The Moonwalker

Chapter 6

"So, how'd it feel?" Harvey leans toward her. "You take a hit yet?"

Aula sighs. "Like I lost ten pounds."

"My uncle used to say nothing's as satisfying as a good burp, a good fart, or a good shit."

"Your uncle's a wise man."

The comm hums. It's a familiar precursor to all conversations with Earth.

"ILUB-2, Houston. Are you ready for the event?"

Harvey adjusts his mic so it's nearly chin level. "We're ready, Houston. Patch 'em through."

The TV screen remains dark for another three seconds. Kwan stuck googly eyes on either side of the camera to draw their gaze upward and make eye contact with the viewer. It's damn ridiculous, but it works. The screen flicks white, then a woman appears. Early 40's, brunette, and an impersonal smile.

"Hello, ILUB-2. This is Suzanne Richardson of WVED News. Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear," Harvey says. "It's good to see you, Suzanne."

Richardson laughs and glances down at the paper on her desk. "Colonel Harvey Martin and Major Aula Reed. Thank you for joining us. It's a privilege to see you today."

They smile at her. Aula clasps her hands behind her back and resists a sigh. It's easy to forget how they're viewed by people on Earth. Everyone on ILUB-2 is distinguished in their own way, focused on their own tasks and their own careers. They're peers. The invasive hook of celebrity can't reach any of them onsite. Now, of course, they run a gauntlet of interviews for that very reason.

"How does it feel to return after so many years?"

"Good." Harvey sounds the perfect mix of thoughtful and cheerful. "We're always glad to come back. The rent's decent, too. "

Aula smiles and nods. Harv's a favourite. Between him and Bauer, she's happily slipped out of the spotlight. She doesn't need people trying to mine angst like it's a vein of copper.

The news anchor's face becomes more mask-like. "As the only original crew members to survive, does it feel any different being on a second International Lunar Base?"

Of course it feels different. The trajectory of their lives, their careers, and those of their friends and family were suddenly altered. Everyone lives with it whether the cameras are on them or not. That's the mundane truth no one seems interested in. 

Harvey turns the charm down a notch. "You've got moments where you remember and it hits home, but it gets pretty busy up here and everyone's been really supportive."

"Yes, of course." Richardson's gaze shifts to Aula. "Major Reed, you witnessed things first hand. I would imagine that would be hard to forget."

"It's a risk we all agree to take."

"Not many of us can say we work with the person who saved our lives. How has it been for you after ten years?"

"Difficult, but rewarding."

The reporter manages a pinched smile. "Of course. Now we do have some audio from the original mission we'd like to play for you. Can you tell me what was going through your mind while this was happening?"

Richardson's gaze shifts slightly and the sound clip starts with a soft crackle. It's the same sound Aula heard when the interview started. She clutches her hands together behind her back.

Roberto Hinton's voice is calm. "ILUB-1, Houston. Comm check."

Silence.

"ILUB-1, this is Houston. Comm check."

"Houston, this...." Harvey's voice fades into a blaze of white noise. "...by Short A. You're weak as hell."

"Getting the silent treatment down here, Martin."

"Skies clear...no response. I'll pack up early and...."

Aula concentrates on the sweat tickling down her temples. There's a clicking sound. Static buzzes in and out.

"Get...Harv."

Her voice is faint. The new Data Relay Satellites bridge the void between the Moon and Earth on a Kᵤ band while herself and Harvey are also on the local UHF. Both are being carried on the last flickers of ILUB-1's power.

"Al? You're breaking up."

"Get to EVAC C."

"EVAC C confirmed." Hinton's drawl sounds thicker than ever. "Reed, is ILUB-1 fully deactivated?"

The silence stretches like a rubber band. It's surreal to look back on it now. The math had been so simple.

"Only one ping up here," Harvey says curtly. "Where's every...?"

"...gone. Get to...C."

The clip abruptly ends. Suzanne Richardson is watching their reactions. Any cracks in their composure will make for a more compelling interview. It rubs Harvey wrong. Aula can read it in his body language. All that charm is about to slough off.

She stares into the camera. "We had a small window for communication. My objective was to get my crew mate to the evacuation point before that window closed."

"Of course." Richardson glances down at her papers again. "Now, for the sake of our viewers, can you explain what EVAC C is?"

Some of the tension eases from Aula's shoulders. "It's part of our emergency operations during a depressurization event. EVAC C refers to multiple modules losing pressure simultaneously. We power the base down and head to the EVAC C point where crew members inhabit an emergency module."

"In this case, crew members being Colonel Martin and yourself?"

"Yes."

"That must have been difficult."

"We lived."

Richardson nods with an appropriately somber expression. Then her perfectly plucked brows furrow. "You mentioned it was your objective to get Colonel Martin to the evacuation point. Did you not intend to go with him?"

"I was on an EVA with a leaking suit," Aula says. "He had a vehicle. His chances of survival were much greater than mine."

Harvey claps a hand on her shoulder. "I wasn't letting her off the hook that easy, though."

"Incredible." Richardson leans forward slightly. "But why not—"

"ILUB-2, Houston. End of the event."

The TV flicks white, then goes back to a black screen. Harvey's hand immediately slips off her shoulder. He turns and sits down on the corner of the table. Aula wipes her forehead with the back of her hand and switches her mic off to avoid interference. The room is hot and stifling.

"Roger that, Houston."

Harvey sighs and switches his mic off, too. "You ever get tired of lying?"

Aula slowly paces with her arms on her hips. "The important part isn't a lie. Your odds were better than mine."

When she looks at Harvey, his expression is closed. It's going to be many more years before he forgives her for what happened.