EARTH, WASHINGTON DC
THE NOT SO DISTANT FUTURE
Alright, before we get this started a few things we have to get cleared up, starters this is all true even the parts that sound made up because those are especially true. Now before you start asking questions my name is Adam Glenn, I'm from a planet called Earth, your planet, that's right we're from the same place, and that's saying something in this universe.
Few things you need to know about Earth right now, it was only a few years ago when my mother Marlena Glenn came back from the longest recorded space mission in human history, and when she got back things got going in space like never before. The moon has a few hotels and a nice theme park, Mars was terraformed and colonists are still moving out there, with all three free space things on Earth started to look up. With all the resources of the solar system the space agencies became the most funded parts of every government, and guess who's in charge of NASA, that's National Aeronautics and Space Administration for you newbies, there's also Space Force but more on that later. We need to talk about the worst day of my life, the day where a magic sword fell out of the sky, monsters came to kill me from another planet, so actually their aliens, but still they came to kill me.
I woke up to my alarm screaming at me to wake up for school, before my eyes opened I raised right arm and smashed the alarm silent. Sitting up I ran my hand through the bush of blonde hair was messy from his tossing and turning before getting up. "Good morning Adam is a wonderful day here in DC the temperature today is-" "Orko." I yawned, Orko was an AI I made to help me remember to do stuff but also for the company, that's why most the time when Orko spoke I say "Shut up." The blinds of my room opened showing a messy room that had its two left walls of the room were thick glass showing a large acre of land surrounded by woods. His room was an absolute mess, it had clothes and old shoes on the floor with the walls covered in flags and pictures. The floor was a solid red pin wood with a black line around the where the wall and white walls that were mostly covered by the flags and painting from sports and teams I played on.
A large flat screen tv was hung into the wall adjacent to my bed that had a moving image of solar scenery from solar flares on the sun to Saturn's rings, what could I say space is in right now, and I was having to get up with a groan "The morning is evil."
"Orko… what time is it?" I asked still rubbing my eyes.
"It's currently seven sixteen would you like to know the forecast?" Orko asked out of the robotic machine next to the bed "Nah, it's going to be sunny with a nice northern breeze from the restored polar ice caps, and it's all thanks to the amazing Marlena Glenn hooray!" I said standing up and stepping on a small tail sticking out from under my bed. Running out was a small orange tabby cat, who scrambled out from under the bed screaming in a loud meow "Oh sorry Cringer." Adam said watching the cat scrambled to box of sox's hiding under them all.
Cringer, was a cat I found under our porch a year ago during a storm poor thing took shelter under our house heard him crying when I got home from a party, he's been here ever since. The name you may ask isn't cause we cringe at how he looks, but because Cringer cringes at everything, yeah he's a scaredy cat what can you do.
Shortly after cleaning in and out of the shower I looked over at my bed where Cringer was sleeping on my pillow, one thing that about Cringer is no matter how many times he runs away he comes back.
"Orko play my morning routine." The Black device with a blue sticker and red light up ring around it said. "Sir you are aware this is your thirteen time you've listened to this song this week, would you prefer something else?" The AI asked from inside the walls, "Fine play something from my personal library." I said washing my hair with one of my semi-dry towels "Right away sir." I taught him to say that.
The speakers started to play a fast-paced rock song with a piano-guitar "Oh yeah I did watch that movie last night, to bad I don't own a bright red 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California" I said as he grabbed a foggy pale grey long-sleeved shirt before turning to a closet, dancing with the music "According to this there are currently eighteen listed in your local area up for sale." Orko said, "Wait was that an ad, did you get infected with Malware again?" I asked him as I spun around skipping my feet then stopping.
"No that was just one time," Orko said while I continued to get dress before he brushed his teeth and flossed, putting on some deodorant and heading back out to get dressed while he danced to the beat. I grabbed the pinkish red bomber jacket that I washed with whites one time, and it turned pink forever. I through it over my long sleeved school shirt and some gray jeans with a leather belt and some blueish purple Vans sneakers, "Oh and speaking of time sir, your morning routine's extended variation this morning has lowered your chance of arriving on time for the simulation today by seventy-two percent." I froze not sure to be angry at myself or at Orko who kept counting up every percentage "Next time just tell me I'm late Orko!" Grabbing my backpack out of the corner I headed down the stairs to an empty. The walls were all white with multiple pictures of me, just me alone at events from rugby, to basketball, futbol, even a few science fairs with a big smile holding up blue ribbons or trophies at each one of them.
The Living room was to my left and had a large sectional couch made of black leather with recliners built over a deep blue carpet that was over the houses dark reddish wood floors. Throw pillows were heaved around the floor and couch showing that nobody had cleaned up the house in a while, I mean we didn't have a housemaid and mom was rarely here. When you run the space program you take your coffee on the space station. To the left was a dining room that where I made many calls for takeout alone at a wooden table with an extra TV in the corner so I could still play fortnite and eat.
Behind that was the kitchen that was a mountain of dirty plates that I'd get to eventually, and a nearly empty fridge, except for some old steaks that were about to go bad and milk that I was pretty sure hadn't gone bad but was now evil.
"Don't wait up for me Orko," I said heading out the door and heading to the barn behind our house, it was unpainted and had holes all the way through it, I wasn't allowed to go upstairs when I was younger but now I can leave my car in the barn when moms not home, which if you haven't guessed it a lot. Walking up to the barn I opened it up to the only source of freedom an adult gives people our age, my car. A pale blue 1982 Scirocco Mk II, my mother is the head of the most advanced space agency in the world and had to drive a piece of eighties crap, but it's my piece of eighties crap so I made do with what I had. Took out the old radio and put in a sound system Marty McFly would be proud to turn the volume up on, an engine I borrowed from a friends mustang and we're in business, we're also late for school so let's fast forward.
While I made my way school I should warn you, absolute waste of time but it use to be a lot, and I mean a lot worse. They use to make everyone go to the same school, over and over till we were about eighteen then they'd offer another form of education but it was too expensive. Then they changed it up, Federal government stepped in to let us choose early on. Right now, the only thing that matters is space, they are trying everything in space. Hotels like I said earlier, space stations with malls and movie theaters, football and basketball in zero gravity, still working on those last two. But that's where anyone who's going to be anyone will be, so that's what all my friends and I decided to enroll in NASA's own school, The Johnson, Jackson, & Vaughn Institute, otherwise known as JJV.
The school is pretty nice, they have three separate buildings all painted black and white with the NASA logo painted on them and all holding one of the three names. Each of the buildings holds classrooms, facilities, testing sites and more for different purposes. It's not the only space school in the country, but it's for Space Force and we don't talk about or the man who they named the school after.
I pulled into the parking lot after getting through the checking for the guard to let me in and remind me this was the tenth time I'd been tardy to date. Finding a parking spot frantically I grab my bag out of my car and run into Vaughn where I knew my classmates were waiting for me outside the Io simulation, it was our thirteenth time in the simulation. After just barely making it into an elevator with one of the janitors till I came to my floor, the Julian Catastrophe. The Julian Catastrophe is a simulation that just happens to be the hardest simulation in our entire school, a rescue operation on Venus you know the planet with over eight hundred degrees weather and acid rain. Busting through the door into the locker room to see everyone already had passed through, stuffing my backpack in the nearest locker I take out my simulation suit slipping into the thick orange environmental suit still wearing my undershirt and jeans before I grab my full masked safety helmet. I make it out into the entrance of the simulation where I see my simulation squad, and my four best friends all looking pissed off.
"Finally!" Roger yelled under in the second position on the starting line, next to him on his left was Jasmine snickering, with my spot I quickly filled on his right before I bumped into Dijkstra and he's hard to miss considering he was as big as a barn, "Sorry Dee." I say up to his broad shoulders and blonde hair cut in military fashion "Just don't be late next time, tak?" he asked in his thick polish accent "Tak bro, major tak." I said straightening up while Lee peeked out from behind the large Dijkstra, "Sleep well I take it?" Lee asked crossing his arms.
"I did at your house all the way back in Hong Kong, your mom made me breakfast," I said back to Lee, he was from China black hair tall athletic. Jasmine was the only girl on our team, originally from North Africa but she has educated abroad, wearing her blue Nike sports Hijab that covered her black curly hair. Roger was built similar with curly brown hair and blue eyes, he's also my best friend. We were all friends but Roger and I had been friends since grade school when we both decided we wanted to First Responders. Most who wanted to go in space either wanted to be explorers, astronauts, and pilots. Others wanted to join Space Force and play Star Wars, but I and Roger wanted to be the guys who you could really count on when the whole universe is against you.
"Damn moron." Roger said as a started to breath easy happy I had made it before the simulation had started "Love you to Roger." I said looking at the large metal doors that would lead into the simulation. The rest of the room was large with the walls that had a white floor with the planet Venus painted on the floor to match the simulation. There were two smaller doors inside the preparation room beside the large one. The one I came in through the locker room and the exit to the hallway that then opened. Walking in was the Julian Catastrophe maker Mr. Mattel. He was a tall skinny man with than clean-cut hair and glasses that held beady little eyes that no matter how he looked always seemed to glare at anyone, both his bony fingers were wrapped around a tablet that he was typing something in on.
He walked in wearing a short sleeved button up shirt with a black tie that matched his black pants and shoes, and pens in his shirt's pocket, I mean who still uses paper? Anyway, he shot me a look that could kill "Late again Mr. Glenn, I guess having your mother as the Director of Nasa means you think you can just walk in whenever you like."
"I'm sorry Mr. Glenn, I… just lost track of time." I answered hating being put on the spot, no doubt he'd report it to my mom, "Lost… track… of… time, I'm sure Director Glenn will be happy to know that since this is your thirteenth time you and your team are attempting the Julian Catastrophe after everyone else in your class have moved on with their studies." Mr. Mattel said as he moved his finger over to the side of the tablet before pressing down on the other side to which I could only assume was a send tab to an email or text. Mr. Mattel took a few steps back from before he addressed the rest of us and held up his tablet to dim the lights.
When they were just dark enough the ceiling shined a light down on us bending the light above our heads to show the planet Venus, right now the next stop for human colonization after we finish terraforming the planet, right now one of the most dangerous interstellar jobs and who can tell me why, Mr. Glenn?" Mattel said and asked looking right at me "Ugh… cause the planet is covered in acid rain and over eight hundred degrees?"
"Can anyone tell me why it's so dangerous, and who hasn't just read the first paragraph of the debriefing?" Mr. Mattel asked before Jasmine raised her hand, Mattel snapped his bony fingers at her to answer "It's because Terraforming a planet's atmosphere to more hospital levels also means having to alter the planets geographical landscape making the planets tectonic to move at a higher rate causing random earthquakes." Jasmine started to go on and on about the science of terraforming while Roger leaned over to me "This is the last time I'm doing this simulation, Adam."
I gaped at Roger in shock, "What how can you dude, we've aced every single one of the other simulations hundred percent rescue rate from simulated Moon to simulated Pluto?" I asked in a low whisper "Nobody beats the Julian Catastrophe, nobody, every other kid in our grade all know you can't beat it, that's the point you're suppose to fail."
Roger leaned over to me "Nobody can make it to the eighth guy, the lave flood caused by the volcano gets him every time, the odds are against us."
"Not this time." I said with as much confidence and gusto I could whisper "Well it knows us really well because of you." Roger grumbled before Jasmine finished "The simulation is the same as it always is kids, a terraforming team is caught in level ten earthquake, their ship won't be able to take off rescue all eight of the away team, three pilots, eight terraformers, ready in ten." Mr. Mattel said heading to the simulations exit as the lights began to flash and blaring sirens signaled the countdown. All of us started to loosen up and do last minute stretches, "Did you tell him we weren't doing it anymore Roger?" Jasmine asked making me stop my stretching "What, you too?" I asked.
"No all of us." Dijkstra said, I turned over to the polish moose with a broken heart and tearful eyes "Dee why?"
"Because you only remember the first letter of my name." Dijkstra said sarcastically, "What that's why?" I asked before he shook his head "Dude were tired, we've done this simulation twelve times already you know the outcome already." Lee said as the simulation was about to begin.
If only they would listen to me, "Not this time, it's going to be different after today, nobody's going to forget this." I said as the doors opened with a blinding light. Inside was a shuttle prepped and ready for launch in the hanger. We all ran toward the black and white shuttle that already had a boarding ramp lowered. We rushed inside each taking our positions. Roger was in the pilot seat and Jasmine his co-pilot, I was at the radar, with Dijkstra and Lee at their own positions. We strapped into our chairs with backpacks that had our name on them with rescue gear and supplies, on the back, for rescuing the terraforming team. "Preparing for taking off." Roger said doing the script while I double checked the radar screen to see it was working "Radar is operational." I say without any real care since we'd done the simulation so many times.
We felt the shuttle door close tight and the shuttle starting to gain speed for taking off. I looked out one of the haul windows to see the other shuttles of the hanger and their holographic staff zip by us before we flew out of the hanger and into the sky above Washington and then into the upper atmosphere making the ship shake violently. It was all a simulation, the shuttle we were in was a pod they moved around in the simulation chamber that simulated takeoff. The pod was just as real on the surface of an actual shuttle with parachutes and all. The outer chamber, the one where we run through the hanger into the pod was simulated too. They used the latest technology, moving floors, a deafening sound system, and ventilation shafts.
The shuttle took off up into space and the planets began to zip by us before the intercom came on with Mr. Mattel's voice "Attention Rescue team eighty-three, the Julian terraforming site is facing a meltdown, the plates beneath the site have started to move and the volcano eighty-five kilometers away is erupting, they have no shuttle capabilities and are in need of immediate rescue."
The shuttle began to shake violently while I looked out the window to see we were entering Venus's atmosphere, we broke through the upper atmosphere and then the lower till e finally came to volcanic covered surface of Venus, where fire and brimstone were shooting out of volcanoes like geysers creating a river of lava all the way to the Julian site. "Our readings indicate you have less than eight minutes to rescue the Julian site crew before the lava reaches you, understood?" Mr. Mattel asked before all five of us replied in unison "Yes sir."
The shuttle flew down its forward thrusters shooting out in front to slow them down as they flew down to semi-flat surface before coming to a halt. Our seat restraints came off and we ran to the backpacks, we all put on our backpacks before waiting for the ramp to lower. When everyone was in line I moved over to one of the safety parachutes grabbing the pack off the wall "What are you doing?" Roger asked before I put on my helmet like the rest, seeing me holding onto the parachute bag under my arm, "Changing the odds." I said back before the doors opened and we ran out into the storm of acid rain and ash filled the air.
The ground of the simulated venus was as red and hard as the real planet, we could see the Volcano erupting in the distance with the lava flood charing toward the Julian site. The ground around it had started to crack open already swallowing up their fake shuttle. Every time the simulation starts with the site falling apart, the lava getting closer and closer. The team of terraformers is scattered around the site in different locations. I had memorized all their locations, the shuttles Captain was in the sites command center with the crew's engineer, and one the scientists at the center. Two more were on the edge of the base trapped in a small canyon on the east side, another two were making it back but lost in the acid storm in the southwest. But the eighth, in the northwest, the last scientist was the farthest away from the site, and nobody in the history of Johnson, Jackson, & Vaughn had ever been able to reach in his time, that was about to change.
"Jasmine you and I we'll go after the ones lost in the storm, Dijkstra the command center, Adam you and Lee get to the canyon," Roger ordered in front taking point as we ran in a straight line down the rocky terrain that shook and rumbled with every step. We all split up when we came to the base, Jasmine and Roger ran toward the southwest, while Dijkstra ran toward the command center. Lee and I were sprinting toward the canyon which had only just opened prior to us arriving. "The backpack what gives?" Lee asked me while we ran side by side, "You'll see, just keep the doors open for me." I said back through my helmet.
Having gone through the simulation so many times, finding the trapped scientists was quick, the canyon was thirty feet deep. And looking down we could see one of the scientists was hurt holding his leg as the other looked up at us "Down here, help us!" he cried through his own environmental suit. it was a video playback and the scientists and crew were actually robot dolls made to simulate people we used for training. We had to find something to tie our safety rope around to pull out one of the injured scientists. Using a nearby rock we fastened the harness down and took out the pieces for a stretcher in our backpacks before assembling. Lee had gotten so good at putting it together it was like field stripping a weapon.
After it was assembled I lowered Lee down on the rope with the stretcher, checking my watch I see we have six minutes left and soon feel a tug on the top from lee down below. I reach into the pack back and take out a crank to attach to the rope. The crank would wind up the rope like a fishing rod spool reeling in a fish. I turn it fast as I can my arms starting to burn as I could feel my suits sensors telling me the volcano was starting to make the plates in the planet shift. Lee came up with the rescued scientist who I could see under its helmets tinted visor was robot repeating over and over again in thick wailing moans of pain. As I got him settled Lee got up and through the rope down back to the other scientist while I looked over to the northwest hearing Mr. Mattel "Be advised, one of the scientists is northwest of the site location."
In this split second one of us has to choose to go after the last scientist, in these simulations we have to make tough calls like you would in a real crisis. For this instance, its either save the crew and get them to our evacuation shuttle or try and risk trying to save the last scientist, which in this case everyone usually dies. I'd seen every recording ever of people trying to save all eight, but it always ends the same, until now. "I got'em," I said grabbing the parachute backpack off the ground and running toward the scientist.
"Oh god not again." Roger grumbled in his helmets earpiece "Is he serious?" Jasmine said and Dijkstra said in polish I couldn't understand. "Team eighty three you have less than four minutes remaining until the area becomes unstable evacuate now." Mr. Mattel said to us all in his stern voice, I could swear I heard a hint of annoyance from him after I said I was going for the last scientist. "Adam you heard the man, get back to the shuttle with Lee." Roger ordered probably carrying the other scientists into the shuttle with the rest, "Can't do that." I said back picking up the speed.
"Lee can't carry the stretcher without you idiot." Roger barked at me through our communications link "Send Dijkstra over to him, once you see him and the other three, and keep the doors open." I yelled back at him as the acid storm and volcano grew stronger than before, exactly as it always does at the two-minute mark. I could see the scientists figure in the distance running toward the site. Until the robot saw me heading his way and ran toward him flailing his arms crying out "Help, please don't leave me, please don't leave!"
Running up to him I say the basic rescue script "Remain calm, remain claim, help is here." I say as I grab hold of him "Help, please don't leave me, please don't leave!" the robot said throwing his arms around me panicking as most people would do, they really go for realistic scenarios, and that's what I was counting on when I saw the minute in a half mark.
"I got you, I got you I won't leave you." I said over and over to the robot, taking off my backpack I put on the parachute harness around myself and the robot "Adam get back here were leaving." Roger said to him as I turned around toward the shuttle in the distance, we'd never make it on foot, nobody ever has.
Taking a deep breath I gripped the parachutes release cord grip, tight in my hand and yanked it loose making the parachute shootout from behind my back and unfurl up into the harsh wends of the storm and hot air from the lava. Its cords went tight and it started to pull us in the direction of the evacuation shuttle "Come on, come on." I said pulling back on the parachute grips keeping myself and the robot steady before a big gust of wind kicked us off the ground and into the air "YES!" I yelled as we were sent into the air.
"What the-" Now I won't tell you what Roger screamed when he saw me flying through the air like two ragdolls glued together and attached to a parachute, but let's just say it rhymes with a certain generic term for a waterfowl. But I felt like my arms would rip off as I held onto the parachute trying to keep myself and the last scientist. Winds came in from every side thrashing us around in the air but kept pushing us forward, closer and closer to the evacuation shuttle. The site was already starting to crumble as the earthquake began to devour terraforming site. Fissures and cracks in the ground opened up with lava spraying out from them surrounding the evacuation shuttle. I pulled back on the reins to the parachute trying to slow us down as best as I could "Help, please don't leave me, please don't leave!" the robot continued to say over and over.
"I'm not leaving you- just shut up." I snapped trying to concentrate, the hot air from the lava started to make us ascend so I did the first thing that came to mind, I unclipped the parachute harness around us making us fall almost three stories. I still remember Jasmine screaming "ADAM!"
Then I felt right my arm shatter under the weight of both myself and the robot, I scream out loud in pain before biting down on my lip drawing blood before I look up to see the visor of my helmet cracked but beyond that the evacuation shuttle with Lee and Dijkstra running toward me. "Get him, get him inside," Lee yelled out before Dijkstra picked me up off the ground as I cradled my just recently broken arm, to his credit that big salv practically carried me into the evacuation shuttle with Lee carrying the robot over his shoulder before we ran into the evacuation ship, already starting to take off with Roger punching the extra fuel cell to give us an extra boost.
The ship shook even more violently than all the times before as if we were about to explode and every time when it does the ship's lights go off with the rest of the simulation, but they didn't. They stayed on still flashing, fake lava and acid rain spraying on the windows before it faded away into the clouds and into the black pinholed curtain of space. "We… we did it, all eight of them?" Roger said looking at the robots all strapped down and the one on the floor next to me repeating ""Help, please don't leave meeee…." before it powered down.
I'll save you the waterworks, but to sum it up Jasmine, Roger, Dijkstra, and Lee all went nuts cheering and hollering. Dijkstra pulled me to my feet again and this time hugged me making him cry out in pain again from my arm before he apologized. Roger pulled me out of his arms and shook me over and over again saying "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes." He also said some more colorful things but we don't need to get into that. But I wish I could have shown you what Mattel's face was like. From what I heard, it turned as white as the moon before turning as red as Mars. After the brief celebration, we had to do the last bit of the simulation sedating and securing the rescued, myself included considering my arm was now broken.
But sadly to say before the student body could carry me off on their shoulder as the legend I would forever be, a few painkillers later and sling cast for my arm and I'm in the principal's office.
After the simulation ended, a word must have gotten around fast because the second we got out of the pod into the de-simulated room. The school's medical staff was already on standby to bandage me up, with Mr. Mattel standing over me the whole time a scowl on his face the whole time before they brought me to the principal's office like he was a bailiff leading me to the courtroom. Before we left the simulation room I had a chance to look back at my friends who were still giving me thumbs up and smiles on their faces from passing.
We walked out of Vaughn where the word of our success has spread through the school like a wildfire, I could see everyone checking their smartphones and tablets. The others must have already started posting to social media about our success, I'd need to start thinking of what color to get my caste in that would show off the most signatures, even if it was the painkillers sending me into the euphoria. I had a big smile across my face all the way into Johnson's main entrance and an elevator ride up to the Principal's office that overlooked the whole campus.
Mattel and I walked in without a word before I sat down in front of the Principal's desk, the office itself had wooden walls with glass cases holding models of spaceships and planets. The floor was covered in a blue carpet with a grey one leading all the way to the desk where Principal Truman sat. Principal Truman was an older woman with greying hair she wore just above her shoulders, pale skin and dark green eyes. She was wearing a gray suit and looking at her computer screen. It was a glass one where I could see through the back and I could see a recording of myself crashing into the ground just outside the shuttle before Roger and Dijkstra pulled me to my feet and onto the shuttle before going dark from Principal Truman turned off the recording.
My smile grew even more before I leaned back in my chair, "So is this part where you say Good Job?"
Principal Truman looked me dead in the eye before Mr. Mattel walked around the desk to look back at me. This is where Mr. Mattel would see me as the one kid who actually beat his stupid simulation, after this, I'd be set for the rest of the year, there was no way this couldn't work out in my favor. "Adam, nobody before you has ever done what you did." Mr. Mattel started to say, and here it comes "You're expelled." Or not.
"Come again?" I asked unsure at what I had just heard, wondering if I had also had a concussion too "You cheated." Mr. Mattel said sternly "What, how, I got the last guy we saved all eight." I asked about to stand up when feeling my arm throb through the painkiller making me grab onto it falling back into my seat. "Clean out your locker and turn in your student ID on your way out, we've already drafted an email to your mother about this incident." Principal Truman said calmly ignoring my questions like I hadn't even asked them "What, why, you still haven't told me how I cheated?" I asked again slamming my good hand on the desk.
Truman looked up at Mr. Mattel who held up his tablet showing it to me, the image showed the recording from start to finish "Okay, so?" I asked still not seeing it, "You used the parachute, it's not on the regulatory list of items you're cleared to use in the simulation." Mr. Mattel said taking the tablet back "What, are you serious?" I asked again "You think when a crisis happens it cares about regulations." I barked.
"The regulations are there to keep you safe if you had followed them your arm wouldn't have been broken." Principal Truman explained pointing to his cast "That's what this is about?" I asked standing up feeling my arm throb "My stupid arm, if this had been a real crisis, if this had really happened I'd have saved that man's life and-" "It already did happen Adam." Mr. Mattel said interrupting me "The robots may be fake but the voices are real, real recordings from real people in real situations." he said as he held up his tablet and started to activate something. The office lights dimmed and a holographic screen appeared on Venus, "Three years ago, one of the first terraforming sites on the planet went sour." Mattel said as an image of a terraforming site appeared with a volcano in the background, the site wa different from the Julian Catastrophe but just barely. The layout of the land was different and there weren't as many buildings, but the earthquake was very real. "We dispatched a rescue team, three in the command center two just outside the base but one, one went too far outside the regulated perimeter."
The image of the recording changed to show a video recording from a helmet cam of someone running back to the site "Help, please don't leave me, please don't leave!" I felt my heart sink when I heard that voice, the recording showed the man looks up to see a shuttle fly off into the clouds without him before he fell to his knees and Mattel ended the recording and looked back at me, my face white with shock. "The reason why nobody passes the Julian Catastrophe is that it already happened, the man and the last moments you saw were after he headed out of bound all to take a selfie." Mr. Mattel said as I took my seat again "Do you know who made the call to leave him behind, to put the lives and needs of many above the needs of one Adam?" Mr. Mattel asked as I looked up at him feeling like I already knew the answer "It was your mother, she hated it but she had to make that call, she, later on, insisted the use of this simulation so that others could come to grips with having to make tough calls." Mattel said as I could barely imagine my mother even suggesting something like that.
"Human space travel will cost many lives as it did in the first Space Race, people like you studying to be the First Responder will need to accept the fact that you can't save every life, only the ones who can make it."
"When people break the rules this is what happens, you pay the price the same way that man on Venus did, understand?" Mr. Mattel said making me have enough, I looked up at Mr. Mattel right in the face "No."
Mattel and Truman looked at one another "No?" Principal Truman asked me, "No." I said again standing up and pushing out my chair, this had to be the painkillers talking and a rush of adrenaline from an already boiling blood system "You don't get to choose who can and can't make it, I may not be able to save that man in real life but I saved him the simulation, and that means I'm more than willing to break my arm…. because I'd rather die to try to save someone then run away because it looked too dangerous."
Mr. Mattel's face turned bright red before Principal Truman stood up "If that's how you feel Adam that's fine, but you should know we don't think that either" she said holding her hand out for the tablet Mr. Mattel was holding. He handed it to her before she looked at the tablet "Your mother does, she's the one who said to expel you." Principal Truman turned the table around handing it to me where I looked to see a text message conversation between Principal Truman and the caption Director Glenn and in a blue text box with white letters I saw the words, my own moms 'Expel him immediately.'
I didn't say anything, didn't want to instead I chucked the tablet all the way into the glass containers on the wall shattering it before storming back toward the elevator. I took a really long ride back down to the first floor, when I came out I could see Roger and everyone else standing in the forum entrance surrounded by half of the entire school. I could tell they were all enjoying the fame of our short lived success, and that they were all trying to describe my parachute stunt. Roger looked up to see me and our eyes connected when his smile disappeared I could tell he already had that best friend moment where we already knew what the problem was.
For a brief moment, I got stormed by everyone who were all asking me how I did it, how I beat the unbeatable crisis. Roger and the others helped get me back to the locker room where I could change and fill them in. "So they're expelling you because you actually want to risk your life?" Lee asked me "Looks like." I replied as I shoved my helmet and suit into the locket and sat down to put my shoes on, and let me tell you it's a lot harder with one arm.
"This is Głupie gadanie." Dijkstra growled as I tied my shoes as best I could, "I don't know what you said, but I agree." I sighed shaking my head "Does this mean we're all expelled?" Jasmine asked scratching the back of her hijab, I shook my head before I looked at her "Didn't say anything about you guys, I mean they would have dragged you in front of the Principal too if they were, right?" I asked her before I got up and grabbed my jacket and through it over my shoulders slipping my left arm into the sleeve and pulling the right side over my shoulder and covering my broken arm.
Roger walked up picking up my backpack before I could "Right, but think about guys, Adams mom is the director of NASA he'll back by tomorrow."
"No, I won't." I said taking my backpack from him getting their attention "Truman showed me my mom already knows and she asked for my expulsion personally." I said slamming my locker hard holding back my anger not wanting to be mad at them, I bit my lower lip smiling "Mothers love huh." I shrug fighting back the emotions that were trying to break out of my eyes, I felt Roger put his hand on my shoulder suddenly and saw my friend give me a nod of assurance "Come on, you can't drive with one arm, I'll take you home." Rogers words gave a signal to Lee, Dijkstra, and Jasmine that I wasn't really in the mood to talk.
When we walked out of Vaughn, word must have spread even faster than before cause I could practically hear every whisper involving my name and the word expulsion. I felt everybody looking at me and could already feel my phone buzzing with notifications about my name being brought up on social media and everyone asking me who, what, when and why all at the same time. My face would be all over instagram and snapchat in a matter of seconds soon, then national news I could see it now, Adam Glenn, son of famed Astronaut and Director of Nasa Marlena Glenn expelled. God, people will think I'm turning into an attention an attention seeking Kardashian-Jenner.
We got out of the parking lot without much trouble, the same guard who made fun of me late giving me a look like had just stepped on a puppies tail. The drive home was silent except for Roger asking me if I wanted to talk or listen to music. Of course, I wasn't in the mood for any conversation or any music, no matter how much or Kendrick Lamar he offered to play till we left the greater DC area before he asked: "So can I ask you something?"
"Sure." I whispered back at him while I leaned my head into my hand on the arm rest, "Why the parachute Adam?"
I couldn't help but smirk at the outcome of using the parachute stroking my cast "You remember our class vacation when we snuck out of the hotel to go windsurfing right?" I asked him...
"I remembered you throwing up in the bathroom later that night," Roger said reminding me of a wonderful and messy evening.
"Well, I looked at how everyone else tried to save him." I said beginning to explain, "After all the times I watched the shuttles explode when someone tried to dangle themselves over the shuttle entrance-" "By their ankles, that was Billy Mendez right?"
I couldn't hold back the laughter remembering the recording watching them get fried, "I thought it was brilliant the way he flailed about all upside down like that." I said sarcastically chuckling, Roger smiled to seeing he was cheering me up "Anyway, the second before their shuttle gets caught in the blast their ship shifts, so I did some research and saw that there's a gas pocket just before the level."
"So the parachute was like a sail, right?" Roger asked me
"Basically, so I used it to carry myself over to the shuttle." I said to Roger who had a puzzled face "But how did you know the blast wouldn't incinerate you?"
Holding up my finger "Ah-ha, the parachutes fabric and our suits are the same stuff."
"What about the temperature from the lava?" he asked as we passed by another car, "I thought we'd be ash, but nope." I replied sighing and shaking my head "So you winged it?" Roger asked me "I made a calculated guess."
Roger laughed rolling his eyes and gave a long "Right."
"Winged it." he said seeing me smile grow even wider than before, "Yeah I winged."
Roger turned onto a different road that took us all the way back to my house "Yeah, I guess your right look text or call me if you want to talk?" he said as we pulled into the driveway.
"I'll remember that Roger, could you maybe give me a ride back to school tomorrow to get my car before the tow trucks come?" I asked him before I got out of the car. "Sure thing bro, and good luck with your mom," Roger said before I grabbed my backpack out of the back seat of his car, Roger gave me a friendly nod and smile before pulling out and heading back into DC. The sun was starting to set turning the sky orange and purple behind me. I felt my pocket vibrating already knowing who was calling, reaching into my pocket I pulled out to see the most feared three letter word in my vocabulary, Mom. I looked at the picture of her and at the green answer icon next to the red dismissal one. I pressed the red hang up icon and put my phone down and felt a soft fur grinding up against my wrist, I saw Cringer meowing up at me crawling out onto my lap.
"Hey Cringer," I said starting to stroke his orange fur, the cat meowed at me again.
"Oh yeah, you're a cat, not a dog, you only bother me when you want something." I said back down to him knowing it was close to his dinner time "Food right." I said scratching his ears to make Cringer start purring as I picked it up with my one good arm and walked inside.
"Welcome home Adam, I'm sorry to hear about your expulsion from school." Orko said greeting me as I entered, "Wait how do you already know?"
"Your various social media profiles have been receiving a lot of attention recently." the AI said as I walked up the stairs "Mute it all and turn airplane mode on my phone," I said before heading into my room for the rest of the day.
A few hours later and a pizza delivery for me, then an opened can of tuna, both Cringer and I were in the living room enjoying a day without school watching Netflix. At first, I thought being expelled wouldn't be so bad, but then the pain in my arm started to come back, I started to think of how much an idiot I was talking back at the Principal and Mr. Mattel. Picking up my phone I turned off airplane mode and saw Mom had been trying to call me all afternoon but I kept hanging up on her, it looked like she gave up after the sun went down. I might as well get it over with before she called me for the hundredth time.
I walked outside and sat down on the porch before I tapped the banner on my phone showing her most recent attempt to reach me. When it started to ring I took a few deep breaths looking up at the stars to calm down. I wasn't sure where the International Space Station was right now, but that's where she'd be. While the phone rang I tried to spot stars thinking of what I would say when she picked up when I noticed one of the stars was getting brighter and bigger, and bigger, and bigger, when my mom picked up "Adam… are you there?" My mom asked but before I could even speak the phone started to go all static "Ada-zzt, Adam talk to-zzzt." Next, the phone screen cracked right up next to my ear before sparks shot out the charger port making me drop it looking away from the star for a brief moment. When I looked back the star flew right back behind me in a streak of blinding white light and into the barn, that exploded from the impact. I dropped down to the dirt wincing in pain as a shock went up my arm. Getting up I looked over at the remains of the barn that were covered in a strange white fire, at first I thought what would I tell mom, but my second thought was what I should do next. I was afraid to move, but my legs started to work on their own. The crater wasn't just holding a meteor, I could feel it calling to me and I know that sound crazy but it's true because I was thinking of everything that could have fallen out of the sky. A satellite, or an upper atmospheric drone that caught fire, maybe even a weather balloon but this, this wasn't any of those. I looked over the edge of the crater down into what was once our families barn to see none of the above. Instead, it was a sword I had never seen the likes of, double edge staked right into the ground with cracks in the earth glowing with light. The blade narrowed at the end but was wider at the curved in guard. The steel was literally shining or radiating with what I could only describe as one word, power.