T-Minus Two

by K. G. MacGregor

  “I’m proud of you too. I’m also proud of me. Here I am forty-three years old with a trophy astronaut on my arm.”

  “I can’t even begin to know what that means.”

  “It means I’ve won a prize.” Jancey burrowed deeper under the towel as a breeze rippled through the nearby palms. “You know what’s interesting to me? I’m even more excited about Tenacity than I was before. All because I had it, lost it and got it back again. Isn’t that weird?”

  Mila chuckled. “Not really. I feel the same way about you. I’d finally gotten used to believing we were going to be together forever. Next thing I know, Grace tells me you’re at the airport.”

  “About that…” Jancey sat up and wrapped the towel around her shoulders, leaving Mila to shiver. “It was never about leaving you. I was leaving Tenacity, and I didn’t want to drag you with me. You deserved a shot at your dream.”

  “You’re my dream, Jancey.” She pulled her back down and held her head against her breast.

  “And you’re mine. I didn’t know that for sure until you walked off with my suitcase. That’s when I knew I needed to follow you. I’ve walked away from women all my life. You’re the first one who didn’t just let me go.”

  “And the last one.”

  “Absolutely.” Jancey kissed the hollow of her breasts and stroked the tender skin below her navel. A signal she was ready to make love again. “The last one.”

  Epilogue

  Four years, four months later

  Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India

  “Yes, I hear you just fine,” Shel Montgomery said to the producer, adjusting her earpiece to make sure it stayed put. She was somewhat out of her element on TV, but Tenacity’s official spokesperson was fielding media requests from London.

  At the improvised studio desk with her was BBC’s world news anchor, Rolf Kinlan, a dark-haired middle-aged English gent whose Botox injections seemed to favor one eye at the expense of the other. In front of them, off-camera, was an HD display of the scene inside Tenacity’s launch center, which was being shown to viewers on a split screen. Family and friends of the astronauts sat alongside VIPs and press in bleachers that lined a long red carpet outside the launch center.

  The network had pulled out all the stops to cover the Tenacity launch onsite. And why not? It was the biggest space story since Neil Armstrong walked on the moon.

  “Live in three…two…one.”

  “In case you’re just tuning in,” Kinlan said smoothly, “we’re coming to you live from Andhra Pradesh in southeastern India, where Tenacity III is set to launch three hours and four minutes from now for the first manned flight to Mars. I’m joined here by Shel Montgomery, associate director of media relations for the Tenacity Project. Shel, can you tell our viewers what we see here on the screen?”

  “Sure, Rolf.” Though she lacked his on-air aplomb, she made up for it with insider knowledge and the ability to communicate scientific information to a broad audience in words most could understand. “You’re looking inside what we call the launch hangar. That’s the forward-most structure to the launch pad. The astronauts will exit the building through that hallway. According to our schedule, they’re due any minute.”

  “Extraordinary. The efforts of thousands over a period of ten years…all coming down to these next few hours.”

  “More like the efforts of millions over centuries, going all the way back to the ancient poets who wrote of visiting the heavens. Everything starts with an idea.”

  She was there not only to provide inside commentary and technical information, but to help fill air time as they waited for action. As she spoke of Jules Verne’s 1865 story of space travel, the camera focused on famous faces as they took seats in the bleachers.

  “The rover that was sent to Mars four years ago on Tenacity I, and the second one that followed two years later, have completed their work with the habitat preparation. We’ve gotten confirmation back from the planet that life support is functional…heating, cooling, water…it’s all sitting there like an empty house awaiting the colonists’ arrival. Maybe we can show viewers that slide again—”

  Kinlan interrupted her to describe the scene. “Among the honored guests and dignitaries on hand, that’s US President Warren and her husband greeting Bulgaria’s prime minister.”

  Shel chuckled to herself at his reluctance to stumble over the five-syllable Bulgarian surname.

  He turned back to her. “So tell us, Shel, what sort of morning have the astronauts had so far?”

  “They’ve been up for about four hours.” She walked him through the morning protocol. Breakfast, shower, getting outfitted by the suit techs and going through all the pressure checks.

  “And what about the families? This isn’t an ordinary space launch, at least not the sort to which we’ve become accustomed. These astronauts are leaving Earth today, and if their mission is successful, they’re never coming back. I should think it’s quite poignant.”

  “It is. Their families were on hand last night at our farewell banquet, along with a few of their close friends and a lot of the Tenacity staff, about a hundred of us in all. Not exactly an intimate dinner. Afterward, they retreated with their loved ones to say a private goodbye. Obviously, they’ll have one more chance to wave as they walk out. They should be able to remain in touch through our available technology, but the signals won’t allow—”

  “Sorry to interrupt. I’m told they’re on their way out and should be appearing…”

  A security guard with a handheld radio opened a steel door and out walked Jancey Beaumont and Mila Todorov, all smiles as cameras flashed to record the historic moment. Their gait was stiff and awkward, owing to the cooling tubes and air hoses that ran beneath their royal blue flight suits.

  “Absolutely remarkable,” Kinlan said as the astronauts acknowledged their respective political leaders with a slight bow. “What do you suppose is going through their heads right now?”

  “As you can see, it’s a very emotional moment as they wave their final goodbyes.” She had interviewed most of the family and close friends who had come to see the launch. “The woman in the red coat is Mila Todorov’s grandmother from Bulgaria. I don’t understand a word she says, but I can tell you she’s quite the spitfire. It’s very obvious where Mila gets her intensity.”

  She went on to point out Mila’s mother, her college friend Vio, and her roommate from the Tenacity trials, Andi Toloti. Jancey’s family was also present, though Shel was careful not to point out that her mother and stepfather were seated on one end of the bleachers, while her father and stepmother were on the other.

  “I see some of the other Tenacity crew,” Kinlan remarked. “Marlon Quinn…Fujio Hatsu. Here in support of their colleagues.”

  “Walking behind the astronauts, you also see several members of the closeout crew. Those are the people who led them through the morning checklists and got them ready to roll. And there’s Sir Charles Boyd, the visionary behind the Tenacity Project. The woman pushing his wheelchair is Grace Faraday, also one of the project’s key supporters, and a longtime friend of Major Beaumont.”

  Through their earpieces, the producer told them to cut the conversation so they could go to crowd noise. The cheers were growing louder with every step the astronauts took toward the bus that would take them to the launch pad.

  Despite their smiles and friendly waves, it was clear to Shel they weren’t lingering to drag out their exit. Both turned one last time to salute Grace and Sir Charles, and then strode to the bus with determination.

  “Now they’re riding out to the launch site, which is about six kilometers away. They’ll be met there by the ingress crew to get strapped in and run through the prelaunch checklist.”

  “It’s curious to me, Shel, and I’m sure to our viewers, that a pair of women would be selected as the first colonists on Mars. And correct me if I’m wrong,” Kinlan said as he checked his notes, “that represents a change in the launch order that was announced original
ly. Remind us how that came about.”

  It was Shel’s favorite question, one she’d answered in dozens of interviews. “As you can imagine, there are a number of competing positions on what comprises the ideal characteristics of a Mars colonist team. Physiologically speaking, it’s a pretty even tradeoff between men and women, but the practical considerations actually favor sending two women.”

  She explained the benefits associated with their size and resource needs, noting how they could take nearly four years’ worth of food supplies in the same space where a team of hearty men could take only two.

  “Those are just the scientific reasons, Rolf. The change came about at the request of their fellow astronauts, who felt Beaumont and Todorov were best prepared to lay the foundation for the colony. I’ve talked with them about this, and it means a lot to have the confidence of the teams that will follow. It’s a big responsibility but they feel they’re up to the challenge.”

  * * *

  The elevator rose as high as a forty-story building and opened to three crewmen in yellow jumpsuits. The ingress team.

  The crew chief was Gene Watson, a grizzled veteran of the Kennedy Space Center. “Right this way, ladies.”

  Mila and Jancey left their closeout crew behind and stepped onto the enclosed gangway that connected the elevator platform to the vessel.

  Whether it was excitement about boarding or nervousness at being up so high on a movable bridge, Mila picked up her gait. For the past month, she’d been so consumed with safety that she could barely walk without calculating exactly where her foot would land. One small misstep…a sprained ankle, a broken toe…would have been a reason to cancel her mission. Fifteen more meters and all her doubts would be laid to rest.

  “Hold up just a minute,” Jancey said, grabbing her elbow from behind.

  The crewmen continued to the vessel but waited by the door to allow them to enter first.

  “We aren’t going to have another chance to talk, at least not without the whole world listening in on the comm.”

  Mila nodded toward Gene to let him know they’d be there in a moment. When she turned back to Jancey, she was startled to see her green eyes reflecting the vibrant blue of her flight suit. “Wow, you look amazing.”

  “Me? You were born to wear that suit, Mila. Thanks for getting us here.”

  “I should be the one saying that.”

  Jancey held up a finger toward Gene, stepping closer as she lowered her voice. “Before we step aboard, I want to remind you one last time that I love you. It’s okay to be scared. I’m right here with you.”

  “I’m not scared, Jancey. I’ve been waiting for this day as long as I can remember. And no matter what happens when that rocket lifts off, it’s all perfect for me because it happens with you.”

  * * *

  The HD screen before them showed the rocket on its pad against a bright blue sky. A digital clock counted down the time to launch. T-minus two minutes.

  “We should be getting a signal soon from the launch director,” Shel said. The stream of communications between launch control and the cockpit came in live over their television feed, most of it crackling technical jargon she interpreted for the viewers at home.

  “Tenacity, you’re Go for launch. Lower and lock your visors…initiate O2. Safe journey.”

  Shel referenced her notes as she watched the clock. “Right about now, they’re switching over to internal power…starting the auto-sequencing program. Everything’s mechanized to the millisecond.”

  T-minus nine…eight…seven.

  With her finger pressed to her earpiece, she repeated the words from the launch center. “Confirming a main engine start.”

  Three…two…one.

  A billow of white smoke exploded on both sides of the rocket as it lifted from its track.

  “We have ignition and liftoff.”

  A flawless launch leaving a mountain of orange gases in its wake.

  “Once it leaves the tower, the launch center hands it over to Mission Control.”

  Shel went quiet for a full minute to allow the image to speak for itself. Like everyone else on the inside of the Tenacity Project, she was holding her breath for two more critical stages—the separation of the rocket booster and then the powering down of the vessel’s thrusters.

  “What are the astronauts doing right now?” Kinlan asked, breaking the tension.

  Probably genuflecting, was the first thought to enter her head. Though in truth, it wouldn’t be possible. The pressure from accelerating to nearly 18,000 miles per hour would have them pinned to their seats, unable to lift even their arms.

  “Mission Control is driving this bus, Rolf. They’re just enjoying the ride.”

  The ship was barely visible on their screen, its position noted by a vast vapor trail.

  “We have Stage One separation.”

  She breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Inside the vessel, the violent shaking would have stopped, though they still were accelerating to reach their initial orbit. For the astronauts, that meant six more minutes of feeling as though elephants were sitting on their chests. And for Shel, six long minutes of waiting for word they’d broken through.

  Tenacity was no longer in viewing range of their cameras, and their only information was the audio feed from Mission Control. Sporadic reports of altitude and airspeed. Ongoing systems monitoring. All followed by the expected one-word response from Jancey—Roger.

  After a cue from their producer, Kinlan resumed their commentary. “While we’re waiting for confirmation of orbit, perhaps you can walk us through what happens next. As travelers, we’ve grown dependent on navigation systems to get from one place to the other. Is it that simple for the Tenacity crew?”

  His question would make the anxious minutes pass more quickly, and she’d brought along a diagram, which was now displayed on the screen.

  “Pretty much, Rolf, but Tenacity can’t travel to Mars in a straight line, because Mars is moving too. Eight months from now, it’ll be in a different place.” With a series of color-coded circles, she explained the Hohmann Transfer Orbit, which allowed them to jump from Earth’s orbit to that of Mars. “It’s like taking three buses to get across town.”

  Despite her jovial remarks, the pit of her stomach was knotted with growing worry as the seconds ticked off to T-plus eight-thirty. They should be in orbit by now…engaging the on-board life support…taking off their helmets.

  Breathless seconds.

  “Woo!”

  Finally a sign, and it sounded like Mila, though it wasn’t exactly an official communiqué. More like an exclamation of surprise at the sudden weightlessness.

  Jancey followed, and Shel could actually hear a smile in her voice. “Mission Control, this is Tenacity, on course for Mars. We’re heading home.”

  Bella Books, Inc.

  Women. Books. Even Better Together.

  P.O. Box 10543

  Tallahassee, FL 32302

  Phone: 800-729-4992

  www.bellabooks.com