by Steven Wolff
Howard bites his lip to avoid saying something he might regret. The Investor gathers everyone around, “Each group will be assigned an instructor and will begin working with them over the course of several days. Whichever team is deemed ‘good enough’ will immediately launch into space. As to which one gets to the asteroid first, that’s literally up to you. Group A, you will be in Sunni Elhart’s group. Group B – that’s you Mr. Shepard, will be in Mr. Dunningberg group. Good luck ladies and gentlemen. The United States of America and everyone in this country are counting on you succeeding. Don’t let us down! Dismissed.”
“Wait, I still have more questions!” Howard says, trying to reach for the Investor, but he is quickly engulfed by a crowd of people. Security comes and yells out, “Group B, follow me.”
They are escorted into a classroom where there’s only the seven of them and the instructor who’s standing in front of the class.
“Please, have a seat. My name is Mr. Dunningberg. I am a former NASA engineer and have worked in the space program for most of my life, including with the greats – such as Armstrong, Aldrin, Shepard, Ride and so many other’s I’ve had the honor of working with.”
All seven people sit down on the same row when Howard decides to raise his hand.
“No need to raise your hand, just ask your question.”
“Never mind, sorry, please continue.”
“Now you’ve got me wondering what your question is, so before we go on – I need to know, what’s on your mind mister …?”
“My name is Howard.”
“Mr. Howard? Okay, what is it Mr. Howard?”
“Actually, you said you knew the greats… Armstrong, Aldrin, Shepard. Did you know the astronaut Ed Shepard?”
“Do I? Who doesn’t know the great Ed Shepard? He was like the Michael Jordan of NASA. What do you want to know because I’ve known him for a long time. Did you read about him growing up in school?”
“Actually, no. He was my dad.”
“Well I’ll be damned… you were the one he kept talking non-stop about. Did you know he kept your baby picture in his pocket on every mission?”
“Yes, that’s what I was told.”
“Man, did you bring a smile to his face. All he would talk about is how he couldn’t wait to train you to be an astronaut, just like him.”
“Trust me, I know.” Howard says looking at the floor.
“And look – here you are in my classroom. I am so honored to be teaching you, Howard Shepard. Your father was a great man and I’m humbled to be your instructor.”
“Thank you. I’ll try to live up to his name.”
“Over the course of the next several days, I will teach all of you the basics of survival in outer space. Take notes, record this lecture, I don’t care what you do – but drill into your heads what I’m about to tell you so when you are several million miles away from this classroom you will remember my words of wisdom in order to stay alive. Now, can anyone tell me what’s the number one problem in space?”
Tank raises his hand.
“Go ahead, what do you think it is?”
“Boredom?”
“Good answer. Boredom is a big problem on long space flights. You seven will be cooped up in a ship half the size of this classroom. Boredom, frustration, anger – these are things we will discuss in greater detail, but that’s not the answer I was looking for. Anyone else?”
April raises her hand.
“Yes?”
“Is it radiation?”
“That is correct! What is your name?”
“April Robinson.”
He writes her name down on a piece of paper, “Thank you April. Yes – space radiation is a huge problem. I’m not sure if you’re aware, but all seven of you will probably be exposed to lethal amounts of cosmic radiation the moment you leave earth’s protective shielding. Long term exposure will increase your risk for cancer; Damage your central nervous system – both in the short and long terms… causing reduced motor function and even extreme behavioral changes. Knowing that, do you still want to go up?” He asks, glancing at every student who’s staring back with uncertainty written on their face.
“Now that I’ve got your attention – your space suits and your ship will be heavily insulated against the cosmic radiation, so as long as you keep the suits on and minimize the time outside the ship, you will be just fine. People have spent months, even years on board the International Space Station and came back to earth just fine. Does anyone else know another major problem in space?”
Howard raises his hand and the instructor points at him to answer, “Is it… pressure?”
“Exactly! Yes, there is no pressure in space – so whatever you do – don’t hold your breath or else…”
*SLAM*
He drops a book on the desk for dramatic effect. Everyone’s eyes widen as they are startled awake.
“Your lungs will explode! If you experience a hull breech, or are exposed to the vacuum of space – get your helmets on right away. In less than 15 seconds all liquids in your body starts to boil, because in the vacuum of space the boiling temperature is much lower than that of earth. That means your mouth, tongue and eyes start to burn like hell. Your blood vessels start to expand as oxygen bubbles form, causing you to lose consciousness. After a minute of exposure, you’re as good as dead.”
Everyone looks at each other and then back at the instructor.
“Always carry with you a roll of duct tape, or at least keep it within arm’s reach at all times. You will find on board your ship is a special reflective type of duct tape, invented at NASA for use in outer space. It’s stronger and also protects against radiation. There is a possibility that your ship may encounter space debris, traveling at a high rate of speed.”
Captain Whitfield raises his hand and asks, “Exactly, how fast is this rate of speed you’re talking about?”
“Almost 18,000 miles an hour, give or take a few hundred mph. Gravity from the sun and the other planets in our solar system sling-shot debris all the time, which makes it go even faster and faster. Remember, in space, there’s nothing to slow things down, except for another space object. Even something the size of sand can penetrate the hull of a ship.”
Suddenly there’s a knock on the door.
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
“Please, come in.”
A young woman comes in, “Sorry for interrupting professor, my name is Anica. I had you last fall, in my quantum physics class.”
“Yes, I remember who you are Anica. You are one of my brighter students.”
She blushes and holds her books close to her chest, “Thanks – I don’t mean to interrupt, but I need you to sign this form for me. It’s just a formality from the office.”
“No problem at all.” He says, quickly glancing the paper before signing it with the pen from his shirt pocket.
“Here you go Miss Storm.”
“Thank you, Professor Dunningberg.”
“My pleasure young lady.”
He waits till she walks out the room before turning to the class, “Have you ever met somebody that makes you think, wow – they are going to do great and amazing things? That’s how I feel about her. Sorry, I just had to share that. Now where was I?”
“Space debris.” Tank blurts out.
“Right! Something as small as a spec of sand can puncture the hull of a ship and leak out precious oxygen… As you know, without oxygen you die – so conserve as much as you can when out and about, doing astronaut-y things. Whatever you do, try not to over exert yourself or breathe too quickly. Hyperventilating wastes oxygen and you run out quicker. Try to stay calm and focused. What else?”
He puts on his reading glasses and looks down at his notes before taking them off again to look at the class.
“Expect some behavioral issues to arise from being crammed in such a small space over a long period of time. No matter how well you get along with one another there will be times when you will get on each other’s ne
rves and conflict will result. It’s just unavoidable, happens to the best of us. Just try not to kill one another because emotions can run high.”
He pauses for a second, looks around the room and smiles before continuing, “On the opposite side of that same coin… take a look at the man or woman sitting next to you. Take a good look at them.”
People awkwardly stare at each other and move uneasy, making minimal eye contact. Mr. Dunningberg continues, “You both may also end up forming an intimate, sexual, or romantic attachment with each other. I’m talking the ‘true love’ kind of relationships you read about in books, where you’ll take a bullet for them without hesitation. It’s true, there is hard evidence supporting this so don’t forget to bring some breath mints with you, just in case.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Space X Training Facility Classroom – Day 2
Howard and the rest of his team walk into the classroom and notice Group 1 is already sitting down, waiting patiently as the instructor is looking at his laptop – finalizing last minute tweaks to the assignment.
As they take their seats Howard whispers to Josh, “Did we miss anything?”
“No, we’re on time. I guess they just got here early.”
“Pffft, show-offs.”
“Good morning class, I hope you had a restful night’s sleep. Today we are going to have a friendly competition between both groups – Group 1 and Group 2. Before we begin, I’ll give you five minutes to come up with a team name while I load the simulation. In front of you on the tables are virtual reality headsets. After you pick a team name, I want you to grab a headset, put it on and adjust the straps to fit your head accordingly. Begin!”
Howard’s group leans in and ask softly, “What should we call ourselves?”
Josh is the first to answer, “How about… Team Rocket?”
Howard frowns and shakes his head, “Really?”
“What? We’re going to space in a rocket, why not?”
“Team Rocket was the duo in the cartoon Pokémon. We’re not calling ourselves that. Pick something else.”
Chantal chimes in, “How about Team Paris?”
“Okay, I guess… any other ideas?”
Tank adds, “We could call ourselves the Destroyers!”
“That’s a good one, I like that.” Josh replies, as others nod in agreement.
“Perhaps… the Intellectuals?” Suggests Edward.
“That could work. By a show of hands, how many people think we should name ourselves Team Rocket?” Howard asks.
Josh is the only one who raises his hand.
“Team Paris?”
Chantal raises her hand, as does April.
“Team Intellectuals?”
Edward raises his hand.
“And Team Destroyers?”
Majority of the group raises their hands.
“Alright then, we’ll be Team Destroyers!”
From the other table, some snickering can be heard, “More like – Team Losers!”
Howard leans back and tries to see who’s talking, but they are huddled together, glaring over their shoulders.
Mr. Dunningberg looks at both teams, “Have you decided yet?”
A spokesperson for Group 1 says, “Yes – we’re Team Winners!”
“Okay, Group 2?”
Howard speaks up, “We’re Team Destroyers.”
“Destroyers? That’s a good one. Go ahead and put your virtual and augmented-reality headsets on. Make sure the speakers are over your ears.”
Soon, there’s a collective “ooooo and ahhhh” from both groups as they look around the room. Mr. Dunningberg talks into a microphone while looking at his laptop, “Give me a thumbs up if you can hear me loud and clear.”
All fourteen people give a thumbs up gesture.
Mr. Dunningberg continues, “What you see in front of you is the inside of your ship’s cockpit. Each of you are sitting in your respective assigned seating and as we go throughout the day, I’m going to simulate random things happening – one group at a time. Whichever group is experiencing something, I want the other group to sit quietly and listen as they try and figure it out. You may or may not learn something, but keep in mind if you’re going to mess up – now’s the time to do it. When you’re up in space, there are no second chances. Okay, here we go.”
He presses a button and everyone’s seeing the ship blasting into orbit.
“Of course as you are launching into space, you will be feeling G-forces pressing up against your bodies. Some of you may even pass out, but this is only for six or seven minutes.” Mr. Dunningberg says. The groups collectively gasp as they see Earth’s beautiful blue/green colors from high in orbit. Some people are reaching in front of them, trying to touch the virtual planet and stars.
“Mission Control will manually guide you to the International Space Station where you will dock and refuel. This part isn’t an option – you must refuel or you won’t have enough fuel or oxygen to get you safely there and back to Earth.”
Several hours later Mr. Dunningberg continues the simulation, “Now that your storage tanks are full of liquid oxygen and fuel, we will be heading into deep space. Normally the automated computer systems will be pre-programmed to follow the asteroid’s trajectory so all you have to do is monitor the ships systems, and take control if necessary.”
Josh raises his hand to ask a question.
“What is it?”
“I’ve got to use the restroom.”
“Sorry, you’ve got to hold it… just like if you really were in space.”
“But we’re not in space, we’re in a classroom.” Josh protests.
“In space, you can’t just whip it out and go to the bathroom. It’s a whole process you’ve got to go through. You’re in your space suit – about to head out into deep space. Hold it a little bit longer and when you’re on your way, I’ll dismiss you.” Mr. Dunningberg orders.
“Yes, sir.” Josh says in a defeated way.
“As mentioned, the computer onboard your ship has the coordinates to the asteroid’s trajectory. It’ll take into account the velocity you’re traveling and match the asteroids speed, so by the time you and the asteroid cross path’s – it’ll look like it’s not moving. All you have to do is maneuver the ship and land on the surface. The asteroid’s gravity should take over and keep you down.”
Mr. Dunningberg presses a button, causing Group 1 to get startled. Over the headsets, everyone hears warning-beeping as a second screen appears for the other group to watch what’s happening in Groups 1 ship.
“Talk to me, what’s going on?” Asks Mr. Dunningberg.
“Electrical failure.” Answers the ships engineer.
“Okay, how do we fix it?” He says in a calm voice.
“I’m not sure, how do we?” Someone else asks.
“Run a ship wide diagnostics…” orders the Mission Commander.
“Circuit Board 7A is reporting a malfunction. Temperature sensor is reading 238 degrees and climbing.”
“I’m on it,” The engineer says, moving his arms like he’s touching it. “Wait, where are the replacement parts?”
Mr. Dunningberg turns off all the headsets, “Okay, take your headsets off. What do you think happens next? Group 2?”
Howard answers, “I would think they remove the circuit board and swap it out with another one?”
“That’s correct. However, let’s hope that this doesn’t happen in real life, because we don’t have the spare parts to send up with you into space. Normally we do and yes, there are some spare parts on board your ship – but not for every single problem that can arise. You’re going to have to improvise and come up with solutions on the spot in order to survive. Now let’s go take a 15 minute break, stretch your legs, grab a snack and meet back here for more simulations. Class dismissed.”
The Mission Commander of Group 1 – Rick bumps Howard’s shoulder as he’s trying to pass him in the narrow hallway, “Move it!”
“What’s your pro
blem?” Howard says holding his palms up in the air, yielding to the guy.
“He’s just a prick. Ignore him.” Someone says from behind Howard. He turns around and sees a woman from Group 1 giving a quick-friendly smile.
“Thanks for the advice.”
“No problem. I’ve known him long enough that people call him Rick the prick. He’s a selfish jerk who’s very competitive. Anyone who he thinks is a threat – he’ll try to crush physically or verbally.”
“Yikes! Sorry you have to be on his team.”
“He’s not a prick to me because he knows I won’t tolerate it. By the way, the name is Alonna.”
She extends her hand out to shake.
“Howard Shepard, nice to meet you. If you don’t mind me asking - what’s your role on the ship?” He asks while shaking her hand.
“Communication’s specialist. You?”
“Mission Commander.”
“Really? Wow, such an awesome responsibility!”
“Yeah – I guess. Just like my dad, the late Ed Shepard.”
“I heard. I’m so sorry about your loss.”
“Thanks.”
“I bet if he were here today, he’d be really proud of you.”
“I think he would. He always wanted me to be an astronaut. There’s a long story behind it, but I won’t bore you with the details.”
“Maybe over coffee, sometime?”
“Maybe. Who’s that big Russian guy following Rick?”
“That is Vladimir Roshenko. He’s Rick’s right hand man. Trust me when I say you don’t want to cross those two.”
“Why not?”
“He and Rick are petty and vindictive. He’s been known to do some pretty awful things… things I won’t mention, but they involve harming innocent animals. Vladimir, all I know of him is that his father was former KGB and was found assassinated. Some even speculate Vladimir was the one who did it, just so he could inherit his father’s wealth. I’ve got to go now, before they walk too far away. Talk to you later?”
“Sure Alonna, it was nice meeting you.” Howard says, waving good bye as he watches her sprint to catch up with the rest of her group.