobodies.”

  “Speak for yourself, dude!” Josh says, gently slapping Howards chest.

  “What I mean… is that NASA handles all the going up into space, things. We’re not astronauts so we can’t help you.”

  The Investor reaches slowly into his coat causing Howard and Josh to gulp. He pulls out a piece of paper and reads from it, “It says here you’re both… gamers. Am I right?”

  Howard looks to Josh and then back at the Investor, “Yeah. Maybe a couple hours here and there.”

  “According to your Steam account, you’ve both logged over 553 hours of Call of Duty, 287 hours of Halo, 636 hours of Skyrim and 1,248 hours of Battlefield. Is this correct?”

  Howard looks away and scratches the back of his head, embarrassed, “Um…”

  Josh takes a step back and says, “I just remembered, I left the water running!” He says, heading out the room.

  “Okay, that’s creepy. You’ve obviously been stalking me.”

  “Not stalking, intense researching.”

  “So what if I like to play video games? Is that some sort of crime?”

  “People who are die-hard gamers have a certain… skillset I’m looking for. Their reaction times and hand-eye co-ordination are better than those who don’t game. Gamers also have incredible spatial visualization abilities and are great multi-taskers… qualities I am looking for.”

  “Are you here to recruit me for some gaming competition or something?”

  “It’s a competition alright, but it’s going to take someone of your intelligence and hand-eye co-ordination to pull it off.”

  “What do you want me to play?”

  “It’s not a game – I want you to follow in your father’s footsteps.”

  “Oh, sorry, No! NASA already declined me. I’m a No-Go for space. I’m sorry if I gave you that impression.”

  “What if I told you – we have our own means to get you to space that doesn’t involve NASA?” The Investor says raising one eyebrow.

  “This isn’t funny and I don’t appreciate your twisted sense of humor.” Howard says, trying not to say something offensive.

  “Do I look like someone who jokes around? What I need… is a pilot who will fly into space and retrieve that crashed alien ship.”

  “Then why don’t you go to NASA and get one?”

  “I already went to NASA and they wasted my time. They don’t have anyone because they put all their eggs in one basket and well, you know…”

  The Investor uses his hands to express an explosion.

  “I’ll have you know, my father was on that shuttle!” Howard says offended.

  “Indeed he was and that’s very unfortunate. However, you can honor your father’s memory by accepting my offer.”

  “How? I don’t have any training on how to be an astronaut.”

  “If you are interested in taking me up on this offer, I will provide you with all the training you’ll need. All your life, you wanted to follow in your father’s footsteps until NASA told you no. If anyone knows space, it’s you. You have the knowledge, intelligence and the hand-eye co-ordination. You just need a little incentive and the means to get up there – that’s where I come in. I’m going to offer you a once-in-a-lifetime deal. Be my pilot, fly to the alien craft and bring it back. Do that and you will be rich beyond your wildest dreams!”

  “My dad already left us with lots of insurance money.”

  “2.2 million dollars is nothing compared to what I will give you and your mom.”

  “Wait, how do you know that?” Howard asks.

  “It’s my job to do my homework on anyone I’m dealing with. Imagine, you will be wealthy and can have anything you want.”

  “Are you willing to put that in writing?”

  “You have my word.”

  “Rich as in literal cash-money?” Howard clarifies.

  “Yes, enough money for you and your mother to live comfortably the rest of your lives.”

  “What about my friend Josh? Does this apply to him?”

  “If you want, I can throw money his way. I just need one of you to accept my offer. I don’t care who.”

  “How long do I have to think about this?”

  The Investor lifts up his arm and looks at his gold watch, “It’s just after 8pm. I’ll give you till 8am tomorrow morning to give me an answer.”

  “What if I say no?”

  “I guess we’ll have to find out when that happens. I just hope you don’t waste my time.” He says getting up, before turning around and walking to the door.

  Josh peeks his head from around the corner and asks, “Is he gone?”

  “Yeah.” Howard says – staring blankly at the door.”

  “What did he say?” Josh asks while walking up to Howard.

  “He made me a proposition.”

  “For sex?”

  “No, not for sex! Geezus get your head out of the gutter. He wants us to pilot a ship he supposedly has that can go to space to retrieve the alien technology.”

  “Do you believe him?”

  “I don’t even know him, so it’s hard to tell.”

  “Tell me you said yes to the offer!” Josh says with a huge grin on his face.

  “Well I didn’t say no. He gave us till 8am tomorrow to think about it.”

  “Call him back! Let him know we’ll do it. We’ll go!”

  “That’s the thing – I haven’t really committed to it. Maybe he’s just some well-dressed con man playing on my emotions.”

&nb
sp; “Dude! You’ve been wanting to go to space your whole life! You’ve studied to be an astronaut and follow in your dad’s footsteps. Here’s your chance! Don’t get cold feet now. I’d do it!”

  “It’s not that simple Josh. My dad flew to the space station and to the moon countless times. This guy, who calls himself the Investor wants me to go deep into space and intercept a moving asteroid. I have ZERO experience out in space. This is a task for someone with lots of experience… someone like my dad.”

  Josh glares at Howard.

  “What?”

  “I can’t believe you…”

  “Huh?”

  “For as long as I’ve known you, I heard you whine and complain that NASA has discriminated you. That you didn’t get a fair shake at being an astronaut just because you were too short and your eye sight isn’t what they are looking for – now an opportunity literally falls into your lap and you’re thinking of turning it down? Really?” Josh says shaking his head while walking out of the room.

  Howard raises his finger and is about to say something, but he bites his tongue before lowering it back down. Suddenly, there’s another knock at the door and Howard’s heart starts beating out of his chest. He hesitates to answer the door as the knock grows louder. Howard takes a deep breath and walks to the metal door.

  “I thought you told me I had till tomorrow to decide?” Howard says yanking the door open. In front of him is Amber, holding two coffees in her hand.

  “Decide what?” she asks walking through the door.

  “Sorry, I thought you were some guy who was just here.”

  “What did he want?”

  “For Josh and I to go up in space.”

  Her tone turns more serious, “And what did you tell him?”

  “I told him I’ll think about it.”

  “I’m surprised you didn’t say yes. For as long as I’ve known you, you told me that it’s been your dream come true to go up into space.”

  “It is. I do and at the same time, I don’t. It’s just I don’t have a good feeling about any of this. It feels very… rushed. Look at what happened to my dad – he died because they took shortcuts and rushed going up to space. I don’t want to die, nor risk putting the burden of something happening to me, on you. I love you and I rather not risk anything threatening our relationship.”