The Long Way Home

by Phoenix Hays

  Joe stood up in a huff and stomped to the bedroom. Ayrin, shaking her head, followed him. Before they took more than a few steps, the intercom beeped once to alert of an incoming announcement.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, good morning!” Duke’s voice filled the room. “My friends and fellow Space Vision team members, some of you may have already heard the news, but I wanted to address the rumors that are being spread.”

  Ayrin and Joe stopped, turned around, and seated themselves on the living room chairs to focus on Duke’s voice.

  “If you have not heard by now, I want to be the one to tell you that the Oppenheimer String has already started affecting our part of the Solar System. Two days ago, objects from the asteroid belt beyond Mars were thrown from their places and are now headed toward the Sun. Some of which may find Earth directly in their path.”

  For a moment, the COM fell silent.

  “The reality is that this should not be something that instills fear. It should be seen as a validation that the work and support that each one of you are contributing is valuable and necessary. I would like to personally invite each and every one of you to witness the launch of our first Odyssey rocket. The launch is this evening at dusk, and it will be the first of many such launches as we begin building the Sanctuary vehicle. If you are interested in watching the launch, I ask that you do so from the playground area. This location will give you a good view while also being at a safe distance. Thank you all, again. It is only through your efforts that this and future launches are possible.”

  The intercom beeped twice to alert that the message was over.

  “I want to see that!” Ayrin said.

  “Mom, can we please watch the launch?” Joe asked.

  “Of course,” Mary said. “Now go play. There’s a lot of time between now and then.”

  CHAPTER 54

  Duke stood in front of the people gathered in the M31 conference room. He saw determination in Victor, Patrick and the rest of the director team’s faces.

  “I don’t want to speak in hyperbole, but I believe that certain events in history are marked,” he said. “The invention of fire. The Renaissance. The discovery of America. The invention of electricity. The landing on the Moon. All of these were moments in human history that marked our growth. They were stepping stones along the path we traveled to be able to determine our destiny instead of having our destiny imposed upon us. This evening’s beginning of our ascent is one of those moments. Tonight’s launch is the event where we begin learning whether or not all those things in the past that got us here were pointless... or purpose.”

  Duke looked around the room.

  “I want you all to communicate with each of your teams. Check everything. Double check everything. This effort has to go off without a hitch. We all need to count on each other to complete our jobs and make this mission a success. Agreed?”

  Everyone around the table nodded.

  “Great. Good luck, everyone. The future starts this evening.”

  Patrick watched the team file out of the room and then looked at Duke.

  “I want to join the programming team to watch the launch.”

  “I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Duke said. “But if I may ask, please make sure you visit each of the teams to see if they need anything before heading to the surface.”

  “I’m happy to do it,” Patrick said. “I’ll offer whatever help I can provide.”

  “Thank you, old friend. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to work on some things from here.”

  “Of course, Duke,” Patrick said and stood up.

  Patrick left Duke Evensen alone in the conference room. Just before walking out of view, Patrick stopped and looked back at the man who carried the responsibility of saving the human race on his shoulders. He was already leaning over the table, going through paperwork and tapping furiously away on his data pad. Duke pulled his cell phone from his pocket and raised it to his ear. He walked around the table and pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand. Reacting to something that was said to him, Duke threw his hand out to his side and elevated his voice to the point where Patrick could hear his voice but couldn’t make out what he was saying.

  It’s business as usual at Space Vision.

  He turned and headed off to start his visits.

  CHAPTER 55

  Joe looked around. The last rays of the setting sun casted a glow on the large group of people gathered for the launch. Conversations filled with excitement and expectation surrounded him. He could hear laughter come from several different directions. Goosebumps ran up and down Joe’s arms as a gentle breeze passed through the playground and cut into the late afternoon heat.

  “There’s a lot of people here,” Ayrin said, looking around.

  “How many people are going to be watching the launch?” Joe asked.

  “I don’t know,” Mary said. “I’m glad we got here early, though.”

  “No kidding,” Ayrin said.

  Joe kicked the rocks around with his feet. Ayrin shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Whispers circulated through the crowd around them.

  “Hello, everyone,” a female voice blasted over the crowd. There was a slight echo from the distance between the speakers. “Thank you for coming out to witness the first Odyssey rocket launch of the ATS project. My name is Victoria Clark, Vice President of Human Interaction in Closed Environments here at Space Vision. What you are going to witness this evening is a step in a new direction in human history. As the countdown starts, you will hear a series of alerts, and then we will talk you through the launch.”

  A hum from the loud speaker hung in the air until the feed was cut. Silence fell over the crowd. The wind stopped and the air was thick with humidity and tension as the Sun finally sunk below the horizon. Joe looked around with wide eyes, unsure of where the launch would come from. Several people around him shifted their feet – he could hear the mulch crunch under each movement. He looked up at Mary and she gave him a reassuring nod and smile.

  A klaxon alarm from the loudspeaker split the air warning that the upcoming launch was imminent. Joe inhaled sharply as he and the crowd collectively jumped at the sound. Nervous laughter and chatter rippled through the group as people fought to regain their composure. Joe reached up and grabbed his mother’s hand.

  Victoria’s voice returned. “At this point, we are five minutes from launch. Right now, the blast doors are opening above the rocket. Final fueling preparations are complete, and the engineers are working through their checklists as they start the launch process. I will update you as we near the two-minute mark.”

  Without the heat of the sun, the air started to cool off. Joe shivered, rubbed his arms with his hands and moved closer to Mary. Murmurs spread through the excited crowd.

  “How much longer will it be?” He heard a woman behind him ask.

  “I’m not sure,” a man answered.

  “This is going to be so cool,” Joe said, smiling at Mary.

  “I can’t wait,” Ayrin said.

  A girl nearby looked at Joe and caught his eye. “I’ve never seen a rocket,” she said to him.

  “You’re gonna love it!” Joe said.

  Mary bowed her head and closed her eyes. “Let’s hope everything goes as planned,” she said.

  Time seemed to drag. Joe stuck his hands in his pockets and rolled a rock on the ground with the bottom of his shoe. Finally, the Victoria spoke again.

  “We are now two minutes from launch,” she said. “Within a few seconds, you should hear the rumble of the main engines firing. Shortly after, you will feel vibrations through the ground of liftoff beginning.”

  Seconds ticked by. The faint sound of thunder grew in the distance and the crowd fell silent. Joe bounced slightly, unable to contain his excitement. Ayrin’s eyebrows raised as she bit her lip.

  “We are one minute to lift off,” Victoria said. “We will begin the final countdown momentarily.”

  The thunder grew in volume.<
br />
  Joe turned back to the girl next to him to see her jumping up and down in excitement.

  “Thirty seconds to launch.”

  Joe looked down.

  Is the ground vibrating?

  “Can you feel that?” Mary asked.

  Joe nodded.

  “Fifteen seconds to launch.”

  “Ten. Nine. Eight.”

  Joe looked at his mom and reached to take her hand again.

  “Five. Four.”

  People broke out in cheers and excited conversation. The ground began to tremble below their feet as the thunder grew to a distant roar, drowning out that quickly drowned out the excited chatter around Joe.

  “Two. One. Lift off!”

  For a moment, the ground continued to tremble accompanying the roar in the distance but then the sound grew tremendously. The very air around them felt like it was popping. Joe and Ayrin looked up at Mary – their eyes were wide and mouths open in surprise. They turned back to see a light appearing through the trees and then the rocket appeared above the tree tops.

  Space Vision’s Odyssey rocket rose above the tree line at an impossibly slow speed. The light from the fiery engines split the growing darkness. Many in the crowd held their ears from the roar as the vehicle gained speed and altitude. A trail of smoke chased behind it as it raced upward. The rocket and its glowing tail grew smaller while the column of smoke behind it lengthened.

  The roar of Odyssey’s engines began to lessen as the distance between it and the crowd of onlookers increased. It crossed into the cloud cover and the light at the tail of the rocket quickly faded.

  “You have just witnessed the first launch of the Ascent To Sanctuary project,” Victoria said.

  Cheers erupted from the spectators.

  “Thank you for joining us for this historic event. We will do our best to update you on the progress for this and future launches.”

  Many in the crowd started heading back to the smart-vators.

  Joe looked at the girl next to him. He blushed when she smiled at him.

  “I’m Joe,” he said. Joe hunched his shoulders and fumbled with the dice in his pocket.

  The girl smiled again. “Lilly,” she said back.

  “Nice to meet you, Lilly.” Joe looked down at the ground, suddenly self-conscious of himself.

  “Say goodbye,” Lilly’s mother said, patting her on the shoulder. “We’re headed inside.”

  Lilly turned to follow her mother. “Bye,” she said over her shoulder.

  Joe looked up. “See ya,” he said, watching Lilly and her mother getting in line for the smart-vator. “Hey! Maybe we can play in the gym sometime!”

  “Sure!” Lilly yelled back.

  Joe smiled and ran to catch up with Mary who was walking in the opposite direction.

  CHAPTER 56

  Victor walked through the empty living room at the front of the Bayham living quarters and called the smart-vator. He turned back toward the inside of the room.

  “I’m headed to work!”

  Joe and Ayrin ran out from the bedroom.

  “So what’s the plan for today?” he asked them.

  “Basketball!” Joe yelled.

  “Again? You guys seem to do that every day.”

  “But going to the gym is fun,” Ayrin said.

  “I like playing basketball,” Joe said.

  “Alright, alright. I’ll tell you what. I have to go. If you can be ready in less than five minutes, I’ll take you. Deal?”

  “Sure!” Ayrin said.

  Joe tore off for the bedroom, changed into a fresh t-shirt and shorts, put his gym shoes on and ran back out into the living room. He and Ayrin followed Victor out the door.

  A few minutes later, the three walked into the gym.

  “Alright, I’m headed to work,” Victor said. “Stay here in the gym until you want to head back to our room.”

  “OK!” Joe yelled back to his dad as he ran to the far court. Ayrin was right behind him. Lilly was already there dribbling a ball.

  Lilly bounced the basketball to Joe, and he shot it up at the basket. Victor smiled as he took one more look at the kids playing before disappearing through a doorway.

  After a few hours of playing, Joe stopped and put his hands on his knees. Sweat rolled down his face.

  “I’m getting hungry,” Joe said. “I’m gonna go and get some lunch.”

  “OK,” Lilly said. “I’ll do that, too. Want to meet here after we eat?”

  “Sure.”

  “Cool. See you then,” Lilly said.

  Joe waved to the girl, and Ayrin followed him to the smart-vator.

  CHAPTER 57

  Victor walked around the edge of the hole in the large round room and weaved between other personnel as he headed toward the nearest conference room. He saw Patrick sitting inside by himself.

  Patrick looked up at the sound of the door opening.

  “Everything alright, Patrick?”

  “Yes, of course, Victor. Please, come in.”

  “I don’t mean to intrude, Patrick.”

  “Not at all.” He stood and motioned, offering a seat to Victor.

  Victor chose a chair across the table from Patrick.

  “I’m just finishing my rounds and I saw you with your head down. Is everything OK?”

  “Yes,” Patrick said, nodding. “I was just taking a break.

  “I totally understand. There’s so much going on that it’s important to take breaks.”

  “Definitely,” Patrick said. “I had just come back from—”

  A red light began flashing on Victor’s smart watch and an accompanying alarm sounded from it.

  “What is it?” Patrick asked, looking at the red emergency lights flashing out in the round room.

  “I don’t know,” Victor said with a frown as he pushed a button on his smart watch. “Adam, what’s the alarm for?”

  “Proximity sensors have alerted to an unauthorized presence just east of the main entrance to the facility,” the robot answered.

  “Are we talking about a person?” Victor asked.

  “Affirmative,” Adam said. “I have initiated lockdown procedures.”

  “Thank you,” Victor said. “Patch me in to Richard, please.”

  “Security Chief Carter is not available but has asked me to inform you to take point on this situation.”

  Victor’s head tilted and his eyes narrowed at the odd statement. The flash of surprise that crossed his face quickly melted away and he straightened his posture. He turned to Patrick.

  “Patrick, you can either come with me or stay here.”

  “Where are you going to go?”

  “To see what kind of intruder we are dealing with.”

  “I’m curious as well. I’ll go with you.”

  The two men left the room and headed down a hallway leading away from the rocket. Victor walked up to an innocuous square on one of the walls. His hand glided over the panel. It opened, and Victor removed a pair of black flak jackets. He tossed one to Patrick and started sliding his arms into the other. After securing the clips on the front of the vest, Victor approached the door at the end of the hall, activated the nav-panel beside it to locate the destination bunker, and looked at Patrick.

  “Ready?”

  Patrick nodded and followed Victor down the hall. They made a left and then a right into a dead end. Patrick reached out with his hand to touch the wall, looking for any signs of a door. He frowned and shot a confused look at Victor. Victor smiled knowingly and reached up to what seemed to be a random place on the wall. Seams of a door appeared and the section of wall slid out of the way.

  “After you, Patrick.”

  Patrick walked through the opening and Victor joined him. They stood inside a narrow room with gray walls. A yellow ladder was mounted to the far wall in front of them.

  “What is this room?” Patrick asked, looking at the door in the ceiling at the top of the ladder.

  “This is a pill box access. Throug
h that door,” Victor said, pointing toward the ceiling near the top of the ladder, “is the actual bunker.”

  Patrick followed Victor up the ladder. The two men emerged into a small room with rounded walls. A bench sat against the wall to the left. On their right was a rectangle shaped gap in the wall showing a view of stainless steel beyond it.

  “Is that the window?” Patrick asked.

  “Yup, put these on.”

  Victor handed a pair of safety glasses and ear protectors to Patrick. He then waived his ID across a small sensor in the wall and the access door of a small locker slid out of the way. Pulling a black, military style rifle from the compartment, he slid the rifle’s strap over his shoulder. Victor pulled a curved magazine from the locker, slid it into the bottom of the rifle and pulled the charging rod to load a round. He let the charging rod slam back into place and turned to Patrick.

  “This is the fun part.”

  He reached up to a black panel next to the bench and the room lurched as it began its ascent. The steel behind the panel appeared to be moving downward. It transitioned to dirt behind a clear covering. Then, a shard of blinding white light appeared and grew until the whole window was filled with it. It blinded them momentarily and they blinked their eyes to help them adjust. Blue sky and green grass appeared as their eyes adjusted to the light.

  “Adam, where is the intruder right now?”

  “Their location is coming up on your view screen,” Adam said. “The person is now about 100 yards away from you to your southeast.”

  “Thank you.” Victor moved his hand again, and the box started rotating. He tapped a finger on the panel and the bunker stopped rotating. He reached up and pulled the ear protectors down on his head.

  “I don’t see anything,” Patrick said. He turned to look at Victor and saw the man was concentrating on the scope mounted on top of the rifle.

  “Victor?”

  Victor stood silent for a moment, peering ahead. Then he lifted an ear protector and looked at Patrick.

  “There,” he said, pointing to the right. “Look right at the top of the hill.”