by Raymond Bean
The screen immediately displayed an animation of a rocket deploying a long thin sheet in space.
I continued. “Four other rockets would then attach themselves to each corner of the sheet. These rockets would be able to hover in space, holding each corner of the sheet in place to capture the asteroid as it zooms toward Earth.”
The high-tech machine took a few seconds, but the screen created an animation similar to the images I had imagined.
“This program is absolutely amazing!” I said.
“Much cooler than a turkey sandwich?” Sir Robert joked.
“Let’s hear the rest of your idea, Benji,” Dad said. “Don’t lose your concentration.”
“Well, when the asteroid makes contact with the mesh, the four rockets will fire,” I said. “This would allow us to remotely lower the asteroid to Earth safely.”
I couldn’t believe that in only a few minutes the program managed to create what I was seeing in my mind. I had worried that the plan was a little far-fetched, but seeing it there on the screen, I felt it was possible.
“Begin production of materials,” Sir Robert told the program.
“What will that do?” I asked.
“It will send the plans to my team, and they can get to work on it right away.”
“That’s astonishing,” Dad said.
“It’s technology, Mr. Franklin.”
“I love it,” I said.
“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Sir Robert said.
$$$
We touched down about three hours later at his facility in the desert. The place looked like a scene from Star Wars. There were several buildings built around what looked like a futuristic airport.
People worked busily everywhere I looked.
He had more jets, race cars, and rockets than I could have imagined. Many of them looked like rockets that had been used a long time ago. “I’m a bit of a collector,” he said.
The luxury aircraft came to a stop, and we climbed out and onto the runway. He and Dad talked about the early days of aviation as he gave us a tour of his facility. I could tell Dad was having the time of his life. As the sun was setting Sir Robert said, “I’d like to show you gentlemen my most prized project. Follow me.”
We walked to a large building on the far side of the runway. It was buzzing with activity. There were people in bright red suits assembling what looked like spacecraft.
“This is the future, Benji,” said Sir Robert. “You’re looking at my prize possession. It’s the next step in aviation and the craft that will lead humanity into space in large numbers.”
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was the most advanced rocket ship I’d ever seen, and I’d seen them all online before.
“This is a top secret machine,” he continued. “Every part you see is made right here at the space center. I don’t take any chances on getting a poor product or on other people learning what I’m up to. I hope I can count on you two to help keep my secret.”
“Of course,” Dad said.
“I’m just trying to figure out what it can do,” I said, looking at the scene in front of me. This wasn’t a sci-fi movie. This was the real deal!
“These are low-orbit ships,” explained Sir Robert. “Their missions will be programmed ahead of time and no pilots are needed. All you do is open the door, get in, and off you go into the great beyond. Space tourists will get into low orbit, take a few pictures, shoot some video, and basically have the time of their lives.”
“It’s the coolest idea I’ve ever heard!” I said.
“We have several ships completed and ready to go. I was just waiting for the right time to test them. We’ll use your asteroid plan as the reason to launch them into space.”
CHAPTER 17
Suit Up!
That night, Mom called to see how things were going and check if I’d be going to school the next day. Dad told her that the things I was experiencing were too extraordinary to miss and I would probably be out for a few days.
After dinner, one of Sir Robert’s assistants showed Dad and me to a small building at the edge of the airport. “You gentlemen will be staying here for the next few days, so make yourselves comfortable,” he said. “Please let me know if you need anything.”
He gave us each a laptop that accessed my data from Dad’s satellite and gave us access to all of Sir Robert’s data, too. His satellites were so much more advanced than the one Dad launched. They even had live video feeds from space.
Dad and I were up half the night checking out the satellite data. We must have fallen asleep really late because the next thing I knew, it was morning. I was drooling on the couch and Dad was snoring on the floor.
There was a knock at the front door. It was Sir Robert. He came in and sat next to me on the couch. “I see that you two are settling in.”
“We spent most of the night exploring your satellites,” Dad said. “They’re really fantastic!”
“That’s kind of you to say, but I’m just as amazed that you got something up into orbit that functions as a satellite using scrap parts,” he said to Dad.
“You haven’t seen our property,” I said. “It’s not your average scrap heap. It’s like a storage yard full of everything you can imagine. Dad’s been messing around with mechanical things for so long he can build anything.”
“I’m just a hobby builder,” Dad said.
“My own father was the same way,” Dad added. “One time he built me a hovercraft out of a wading pool, a microwave oven, and an electric toothbrush.”
“That’s absolutely amazing!” Sir Robert said.
“Yeah,” said Dad. “It didn’t go very far, but I had the cleanest teeth in the state.”
“I grew up in private schools full of nannies and tutors,” Sir Robert said. “I’ve always been book smart, but I’ve never been a do-it-yourself-er. It’s good for me to spend this time with you two. You’re true inventors in the purest sense.”
“And you’re a super inventor,” I told him. “This place is like Disneyland.”
“I’m happy to share it with you,” he replied, smiling. “We have a busy day planned, but I thought we could have a little fun before we rolled up our sleeves and got to work today.”
“Can we fly in one of your ships?” I asked.
“There’s no better time than the present.”
The ship he showed us could carry two to four passengers. Sir Robert pressed a button on the outside of the ship and three seats popped up. They were large, comfortable-looking and sat next to each other in an arc.
The ship was like a large toy. It reminded me of a WaveRunner, but about three times the size. It had small wings on each side. It looked like it could be part of a ride at an amusement park. I couldn’t believe this little thing would be able to carry us into outer space.
“Can it really take us into outer orbit?” I asked.
“It’s more than capable. In fact, I think you’ll be surprised at how easily the Day Tripper can take us on a round-trip. Are you gents ready for your first taste of space?”
Dad looked like he was about to pop with excitement. If he were a kid he’d be jumping up and down. “I’m ready,” Dad said. “I’ve been ready for this moment since I was a kid.”
“Me too,” I said sarcastically.
“Benji, when your father and I were children people thought that we’d be able to visit space in our lifetime. But technology didn’t deliver it fast enough for me. That’s why I decided to create the technology I wanted on my own terms.”
“Have you been up before?” I asked.
“This will be my tenth trip up. Only a handful of people have been up so far. I’m proud to inform you that you’ll be the first, uh, non-adult I put into space.”
A man rolled up to us with a cart containing three folded-up space suits.
“Here are the suits you requested, Sir Robert.”
“Thank you, Arthur. We’ll be off in about ten minutes. Please alert the team and the tower.”
“Will do, sir.”
Before I knew it, Dad was seated on the floor and had his suit half on. “Well, I’m thrilled to see you’re so excited,” Mr. Dransling said. “Let’s suit up and get up there!”
Moments later, we were seated in the ship. It really did feel like an amusement park ride. When the engine turned on, it wasn’t as loud as I’d expected.
I sat in the middle seat between Dad and Sir Robert. The control panel was really simple. I’d expected it to be full of gadgets and gizmos, but it wasn’t. There were cameras showing us a view of the rear and each side of the craft. There was a touch screen in front of each seat giving data such as time, temperature, speed, and so on.
There were several interactive touch tabs: tower comm, video, e-mail, notes, music, and GPS.
That was it. The inside of the ship was simple, clean, and really modern. There was even a drink holder. I wondered if it really kept the drinks in the holder or they simply flew around the ship once it reached zero gravity.
Ah, zero G!! I’d always wanted to go to space, and I’m sure the view is amazing, but the real reason I’d always wanted to go to space was to experience weightlessness.
“Sir Robert, will we be able to experience zero gravity in the ship?” I asked.
“Of course!” he said. “What would a trip to outer space be without experiencing zero G?”
“But, the cockpit ceiling is so low and the area we’re sitting in is so tight,” Dad said. “I don’t understand.”
“Trust me. You’ll experience zero gravity.”
We all buckled in and the ship pulled slowly out of the hangar.
It was a perfect day; there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. We rolled along the runway, picking up speed. In twenty seconds, the front tipped up and the ship took flight. It was amazing how safe I felt.
We slowly gained altitude. Before I knew it, we were above the clouds. “How are you guys feeling?” Sir Robert asked.
“Fantastic,” I said. “I can’t believe we don’t need helmets or anything.”
“I’m so used to seeing astronauts in heavy gear,” Dad added.
“That was one of my main goals with this little ship,” said Sir Robert. “I wanted the passengers to feel like they were in a car.”
“Or an X-wing fighter!” I said.
“Go ahead and recline if you’d like. The button is on the side of your seat. When we get into outer orbit you may want to lay your seat back completely to get a better look at the stars.”
“I’m fine,” I said feeling my first bit of nervousness. I didn’t want to admit that I was worried, but all of a sudden I was getting more and more nervous by the minute.
The numbers showing our altitude were climbing so fast I couldn’t read them and the speed was picking up pretty dramatically. We were climbing quickly. I knew that in a matter of minutes we’d either be in outer space or in a million pieces!
I thought about Mom and how she’d be worried out of her mind if she knew what Dad and I were doing. “Can I call my mom once we’re out of Earth’s orbit?” I asked.
“Of course. You can call her whenever you like,” Sir Robert said. I relaxed a little and couldn’t wait to get high enough to see Earth as a blue ball floating in space.
The ship climbed and climbed until I could feel a difference. The engine cut off and the ship seemed to float.
“Did you know that once you’ve reached an altitude of 50 miles above the planet you are, by definition, an astronaut?” Sir Robert asked.
I looked at the touch screen and we were at 62 miles and counting.
“Welcome to space, gentlemen,” he said.
It was such a strange sensation looking back on the planet. It was just like I’d seen it in videos and pictures, but it was real.
Dad literally had a tear in his eye.
For a split second, I felt like I might cry (or throw up!). It was overwhelming.
I was in outer space!
CHAPTER 18
Zero Gravity
“Hi, Mom, I’m in space. What are you doing?”
“What do you mean you’re in space? Where’s your father?” she asked.
“I’m right here,” Dad said leaning over so she could see his face.
“You’re kidding, right?”
“I’m happy to report, madam, that your two fellows are officially astronauts and are safely orbiting the blue marble as we speak.”
“What are you doing in space!”
“It’s fine, Mom. It’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. Sir Robert’s ship is so comfortable you wouldn’t even believe it’s a spaceship.”
“I wish you would have called to let me know before deciding to blast off.”
“It all happened so fast,” Dad said. “It seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime.”
“I’ll have them safely back on the ground in less than twenty minutes, Mum.”
I thought it was a little odd that he called Mom, Mum. I could tell by the look on her face that she didn’t like it. “All right, but you call me the second you’re back on Earth!” Mom insisted.
“Roger that,” I said, hanging up.
“You were wondering about zero gravity,” Sir Robert reminded me. “Press the button on your touch pad.”
A clickable button appeared on my touch pad that read Zero Gravity. I pressed the button and immediately the glass cover above our heads rose up. It stretched up about fifteen feet before stopping.
Sir Robert unclicked his harness and rolled forward into zero gravity. “Feel free to unbuckle when you’re ready.”
“Let’s go!” Dad said enthusiastically.
I clicked the button on my harness and immediately felt weightless. Rather than stay in my seat like I would have on Earth, I gently floated out. I reached out to grab something to balance myself and ended up grabbing Dad’s ankle. Sir Robert was already about five feet above us and doing somersaults. I noticed a pen fall out of his pocket and float in the air near him.
I pushed off Dad’s ankle and propelled up toward the ceiling of the ship. I tucked my knees up to my chest and rotated over in a flip. “This is the absolute best thing ever! We’ve got to get Mom up here one day,” I said.
“You can e-mail her a video of the entire flight. The ship records everything,” Sir Robert said.
“Can I have a copy?” I asked.
“If your plan to capture the asteroid works, you can have more than that,” he said.
For the first time since I climbed into the ship, I thought about the real reason we’d come to the desert. We were there to help capture an asteroid. It was time to return to Earth and get to work. Sir Robert clicked a button and the ceiling started lowering back to its original size. We all buckled back in and began our descent to Earth. I took one last look at the planet from space.
“Soak it up, Benji,” Dad said. “You may never get an opportunity to visit space again.”
“I’m quite certain this is the first of many space flights for young Master Franklin,” Sir Robert said.
“I hope you’re right,” I said.
“Trust me,” he said. “You’ll be back.”
CHAPTER 19
Nice Catch!
It was a good thing that we got an early start on all the preparations because the asteroid was traveling faster than we originally realized. After about a week of people working around the clock at the facility we were ready to put my plan into motion. Dad and I stayed in New Mexico the whole week. Since we were working, Mom decided to stay and help out in Shiny Desert until we were ready to head home.
Dad, Sir Robert, and I went back into space in one of his ships before the rockets were l
aunched. One of his teams stayed at the facility and another prepared the landing spot for the asteroid. Once we were in space Sir Robert handed me the digital screen that controlled the rockets. “The moment of truth has arrived, Benji.”
I took a deep breath. There was so much adrenaline rushing through my body I felt like I might burst. “What if this doesn’t work?” I asked.
“What if it does?” he said.
“It will be the most amazing thing ever,” I said.
“Then let’s do the most amazing thing ever!”
Dad patted me on the back. “Let’s do it. It’s time to put things in motion.”
On my screen I had a view of the asteroid. It was approaching exactly as we’d planned. I clicked the button to launch the first four rockets. The video from the ground showed all four firing and launching. I waited a few seconds and clicked to launch the fifth rocket containing the graphene mesh. It blasted off exactly as planned.
“Phase one complete,” Sir Robert said.
We watched the video screens from each rocket and the coordinates of where they were located. Within minutes, they were in place.
They were each programmed to carry out the mission, but if anything went wrong, I had the ability to override the program from our ship.
The fifth rocket released the graphene mesh and cut its engines as planned. The other four maneuvered into position. Each one docked into a corner of the mesh, spreading it out like a gigantic space web. We zoomed closer in our ship for a visual inspection of the setup. I felt like I was dreaming. There I was in space about to catch an asteroid!
“Is this really happening?” I asked Dad as we circled the mesh.
“It is really happening,” Dad said. “Don’t ask me how, but it’s happening!”
“We better move to a safer distance,” Sir Robert said. “This is all going to happen very fast.”