“This whole idea about traveling to a new planet in a galaxy far away is just a fantasy that may never be accomplished, at least by me. Tomorrow I plan to announce the mission is cancelled and everyone can return to their homes, or wherever they want to go on Earth, because we are definitely not going to make it anywhere with me as the leader.”
Bob was silent for a moment. Tom took a sip of beer and just stared at Bob. There was a terrible strain on his face as if the fate of the whole world rested on his shoulders.
Bob responded, “Look at me, Tom, and pay attention very closely to what I am about to tell you. First, I admit today was a terrible setback for the mission. The fault, if there was any, lays with the engineers including me, that build the shuttle. We were just not ready to launch it. We will fix the mistakes, and you can count on that happening as soon as possible. If we need to hire new experts we can do so, but this problem will be fixed one way or another. I have no doubts about that.
“The other issue that I see right now is your wanting to give up everything you have dreamed about and worked for over thirty years. There is not a person in the world that has done more to research and ensure this mission will be a great success than you. You have gained the respect of everyone on board, even Dr. Sato.”
This comment made Tom smile a little bit. Dr. Sato was one tough cookie.
Bob continued, “We all came on this ship because we all want to save the human race, and we cannot think of anyone better suited than you to lead such an effort. I can see it in the eyes of everyone on board that they will follow you regardless of what you say. Everyone on board made a choice to go with you on this journey. They were not forced to do so, although you did manage to twist a few arms.”
Tom smiled again and thought to himself, Wasn’t that the truth.
Bob continued, “If we give up on this journey now, then assholes like Trump will have won.”
That comment brought a grimace to Tom’s face. He said through gritted teeth, “Trump does not know shit from Shinola. He also did not know whether to scratch his watch or wind his ass. Tom laughed and shook his head. That man lied in four years more than any human being possibly could in their entire life. He really did not understand climate change or what his decisions meant for the future of everyone on Earth.”
Bob then said, “Right on, Tom. Do you want to be stuck here with such a jerk? The mistake on the shuttle is nothing compared to the mistake that this president made during his term in office. At least you can admit when you made a mistake. So, are you going to tell everyone on board tomorrow that this whole idea of yours and everything we have accomplished so far is a mistake and a lie? Is that it? Personally, I do not think you have made any mistakes. Maybe a minor setback, but not one mistake. And I certainly know you are not a quitter. But the choice is yours. I am not going to make that decision for you. I know that everyone on board still has one hundred per cent confidence in you and will travel to whatever galaxy we decide on. The question is, can you get your confidence back? Having served with you for so many years, I am sure you can. So, I ask you, man to man, friend to friend, what are you going to do?”
Tom stood up slowly and put his beer down. He stood there for a moment in total silence. Then, he spoke. “Thank you for being such a good friend and colleague. I guess I was trying to drown myself in self-pity. The pressure of having everything go smoothly to ensure the success of this mission is immense, as you can well imagine, and I let it get the best of me. You did a great job of picking me up and making some things clear. For one thing, unlike Trump, I surely know my arse from a hole in the ground.”
That made Bob laugh loudly.
Then, Tom said, “Thanks again. All I ask is that you do not spread our little brother-to-brother chat all over the ship.”
Bob said, “Duly noted, sir.” Then, he gave Tom a big salute.
Tom reciprocated, and they hugged each other. Bob left Tom to himself.
As Bob left, Tom had a smile on his face. He was already thinking of improving the shuttle and other functions, but he was also thinking about what a great friend he had in Bob Jackson.
Chapter 35 – What Could Go Wrong
Tom Burns, The Imagine, Rocky Mountains, CO
Five months later, Carson and Dorothy notified Tom they had fixed the mistakes causing the shuttle incident and were confident it would now operate successfully.
Another unmanned flight was scheduled, and this time there were no problems at all. Everyone involved in the mission was elated.
Meanwhile. Dr. Sato and Tom met to discuss her progress in the medical facilities. She had recruited some exceptional doctors and researchers for the voyage. Dr. Sato said the work was coming along fine, but she needed to go on a trip to Wyoming to pick up some necessary materials for DNA research. These materials had to be kept at -200 degrees Celsius. They could not trust Federal Express to keep it at the correct temperature, so she would go herself.
Tom told her to make sure she had a communicator. She had her GPS chip working just in case something went wrong.
Dr. Sato and her colleague flew in a twin-engine plane to Wyoming. The next morning, Tom’s communicator buzzed. When he answered, it was Dr. Sato on the other end.
Tom asked, “Why are you calling so early in the morning? Has something gone wrong?” He thought that perhaps the materials she needed were contaminated, or there was another problem.
Then, he heard Dr. Sato crying.
“Our plane crashed in a wooded area far from any town. I was unable to call anyone on my phone, as it is no longer charged. The only thing I could do is call you on my communicator. The pilot and my colleague are both dead. I think I may have a broken leg, but other than that, I seem to be all right. However, I need assistance or someone to rescue me. You are my only hope. Yet, I doubt you are going to fly an entire spaceship to rescue me. It will look really suspicious, and I doubt you could land it anywhere around here with all these woods. If you have to leave me to die, I understand. Humanity must be saved. The mission comes first. I just have a few requests.”
“Save your requests for when you see me which will be very soon. On my communicator, I can see your exact location, since your GPS chip is still working. I will send someone soon. Let me get to work on this, and I will call you back in fifteen minutes. Do you have any water or anything to eat while you wait?”
“No. It is getting cold here, and I do not want to freeze to death, so please do something fast if you can.”
Tom hung up and tried to think quickly. Another twin-engine plane, which he did not have access to, would take about ten hours to get to the location of the crash. Tom did not know how to contact the local authorities and wondered what they could do about it. However, he was not going to lose his chief doctor and now friend without a fight.
“Come on, come on.”
As he was pacing, Dorothy walked in to let him know they could test the shuttle again with a live pilot.
Tom took one look at her and said, “Thank God the shuttle is ready. We are going to test it for real. Get one pilot immediately.”
Tom explained what happened to Dr. Sato and that there was a need for immediate transport to save her and then return her back to the shuttle.
Dorothy said, “Are you sure you want to do this? We have not successfully flown this with a human. Is it worth the risk?”