by K. D. Mattis
Gibbs turned red in the face. “Admiral, I don’t see why it should be difficult. The other nations have to understand by now that there is an alien threat. We still don’t know what they want, or why they’ve decided to visit us. What we do know is that they are willing to fire at us without cause.”
“And I understand that, Commander. I do, but it doesn’t matter. The United States can’t just decide it doesn’t want to follow a treaty anymore.”
“Admiral,” Gibbs’s voice was raised “times have changed. Things are different now. The aliens could be back at any time. They could be back with more ships than before. How can we fight them if we’re forced to stick to a treaty written before man ever stepped foot on the moon?”
Standing, but keeping her palms on the table, Asher said, “We have an obligation. We took an oath when we joined the military to uphold and defend the constitution of the United States. That constitution says that any treaty is the ultimate law of the land. I cannot, you cannot, and Central Command cannot go against that. Only the senate, by approving a new treaty, can do that.”
“But—”
“That’s enough, Commander. There’s no debate here. I agree that a station would be the best thing for us right now, but I understand that’s not going to happen. Not yet, anyway. It doesn’t do us any good to argue about it.”
Commander Gibbs removed his jacket from his chair and put it back on. As soon as he zipped it, he sat down without another word.
“Now, everyone,” Asher said, “I want you to get some sleep. First thing in the morning, you’re going to go home for some leave. There’s not much else we can do until the Explorer is fully repaired, so I expect all of you to enjoy yourselves. Go home. Visit your families. Remind your loved ones that you still exist. We have a lot more to do, but all of us need a break. Dismissed.”
All of the officers stood and saluted their admiral. Once she nodded to them, they grabbed their belongings and filed out of the room.
“Chief, would you mind sticking around for a moment?”
Chief Reynolds stopped at the admiral’s request. He turned toward her and placed his belongings on the table.
“Yes, Admiral?”
Asher looked at him. A quality shone in his eyes that made her smile. Though so much older than she was, he showed her respect.
“Chief, I heard recently that your children don’t live at home anymore. Is that correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Does your wife understand your work?”
The engineer laughed. “No, sir. She tries, but she can’t begin to grasp it.”
“But she respects what you do?”
“Of course, sir. She’s always understood that my work will take me away from her for long periods of time. She doesn’t like it, but she accepts it.”
Asher reached into her pocket and removed several pieces of paper folded into a small square. The edges showed obvious signs of wear, with ink over every bit of the paper.
“I’ve thought long and hard about the space station idea. I’ve thought about it long before anyone brought it up here. Unfortunately, a space station may be our only option. I would like to present the idea to the president, but I need it polished first.”
Reynolds looked over the pages several times before looking back at the admiral. Reaching for the paper with one hand, Reynolds put his glasses on with the other. After unfolding them, he could see that the pages Asher handed him held many drawings and descriptions of a space station.
“What would you like me to do with this, sir?”
Blushing, Asher said, “I’m good with engines, Chief. I can design other things, but engines are my specialty. I was hoping you could refine those plans and turn them into something I could present to the president.”
He looked over the pages several times before looking back at the admiral. “If I can, do you think there’s any chance you could get this approved?”
“I don’t know. If I can’t, I don’t know if we’ll have a chance if the aliens return.”
19
When Asher’s taxi pulled up to her house, she noticed her father’s car wasn’t in the driveway. The red brick with the white paint, yellowed from the sun, was exactly as she remembered it. The only change was that the crack across the driveway had stretched out a few more feet. Without taking her eyes off her childhood home, she paid the driver and left a generous tip. As he pulled away, she grabbed her bags and walked into the house.
Her home was exactly as she remembered it. Asher had been many places since she joined the navy, then the space corps, but she hadn’t found a place that smelled quite like the blend of peppers and apples of her house. The two scents were at a constant war, and the peppers were currently winning. With several deep breaths, she announced to empty chairs in the living room that she was home.
After finding an empty house, Asher hurried into the backyard. She moved directly toward a large wooden box surrounded by a small screen in the corner of the yard. She lifted the heavy lid.
“Come on guys, where are you hiding?”
Asher pushed her sleeves up before digging into the dirt. She stopped when her hand hit something hard.
“All right, who is this?”
Brushing the dirt off a round object, Asher slowly revealed the tan shell of one of her box turtles. As if it recognized her, the turtle stuck its head and legs out of its shell.
“Hey, Carly! You’ve gotten so much bigger. I guess Dad’s been feeding you guys like I asked.”
Placing the one turtle down, Asher continued to dig throughout the enclosure. It wasn’t long before she had unearthed all four of them. When they all craned their necks at her, she reached into a jar beside the enclosure and brought up several worms.
Years ago, she would have been disgusted to touch a worm. Lowering her hand into the enclosure, Asher laughed as the turtles each came up and grabbed a worm from her hand.
“How did I know I’d find you out here?” a familiar voice asked from behind her.
“Dad!”
Asher spun around and jumped to hug her father. Her arms were dirty all the way up to her elbows. The tight embrace left trails of dirt on her father’s shirt, but she didn’t care, and she knew he wouldn’t either.
The embrace lasted for several seconds. When she felt something warm and wet on her shoulder, Asher pushed away. Her father smiled but did so with a few tears running down his face.
“Dad, are you okay?”
The man smiled and let his shoulders drop before reaching out and bringing his daughter in for another hug.
“I am now, Kayla. I’m okay now.”
While the waitress cleared their table, Asher’s father just stared at his daughter with a slight grin on his face.
“Dad, I want you to have something,” Asher said.
Asher reached into her purse and removed a wadded-up piece of cloth. As she unfolded it, a chain fell out and touched the tabletop. A glimmering piece of metal attached to the chain laid in her hand.
“What’s this?”
“Well, it’s something that’s pretty important to me. When the aliens attacked the Explorer, they did a lot of damage. This is a piece of the hull that broke off; we found it lodged in a wall while cleaning up.”
“It’s a piece of the Explorer?”
“It’s a piece of my ship. It’s been everywhere in space that I have. It saw every bit of the fight that I did. It made it back to Earth, just like me.”
The man turned the piece of metal over in his hand. Finally, he just closed it in his fist.
“It’s heavy.”
“It should be. It’s very strong.”
“Just like my little girl.”
A part of her wanted to say that she wasn’t strong, but she knew it was a lie. Mouthing a simple thank you, she accepted the compliment before flagging down the waitress.
The woman almost jogged to the table.
“Is there anything else I can get you two tonight?” asked the w
aitress with an overly cheerful voice.
“Yes,” Asher said, “we were wondering if we could get the check.”
The woman looked around before shaking her head. “Someone already paid for your meals. They even left me a very nice tip, so there’s nothing for you to pay.”
“Really? Who was it?”
“I’m afraid they asked me not to say. They asked me to let you know that they are grateful for your service in the space corps. I am too. We all are.”
When Asher and her father made their way to the door, a man sitting with his family started slowly clapping. As he sped up, more people joined in until the whole place took part. A few people stood, and a pair of older men at the bar gave a proper military salute. Asher offered a weak wave as she left the building.
Asher’s father laughed to himself. “My daughter, the scientist, the soldier, and the celebrity.”
Her father had gone to bed, but Asher couldn’t bring herself to do the same. Everything in her room was exactly as she left it. Entering felt almost like stepping back in time.
After sifting through old toys and clothes in her closet and finding stuff to donate to charity, Asher caught a glimpse of the night sky through a crack in her curtains. The night was clear.
Suddenly there was a purpose to Asher’s search. At the back of the closet was a long box that she hadn’t opened in years. She grabbed it and laid it out on her bed.
She knew she needed to be careful, but Asher’s hands shook as she tried to open the box. The tape was being stubborn, so she grabbed a pencil off her desk to punch a hole in it. Before long, she was staring at her first telescope.
Outside, Asher set up the relic of her childhood. When she was a little girl, she had looked through its lens many times. Now, as an adult, she couldn’t wait to relive the moments that inspired her to find a way into space.
It took some time, but Asher was finally able to get her telescope to focus on the moon, so intent on her task that when her phone rang, she jumped, bumping the telescope and losing her alignment.
“This is Asher,” she said as she tried to find the moon once more.
“Admiral, are you busy, sir?” Commander Reynolds was on the other end.
“Not really. I’m just looking at the moon through an old telescope.”
At the other end of the line, the commander laughed. “I’ll bet it doesn’t look the same, does it?”
“Not at all.” Asher paused to focus better. “This may sound weird, but from down here, it looks more real.”
“How do you mean, sir?”
“Down here, I’ve seen it this way my whole life. Up in space, it feels like a dream. Almost like we’re not supposed to see it up close.”
Asher and the chief engineer stayed on the phone, but for a few moments, neither said a word. Asher was lost in what she saw. In her father’s backyard and using her first telescope, she felt like a child once more.
“Admiral?” asked the commander.
The admiral stood straight and leaned back to stretch. “I’m sorry, Commander. What is it you called about?”
“Sir, it’s the space station.”
“What about it?”
“I think I have something worked out. You said you wanted to see it as soon as I finished. Would you like me to send it to you in an email?”
No longer did Asher feel like her childhood self. As much as she enjoyed feeling like that once more, the Commander’s call snapped her back into reality. Asher was an admiral. She loved her father, and as much as she wanted to spend time with him, she had a duty to her position and her nation.
“Commander, I’m afraid an email isn’t secure. I want to see your drafts in person. I’ll have a car to pick you up and take you to the airport. I want you to meet me at Johnson first thing in the morning. Apologize to your wife for me.”
“Sir, I told you before that she understands. I know she doesn’t like that my work takes me away from home so often, but she understands.”
After hanging up, Asher dialed for a car to pick up the commander. Then she scheduled a car for herself. When she started packing up her telescope, she felt a presence around her.
Turning around, Asher saw her father on the porch.
“How long have you been there?” she asked her father.
His shoulders slightly slumped. The man pulled his hands out of his pockets. “Long enough to know you’re leaving.”
“I’m sorry, but—”
Asher’s father stepped forward and put a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “There’s no reason to apologize. You have a responsibility, and I’m proud that you own up to it. I’m just glad you could visit for a while. I’ve missed you.”
Asher smiled as she continued packing up her telescope. “I’ve missed you too, Dad.”
“Look, I just want you to be careful. It almost killed me when I heard that you were in battle. I was scared for you. I can’t even imagine how you felt.”
“I was terrified, but I didn’t have time for fear. I had a job to do.”
20
Asher arrived at the Johnson Space Center early the next morning. The predawn hours were crisp with dew covering any grass it could find. Even though the sun had yet to rise, the complex was lit up, and people rushed about.
Making her way through security, Asher passed through many strong metal doors. When she arrived at her destination, she was almost surprised to see there weren’t many people in the large room. To her, the tray at the center was important enough to justify an army of researchers, but the resources simply weren’t available.
At the center stood a single table with cables and computers connected all around, in it nothing more than a small amount of green powder.
She shuddered remembering the deranged face of the man. Even after doctors removed the gel, the man it possessed wasn’t the same. Worn and tired, his face was most startling. This was a man she knew. A man who served under her command. Even beneath the insanity, Asher knew that man was still there.
Someone cleared their throat behind her. She turned to see Commander Reynolds approaching.
“Commander,” she said, “do you have the drafts with you?”
“Of course, sir.”
“I think we need to find a conference room to talk.”
For three days, the pair met in a conference room at Johnson Space Center in Houston. They broke only to sleep, eat, and use the restroom. Soldiers made their way in and out of the room. Not once did any of them say a word. The focus in Asher’s face as she poured over the chief engineer’s drafts was too intense. They knew if they interrupted, they would be in more trouble than they needed.
In the corner of the room, the wastebasket overflowed. As Asher and Reynolds reworked the plans for the new space station, they made many mistakes and found many ways to improve. Each time that happened, another piece of paper went into the trash.
Finally, Asher dropped her pencil.
“Sir?” Reynolds asked.
“This is it. This is something I can show to the president.”
The chief engineer leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes.
“You look like you could use some rest.”
The commander shook his head before looking at the admiral. “No, sir. I’ll be fine. There’s still a lot of work to be done.”
“Well, you’re right about that. I’ll need you to create some models and mock up a way for us to build this thing as quickly as possible.”
“With all due respect, I need some people. I know I have my engineering team, but I need more. If we’re going to get this done with any speed, I’ll need a lot more people.”
The admiral crumpled up another piece of paper and threw it at the wastebasket. “If you need more people, you have them. I don’t care who you take. If they can help you, then they need to be under you right now. Outside of repairing and upgrading the Explorer, this is the space Corps’ first priority.”
Reynolds gathered up the papers
�
��Sir, we can get all this done, but it’s going to be a waste of resources if you can’t get this past that treaty.”
Asher smirked and walked out the door. “Let me worry about that, Commander. You have your orders.”
After a long flight, the admiral stepped into a car that waited for her outside of the airport. The driver wore a full Space Corps uniform. The lines of his uniform were sharp, and the black color contrasted with his white gloves. He saluted the admiral but didn’t say a word.
As they drove, Asher noticed that there were two cars in front of hers and two behind. She hated the extra attention.
The drive ended with the cars pulling up to the side entrance of the White House.
“Admiral,” the driver said, “I’m sorry for the trouble, but we’re going to have to step out and be searched.”
Asher nodded. Certain precautions were necessary for her to meet with the president, and she understood that.
Walking with eight officers of the space corps, Asher made her way to the Situation Room of the White House. The group passed several staff along the way, who looked at Asher with shock and awe.
In the Situation Room, Asher paused. The room was several thousand square feet in size. Her father’s house could easily fit in the room twice.
Grabbing a seat near the head of the table, Asher turned to her group.
“Dismissed.”
The men and women filed out of the room.
Several minutes passed in silence until a man in a clean, white suit entered the room with a pitcher of water and a glass.
“Is there anything else I can get you, Admiral?”
“Thank you, but no.”
When the man left, Asher opened her bag. In just a few seconds, one end of the perfectly clean table sat covered in a mountain of papers. Asher did her best to sort them out but kept seeing interesting items on the papers that distracted her.
A door slammed, and the president stormed into the room. Asher jumped to attention and offered a salute.