"The Last Voyagers: Part 2"
Chapter 4:
Mars
DATE: June 17, 2083.
U.S.S. Halo Status: It has been eight brutal months since the crew of the Halo watched helplessly from the safety of their shuttle, as earth was unbiasedly savaged by an asteroid field. During the passing months an unstable and inconsolable divide has torn the crew apart. Led by Commander Durham, Zack and Alexis believe their next course of action should be an attempt to re-enter earth's atmosphere and search for possible survivors. While Rebecca, William, and Kayla, consider the possibility of venturing out into the cosmos in search of a new home.
"Do you know how insane that sounds?" Zack skeptically says. "You are talking about traveling god knows how far, and then what? Starting society from scratch?"
"I'm not sure if you were watching what happened eight months ago, but over there," Rebecca points out of the Halo's window towards a decaying earth. "There is nothing left. Nothing."
"How can you even be sure of that?" Alexis counters.
"How about the fact that in the eight months since the world ended, we haven't received one transmission on the radio system," William barks. "Wouldn't it make sense if there was anything, or anyone, left that they would try to make some kind of contact with us?"
"That's why we need to try to go back," Commander Durham chimes in as he descends the few stairs that lead up to the two chairs at the helm of the Halo's main operating systems.
Though the crew may be at an impasse in their beliefs of not only what they should, but what is the right thing to do, their commander's words still garner the full attention that they have earned. Rebecca, William, Alexis, Zack, and Kayla, sit at the dining table as they await Eric's physical arrival into their debate. The craft which was once consumed by the thunderous clatter of the exchange of opinions, has now fallen silent with anticipation of what Commander Durham will say to the group.
"I'll be totally honest with you all," Eric speaks. "I have absolutely no idea what the right or wrong thing is to do in this situation. This isn't something we were ever prepared to handle, but there is one thing I know for sure."
A heavy sense of tension and anticipation is nearly palpable in the un-nerving silence of the U.S.S. Halo. Every moment that passes between words feels like an eternity, and every word carries with it the unjust weight of the crew's dire predicament.
"I have a wife," Eric states. "I have family, friends, and people who count on me. The odds are against this story having a happy ending, but if there is even a one percent chance that they made it, then that is a chance I have to take. I can't just give up and abandon the people I love."
Sitting across the table from Commander Durham, William notices Rebecca's head sink into her chest. Rebecca is hampered by the ability to understand and appreciate Eric's position, yet at the same time being unable to relate. For the majority of her life Rebecca has been alone, adrift, and not had to deal with the burden of responsibility towards loved ones.
"With all due respect sir," Kayla begins as she breaks the reflective silence. "We all have people like that in our lives. Don't you think that they would want us to go on, to find something, and make the best anyone could out of a fucked up situation like this?"
"So we are just supposed to give up hope and give up on all those people?" Zack emphatically supports Eric's point. "That's bullshit and they wouldn't do that do us!"
"Well that's really the problem isn't it?" Alexis adds. "There has never been anything like this before. Sure we all joked and talked in jest about what we would do if the world ended, but it's not just a half-drunk conversation at a bar anymore. It happened."
The crew continue to debate what they should do next, as each of the members make impassioned speeches and presentations of their beliefs. However the whole time, Rebecca and Eric sit silently as the words flow past them like an Autumn breeze. They exchange intermediate glances at each of the crew members, while making brief moments of eye contact with each other. Though they haven't spoken it to each other, or to the rest of the crew, both Rebecca and Eric know what will happen next.
With the crew finally out of ideas, arguments, and things to say, once again the interior of the Halo is coated in a thick layer of silence. Commander Durham rises from the table and saunters over towards one of the Halo's windows, and gazes out at his unrecognizable home. After contemplating how to diplomatically articulate what he has to say, Commander Durham address his team.
"As you know over the years NASA has been able to modify the International Space Station to accomplish a variety of different tasks," Eric confides. "Most recently it's been given the ability to carry out some of the more advantageous exploration expeditions. Missions that rockets like this aren't capable of undertaking."
"What are you getting at?" William asks.
Then Commander Durham goes on to explain how, despite their best efforts, the debating and arguing hasn't gotten the crew any closer to making a joint decision. He tells them how he believes that everyone has to make their own choices and that they all have already done that. No amount of attempts to persuade differently will surmount to anything different.
Eric tries to explain to the crew that those in the same mind as himself, Zack and Alexis, will take the Halo in an attempt to reach earth and search for survivors. In the meantime, Rebecca, William, and Kayla, will make refuge on the International Space Station.
"Are you serious?" Kayla responds.
"I'm in," Zack assures.
"Me too," Alexis responds.
The remainder of the eyes in the room shift intently towards the only two whom haven't responded in some way or another to Commander Durham's words, William and Rebecca. William agrees that even if they had all been in agreement for an attempt at going back home to earth, that it would have made sense and been in their best interests to have some stay behind in case things took a turn for the worse.
"What do you think Rebecca?" Eric says as he looks deep into her eyes with a heartbreaking fatherly tone.
Rebecca looks around at each of her team members, confidantes, and friends. After a brief moment she silently, but convincingly, nods her head in agreement of the plan that Commander Durham has concocted.
"Alright," Commander Durham announces. "Let's get to work."
After treading water on the heels of the life altering events that took place just over eight months ago, the crew of the U.S.S. Halo have finally come to terms with their situation and prepare to take action. The crew members bustle about the Halo and the International Space Station, running back and forth completing different assigned tasks and making preparations for their respective assignments.
Rebecca, William, and Kayla all transfer their belongings and necessary equipment from their places on the Halo over to the International Space Station. Meanwhile, Eric and Alexis shuffle back and forth between the compartments of the Halo and the station. They search every nook and cranny for supplies that will be useful for their mission back to earth. While Zack is set to join Eric and Alexis, he takes the time to check all of the systems and operations of the International Space Station. Making sure that everything will be operational and modified appropriately for every scenario that Rebecca, William, and Kayla may have to endure.
As the crew check off their assignments one by one, everything is nearly complete for the two groups to forge ahead with their individual endeavor's. As the busyness of the of the manic scrambling draws to a close, Eric addresses the crew over the speakers in both the Halo and the International Space Station.
"Everyone meet up in the main station of the I.S.S.," Eric's voice echos through the halls of both crafts.
One by one, each of the crew members make their way from various locations and into the station's main concourse. As the concourse that connects the Halo to the space station fills up, Eric is surrounded in a semi-circle by his peers.
"How is everything looking?" Eric asks the group.
"The station is fully operational," Zack confirms. "I checked all the necessary components and everything looked good. They should be all set once we head out."
"Speaking of that, are we all loaded up?" Eric questions Alexis.
"Yes sir," she responds. "We have everything that we need stocked and locked away. Everything else is packaged away on the station with Rebecca and her group."
"What about the supplies that were sent to us in the rocket?" Eric adds.
"Well most of it was supplies that we would really only use up here," Zack breaks in. "Camera's, fuel, medical equipment, things like that. We did take some of the food though, just incase it goes."
Zack stops himself before saying anything else.
"That's smart, good thinking," Eric commends. "Rebecca, how about your group?"
"We are all good sir," she says. "We're all set, just waiting for you to tell us what to do next."
Commander Durham fondly looks around at each of his associates standing around him, seemingly more impressed than ever by their usual and meticulous work ethic.
"I don't have some sort of insightful or sagacious speech to give you," Eric confesses to a quiet chuckle from the other crew members. "I know that hasn't always been the case over the years, but I'd like to think that not everything I said was for my own good and that I helped in a small way shape the astronauts and people that you are today. The truth is there is nothing I could ever do or say that would help you comprehend what we are going through, and what we are about to go through. No matter what happens, there are going to be some tough days ahead," he continues. "I'm confident that you, this group, will not wilt or wither under the pressure of the task before us. Even with the decked stacked against us like it is right now, with this group I'll take my chances against any odds."
The totality of the moment finally begins to sink in with the group, as emotions begin to pour out freely and without judgment from each of the members. One by one the crew take turns embracing the man they've called their leader, and teacher, for years. One by one Kayla, William, Alexis, and Zack, all share a brief but intimate moment with Commander Durham, before exiting the room back towards their respective sleeping quarters. Finally, on the eve of their most important expedition to date, like it has been so many times before, only Rebecca and Eric remain.
"So there isn't a chance that I can convince you to stay with us, is there?" Rebecca playfully begs Eric. "I already know your answer, but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't try. For however longer that will end up being."
"No, I'm afraid not," he confirms. "I know that in all likely hood tomorrow will not end the way anyone of us want it to, but like you said. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't try. Audrey is my world, and I have to try no matter what the cost is."
Rebecca and Eric tenderly embrace in the weightless silence of the space station's control room, almost has if they are subconsciously aware of the unspoken inevitability of their predicament. Having shared the emotional moment Eric excuses himself to his cabin while Rebecca takes a seat and remains in the stations control room, in a defiant attempt to delay the impending chain of events.
Unable to sleep, the hours slowly tick by as Rebecca reminisces and commiserates about her life in the darkness of the control room. Accompanied by only her thoughts, she sits motionless in dark and dim light from the stars and constellations creeping through the station's windows. As she dives deeper and deeper into her memories, her half-conscious state is shattered by the sound of approaching footsteps in the dark. Staring at the dark mouth of the hallway a few meters away, echoing the sounds of deliberate plodding, the starlight finally reveals a groggy William.
"Rebecca?" William mumbles as he stops in his tracks.
"Hey William," she returns.
"What are you doing?" he asks. "Have you been up this entire time?"
"Yeah. There was no way I was going to be able to sleep anyway so I thought I might as well look after things and enjoy the view," she says glancing out of the stations window to her left.
"I know what you mean," William says as he walks up and takes a seat next to Rebecca. "I kept falling asleep for like twenty minutes at a time, and then jolting back awake. Finally, I said fuck it and started meandering around making sure everything was ready for tomorrow."
"How'd it go?" she asks.
"Ha, we're good," he laughs back to her. "You know this group is always prepared for everything. Well, almost everything."
As a moment of silence comes between the two, Rebecca sinks into her chair and once again begins to drift into her memories. However, before she can go to deep William notices the changing nature of her state of mind and interrupts with an inquiry.
"Can I make an observation?" William insists.
"Sure," Rebecca stammers as she shakes off the daze of her latest trance.
"I don't want to be out of line, but I've noticed over the last couple of days you've been a little out of it," he dares. "Not out of it so much, but maybe a little distracted. Eric has always hinted that you've had some things in your past that cause you a lot of pain but he's never really explained it, neither have you. It's okay if you don't want to talk about it but I thought it may help, god knows you've helped everyone else up here with their shit. Most of all me."
Rebecca shifts her head away from William and gazes back out of the station window at the stars. After a brief moment of no response, William takes the hint and gets up out of his chair to the right of Rebecca.
"Try to get some sleep," William says as he begins to walk away.
"When I was a little kid," she starts just as William is about to disappear into the dark hallway at the far end of the room.
The sudden words cause William to stop and turn around slowly. He is now looking back at Rebecca, who is still looking at the stars illuminating outside of the International Space Station.
"My parents were both astronauts in NASA, that's actually how they met each other," she informs. "My Dad was training partners and best friends with Eric, so before I even existed our families we're really close with one another. Obviously, my parents were always hinting and nudging that they wanted me to carry on what they were going to accomplish together in the program, but I was never really interested in this life at the time," Rebecca says to William still standing at the end of the room listening intently.
"They only wanted the best for me, I knew that then and I know it now," she continues. "Regardless of that I wanted to be my own person, I wanted to do something I loved and not just something I thought would make my parents happy. So I constantly fought against it and made it a point to make sure that I did anything else."
"What happened?" William asks as he inches closer and closer towards his original position next to Rebecca.
"One summer when I was fifteen years old, my parents wanted me to enroll in the youth training program at NASA," she states. "But like I said, I constantly fought and wanted to break the mold they had for me. So I didn't do it, and I ended up going to Southwoods to study art."
Then Rebecca finds herself unable to speak, as her eyes begin to mist and she fights with everything she has to told back the tears welling inside. Noticing the struggle that has overcome Rebecca, William moves in between the window she is still fixated on and herself. William kneels down beside his grief and guilt stricken friend, and silently urges Rebecca to continue on.
"On the last day I waited outside for my parents to come and pick me up to bring me home," she says. "I watched all of my friends leave with their parents until it was just me sitting alone one the curb. After a while, Eric eventually showed up and introduced himself to me, and then took me to the hospital."
Rebecca finally breaks down and is unable to hold off the tears she has keeping at bay. William embraces his friend and attempts to console her to the best of his abilities.
"Listen to me," William orders. "You can't blame yourself, you didn't do anything wrong and it absolutely is not your fault. You can't beat yourself up for something you had no control over. It's obvious that you feel this overwhelming guilt or some sense of responsibility for what happened, but it's just not true."
Rebecca appreciates the kind words as she wipes the tears from her eyes and affectionately embraces William, but the matter of the fact is that nothing anyone has ever said can help her let go of the pain she feels inside. No matter how hard she's tried over the years, Rebecca has always felt a lingering culpability over the car wreck that claimed the life of both of her parents. She has tried easing the burden by ultimately following in their footsteps and becoming an exemplary astronaut like her parents were. However, no matter what she has tried it always seems to not be enough.
"Thank you William," Rebecca says as she and William both rise to their feet in station's dark operating room. "I've never really talked to anyone about this before, I just try to keep it bottled up. I don't know if it's because of everything that happened eight months ago, or what's about to happen, but it was nice to let it out once."
"Don't mention it," William says brushing a few rouge strands of air behind Rebecca's ear.
The two long time friends share a shy smile with each other and a hesitating moment of eye contact in the darkness, revealed only by the glimmering light of the stars that surround the craft. Following the brief moment of uncertainty and doubt, Rebecca extends her hand out to William who subsequently clasps on with his own hand. Without saying a word Rebecca takes William by the hand leading him out of the room, as the two disappear into the dark mouth of the hallway on the opposite end of the room.
"That's why we need to try to go back," Commander Durham chimes in as he descends the few stairs that lead up to the two chairs at the helm of the Halo's main operating systems.
Though the crew may be at an impasse in their beliefs of not only what they should, but what is the right thing to do, their commander's words still garner the full attention that they have earned. Rebecca, William, Alexis, Zack, and Kayla, sit at the dining table as they await Eric's physical arrival into their debate. The craft which was once consumed by the thunderous clatter of the exchange of opinions, has now fallen silent with anticipation of what Commander Durham will say to the group.
"I'll be totally honest with you all," Eric speaks. "I have absolutely no idea what the right or wrong thing is to do in this situation. This isn't something we were ever prepared to handle, but there is one thing I know for sure."
A heavy sense of tension and anticipation is nearly palpable in the un-nerving silence of the U.S.S. Halo. Every moment that passes between words feels like an eternity, and every word carries with it the unjust weight of the crew's dire predicament.
"I have a wife," Eric states. "I have family, friends, and people who count on me. The odds are against this story having a happy ending, but if there is even a one percent chance that they made it, then that is a chance I have to take. I can't just give up and abandon the people I love."
Sitting across the table from Commander Durham, William notices Rebecca's head sink into her chest. Rebecca is hampered by the ability to understand and appreciate Eric's position, yet at the same time being unable to relate. For the majority of her life Rebecca has been alone, adrift, and not had to deal with the burden of responsibility towards loved ones.
"With all due respect sir," Kayla begins as she breaks the reflective silence. "We all have people like that in our lives. Don't you think that they would want us to go on, to find something, and make the best anyone could out of a fucked up situation like this?"
"So we are just supposed to give up hope and give up on all those people?" Zack emphatically supports Eric's point. "That's bullshit and they wouldn't do that do us!"
"Well that's really the problem isn't it?" Alexis adds. "There has never been anything like this before. Sure we all joked and talked in jest about what we would do if the world ended, but it's not just a half-drunk conversation at a bar anymore. It happened."
The crew continue to debate what they should do next, as each of the members make impassioned speeches and presentations of their beliefs. However the whole time, Rebecca and Eric sit silently as the words flow past them like an Autumn breeze. They exchange intermediate glances at each of the crew members, while making brief moments of eye contact with each other. Though they haven't spoken it to each other, or to the rest of the crew, both Rebecca and Eric know what will happen next.
With the crew finally out of ideas, arguments, and things to say, once again the interior of the Halo is coated in a thick layer of silence. Commander Durham rises from the table and saunters over towards one of the Halo's windows, and gazes out at his unrecognizable home. After contemplating how to diplomatically articulate what he has to say, Commander Durham address his team.
"As you know over the years NASA has been able to modify the International Space Station to accomplish a variety of different tasks," Eric confides. "Most recently it's been given the ability to carry out some of the more advantageous exploration expeditions. Missions that rockets like this aren't capable of undertaking."
"What are you getting at?" William asks.
Then Commander Durham goes on to explain how, despite their best efforts, the debating and arguing hasn't gotten the crew any closer to making a joint decision. He tells them how he believes that everyone has to make their own choices and that they all have already done that. No amount of attempts to persuade differently will surmount to anything different.
Eric tries to explain to the crew that those in the same mind as himself, Zack and Alexis, will take the Halo in an attempt to reach earth and search for survivors. In the meantime, Rebecca, William, and Kayla, will make refuge on the International Space Station.
"Are you serious?" Kayla responds.
"I'm in," Zack assures.
"Me too," Alexis responds.
The remainder of the eyes in the room shift intently towards the only two whom haven't responded in some way or another to Commander Durham's words, William and Rebecca. William agrees that even if they had all been in agreement for an attempt at going back home to earth, that it would have made sense and been in their best interests to have some stay behind in case things took a turn for the worse.
"What do you think Rebecca?" Eric says as he looks deep into her eyes with a heartbreaking fatherly tone.
Rebecca looks around at each of her team members, confidantes, and friends. After a brief moment she silently, but convincingly, nods her head in agreement of the plan that Commander Durham has concocted.
"Alright," Commander Durham announces. "Let's get to work."
After treading water on the heels of the life altering events that took place just over eight months ago, the crew of the U.S.S. Halo have finally come to terms with their situation and prepare to take action. The crew members bustle about the Halo and the International Space Station, running back and forth completing different assigned tasks and making preparations for their respective assignments.
Rebecca, William, and Kayla all transfer their belongings and necessary equipment from their places on the Halo over to the International Space Station. Meanwhile, Eric and Alexis shuffle back and forth between the compartments of the Halo and the station. They search every nook and cranny for supplies that will be useful for their mission back to earth. While Zack is set to join Eric and Alexis, he takes the time to check all of the systems and operations of the International Space Station. Making sure that everything will be operational and modified appropriately for every scenario that Rebecca, William, and Kayla may have to endure.
As the crew check off their assignments one by one, everything is nearly complete for the two groups to forge ahead with their individual endeavor's. As the busyness of the of the manic scrambling draws to a close, Eric addresses the crew over the speakers in both the Halo and the International Space Station.
"Everyone meet up in the main station of the I.S.S.," Eric's voice echos through the halls of both crafts.
One by one, each of the crew members make their way from various locations and into the station's main concourse. As the concourse that connects the Halo to the space station fills up, Eric is surrounded in a semi-circle by his peers.
"How is everything looking?" Eric asks the group.
"The station is fully operational," Zack confirms. "I checked all the necessary components and everything looked good. They should be all set once we head out."
"Speaking of that, are we all loaded up?" Eric questions Alexis.
"Yes sir," she responds. "We have everything that we need stocked and locked away. Everything else is packaged away on the station with Rebecca and her group."
"What about the supplies that were sent to us in the rocket?" Eric adds.
"Well most of it was supplies that we would really only use up here," Zack breaks in. "Camera's, fuel, medical equipment, things like that. We did take some of the food though, just incase it goes."
Zack stops himself before saying anything else.
"That's smart, good thinking," Eric commends. "Rebecca, how about your group?"
"We are all good sir," she says. "We're all set, just waiting for you to tell us what to do next."
Commander Durham fondly looks around at each of his associates standing around him, seemingly more impressed than ever by their usual and meticulous work ethic.
"I don't have some sort of insightful or sagacious speech to give you," Eric confesses to a quiet chuckle from the other crew members. "I know that hasn't always been the case over the years, but I'd like to think that not everything I said was for my own good and that I helped in a small way shape the astronauts and people that you are today. The truth is there is nothing I could ever do or say that would help you comprehend what we are going through, and what we are about to go through. No matter what happens, there are going to be some tough days ahead," he continues. "I'm confident that you, this group, will not wilt or wither under the pressure of the task before us. Even with the decked stacked against us like it is right now, with this group I'll take my chances against any odds."
The totality of the moment finally begins to sink in with the group, as emotions begin to pour out freely and without judgment from each of the members. One by one the crew take turns embracing the man they've called their leader, and teacher, for years. One by one Kayla, William, Alexis, and Zack, all share a brief but intimate moment with Commander Durham, before exiting the room back towards their respective sleeping quarters. Finally, on the eve of their most important expedition to date, like it has been so many times before, only Rebecca and Eric remain.
"So there isn't a chance that I can convince you to stay with us, is there?" Rebecca playfully begs Eric. "I already know your answer, but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't try. For however longer that will end up being."
"No, I'm afraid not," he confirms. "I know that in all likely hood tomorrow will not end the way anyone of us want it to, but like you said. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't try. Audrey is my world, and I have to try no matter what the cost is."
Rebecca and Eric tenderly embrace in the weightless silence of the space station's control room, almost has if they are subconsciously aware of the unspoken inevitability of their predicament. Having shared the emotional moment Eric excuses himself to his cabin while Rebecca takes a seat and remains in the stations control room, in a defiant attempt to delay the impending chain of events.
Unable to sleep, the hours slowly tick by as Rebecca reminisces and commiserates about her life in the darkness of the control room. Accompanied by only her thoughts, she sits motionless in dark and dim light from the stars and constellations creeping through the station's windows. As she dives deeper and deeper into her memories, her half-conscious state is shattered by the sound of approaching footsteps in the dark. Staring at the dark mouth of the hallway a few meters away, echoing the sounds of deliberate plodding, the starlight finally reveals a groggy William.
"Rebecca?" William mumbles as he stops in his tracks.
"Hey William," she returns.
"What are you doing?" he asks. "Have you been up this entire time?"
"Yeah. There was no way I was going to be able to sleep anyway so I thought I might as well look after things and enjoy the view," she says glancing out of the stations window to her left.
"I know what you mean," William says as he walks up and takes a seat next to Rebecca. "I kept falling asleep for like twenty minutes at a time, and then jolting back awake. Finally, I said fuck it and started meandering around making sure everything was ready for tomorrow."
"How'd it go?" she asks.
"Ha, we're good," he laughs back to her. "You know this group is always prepared for everything. Well, almost everything."
As a moment of silence comes between the two, Rebecca sinks into her chair and once again begins to drift into her memories. However, before she can go to deep William notices the changing nature of her state of mind and interrupts with an inquiry.
"Can I make an observation?" William insists.
"Sure," Rebecca stammers as she shakes off the daze of her latest trance.
"I don't want to be out of line, but I've noticed over the last couple of days you've been a little out of it," he dares. "Not out of it so much, but maybe a little distracted. Eric has always hinted that you've had some things in your past that cause you a lot of pain but he's never really explained it, neither have you. It's okay if you don't want to talk about it but I thought it may help, god knows you've helped everyone else up here with their shit. Most of all me."
Rebecca shifts her head away from William and gazes back out of the station window at the stars. After a brief moment of no response, William takes the hint and gets up out of his chair to the right of Rebecca.
"Try to get some sleep," William says as he begins to walk away.
"When I was a little kid," she starts just as William is about to disappear into the dark hallway at the far end of the room.
The sudden words cause William to stop and turn around slowly. He is now looking back at Rebecca, who is still looking at the stars illuminating outside of the International Space Station.
"My parents were both astronauts in NASA, that's actually how they met each other," she informs. "My Dad was training partners and best friends with Eric, so before I even existed our families we're really close with one another. Obviously, my parents were always hinting and nudging that they wanted me to carry on what they were going to accomplish together in the program, but I was never really interested in this life at the time," Rebecca says to William still standing at the end of the room listening intently.
"They only wanted the best for me, I knew that then and I know it now," she continues. "Regardless of that I wanted to be my own person, I wanted to do something I loved and not just something I thought would make my parents happy. So I constantly fought against it and made it a point to make sure that I did anything else."
"What happened?" William asks as he inches closer and closer towards his original position next to Rebecca.
"One summer when I was fifteen years old, my parents wanted me to enroll in the youth training program at NASA," she states. "But like I said, I constantly fought and wanted to break the mold they had for me. So I didn't do it, and I ended up going to Southwoods to study art."
Then Rebecca finds herself unable to speak, as her eyes begin to mist and she fights with everything she has to told back the tears welling inside. Noticing the struggle that has overcome Rebecca, William moves in between the window she is still fixated on and herself. William kneels down beside his grief and guilt stricken friend, and silently urges Rebecca to continue on.
"On the last day I waited outside for my parents to come and pick me up to bring me home," she says. "I watched all of my friends leave with their parents until it was just me sitting alone one the curb. After a while, Eric eventually showed up and introduced himself to me, and then took me to the hospital."
Rebecca finally breaks down and is unable to hold off the tears she has keeping at bay. William embraces his friend and attempts to console her to the best of his abilities.
"Listen to me," William orders. "You can't blame yourself, you didn't do anything wrong and it absolutely is not your fault. You can't beat yourself up for something you had no control over. It's obvious that you feel this overwhelming guilt or some sense of responsibility for what happened, but it's just not true."
Rebecca appreciates the kind words as she wipes the tears from her eyes and affectionately embraces William, but the matter of the fact is that nothing anyone has ever said can help her let go of the pain she feels inside. No matter how hard she's tried over the years, Rebecca has always felt a lingering culpability over the car wreck that claimed the life of both of her parents. She has tried easing the burden by ultimately following in their footsteps and becoming an exemplary astronaut like her parents were. However, no matter what she has tried it always seems to not be enough.
"Thank you William," Rebecca says as she and William both rise to their feet in station's dark operating room. "I've never really talked to anyone about this before, I just try to keep it bottled up. I don't know if it's because of everything that happened eight months ago, or what's about to happen, but it was nice to let it out once."
"Don't mention it," William says brushing a few rouge strands of air behind Rebecca's ear.
The two long time friends share a shy smile with each other and a hesitating moment of eye contact in the darkness, revealed only by the glimmering light of the stars that surround the craft. Following the brief moment of uncertainty and doubt, Rebecca extends her hand out to William who subsequently clasps on with his own hand. Without saying a word Rebecca takes William by the hand leading him out of the room, as the two disappear into the dark mouth of the hallway on the opposite end of the room.
Chapter 5:
Jupiter
DATE: June 18, 2083.
U.S.S. Halo Status: With the final preparations complete, the crew of the U.S.S. Halo are finally ready to undertake their newest assignment. Commander Eric Durham, Zack Kirby, and Alexis Holden, are set in place inside of the Halo and are ready to begin their attempt to re-enter earth's atmosphere. If successful, Eric and his crew will be able search for survivors or any signs of life that were able to outlast the asteroid strike eight months ago. Meanwhile Rebecca, William, and Kayla, have taken their position inside the International Space Station as they wait to monitor the impending mission by their fellow crew members and prepare themselves for what may come next.
"How is everything looking over there?" Rebecca speaks into the radio communication system of the space station connected to the Halo.
"Zack is making one final sweep of all the operating systems," Eric answers. "Stand by."
Soundly strapped into the Halo's engineer seat behind Eric and Alexis, Zack furiously scans over a number of systems and operating equipment.
"It looks like we are all set to go," Zack confirms as he finishes going over all the necessary appliances and apparatus's.
As the Halo is prepared to undock from the International Space Station and set course for what remains of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the orbiter and hydraulic systems are configured for safe entry. As the Halo successfully undocks from the station, Rebecca, William, and Kayla, watch as the craft glides and rotates into place for its re-entry attempt.
"So we will keep in constant communication with you for as long as we can," Rebecca's voice booms into the helmets of each of the occupants of the Halo. "At some point though we are going to lose you as you enter earth's atmosphere. I think that while we can, we should discuss the plan for getting back communication when you touch down on earth."
"Well I have been trying to modify the signal strength on our headsets inside our helmets so that we can keep talking to you directly," Zack responds. "Eric, Alexis, and I, came to an agreement that we should keep our suits on when we get back home. We have no idea what the strike did our atmosphere or what the environment is like at this point."
"That's a good idea," Rebecca adds. "When will we know if the headsets are going to work? Also, what if they don't? How do you plan on communicating with us from back home?"
"That's just something we are going to have to wait and find out," Eric interrupts. "We are going to lose signal initially as we re-enter, but hopefully when we land the signal will come back. If not I supposed we can find our way into the NASA control room and see if that radio system is still operational, assuming there is anything left on earth at all."
With the crew of the Halo set to begin their journey home, Rebecca, William, and Kayla, can do nothing but wait to learn the fate of both their planet and their friends. Kayla and William watch through one of the station windows in the control room as the Halo moves closer and closer to earth, while Rebecca paces back and forth in front of the control panel at the opposite end. As the Halo inches closer towards re-entering earth's atmosphere, something peculiar catches Alexis' eyes.
"Are you guys seeing this," she says to both the crew of the Halo and the crew of the International Space Station. "You know that dark gray and red color that earth took on after settling when the asteroid strike finished? It looks like it is some kind of mist or fog that is forming just past the breach of earth's atmosphere. It looks like thick rain clouds from here."
"I guess that explains the strange color change, I still have no idea what it is or what it means for the state of earth but we are going to find out shortly," Eric rebuttals. "Zack, I'm assuming we are going to lose radio communication with them back at the station once our shuttle passes through...whatever that is."
"We are already starting to lose it the closer we get," Zack continues. "You can hear the static building gradually in the background."
"We can't really get a sense of what it is from our position, we are to far away" Rebecca informs. "Can you try to describe what you are seeing in more detail?"
Before the Halo can reciprocate, the craft passes through and into earth's strange looking atmosphere. Rebecca once more tries to gain a response on the radio system, but ultimately the only feed back that comes through is the familiar sound of static and choppy inaudible sentences. Kayla and William's view of the shuttle disappears as the shuttle does the same in the grey and red matter that has formed around the planet.
"We lost them!" William calls out. "We can't see the shuttle anymore."
"I lost the signal on the radio," Rebecca answers. "We're on our own for now."
Now that they are unable to see the craft any longer and the radio signal has been lost, Rebecca, Kayla, and William, are completely alone and on their own inside of the International Space Station. With no idea of what is going on the three astronauts are reduced to waiting and hoping that the Halo not only made a successful re-entry, but that they will also find a way to re-open a line of communication with the station from back on earth.
A number of hours go by and still the three astronauts inside of the space station are left in the dark, and without any answers or knowledge of what is going on with the Halo crew. Rebecca is seated at the helm of the control room staring at the radio system that is emitting nothing but a low volumed static feed back, while Kayla and William are sharing a meal at the dining table in the kitchen area down the hall from the control room. Just as Rebecca gets ready to get up from her chair and join Kayla and William in the dining area, Commander Durham's voice blares in over the radio in choppy fragmented sentences.
"Kayla!, William!" Rebecca cries out in an attempt to shepherd her companions into the control room.
"What's going on?" Kayla returns as she and William come sprinting in from the dining room down the hall and up to the station's control panel.
"I'm starting to get something on the radio system," Rebecca announces. "It sounds like Eric, but the signal isn't strong enough yet. Everything is still coming in choppy and with the static interference."
Rebecca....come in....Rebecca...can you hear me?
Rebecca continues to tinker, adjust, and fine tune, the signal on the radio system. She continues to search for a strong and powerful signal to re-open communication with the three missing members of her team, until Rebecca is finally able to make a breakthrough.
"Rebecca, can you hear me?" Eric's voice clearly replies through the radio system speakers of the International Space Station.
"Eric?" she utters back. "Eric is that you? What is going on down there? Is everyone okay?"
"Yeah, we are all okay," Eric's voice speaks back.
"What is it like down there?" Kayla yells into the radio system over Rebecca's shoulder. "What do you guys see?"
"It's hard to explain," Eric's voice says through the speakers. "Everything structurally with earth seems to be unharmed and intact, but everything else is different."
"What do you mean different?" William asks.
"All the buildings, homes, offices, and infrastructure are unscathed," Eric's voice replies. "But everything else is gone, they're all gone."
A perplexed silence ensues between Rebecca, Kayla, and William, as the trio take a step back from the control panel and look at one another hoping that the other would have some insight into the situation. Unable to comprehend the message and picture being painted through the words that their commander has relayed to them, they turn their attention back to the radio in an attempt to gain further information and possible clarification.
"Whose gone Eric?" Rebecca begs.
"The people and animals," Eric's voice huffs. "When we landed we were in total shock that everything seemed normal for the most part, so we decided to go searching for people. We didn't want to radio back to you and get your hopes up until we had some solid answers. When we went looking we didn't find anyone at first and the longer we searched we just kept coming up empty. We went through base camp, surrounding buildings, homes, and we still didn't find anyone," his voice continues. "Then when we stopped and looked around, we noticed there weren't any animals either. No birds in the sky, no barking dogs, no squirrels running around, there's just nothing."
"Eric! Come look at this!" a soft voice shouts in the background.
"Who is that?" Kayla calls out to Eric over the radio system.
"It's Alexis and Zack," his voice informs. "It looks like they found something, their headsets never came back on after we re-entered the atmosphere. Give me a second, I'll be back."
The radio falls silent as Rebecca, William, and Kayla, wait to hear what it is that Eric, Zack, and Alexis have stumbled upon back on earth. While they wait, the trio in the International Space Station converse and hypothesize a possible explanation for the disappearance of the all the animals and people. While they move about the control room talking and coming up with different theories of what the others may have just found back home, it seems like years pass as they wait for more concrete information. Just as Rebecca, Kayla, and William, are about to become over anxious, Eric's voice calls out to them once again.
"Hey are you guys there?" Eric's voice rings out.
Rebecca hurries in from the kitchen area in the adjacent room, William gets up from his chair on the other end of the control room, while Kayla moves away from the station window she has been peering out of back at earth from for the past few minutes and over to the radio system. As they arrive at the same time, Rebecca takes charge and begins operating the radio.
"We're here," she says. "What's going on?"
"It looks like Zack and Alexis founds the remains of one of the asteroids that hit earth," Eric's voice comments.
"Really?" Kayla adds.
"Here's the thing though," Eric's voice breaks in. "I have no idea how, but it looks like the asteroid is almost entirely intact. Like the impact with earth barely scratched it at all. The only piece that is missing is a portion at the top, and the inside of it is hollow. We have no idea what this thing is, but it's not like any asteroid I've ever seen."
"ERIC!" a loud voice booms in the background.
"Oh my god!" Eric yells.
"Eric what's happening?" William pleads. "Who was that screaming, what's going on?"
Rebecca, Kayla, and William, glare at the radio speakers as horrific noises of screaming and yelling come exploding through from the other end. They stand helpless and motionless as they listen to the imperceptive and unimaginable sounds of terror and mayhem echo throughout every cabin, hallway, and corridor, of the International Space Station. Frozen in place neither of the three astronauts knows what to do with themselves, as the pandemonium carries on for an antagonizing amount of time. Finally, everything comes to a halt and time seemingly stands still, as the speakers stop emitting even the most taciturn of sounds.
"What the hell was that?" William barks. "What the fuck is going on? Tell me what the fuck is going on!"
"Calm down William," Kayla frightfully pleads.
"No I'm tired of this cloak and dagger bullshit," he adamantly states. "Tell me what is happening right now!"
"I don't know!" Rebecca tearfully clarifies. "I'm right here with you, I don't know anything you don't. We are in the same situation, and if I knew what the hell was going on trust me I would tell you."
Rebecca swiftly turns her attention back to the radio, in an attempt to reach out to Eric again and figure out what is going on.
"Eric?" she booms into the radio system. "Eric, what is happening? What's going on down there?"
As the Kayla and William stand behind Rebecca reverently awaiting the sound of Eric's voice, their hopes are dashed by the mere response of the tormenting return of the static interference. Rebecca defeatedly sinks deep into the commander's chair at the helm of the control room inside the International Space Station. William and Kayla look at each other in a shocked state of disbelief, while the only noise that can be heard is that of the static interference oozing out of the speakers connected to the station's control panel.
"What do we do now?" William questions as the sounds of silence and static white noise begin to infuse itself into the walls of the space station.
"Rebecca?" Kayla calls out after receiving no response.
Rebecca slowly gets up and switches from sitting in the command chair to leaning against, with both hands grasping the ledge, the space stations control panel. While Kayla and William steadily look on at their visibly shaken leader, Rebecca aimlessly moves her eyes around the room. It's almost as if she is looking for any sort of answer in the inanimate and insentient appliances aboard the station. It isn't until the view of earth from outside the station window catches her attention, that Rebecca is finally able to muster the strength to address her fellow astronauts.
"I don't know," Rebecca mumbles. "I don't know."
The soft words from their friend, who has suddenly been thrust into the solitary role of leadership, strike a devastating blow to the spirits and psyche of Kayla and William. The weight of the words drop a near-tears Kayla to her knees in defeat, as William walks away mumbling to himself with both hands firmly clasping the top of his head. Rebecca's head sinks even further into her chest, as the darkness of her own perceived failure begins to descend in her mind and William begins unforgivingly slamming his fist into a bare station wall. Just as the self-evident desolation and dejection between the trio is set to consume the space station whole, and everything inside of it, a soft sound causes triumvirate to stop in their tracks.
"Can anyone hear me?" Eric's voice weakly breaths through the stations radio system speakers.
"How is everything looking over there?" Rebecca speaks into the radio communication system of the space station connected to the Halo.
"Zack is making one final sweep of all the operating systems," Eric answers. "Stand by."
Soundly strapped into the Halo's engineer seat behind Eric and Alexis, Zack furiously scans over a number of systems and operating equipment.
"It looks like we are all set to go," Zack confirms as he finishes going over all the necessary appliances and apparatus's.
As the Halo is prepared to undock from the International Space Station and set course for what remains of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the orbiter and hydraulic systems are configured for safe entry. As the Halo successfully undocks from the station, Rebecca, William, and Kayla, watch as the craft glides and rotates into place for its re-entry attempt.
"So we will keep in constant communication with you for as long as we can," Rebecca's voice booms into the helmets of each of the occupants of the Halo. "At some point though we are going to lose you as you enter earth's atmosphere. I think that while we can, we should discuss the plan for getting back communication when you touch down on earth."
"Well I have been trying to modify the signal strength on our headsets inside our helmets so that we can keep talking to you directly," Zack responds. "Eric, Alexis, and I, came to an agreement that we should keep our suits on when we get back home. We have no idea what the strike did our atmosphere or what the environment is like at this point."
"That's a good idea," Rebecca adds. "When will we know if the headsets are going to work? Also, what if they don't? How do you plan on communicating with us from back home?"
"That's just something we are going to have to wait and find out," Eric interrupts. "We are going to lose signal initially as we re-enter, but hopefully when we land the signal will come back. If not I supposed we can find our way into the NASA control room and see if that radio system is still operational, assuming there is anything left on earth at all."
With the crew of the Halo set to begin their journey home, Rebecca, William, and Kayla, can do nothing but wait to learn the fate of both their planet and their friends. Kayla and William watch through one of the station windows in the control room as the Halo moves closer and closer to earth, while Rebecca paces back and forth in front of the control panel at the opposite end. As the Halo inches closer towards re-entering earth's atmosphere, something peculiar catches Alexis' eyes.
"Are you guys seeing this," she says to both the crew of the Halo and the crew of the International Space Station. "You know that dark gray and red color that earth took on after settling when the asteroid strike finished? It looks like it is some kind of mist or fog that is forming just past the breach of earth's atmosphere. It looks like thick rain clouds from here."
"I guess that explains the strange color change, I still have no idea what it is or what it means for the state of earth but we are going to find out shortly," Eric rebuttals. "Zack, I'm assuming we are going to lose radio communication with them back at the station once our shuttle passes through...whatever that is."
"We are already starting to lose it the closer we get," Zack continues. "You can hear the static building gradually in the background."
"We can't really get a sense of what it is from our position, we are to far away" Rebecca informs. "Can you try to describe what you are seeing in more detail?"
Before the Halo can reciprocate, the craft passes through and into earth's strange looking atmosphere. Rebecca once more tries to gain a response on the radio system, but ultimately the only feed back that comes through is the familiar sound of static and choppy inaudible sentences. Kayla and William's view of the shuttle disappears as the shuttle does the same in the grey and red matter that has formed around the planet.
"We lost them!" William calls out. "We can't see the shuttle anymore."
"I lost the signal on the radio," Rebecca answers. "We're on our own for now."
Now that they are unable to see the craft any longer and the radio signal has been lost, Rebecca, Kayla, and William, are completely alone and on their own inside of the International Space Station. With no idea of what is going on the three astronauts are reduced to waiting and hoping that the Halo not only made a successful re-entry, but that they will also find a way to re-open a line of communication with the station from back on earth.
A number of hours go by and still the three astronauts inside of the space station are left in the dark, and without any answers or knowledge of what is going on with the Halo crew. Rebecca is seated at the helm of the control room staring at the radio system that is emitting nothing but a low volumed static feed back, while Kayla and William are sharing a meal at the dining table in the kitchen area down the hall from the control room. Just as Rebecca gets ready to get up from her chair and join Kayla and William in the dining area, Commander Durham's voice blares in over the radio in choppy fragmented sentences.
"Kayla!, William!" Rebecca cries out in an attempt to shepherd her companions into the control room.
"What's going on?" Kayla returns as she and William come sprinting in from the dining room down the hall and up to the station's control panel.
"I'm starting to get something on the radio system," Rebecca announces. "It sounds like Eric, but the signal isn't strong enough yet. Everything is still coming in choppy and with the static interference."
Rebecca....come in....Rebecca...can you hear me?
Rebecca continues to tinker, adjust, and fine tune, the signal on the radio system. She continues to search for a strong and powerful signal to re-open communication with the three missing members of her team, until Rebecca is finally able to make a breakthrough.
"Rebecca, can you hear me?" Eric's voice clearly replies through the radio system speakers of the International Space Station.
"Eric?" she utters back. "Eric is that you? What is going on down there? Is everyone okay?"
"Yeah, we are all okay," Eric's voice speaks back.
"What is it like down there?" Kayla yells into the radio system over Rebecca's shoulder. "What do you guys see?"
"It's hard to explain," Eric's voice says through the speakers. "Everything structurally with earth seems to be unharmed and intact, but everything else is different."
"What do you mean different?" William asks.
"All the buildings, homes, offices, and infrastructure are unscathed," Eric's voice replies. "But everything else is gone, they're all gone."
A perplexed silence ensues between Rebecca, Kayla, and William, as the trio take a step back from the control panel and look at one another hoping that the other would have some insight into the situation. Unable to comprehend the message and picture being painted through the words that their commander has relayed to them, they turn their attention back to the radio in an attempt to gain further information and possible clarification.
"Whose gone Eric?" Rebecca begs.
"The people and animals," Eric's voice huffs. "When we landed we were in total shock that everything seemed normal for the most part, so we decided to go searching for people. We didn't want to radio back to you and get your hopes up until we had some solid answers. When we went looking we didn't find anyone at first and the longer we searched we just kept coming up empty. We went through base camp, surrounding buildings, homes, and we still didn't find anyone," his voice continues. "Then when we stopped and looked around, we noticed there weren't any animals either. No birds in the sky, no barking dogs, no squirrels running around, there's just nothing."
"Eric! Come look at this!" a soft voice shouts in the background.
"Who is that?" Kayla calls out to Eric over the radio system.
"It's Alexis and Zack," his voice informs. "It looks like they found something, their headsets never came back on after we re-entered the atmosphere. Give me a second, I'll be back."
The radio falls silent as Rebecca, William, and Kayla, wait to hear what it is that Eric, Zack, and Alexis have stumbled upon back on earth. While they wait, the trio in the International Space Station converse and hypothesize a possible explanation for the disappearance of the all the animals and people. While they move about the control room talking and coming up with different theories of what the others may have just found back home, it seems like years pass as they wait for more concrete information. Just as Rebecca, Kayla, and William, are about to become over anxious, Eric's voice calls out to them once again.
"Hey are you guys there?" Eric's voice rings out.
Rebecca hurries in from the kitchen area in the adjacent room, William gets up from his chair on the other end of the control room, while Kayla moves away from the station window she has been peering out of back at earth from for the past few minutes and over to the radio system. As they arrive at the same time, Rebecca takes charge and begins operating the radio.
"We're here," she says. "What's going on?"
"It looks like Zack and Alexis founds the remains of one of the asteroids that hit earth," Eric's voice comments.
"Really?" Kayla adds.
"Here's the thing though," Eric's voice breaks in. "I have no idea how, but it looks like the asteroid is almost entirely intact. Like the impact with earth barely scratched it at all. The only piece that is missing is a portion at the top, and the inside of it is hollow. We have no idea what this thing is, but it's not like any asteroid I've ever seen."
"ERIC!" a loud voice booms in the background.
"Oh my god!" Eric yells.
"Eric what's happening?" William pleads. "Who was that screaming, what's going on?"
Rebecca, Kayla, and William, glare at the radio speakers as horrific noises of screaming and yelling come exploding through from the other end. They stand helpless and motionless as they listen to the imperceptive and unimaginable sounds of terror and mayhem echo throughout every cabin, hallway, and corridor, of the International Space Station. Frozen in place neither of the three astronauts knows what to do with themselves, as the pandemonium carries on for an antagonizing amount of time. Finally, everything comes to a halt and time seemingly stands still, as the speakers stop emitting even the most taciturn of sounds.
"What the hell was that?" William barks. "What the fuck is going on? Tell me what the fuck is going on!"
"Calm down William," Kayla frightfully pleads.
"No I'm tired of this cloak and dagger bullshit," he adamantly states. "Tell me what is happening right now!"
"I don't know!" Rebecca tearfully clarifies. "I'm right here with you, I don't know anything you don't. We are in the same situation, and if I knew what the hell was going on trust me I would tell you."
Rebecca swiftly turns her attention back to the radio, in an attempt to reach out to Eric again and figure out what is going on.
"Eric?" she booms into the radio system. "Eric, what is happening? What's going on down there?"
As the Kayla and William stand behind Rebecca reverently awaiting the sound of Eric's voice, their hopes are dashed by the mere response of the tormenting return of the static interference. Rebecca defeatedly sinks deep into the commander's chair at the helm of the control room inside the International Space Station. William and Kayla look at each other in a shocked state of disbelief, while the only noise that can be heard is that of the static interference oozing out of the speakers connected to the station's control panel.
"What do we do now?" William questions as the sounds of silence and static white noise begin to infuse itself into the walls of the space station.
"Rebecca?" Kayla calls out after receiving no response.
Rebecca slowly gets up and switches from sitting in the command chair to leaning against, with both hands grasping the ledge, the space stations control panel. While Kayla and William steadily look on at their visibly shaken leader, Rebecca aimlessly moves her eyes around the room. It's almost as if she is looking for any sort of answer in the inanimate and insentient appliances aboard the station. It isn't until the view of earth from outside the station window catches her attention, that Rebecca is finally able to muster the strength to address her fellow astronauts.
"I don't know," Rebecca mumbles. "I don't know."
The soft words from their friend, who has suddenly been thrust into the solitary role of leadership, strike a devastating blow to the spirits and psyche of Kayla and William. The weight of the words drop a near-tears Kayla to her knees in defeat, as William walks away mumbling to himself with both hands firmly clasping the top of his head. Rebecca's head sinks even further into her chest, as the darkness of her own perceived failure begins to descend in her mind and William begins unforgivingly slamming his fist into a bare station wall. Just as the self-evident desolation and dejection between the trio is set to consume the space station whole, and everything inside of it, a soft sound causes triumvirate to stop in their tracks.
"Can anyone hear me?" Eric's voice weakly breaths through the stations radio system speakers.
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