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“The silence. Especially after all that noise.”
“The waiting’s what I hate,” Jackie joined in, “especially with a broken altimeter.”
“Only another minute or two till splashdown. Just remember your training and we’ll get out of this just fine.”
Trapped inside the small module with no view of the outside except through a small, obstructed porthole, the three astronauts try their best to imagine what is going on outside. A cluster of red and white parachutes pull taut lines fastened to the module, keeping it stable as it drifts along on a breeze that carries it over the open ocean. The weather is clear aside from the smoke and soot that clog the air across the planet, caused by the seemingly infinite number of fires that still burn out of control.
When the module touches down, it does so with a bang and a splash, leaning over so far to one side due to its momentum that the trio think it might not stand upright again. When it does, though, it rocks back and forth, each time with less force until the creaking, groaning and sound of water against the hull finally dies down.
“Straps off, check for leaks.” Commander Palmer speaks with a loud, confident voice. He, Jackie and Ted each unbuckle their harnesses and begin shuffling in their seats, looking around to see if any water has managed to find its way into the module. The seams held firm, though, and there’s no sound or sight of any water.
“Clear.”
“Clear.”
“Confirmed,” Commander Palmer nods. “Clear. Ted, blow the hatch and get topside. Jackie, what’s the battery look like?”
“Better than we thought. We’ve got more than enough juice, assuming we’re close to shore.”
“Excellent. Ted, see if you can spot land once you’re up there.” Commander Palmer leans forward and looks at Jackie. “Once he’s up, you and I will get the motor assembled in here then we’ll pass it up and go out to attach it to the hull.”
Jackie and Ted both nod and set about their work, moving with a renewed purpose. Their bodies feel weak and ineffectual after so long spent in space, and gravity pulls hard against them, straining their muscles and bones. Normally, upon returning from space, they would be greeted by a recovery and rescue team, but they are completely alone and must rely on themselves if they wish to survive.
Ted groans as he twists the handle on the module hatch, and Commander Palmer looks up at him. “Easy, Ted. Don’t break anything.”
The handle finally spins free and Ted huffs as he pushes the door open. The smell of the ocean instantly permeates through the module, bringing with it the scent of a warm breeze, fresh air and just a hint of smoke. Jackie wrinkles her nose as she tosses her helmet to the side, then slowly stands up and turns to locate the equipment that she and Commander Palmer worked on assembling.
“Anything in sight up there, Ted?” Commander Palmer looks up through the hatch as he speaks to Ted who is sitting on the edge of the hatch opening.
“You… you could say that, yeah.” Ted’s voice is shaking and cracked, and Commander Palmer and Jackie share a quizzical look before Commander Palmer speaks again.
“How close are we to land?”
“Couple miles, probably less.”
“Excellent. Did the floats deploy automatically?”
“One did. I’ll go pull the manual release on the other two now.”
“Good. We’ll pass the motor up once you finish.”
There’s no reply from Ted, who stays seated on the edge of the hatch for a few more seconds before finally starting to move. The hiss of air and the soft bumps of inflating floats bumping up against the outside of the module echo through the quiet chamber, then Ted’s face appears at the top of the hatch. “We’re good now. Floats look like they’re undamaged.”
Commander Palmer nods and begins taking parts from Jackie and passing them through the hatch up to Ted. The process is slow, partly because Ted seems incredibly distracted, constantly looking around as he takes the pieces of the motor up through the hatch and places them on top of one of the floats. When the entire process is finished, Commander Palmer helps Jackie climb up through the hatch before passing a cable to her and then following her up the ladder.
As Commander Palmer’s head emerges from the hatch, he gasps involuntarily at the sight, joining Ted and Jackie as they stare transfixed at the horizon. The coast of Virginia Beach is less than two miles to the west, and in the afternoon light the fires, smoke and destruction are clearly visible. Along the entire coastline there doesn’t appear to be a single intact building, and the normally green backdrop is brown not just because of the season, but because of the fires that already burned out.
Chosen over a Florida landing due to its proximity to Norfolk and Washington, D.C., the choice of Virginia Beach as the target landing site is unusual and Commander Palmer begins to wonder whether it was the right one or not. He pushes himself out of the module and holds on to the side, next to Jackie and Ted. They stare at the carnage-strewn horizon for a few moments before Commander Palmer finally speaks.
“Let’s get this set up and start making for land. We’ve got a ways to go and the light won’t last forever.”
Chapter 9
The Waters’ Homestead
Outside Ellisville, VA
“Clear the table, quickly!”
