Starfire Ascension

Chapter 9 - Launch

The bus pulled up to their drive as they filed out. The sun was high in the afternoon sky still but there was a swift breeze pulling at Holly and Kimberly's wavy brown hair. It streamed out in beautiful flowing waves behind them. The light danced on their brown hair bringing out the subtle Auburn and orange undertones as the light passed through it giving it a maroon-like hue. Cyrus smiled thinking about how they had all summer to chill and do whatever they wanted now.

As they came into the house uncle Tony greeted them. "How was your last day?" "It was great," Cyrus said. The girls both nodded in agreement. Dad continued. "So last-minute planning before the launch. Kimberley since you have decided to go as well that means both of you girls will need to be prepared for the launch. Just what to expect and basics." Cyrus's head snapped upward. "Why am I the last person to know this?!" he said looking at Holly. "She just decided this week. And besides, you have been a little focused which is understandable," Holly placated gently.

Cyrus breathed in heavily the responsibility of the mission weighing on him. Holly grabbed his other hand smiling at him with soft empathy and love. "Everything will be all right Cyrus," she said soothingly. She was always so tender and compassionate. "Thanks, Holly," Cyrus said with a smile. She kissed him on the cheek with a smile.

Mom was in the kitchen packing lunches for the trip. It seemed so weird yet surreal to be making a quick trip one hundred and fourteen thousand and seventy light-years away and to be packing lunch for the trip like they were visiting a nearby county. Relativity was amazing! Dad put his hand on Cyrus's shoulder. "I'm proud of you son. I know you will take good care of the girls." "Yes, sir," he said solemnly as he stood to attention. Afterward, Cyrus took the lunches from mom as they all headed down to the Lab.

Mom said. "Here take a sweater in case you get cold in space." Cyrus took the sweater not having the heart to tell her if the negative two hundred and fifty-four degree cold of space could actually seep through the hull of the ship they would be frozen solid in a matter of hours. Instead, he hugged her and kissed her on the cheek.

Down in the lab, Uncle Tony punched his password into the computer and toggled some buttons on the touch screen. The fusion drive hummed to life and the triangular-shaped gate formed its bright glass-like blue doorway of subtle waves before finally forming the bridged gate showing the lab. Tony stepped through as the trio followed after him. They entered the room with the gate that was the adjoining room to the massive spherical room. Tony showed them to the control room entrance. It had an entrance right next to the gate as the control room adjoined the gate room. He punched a code into the security panel next to the doorway and took a retinal scan from the hooded station next to the door. Upon granting access the doorway retracted its bolts from the wall and opened outward.

The room looked like a very small control room. There were countless monitors small and massive alike lining the walls. There were also rows of desks on the lower floor level. The higher raised platform of the room stood four feet higher than the rest of the room complete with guard rails along the whole ledge. Two stairways bridged the platform to the left and right with walk rails that guarded the upper level. Centered between the two stairways was the central control platform. It was neatly penned in by the guard rails on three sides giving it a nice centralized feel. It stood out like a plateau with many control boards, monitors, speakers, and various other instruments. On the far side of the room directly in front of the central platform's vision was a massive single pane of thick glass viewing out into the launch bay.

"This is where I will monitor your progress," Tony said. He began pushing buttons on the touchscreen and also on the keyboards surrounding the monitors. The biggest central monitor on the wall above the window showed coordinates