Ad Martem 12
Page 16
«That’s quite selfish of you, considering that if we leave, Yan would be destined to that» she pointed out bitterly.
That statement hit him. His expression softened as he turned sharply to look at Yan. He hadn’t thought about that. If the two of them left, there was going to be no other chance for Yan to leave. His gaze was apologizing.
«No, Anna, Jordan is right» Yan assured, he had his arms crossed. «I’m fine here, I have my parents and all. If I were Jordan I would do the same. I want you two to go. I haven’t come so far for nothing. Everything would change at the Aresland, if we just went back. I mean, we’ve broken all of the rules basically and maybe they’d cancel this mission. No guys, you cannot lose this chance. It’s now or never.»
Silence returned, time seemed to stop. Jordan looked at Yan in the eyes and read his determination. He felt the weight of Anna’s eyes on himself.
«Now or never» she repeated in a low voice. «And at this point I say now.»
«Then it’s settled?» Yan asked firmly, still holding Jordan’s gaze.
He swallowed.
«Nunki, you’re my brother» Jordan’s voice almost broke.
He saw Anna walking at his side out of the corner of his eye and nodding once.
«It’s settled» she declared.
The darkness of the night was much more intense in that corner of the Huygens Crater. Probably because they had figured out a way to turn off all the external lamps of the Rubentes Terrae. And so the only source that illuminated the Martian desert was the starry sky. The stars were endless, even more than the grains of sand. The sky was clear and free from any threat of storm. Jordan, Anna and Yan were laying on the Martian sand, some meters away from the airlock, enjoying that spectacle. It was their way of spending their last night together.
For the entire sol, Anna had been closed inside the dorm to analyze all the manuals she had found about the Odysseus spaceship and the ascent module. Yan had spent the sol studying how to move correctly between the computers and keep an eye on every parameter. While Jordan had returned to the Atenavan to take the containers and bring them into the base, meanwhile checking if every System on the rover was still functioning. Then he investigated on how to reach the ascent vehicle that was at about five kilometers from there. They had already had dinner and everything was ready for the following sol.
Among all the stars, a brighter, slightly oval object slowly crossed the sky above them.
«This is the first time I see Phobos» Yan considered, observing that bright ball. «Actually this is the first time I gaze at the stars. Incredible, isn’t it?»
«Yeah» Jordan replied calmly, captured by that sky.
«I wonder how it is like to see the Earth’s Moon from the Earth.»
«I will tell you» Jordan said, but Yan ignored him.
«Then, what a name they gave it! I mean, how can you call a moon, Moon?! So why didn’t they call the Earth, Planet? It’s nonsense. They should give it a better name. Even all the sixty-seven moons of Jupiter have a name! Also it’s so lame to have one Moon only. At least we’ve got two. Who knows, maybe we’re lucky enough to see Deimos as well.»
«This was honestly the best speech I’ve ever witnessed» Jordan joked.
«Thank you.»
«I’d like to point out, Nunki, that the meanings of the names of our two moons are “fear” and “panic”» Anna chuckled.
«Still better than not having a name at all.»
Finally all the three of them burst out laughing.
«Talking about the Earth, look over there» Anna raised an arm and pointed at something above the horizon where the sun had just set, followed by its sapphire glow.
Among many twinkling dots, there was one, slightly bigger than the others and brighter. There was no need to underline what planet it was. They observed in silence.
«It looks like nothing more than a bright dot among many» Jordan commented.
«That’s how it is, in fact. That’s what we are. Nothing more than bright dots» Anna said.
«I wonder if they’re looking back at us now» Yan admitted. «Will you look at me?»
«That’s for sure. And we’ll wave to you» Anna answered.
«However it will be like you’re still with us and we with you. Even if we are two hundred million kilometers apart» Jordan was crossed by a shiver as he pronounced those words.
Yan sighed.
«I will miss you.»
«We’ll miss you too, Nunki» Jordan replied softly on behalf of Anna too, who evidently wasn’t able to speak anymore, probably fearing her voice would falter with emotion.
Yan was laying between the two and suddenly he reached out on the sand until he found Jordan’s hand and grabbed it. When he lifted it up towards the sky, Jordan noticed he was holding Anna’s as well.
«We are so cool» he said. «Just look, look! It’s all ours, all of it! We are the voyagers of space!» he exclaimed.
Despite those words touched him, Jordan couldn’t keep himself from bursting out laughing. Also Yan chuckled for his own words, while Anna let out a sound that was halfway between a giggle and a sob, then she decided to return to her silence. Jordan couldn’t blame her. Even he himself realized his sight had become slightly blurry.
His eyes twinkled like the stars.
THIRTEEN
~ 176 sols before ~
At 5:00 am silence reigned inside the Rubentes Terrae. There wasn’t much to say. It was only necessary to stay focused because a single mistake could be fatal. Anna had reached the top of her seriousness, Jordan thought. Since she had woken up, she had performed every single activity, even brushing her teeth and putting her clothes on, with such a rigor that it looked like she was already carrying out the launch procedures step by step. Jordan and she were putting on two of the three suits of the other type that they had found in the storage room, Yan was helping them. They were very different from their biosuits, completely blue and thicker.
«How’s it?» Yan asked as he finished to close Jordan’s suit, breaking the silence.
«A little heavy» he replied, making his friend smirk.
«Ah! I don’t envy you» he said, walking around him to double-check if everything was fine.
«Of course» Jordan remarked, ironically.
Yan returned in front of him and Jordan saw an octave of smile on his lips, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Yan patted him on an arm as to encourage him.
«You’re ready» he announced, looking at Anna too, who stood near there with her helmet in one hand and the Odysseus manual in the other.
Her red waves fell on her suit. They returned to silence because the truth was that they didn’t know what to say. What were their last words going to be? They wished for those last words to never come. Maybe they weren’t going to speak till their return, Jordan thought. Then Anna moved a step forward and, despite the intrusion of her suit and the things she held on her hands, she managed to squeeze Yan in a hug.
«Be careful» she said after pulling away and looking him in the eyes.
«Okay» he simply said in a low voice, then turned to Jordan.
«See you, commander Miles» he nodded his head once, «It’s been an honor to live by your side for eight years and nineteen months.»
Jordan shook his head smiling more widely and hugged him as well, but it was brief.
«See you, Nunki. Make sure I get to Earth alive.»
«Mmm… I’ll think about it» he said ironically, earning a fake glare from Jordan.
And with that, the three took different paths: Yan headed to the stairs in order to go up to the Control Room, while Jordan reached Anna in front of the airlock. She had gathered her hair in a ponytail.
They exchanged looks and nodded once to show they were both ready and put on their helmets. They got out of the Rubentes Terrae when the sun was just peeking over the horizon with its spectacular blue glow. As soon as they got onboard the Atenavan, Yan’s voice resounded in their helmets.
«At
enavan, Rubentes Terrae here, Yan Heng speaking. Checking ground-to-ground communication, do you copy?»
«Roger, Rubentes Terrae. Atenavan here, we’re leaving now. ETA to the launchpad: twenty minutes.»
«Roger. Let me know when you arrive. Out.»
Those few minutes passed oddly fast and soon they saw the white silhouette of the ascent vehicle standing against the dark sky in the distance. It was five meters tall. They had stopped the rover about one kilometer away, hoping it was enough not to damage it and they had proceeded by foot for another ten minutes. They found themselves in front of a platform where the ascent vehicle stood vertically on its four feet. It was crossed by a vertical inscription of big blue letters saying “ARGUS”.
As they climbed on the flat platform, Jordan’s gaze looked for the tip of the rocket where they were going to sit. He shivered slightly. Anna, on the contrary, looked confident.
«Yan, we just got to the launchpad. We’re ready to enter the crew cabin. Do you copy?» Anna asked.
The answer arrived right away.
«I copy you loud and clear. I proceed with the opening of the hatch.»
Shortly after, a rectangular door opened slowly from a side of the rocket, while a ladder began to unravel mechanically to the ground. Anna started down towards it and Jordan didn’t hesitate to follow her.
«It seems impossible that such a monster can lift from the ground» Jordan commented casually as he reached the foot of the ladder behind Anna. «Do you know how much it weighs? And what propellant it uses?»
«Oh, I promise you’ll change idea during the launch» she replied with a tone that sounded almost villainous. «However, of course I know. In total it weighs eleven point five tons, of which eight point three are of propellant only, that is methane and liquid oxygen. More commonly known as methalox» the girl began to climb up the ladder and Jordan followed her. «We’ll be thrust into space by a force of three hundred thousand Newtons and we’ll endure a maximum acceleration of eleven point five g. But consider that this number refers to the terrestrial g, that’s three times the Martian one. Three minutes after the lift-off we’ll finally enter the orbit and we’ll begin the docking manoeuvres with the Odysseus.»
«In your speech I find more ways to die than to make it. I mean, I gather that our percentage of survival is quite low.»
«That’s it.»
«I wish I didn’t know.»
«Want to know a fun fact?» the girl continued.
«Uhm, sounds better, go ahead.»
«Odysseus is the name of a mythological character, you know, one of the legends from Earth. He’s also known by the name Ulysses. Ulysses had a dog, the name of the dog was Argus. Argus was very loyal to Ulysses, he would always go to him and recognize him even after many years. Did you get it? Argus and Odysseus, the ascent vehicle that lifts off and goes to the mother spaceship!»
«You just made it all up, didn’t you?»
The girl let out a chuckle that sounded slightly nervous.
«No, imbecile! That’s history, you should study more!»
«Well, then, I just hope Argus is still as loyal to his master as you claim.»
The ladder led them straight into the crew module, they were at a height of about four meters. Jordan looked down out of curiosity and was crossed by a chill. He was clearly about to get on the top of a freaking rocket. On one hand it felt fantastic and he couldn’t wait to see how it was to be launched into space, but on the other hand he was beginning to accept the fact that it might be the end of him, matter-of-factly. Just in front of the capsule entrance, Anna turned to him.
«Listen, usually the commander sits in the centre. But I believe it’s more appropriate if I sit there, since I know what to do. You’ll be at my left, agree?»
«Yeah yeah, certainly, go ahead» the boy hurried to say and his friend slipped with her feet through the open hatch.
When Jordan leaned to peek over the entrance, he was taken over by confusion: at the bottom of a narrow passage he saw Anna laying on what looked more like a cradle than a chair. He tried to quickly get rid of every distress and, just as Anna did, he sat on the edge of the hatch and then slipped into the cabin, deflecting to the left not to end up on the girl. He found himself in a small, narrow space: three seats/cradles were placed in front of three illuminated screens that showcased data and graphs. Jordan didn’t know much about it all, but he imagined it was the on-board telemetry. Down, in front of Anna, there was a hand control that was very similar to the one they used to drive the Atenavan. Jordan figured Anna was going to use it to manoeuvre the Argus during the docking to the Odysseus.
«Lay down like me» she instructed as soon as he was by her side and Jordan obeyed in silence.
Needless to say, he had his heart in his mouth. And so he found himself tied up to that cradle with his feet up in the air. All his hopes were in Anna who had been studying all of it for a long time, and in Yan, who was going to follow Anna’s instructions on the ground. Right next to him, on the wall, there was a porthole from which he only discerned the fading colour of the sky. Perhaps, if he had leaned a little bit, he could see Mars’ horizon. But for the moment he preferred remaining perfectly still, fearing that any small movement could compromise the launch.
«Where will we dock?» he asked.
«To the service module. However now I’d request you not to talk to me, please, until we’re in space. I’ll explain everything afterwards.»
The boy sighed and didn’t reply.
«Rubentes Terrae, Argus here. We are inside the capsule, do you copy?»
«I copy you» Yan’s voice replied, it sounded so distant already… «I’m now switching to the air-to-ground communication.»
«Roger.»
«Switched to air-to-ground communication, do you copy?»
«Affirmative.»
«I proceed to the closure of the hatch.»
A mechanic noise resounded behind them and slowly the dim light of the sun was obscured, leaving them to the artificial illumination of the capsule. A following metallic clack indicated the hatch had sealed.
«Can you confirm the closure of the hatch?»
«I confirm.»
«The on-board computers are in a launch configuration?»
«Affirmative. Do you remember all the steps I told you?»
«Yes. I proceed to close the cabin venting valves.»
«And all the timeframes?»
«Yes, Anna. Now let me focus.»
The girl sighed deeply as if calming down her nerves. A moment of silence followed, Jordan had began taking long, deep breaths. He felt the moment approaching.
«Time: minus fifteen minutes. Activating the inertial navigation systems» Yan’s voice resumed.
This time Anna didn’t reply. Long minutes of silence passed and no one of them dared to move.
«Time: minus six minutes. The automatic launch sequence is ready for ignition.»
«Wait for T minus twenty-nine seconds» Anna articulated.
«Roger. Time: minus five minutes and fifteen seconds. Activating the operational instrumentation recorder.»
«Time: minus five minutes. Activating the Auxiliary Power Unit and the on-board telemetry» Anna’s voice said, after Jordan saw her moving her hands on the touch-screens in front of them.
Some more minutes of silence passed. Jordan’s heartbeat continued to accelerate and any attempt to keep calm seemed useless. He heard Anna sigh deeply as they both observed the countdown in a corner of the screen. There was less than a minute left by now.
«Time: minus twenty-nine seconds. Main engine start.»
Jordan gasped. The entire structure was crossed by an unexpected quiver, a roar seemed to spread to the horizon and he felt suddenly fragile.
When Anna spoke again, her voice sounded less convinced, more resigned.
«Ignition confirmed.»
Jordan knew exactly why. All the three of those seats had to be occupied. But now one was empty. And that absence was
overwhelming. They were leaving Yan behind. They were leaving everything behind. Although they were still hearing the boy’s voice, he wasn’t with them anymore. He was far off. He was of another world.
«Time–»
Jordan felt his right hand being squeezed by Anna’s.
«–minus ten seconds. Nine, eight, seven,» Jordan tightened his grip on Anna’s hand.
«Six, five, four, three–»
«Goodbye» Anna’s voice whispered.
«– two, one. Lift-off.»
Jordan found himself breathlessly pressed against his seat by a sudden force. He struggled to inhale and exhale from his nose. He would never expect anything like that. His gaze was glued to a number on the screen that kept increasing, it had gone in a flash from 0.37g to 5.8g and it continued to grow. Several seconds passed during which Jordan focused on his breathing only, as it had become quite a difficult activity.
At a certain point he heard Yan’s voice again.
«Successful lift-off at 6:55 WST[23] on Kanya 7th, 239, from the Huygens Crater, with an acceleration of fifty-nine point twenty-six meters per second squared.»
The pression kept increasing. Jordan continued to remain still, his gaze fixed in front of him, imagining the explosive combustion, flames and sparks, happening just few meters behind his back, pushing him straight into space. In that moment he couldn’t think of anything else.
«Time: plus one hundred seconds. Minus one minute and twenty seconds to orbit insertion.»
Jordan’s gaze didn’t move from the indicator showing the gravitational acceleration. It kept increasing continuously and ruthlessly. It had by now reached 10g. and Jordan wasn’t breathing anymore. It was all about seconds and he continued to repeat it in his mind. Few seconds only and, in a way or another, it all would finish. When the indicator touched 11g, Jordan closed his eyes. He heard Yan’s voice as a distant noise.
«Acceleration: one hundred and eight point eight meters per second squared. Time: minus five, four, three, two, one... Orbit insertion! Ladies and gentlemen, welcome in space!»
As soon as the countdown finished, the acceleration ceased. All of a sudden. Jordan was stricken with dizziness and motion sickness, he felt like he was suddenly precipitating, but when he opened his eyes he noticed everything was still and he was still bounded to the seat. And as if by magic, everything seemed to become suddenly more lightweight. Or rather, totally weightless. The precipitation feeling persisted and Jordan went pale, but then he slowly realized that everything was fine. He saw the Odysseus manual floating placidly in front of them before Anna caught it to move it away. Rather than magic, that was physics. He was speechless, realizing he really was still alive, and a wave of intense euphoria spread inside him.