In a rush to get to Iris, Peter spent little time analyzing his situation. He relied on luck as he took his best aim and jumped. While drifting perilously toward the disabled craft Peter’s mind began racing as he got a close up view of the destruction left by the massive explosion. The top cone of the manned portion of the ship had been sheared off, leaving shards of metal dangling from the end.
Peter’s aim looked to be perfect, right at the center of the rotation. A handhold came into view just before impact. He grabbed the handle as he slammed into the ship, unfazed by the blow. The hatch was just a few feet away, its intact framing instilled some hope his friend could still be alive. Peter quickly crawled the short distance toward the entrance. Please, God, let Blake be in there.
Peter took a deep breath, before grabbing the last handhold and swinging around to take a look inside the cavity. Once his eyes adjusted to the dark shadows, he was overwhelmed by the devastation inside, debris floating all about. With no power, the only light was the faint sunlight reflecting off his suit. He conducted a frantic search of the gloomy interior using his helmet lights and moving his body around in a full circle, looking for any sign of Blake. He paused at the control panel, shocked to see it had been blown out of its position, mangled among the seats. A sickening feeling churned in his gut. Even though he knew he couldn’t be heard, he yelled out for his friend. He continued with his search until his lights picked up a ripped portion of the main cabin’s umbilical cord that Blake was originally attached to. Please be hooked up to the oxygen pack.
Not finding the astronaut among the destruction left a glimmer of hope. Peter launched himself out of the spacecraft, hoping Blake jumped clear of the explosion. He held on to a handhold as the ship spun, searching the vastness of space that encompassed him. The slow spin made it difficult to focus on any of the hundreds of small glimmering illuminations moving away from him—the debris from the explosion. Damn it, he could be anywhere. He hoped one of those flickering lights was his buddy. He moved his head all around in his fixed helmet, searching for any indication of life. Come on, Blake, where are you? His blood pressure was rising with every passing second, knowing his friend was floating deeper into space. As he continued the hunt, he remembered the training exercise when the young astronaut emphatically told Peter he would never leave him to die. Come on, buddy, show me some kind of sign. You can’t die!
Disappointed with his lack of success, Peter figured his only choice was to use Galileo to trace down his friend. Mission control might be able to use a satellite to pick up Blake’s location. Before rushing back to his ship, he needed to do one last-ditch search inside Iris to make sure he didn’t miss any clues. He jammed his whole body through the hatch and hastened around the mangled equipment, moving floating debris out of his way. He noticed a large space behind the seats he hadn’t searched. He moved part of the control panel to get a better look, aiming his lights deep into the dark area. His heart instantly sank at the grim sight before him; the lone oxygen unit wedged underneath the seat with its short umbilical cord floating off it like a serpent, his friend’s only lifeline. Damn it! Without that supply line, the only air available for the pilot would be the slim amount left in his suit. With no time to waste, Peter quickly pushed himself out of the capsule. Though the odds were slim his friend was still alive, he couldn’t give up. Not for Suzy, not for little Matthew. He prayed for a miracle.
His helmet lights moved erratically around in the cabin as he rapidly worked himself backward toward the hatch. His lights picked up an odd figure floated eerily in the corner. While continuing toward the exit, he steadied the lights on the object. He instantly stopped all movement. All hope was lost.
Hovering a few feet in front of him was Blake’s glove.
There was no way his friend’s body could survive the harshness of space. Peter solemnly reached out for the black object, expecting to see the gruesome sight of his friend’s hand inside. As he pulled the glove toward him, he saw it was empty except for small streaks of blood. He was surprised to see a string tied to one of the fingers. The thin twine extended into the darkness. He grimly pulled the string knowing what was probably on the other end. Soon the shiny front end of Matthew’s toy airplane began to pierce the light. As the toy hauntingly floated toward him, tears welled up in Peter’s eyes. He bowed his head in his helmet. He had broken his promise to Suzy. “I’m so sorry, Blake. Please forgive me.”
ANYA’S LIGHT-BLUE sundress kept her cool as she sat at the bar in her home. She wiggled her toes in her sandals while she cradled the phone on her shoulder, waiting for her brother to answer.
Dmitri spoke in their native tongue. “Hello.”
Anya decided to also speak in Russian. “Hello, Dmitri.”
“Hey, Anya, so how’s my little sis?”
Anya positioned the phone better against her ear. “Wonderful, everything has been going great.”
“And how are the two love birds doing?”
She put a hand on the counter as she leaned back in the barstool. “Fantastic, in fact that is why I’m calling. I have some exciting news.”
Her brother answered playfully. “I hope it’s what I think it is.”
She looked at Peter’s favorite bottle of wine sitting on the kitchen counter. “Peter and I are getting married.”
Dmitri’s voice perked up. “That’s what I was hoping you were going to say. That’s fabulous news. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.” Anya started dancing her fingers on the bar. “I have a special favor to ask.”
“Sure, what is it?”
She stopped moving her fingers. “I was hoping you would walk me down the aisle.”
Dmitri broke with emotion. “Anya, I would be honored.”
She smiled. “Great, we plan on getting married in Houston and the date right now is set for April 20. But before we firm it up, I wanted to make sure you and your family could make it.”
“Just a second, let me check.” There was a momentary pause before Dmitri came back in a chipper voice. “I’m all free, but even if I wasn’t, I’d still make it work. So go ahead and book that date.”
An image of her father passed through her mind. “Great. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”
Her brother turned serious. “Sis, you know I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Peter is a great guy.”
“Thanks.”
“So what’s Romeo up to lately?”
Anya settled herself more comfortably in the padded bar stool. “He’s been working for a commercial space company.”
Oddly Dmitri’s voice grew much softer. “What company?”
Knowing her brother, she could tell something was up. She frowned. “EarthOrbit.”
There was a brief silence. With a hint of panic in his voice, Dmitri asked, “What’s his job?”
“He oversees the astronaut training, why?”
While not responding to her question, Dmitri asked, “So he’s not one of their astronauts?”
“No, there was a chance he was going to fly on their current mission, but fortunately the astronaut he was going to replace recovered in time.”
Anya was getting a little fidgety as a few long beats of silence passed before her brother asked. “Have you heard what happened?”