Kim quickly snapped awake, the nightmare ever present in her mind.
"Morning, Kim." Ron said, kissing her shoulder.
"Morning, sweetie." Kim answered, returning his affection.
"So, any reason why you bolted up like that?" Ron asked as he made her breakfast.
"Just a bad dream. No big deal."
Just the same fucking nightmare where i burn up in the goddamned atmosphere. Or worse, break free of earth's orbit and suffocate in the darkness of space. A cyanide pill sure sounds appetizing right now.
Kim removed her shirt, using it to wipe away the sweat on her brow. For some reason the temperature was steadily climbing.
"As much as i appreciate the show Kim, shouldn't you be getting ready for your space flight today?" Ron asked.
"Is it me, or is it getting hotter here?" Kim asked, downing a glass of water.
"Well, you are very hot." Ron said.
A coy smile was Kim's response.
"Maybe a shower with my husband can help me cool down." she said, walking towards the shower with a sway of her hips. Ron was very eager to join her.
The drive was uneventful, except for the fact that Kim turned the AC up to the max. She couldn't explain it. Ever since she woke up today, it felt like the temperature in the world was increasing. She couldn't wait to go up into the cold vacuum of space today.
Ron drove Kim towards the space center, seeing the massive Soyuz rocket being prepped for launch.
"Look at that, Ron. I wish you were flying with me." Kim said.
"Kim, there's only room for one cosmonaut. But i'll be flying the next Soyuz rocket, right after you." Ron said.
"I still can't believe both of us got assigned to the space program. Husband and wife astronauts. Ought to be nice for the propaganda films." Kim snarked.
"We're making history right here, Kim. Just imagine. We'll soon have small colonies on the moon, maybe even mars. Then we can kill the Martian bastards before they wipe out humanity." Ron absently droned on.
Kim looked at her husband, wondering how the conversation went from happy and optimistic space travel, to intergalactic genocide.
"Ron, aliens don't exist." Kim said.
"KP, of course they exist. They've been eying our planet because of its resources. And most importantly, our Nacos! That's why the nation has been investing so much in the space program, along with our nuclear arsenal and seemingly unlimited supply of jet fighters. So if the aliens do arrive, we'll be ready for them." Ron rambled on.
Kim could only chuckle at Ron's mad ramblings.
"When i get back, i'll let you know if the aliens decide to pick a fight with us." she answered, giving Ron a quick kiss.
As Ron headed to the nearby air base to brush up on his flying, Kim was busy talking with Sergei Korolev, the head of the space program.
"This will be the first of many successful manned flights. What a truly historic monument." Korolev said.
"I'll make everyone proud, Mr Korolev." she said, saluting him.
She stood in the elevator, and saw the awesome Soyuz rocket up close. The American's were still struggling with their rocketry, and the technology in its construction was more guarded and secret than even their atomic bomb programs.
Entering the capsule, the door was closed and she began the final checklist. Kim clenched her fists, banishing the nightmare from her mind.
"It's just one trip around the globe. Just one trip." Kim muttered to herself.
"What was that?" Korolev asked over the comms.
"All ready, sir. All systems are a go." Kim answered.
Except a nervous pilot sitting in a cramped cockpit. Hell, the cockpit for the T-38's are much roomier. Korolev wasn't joking when he said every pound counts. I hope to god the fucking AC works. If not, i'm conducting an impromptu space walk.
The engines were activated, and she watched herself climb up past the clouds and into space.
"Control, it's beautiful." she said, seeing the earth below her.
Kim sent scanned data back to command, maneuvering her spacecraft as commanded by those on the ground. Not only would she be the first person in space, she was also the first person to fly a capsule in space, albeit with limited control. But even this limited flight data and experience would provide valuable intel for future flights.
"You should be looking down at America. Confirm, Cedar." the control tower said.
Kim looked down towards the planet, and saw the country of America. She could only imagine their reactions when they realized they were beaten in the space race. Again.
"Cedar confirms. I'm looking down at America." she said, with pride in her voice.
"Good. Enjoy the sights." the control responded.
On the ground, Korolev looked at the instruments and control panels that monitored the flight. Kim was now on the night-time half of the planet, communications now cut. Anything could be happening and they wouldn't know until they were in communication with the pod again.
Unable to communicate to the ground, Kim was left alone with her thoughts, in the emptiness of space. She touched the cockpit glass, wondering how Ron was doing.
Back at the space center, Ron looked up from within the cockpit of his T-38 hoping and praying that Kim was alright.
"Shit! We're losing gyro control!" one of the engineers exclaimed, alarms going off at his console.
"What's happening?! Explain." Korolev ordered.
"Take a look. One of the thrusters must have fired prematurely. She'll be heading into the atmo. She isn't scheduled to go into the atmosphere for another 5 hours. God knows what'll happen up there." the engineer worryingly said.
"Oh God!" Kim exclaimed, watching as she fell closer to the earth, far sooner than was planned. Kim struggled against the controls, feeling the temperature inside only steadily rise. She figured that she'd be boiled to death. As bits and pieces of the heat shield began to tear off, all she could do was scream in horror.
…
Kim quickly snapped awake again, fear in her breath.
"Ron. Where are you?" Kim whispered to herself.
"Right here, Kim." he said, surprised as Kim quickly glomped on him, tightly holding him like he was one of her stuffed toys.
"KP, you alright?" Ron asked.
"I'm not alright." Kim whimpered.
Ron put a hand to her forehead, feeling the fever.
"No kidding. We have to get your temperature down." Ron said, laying her down on the bed and went to grab a wet towel.
"I knew i shouldn't have watched that NOVA documentary about the missing cosmonauts." Kim muttered to herself.
"Oh yeah. Can you imagine that? All that hard work and effort down the drain. Thank heavens we don't have to worry about that." Ron said.
Yeah. Thank heavens.
Kim's thoughts turned to Ron, as the TV continued on its program.
"The Japanese government says that it lost an unmanned probe which burned up in the atmosphere. But many say it's like the missing cosmonauts of the Soviet Union in the early cold war. Unconfirmed reports say that there was one person in the space capsule when it was lost…" the TV then showed a picture of Yori as the missing astronaut.
Serling: Fear has a temperature. It can be small and negligent, or it can be all consuming and hot to the touch. Minor exercise in the care and feeding of a nightmare, respectfully submitted by all the thermometer-watchers in the Twilight Zone.