Predicting the Storm

7: All or nothing

Novinn took a deep breath and closed his eyes. A feeling of cold rain trickled down his spine for a few seconds. 

Four days had passed since they had begun modifying the land shuttle. Marilyn had spent hours sketching blueprints with Novinn at her side, who constantly sent out orders to collect the needed components. After intense work they were now about to board and start the final journey.

"It's just two hours. It's nothing. We should have a strong enough signal to allow for communication during the entire trip." He announced with a slightly shaky voice as he adjusted the globe shaped helmet that was attached to a black suit meant for treading alien ground, adjusted to deal with both extreme heat and cold. "The oxygen supply should be well enough for construction of concentrates and after that we'll begin with the rest."

Marilyn and Rob stood beside him also dressed in black rubbery suits. Marilyn slightly smiled as she rested her hand on the modified land rover.

"Oxygen, water, food. It's all rather simple." Her smile wasn't reflected by the others.

"Well Erin, Dr. Essen and..." Sweat dripped down Novinn's forehead as he struggled to remember the name of the old woman beside us.

"Lanette. Don't worry, sir." Her voice seemed rather gloomy and her wrinkled face barely moved as she spoke.

"I am terribly sorry, Lanette. I hope all of you will sleep well and that Colony Foundation arrives shortly." Novinn reached to shake hands with us one by one. I loosely held his hand when it was my turn, finding the prickly material of the gloves discomforting. 

My face had been stuck in a frown for the past hour. During the last couple of days I had repeatedly tried to convince them to stop the project. I couldn't hold my tongue any longer.

"Novinn ... this isn't a good idea. None of this was ever a good idea but this really isn't a good idea. Even if you succeed, it's not sustainable. Please." I whispered, even though the rest of them could still hear it clearly.  "Wouldn't it at least ... be more pleasant to die on Apog?" My question came out more morbid than I'd intended.

"We're not planning to die! Don't you get it?" Marilyn snapped and slammed her fist on the white metal shielding of the rover. Her smile was long gone.

"Listen, I understand your concerns but you should have seen what Marilyn did. I trust her. Let us leave now and you shall see for yourself."

It didn't matter if Marilyn succeeded with the modifications or not. This was still ridiculous.

The three of them saluted as the door to the rover was lifted. I backed away to safety from the vacuum of space along with Erin and Lanette.

The shuttle departed beyond our sight, and a dark crinkling noise from the engine calmed my spirit a bit. After a couple of seconds I heard the shuttle leave Apog and the removal of oxygen from the room. Finally I heard the metal hatch shutting behind them.

Eventually we returned to the platform and saw them in the distance. My heart felt eased as they got further and further away and closer to Proxima b.

"Novinn?" I asked with the Ypi-tool, expecting an immediate answer.

I waited a couple seconds, still feeling eased.

"What are they..." Erin said as she walked closer to the rounded window.

I looked up, seeing the shuttle turn around sharply.

"Novinn?"