Saving The Mission, page 24
part #1 of The Race to Space Series
As part of the show, you will be put together with nine other people in a close environment. You will live with each other for a minimum of 2 weeks and will be required to complete tasks for your basic survival. This will be a test of your physical and mental capabilities.
You should bring with you enough clothes for 3 weeks. No food will be allowed to be brought in. Please use the enclosed form to tell us about any medication and/or dietary requirements you have.
You will need to check-in at Dayton Hotel in Warwickshire. Please see the attached document as to how to get there. A Channel 3 representative will be in the hotel lobby at 9am.
We look forward to meeting you there.’
Samantha put down her phone and looked up at the ceiling “The First Civilian.” Samantha thought to herself that it could be a reality survival programme about how to survive in a hostile environment, like a remote island. Samantha thought to herself that she did not want to be a part of an army survival programme. She had hoped it would test her limits but did not think she would be part of some masculine show of strength. Samantha imagined the competition, imagined the characters that would be selected and said, “oh no, what have I done!”
5.
Ed Dayton sat in silence and watched his tablet screen and watched the live video feed covering the Russian launch. The rocket was due to take off in ten minutes. Ed sat in silence and watched as the rocket was preparing to take off. He had given express instructions to his reception desk that he did not want to be disturbed. He watched as the rocket began to start-up in readiness for departure and watched as the countdown began.
“Well, this is it. The test flight for the Russian Space Agency to test out their shuttle for a commercialised flight. The countdown has begun let's take you there now.”
Ed listened as he overheard the Russian command centre communicate to the astronauts inside. All Ed could think about was “let it not take off or explode on take off.” Ed was beyond thinking about the people inside the shuttle, his humanity was far beyond that point. All he cared about now was the rocket failing so his mission could survive.
“готовится к запуску”
(Preparing to launch)
“десять, девять, восемь, севн, шесть, пять, четыре”
(Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four,)
Ed could see as the rocket boosters filled will fire as the shuttle was preparing to take off. Ed said out loud. “Come on. Blow up. Any minute now.”
“три, два, один”
(three, two, one)
“Отрываться”
(lift off)
Ed watched as the fire at the bottom of the rocket grew and the shuttle slowly began its vertical ascent. Begrudgingly Ed watched and noted that everything had gone to plan so far. The rocket began to move towards the sky and Ed watched, muttering to himself. He realised that if anyone came in, they would think Ed was casting a spell on the screen. Ed was squinting at the screen waiting for the explosion. He was so desperate for something to happen, he had to blink hard, almost believing he saw it explode. It was just a vision. The rocket was doing fine. He watched as it left Earth’s atmosphere cleanly and with as much precision as he would have expected from the Russians.
“Исследователь два безопасно его восхождение”
(Explorer Two is safely in ascent)
Ed watched as the rocket carried on going up into space until it was beyond the camera's eye and up into the clouds. The camera then returned to the Command Centre inside the Russian Space Agency as they all clapped and cheered. Ed felt the sickening feeling in his stomach. He shouted, “God damn it!” He stood up so quickly that his chair flew backwards. He put his hands against the glass window and stared at the ground below. As he looked out of the boardroom window, he could still hear the live feed in the background.
“Well there you have it, the Russian’s Explorer Two shuttle is now in orbit. All eyes will be on the live camera feed for the next twenty-four hours as the shuttle goes into outer orbit and returns back to earth safely. We are expecting the shuttle to return in around ten hours time. This is just a short mission for the rocket to see if it can get to space and return safely.
I can now go to our Scientific Correspondent, Nicholas Mund, who is just outside Roscosmos headquarters now. Nick this is a great achievement for the Russian Space Agency.” The camera then mapped to a man in a heavy warm coat which a fluffy hood up with square glasses on his face holding a microphone up to talk.
“It is indeed. They have successfully built a craft for a three-man crew which would include a passenger for commercialised flight. There is currently the “Lucky doll” there at present in place of the passenger but if this flight should go well, it is imagined that they will shortly be ready to test it will their first paying passenger.
However let’s not forget that Dayton Space got to this point and it was the descent that failed, costing all lives on board. In many ways, the most difficult bit is yet to come.”
The camera then went to a split-screen between the newsreader sat behind their comfortable desk and the man who was clearly freezing cold in Russia.
The newsreader said. “On that point Nick. What does this all mean for Dayton Space.”
Ed turned around to watch the tablet at the mention of his name. The correspondent in Russia carried on.
“Well, that all depends on today. If this flight goes well, it could mean that Dayton Space loses the race and its reputation. Of course, it could still be in a position to carry passengers in the future, but it will forever be known as the company that lost this most expensive and prestigious race. Hang on.”
The correspondent put his finger to his ear and turned away from the camera. Ed leaned on the table, watching the tablet more closely.
“I have just had some breaking news. Dayton Space will also be ready to launch in a few weeks also. It is quite a remarkable turnaround and one has to question how they have got a new shuttle to a point where it is ready to depart again in such a short timeframe. You will remember there were numerous faults with the previous shuttle. In particular, those boosters were a major concern to many. In addition, I have heard that they are actively recruiting for the first passenger. I believe that the selection process has already taken place but we have limited details at this stage.”
Ed looked at the camera stunned. Yet again, someone had double-crossed them. Unfortunately due to the assessment day the category of people who this could be had widened. Ed shouted and banged the table with his fist. “God damn it! When I find out which fucker has been leaking information I will kill them!” Ed suddenly recalled his conversation with Tracy and wondered if she had leaked the information to the press. Ed thought that now, more than ever, they needed to make sure that the shuttle was ready to avoid further embarrassment. Ed felt his phone vibrate. He looked at the caller ID. It was Hans. “Hans, have you seen this?”
“Of course I have seen it. It’s outrageous.” Hans’ voice was raised for the first time, normally he maintained a cool composure and would never let anger envelop him. “We will not be ready Ed. It is too risky. The new shuttle will not have the required enhanced heat protection for re-entry. It’s suicide for any astronaut on board. Truthfully Ed, is that why Tracy resigned?”
Ed sighed, he felt like he had the same arguments with different people on a daily basis. “Hans, she resigned over a difference of opinion. Do you think I wanted this out there in the press? Of course not, I wanted it to be a surprise to the media but now we are screwed, we have to get it ready. Just do what you can to secure it.”
“Ed, it is not that simple. We have to look at new chemical components to line the shuttle with to enhance the heat resistance. This could take years of research.”
Ed replied and his voice was raised. “We do not have years Hans. You have had years to get this ready and now we are running out of time. Do what you can just make sure it is ready for launch. Christ, you have been working on this thing for months, why is it not ready?”
Hans replied. “We are building a rocket Ed, not a toy car. This is to carry the public into space. I will not sign it off Ed.”
“You will Hans, you will find a way to get it ready.” Ed hung up. As soon as Ed put his phone down it rang again. He turned it off and decided he would go home before the mass of press assembled outside the building. Ed gathered his things and walked out of the building. Ruth was in the reception area as he got out of the lift. She had a notepad and pen in hand, always a bad sign. “Ed, we need to do a statement. We can’t leave that bombshell hanging.”
Ed made his way to the entrance. “I’ll ring you later Ruth. I need to get out of here before the hoards assemble.”
Ed pushed his way past the small group of press that had started to gather and made his way to the car that was waiting outside.
6.
David Dryden sat and watched as the Russian shuttle took off. He sat in his townhouse in Milton Keynes with his wife on the other end of the sofa. His wife was in her fifties with short dyed blonde hair and they were both wearing their comfortable jeans and t-shirts. David watched with great anticipation. He had booked the day off work to watch the shuttle take off. Space had always excited him. He had great ambitions of being an astronaut but was coerced by his family and financial pressures to pursue a more stable career as a mathematics teacher. As he watched the shuttle take off, he turned to his wife. “Just think, we could be going up there in years to come.”
She laughed “In your dreams Dave. I don’t think a couple from Milton Keynes in a townhouse would be able to afford that!”
He laughed. “Your right and besides I don’t think I would fit into the suit!” He returned to watching the same news channel that Ed Dayton had been watching just a few minutes earlier.
As David watched, he witnessed the rocket take off and waited nervously to see if it safely left the earth's atmosphere and breathed a sigh of relief when it did. It was at this moment that the newsreader started to talk about Dayton Space:
“I have just had some breaking news. that says that Dayton Space will also be ready to launch in a few weeks also. It is quite a remarkable turnaround and one has to question how they have got a new shuttle to a point where it is ready to depart again in such a short timeframe. You will remember there were numerous faults with the previous shuttle in need of repair. In particular, those boosters were a major concern to many. In addition, I have heard that they are actively recruiting for the first passenger. I believe that the selection process has already taken place but we have limited details at this stage.”
David sat back in surprise. “We might beat the Russians after all. Now wouldn't that be something. Coffee love?” His wife replied, “please.”
David made his way across to the kitchen. It was quite a rustic kitchen with oak furniture and a black marble effect top. He started to boil the kettle when he suddenly chuckled to himself “imagine me in a spacesuit. I’d look like the Michelin man!” As David poured the boiling water into his favourite mug, a thought dawned on him. One that made him stop. The water continued to pour over the mug and burnt his leg as it dripped off the worktop. He shouted “ah!” in surprise. His wife asked, “are you alright Dave?”
He gathered his senses. “Fine love. Just a spillage.” He started to mop it up, as he did so he wondered, it couldn’t be, could it? David thought back to the assessment day and in particular the challenges they faced. The spinning wheel was reminiscent of the contraption that early astronauts had to face to prepare them for space. David thought about how they had described it as a “once in a lifetime prize”. The more he thought about it, the more he was certain. “It must be. Wow. That’s amazing” He smiled from ear to ear, his dreams of being an astronaut would finally come true. He made the coffees and returned to the sofa.
He handed his wife her cup which had the face of a cat on and she replied. “Thanks love. What are you so happy about?”
David sat down with his coffee and sipped it. “I think I have figured out what that assessment day was all about.”
He opened his mouth to tell his wife about what he had figured out. Just as he was about to speak, his phone rang.
“Is that David Dryden?” a polite but professional woman asked.
“Yes?”
“It is about your medical exam tomorrow. We would like to move it to today. Can you be at St Clements Hospital in London for 7pm. Is that feasible?”
David looked at his watch. “Yes, I can be there.”
“Good. Say your name at the reception and they will know who you are.”
“Ok. Thanks.”
David put his phone down and considered that he was definitely right about the competition. He thought that they have moved it forward because of the announcement. It took on more urgency.
His wife asked, “who was that Dave?”
He turned to her and said “It’s about that medical I’ve got to go to. It’s moved to today at 7. I’ll need to leave about 5pm tonight.”
She opened her eyes wide in surprise. “So soon? What’s the rush?”
David smiled at her. “I think I know but I want to be sure. I’ll tell you about it when I get back.”
David sent a message to Samantha. They had immediately struck up a friendship throughout the process. He liked Samantha. She did not give off the air of being pretentious and appeared quite laid back. There was something about her though that David thought there was more to her than she let on.
“I think I know what this competition is all about. I’ve got my medical today. I’ll tell you more after.”
Later that day, David was changing into his comfortable jogging bottoms. He was keen not to make the same mistake twice. He had worn a suit last time and paid the price, he was uncomfortable all day. As he pulled the trousers up he looked at himself in the mirror. The elasticated waistband pulled in on his stomach so it enhanced his fat as it bludged over the top. He had not always been this way, but in recent times the stress of teaching children, who did not want to learn, and his work commitments meant that he didn’t exercise as he should and ate badly.
He looked in the mirror and thought about the medical. He imagined that there would be a lot of running and checking his heart. David could not remember the last time he ran properly and sighed. He knew then that he was likely to fail. That he had finally got the opportunity that his teenage self had craved and it was going to pass him by because he liked eating cake too much.
He put a baggy gym t-shirt over the top when his phone began to ring. He answered. “Hello?”
“David Dryden?” He vaguely recognised the masculine voice on the other end.
“Yes?”
“This is Scott Dudley from yesterday.”
“Oh. Hi.” David was sceptical, he had known that Scott had taken an instant dislike to him. He was not the kind of person that Scott wanted. He was not athletic enough and too old in his eyes.
“We are sending a car to pick you up. Can you be at Bletchley Park for 5:30pm?” David paused. It seemed strange, why there? Why have they suddenly changed the plan?
David replied cautiously. “I’m alright thanks. I can get to London on my own.”
Scott raised his voice and gave it an authoritative tone. “I wasn’t asking about taking you David. Can you get there or do we have to come to your house?”
David thought of the panic that it would cause his wife to be picked up by a strange car that she did not know and he did not trust Scott at all. She would worry about him.
David replied. “OK.”
“Good. See you then.”
There was silence. David looked at his watch which showed it was 4pm. He quickly got ready and made his way to the door. He put the key in the lock and shouted.
“I’m off out love. I’m not sure when I’ll be back, they didn’t say.” He heard footsteps thudding down the stairs as his wife ran down to greet him. She was in her dressing gown which flowed behind her as she hurried down, like a fluffy long-sleeved dress. She gave him a hug and a kiss.
“Good luck. Don’t overdo it Dave. Just get home safe.”
He kissed her cheek, which was soft to his lips. “Don’t worry. I think this is a formality anyway to discount me. Don’t wait up for me.”
He turned the key and stepped out of the front door. He turned back. He wasn’t sure what made him say it. He looked at his wife of thirty years and said something he hadn’t said for the last ten. “I love you.”
He walked out of the door and to his car which was parked on the front. He started the drive towards Bletchley Park. Due to the time of day, David hit lots of traffic going but he didn’t mind. Something in his mind was telling him not to go, that something didn’t feel right. He still made it to Bletchley Park for 4:45pm. He stared at the large historic building in front of him. It looked like several houses merged into one but was set in beautiful grounds. He stared at the building. In all his time living in Milton Keynes, he had never been. He looked at the building, thinking about the secrets it held all those years ago.
David parked his car around the back and watched as most people were leaving. He saw families and groups of children get into their cars and coaches and depart. He then saw a member of staff lock the front entrance and get into her car and leave. The car park quickly became deserted.
He looked around and began to feel uneasy. The car park was deserted, there was not a person in sight. Even though it was still light, the dark clouds looming overhead gave the house a darker appearance, like a haunted mansion. He looked at the time on his dashboard, 5:03pm. There was no-one to be seen. David decided that if no-one came by quarter past he would make his own way to the hospital.
At 5:20pm, he turned his engine on and was just about to leave when he saw a black BMW approach. David noticed that it's rear windows were blacked out and the driver was wearing dark sunglasses even though there was no sun in sight.
