"Second Star on the Right..."
*#
The astronaut celebrated being chosen for the first voyage to Alpha Centauri 'B'.
She was not a SHALLOW person, but she'd got INTOXICATED with her boyfriend.
He was another astronaut (not picked for the long-long distance voyaging mission).
She gave a round of MANIACAL laughter... While her best boy ravaged her against
the BANISTER... Which, unlike a certain old Limerick, did not break (Thank God!)
Her laughter was because her boyfriend had previously sang that Limerick while
plucking an old BANJO. It was so ridiculous and funny; she was hysterical & giddy.
*#
The lovemaking did not AMELIORATE her feelings... Of loss... And of 'Aloneness' too.
She had no VIVID or IMAGINARY 'Ideas' (visions) of meeting an evil alien in space.
No BUGABOO of any space phantoms (ghosts) on Venus or Mars. Or gigantic Jupiter.
The SCIENCE was that these planets would act like a TREBUCHET, and sling the
F.A.R. Mission spaceship along in a huge increase in velocity... To finally escape
the gravity well of the Sun... Onwards to another, far family of planets... Beyond!
*#
Volunteering for such a One-Way mission was a heavy undertaking by all involved.
The Sleep Chamber was a Hi-Tech CONTRAPTION to help the astronaut-volunteer
stay in near cryonic sleep for the majority of the mission flight duration. Oh yes.
SUI-GENERIS: a unique 12th Generation 'Cocoon' developed over a 30-year span.
The secret FORENSIC records of the deep-sleep technology were promising as ever!
*#
As Bethany, a month later, was put into the early gentle cryo-sleep mode, before
the much deeper sleep cycle began, she recalled an old Disney animated film.
She pictured herself as Wendy Darling, flying off to Neverland with Pan.
Hopefully, she would not meet a space pirate and his brigand band. No.
If the Gods of Old like Apollo really existed... She'd love to meet one.
Yes... For the mission's name F.A.R. meant: 'Find Alternate Realities'.
Certainly, those were 'Out There'... And in Time she'd find Them!
(Maybe... there is no End... to Space?)
*** Note: This story written for a writing group I am in. Words in all caps were words to use in story 'challenge'.