INFINITE SPACE
Thanks to brasirish and Titania522 for their help with the story and the English grammar, this story is much better because of you!
Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games or the characters.
ORANGE, part I
"Dr. Everdeen, I think you should come to the Control Room" a voice says in the dark.
When I switch on the lights, my eyes take a few seconds to adjust to the brightness before I can make out the person standing in my doorway. Rue is staring at me and I don't like what I see in her eyes, full of concern.
I check my clock to see that is only 3am. Something's gone wrong with the mission and I feel my heart stop.
Rue is on my development team with NASA. We are working on a new and more precise navigation system that we have been testing for some months now with incredible results, but it is the first time we are using it in a space shuttle on a real mission.
"What's going on?" I ask while I put on my hoodie and start walking as fast as my legs allowed me down the aisle to the Control Room.
"Solar Storm" she says.
Those two words freeze my blood and I abruptly stop my race to ook at her in disbelief.
"How is that possible? We didn't have any information about an imminent solar storm".
"I don't know, Dr. Everdeen but you should go there now Dr. Beetee and Dr. Abernathy are waiting for you. Something happened to part of the crew".
No, not him. I think and my mind flies away to two days ago when we had our first and last argument. We were on his roof watching the sunset. It was a tradition, like his good-luck charm before going into space. "A nice contrast" he says "the warm orange against the deep blue".
"Will you move in with me, Katniss?" Peeta asked.
"What?"
"I said: would you please live with me?" Peeta repeated his offer.
"I...I don't know what to say. I'm sorry Peeta, I can't" I mumbled and turned around, not able to meet his eyes.
"Why not Katniss? We've been together for a year now, and I'm tired of this hidden-relationship thing we are playing" he said grabbing my arm to make me face his eyes, his voice full of exhaustion.
"What do you mean?" I asked scared fearing the worse.
"You've never said that you love me, in a whole year or that you need me. We haven't gone to a date as a normal couple... I thought things were progressing during the last couples of months and that gave me hope. Do you realize we have been sleeping in each other's houses those two last months? Every single night. So why is this so different, Katniss?"
"Because we work together!" Before I finished the sentence I already knew that this was not the only reason. So did Peeta.
"That is bullshit and you know it, Katniss. Finnick and Annie are married. Annie is pregnant and the world keeps spinning!"
"They were not in the same program. If they were, one of them would be reassigned to another project, and you and I have worked very hard to make this new navigation system a reality."
"Yes, but when this mission finishes in a couple of weeks I can be reassigned to another project. I don't care, this is work and you are the most important thing to me. So what is the real reason? You are a brave woman Katniss, be brave now for me and for us. I deserve to know the truth."
"It's a commitment" Finally I gave up and confessed.
"Yes, it is a commitment and if you are not ready to take that step with me, then this relationship doesn't make any sense. I love you Katniss but I can't keep going on like this. It's better if we just take a break. Think about it while I'm away on this mission. We will talk when I return." he said, and with no more goodbye words, he kissed my forehead and left.
That was our last conversation before the shuttle took off, I considered saying a final goodbye to Peeta, but decided it would only be bad for both of us. From that point on, our communication was reduced to professional issues like checking data, entering coordinates and validating systems. It didn't make our separation or hearing his voice less painful.
I hold back my tears as I enter in the Control Room. Crying would not help him or the crew, I say to myself to give myself courage.
"What is the situation Dr. Abernathy?" I ask Haymitch Abernathy who is in charge of both the mission and the whole program.
"Two hours ago we detected an intense Coronal Mass Ejection. The energy from that intense solar eruption created more friction between pieces of space junk and disturbed their orbits. Part of that debris hit our shuttle fifty minutes ago. Some of the crew were outside at the time of the ejection repairing the James Webb telescope. We've lost communication with the team, five minutes later the ejection, and we don't know the extent of the damage or have any information on their position."
"So it might be a disruption in the communication system rather than permanent damaged caused by the space junk, right?" I assert confidently and Haymitch nods. "Who was outside? How are they? Rue told me they were injured," I say as I silently pray that Peeta is not one of them.
"Mission Specialist 1, Finnick Odair; Mission Specialist 3, Johanna Mason and Pilot Gale Hawthorne.
"You are alive," I whisper, pressing my palms against my cheeks, feeling a little smile. Haymitch looks at me with a weird gesture and I wonder if he heard me, but even if he did he cannot know if I was relieved for Peeta or for the rest of the crew.
Suddenly, an intense noise resonates though the Control Room, sounding like the static of interference. But it clears up quickly and we soon hear something more concrete.
"Panem, can you hear us? " A voice says. I'd recognize that voice anywhere. "Commander Mellark here". The room erupts into cheers and applause. I'm light-headed with giddiness while Haymitch hurries to his chair.
"Go ahead Commander Mellark; we are really happy to hear you, son. What is your current status?
The line goes silent for a moment again and when Peeta starts talking his voice is not so strong as before.
"We have suffered a casualty, Mission Specialist 1, Finnick Odair was hit by a debris and has not survived the impact" Silence descends on the Control Room. "Pilot Gale Hawthorne is unconscious and we aren't sure of his medical condition. Fortunately, Mission Specialist Johanna Mason and the rest of the crew are alright".
Although I cannot see him because the videoconference is not working, I know he is crying. Finnick was one his oldest friends. I can't even imagine how Annie is going to survive without Finnick. A sudden reality hits me and I realize Peeta can die too.
"We are sorry Peeta" says Haymitch without formality this time "We are going to bring you back but we need to know the damage to the different systems".
"Right now, we've suffered damage to both the Atmospheric Control System and the Hypatian. We have tried to restart the system twice without success" he says.
Haymitch looks at me because if the ACS is not working properly they need to come back as soon as possible, but for that they need the Hypatian. The Hypatian is our navigation system, named like that on account of the mathematician, philosopher and astronomer Hypatia of Alexandria, born in 370 AD.
"Doctor Everdeen, it's your turn" says Haymitch.
"Hi Commander Mellark" I say trying to control my nervousness. "We are going to help you to restart the system but first we need to diagnose what the problem is. Please can you initiate the testing sequence?"
"Done" he answers with a neutral tone.
"Ok. It will take around 30 minutes to gather all the information. I'll contact you again at 4.30 am. Now I think Dr. Beetee wants to talk about the ACS with you"
"Thanks, Dr. Everdeen. We'll be here".
I quickly go to my laboratory. When I arrive we are already receiving the initial data. I look at my team and I say "Let's work, we need to find out what is wrong with the Hypatian and fix it. We can't fail."
My team consists of two brilliant students, Rue James and Madge Undersee and the outstanding astrophysics doctor, Thresh Potter.
Soon we've detected the problem.
"The microchip inside the location system is damaged. It will need to be replaced if the navigation system is to be restarted. Maybe they can take it from the receiver module" I say "What do you think?"
"It might be possible but without the receiver they will not able to receive any new information or recalculate the re-entry route to the atmosphere," Thresh sketches out "and that will be a big problem since we don't know where all that space debris pieces are…"
"I hate space junk!" exclaims Madge.
"But if we could do a simulation here, we could send them the best route and the time window. I know it is not a perfect plan but now their chances to come home safe are 0% so at least we will improve their chances. We have to innovate. We will need the information from the NORAD. Rue, please contact them and ask for the position ot the largest pieces and for ones closes to our shuttle. Have them to calculate a theoretical trajectory. I need to return to the Control Room now . Call me when you have the best route."
Everyone is somber when I return to Mission Center; I approach Haymitch who is holding his face in his hands.
"What's wrong" I ask.
"We need to fix the Hypatian or they won't last very long up there. The chemical carbon dioxide canisters are innaccesible so they can't change them. The air is becoming poisonous. Give me some good news sweetheart" He says with an air of exhaustation.
"The good news is that we can fix the location system so we will be able to estimate a re-entry"
"But?" asks Haymitch "spit it out, Katniss. I can see in your face that you're terrified".
"By doing that, we make the receiver module useless so they won't be able to change the route once it is established"
"What are their chances of survival?"
"Around 40% but It will depend on the quantity and reliability of information that we can get in the next four or five hours"
"They don't have that much time Dr. Everdeen, maximum a couple of hours before we have to start the deorbit burn. The situation is getting critical. Talk to Peeta, ok? But try to give them some hope. They are going to need it". I nod.
"Panem calling D12, over" I say.
"Hi Panem, we thought you have forgotten about us" he says lightening the mood.
"We could never D12. You're too big a pain in the ass" I said teasing him because he always loved when I did that.
"So, do we have a plan?"
"Affirmative, Commander Mellark. We are going to bring you back home" I lie.