That was a great day to change the world for sure. And Alfred knew that perfectly, while he prepared for the launching.
"Jones?", the voice in the communication system was harsh and had a strong British accent. "Everything's ready here, we're about to start the countdown. Report your situation, please."
"Why so formal, Kirkland?", he asked, laughing. He felt like a child going to his first bike ride. He would see the sky… no, he would touch the sky, like he ever dreamt. Flying wasn't enough, he wanted to bewith the stars and see the Earth from behind, a tiny jewel painted blue and green in a huge, black ocean.
And that was the day. The day when his dream would come true.
"Everything running perfectly here, Captain. You can start countdown", he said, finally, excitement making him shiver.
"Are you sure?", the other insisted. "We had a few issues in the previous tests. Now they're fixed, but we can launch some other day. Please, Major Jones. The command decided to let you have the final word, but I'd recommend you not to fly today."
The man sounded worried. Alfred knew him well enough to know he wouldn't say that unless he really thought something could happen. But what could possibly go wrong? The latest tests gave good results, everything would be perfect.
"Arthur", he decided to call the other by his first name. "Trust me, okay? Everything will run perfectly. We're making some history here!"
"…damn, Al, you git", he laughed when the other sighed through the radio. "If anything happens to you, may God have mercy of your soul. Got it?"
"Okay, okay, I got it. Now do your job and keep me alive, will you?"
He could her the other swearing a little, before starting the countdown. Ten seconds. Ten seconds, and then… the stars would embrace him. The idea made him smile.
Ten… nine… eight… seven… six… four…
Standing there alone, the ship is waiting.
All systems are go.
"Are you sure?"
Control is not convinced, but the computer has the evidence.
No need to abort.
The countdown starts.
Watching in a trance, the crew is certain.
Nothing left to chance, all is working.
Trying to relax up in the capsule
"Send me up a drink."jokes Major Tom.
The count goes on…
Four, three, two, one.
And, then, everything disappeared.
The noise. The pressure. The sound of the turbines, the feeling of being pulled down back to Earth, as the rocket tried to make his way to the space. He bit his lip, trying to focus. And, while the blue of the morning sky gave place to a black, dark vision, and the first stars appeared, he knew.
That was real. The stars were real. And he never felt so alive before.
The crew could hear him shouting in hapiness through the radio. And Arthur couldn't do anything but laugh, as he said:
"Well, I think I don't need to ask if everything's alright. We're sending you data about your mission. The repair in the station is small, you'll probably finish it in a few hours."
"Got it", he replied. Now, he should stabilize his course and go to the station, and that was a delicate part. After a while, he was finally ready. The station, a big metal structure, could be seen by distance. He prepared to leave the ship, approaching the station. The repair - a transmission antenna to be fixed again - was simple, exactly like they said.
But, in that moment, he couldn't care less about the antenna. Because, in the moment he went off the ship and turned around, he saw the most beautiful and precious image he could ever dream about.
Calling that a "jewel" was unfair. Because the vision he had surpassed everything he ever imagined. It was beautiful. Perfect. Majestic. The Earth, his beautiful Earth, shining in that dark space. He couldn't say anything, and for a few minutes, he only stared, eyes open wide, an expression of respect and awe.
"This is… perfect…"
Earth below us
drifting, falling.
Floating weightless
calling, calling home…
He carried on with his mission. A piece of cake, he'd finish that really quick. Al would love to stay there a little longer, but the station wasn't finished yet. Maybe, when it was finished, he could ask to be sent there.
And, after some hours, he was back to the rocket, and ready to go back to Earth. And everything seemed fine.
For a short time.
A secondary system failed. "Oh, damn… Control, what happened?", he asked. "Secondary system is not responding, trying to restart now. Control…? Control!"
The communication was unstable too. He could only hear parts of words. The systems were failing, one after another. "Damn… CONTROL, CAN YOU HEAR ME?"
"JONES?", he finally could hear a clear voice. "JONES, ANSWER, PLEASE!"
"Major Jones reporting, sir!", he said "I'm trying to stabilize the main system and activate the emergency sequence to return to Earth, but it's not working. Requestiong instructions right now!"
"Calm down, Jones", he didn't recognize that voice. "We'll try and initiate the emergency program from here. You need to restart the secondary system, if p…" But his voice disappeared in static again.
He tried everything, but in the end, he could only see, hopeless, the systems failing. He was panicking. That wasn't the way things should end. That wasn't.
"Alfred!", the communications were restablished again. And, this time, he knew that voice. Arthur. And, if he was calling him by the name, things were really going down. He knew that guys for years. Intelligent, sarcastic, and sometimes a complete asshole, but probably one of his best friends. They studied together, they served together, and now they were working together in that project once more.
"Arthur…", he forced himself to smile. "Please, tell me there's something I can do."
He was begging for hope, begging for a chance to survive. But the long silence coming from the other side told him there wasn't much they could do.
"Al, listen. You're entering in orbit soon", his voice was low. "You must make your main control work, so you'll be able to go back safely. Gravity will pull you down, but you'll have to control the speed of fall."
And then, he realized.
There was no way for him to do that.
He looked out. The Earth was so beautiful… the space was a perfect piece of art.
A beautiful last sight for sure, he thought, as the last systems stopped responding.
"Captain Kirkland", he said, trying to smile, but feeling a deep urge to cry. "It was an honor to serve by your side." The static made the other's voice disappear. "Just… tell everyone I've just seen the most awesome thing ever and I don't regret it, right?"
There was no reply. Only silence.
The mortal silence of the dying systems, while he started falling through the atmosphere, too fast to survive.
Second stage is cut. We're now in orbit.
Stabilizers up, runnning perfect.
Starting to collect requested data.
"What will it affect when all is done?"
thinks Major Tom.
Back at ground control, there is a problem.
"Go to rockets full." Not responding.
"Hello Major Tom. Are you receiving?
Turn the thrusters on. We're standing by."
There's no reply.
Across the stratosphere,
a final message:
"Give my wife my love."
Then nothing more.
The control room was deadly silent too, as everyone there looked at the screens and panels. How? How could they messed it up? How could they lose him? Arthur knew something was about to happen, he feltthat!
He wanted to cry. He really wanted. But it was his duty to keep serious and steady in that moment.
"Gentlemen, we've done everything we could", he said. "But I don't think it's too late to pray for a miracle." Okay, it was. He wasn't stupid, he knew the chances of surviving that were too little. But part of him would ever refuse to believe Al was dead.
Hours passed. Too many things, too many answers to be given. And he was silent, speaking only when absolutely necessary. Would they be able to, at least, recover his body? He didn't even want to think about that.
And, then, he heard the phone. A secretary took it, and they gave it to him, saying:
"I don't know who it is, but they asked to talk only to you."
Damn. Probably someone from the high circles wanting to know how a project of millions and millions of dollars could go wrong like that. He just wanted to say the worst words he knew, but that voice… no. That voice made him almost drop the phone, and mutter in complete disbelief.
"A-alfred?"
Far beneath the ship, the world is mourning.
They don't realize he's alive.
No one understands,
but Major Tom sees.
"Now the light commands this is my home,
I'm coming home."
Earth below us
drifting, falling.
Floating weightless
coming home…
Earth below us
drifting, falling.
Floating weightless
coming, coming
home…
home…..
"Damn you, Artie, if this is the way you were trying to keep me alive, you're failing miserably!", he laughed, sounding tired.
"B-but… how?", he finally asked. "Damn, we all see the ship falling!"
"Luckily, it fell on the sea. I managed to activate the emergency ejection in time. Damn, call that a miracle, I don't know. But the fact is, there was an island not too far from where it fell, and I could reach it."
"You… you lucky son of a bitch!", Arthur said, laughing. "I'll prepare everything to receive you back here, okay? And… it's good to know you're well, Major Jones. Welcome home."
"It's good to be back for sure, Captain Kirkland", the voice on the other side said, laughing too. "Thank you. Now give the good news to everyone, I have to make some other calls."
And, when he turned the phone off, and looked at the sunset through the window, he smiled.
That was his home.
The same home he saw before, the blue and green jewel floating through the space, was there. He made it.
He was at home. Finally.