The Long Way Home

by Phoenix Hays

  The door to the room swung wide and the CEO walked in, followed by a group of five people. He nodded to Victor and Patrick as he entered. Duke led the group over to the makeup station and sat down in the chair. As a woman stepped forward to begin working on his makeup, the others began going over potential topics for the interview. Victor and Patrick watched the buzz of activity and caught bits and pieces of conversations:

  “— announced the government’s plan —“

  “— Fatalists have threatened —“

  “— Carol is definitely going to ask about the incident —“

  Susan, Duke’s Commications Director spoke up. “Sir, we have 15 minutes until we go live.”

  Duke held up his hands.

  “Thank you, everyone,” he said. “I really appreciate each and every one of you. If you don’t mind, I’d like some peace and quiet to internally prepare for the interview.”

  One by one, members of the group peeled off and walked over closer to where Patrick and Victor stood. The makeup artist was the last person to leave and join the rest.

  Duke stood up from the stool. He reached over to the jacket hanging on the side of the vanity, put it on, and transformed his persona from owner-employer to Space Vision spokesperson. He appeared taller as he strode over to the desk. Duke paused for just a moment before he walked around it and took a seat in the stool behind it.

  “We are 10 minutes out, sir,” a voice announced from behind Victor.

  Duke took a deep breath, intertwined his fingers as he rested his hands on the table and looked out the window. Sounds of fidgeting, tapping at phone or data pad screens and nervous shuffling from the staff were the only sounds in the room.

  ***

  “Mom, since Dad isn’t back yet, can we watch the interview?” Joe asked.

  Ayrin nodded in agreement.

  “I don’t know, Joe.” Mary said.

  “Please!” The kids begged in unison.

  Mary caved in. “Fine. But as soon as the interview is over, it’s bedtime.”

  “Sweet!” Ayrin exclaimed.

  Joe turned the TV on and changed the channels until he saw the Carol Wilcox show. Mary took a seat on the edge of her bed, Joe joined her, and Ayrin stood next to the bed.

  ***

  “Five minutes out, sir,” Susan said.

  At that moment, the audio from the Carol Wilcox Show started coming from speakers behind the group of people watching Duke. He reached below the desk and pulled out an arced, semi-clear plastic object and hooked it around his ear, placing the bud at the center inside.

  Patrick leaned over to Victor and whispered, “Show time.”

  ***

  Mary, Joe, and Ayrin watched the opening of the Carol Wilcox show run across the screen and Carol’s familiar face appeared.

  “Good evening, everyone,” she said, “and welcome back to the Carol Wilcox Show. Joining me in this segment is the man you will all recognize from his previous appearances as the CEO and founder of Space Vision, Duke Evensen. Mr. Evensen, thank you for joining us.”

  The TV image split in half, allowing the CEO’s face to be on the screen at the same time as Carol’s.

  “The pleasure is always mine, Carol. I’m happy to be here,” Duke said.

  “Mr. Evensen, let’s get right to the elephant in the room. The attack at Space Vision headquarters a few weeks ago — was it an attempt on your life?”

  “Carol, there was an incident that disrupted the press conference we were holding at the time, but thankfully, security was able to stop the person who was causing the disruption,” Duke said.

  “That’s not exactly an answer,” Carol said with a half-smile. “Witnesses who were there say that there were a number of shots fired. Is that true?”

  “I don’t mean to evade a question, Carol. The truth is that one of the protesters that had been outside our building presented a threat. A member of our security team addressed the protester, who ignored the verbal commands and continued to advance. At that time, our security team member took action to stop him. Our internal investigation, corroborated by the Memphis police, determined that the threat was real and the actions were warranted. Unfortunately, the result left the protester in a position where we couldn’t learn what his motives were.”

  “You mean he was killed, don’t you?”

  “He was,” Duke said. “It wasn’t the desired outcome, but we didn’t ask for the disruption in the first place.”

  “Is there any truth to the reports that someone from Space Vision was killed in the altercation?”

  “I’m not sure where those reports come from,” Duke said. “Our security team members were the only ones involved, and my security staff is the same size as it was the morning of the incident.”

  “OK,” Carol said slowly. “I know you didn’t come on our show to talk about this, but I appreciate your candor. Do you have an update on the Oppenheimer String?”

  “I do. Thanks for asking,” Duke said. “We have determined that the Oppenheimer String will cross Earth’s orbit.”

  He stopped talking. There was a moment of silence.

  “That would be one of the worst possible scenarios, if I remember correctly,” Carol said. “Am I wrong?”

  “You’re not wrong, and it’s very serious,” Duke said. “Our teams are now working on a way to solve the problem of our survival.”

  “Our survival? That means that there is a chance we won’t?”

  Duke straightened his back and leaned forward.

  “Carol, the world is facing an extreme threat. We don’t know how serious at this point, but we need to support efforts that ensure the continuation of our species.”

  “Wait,” Carol said. “The continuation of the species? Are you talking about something that could cause an extinction?”

  “If you can pull up the graphic my team sent over, I can explain what I’m talking about,” Duke said.

  The screen changed to black and the solar system faded into view. Duke began to speak as the view shifted and a group of objects appeared in the graphic.

  “Oppenheimer’s String is approaching along a path that is almost in line with the orbits of the inner planets. As they approach, a lot of variables come into play. Like which planets are on the side that they pass through, where these planets are as they pass, et cetera.”

  The graphic showed the Oppenheimer asteroids fly across the screen and make a clean pass through the solar system. The image on the TV changed back to Carol.

  “So your projections are that nothing will get hit?” Carol asked.

  “It’s possible, yes,” Duke said. “Look, you could line up more than 100 Suns side by side between the edge of our actual Sun and the Earth. There’s a lot of open real estate out there.”

  “That sounds promising,” Carol said.

  “It’s definitely the best of the likely scenarios at this point,” Duke said. “But don’t forget that gravity is a factor even if nothing is hit. Can you continue the graphic?”

  The screen switched back to a paused image of the asteroids just having passed through the solar system.

  “If we rotate this image,” Duke said, “you can see that even this clean pass has implications.”

  The point of view slowly rotated to show that Mars had been pulled from its orbit. The dots tracking the planet’s path curved inward toward the Sun.

  “The gravitational pull of these objects is staggering if you add them together. As the Oppenheimer String approaches, even a miss could alter a planet’s path slightly, completely change the angle of its orbit around the Sun or cause it to leave our Solar System completely.”

  “So we hope that adjusted orbits are all that happen, then?” Carol asked.

  “Even if the only thing that happens is that a planet is pulled from its orbit into a new path, there are still implications,” Duke said. “Our Solar System is like a delicate ballet. Each of the dancers has a specific part and are in a specific place. When you change one, the d
ance isn’t in balance anymore. The other planets could end up adjusting their positions as well.”

  The graphic reset, started its motion again and slowly sped up. As the orbit of Mars changed, the paths of the other planets began to change as well.

  “As you can see, what starts out as a small change can make huge differences as the years roll on. And with our seasons changing just from our proximity in our normal orbit, who knows what spring, summer, fall and winter look like after something like this happens. Or whether or not we’ll have seasonal changes in weather.”

  “Is this what you expect to happen?” Carol asked.

  “Again, this is a possible outcome, but there are too many factors playing into this situation to know for sure.”

  “The reports we are getting say that NASA is working on some kind of project involving building something in space. What can you tell us about that?”

  “Not much,” Duke said, chuckling. “I’m not with NASA. You’d have to talk to them.”

  “OK,” Carol said. “So what is Space Vision working on?”

  “I can tell you that we are far more interested in Earth-based solutions. Our teams in Memphis are working on multiple scenarios. Anything from a clean miss, which we are still hoping for, all the way up to something much more disastrous, which we don’t think is likely.”

  “But how do you plan for something disastrous?” Carol asked.

  “Carol, there’s an old saying: ‘You never see the shot that gets you.’ Well, we’ve been shown that potential shot. There are so many possibilities that it would be impossible to know for sure. But at the end of the day, if you can see a shot coming that you can’t stop, the best way to avoid it is to not be in its way.”

  “Not be in its way? Mr. Evensen, are you suggesting that we would leave Earth?”

  Duke’s cheeks flushed slightly. He realized he had given away too much, cleared his throat, and collected himself.

  “All I am saying is that we just need to be sure we are ready for all the different possibilities. And more importantly, we need to work together. We need to see each other as one effort. One human race. If you have extra food, share with your neighbor. If you have shelter, let someone in from the rain. This is the kind of moment where we have to show who we really are. I believe that is really the test we are facing right now.”

  “Mr. Evensen—“

  “Ahem.”

  “Duke, we appreciate you joining the show this evening.”

  “My pleasure, as always,” he said.

  CHAPTER 32

  The Bayhams’ TV blinked off, and the kids turned around to see Mary standing there with the remote.

  “Mom,” Joe said. “A-are we going to die?”

  Joe’s face was pale, his eyes were wide and the corner of his mouth quivered. His hands trembled as they pulled at the bottom of his shirt and gripped the material in his fingers.

  Mary opened her arms to offer a hug, which Joe accepted.

  “Now don’t you worry about that,” Mary said. “We came here to help Space Vision come up with a solution. Your father says that he still hasn’t seen all of the different projects they are working on here. If anyone can solve this Oppenheimer thing, these people can. OK?”

  Joe nodded, wiping a tear from his eye.

  “Alright,” Mary said. “Go brush your teeth.”

  Joe dragged his feet toward the bathroom and after a few minutes came back wearing his pajamas. His face was still pale and his shoulders were slumped.

  Ayrin tilted her head to the side and looked at Joe with a sympathetic look. “It’ll be OK, Joe,” she said, knowing her words wouldn’t change anything.

  “You’ll feel better in the morning,” Mary said.

  “When is dad getting off work?” Joe asked.

  “Soon. He’ll check on you when he’s back. Now go to bed,” she said.

  Joe and Ayrin stayed there, hoping Mary would change her mind.

  “I mean it,” Mary said. “Good night.”

  The kids gave up and headed toward the beds on the other side of the room.

  CHAPTER 33

  A knock at the door alerted Patrick that someone was there.

  Why didn’t they use the intercom system?

  Patrick waved his hand at the door panel and it slid open revealing Joe Bayham. Ayrin was standing behind Joe.

  Patrick smiled. “What brings you to my end of the building?” He asked.

  “Good morning, Patrick,” Joe said. “Are you going to watch the NASA launch this morning?”

  “I certainly am,” Patrick said. “But I’m going to finish my Tai Chi, first.” He turned and walked back into his apartment.

  Joe followed him. “What’s Tai Chi?”

  “It’s an old art of exercise that helps me relax and focus. Would you like to see me work through one of my forms?”

  “Sure!” the kids exclaimed in unison.

  Patrick smiled at the genuine enthusiasm. “Alright. Come on in and have a seat.”

  Joe and Ayrin sat down on a couch located along the far wall of the room. Patrick moved to the center of a colorful mat laying in the middle of the floor. He slid his left foot sideways until he was in a wide stance and raised his arms straight out in front of him with his palms facing down. Patrick lowered his arms, bent his knees, and exhaled. Raising his arms, he slowly stood tall and inhaled. After doing this several times, he switched to raising his arms at his sides until his palms met above his head. Continuing the pattern of exhaling as he lowered himself and inhaling when standing tall, Patrick completed his breathing warm up. He turned his left foot to point to his left and stretched his arms out in that direction. With a motion like a wave crashing into the shore, he rolled his arms toward himself and extended them back out as if pushing something away. He shifted his feet in the opposite direction and moved his arms to point to his right. Patrick then repeated the wave motion in this direction.

  A buzz from the intercom interrupted the exercise, Patrick walked over to it and pushed the button.

  “Hello, Mrs. Bayham. What can I do for you?”

  Mary’s voice was clear and had the slightest edge of sarcasm. “Hi, Patrick. Do you happen to have company right now?”

  He looked over at the couch and nodded. “Yes, ma’am. For almost a half hour now.”

  “Would you kindly pass the message that Victor wants to watch the NASA launch with the family together? You are more than welcome to join us.”

  “I’m happy to pass on the message, but I’ll probably watch from here since I have to clean up after exercising. Thank you for the offer.”

  Patrick keyed off the COM and turned to the couch.

  “Looks like you had better head back to your apartment.”

  “Aw,” Joe said as he and Ayrin slowly got up with frowns on their faces and shuffled out the door.

  CHAPTER 34

  Joe straggled into the living room with Ayrin right behind him. They saw Victor and Mary sitting on the couch watching the TV intently.

  “What’s going on, dad?” Joe asked.

  “Grab a seat,” Victor said. “NASA is getting ready to run their test of some new rocket they’ve created for the Oppenheimer situation.”

  The TV held the image of a launch pad where a large rocket with a cone-shaped nose sat. Near the bottom were stabilizer fins surrounding the rocket’s exhaust cone. Just above them was NASA’s logo. A series of catwalks connected the rocket to the launch tower beside it. Staff in white jumpsuits scurried back and forth, looking almost like mice from the camera’s distance. A man’s voice narrated the scene:

  “— as NASA personnel make final preparations for today’s test of the Victory IV rocket that will be carrying a multi-purpose crew vehicle, or MPCV, into orbit. This test is the third in a number of planned steps that will continue over the next couple of months. It looks like we are just a few minutes from the beginning of the test. Stay tuned to watch the astronauts board the MPCV. We’ll be back after these commercial
messages.”

  A beach appeared on the TV, and an advertisement about deodorant played out.

  “Dad,” Joe said. “Are they going to actually take off?”

  “I don’t know,” Victor answered. “It would be pretty exciting to watch though!” The light in the man’s eyes combined with his smile showed that his enthusiasm was genuine. “They might just run some tests, fire the engines or even launch. It could be anything.”

  Jingle singers crooning about beer trailed off, and the TV changed back to the image of the rocket still resting on the launch pad. The narrator continued:

  “We are just moments from the astronauts entering the MPCV and it looks like they are heading to the pad elevator now.”

  A view down a hallway that ended in two double doors came onto the TV. The doors began to open, and four astronauts in white space suits carrying matching helmets with clear visors emerged from the room beyond. Each person’s suit donned a NASA logo badge on the left side of their chest, while a port of some kind stuck out in front of their stomachs. The woman in front beamed a smile at the camera and her straight black hair bobbed slightly in its ponytail as she walked. In spite of the bulkiness of the suit, her trim figure glided across the floor.

  “I bet you she’s the pilot,” Ayrin said.

  The woman turned and nodded to the man on her right. He towered over the woman, and his broad shoulders rivaled those of a professional football player. His dark hair was cropped short, and his eyes were dark under his pronounced eyebrows.

  “That guy is big,” Joe said. “Was he a linebacker or something?”

  “Could have been, maybe,” Mary said.

  The black man to the left of the woman as well as the blond trailing the group were both shorter than the linebacker, but their thin faces and squared shoulders hinted at their physical fitness. All four of them waved, almost in unison, to the camera before taking a hard right out of view.

  They reappeared on camera as the feed switched to them walking through an open doorway, and then the doors slid shut.