Captain Kanada
After dinner, Kanada, unlike the other crew members, decided not to go home and instead calmly walked the city streets. Snow was falling heavily and a total of 6 inches fell each evening, which led the city to be covered in large snow drifts. Despite growing up in Japan near the sea, Kanada found that he could easily acclimatize to cold weather. He was particularly adept at walking in snow, placing each foot carefully as if each step was going to be his last. It was how Kanada lived his life, carefully trudging through it as if he could protect himself and those around him. Kanada's life had been uneventful until Icarus II.
The fact that Kanada had been named the project captain was of no surprise to anyone. Immigrating to the United States from Japan as a child, Kanada's gifts as a scientist and his naturally calm demeanor made him a shoo-in for NASA. Training under Captain Pinbacker, Kanada was the backup captain for Icarus I in case Pinbacker was unable to take his responsibilities. Kanada and Pinbacker made an unusual pairing with the boisterous Pinbacker and contemplative Kanada often seen playing chess and smoking cigarettes between training sessions. Pinbacker and Kanada made a pact to keep their chess board up in the training area until Pinbacker returned. The day that Kanada discovered that Pinbacker and the Icarus I crew were lost; he walked over to the chess set and very carefully put all of the pieces away. He then gave the set to Pinbacker's widow, who placed it in the coffin of her late husband. Kanada attended the funeral and smiled to himself imaging how much Pinbacker would have enjoyed it. After the funeral, Kanada walked the cemetery for a long time, sometimes pausing at a particularly interesting grave stone. Kanada, like most Japanese, regarded death as an extension of life and would meet his death with no fear.
Passing into the park, Kanada faded into darkness. He could barely make out each step in front of him and the snow grew deeper the further he went into the park, gripping his calves as if it intended to drag him under. Still, Kanada walked on, willing himself to face the darkness. Suddenly, Kanada saw light and willed himself to move toward it. It was a fluorescent park light, barely visible under the heavy snow fall. Yet Kanada had to admire its tenacity. No matter how much snow fell; the light refused to give up. Finally making his way under it, Kanada found himself grateful to be under the light's warmth. Leaning against the light post, Kanada began to shiver and found that he was covered in snow. Kanada did not feel the deep cold his body was reacting to. Instead, he was thinking of his crew, especially Corazon. As the light began to shimmer, Kanada squinted into the darkness, trying to find his way out of the park and then he heard a familiar voice.
"My friend," said the voice gently, "don't go."
Looking around, Kanada sensed that he was in danger. He could not see much in the darkness, but he knew that there was a presence close to him. Unexpectedly, Kanada felt warmth on his skin, almost as though the sun was shining on him. Kanada's body stopped shivering, but his heart started pounding. He had not felt true sunshine since his childhood, yet his body and mind were telling him that indeed he was being bathed in sunlight.
"Please old friend," said the voice again, somewhat more pleadingly, "don't go."
"Who is this?" cried out Kanada losing his usual cool. Then, Kanada received a most unexpected answer.
From the shadows stepped out a figure that in his mind, Kanada knew to be dead, yet there he was—Pinbacker.
Kanada started to move and then fell, hitting his head on the lamppost. For a moment, he felt completely paralyzed as Pinbacker moved closer to him. Bending forward, Pinbacker grabbed Kanada by his arms and pulled him up. Kanada, in shock, simply stared at his old friend. Without thinking, he said to Pinbacker, "You should be dead!"
"I am dead." intoned Pinbacker. "I have been dead for a long time until I found God.
"You don't believe in God." retorted Kanada much more calmly than he felt.
"I do now." said Pinbacker. "I found him in the sunshine." "I've spoken to him."
Kanada stared at his friend, hoping that somehow this was a dream and the blow to his head was causing a halluncination. Yet, his mind told him that this was real and that Pinbacker was trying to warn him about going on the mission. Warily, Kanada approached Pinbacker and put his hand on his old friend's shoulder. The man's frame was solid and when Kanada squeezed his hand, he could actually feel flesh bunch up under his hand. Repulsed, he withdrew his hand and slowly backed away from Pinbacker. Noticing his old friend's reaction, Pinbacker stood his ground, but did not approach Kanada again.
"God told me that we were to bring people home to heaven." said Pinbacker.
Kanada felt his heart sink. While Pinbacker's words were cryptic, Kanada immediately understood the underlying meaning. Before he could open his mouth to protest, Pinbacker was gone leaving Kanada lying in a cold heap under the dwindling light of the lamp. Picking himself up, Kanada began to walk into what he thought was the direction out of the park. A few moments later, Kanada found himself at the park's entrance and began moving down the street to his car. Upon reaching it, Kanada paused next to the door and looked around. The snow was still falling heavily and the street lights were shivering under its weight, yet Kanada saw no sign of Pinbacker or the sunshine his old friend brought with him. Getting into his car, Kanada started the engine. He thought about going to Corazon's house and sharing what he saw with her, but decided to honor her wishes and let that relationship go. Kanada felt his throat tighten at the thought of her. Instead, he drove home and went to bed. In his sleep, he dreamed of Pinbacker and their chess game, only this time, they were playing on the surface of the sun.