Chapter 24• The 28th of October
[Very slight Warning for language this Chapter]
*Day 13 of Origenes Crisis [Launch Day]*
***Third Person Omniscient Point-Of-View******
/
At 6:45am, the firing room was a quiet buzz. Rows upon rows of men and women sat at their stations waiting on a word from either launch operations manager- Dr. Rosen or Dr. Dotson.
The Green Team, responsible for all things launch-related, was on the clock.
Through the only door, a few of the media personnel that had clearance for the time quietly snapped photographs as people worked.
Steaming coffees dotted the long, lecture hall-like tables.
Dr. Rosen spoke to the second-in-command of his staff.
He cleared his throat, "Okay. Are there any changes to the schedule I should know about first?"
A woman straightened a stack of paper, "Ah yes- minor tweak here, there's an emergency reverse thrust check on the command module. It's going to run about 5-minutes long, engineering said it's necessary."
She cleared her throat and added, "They were very adamant."
"Okay that's good. Still aiming for a 12:30p launch, we'll bank on 12:35p if the time can't be made up elsewhere.", Dr. Rosen said.
Dr. Ulrich added, "How flexible of a launch-window are we looking at? I don't remember ever getting an exact answer there."
"Urm….", Dr. Rosen started after flipping over a packet and tilting his head slightly to the side, "I think we're looking at a thirty-minute span there. If it's not too much trouble. But we're trying to avoid any and all delays, period- don't bank on that time being feasible."
Papers flipped throughout the room as nearly every NASA employee made note. Cameras clicked feverishly trying to get every possible shot for future documentation.
A State highway patrol officer stood next to the singular open door. Once the clock struck 7am, it would be closed and locked.
Launch prep had been in motion for hours. The sun had only risen an hour before, the rest of the world only beginning to stir.
An American flag fluttered in the morning wind, as did the white flag underneath it which sported the Cygnus Mission's insignia.
The first news broadcast went live right at 7am- The first shot of the Kennedy space center, then a shot of the Cygnus rocket on the launchpad.
A male voice came to life, "Good morning all and welcome to Kennedy Space center on Cape Canaveral. We sit at five and a half hours from launch today- a launch that many, including myself, thought would not come to pass in such a short time."
"In the midst of fluctuating public interest and sporadic issues regarding legality and responsibility surrounding the response to the accidental jettison of the Origenes space telescope beyond the Earth's orbital reach, it has become apparent to us all that nothing could prevent this attempt from taking place."
"It is the three brave souls- Command module pilot Arlo, Mission specialist Rocky, and Lunar module pilot Weston- that now bear the responsibility of seeing it through."
"It's all but certain that those in each of these brave Astro's respective hometowns are watching and cheering just a little bit harder today, for their representatives are soon to depart from the planet."
"Now there stands only anticipation, as we wait and look upon their spectacular vehicle- their only means of exit, shining and still, abreast the late-October morning sun."
"But wherever the nation, and the entire world is this morning, I think I speak for everyone when I say that we wish them all the absolute epitome of luck and good fortune."
"Our hearts, as much of them as we can spare today, are with you and all of the NASA personnel that stand to keep you safe and well over these next days."
"We'll keep you posted, of course, it's only about five and a half hours now…..."
/
***Rocky's Point of View*** (Back to our protagonist-as usual)
At 7am, a hard knock came at my door, followed by a key opening the lock.
I had been awake for thirty minutes, after struggling in vain to squeeze as much sleep into the shrinking timeframe as possible.
Sophie walked in and asked if I was ready.
"You know what? I think I am", I said.
I could tell she was feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness for me, but she was keeping a lid on it for the time.
"Okay, don't worry. First step is breakfast, easy-peasy, right?", she said.
"If I can't do that, I'm really in trouble", I laughed.
And so, she led me to the room- a different one than usual.
I sat down at the table with Weston, Arlo, and Mr. Kingsley.
Steak, Eggs, Toast, Coffee, Orange Juice.
This was the same breakfast that every astronaut team since the Apollo-era had enjoyed with their flight director.
Arlo and Weston were looking down at papers as they ate.
Arlo was in a different zone, I could tell. His expression was a mixture of stark seriousness and a dutiful calm.
He looked at me for a moment, "That's an astronaut's game-face right there."
I smiled, "Not as good as yours, commander."
"Oh gosh, you calling me that almost makes me believe it's true."
"You still don't believe it and it's the day of? I don't know what to do for you", Weston said without looking up.
Mr. Kingsley hadn't said anything.
"How's it looking?", Arlo asked.
"Emergency egress? I feel like we should have spent more time on it, hopefully we won't need it", Weston said, mouth full of eggs.
Arlo chuckled, "I agree, but I was actually talking to Kingsley."
Mr. Kingsley looked up from his tablet and sat it down.
"Well, I've got my radio in one ear. Last I'd heard, launch probability's somewhere between 50/50 to 60/40 leaning towards no-go."
Arlo nodded and returned to his papers, which was an underreaction in my eyes, but weather didn't mean much until we actually sat in the rocket.
Apparently, it wasn't the present Cape Canaveral weather that was the issue, it was the conditions of the skies downrange from our launch point. If a thunderstorm discharged electricity into the sky hours earlier, there would be no way to safely launch until the "path" was clear.
Regardless of if the weather was ready for us or not, suit-up time came fast, with an entire hour and a half passing in a flash.
It started right at the t-minus 4-hour mark. The huge countdown clock dominating one wall. Just a glance at it made my heart skip a beat.
It was 8:30am and I'd be traveling by rocket at 12:30pm, I reiterated to myself in my head.
This is actually happening.
It was safe to say that seeing my suit in its green-striped glory stirred up a lot of emotions.
Pride aside, I was missing Ryder and the pups.
I was missing Reverend Aldine too, but I actually got to see him.
We each took our seats in the chairs bearing our respective numbers.
The process that took 13 minutes the day before would likely take twice as long, with all of the pressure-checking and valve-tweaking that would be done along the way.
We began to hear the broadcasts quietly over the monitors, as the news cameras rolled.
First there was one, then two. By the end there were 10-15 of them filming behind a line of rope so they wouldn't interfere with the technicians.
It was like I was hearing the documentary of my own life being created in front of me.
This was not at all how anyone pictured NASA's return to the moon's surface after all these years. There was no patriotic fanfare- it wasn't clean-cut, there wasn't a beautiful buildup. No, just a freakish accident and pups following the "invisible line", first painted to the moon and back by the Apollo 8 crew decades prior.
The words 'AD Astra' adorned the wall behind the media teams.
7 suit technicians gathered around each of us as we sat in our chairs, almost as if they were getting ready to perform a group surgery.
I followed their advice to scratch every part of me that itched from the neck down before they started adding on the protective layers, as I wouldn't be taking the suit off of me until we were orbiting the Earth.
Layer after layer went on, then the helmet, then the umbilical was attached to the base of the chair.
The familiar mixture of Nitrogen and Oxygen started to inflate the suit.
This was part of the leak check, watching the rate of depressurization as our suits were at their maximum strain. This would all be done again once we were inside the rocket, but it wasn't exactly comfortable even though I knew it was coming.
The last checks were the longest.
Specifically, it was the depressurization check- which involved our primary umbilicals, the white chord in the back of the suits, which hooked into the seats for cooling and pressurization. If we experienced a loss of pressure during flight, these would hopefully save us.
Maddox and Mr. Kingsley approached us and checked in on our well-being.
The cameras flooded us with rapid-fire clicks as we were given a special surprise to add to our attire.
In typical astronaut/military fashion, a patch would be worn on our chests that had our names on them.
They were a brilliant scarlet and embroidered in silver. One of my suit technicians placed mine on my suit exterior as the comms began beeping in each of my ears.
The first of many comm checks was off to a good start.
"Good morning Astro 1, this is the Green Team- how do you read?"
"Good morning, Green Team! Loud and clear, happy the day's finally here!", Arlo said.
"Astro 2, how are you, it's the Green Team- how do you read?"
"Clear, but quiet. I'll see what I can do about that", Weston said.
"Astro 3, how do you read?"
"All good on my end, thank you! Ready to get going!", I said with a smile, as if they could see me.
"Likewise, very good", came the response from the Green Team.
The Green Team was the first of many specially delegated NASA squads that served in shifts around the clock in accordance with the mission operations timeline.
The Green Team covered the launch preparations and the actual launch, White team would cover Trans-lunar injection and our journey to the moon, Orange team would cover our descent to the lunar surface and all subsequent extra-vehicular activities (EVAs), Purple team would be in charge for the ascent from the moon's surface, rendezvous with the command module, and trans-earth injection. Rounding everything out would be the Black team, who would handle re-entry and recovery.
Some team members would bleed into other teams, serving multiple roles as mission directives changed.
After about 26 minutes, the three of us stood with our helmets on and visors up so we could still talk to one another.
"How are we feeling fellas? Ready to kick some butt and take some names?", Arlo asked as the three of us stood and our technicians connected our main umbilicals to portable units that would keep our suits at the necessary pressure and temperature until we reached the 'Astro-van'.
"It only gets harder from here, but we look the part for sure", Weston said.
"Rocky, you look very at home in that suit, much more than yesterday", Arlo remarked.
"Thanks commander, I wish it felt that way", I said.
"You'll get used to it, I hope, gonna have to put extra layers on top of that when we go out on moon-duty", Weston reminded me.
"Turned your cool airflow up there, that should help", one of my technician friends said to me, "My readout says your suit's already at 70 degrees F (About 21 degrees C), you're burning up practically!"
"Really, that hot already? Is that normal?", I asked, not even noticing.
"Well, it's not necessarily abnormal, but concerning. We'll keep an eye on it", came the reply.
"Oh man, that reminds me of the first time I ever put on a spacesuit- Um, actually…never mind, I don't want to scare you. That story's for another time", Arlo laughed before resuming his steely demeanor.
At that point, the room became an impromptu photo shoot location and we proceeded to smile and wave.
"Good luck boys, Make us proud!"
"Fix that thing lads!"
"We'll see you out there!"
"Take care, loves!"
"Send us a Postcard!"
I wondered what the reporters were saying. I wondered if Ryder, the pups, Reverend Aldine and Cynda were watching yet.
I almost missed the quiet of the day before, because the voices in our comms were constantly talking.
"Time-check?"
"5 minutes to moving, right on time-over."
"Copy."
The portable umbilical ports, which shared a similar appearance to a small white briefcase, were hooked onto the backs of our suits.
We were soon to leave the Operations and Checkout Building, located in the Industrial sector of Kennedy Space Center. Its walls were covered with pictures of past missions, from the launches of the late 1950's satellites all the way up to the SpaceX missions.
As we followed our caravan of technicians through the halls, Arlo was reading from a new piece of paper that he would periodically glance at before carefully tucking it away so it wouldn't get crinkled; then taking it out again.
He was studying.
I could tell he was the most concerned person in the room when it came to everything going smoothly.
And that was really saying something.
The technician team picked up their supplies and started towards the door. Mr. Kingsley grabbed the diagrams we'd be taking with us and situated himself behind me, as I would be the last astronaut out of the door. This order would make me the first to leave the astro-van and thus, the first into the rocket.
I tried my best to not overthink every step I was taking, which would prove easy once I saw who awaited me to say goodbye in the hallway.
Arlo and Weston walked into the hall first and looked to their rights and smiled. I did the same and saw Sophie nervously bouncing up and down.
"Good luck", she said fighting back tears.
"Thanks Sophie, couldn't have done it without you", I said back and gave her a hug.
The orange golden retriever pup that I had only recently met smiled and gave me a wink.
Next, I heard Arlo say, "Oh hey, look who made it!"
MacGyver, Yester, and the other flight trainers stood in a line to give their wishes to those they had trained.
When MacGyver saw me, he beamed and slapped my shoulder with his paw, "Remember what I taught you rocket-man!"
"I'll never forget it, promise", I said.
"Alright, and don't you dare forget me when you become famous", he laughed as he waved goodbye.
Another, very official-looking cameraman recorded us as we walked down the long hallway, entire committee included.
I got the feeling that thousands of eyes were on me in that moment.
Then we came to an elevator that would take us down a floor. Then it would just be a short walk to a right turn before we'd 'officially' step out into the world.
Deep breath.
Surprisingly, all of us managed to fit into one elevator, but others took the stairs in order to get to the ground floor in front of us.
Maddox stayed behind, giving us some parting advice- "Don't overdo it, just make it back alive."
We all waved goodbye to everyone as the doors of the elevator shut and we traveled down.
The doors opened and a painting hung on the wall just across from the elevator. It was Johannes Vermeer's The Astronomer.
I loved that painting.
Various NASA workers waved to us along this hallway too. Some cheered, some whistled.
And then, we approached the iconic doors. The final threshold where astronaut crews had walked out of for decades upon decades.
Mission patches of past ventures dotted the perimeter of the door.
"You two starting to feel it yet?", Weston said, looking over his shoulder.
"I've been feeling it since yesterday, my friend", Arlo said still facing forwards.
"Yeah, I think I am too", I responded.
"Good", Weston said.
There was about a minute or two of us standing there, almost as if we had to wait for a Master of ceremonies to warm up the crowd.
We would be exiting the crew quarters, just as every single astronaut flying from pad 39A had done since the Apollo 7 mission.
The technician team wore all-red uniforms with white roman numerals on their backs to distinguish them. This was unlike SpaceX x NASA launches where the flight support crew wore all black with normal numbers.
In total, they numbered 1-12, all of them offering a specific role to keep the collective moving in the right direction.
Clarence (#12), being the head member, walked closest to us along with Mr. Kingsley.
They went in front of us as two police officers prepared to open the door.
One more deep breath before I'd be showing the entire world who I was.
Quite the contrast to the previous months.
The doors opened and our technicians and flight director came out to moderate cheers and clapping.
We exited next and boy…. were the cheers and claps anything but moderate.
First Arlo, then Weston, and finally I, stepped out into the 75-degree day.
There had to have been 300 people packed around the outer side of the walkway.
The excited mass clapped, roared, whistled, and shouted. Almost every face shined with pride.
We smiled and waved to the many rolling cameras once we'd reached the point where the walkway turned leftwards.
It was beautiful to see so many people actually cared enough to see us walk out.
Though they came from strangers, the well wishes were much appreciated.
But, once the walkway made a 90 degree turn towards the van, there were three areas that were fenced off separate from the general spectator space.
It was reserved for family members, basically for our last round of goodbyes.
It was a surreal moment on its own, as it showed just how little I knew about Arlo and Weston.
Arlo went to his spot and bid emotional farewells to his loved ones.
I had no idea that Arlo had a mate and, more surprisingly, a kid.
His mate, a female white Husky named Juliette, and their pup named Arlette; which was a combination of their names I assumed.
But, that was pretty much all for Arlo's section.
Weston, on the contrary, seemed to have a massive family, and around twenty Shiba Inu's embraced him in a massive hug. Although, I also noticed him giving an extra-long goodbye to a female Golden retriever along with his family.
I gleaned all of this information as I walked past. I heard a lot as I went, as I wasn't trying to stop and eavesdrop.
My area was past them both, so I walked past their spots before getting to mine. I was expecting maybe Whit (my driver) would be there to say something. Or maybe Mayor Goodway on a video call.
I couldn't have known but I'd never stopped hoping it was true. I assumed the others were too busy with their duties back in Adventure Bay to make the trip. If anything, maybe they would call in themselves.
Which was why I could hardly hold back the tears when I saw Ryder and the pups waving to me. In person, fully present, for the first time in almost two weeks.
And they were all wearing my signature shade of green, complete with my recycling logo.
I ran over to them and jumped into Ryders outstretched arms, almost forgetting I was wearing a bulky spacesuit.
"Rocky!", they all exclaimed as they joined in the massive group hug.
I could tell they were all emotional, but I likely had them beat in that category.
"Wait- so… how- I mean. Wh- when did you all?", I tried to ask between sniffles.
"Aw, buddy", Marshall said being the first to wipe away my tears.
"Ryder wanted it to be a surprise", Everest said, "It was suuuuper hard not telling you we were coming! Oh my gosh, did it kill me!"
"I didn't want to distract you, but….she's right, it was hard for sure", Ryder said as he scratched behind my ears and lowered me back to the ground.
"How about we do goodbye's one at a time pups. After all, we can't hold him up forever", Ryder said.
As happy as the others seemed, I could tell they were sad and nervous on my behalf. Chase did about the worst job of hiding it.
However, to my surprise, the first to step forward to me was none other than Tracker.
Tracker and I had only met on two occasions, the first being the day he was initiated into the Paw Patrol. (The second being our tug-of-war debacle).
He'd first made our acquaintance by sniffing out Carlos' cell phone while he was stuck in a hole and using it to call us from the jungle on his behalf. By the end of the day, we'd found a very capable eighth member.
That was one of the last missions before I fell into my long stint of inactivity.
He was the only one who didn't seem to be somewhat welling up with tears, and for good reason.
"Le deseo la mejor de las suertes Sr. Astronauta" (I wish you the best of luck Mr. Astronaut), he said.
"Gracias Tracker! I hate that I haven't seen you in so long and now I'm on the verge of taking off and leaving. Lo siento", I said.
Tracker rather enjoyed the pups attempting to learn some Spanish words. He didn't mind teaching us either.
"Eh, there's still plenty of time for bonding later. You just worry about the big things, Rocky", he assured.
"You bet!", I said as he gave me a hug.
Rubble seemed like he couldn't hold it in any longer and walked up to me next.
"Hey Ru-", I started, but Rubble cut me off with a tight squeeze of his own, which I returned.
"So- uh….H-Halloween is gonna be really crummy without you. We'll make sure we take a bag for you, so you'll have a mountain of candy by the time you get back, okay?", he said.
"Thanks Rubble, I'll have a lot more peace of mind while I'm away thanks to you", I said.
"So-just be safe alright?", he said.
"I will, I promise", I said, "Well, as safe as I can be given the job at hand."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
Rubble and I laughed. Then Marshall walked up to me.
"Is it technically too late for you to say you don't wanna go and we can just take you home?", he asked rather suddenly.
"You know, I think there's probably a contingency plan somewhere in case I got sick or something", I replied.
"Hmmmmm", he said, mustering up a goofy detective face.
"Something catching your eye, doc?", I asked.
"My expert medical opinion is leaning towards a case of the sniffles, it's your call", he said.
"Oh boy", I laughed, "I think I should at least take the ride to the rocket and see how I feel once I get there. Who knows, maybe they'll go away."
We laughed together this time and engaged in our hug.
I knew he was joking; it was Marshall after all. But it was also fair to say that there was a sizable part of each of them that didn't want me to leave.
"Just don't push yourself too-", Marshall started before being cut off and subsequently bumped out of the way by Everest.
"ROOOCKYYYYYYY", she said teary-eyed as she jumped into me.
I had to go back to a sitting position to avoid tumbling straight to my back. She licked my cheeks profusely.
"Just-Just knowing you're about to get on a rocket-ship, it's too much!", she managed through the tears.
In a way, I suppose I started doing the reassuring for her.
"Aww, Everest don't worry", I said slightly giggling.
"Too late for that, I'm worried!", she said while hugging me so tight that I seriously feared that an alarm was going to sound on my suit or something.
"I'll be back before you know it! Tell Jake I said bye too, okay?", I said.
She released her grip after a little longer and dried her eyes, "Yeah, okay…..I think I'm better now. Just….Aghhh!"
She hugged me again and I responded in-kind.
"I know, I know. I'll miss you too", I said with a smile.
She once again wiped her eyes and stepped back for Zuma to say his goodbye.
I smiled.
I planned to thank him for gifting me his underwater training booklet, but he spoke first.
"Well, you look like Christmas", he said.
I laughed, remembering the admittedly festive color palette I had on my suit.
"Hey, do you remember that day? Like, right back when you first joined. It had to be in the first 6 months- I think- you and me?", he asked.
"Hmmmm. I don't know. It's hard to say. We spent a lot of time together back then", I lied.
He picked up on it. "It was the first time we went canoeing, and I said I wouldn't let you get wet", he replied.
"Oh yeah, how could I forget that! You kept your promise too", I said.
"I….had been thinking about that day for a while. Actually, ever since you left", he said.
"Really? That's funny, I've been thinking about that too. I remember how surprised I was that you were able to hold me up like that!", I replied.
"Oh, come on, you're not that much bigger than me", he said.
He smiled, and then the smile disappeared.
"I'm… gonna miss you Rocky", he said.
"I'll miss you too Zuma", I said as I hugged him, "It won't be so bad. I'll be back before you know it."
"How long is it gonna take?", he asked.
"Well…um…. I actually don't know how long. I won't know until we actually get to the moon, but it won't be so bad", I admitted.
He frowned.
"Just know that I'll be back soon", I said.
"Promise?", he asked.
If there was one thing I hated, it was making a promise that I had no control over keeping.
"I promise", I said.
Zuma was always incredibly easy-going and light-hearted, so seeing him so solemn and quiet really hammered home the fact that the others had been just as miserable without me as I was without them.
And then, it was time for Skye's goodbye.
As nervous as I was about the responsibilities of the day, there was a particularly tense tug in my chest when I saw her.
Green wasn't a bad color for her-or any of them really.
But the sadness and concern were written all over her face as she walked up to me.
Almost as if feigning happiness would have been unbearable for her.
She spoke, "I wasn't planning to tell you this, but the green was my idea", flashing a brief smile.
"Really?!", I said, probably louder than I should have, "It was your idea?"
She giggled.
I was flattered, "I'm sorry, I'm kinda feeling a lot of things right now, but I- just….That…means a lot, actually."
"I can imagine", she said, "I just…"
She stopped mid-sentence, and her face went back to its previous expression.
I couldn't remember the last time Skye looked so sad.
I could practically see her silently telling herself to stay strong for my sake.
She shook her head and quickly went from sitting down to standing on all four paws.
I didn't know what I could possibly say to make her feel better, but I knew that I had to try.
"Skye, I-" was all I managed to get out before she leaned in and kissed me on the lips.
I was caught off guard, of course, but I had been silently longing for a way to redeem myself.
After holding it for a few seconds, she broke the kiss.
I could feel my entire face go warm. She was blushing too.
"Woah.…...I…I can't say I thought I would have my first kiss today, but…", I said, hoping she'd at least smile again.
"I'm sorry…I … I know you have to go do this. I…. don't really know why but….", she said.
A tear fell from her left eye.
"I mean….I'm happy for you, but…", she trailed off.
"Skye, I'm sorry. I really am. I just, randomly got thrown into this…...well, crisis. I can't imagine what it's been like for you all. I- just…have to see this through", I said.
To my surprise she giggled and wiped her eye, "Still fixing things you didn't break, right?"
"That's the job", I said with a smile, pleasantly surprised that she remembered our conversation back at the festival.
"Well, when you've finished your job, you'd better come back and tell me all about it!", she said as determined as she could manage.
"I will, I promise", I belted out, likely still blushing.
There I go again, forcing promises that I may not keep. What's the matter with me? I thought to myself.
Skye gave me one last kiss on the cheek. And then, the only one left was Chase.
I was surprised that he was the last one, but perhaps I shouldn't have been.
I had been making glances at Chase throughout my goodbye's, all of which had been completely unintentional. But I began to notice that he was the only member of the group who had worn the same expression since he first saw me.
Ever since that first group hug- Rubble's subdued pleading, to Everest's affectionate tackle, to both of Skye's kisses. Chase's face didn't change, not even in the slightest.
Chase didn't even look in my direction, not during any of it- he just stared forward, his head at a slight decline.
He looked concerned and crestfallen, as if he hadn't spoken a word in hours.
But Chase wouldn't step forward until Ryder placed a hand on his head. A silent sign of encouragement.
Chase approached me.
"Hey", he said in a low tone.
"Hey", I responded with a slightly unsure smile.
He sighed in an effort to get himself back to form and assumed his normal look of focused determination.
"Well, I can't say we won't miss you, but we understand. Just like any other mission… I'm sure I can't say anything that the others haven't already said", he said.
I mean….you could try, I thought to myself.
Chase and I always seemed to have this silent tension between us, ever since the day of that spontaneous ride-along.
I could tell he blamed himself for putting me in a position where I could have been hurt.
I could feel this interaction going down the same road that so many others had, but I wasn't going to let it.
"Chase, I know you won't lie to me, what are they saying about me?", I asked.
"In Adventure Bay? They're proud of you", he responded.
"But, what about other places?", I pressed.
"They...uh…well….They think it's a dangerous waste of effort and money. NASA trying to prove they've still 'got it' without putting humans in danger", he said, "you know…."
"Yeah, I figured as much", I said.
"I don't even think they expect NASA to salvage that thing", he continued.
I was quietly beginning to regret my choice of questioning, putting him on the spot.
"Well, what do you say?", I asked, expecting him to give me an empty half-answer.
"NASA can't do it by itself, no", Chase said, then added, "But they don't know you like I do."
I smiled, pleasantly surprised.
"I actually practiced what I wanted to say, but….", Chase sunk back into his previous expression.
"After you told us how you felt about being kind of left behind, you know, before. I felt so dumb for not being able to see it", he said.
"Oh no….I wasn't trying to put it on you all, it wasn't your fault", I said.
"I know we couldn't create work for you, but it wasn't about that. It's about how I could have supported you better. I should have, but I didn't", he said.
I was floored. I had no idea that Chase had felt this way.
I always figured he had a soft side, like everyone does. It was especially apparent after seeing him let his guard down while on-mission- the most notable example being when he met little Hootie, the baby owl.
"Yesterday, before we left Adventure Bay, we all sat down and talked about…well…you. And what our favorite memories were of you….y'know? We ended up reminiscing for almost an hour because no-one could settle on just one. But, I hated it….I-", he got a bit choked up, which was something I had never seen from him.
"I hated how much it felt like a damn funeral", he said harshly.
"Chase…", I said.
"Why did it take you leaving to bring all of these great memories back to life? And I'm not just talking about that robbery thing either", he said.
I shook my head, "Chase, that wasn't your fault. And I'm alright, thanks to you."
"I know, I'm kind of selfish, but….I had to tell you today. I just realized… I'm... terrified of losing you", he said, a few tears falling down his face.
I could feel my own tears welling up.
"You won't have to lose me", I said, bringing him into the embrace this time.
It was the first time we'd ever hugged like that, and I was thankful even if I wasn't expecting it.
I wasn't afraid of Chase, but I was always concerned about how he saw me. But it was then I realized that my own concerns were silly.
Chase had been watching over me since the very second that I had walked out of the door, even if he couldn't bring himself to actually look at me.
In fact, there's no doubt in my mind that he'd been watching ever since the day he thought he'd lost me.
He was concerned too, for my safety- from what was outside of his control- just like an older brother should.
Chase wiped away his tears and said, "Don't worry about us, okay. Just worry about getting the job done right."
"I will. I promise, I can do that. I- love you Chase", I said.
"I love you too, Rocky", he said.
Chase put his forehead to mine, the way he used to say goodbye to the younger pups in the PAW Patrol's early years.
I always wondered why he stopped doing that.
Ryder soon came alongside Chase.
"I knew you could do it", he said with a smile, a kind word to us both it seemed.
"I haven't done it yet, though", I said with a teary laugh.
"As far as I'm concerned, that satellite is as good as fixed", Ryder said.
I could tell he was completely serious, and his faith in me was enough to bring the tears.
I was told that the cameras wouldn't invade during this personal goodbye time, but I likely wouldn't have cared even if they did.
"You know, I never lost touch with Reverend Aldine. Ever since the day he told me that he was your previous owner", Ryder said.
"Really?", I said.
Ryder nodded, "Mayor Goodway and Katie made the trip too, they're all at the actual spectator seats.
I wiped my eyes.
"You aren't mad at me, are you?", Ryder asked.
"What? No, I'm not mad", I said.
"Just, thank you so much, for telling me…and for letting me go do this", I added.
I could tell he was scared, just like the others, but he was holding it together for them.
He smiled and turned to the rest of the group, "Well pups, looks like we have enough time for one last hug, Rocky's got things to do!"
I knew the final group hug was coming, but the circumstances had changed since the hug twelve days prior.
Once again, they were all hugging me, enveloping me in a massive ball of affection. But this time it was as much in the name of comforting each other as it was for comforting me.
In all honesty, a part of me really hoped that we'd reach the moon and be able to come directly back.
Minimal danger, and I'd be back in Adventure Bay after a week in space.
In fact, another part of me wanted to just leave with them right then.
The hug ended. It felt too short.
They all had tears in their eyes by that point (Even Tracker) and I realized how terribly I was going to miss them.
"Oh…wow…You all- you've made me this crying mess", I said trying to laugh.
Ryder wiped my tears away and held my head in his hands.
"You can do it Rocky, we'll be here when you get back", he said.
One last look at them: Ryder, Tracker, Marshall, Rubble, Chase, Zuma, Skye, Everest.
The heart of my Adventure Bay home had come to support me.
When I made my initial attempt to turn away from them and rejoin Arlo and Weston, it hit me. I didn't realize this was gonna be so hard, but my body was practically stopping itself from leaving.
Soon, I felt another firm pat on my shoulder.
It was Arlo.
He smiled then turned to Ryder and the pups, "I'll take good care of him folks, don't worry!"
We both walked back together and as we did the pups bid me their very final farewells.
"Bye Rocky!"
"Good luck, we know you can do this!"
"Stay safe up there, We love you!"
I turned back and waved to them, using every God-given ounce of my willpower to hold back any more tears.
There was a path between two barriers that led us about thirty feet from the initial turn. NASA workers scurried about on the left side, while media personnel and spectators waved and gave us well wishes from the right.
Weston stood waiting at the side of the stationary convoy for one last photo opp.
I wiped the last of the tears from my eyes as the camera shutters began their cascade.
Clarence, our head Suit technician, was waiting at the front door of what people were calling "The new Astro-van."
I admired the look of the futuristic vehicle as I climbed in-just shy of the size of the PAW Patroller.
It was almost entirely white, with the exception of our mission insignia and the NASA logo.
The inside was incredibly clean, and the technician team quickly re-surrounded us and assisted in connecting our main umbilical tubes to ports built into the space underneath the seats.
Our beautiful, 5 vehicle convoy was accented by its inimitable police escort.
Two Lamborghini Aventador police cars sat in waiting, one in front of our transport vehicle and one trailing the two NASA Sedans that would follow behind us on behalf of the technician team. They had Cape Canaveral police decals with black and red finish.
I had only seen them used in other countries, but even hearing the engines in idle was already one of the coolest experiences of my life.
Considering the circumstances, I figured the rocket launch would take the cake in that regard.
I sat in the frontmost of 10 available seats, Weston sat slightly behind me, and Arlo sat way behind on the driver's side.
He was surrounded by the most technicians, who formed a barrier while they did their various jobs and suit-checks.
I was only able to talk to Weston, who I noticed looked a bit distraught.
"How are you holding up, Weston?", I asked.
He nodded while looking out of his window, which I figured meant he didn't want to talk.
But then he added, "Goodbyes are always hard, huh?"
"Yeah…", I said.
As I peered out of my semi-elevated state, I realized that I could still see Ryder and the pups, but the windows were tinted.
One of the technicians, #7, saw me looking towards them and asked, "Need to remove the tint?"
"Wait, it can do that?", I asked dumbly.
"If we can get a rocket off the ground, we'd better be able to roll down a dark window", she replied.
She then hit a button underneath the window and a second layer behind the first window slid down, revealing me to the outside.
I could make out some of their words.
Bye dude!
We'll miss you!
See you soon!
I waved, kissed my paw, and put it on the window.
We felt the wheels jerk forward and our mobile fortress started to roll. The police cars turned on their lights.
The masses around us applauded and waved.
We turned around the corner and that was that. The last goodbye.
The Slow-moving caravan merged onto a road to start its 8-mile journey to our Cygnus.
NASA had given us each a pair of Bluetooth headphones that sat in compartments in our seats, so we could listen to a pre-made playlist on the drive.
Back during my lengthy stretch on the PAW Patrol's reserve list, music was the first thing I used to try and quiet the storm of thoughts that crept in day after day.
At the start, I listened to super specific genres, usually artist-specific.
But after a while Hip hop, Chillhop, Soul, Rock, R&B, everything just blended together.
I went on random shuffle and let the software dictate the mood.
For 17 of our 23 minutes, I managed to sink into a tiny pocket of peace, until I noticed something peculiar.
I removed the headphones as Groove Mechanics by The Rollin' Deep began to fade. Weston rolled down both of his windows and waved to what we were told was the "chase car."
This NASA car was particularly interesting as it was driverless, yet perfectly matched our speed for video-taking purposes.
I wasn't sure how many people would be watching the official broadcasts, but I figured thinking about it was counterproductive.
My umbilical, which was connected to the port underneath my seat, had enough length that I could reach the window across the aisle.
I went across, rolled down the window behind Weston and we both waved.
It was then that I got a good look at the immediate weather situation.
The sky was clear all around us while intermittent clouds hung over the horizon.
All of the noise and excitement was secondary.
I felt like I was floating. Still beside myself over seeing my beloved family. Between Ryder, the pups, and Reverend Aldine, I had said goodbye to everyone.
I felt a medley of determination, sadness, fear, and joy, but I finally let some other thoughts make their way through my head.
My thoughts are always hard to control, mostly because my first thoughts were almost always negative and almost never true.
Am I really doing this? Am I really on my way to lift off from 39A? Now? Is this really my dream coming true so soon? Is this…even my dream?, I thought to myself.
Or rather, my thoughts told me.
The constant conversation and beeping in my helmet snapped me back into the present.
Ready or not, it was time.
In addition to its magnitude, the gratitude of the moment was not lost on me.
Sitting with my technicians, I was thankful for their work to get us to space. The same went for those who took the time to train us.
In my own fantasies of going to space, I always pictured myself sitting on bench seats across from my fellow astronauts.
It was just as meaningful to sit surrounded on all sides by the entire team.
Although the backup and reserve teams were not there, they played a role too. I silently thanked them.
By this point, about 4 NASA vehicles and another pair of police cruisers had joined our convoy.
These were the Kennedy Space Center protective forces, who were charged with shutting down the necessary roads to keep us as safe as possible.
We made a right turn onto Saturn Causeway, where we passed the operations and support building and the vehicle assembly building.
There were hundreds upon hundreds of people in the grass on either side of the road.
The press site, which could barely be seen out of the rightmost windows, would mark the "3 miles to go"- point in our journey.
Our convoy then split in half and continued the drive on the road across from the gravel-crawler path, which was usually reserved for outgoing traffic.
It wasn't long before our convoy slowed as it pulled around to our destination.
"Watch out for Alligators", joked Clarence as the vehicle rolled to a stop.
Our flight surgeon exited one of the NASA vehicles next to us and started gesturing to his team.
Our technicians took about 4 minutes to unhook us from our seats, outfitted us with FOD (foreign object debris) covers on our boots, and opened the doors.
The three of us walked out into the day once more, this time in reverse order.
Since we'd parked to the left of the rocket that day, we'd only get one chance to look at it from a good angle before we actually boarded.
So, our technician team allowed us a quick minute to walk fifty feet past the elevator and gaze upon Cygnus while they waited by the elevator door.
The three of us stood next to the railing that zig-zagged across the ground-level.
We leaned back to see the top of our elegant, 210-foot-tall spacecraft; its eternal scowl facing the sky as the sun slowly climbed to its peak.
Soon it would showcase every last one of the 5 million pounds of thrust that it was built to deliver. 3 engines. 3 stages of separation. (Two during launch and then a "mini-separation" once in orbit).
Its weight would go from 270,000lbs as it sat empty to 6.7 million pounds once it became liftoff ready.
What surprised me most of all, however, was how noisy it was as opposed to the previous day.
The vehicle creaked and hissed- almost groaning. The only thing I could compare it to was a steam locomotive.
It was as if we were standing next to a sleeping dragon.
The three of us stood side-by-side and for the first time I felt like we were all on the same page.
Like three enthusiastic toddlers standing next to the Statue of Liberty.
The moment was….almost solemn, but I could tell it was important.
I had studied every last inch of this Rocket, which made it sort of like a familiar place that you haven't actually been to yet.
Knowing what was going on mechanics-wise, made me think that its interior was one of the safest places to be in the whole world- in some ways.
Only one NASA-appointed photographer was with us at that point, and we all smiled for one last picture before we rejoined our team sitting in the elevator.
It wasn't until I got into the elevator and looked through the small window that had been closed during the previous day's ascension, that I really got to see the scale of the Cygnus vehicle.
We got up the tower, which stood 177 feet off the ground, to the entrance of the crew Access arm in a matter of seconds.
NASA definitely beat the lookout elevator in speed and capacity.
Red arrows marked the floors to guide us to the bridge.
From that high up, we were able to walk to the railing and look out over the Florida landscape.
The view was breathtaking. As I looked out over the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean, I couldn't help but nurture the thought that the same water I was seeing was also shambling ashore in the form of gentle waves back at Adventure Bay.
I wasn't aware of any festivities taking place, nor how early things had "gotten started" back at Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex, not that it really impacted us doing our jobs.
However, it was at that moment that we got a rather spectacular indicator of time.
A B2 bomber seemingly appeared out of nowhere and flew over the NASA complex from the northwest.
It was painted white, something that I had never seen before, and featured NASA's simplistic red "worm" logo that represented the aeronautics branch of NASA's history.
It was so quiet that I almost didn't notice it until I saw the movement out of the corner of my eye.
This drew the others to the rail alongside me.
It flew over us, slightly to the right of the tower, and flew far beyond the shoreline before it turned Northward.
I assumed this flyover was to commemorate the launch, though it could have also been for weather mapping purposes.
It gave us another chance to just sit and exist in the moment before we ascended a second flight of stairs.
All that was left was to walk across the bridge to the main hatch of the crew compartment, and our NASA photographer was determined to get a shot for every step we took.
The compartment was 30 feet trunk to nose (bottom to top) and would be my home for the next 7 days at minimum if all went according to plan.
Keyword being "IF".
Every piece of sophisticated machinery- latches, control valves, wiring- had to meet NASA standards for safe flight. No minor failure could result in mission failure.
The technician team's biggest concern was keeping the pressures and air quality at safe conditions for both humans and dogs.
The space we sat in was called the White Room, which dated back to the Gemini-Era (1965-1966), as it is meant to be kept pristine and free of debris.
It was our final stop on planet Earth before we went to 'Ingress'- which is a fancy word for entering the rocket.
There were FOD covers on our boots as well as Umbilical ports to keep out dust, dirt, or anything else that could interfere with the systems on Cygnus.
The crew compartment needed to be clean of contaminants, which meant that special ports were steadily filtering out Carbon Dioxide and unwanted particulates.
The closeout crew had been keeping an eye on the levels, but the chatter that I could hear confirmed that close-out had completed with no abnormalities.
Which made it all the more peculiar that the most logical next step in the process didn't come.
The Suit techs began to crowd around the hatch. Numerals 6, then 9, then 10. The trio looked concerned.
Minutes ticked by.
The three called for extra equipment, then called for us to step back to the door of the white room.
Anticipation began to shift to a dreadful period of unknowing.
They called for the lead technician.
We all figured that this part would take some time, as opening the hatch could take up to 7 minutes, but even I could tell that we were in for a wait.
Something didn't feel right.
Clarence held a small meter in his hand that connected to a valve on the outside of the hatch.
It lit up like a Christmas Tree.
At that moment, our technician number 10 did a double take.
"Pardon me, Rocky", Arlo said as he suddenly inched passed Weston and I from the back of our line.
He looked just as serious as he'd been since that morning, yet his look also contained a hint of worry.
As if the voice inside of him were battling between keeping his composure and reminding himself of the cruel realities that he would have to face if something outside of his control deprived him of his dream so close to seeing it realized.
After a few near-silent exchanges with the technicians at the door, he turned back to us.
At the same time, about half of our technician team hurried across the corridor to the stairs to use the landline phone wired into the tower.
Whoever they were calling I didn't know, but I started to figure the worst.
We glanced to one another.
"Arlo….Don't tell me", Weston said, as if he knew something I didn't.
Arlo just gave him a look and tilted his head.
Then, he lowered his head and placed his paw on my shoulder.
I did the same and placed my paw on Weston's shoulder.
Weston initially hesitated when he saw what we were getting at, but he then followed suit and closed the small circle.
It seemed the best time to pray as any.
The valve was meant to pressurize the cabin, and the Florida humidity had compromised the seal.
It made an awful noise, like a dozen overheated teapots.
Something was wrong with our seemingly perfect rocket, there was nothing any of us could do.
At the rate it was going, we wouldn't regain pressure for hours.
We'd miss our window by a mile and lose Origenes.
Tragedy.
Unless…
******End Chapter 24*******
/
Huge Author's note + a very overdue 'Thank You': Okay, I can't tell you all how excited I am that we're finally to this part of the story!
Rocky's finally at the doorstep of what he sees as his crowning achievement! But…. regardless of how hyped I am- I have to split it into two pieces (I'm sorry, I promise I'm not trying to leave you all hanging, but it will flow better this way).
Before I leave off here, however, I wanted to address a few creative choices and my reasoning behind them.
As you saw, I placed this towards the beginning of the 'Tracker Era'- i.e. After the events of Tracker's first episode timeline-wise.
That was my choice- I actually made it very early on.
I thought the story would fit better here, instead of going into the Rex/Super-pups era.
It is nothing against Rex, I think he's a great character, especially from a representation-standpoint.
But beyond that and the ultimate rescues, PAW Patrol's creative direction has gone in an unexpected way- I guess I'll say.
(Imo, the whole super-power thing kinda takes away from them being rescuers to me. But, to each their own.….)
Also, since PAW Patrol is a Canadian-American show, I am not sure as to where the events of the show take place. I know it's North America, but I don't know if it's Canada or the U.S.
Regardless, Canada and the U.S. have both collaborated in the past space-wise Irl. Plus, I liked the idea of Rocky going to the actual Cape Canaveral where the history was made.
In addition, I also don't know what Ocean Adventure Bay sits on. Though, it kind of gives me an East-coast city vibe, personally.
Regardless of whichever coast/country you see Adventure Bay in, all oceans touch one another technically. So, the part where Rocky is visualizing the same water coming up as waves in Adventure Bay still makes sense.
You all can decide for yourselves which setting sits best with you!
However, with all of that out of the way (Currently writing this on 6-20-2023)- I want to personally thank all of you who've read and a very special thank you to all who left Reviews. Those touched my heart- you have no idea.
I'm still new to this and I don't know the etiquette for shouting specific people out (whether you should put specific individual's usernames on stories or not).
I'm going to make it a point to reply to all reviews that allow it! (I've been kinda crumby at that lately, sorry).
As always, God Bless and thank you all so much for reading,
Until next time! (I promise it won't be long!)
-HM