~In the year 2070~
It was an ordinary day, when Emma Swan got the call of a lifetime. She had been standing two feet to the left her desk, holding a cup of coffee that had just a little too much cream in it.
Her ringtone hollered in her back pocket. Pulling out her phone she said, "Swan."
She nodded her head as she listened to the small voice projecting from the speaker. "I understand, yes. She said listening along while biting her nails.
"No, I think I'm ready. I want to accept the offer. No, five years isn't too long." She said in a shocked, but equally as excited tone of voice as she held back jumping for joy.
"When do I start training?" She sat her cup of coffee down on her desk and grabbed a sticky note to write down the details she was provided.
"So I need to be in Houston in five days, affirmative."
Tossing the pen back on her desk, the Floridian native, Emma Swan fist pumped to herself. She ended the call and turned to her co-worker, Will Scarlett, "You'll never believe this!"
His eyebrows rose as he waited for his colleague to explain, "I'm jumping up to the big leagues. Albert Spencer is retiring." She gleamed.
"Wait. You're replacing the Albert Spencer?" He said disbelievingly.
Her face dropped into a frown as she considered the shoes she would have to fill.
"Emma, Albert Spencer is the poster child for NASA." He literally pointed to the wall where the man's face hung. It was like one of those Uncle Sam vintage style, We Want You posters, except it was Spencer wearing a spacesuit pointing out saying, We Need You.
It dawned on Emma at that moment, that while she got an opportunity of a lifetime, it was going to come with it's own challenges and expectations. Her name would soon be known around the world.
"So, I heard, you have five days till you need to head to training?"
"Yeah, not a long time to say goodbye to my family, but I'll take whatever I can get."
"How long is training?" He asked.
"It's three months usually. The first month is meeting with the research team who will be monitoring my progress throughout my five-year contract. I'll also have to do solitary confinement and with my crew. Then last bit of basic training is on flight modules and flight simulations.
"What's the research for?" He asked confused.
"They are trying to confirm if life can flourish under the harsh circumstances in the controlled living territory."
"They did that, no?"
"It's only 10 years of data. They need more before the government will invest in further expansion of Columbia to support larger quantities of people."
"Interesting." He said as he twiddled his pen between his index and ring finger. "So, you're like really into this aren't you?"
"I've only waited for this moment my entire life."
"Well, congrats! Now I get brag about knowing an astronaut, the Emma Swan!"
Emma stood off in the distance of her backyard as she watched her mom and dad stand raising their glasses toasting to her.
"I remember the day that you were born, Emma. I knew the moment I looked into your big, curious, green eyes that you were destined for great things. I've never been a prouder mother and I know that this is what you dreamed about all your life. With your courage and drive, I know you'll make not only myself and your family proud, but America."
Her mother's own emotions taking the best of her as she wiped away tears of happiness for her daughter.
"Your mother, the emotional one here, just couldn't help herself." Her father's voice projected to the party and was directed towards Emma.
The crowd laughed at her father's comment. He smiled looking over at his wife who playfully slapped his arm.
"Your father is such a charmer." Her mother joked.
Her father's face grew serious as the laughter died down. "I always knew that this day would come when I would be seeing you off somewhere. You were always meant for something great." He paused. "I remember when I bought you your first telescope. You were so eager to see everything close up, you were just four at the time." His eyes trailed off to the side as he reflected back to his once little girl, "Then one day, many years later, you came home to me to tell me you discovered another planet like Earth in a different solar system. My god you were beautiful, Emma, as you explained your findings and how you thought it could sustain life of a different form. I'll never forget that day. I don't think I saw you happier until you came home to tell me you had finally been accepted into the Apollo program."
"Just know, wherever you are, no matter the distance, I'm so thankful that I was blessed with you as my daughter, no matter how dorky you can be." He said, smiling at his daughter.
The crowed oohed and awed as he said, "Here's to Emma. The new Commander of Apollo 28 of the Columbia colony." His glass was joined hoisted in the air by the crowd of people that turned out to say farewell to her.
Emma vowed that she'd never forget this moment, it was one of the greatest days of her life.
She watched as her father hugged her mother close, whispering sweet nothings in her ear. A smile broke out across her face, she loved how in love her parents were. One day, maybe she'd be as lucky to find someone who'd love her all the same.
"Emma?" A small voice broke her concentration.
She looked down. "Yeah sweetie?"
"Here this is for you, you know in case you get scared."
Her best friend's daughter gave her a smooth stone. "What is it?" She asked.
"It's a wishing stone. If you get scared just wish all the bad things away."
Emma smiled at the little girl and nodded. "I'll keep it close, especially when late at night." She said, even though night on the moon wasn't like that as on Earth.
It would take 28.5 Earth days to be equivalent to one Moon Day, which, Emma knew, was going to take some adjusting to.
"Be safe, Emma." She said as she wandered off to blow bubbles with the other kids.
"Bye." She waved off to the girl in the distance.
Looking around, she knew she would miss this. Her family and friends, but she knew more than anything that she lived and breathed for the day she could walk on the moon.
Five days that initially felt like eternity, flew by.
"Are you sure about this Emma?" Her mother asked as her hands cupped her cheeks. Her mother's eyes searched her own for any signs of doubt, but she found none.
"Mom, I'll be okay. You know how much I've wanted this!" She explained as she held her one, and only duffle bag outside of security in the Orlando, Florida airport.
Her mom nodded; she knew that her daughter dreamed about this day all her life. She wasn't about to ask her to stay, not after all her hard work to get to this point.
Stepping forward her grandma Ruth squeezed her into a huge hug. "Fly safe my little moon walker."
Grandma Ruth in recent years was off her rocker. Back in the day, she was hip and cool blasting the oldest songs on mp3 from her antique iPod. She would argue that it was the newest thing in her day.
Emma smiled, "I will. Promise." She stood there a little too long in the older woman's embrace. She didn't want to forget how good her grandma Ruth's hugs felt. Looking up, her eyes caught her father's.
"Dad?" She said in a questioning.
Never in all her life did she see her father cry, until today. His big baby blue eyes had swells of tears streaming down his face. He stood back watching her, not wanting to hug her one last time, knowing it would be their last one for over a year.
"I'll be fine." She tried to reassure the man that raised her to be a strong independent woman that she was.
"I know. I'm just going to miss you, that's all."
Emma deflated a little, "Well we can talk every night on video, and I get to tell you all about the things I get to do and how Earth looks from the moon." She tried cheering up the older man.
"I know. Just won't be the same."
Emma's heart sunk in her chest as she realized to what degree her dad would miss her. Never did she think he'd react like this. Hugging him close, she said, "Just think, you get to brag to all your buddies about your astronaut daughter."
He laughed, "That is pretty cool. I'm proud of you Emma. I'm honored that you're my daughter."
She smiled at her old man and her eyes drifted to the side to her kid brother, Neal, who stood awkwardly away from the family, "See ya sis." He shrugged off.
Neal was twenty and a nightmare in college. Her parents always compared them, Emma the student who went to Brown for geology verses a community college communications major who had a record for being a troublemaker. Last week he was in the newspaper for cow tipping, three towns over. Emma didn't even know that was a thing down south until her brother was caught for it.
"Stay out of trouble, bro." She hugged him as her eyes caught the clock. Her flight was in forty minutes.
"Okay guys this is it, I've gotta go. I love you all." She said as she picked up her bag and slowly started to walk backwards to the roped off security line.
"Be safe!" Her mother called out as she waved bye to her daughter.
"It's just one year! I'll be home soon! She yelled out.
Her family stood there watching over her as she handed her ID to the TSA agent, moving behind him to pass her bag through the machines.
It was just one year, Emma had to remind herself. While she was a strong-minded person, her nerves were on edge. Leaving home was something she'd always dreamed of, but when the reality crashed down on her, she felt overwhelmed with a nasty combination of excitement and fear, intertwined into nervous ball of nerves, giving her bad heartburn.
The next day Emma stood in one of the Mission Control's waiting rooms for her first introduction. Her adrenaline kept her up all night, and now she was waiting anxiously to start her training process.
"The name is Archie; I'll be the person you'll communicate with from space during your expedition." She heard.
"So basically, you're Houston?" She reached out and shook his hand.
The man laughed, "Something like that."
Emma Swan was no doubt an underdog rookie, and it was appealing to NASA.
Emma nervously smiled as she waited for more instruction. She stood in a dated building built in 2000, the air was musty as she looked around the tan and gray room that had stadium-like seating with newly added glass monitors.
"You have the new iMac's?" She said as she looked at the paper thin and see through glass screens.
"Well, it is NASA. We like to have the newest technology available."
She nodded. This was a tech nerd's dream.
"Anyways, are you ready to meet your crew members? They're waiting for you in the green room."
Emma nodded, albeit nervously. She was about to meet her family for the next year. Her heart pounded forcefully, causing her ears to ache from the pressure and sound.
Following the much taller man's footsteps, she kept up with his long stride. She held her head high, ready to take on her new adventure.
Once the door opened, two bearded men stood to greet her. The first approached her with his hand extended out and said, "Booth, August."
Emma confidentially took his hand into her own and firmly shook it.
She smiled expecting for the other man to move forward to shake her hand.
However, that moment never came.
Feeling awkward, Emma advanced forward and reached her own hand out. Standing there waiting for him to shake her own, she realized it wasn't going to happen.
Swiftly dropping her hand, she just introduced herself, "Hi, I'm Emma."
Instead of introducing himself like Booth, he turned to Archie. "She's no replacement for Al. Just look at her."
Instantly Emma knew who he was talking about, Albert Spencer.
"Graham, that's not a proper introduction." Archie spoke through clenched teeth.
"She looks like a kid. She shouldn't be commanding a mission to the moon!" He yelled out and exaggerated with his hand pointed towards the sky.
Emma gulped. Red leaked into her cheeks as she tried to not let her confidence falter.
"I can assure you, she's not a kid and she's the best we've seen in years. Her precision is spot on." Archie defended her.
"Well, this will be interesting." Booth said as he watches his friend of ten years lose his mind.
"Okay, guys, why don't you excuse us." Archie pointed to the door.
The two shuffled out of the room as Emma stood waiting for a debrief of what just happened.
Archie motioned for Emma to sit with him at a table next to the door.
"Sorry about Graham. He's still upset with Spencer for retiring. The pair grew extraordinarily close over the years. It's like he's losing a father. In fact, come to think of it, Graham doesn't have a family, so right now he's adjusting. You need to work, over the next three months, on building that relationship. Now it's not my place to be having this conversation. Your research psychologist, Regina Mills, will be in shortly to speak with you. She's going to be monitoring your progress from day one until the end of your five-year contract. The information she's collecting will help us further assess if human life can successfully flourish on the moon.
Emma nodded, "Okay, sounds good."
"Alright sit tight. I'll go get her and she'll be right with you."
The red-haired man stood and exited the room.
Turning the corner, he entered a room next door that had a tinted glass window.
"How'd she do?"
Regina Mills stood holding an iGlass, the newest see through glass tablet from Apple adapted from the iPad.
"She managed to remain calm. However, when Graham started questioning her qualifications for the position, her confidence waivered, she blushed." Regina said as she looked at the blonde woman sitting with her hands clasped together in the other room.
"Alright. Go in there and make your final assessments." Archie told the researcher.
Regina nodded and carried her iGlass with her into the green room to record notes.
Before opening the door, she knocked twice. Patiently, she waited for a voice to confirm that she could enter.
"Come in." Emma said out loud.
Regina entered the room and walked around to sit in front of the newest addition to the Apollo 28 crew.
"I'm Regina Mills. I will be conducting research on your progress throughout your term as Commander of Apollo 28. Today I'm doing a basic assessment-" She was cut off.
"I thought I already did that." Emma said firmly trying to hide her confusion.
Regina pursed her lips as she stopped to examine the other woman's behavior. Quickly she jotted down some notes in her small device.
"Never interrupt me again. Is that clear." Regina stated with eyes that pierced through Emma's.
"Sorry. I just want clarification. What did you just write down?"
"Are you always this nosey, Ms. Swan?"
"No." Emma said begrudgingly, taken slightly aback by the other woman's standoffish nature.
Mentally, Emma groaned. This was the person she'd be spending as much, if not more, time with while on the moon than her crew, if remotely through video communications. Of course, Emma got paired with a not so enthusiastic personality.
"If you must know, I'm recording notes on your current behavior. I want to see how you're coping skills are."
Emma's eyes met those of the other woman's.
"And how are they, thus far?"
"That's confidential information, Ms. Swan." Regina stated in a strict tone.
"What else do you want to know?" Emma asked as she leaned back and relaxed into her seat wanting to get the process over and done with.
The brunette looked down at her glass tablet and started studying her notes. Emma, however, couldn't see anything but clear glass.
The newest technology by Apple's products is iLens that go along with the new line of glass products.
With iLens, are tiny contact lenses that enhance vision, which also allows a person to control what is viewable on the screen. It's a new advanced level of privacy, especially since The Great Hack of 2045 when a Chinese software company was able to steal business trade secrets, ruining many American corporations. Now the iLens is used to record and store information, provide improved vision, and better security unique to each user and not accessible from outside parties.
Emma watched as Regina's eyes zoomed back and forth across the glass screen.
She waited patiently until the brunette looked at her.
"Let's start with your seventh birthday. Can you tell me what you remember?"
Emma nodded, "My seventh birthday party was space themed, in fact they all were up until I was thirteen and they were uncool. My friends, all three of them and their parents, came dressed in space costumes and we played with laser guns pretending to shoot on another." She smiled at the memory. "My parents gave me my favorite bike that year. It was silver with a shiny black seat with a rocket on it that had flames blasting from its engines. I remember seeing it at a store once and I loved it. It just felt like a bike for me." Emma said matter of fact.
Regina quickly typed up her notes. She was trying to gauge what kind of childhood Emma has based off her spotlight memories.
"Sounds lovely. Now tell about your father." She stated.
Emma smiled as she used her hands to animatedly describe her dad.
In the second hour and thirty questions later, Regina cleared her throat and said, "You're not married, however is there a significant other in your life?"
"Nope. Just my family."
"There is no fraternization allowed in the Columbia colony. Is that understood?"
With a year long expedition, if a woman were to become pregnant, it would be near impossible to fly her home. Billions of dollars funded for a year and cutting the mission short was non-negotiable, no matter the circumstances.
That being said, the medical care on the moon wasn't even advanced enough yet to support if a woman became pregnant.
"You have nothing to worry about. I'm gay." Emma said nonchalantly. She didn't foresee herself ever being desperate enough to fraternize with her crew members.
Regina raised an eyebrow as she nodded in response. She recorded that personal information, trying to not overthink the sexuality of the attractive woman who sat before her.
"Have you ever had a pet die before, if so, how did you react?"
Emma took a breath in and started to answer the question.
At the end of the third hour, they were still seated in the small green room as Emma finished all of Regina's preliminary questions.
"Now, tomorrow you'll start the beginning of your solitary confinement. I will be there before it begins and remotely once you start every step of the way. This will prepare you emotionally for what to expect while living in Columbia. If at any point it becomes too hard on you, or if I pick up behavioral changes, I will advise the team to replace you." Regina told Emma, who nodded in response.
"You'll want to bring three things that you can utilize for entertainment. Bear in mind, you'll have nothing except what you bring."
"Understood." Emma said as she had already prepared for this. She knew exactly what she was going to bring. Her radio, her favorite book, and a journal. All three provided her enough entertainment.
"Well, Ms. Swan, thank you for your time and cooperation with me this afternoon. I will see you tomorrow morning at six in the morning. Don't be late." Regina stood and carried herself out of the room.
Emma's eyes were transfixed on the other woman's body. Her short dark hair was perfectly styled, and her clothes hugged her petite form perfectly.
There was something maddening about women in power suits that made Emma shiver in excitement.
Shaking her head, she tried to ignore the obvious attraction she had for the other woman.
She sighed to herself as she relaxed back into her chair. This was going to be a very interesting five years.
Looking inside of the green room, Archie and Regina stood looking in at the blonde.
"Do you think she's prepared." He asked.
"My professional opinion is yes, she's prepared. Her personal experiences and strong will make her confident and capable of being a great leader. I think she'll adjust just fine to the crew and the new habitat. I do think that she possesses everything we were looking for in a new Commander for our Apollo 28 crew. I think she brings a lot of character to the table, something I think Graham will react well too."
"Thanks, Mills. I'll wrap everything up for her today. Have a goodnight. It all begins tomorrow." Archie said as Regina turned to leave, to head back to her office.
Regina Mills tuned one last time to investigate the room where the new astronaut sat and smiled. She had high hopes for the ambitious blonde that she was responsible for.