Constellations

the moon

It has been a month since Neil's funeral and you are having what could be your final breakfast on earth before the mission. You are watching Kelsey who is the European Service and Command Module pilot write down some notes. It feels like someone increased the pressure in the room. Again it's because it's a new mission. You wonder how the people at mission control are going. You won't find out until the TV broadcast from the capsule. 

"Kelsey, what are you writing?" You ask before taking a bit of your egg and bacon. You are concerned that Neil's death might have an impact on the mission. It's a good thing that the others are confident in your ability to command. 

"I'm writing some notes on the docking of the ESM to the command module for when you guys take off from the moon again," Kelsey responds. He flashes you an understanding look. He passes you the notebook for you to have a look. The number of words that are contained in the first few pages are impressive. Jay snatches it from you.  

"What was that for?" You groan because you were in the middle of a sentence.

"Kelsey needs his notes and you need to finish your breakfast," Jay responds as he passes the notebook back. Three minutes later you've all finished your respective meals. You are now waiting impatiently for the people who are going to help you in to your spacesuits. You wish that the suits would be easier to get on.

"Why do they always take so long?" Jay asks even though he knows the answer. Danny enters the room. You all get up because Danny has come to help you with the final preparations. He leads you to a room where the techs are dealing with the EVA suits. The tension has started to build again. 

"Commander Collins will you sit here?" one of the techs asks. You will never get used to being called commander. You only made lieutenant whilst you were in the navy and you haven't been called commander by the team. You sit down and the tech passes you the cooling and waste collection garment. Everyone looks away while you strip down to your underwear. Thirty seconds later you've slid into the garment and Kelsey and Jay have followed your lead. The tech gestures for you to stand up and you do. The tech passes you the first layer of the EVA suit itself. Ten minutes later everyone is ready. The tension is still growing.

"Let's go before we miss the launch window," you try to make a joke to lighten the mood. It works. Jay lets out a chuckle. An hour later you have made it to the elevator that will take you to the top of the Ares five. To the waiting modules. It feels like you are going up towards the peak of a roller coaster that will take you to the moon. 

"Ladies first," Kelsey remarks. He is trying to be polite even though as a commander you would go first anyway. You are thinking about the awkwardness of ingress and egress. You can tell Jay is having similar thoughts. The ride up to the top is a deadly quiet affair. It bothers you because it gives you time to think. You reach the top and you are blown away by the size of the rocket. The techs that are working on the modules clear out. The techs all apologise on the way out.

"Ready?" Jay asks. You and Kelsey both nod. You start the ingress procedure. It's a tight fit with the EVA suits. You grunt as you get into position.

"Jay you can start the ingress," you order as you get the safety straps on. Seven minutes later everyone is ready. You get the paper checklist ready. Ten minutes later you have finished the checklist. You are glad that they are relatively easy to do.

"T minus ten minutes," Danny announces over the comms system. Kelsey flicks a switch.

"Roger T minus ten," Kelsey responds. He flicks it back. It's the final countdown as the song would say. 

"It's going to be a long ten minutes," Jay remarks. He is right. You sigh as the tension builds. Kelsey gives you a reassuring look.

"T minus five minutes. Good luck guys," Danny remarks through the comms. Kelsey flicks the comms switch again.