Europa Mon Amour

Chapter 12

We made it back to Earth, but we were not allowed to go down to the surface. We had to stay on Hero-1, the main space station orbiting Earth, because of our possible contact with alien life.

Marie and I spent time sitting in a cafe on the space station while we were in quarantine.

“I don’t know why we’re being treated as if we were Typhoid Mary’s,” Marie said. “We never actually made contact with any life forms.”

“They’re afraid,” I said. “They aren’t sure that we did get some alien bacteria or viruses on us.”

“We went through that rigmarole when we got back up from Europa. That should have been sufficient.”

“Oh well, at least we get to spend time with each other.”

“We were together for nearly a year,” she said. “I’ve never been with anyone that long.”

I smiled. “Actually, we’ll break that record if we get married. How’s that coming with your father?”

“He wasn’t too happy when I told him,” she said, her face twisted with disappointment. “He wanted me to marry a guy in the military.”

“I was in R.O.T.C,” I told her.

“You know what I mean,” she said, adding a frown.

“I’m sorry I didn’t pursue a military career. It just didn’t happen that way.”

“Don’t you worry, Ryan Taylor, I’m not going to let you go without a fight.”

I gave her a teasing smirk. “Gee, thanks.”

She slapped my shoulder. “Don’t be such a wise guy.”

I chuckled.

“You two are wanted in Dr. Kensington’s office,” a young astronaut page said. He was even younger than we are and basically functioning as a courier.

“Thanks,” I said.

We got up and walked the main corridor to the command section of Hero-1. The wheel we were in was many times the size of the one we occupied on Delta-1. A staff sergeant, a woman with a stern face, guarded the office complex.

“Taylor and Gonzalez to see Dr. Kensington,” I announced.

“Go right in,” she said with a stoic face.

We entered into the office and stood together like two non-commissioned officers. Both Kensington and Marie’s father were there.

“Congratulations for a successful mission to Europa,” Kensington said. “You have become celebrities. However, there is an issue to resolve.”

“We are aware of your . . . extra curricular activities on board Delta-1,” Gonzalez said. “Everything you did and said was recorded.”

Marie and I exchanged surprised glances.

“I apologize for our . . . activities, sir,” I said. “It’s all my fault.”

“That’s not true, son,” Gonzalez said. “My daughter had something to do with it.”

“Are we being disciplined for what we did, sir?” I asked.

“Not at all,” Kensington said.

We both blew out relived breaths.

“On the contrary,” Gonzalez said. “We are permitting you to marry at the earliest opportunity before both of you are assigned to a new mission.”

Tears rolled down Marie’s face. “I thought that you were angry at me, father.”

“I’m disappointed, but not angry,” he said. “Ryan is a brave and honorable man and worthy of you. I only hope that he doesn’t disappoint you.”

“I will make sure that he doesn’t, father,” she said with a big smile.

Of course, I had a big smile but it faded to one that reflected concern. “Ah . . . what new mission are we going on, sir?”

Kensington smiled. I hadn’t seen him do that before. “We’re preparing Delta-1 for a trip to Enceladus with a scheduled launch in fifteen months.”

Both of my eyebrows shot up. “Enceladus? That’s a moon of Saturn.”

“That’s right, Taylor,” he said. “You do know your astronomy.”

“It would take forever to get there,” I said.

“We estimate about seven to eight months, depending on the launch window,” Kensington said.

“You’ll have lots of time to get acquainted on that voyage,” Gonzalez said with a sly smirk.

“We may be able to get a bit more speed out of the engines and get you there sooner,” Kensington said.

“Why Enceladus?” I asked.

“Like Europa, it’s believed to have an ocean under a layer of ice,” Kensington said.

“Why send us again?” Marie asked. “There must be more experienced astronauts available and willing to go.”

Kensington smiled. “No one is more experienced than you two. We didn’t think you would succeed and yet you managed to not only go down into Europa’s ocean but also to bring back samples of alien life.”

“You work well together,” Gonzalez said. “We believe that your youth is what gives you the advantage. You don’t seem to be fazed by dangerous situations.”

“We’re convinced that sending two young people, a male and a female was a good decision, and your success proved that we were right.”

At that point, we had been drafted. The idea of going that far out into deep space was scary at best, but at least no one would complain about our extracurricular activities because we would be married.