by Sean Clark
Chapter 23
“Medbay reporting, over.” The biggest screen in the middle plays a video of a woman, talking to the camera. Behind her, Cecil can see the familiar clean environment of the medbay and the bright fluorescent light that were ever present. The video loops to begin playing back the same recording. The volume mostly cuts out, but Cecil keeps listening to the faintly reminiscent voice.
Atreo clears his voice loudly, causing Cecil to jump. “Mission control to Medbay. Tulia, this transmission is to be kept to your eyes only.” Cecil perks up at the mention of the name, while Atreo prattles on. “We need to know if any of the crew has reported signs of an infection, resembling staph or meningitis. Conduct random tests if no cases present themselves. Please confirm, over.”
Turning his chair around, Atreo peers back over the mostly empty room, locking eyes with Cecil. “What do we do if she confirms the situation?” Cecil askes, staring back at the stern-looking man. “What if there is a virus up there, silently running rampant?”
“I’ve already begun mapping out plans of action, running numbers and the works.” Lia explains, beside Cecil.
“Like she says, Mr. Ruiz… we have to take this one step at a time.” Atreo shifts out of the chair, stepping down from the platform to walk towards the two, arms crossed behind his back.
“It sounds like there’s no contingency for something like this.” Cecil replies assuredly.
Atreo approaches Cecil and looks down upon him. “You should know better than that Ruiz. Nothing ever goes according to plan.” Bits of spit fly at Cecil as the man seethes at him. “How about your expedition? Did it go to plan? In cases like these, you just have to react. There is only so much you can prepare for.”
“Sir, if I may pass along some information…” Lia interrupts. “In the case they confirm our fears… our suspicions, there is only a short amount of time they would likely be able to deal with the situation themselves. Depending on how many people need to be actively treated, the antibiotics they have on hand will only last a short amount of time.”
“Lia, this isn’t the time. I know.” Atreo turns to look up at the big screens on the wall absentmindedly. “This situation may have slipped through my fingers, but this isn’t a time to lose our heads.”
“Then we can’t waste any time, even these precious few minutes before that response comes back to us.” Lia steps up behind Atreo daintily, pulling on his shoulder.
“I know that, damn it.” Atreo shrugs her hand off. “Believe me… these five years I’ve held this position, I’ve attempted to foresee any possible problems that may come to pass, and to make sure that there is always a way to remedy them. I’ve studied the profiles of every astronaut and every manifest going up there. Those are my men and women up there, and I am prepared to shoulder the blame should anything happen to them.”
Lia takes a step back, eyes pointed down at the floor. In the dim light of the monitors, Cecil can see a small drop fall from her eye and onto the ground. “Daddy.” Lia speaks, looking down at her hands. “I understand now why you act like you do. So many times when I was a little girl, you would come home late after working all day long. All through high school, I barely even saw you. I barely heard from you, either. It wasn’t until I came home from college after my first year that I learned that you and mom broke up and were living in different places.” Lia sniffs, her voice becoming choked up and hoarse. “I worked hard myself too, making sure I would get here to be here by your side. Now I know why you were so distant to me and mom. Your thoughts were always about the mission.”
Cecil stares wide eyed at the two, the air between the two tense like a rubber band. Atreo remains stationary, staring in the opposite direction. His foot twitches slightly. Cecil peers over to Lia, adjusting her glasses after rubbing at her nose.
The screen against the forward wall flashes red and white, replacing the looping video. A beep echoes through the room, repeating at the same speed as the flashing. Lia quickly turns on her heel, her shoes clacking as she walks to the desk to starting mashing at keyboard. Once again, Tulia’s face pops up on the screen.
“Medbay to Mission Control. I have one crew member in quarantine at the moment. I put him there just as a preventative measure after said patient described flu-like symptoms to me. I didn’t test for anything, but to think it might be staph? I will take a sample to make sure, and will start administering antibiotics as necessary. I shall begin to test the others he’s been in contact with but… Please advise on further steps. Over.”
The screen goes dark. Lia had been sitting at the desk, fiddling with the mouse, mirroring her own screen. Atreo paces. “Well shit… it might have already started. We need to start preparing if this thing really becomes--.” The beeping plays through the room again, interrupting Atreo. The screen flashes in synch. “Who could it be this time?”
A familiar growling comes through the speakers as the screen lights up. The man displayed in front of them has thick features and a brow that seemed like it’s natural position was furrowed. “Atreo, I need an explanation as to what is going on inside my station! Why are you frightening my medical staff with threats of infectious diseases? God damn this delay…”
The screen flashes off again. Lia looks up at Atreo who blinks at the now blank display. She speaks up. “Do you want to return a message to him now, father… sir?”
“No, I’ll deal with Cassius later.” Atreo shakes his head. “Tell me, Lia, when is the next opening for a launch?”
Lia taps furiously at the keyboard, bringing up a series of windows. “There is a scheduled launch fifteen months from now. However, in three months, a smaller unmanned supply ship will be lifting off, when the planets are in position.”
“That won’t do.” Atreo taps his foot loudly. “If this thing breaks out, we need enough supplies- antibiotics- to stop it in its tracks. A crew to, that would have to be trained to handle it. Can that be arranged in that time?” Atreo walks back to the desk, leaning down close to Lia.
“It would be a big stretch.” Lia shakes her head furiously, biting at her lip. “There are only so many of those things that we could prepare in such a small window of time. If only we could delay the launch…”
“My dear, you said it yourself.” Atreo leans in, putting his hand softly on Lia’s shoulder. “If we wait until the situation seems adequately bad up there, it will already be too late. Bring in anyone you need to help. You’ve already shown yourself more than capable.”
Lia turns back to the screen, shielding her eyes from Atreo. “It’s… possible to outfit another ship in lieu of the one that is currently set to be launched. However, finding a crew will be the hard part. We have a limited amount of people who would be ready to leave planet.” Lia battles the keyboard, scrolling through various pages. “More so, they would have to be trained and prepared for a worst-case scenario. A lot can happen during the time the crew is in transit, if it does turn out bad up there.”
Cecil feels his legs shaking. He licks his lips, preparing himself to speak, his heart pounding increasingly louder. “I’ll go.”
Lia and Atreo both turn to look up at him. Atreo’s eyebrows furrow, standing up straight to walk over to Cecil. Cecil braces himself, but Atreo takes a deep breath before starting to speak. “That’s brave… but also damned crazy. You know the risks of cryo sleep as well… going through it again will put even more stress on your body. I can’t have it.”
“I know that place better than anybody here on Earth. Besides… I’m already vaccinated against the bacteria.” Cecil stares Atreo in the eyes. The stern man purses his lips, moustache dancing around under his nose.
“I know you’re not fit, Mr. Ruiz. But… I’ll give you month to prepare yourself for this, mentally and physically. Any longer, and you get left behind. We can’t have you being a burden on this trip. Are you prepared for this?”
Cecil gulps. “Yes.”
Atreo turns quickly without another look, returning to the front of t
he room. “Well then, we can’t let Ruiz be the only on in on this. Lia, call the team back in here. We need to get them briefed… let them know the situation.”
Lia stands up quickly and heads to the back of the room. Cecil’s hands grasp tightly to the armrests of the chair, thoughts running through his head about the decision he had just made.
Chapter 24
“Mother… I miss you. I miss your voice, and your presence. When I came back here and realized you were truly gone, the world seemed different to me. Reality seemed different. Sometimes, I feel like I’m not myself because you are not here to be my strength.”
Cecil sits on the ground, running the short, fine blades of grass between his fingers. The subtle moisture in the ground beneath starts to soak into his pants. The low sun casts a glow on the gravestone, emitting a faint warmth from the hard surface. Cool wind whips around, whistling lightly around Cecil’s body. He pulls the collar of the jacket up around his neck.
“Somehow, though… I feel like somehow, I realized that it wasn’t just you giving me strength, but rather you believing in me so I could stay strong myself. It was with that strength that I was able to help others. Sometimes I feel weak, useless… but I know now it’s a feeling I have to fight… that it’s all in my head. Right now, I have to try extra hard because people need me. You told me that I could do anything if I tried… because the power was in me all along. I think finally realized that. Thank you.”
Cecil leans forward, his fingers running over the rough stone of the tablet embedded into the ground. Mrs. Maria Ruiz, reads the deep etchings in the material. Cecil flexes his legs to push himself up, standing over the grave one last time.
Turning around, Cecil spies Alika leaning against the tree nearby, attempting to keep the layers of clothing around him from flying up in the wind. Cecil walks slowly in his direction, as Alika pushes himself off the tree to meet Cecil halfway.
“Are you ready, then?” Alika asks, nose stuffy.
“I think I’ve said what was needed to be said… what I needed to say all along.” Cecil nods. The two amble through the neatly trimmed grass and back onto the pavement where the car had been parked. Cecil hops in, Alika following. The wind jostles around the small car just slightly as Cecil fiddles with the keys buried in his pocket.
“When I came back home… one of the first thoughts that came to my mind was seeing her… the grave here.” Cecil holds the key ring in his hand for a moment, looking down at the shiny metal. “I was glad to find out she was buried in a place like this. The service made good arrangements in my stead. She would have liked it, I think. I’m happy knowing she was cared for even though I couldn’t be here for her. Everything was arranged nicely in her will, even if it was simple.”
“I am truly impressed.” Alika nods slowly. “Let’s get back. We shouldn’t make them wait.”
Cecil stares out the windshield, looking at the stretches of headstones sticking out of the ground, enlaced by neatly trimmed hedges, and the flag flapping around wildly atop the pole. The air in the car is still, but frigid. Removing his scarf, Cecil throws it in the back seat and takes the key to slide it into the ignition.
The drive back into town lasts about forty minutes. Cecil peeks out over the gulf on his right, glancing back and forth between the water and the road. The chilly whitecaps knock at the embankment several yards from the road. The coast and the road slowly curves outwards as they continue back into Houston.
The city begins to rise up in the distance. Just adjacent, the tall, plain buildings of the space center come into view. Sighing, Alika finally breaks the silence. “Are you scared, Cecil?”
“Yes.”
Chapter 25
Atreo looked different. He paces in the front of the room, old fashioned white board posed behind him, holding a mess of scribbles and bullet points. The old man’s hair had been buzzed short, and his signature grey moustache had come off with it. He could have been at least 10 years younger, Cecil had thought to himself.
“We have five days before takeoff, but only three until the ship is loaded.” Atreo addresses the group. Cecil sits with the four others; a mixed group, each portraying a varying emotion about the situation. One of the men Cecil recognizes as the man who had drove him and Lia around before; Linus it was.
“That means all of you. Let me take you through the process, kids. Cryosleep. The procedure is harmless… you won’t feel it. You won’t even have to get on the ship by yourself; you get loaded like cargo. Waking up is… another story, though. Coming out of cryo is considered much worse, and the rehabilitation can be lengthy. When you all wake up, it will be a different world. Literally.
We face a bigger issue this time, though. When we arrive after our six-month journey, there is a possibility that the station there may have already fallen completely to the infection. For all of you, you will wake up knowing no more than when you went to sleep. At that point, a new briefing may take place, but we’re hoping the situation will remain stable. I will be the sole administrator on the ship, awake for the voyage and in contact with both Mission Control here on Earth and with Cassius on Mars. Normally, a voyage like this requires more than one administrator in the case that one falls ill or dies.”
“Dies of boredom.” One of the men quips. Atreo continues without flinching.
“We can’t afford that luxury this time. In the case that something does happen to me, mission control will override the system and release the cryo sleep pods. You will be able to come out of it on your own, but there would be no one within thousands of miles who would be there to monitor vitals and step in if something goes wrong.
Among you, Ruiz is the only person who has undergone the process. If I somehow cannot fulfil my duties, I hope that he will be able to step up to guide you through your trip to the planet. In the case of needing an unmanned landing, the ship’s guidance and the station’s computers will be able to guide you all to the surface. Any questions?” He stops, facing the men intently, posed like a toy soldier.
“No sir!” The men shout in unison.
“Good.” Atreo claps his hands together. “For now, you’ve learned all you’re going to need while you’re up there. Tomorrow, I want you all to go out and enjoy your last day as a proper Earthling… for possibly a long time. After that… there’s no turning back. Dismissed.”
Cecil sits in the chair silent, the other men around him. Someone taps on his shoulder. “I’m sorry for before.” Linus had scooted his chair up by Cecil’s side. “I hadn’t slept in two days then… they had us working that shit. Well, your shit, actually. But we’re good now.” He smiles a toothy smile, sending an elbow into Cecil’s ribs.
“I understand.” Cecil says cynically, returning the elbow. Linus responds with a dry cough. “Sorry.” Cecil apologizes, tapping the man on the back.
“No, you’re good.” Linus rubs his eyes before tapping himself on the chest with the side of his fist.
“Just be prepared for some sleepless nights on Mars, as well.” Cecil explains. “Getting to sleep there at the start is tough. It’s like you have to try to force yourself to sleep sometimes.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Does it really not hurt… being frozen?”
“It… feels weird.” Cecil looks up at the ceiling. “It doesn’t hurt though… really, it’s over before you know it.”
“Does… does the thought ever go through your head before you go under… that you might not wake up from it?” Linus says, resting his arms on his knees, head turned up at Cecil.
“If you had asked me that another time, I would have said that such an option would be preferred.” Cecil says darkly. “However, right now… I think there are bigger things to worry about… it’s not just our lives at stake.”
Linus tears his eyes away, turning to hang his head. “Heh, you’re right.” He admits, nodding his head softly. “What are your plans for tomorrow?”
“Alika… my friend has one more movie he wants to show me.” Cecil taps
a finger to his lips. “Some old sci-fi, back when all this was just fiction.”
“That sounds nice. Have fun… I guess I’ll see you in a couple days then.”
◆◆◆
Cecil steps into the body suit. It clings tight around his arms and legs, stretched across the muscles in his chest. The others had begun zipping theirs up as well, shifting around to spread the spandex evenly up and down their arms. Atreo remains in his suit, but the fancy coveralls, complete with military patches, hangs on the wall.
The doors burst open and Lia crashes through, running on her toes over to Atreo. Jumping up on him, her arms drape around his neck, standing on her tiptoes. “Daddy, be safe up there. I’ll be watching, listening from down here.”
Atreo grabs her around the waist to set her back down, ruffling her hair with his hand. He parts the hair on her forehead, planting a kiss on the bare skin. “Honey, I’ll be fine. As for you… you better not have gotten married before I get back.”
She pushes away from him playfully, giving a ‘hmph’ sound. One of the aids in white coveralls and shoe covers ushers her to the side. Atreo walks in front of Cecil and the group of men, who line up in front of him out of reflex. The old man takes a deep breath, pacing back and forth between them.
“This is the moment. Before you know it, you will find yourself on Mars. For me, it will be almost six long months. But for you all, it will be just a blink of an eye. Remember that. Even though you will know it, it will be hard to believe nonetheless. For now, though, just take a deep breath and take in your last few memories of Earth you will have for the next years or so.”
“Sir.” They announce in unison once again, Cecil joining in this time.
The group turns on point, beginning their march to the set of double doors. On the other side, the cold sterile floor meets Cecil’s feet. Treading lightly, he finds himself behind a big glass screen.