**********
"Daddy, are you going to bring back a Martian?"
The crew giggled. Adrian smiled and felt a hole in his heart nearly as deep as the Grand Canyon. Oh, how he missed his son. "We'll see, son. ? If we can find one."
Jake clapped his hands together. "Sweet!"
Adrian laughed and then made eye contact with his brother.
"Well, little bro, are you ready for tomorrow?" Kevin asked.
Adrian looked around at the other members of the crew. "I think we are."
Doc slapped him on the back. "Yes, sir. Your brother is going to be the first man to set foot on Mars."
Adrian felt his face flush red. He was a little embarrassed that he was given the honor of being the first human being to step on the Red Planet.
"I'm sure that doesn't sit well with your copilot," Kevin said.
"Don knew what he was getting into when he accepted the copilot position. He didn't have to come on this mission," Petey interjected.
Kevin nodded his head in apprehensive agreement. Adrian knew that his brother was aware of the political posturing Don had tried to use with his contacts in Washington. Don used those acquaintances to try and get Adrian scrubbed from the mission and himself promoted to commander.
"Nonetheless," said Kevin, "the whole world will be watching tomorrow, and you, little brother, will go down in infamy."
Adrian shook his head again. "No, Kevin, we all will."
Kevin looked around at the rest of the crew. "You're right."
Adrian was about to speak again, when the shuttle trembled. The signal phased in and out for a few seconds. "Adrian, ? wh ? going ? on?"
"Dad ?"
Adrian looked around, and then Don's voice came over the loudspeaker. "Adrian, you and the rest of the crew better get up to the flight deck now!"
Adrian quickly stood up and ordered the rest of his crew to their stations. As the rest of the crew took off out the recreation room, he looked at the screen. "Jake, I'll talk to you tonight once we figure this out."
"Daddy, I ? c ? here y ?"
The shuttle shuddered again. This time, the force knocked Adrian to his knees. Looking back toward the screen, he looked at his brother and his son. For some reason, he felt compelled to say it. He stood up while the shuttle continued to tremble, with the signal continuing to phase in and out. "I love you guys. And Jake, I will see you soon."
"Adrian, get up here now!" Don shrieked.
Before he took off for the flight deck, he heard his son. "Daddy ? Daddy! What's wrong? Don't go! No! I lo-"
And then, the signal disappeared.
Worlds Without End: The Mission (Book 1) Page 6