TRANQUILITY BASE (FIELD TRIP) - VERSION 0 © 2019 NEAL WILLIAMS
Started 2014 Finished 8/31/2019 (5029 words)
“I don’t believe you.” Joe’s three friends laughed at him inside the tight confines of their lunar transport. The cigar-shaped crew quarters shone dull silver color. The seats molded into the floor. In front were the navigation and controls. The transport was automatically controlled by Collins Command.
Snorting, Val pointed at her seat mate, Pyotr. “What’s not to believe? I was there. Mrs. Vostok clearly pointed at Einstein over there.”
Polishing his glasses, Pyotr looked up at the always smiling Val. “I’ll take that as a compliment, you know.”
“Go easy on him, we’re only two days out from Collins.” Paula’s blonde hair was pulled back and hung just above her lunar suit. She winked at Joe.
Sticking his tongue out, Joe squirmed in his seat pulling at the seat belt. “Yeah, we still have four more days out here. I really need an A on this geology report so be nice to Pyotr.”
“Einstein was a physicist, not a geologist,” Val deadpanned.
After a moment of silence, laughter broke out again.
Crossing her arms, Paula exhaled as she looked out the window. “Where are we anyway? Why didn't we take a hopper? I’d rather be flying.”
Val unbuckled and leaned out to look while lovingly patting Joe on his knee. “Sea of Tranquility. Joe wouldn’t shut up about it. Sheer poetry.”
“Hey, just because I’m stuck…” Joe’s words froze in his throat as their transport started to tilt. “Grab on. We’re rolling!”
Paula’s hand clenched on Joe’s spacesuit sleeve. Joe and Pyotr reached for Val.
The stabilizer alarm blared inside the tiny transport. The flashing beacon blinked in Joe’s face. His eyes turned to the navigation screen showing the transport in a stark boulder field. There were no steep crater walls or rifts on the map but their transport gyroscopes indicated they were tipping over. Suddenly, his world slowed to a crawl, as Val slid from his grasp.
Metal groaned and Val screamed. Joe winced at the noise of her hitting the back wall like a duffel bag of equipment being tossed into a locker. Joe’s hand flung back as he slammed into his seat. As the transport tumbled end over end momentum then tossed him against his straps. Nausea set in as his heart thumped against the seat harness. The icy grasp of fear tightened around his spine triggering childhood memories of his father’s death. He gritted his teeth and pushed the thought away.
Unclenching his jaw, Joe yelled. “Look out! Cover your heads!” An untethered helmet thudded into his artificial forearm. The metal in his arm was cold against his racing blood. He instinctively reached out for Paula’s hand. “You okay?”
Before she responded, his harness cinched his ribs with a final jolt and the transport jolted to rest on its side with a thud. His hand ripped from Paula’s grasp as she flung forward. Her straps stopped her short of flying into the seat in front of her. She let out a loud “oomph.”
Joe clapped his hands to his ears at the cacophony of new alarm bells sounded. Loose equipment clanged and settled against the walls. Pyotr’s forehead creased and he ran his gloved hand over the perspiration while readjusting his glasses. His faraway gaze suggested shock.
Joe’s shaking hands fumbled into action trying to unlatch his harness. He swiveled to locate Val. Leaping onto the floor, Joe rushed to the crumpled mass of his friend. Val laid silent against the bulkhead. Her brownish blonde hair hung loose covering her face. Was she unconscious? His mind raced. The glowing emergency lighting revealed a trickle of blood on her cheek just below her hairline. A trail of blood gathered in the folds of her silver suit. Her leg was bent in an unnatural position.
“Oh, God,” Joe shouted. His unsteady legs struggled to keep him upright as he stood on the curved side of the transport.
Needing help, he returned to his seat avoiding Pyotr’s twitching boots in the emergency lighting. A passing thought made Joe wonder if their transport fell into an underground lava tube. The Moon was littered with unmapped lava tubes hidden below the surface.
Feeling a tap on his shoulder, he turned to see Paula staring at him. Her foot kicked at his suit. Her eyes sparkled in the emergency light.
“Oh, man. You okay?” his voice cracked. The transport walls closed in around him. The terror of the transport fall reopened buried memories of his screaming mother.
Where are you going?
No, stay in the moment, he whispered. His friends needed him.
“Hurry, help me down?” She leaped toward him in the one-sixth gravity. Paula gave him a quick embrace before she smiled at him, glancing over at Val. “I need to find a medical kit. Looks like that first aid class might come in handy.”
Nodding in response, he then tugged at Pyotr’s leg, “Hey, you okay?”
Pyotr rubbed his hands together and tugged at his seat belt. “Bruised ribs,” He flinched as he moved his arm underneath the shoulder strap. “What the hell happened?”
“I think our transport fell into an unmapped lava tube.”
“Did our emergency beacon activate?”
“I don’t know...but Val...” Joe gagged when he looked back at her twisted leg. “Let me help you down.”
Paula brushed by him. “We need to put her into a more comfortable position.”
Pyotr was still in his seat. Staring at Val seemed to immobilize him. Joe needed to get out of here. Grabbing his helmet, he turned toward the airlock.
The tight confines of the transport along with flashing lights and ringing alarms merged with dark memories of the shuttle transport room.
“I’m heading outside to assess the situation. I’ll be back.” Without a reply, he headed for the rear emergency airlock. He did not bother to turn around knowing he would see his friends questioning gaze. The cool, clean oxygen pumping into his helmet masked the fear he smelled inside the transport.
Allowing the airlock to cycle, he opened the outer hatch into the surrounding darkness. He exhaled loudly, trying to refocus. A single shaft of light broke through the moon’s surface above him. He could see no further than the front of their damaged transport. The communication gear was smashed and the rover tracks buckled. Their transport would be of no use.
Cycling through his image enhancing face-plate filters, he searched his surroundings. As he surmised, their transport had fallen into an underground lava tube and rolled down a slope. He estimated they rolled about a hundred meters. The steep slope might be climbable. Clearing his head with a deep breath, he re-entered the transport.
“Dammit, Pyotr, put pressure on that cut. You aren’t going to hurt her.” Paula barked at Pyotr.
Joe asked, “Is she all right?”
Pyotr shook his head.
Paula kept working on Val, giving him a quick glance. “How bad is it?”
“Lava tube. We broke through the surface and slid down an embankment. The slope is shallow enough for somebody to climb up.” Joe's eyes looked anywhere but Val. Her prostrate form remained unmoving. He was glad he was not here to see them splint her leg. He stared at the flashing screen of the main monitor. “Our communication gear is smashed. It might be days until someone locates us.”
Pyotr looked at Val’s helmet. “Bigger problem, we don’t have days. Maybe only hours until we lose pressure.”
“What? Why?” Joe stammered.
Pyotr rubbed his cheek. His voice cracked. “Our tumble cracked the pressure hull. We don’t have much time and with Val’s head injury we’re not sure we can get her helmet attached.”
“So, Val is stuck here then? What about the airlock?” The airlock can be used in emergencies, but Joe wondered how they were going to get the airlock to the surface.
Pyotr reached for Val. His lip quivered.
“Paula?” Joe kept his eyes locked on her.
“I think she has a concussion and a couple of broken ribs along with a broken leg. We shouldn’t move her. There could be internal bleeding.” Paula turned away from them. Her body shook and Joe put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
Val’s breathing seemed laborious through her dust, encrusted suit. The front zipper of her suit was ajar next to the air hose sockets and her name tag.
“Where was our last position?” Pyotr glanced first at Paula then up at Joe. His eyes searched out for the control screen in the emergency lighting. Pyotr still held the bandage to Val's head. His other hand soothing Val’s hair.
“Sea of Tranquility,” Joe said.
“We’ve been gone for two days. So what do you think - about 100 klicks from the base?” Paula stood and paced. “Sea of Tranquility, huh? Val mentioned that right before we started to fall. That’s your department, Joe.”
Joe ignored the piercing gazes of his friends. He was a history geek. The Sea of Tranquility had lots of history. Reaching into his leg pocket he brought out his own map.
Paula groaned. “Not very trusting of technology?”
“You can never be too careful out on the surface.” Joe’s arm never let him forget how unforgiving and harsh the moon was to humans.
“Are we close enough?” Pyotr asked. They locked eyes and both nodded.
“Hey, you two. Quit with the creepy no speak. What is it?” Paula pursed her lips. She switched her gaze between the two.
“Maybe, but last I heard the Apollo museum was still under construction,” Joe said. His mind raced as Pyotr returned his watchful gaze to Val. Pyotr’s grimace confirmed Joe’s fears. They didn’t have time to wait to be rescued. “Still, it might be our only option. Val needs help.”
Paula tapped the map. “Okay, I can’t read minds yet so what are you discussing?” Her fingers traced around the map and then to the circled area. “Ah ha!”
Paula stood and spoke to Pyotr. "Joe and I will go. You stay here and watch Val."
“But, you’re the one with medical experience,” Pyotr protested.
“I don’t trust Joe and you. You both might get lost in the museum.” She tried to smile but bit her lip instead as her joke fell flat and she grabbed her helmet. “Come on, Joe.”
With Paula already moving towards the airlock, Pyotr shrugged. "Go on, don’t get lost.” Pyotr nudged him in the ribs. “Get to the museum, try to get the communication gear up and running. Look for some medical supplies, some food and water? Oxygen? I’ll keep an eye on Val and the air pressure. Hurry, okay?"
"Yeah," replied Joe. He grabbed his best friend’s arm and squeezed while glancing down to Val’s pale skin. “She’s going to be okay. We’ll be back with help.” He launched after Paula.
Outside, Paula surveyed the transport. She waved to him to hurry. Paula started up the embankment slope.
"Did you grab your map?” she asked through heavy breaths, fighting against the loose moon regolith with her boots.
“Of course,” Joe breathed as he bounded after her. His legs burned and his suit’s regulator tried to keep up with his heavy breaths. The transport was lost in the shadows. Although theoretically Collins Command would know their position, finding the transport in a tiny hole like this would be challenging even for the satellites.
At the top, Joe laid his map down on the surface. The fine, grey regolith dusted over the paper. “Can you see any landmarks?” The map was only useful if they established their actual location. The horizon was only about two klicks away.
Paula knelt beside him, shifting the map around. Her navigation skills flying over the moon’s desolation might be advantageous. “Take a look. Those two small hills might be this crater’s rim.”
Standing, he peered at the dark horizon and then slowly rotated. “Yeah, I think you’re right.”
She threw him the map, “Let’s move.”
Paula launched herself across the surface, hopping like an Earth rabbit which Joe remembered from a school video. Pulling a pen from his suit pocket, he marked where he thought he stood.
It took Joe about ten minutes to overtake Paula. “Woah, you could’ve waited up.”
“Don’t have time,” Paula kept striding across the surface. “So, what are we going to find up ahead?”
“What, you don’t remember your history lessons?”
“Earth history bores me.”
“Well, our parents did come from there.” A twang of regret hit Joe. His parents thought the Moon would be a new beginning.
Slowing his pace, he felt Paula’s gaze. “What is it? Are you okay?”
She didn’t know. No one but Pyotr understood. Years ago, after the accident, Pyotr’s parents helped Joe’s mom. Oh man, his mom. What would happen when she heard that their transport went missing?
“Nothing, I’m fine, it’s the thought of our parents leaving Earth and coming here.” Joe didn’t want to go down the dark path with Paula about his father. “It was a long time ago.” Changing the subject, he asked. “Do your parents talk about Earth?”
Paula leapt back to her pace. “No. They left. That’s reason enough for me to not care. We are making our own history now.”
Joe always knew Paula looked toward the future while he seemed stuck in the past. “If you don’t like history, you should at least be impressed by the journey of the Apollo astronauts.”
“Yeah, they were ballsy. Real cowboys trusting their lives to that sort of junk. You think we’ll find anything useful?”
“Well, Mr. Millennium promised the Moon Council he would make a museum commemorating those first visitors. I don’t know about you, but let’s trust a quadrillionaire to be prepared for anything. The museum isn’t completed, but there has to be something there that might help us.” Joe didn’t even know if Mark Millennium was a real person. There were so many outrageous rumors and tales about him.
“Let’s hope he’s not a crazy person, I mean who builds a stupid museum out in the middle of nowhere?” Paula skidded to a stop kicking up a cloud of moon dust. She pointed to the horizon.
“Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed,” Joe whispered under his breath at the sight of the museum.
“What’s that? What did you say?” Paula glanced over to him as he stopped.
“Nothing. Just mumbling some history.”
#
Closing in on the museum, Joe wished he had the time to be a tourist. A graceful metallic arc sprung from the lunar surface and supported a glass-like dome enclosing the historic Apollo 11 landing site. The site, smaller than a baseball field, enclosed man’s first journey to another world. Joe saw the gold plated shimmer of the lunar lander that remained behind. Unfortunately, the artifacts would have to wait for another day. He wished his father was here.
Paula grabbed his arm. “Come on, no time for sightseeing!”
Behind the dome, they found the station airlock attached to a half-buried facility. Next to the airlock a welcoming sign greeted them, “The Moon Governing Committee would like to welcome you to the first declared Moon Historical Site. Here, man first stepped foot on another world. They came in peace, July 1969.”
Paula sighed as the airlock cycled. When completed, the museum revealed itself. No expense was too great for the Millennium Corporation. Sleek steel archways swept up and over his head. Polished metal and large glass windows surrounded him. Everything was so different from the cubist, minimalist structures back at Collins.
Joe removed his helmet. The museum was quiet. The air smelled stale with disuse. His eyes wandered to the landing site within the dome. Next to the lander, a replica of the flag and the original science experiments remained. All of this was now forever protected. A lump formed in his throat.
Paula removed her helmet, too. A frown formed on her face, “Great, no one is here.”
Joe shrugged, but a voice and image sprang forward welcoming them to the museum. Shimmering against the steel wall, the light shined down from the ceiling. It was a projection. The museum didn’t have real people. Damn.
"The comm center is this way." Paula pointed at the sign on the wall that read Communication Center and tugged at his elbow.
They raced by ancient spacesuits, each hand stitched, and the Apollo Guidance Computer with its software literally woven into wires. Joe was fascinated with what he studied. But Pyotr always chastised him by telling him, "the girls don't want to be bored with your historical facts.”
Joe tried to take it all in but Paula ran ahead and was soon waiting for him at the museum communication center.
Entering, he realized they had come all this way for nothing. The equipment was not set up. Wires poked out of cabinets. Joe let out a breath and his head drooped.
"Damn, it looks like the comm equipment isn’t installed yet. Now what?" asked Joe.
Paula poked around in the back of the console. A loud “Ah Ha” echoed in the tiny room.
"What is it?" Joe peered around her shoulder.
"Not sure, but I think it's a remote immersion station."
"Let’s turn it on, maybe it can help?”
Paula slumped against the wall, “What a waste of time. Even all of this,” Paula’s hands waved at the console, “can’t help us. Just a bunch of junk.”
"Let's try. It can't hurt.” Joe tentatively reached out a finger to the console. “Maybe this junk might have some secrets."
He booted it up.
#
"Greetings. Welcome to my museum."
Paula and Joe both turned to each other with big eyes. Standing before them, albeit an avatar, was none other than Mark Millennium, the richest man in the Solar System. His father built the space elevator and the orbiting station, Sure Point, on Earth.
Joe raised an eyebrow while Paula winked and said. "Sir, we were on a mining survey and our transporter crashed. We have a hurt friend who needs help."
"And we were wondering if there was something here to help." Joe felt silly talking to the ghostly image. He wasn’t sure explaining their plight would do much good to a recorded guide.
The avatar image pixelated as its AI determined a response. "I see, follow me, I've got some special gear in storage." Joe took a hesitant step forward. Paula groaned.
“Special gear? More like moon junk. I was hoping for a hopper.” Her eyes rolled but she followed the avatar. “Museums.”
Their footfalls echoed in the empty metallic hallway. Joe tried to get a glimpse of the artifacts. Turning, he ran into Paula. She stopped before a blank wall.
"Really?” Paula continued, “We don't have time for this, I thought you were going to help?"
"Take what you need and safe travels." The avatar faded away as the wall in front of them parted to reveal a garage of equipment. As their eyes adjusted to the light, the inside of the room stored all kinds of lunar gear including two lunar rovers, completely restored.
Joe got up close to the lunar rover. "Oh wow, Mr. Millennium are you kidding me?"
"What are these?" The lack of enthusiasm in Paula’s voice showed that she paid little attention to their history lessons.
“These rovers were used on the last three missions to the Moon. They allowed the astronauts to explore away from their landing craft. They logged over 90 kilometers on the surface.”
“How is this ancient tech going to help Val?” She dropped her helmet onto the seat and loudly exhaled.
Ignoring her, Joe jumped into the seat trying to remember how the darn things worked. The rovers were controlled by a central console joystick, pushing forward moved the rover in that direction while pulling back allowed the brakes to take hold. Swiveling the joystick would allow for the rover to turn. It was simplistic. Joe felt unsure even though he had read the operation and maintenance manual for a school report. He motioned to Paula, “Let’s relive some history.”
“You sure this is a good idea? Is it even going to work after all these years?” Paula put on her helmet and gave Joe the evil eye as he walked around to the back of the vehicle.
Pulling the plug from a wall charger he smiled. “See, Mr. Millennium thought of everything. Val needs help. We can get back to the transport and use this antenna.” He pointed up at the strange bowl-shaped piece of metal above them. “Help me with these extra oxygen canisters and we can then get Val back to base using the emergency airlock."
Paula crossed her arms. "This isn’t going to work Joe.”
“We will find a way. What do we have to lose?" Joe’s stomach twisted as he started up the rover and it lurched forward.
#
Stopping the buggy a few hundred meters short of the lava tube, Paula leaped up. “You coming?”
Joe couldn’t move. Paralysis set in as he recalled his childhood. Visions of his waving father through the smoke and ringing alarms returned. “I can’t.”
“What do you mean you can’t? What’s the matter with you?”
Joe’s eyes tracked straight ahead.
“Hey, you in there? Val needs us.” Paula reached over and shook Joe’s arm.
Something in Joe snapped. Coming back to the site, not knowing Val’s condition, brought the taste of bile in his mouth. He turned towards Paula and shook his head.
Paula released his arm. She stared back at him. Her face concealed behind the gold-plated faceplate. He didn’t know what to say but his memories spoke.
“Joe, come back here, get away from that airlock!” His mother screamed.
Joe didn’t understand. His mother was obscured by smoke. He father waved through the outer airlock. Why wasn’t anyone helping him? The taste of tears coated Joe’s lips and he couldn’t stop from crying out. Red lights flashed and all around him people were moaning.
“Momma, why isn’t anyone helping?” Joe saw the flashing beacon next to the door. He wasn’t too far away.
A new sound startled him. He looked back but his mom was watching over a woman. Through the smoke he saw red liquid soaking through his mother’s hand. Turning back around the flashing light called him forward. He was almost there when suddenly the inner airlock began closing. He heard is mother’s voice cry out but he was so close to reaching the button that would open the outer airlock to help his father.
He reached and stretched but couldn’t activate the button. Suddenly, the blinking light faded as the inner airlock snapped closed on his arm. Hands closed around him. He blacked out from the sudden pain.
Paula came around the vehicle and he looked up at her. He was that little boy again waving goodbye to his father and trying to open that airlock. She grabbed his helmet and placed hers next to his. He saw her breath fog the inside of her faceplate.
She yelled. The voice carried through their two helmets. “I need you, Joe. Pyotr told me about your father. If it wasn’t for his heroics, manually shutting that hatch from outside, all of you would have died from the fire. He saved those people’s lives. He saved you and your mom.”
Joe closed his eyes. His artificial arm prickled with phantom pain. Just the week before his father died, they had tossed a jump ball together. Tears streamed down his face. “You don’t understand.”
“Listen to me, Joe. Val needs you. We’re going to do this, but she needs you. Think how scared your mom is right now. Only you would have read the operator’s manual to work this piece of junk. You can make a difference for Val. Be heroic, right here, right now.”
Joe opened his eyes. His father whispered to him to go on now. Something clicked while processing his past as he returned to the present. Paula came into focus. “What’s the plan?”
Paula blew him a kiss, “There’s my Joe.” He watched her leap back and look at the lunar rover. “This thing have any rescue gear?”
Joe put away his doubts. It was as if he could hear his father saying ‘Joe, you got this.’
“Item 37: Line, Lunar Safety, with Bag”.
“What? Item 37? Speak English, Joe.” Paula was opening containers and tossing out equipment items.
“There is a safety rope somewhere on the rover. Assuming Mr. Millennium restored these to historical accuracy, there should be a rope. We can use it to pull Val up in the emergency airlock.”
“Let’s find it.”
Joe hopped out and went to the right seat, forward storage and put his gloved hand into the stowage bag. Inside he found a large bag. “Here it is!”
Paula let out a whoop. “Fantastic. Maybe those cowboys knew what they were doing back then.”
Over the radio, Paula called out to Pyotr. Be okay Val, he prayed to himself.
“Come in, Pyotr. Do you read us? It’s Paula and Joe. Come in, do you copy?” Joe counted the seconds. Come on, buddy.
“Guys?” Pyotr’s voice was quiet. It sounded far away.
“Pyotr? How’s Val? Is she okay?” Paula turned toward Joe.
A whisper came through the radio. Val’s voice was weak, but alive. “Joe? How was the museum?” A cough sounded through the radio and then a loud groan.
“Pyotr? Can you move Val into the airlock?” Joe asked.
“Probably, but why? Once detached, there’s no way I can push it up the slope.”
“Yeah, don’t worry about that, we have a rope.”
“Where did you find a rope?” Joe heard Pyotr moving about inside the transport.
“We brought some of the museum to you,” Joe exclaimed.
Joe unfurled the rope down the slope ignoring the frayed threads and particles on his gloves. It will hold. There was a tug on the other end and Joe left some slack.
“Joe, this rope is like two hundred years old. Is it even going to work?” Pyotr asked.
Joe motioned to Paula to move the rover around so he could tie it to the back. “It’ll work. They overdesigned everything.”
“Pyotr, did you get Val moved okay? Is the airlock disconnected?” Paula’s voice was upbeat. Her enthusiasm was contagious.
“Yeah, hold on. I’m trying to figure out a way to tie the rope in. We don’t have much time.”
Joe knew the airlock had a minimum amount of air and that’s why he grabbed the extra oxygen bottles. Val’s heavy breathing carried over the radio reminding them that this had to work.
“Okay, I’ve got it tied in. Be gentle. I’ll follow behind her.” Pyotr grunted and Joe started to pull up the slack.
Motioning to Paula, Joe waved his hand. “I’ll guide the rope. Drive forward slowly and pull up the slack.”
Paula gave a thumbs up and drove the rover forward. The wheels churned and kicked up regolith as it protested the added mass. Designed with motors on each wheel, Joe was confident.
Slowly Joe and the rover pulled, inch by inch, as the silver and white thread came up out of the hole carrying with it the grey moon regolith. “Is it working?”
“She’s giving you a thumbs up.” shouted Pyotr.
Joe kept pulling but noticed at the lip that the rope started to fray. Threads were popping one-by-one. Oh no, not now. “We need to go faster, Paula.”
“Why? What’s the matter?” Her voice seemed to be right over his shoulder. The rope jerked in his hand as she powered forward.
“The rope is unraveling.”
“Oh, that’s not good.”
Joe rushed forward to the lip. Guiding the rope through his gloves he hoped to lessen the impact of the moon’s jagged regolith. With no rain or wind, the moon’s surface soil was jagged and rough.
“Can you see us? Where are you?” pleaded Joe.
“Hurry!” screamed Pyotr.
Joe turned, waving to Paula to go at full speed. “Go! Floor it!” He grasped the fraying rope hoping to keep it from popping apart.
Suddenly he felt the rope give and he tumbled forward grabbing the end of the frayed rope. His artificial arm was the only thing holding his friend Val from crashing back down into the abyss.
Paula bounced up beside him onto the soft regolith. “Oh, man. Hold on Joe, you’re doing great.”
Joe dug his feet into the lunar surface. There was no pain but he thought he heard his artificial limb vibrating with the stress. Paula clamored over him and reached for the rope below his hold.
“Pyotr? We’re going to pull but you gotta push. Can you see us yet?”
Joe’s eyes clamped shut. Tears streamed down his cheek and he clenched his jaw. His shoulder shook and his feet slipped towards the lip. Years ago he couldn’t help his dad but today would be different. He turned, his arm and shoulder protesting with the new angle, and started moving inch by inch.
“That’s it. Pull!” Paula screamed pushing Joe forward. “I see them!”
Straining, Joe pushed against his nightmares. With one giant leap, the rope gave way, the airlocked rolled free above the rim of the hole, and Joe fell forward collapsing onto the surface. His friends screamed with joy.
Tears flowed freely. Joe let go of the rope. Two hands grabbed him from behind and he swung up into Pyotr’s bear hug.
“That was spectacular.”
Paula joined them as they surrounded the airlock.
Joe patted them on their helmets. “Moon junk, huh? I told you guys history was important.”
“Let’s get this hunk of junk moving. We can strap down the airlock, hook up those oxygen tanks, and start moving towards Collins.” Paula slapped Joe’s arm. “Maybe Pyotr can get that dish talking?”
Joe smiled. Just over the horizon, the Earth hung like a blue marble. Grabbing Paula’s arm, he pulled her visor towards him. He turned off his microphone. "Thanks for helping me realize something back there. I understand why my dad did what he did now. I just needed to be reminded that we can all be heroes.”
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