Mara couldn’t argue. She nodded in agreement, hoping he would have time, knowing he might be trading his own life for hers.
After a few short moments a shudder went through the Zephyr just as it had at launch. The ship changed course. Mara could feel the momentum pull her to the side as the rig steered away from their current orbit. Her head bobbed in one direction to the other as they shifted. The Zephyr was correcting to fly near the turbulent upper layers of Jupiter, dangerously close to the turmoil they had already witnessed from the surface of the moon.
The massive planet loomed in the bridge window, slowly filling the view. Minutes passed. Mara sat with Hanson, staring at nothing but the floor and holding his hand. An hour went by, and she constantly checked his status and vitals. Then she stood on her knees and peered out the cockpit window to watch as Jupiter whirred by.
The giant was close. Too close. She couldn’t make out the rounded edges of the planet any longer. There was just one long, flat horizon, and the clouds were zipping by unbelievably fast. They were mixing into an explosion of color, a vibrant celebration of gaseous atmospheric violence. The gases below the rig melted together into a colorful palette; a tumultuous mix of earth-tones stirred furiously into a bucket and let loose upon a blue and pink canvas. The highest cloud tops parted to reveal deep canyons and layers upon layers of more clouds, and there were blue arcs of lightning that were snapping between them. The flashes of lightning zipped from one cloud to another, angry at their transgression as they dared visit the hidden realms of the giant planet.
“You should see this,” Mara said to Hanson as he lay near her, but he was unable to get up. Shadows in the clouds grew long. The Zephyr rounded Jupiter to the night side where the cloud tops faded with the sun. Bursts of lightning continued to hint at the turbulent storms raging just below. Brilliant blue flashes dashed from cloud to cloud, and their light spilled into the depths of the hell below them. It was raw power, unimaginable in size and scope.
The Zephyr silently cruised by, following the path allotted to it by the nav computer. Mara saw hints of the cloud tops wisp right by the windows. Fear of atmospheric drag dominated her worrying mind. Every whisper of gas that passed was a brush with the upper atmosphere; friction that would slow them, throw their orbit, and fell them into the suffocating canyons of clouds and vapor known to exist just miles beneath them. Should they fall in, they would survive only as long as the hull of the Zephyr fought against the unrelenting pressures. Eventually, and with certainty, they and the rig would be crushed in the depths and pressures of a thousand atmospheres. A boiling stew of hot gases would compress them into a pile of molten junk as they slowly dissolved into the belly of the monster.
Mara tried not to think about it. If the maneuver worked, they would rendezvous with the Copernicus in as little as an hour. She told herself to focus on something good. They would catch up to the orbiter quickly and burn the rockets to slow down and match speed. It would not be easy, and there were no guarantees, but it was the only hope they had to save Hanson. She was happy just to have the chance.
They were rounding the planet now at alarming speed. Weightless in the cabin, Mara floated to near Hanson, and then maneuvered his body into one of the seats and strapped him in for the remainder of the trip.
She watched as the clouds continued to get closer, zipping passed the window at an alarming rate. More traces of gas passed by her, faster, alarmingly quick. “This had to be dangerous to be this close,” she thought. There was no question they were accelerating. She wondered if Copernicus even knew they were on their way.
The radio… she had never even tried to call the orbiter. “Copernicus, this is Mara. Copernicus come in!”
She waited for her answer. It was agonizing not hearing anything from them. It was possible the atmosphere of Jupiter was distorting her signal as the Zephyr traveled so close to the source of the powerful magnetic fields. She knew she may have to wait.
“Copernicus, this is Mara,” she tried again. More waiting.
Finally, it was Stenner. “Copernicus here, Stenner at the comm. Mara, are you off the surface? Please tell me you aren’t still down there. We’ve been calling you for a while now.”
“We’ve launched in the Zephyr. We’re making a maneuver to rendezvous with you in less than an hour. We’re skirting the cloud tops of Jupiter right now. Stenner, look, I have something important for you to do,” she said.
“Thank goodness you are safe. Anything, what do you need
from us?”
“I need you to get the enzyme that Dr. Aman and I were studying,” she said. “Do you think you can find it? Have Dr. Aman prepare a dose.”
“I’ll talk to Dr. Aman. Be right back.”
Mara was relieved to be speaking to Copernicus but knew she didn’t have much time. She focused her attention on Hanson. His life was draining from his eyes. If the enzyme could cure him, and it wasn’t an absolute certainty, it would likely need more time than he had. She knew it may already be too late. If there was to be a good outcome for him, it would be close.
Mara kept Hanson in the reclined chair and focused on the rendezvous. She could see a distant object far outside the orbit of Europa. They were approaching quickly. She remembered Hanson saying she would need to fire the thrusters to slow down and match speed.
Mara slid into the pilot chair and nervously analyzed the trajectory from the navigation computer. If what it was telling her was correct, they were minutes from a rocket burn that would orient them into a matching orbit with Copernicus. She groped at the controls trying to find the commands to execute the thrust maneuver that would slow them.
The scrolled through the computer menu searching for the correct command sequence. She finally found it under the Navigational Controls. She had programmed the Zephyr to rendezvous with the object it had on the radar. She depressed the buttons and hoped she had entered the sequence correctly.
The wait was excruciating as Hanson lay near her. He coughed, and she expected to see the same bloody mess she had seen on Johan. She was relieved to see his infection was not to that point yet. She walked to the med-bay and grabbed a cool wet towel to wipe his brow. She needed to keep his temperature down. She looked through the mess hall for anything frozen to place on his body. There was little in the coolers to help. She grew angry at the disorganization she found in the miner’s kitchen. She found a cup and tried to get water into his mouth in the weightlessness of space. It didn’t go as well as she had hoped.
The thrusters fired as she tried giving him the water. Mara felt herself being thrown forward and she caught her balance on the floor next to Hanson. It was a relief to have the thrusters managing the maneuvers for her. “What a different experience from the landing,” she thought to herself. Zephyr was slowing to match speed with Copernicus. She was growing more hopeful, and although the jolt had nearly knocked her off her feet, it was a welcomed inconvenience.
A voice came over the comm-link. “Zephyr, we have you on orbital path for rendezvous. You are coming up on low range. Maintain heading.”
It was Stenner. Mara couldn’t see him on the monitor, but she recognized his voice.
“Stenner, be ready with that enzyme. Please!” she begged.
“Dr. Aman is preparing it now. And Mara, this is the one sample we have. There won’t be any more research if we use this on Hanson. Are you sure you want to…”
“Shut up,” she said. “He’s dying here in my arms! I have to try…”
“I just want you to understand, if this doesn’t work… It’s a long way back for more,” he said.
“I’m not letting him die. He helped save us… save me.”
Stenner’s silence over the radio revealed his acquiescence.
Mara prayed it was not too late for Hanson. Proximity warnings began to blare on the bridge. She could see the Copernicus orbiter rapidly approaching out the window.
>
Then she felt the Zephyr maneuvering itself onto the docking bay of the Copernicus orbiter, and a slight shutter to the entire facility indicated they were locked in place. She left Hanson and waited at the airlock as the two vessels pressurized to equilibrium. She wouldn’t waste a second.
Mara gathered her strength. She felt herself composing her thoughts and her emotions. She closed her eyes and she remembered. She remembered being at this same place; a life hanging in the balance. Someone she loved. She remembered the pain, the powerlessness, the helpless feelings. She prayed for strength. She gathered herself for what was to come. She had learned to deal with not being in control. Her fear and anger would not guide her now. She would choose to accept whatever happened, knowing she did everything she could. She had made every decision in good faith, believing that everything she had done was the best decision at the time, and with the best information she had. She told herself these things because of Hanson, and what he had taught her. She thought of them to prepare herself for what may come, and what she needed to do. This time she would be prepared for whatever happened. Now was the time.
CHAPTER 24
6 months pre-launch
Nathan Bergman appeared on the monitor at Mara’s beachside apartment. He was going through routine checklists before the mission launch. “You’ve had your immune-boosters, vitamin count is good, diet good…” he mumbled. “You’re in peak condition, you know that?” he said.
“I don’t know how, I barely exercise these days,” Mara said.
“Well, vital signs are strong, off the charts.”
“It must be the hospital food, eh?” she joked.
“How are things there?” Nathan asked.
“I spend my day in the room watching tv with him. It’s all we have together. He’s in good spirits though. He wanted me to tell you hi,” Mara told him.
“Tell George we miss him.”
Mara nodded.
“Look, we need you in Houston next weekend. We’ll have another group exercise, some workshops, training classes. I know you don’t like taking time from George. I’m afraid this one is mandatory.”
“I’ll be there.”
“Thank you, Mara. I’m glad you enjoyed meeting Julian and Reese. This time I want you to meet Luis.”
“George’s replacement?” Mara asked.
“Um… Yes. We are fortunate to have him. Luis has done extensive work studying the Jovian system. He even helped determine the landing spot for the mission. I know it is hard, Mara, but the crew is really coming together. Luis seems to fit in nicely. You’ll like him too, he’s an astronomer like George. Get to know him, I think you’ll be pleased you did. It’s shaping up to be an all-star group.”
Mara smiled politely without getting too excited.
“You’ll have some interactive periods with the rest of the crew this weekend. I hope that is alright. We just want to see how you will all get along for the duration of the mission. Do you have any questions?” Nathan asked.
Mara took a breath and averted her attention to the window beside her. “I can’t think of anything,” she said.
Nathan seemed content with her answer. “Perfect. We’ll see you this weekend. Saturday. Oh-nine-hundred, ok?” he said.
“Nathan?” Mara asked. “You haven’t said anything about my interactive scores,” she asked.
“Interactive scores?” Nathan seemed surprised to hear her ask about them. “What do you mean?”
“I mean the evaluations with the other crew members. You do score those, take notes, or something, right?” she asked.
“Oh, yes, well, it’s highly subjective… more of an observational thing than a numeric one. I think it’s safe to say you are with good people; good chemistry. Is that all you are worried about?”
“You can’t blame me for being a bit apprehensive,” she said. “I haven’t exactly been in the right frame of mind here lately.”
Nathan seemed to contemplate her feelings. “Mara, I appreciate your concerns, but I think this could be good for you. George thinks it will be good for you. Listen to him.”
Mara didn’t say anything right away. She ran her tongue through her lips in thought for a moment, with nothing to say.
“You need some time for you, Mara,” Nathan said. “You need an outlet. This will be the adventure you need,” he said.
Mara thought for a second, then brushed aside any further concerns. She took a deep breath and sighed into the camera. “Sure, sounds good. I’ll see you this weekend,” she said.
“Roger that. Oh-nine hundred. See you soon,” he said, and he turned off his monitor with a satisfied smile.
3 months pre-launch
Mara leaned down to the bed to kiss George. His eyes spoke for him. There was a placid fear within them. The rest of his body was immobilized. A breathing tube had been inserted into his trachea. Monitors and machines beeped and clicked and strained around him, doing the hard work of keeping his body alive.
Mara held his hand inside hers. George’s family had come to visit. They had been called to the hospital early that morning, hoping to give them time to come by.
Nurses were in and out as the day wore on. George’s mother had sat in a chair next to Mara the entire day. George was completely subdued. His body was struggling with the simple act of breathing. The machines could only do so much for him now.
When the nurses came in, one of many visits that day, they mentioned it was getting close. Carbon-dioxide levels were nearing dangerous levels, causing George to fall asleep. His body could not keep up with his own respiration. Mara held his hand and her face was low near his.
Hours seemed to pass. George’s mother cried next to him. “He loved you,” she said to Mara. “He wanted so badly for you to go with him. You were his two dreams come true,” she said with a heavy face. She stood across the bed from her, holding George’s other hand. “All that kid ever wanted to do was go into space… Since he was at my knees,” she said with a smile.
Mara pictured George as a child, innocent, full of wonder, and with an overactive sense of adventure. She knew he would have been a curious boy, asking questions, questioning the answers, and always looking for a new angle, always challenging the accepted views of the day. It was in his nature, she realized. He would never be satisfied with guessing. He wanted to know. He wanted to have certainty. But without certainty there had to be honesty, and there was honesty in not knowing the answers. Honesty in knowing you are asking the right questions… Knowing that sometimes you can’t know everything you want to, as scary as that seems. But it wasn’t that way for George.
Mara knew his world would always have that sense of mystery, and she realized he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. Soon he would know all he would ever want to know, and she knew it still would not be enough. His spirit, his soul, his entity, would travel the ends of time, knowing all he wanted, but always questioning, as if there were any other way for him. She knew this about him as strongly as she knew anything.
She breathed deeply, as if she could help him any longer. She rested her head against his chest and nuzzled herself near him. The monitors let them know it was time… It was happening now, just as they were told it would. The beeping sound faded. Slowly, painfully, drawing out… the sounds faded along with him. His breaths became softer. Mara brushed his hair. George’s Mom bowed her head, placed her forehead on him, and Mara could hear her crying. The breaths came less and less frequently.
Mara whispered softly into his ears. “Go see the stars, George,” she said. Her voice wavering. “Name one for me.”
Their faces turned red and swollen. There were no more breaths. As life slipped from George the machines indicated his heartbeat had stopped. Mara turned the monitor off before she was forced to hear the tone. A nurse came into the room and fixed his blanket and straightened his head upon the pillow. Wires were remove
d and tubes were retrieved.
She lay her head next to his, and she sobbed into his pillow. George’s mother sat for a minute at his side and then left quietly to visit the family and let them know. It all seemed surreal, like a dream.
She was alone with him. She felt numb. She had felt this way for so long that it no longer registered. Now it was simply a reality instead of a concept. She remained next to George for what felt like an hour, just the two of them. When his mother came back into the room it had been quiet for some time, just her and George.
George’s mother walked toward Mara, her footsteps were the only sound in the room. They hugged. She pulled away and stared into Mara’s eyes with swollen tears.
“George loved you,” she said. “He wanted so badly to go on that mission with you.” She wiped her face with a tissue and tried to smile.
Mara was startled at his Mother’s composure.
“Instead, he told me I could give you this when he was gone.” She reached for her purse and pulled out a jewelry case. Mara had managed to stop crying, but instantly had a lump in her throat that forced her to swallow through the tension that had formed.
“He didn’t want to give it to you after the diagnosis, but he had planned to ask,” she said. She opened the case and revealed a modest diamond that sparkled in the light of a dozen medical lights. “He just couldn’t get himself to do it,” she said, shaking her head.
Every emotion that Mara was feeling focused on the one tiny diamond held in the cusp of the ring. It was a modest diamond, a modest ring, and she noticed it was a princess cut. She remembered mentioning that to him once. She wondered how long he had kept it a secret.
As if reading her mind, his mother continued… “He bought it a couple months before he found out. He never had the heart to ask after.”
Mara wilted under the grief. She thought about the struggle George must have gone through, not sharing his plans for them, not asking her, thinking the entire time he was sparing her in his noble way. Mara knew she would have been angry under any other circumstances, but today she couldn’t be. She didn’t have the strength or emotions left.
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