The Space Between

Chapter Six: "What A View"

Mark waved to the small tv that was built into the dash of the shuttle. In the two seats up front, the pilots flipped switches and monitored the wall of computer controls. The veteran NASA pilot informed the military pilot of the controls as the countdown started. Mark held the straps that kept him tight to his seat. He could only focus on breathing. He tried hard not to cry. With his helmet on it would be impossible to wipe his tears away. So, he turned his eyes to the narrow window above the controls. The sky was clear and beautiful. The shuttle began to vibrate as the countdown got down to single digits. The NASA astronaut seated beside him told him with a light chuckle. "I hope you didn't eat anything before this." A military woman behind Mark asked with worry. "What will it be like?" The NASA astronauts all laughed before the pilot answered over the sound of the engine. "Ever been shot from a slingshot? It's a lot like that." Mark swallowed as the others uttered out in unison. "What?!" Mark rolled his eyes; they should know this from the training they went through.

The countdown went down to one and the shuttle lurched forward so hard that Mark felt like his ribs were going to cave in. Taking small calm breaths like he was trained to do; he was both terrified and excited as the shuttle rose into the sky. The military personnel around him began to scream, while the NASA personnel cheered and put their hands in the air just to freak out the others. The NASA pilot soon calmed himself to inform Ground Control that all systems were green. Mark's hand drifted to the chest of his suit. He could feel Sean's necklace more than ever as the metal was forced firmly to his skin. His hand felt like lead against his chest, but his mind was only on Sean. Closing his eyes, he recalled the taste of his lips and laying in bed with him. His smiling face. Suddenly the shuttle stopped going forward and weightlessly started to drift back. The NASA pilot flipped a switch, telling Ground Control seriously. "Detaching the busters and turning to thrusters. Now!" The NASA pilot pressed a button and the shuttle shot forward again but the shuttle didn't shake nearly as much now.

Over the coms, Ground Control told them calmly. "You're looking good, Ceres. Go ahead to full thrusters." The NASA pilot nodded, answering confidently. "Copy that. Going to full thrusters." The NASA pilot grabbed a leaver and slowly pushed it forward, causing the shuttle to vibrate a bit more as it forced its way from the gravitational pull of earth. Mark knew the second they left the pull, because his stomach lurched into a weightless feeling. The NASA pilot pulled the lever down slowly, telling Ground Control happily. "Control, we are now in orbit. Turning stabilizers on. Are we on course, Control?" Ground Control answered in a proud voice. "You are on course, Ceres. Engage autopilot and enjoy your trip." The NASA pilot grinned, flipping more switches on the controls as he told them excitedly. "Copy that, Control. We'll keep coms open." Mark took a deep breath with relief, watching the pilots go over their checklists for air supply and autopiloted features. The NASA pilot then began unstrapping himself as he told everyone. "Alright. All systems are green. You can relax now. Who's hungry?"

The Military pilot took off his helmet, then snatched a bag from the side of his seat to throw up. The NASA personnel laughed, removing their suits as the floated in the air around their seats. Mark carefully unbuckled himself, letting himself float up before removing his suit. He wasn't nearly as air sick as he thought he'd be. He just felt a little light-headed from the change in atmosphere. Setting his suit down in a locker by his chair, he took a minute to just process that he was really in space. A NASA astronaut tapped his arm, pointing to the window as he said blissfully. "Have a look at that view." Mark moved closer to the window and his jaw dropped. Earth was massive compared to their shuttle and from space it looked so mysterious and beautiful. Space was as dark as a permanent midnight, but the Earth seemed to glow with a ghostly blue light. Earth had never looked more beautiful to him. The Astronaut beside him, leaned on the wall as he stared out with him, saying so serenely. "Seems so unreal, doesn't it? No matter how many times I see her, I never get tired of looking at her from this angle."