© 2011 by Mr. David R. Dorrycott

Chapter Two

edited 10/2012

At Cape Canaveral that same morning the twelve young girls, whom Kirby Landers had banked all he had upon, currently sat in a rather oversized and much too warm bus. Even with their space suits cooling capability keeping their bodies chilled the thick heavy morning air was difficult to breath. All were in various states of excitement as they were about to step aboard a real live spaceship for the very first time and they had just been informed that they were truly going to into space. Each had at least a thousand hours in various simulators of course, while their two pilots, the vixen Gilda and the rabbit Elizabeth had actually flown as pilots in the trainer jets. Of course the Vomit Comet had seen them singly, in small groups and lately as a full crew more than any of them wanted to remember. But none had ever been aboard a real spaceship. Mockups were one thing but this was the real deal. No matter how bored some tried to look the ball of excitement in each ones stomach was almost a physical thing.

A screen at the bus’s front was showing STARDUST in orbit, with estimated completion time for the replacement telescope mirror. Bad luck had ruined that mirror last month just hours after being uncovered. It had been hit not by some lost tool, or piece of star junk from deep space, but a piece of some old satellite launched before any of them had been born. It had required launching one of the two backup mirrors while the original, now in several hundred pieces, was carefully bagged then de-orbited. Being as it was one of the two primary science telescopes priority had been given its repair. Mary had noted that there was a backup mirror aboard Stardust but getting it out, unpacked, cleaned and in place would have taken a month or more. In space things simply did not happen as quickly as on Earth, it had actually been faster to do the inspections on Earth, then launch it. Not cheaper, but faster.

Sitting in the front of the bus was Gilda, commander of her group. She was Commander not just because she was designated as the pilot. But because she had earned the designation and had the trust of her eleven crew mates. As in all cases where young children were thrust into positions of responsibility Gilda had grown up fast. Right now she was ignoring the half dozen conversations around her, concentrating on both the bus’s screen and her work notebook. Unconsciously she kept shifting in her seat trying to find a comfortable position for her tail, which was currently shoved down her left suit leg. She was still getting sorted out on the thing as along with the rest of her crews tablets her old one had been abruptly replaced last week. For one thing its new solid state ‘hard drive’ was so fast she almost couldn’t keep up. Touching a menu option on the display she watched as a more detailed report on the mirror problem came up. Satisfied after a few minutes she shut down that window, pulling up the current readout on shuttle QUEENSRYCHE.

As she read through the readouts a thought came to her. “Liz” she said softly, then found herself having to nudge the rabbit. “Liz” she repeated.

Ending her conversation with the Otter Yuki, Elizabeth Parker shifted in her seat to face Gilda. Unlike the fox, whose constantly trimmed tail would normally be luxuriant the rabbits near nothing of a tail caused her no problems as she turned. “Problem Captain” Elizabeth asked.

“Just, how do you feel about going into space. For real.”

“Scared” the rabbit admitted. “When they told us, I almost pulled out. Andrea is my backup. I’m sure she would have gone. She’s on the station with the rest right now but in the end I decided to go.”

“Why” the vixen asked.

“Because I’d hate myself forever if I didn’t. Besides, I’d lose Tanya, she’s my best friend and I don’t known anyone back home now. Not really.”

“I almost peed my suit” Gilda admitted. “Never thought about walking out. Now we are going into space all by ourselves.” She looked at her tablet again, biting her lower lip. “I hope we are really ready. At least I accidently found out why the shuttles are named after old bands.”

“Spill the beans girl” Elizabeth ordered. “I’ve always wanted to know.”

“They are bands the old man liked when he was younger.”

“Links down” Elizabeth announced as her own tablet abruptly locked up, her words quickly followed by several complaints as the rest discovered the same thing. “Now that is odd.” Even as she spoke the bus started and lifting her head the rabbit could see out the bus’s windshield. Before them the garage door was opening. “Explains that, they probably don’t want us on e-mail or i-m until we get into orbit.” She shut down her own tablet, turning it so that the screen was protected while off. “Into space, off to see new worlds and not a single salty french fry on any of them.” A long sad sigh passed through the rabbits lips. “I’m really going to miss that.”

“I would too” the vixen Gilda admitted as she put away her own tablet. “But its just orbit and back. After all this it is going to be awful boring going home, then waiting until I’m old enough for College then maybe NASA will hire me.”

“Probably to fill their coffee cups” came a mirth filled voice from behind Gilda. “At least I’m already qualified as a doctor. I could have gotten into any medical school Monday but miss this? Not on my life.”

Turning her head so she could see the girl who spoke Gilda stuck out her tongue. Sondra Rousseau was their medical officer, their Doctor, really a GP. A General Practitioner. They were near non-existent now when everyone specialized. Where Gilda and Elizabeth had been put thorough the wringer as pilots and navigators the poor otter had spent her years earning a medical degree. She had even preformed surgery several times, with an adult Doctor standing beside her. Why, she had delivered a baby just two months ago, then lost her lunch about a minute after leaving the delivery room.

“Going home, will that be a problem?” the vixen asked.

“No Mam” Sondra answered, automatically deferring to Gilda’s rank as Captain. “Oh, I have to have go to see Father William and admit all my sins and stuff. Then probably end up in a nunnery until I turned eighteen. Otherwise it will be all right.”

Gilda liked Sondra, the girl was hard working and easy to get along with. Sondra’s parents though had become exceptionally religious in the last two years Gilda knew, after the loss of their two youngest in an automobile accident the Rousseau’s had turned to God as the answer to their grief. In the last three months they had somehow come to the decision that their remaining daughter was living in sin. As to why, no one knew. But the letters had started becoming more and more, well abusive was the word. Gilda had spoken with those in charge as it was her responsibility as Captain but nothing could legally be done. Though the Stardust Project was legally the girls guardians until they were fifteen, ones parents were still ones parents.

Gilda’s own parents were proud of her progress. Her rank had not come through a civilian agency but the United States Space Force. That meant she had truly earned her rank. What Gilda knew that the rest didn’t was that when she turned eighteen the Space Force had already guaranteed her a position at her current rank. Her future was assured as was the futures of all of them. They were the best, the brightest and had already proven that they enjoyed hard work. Oh yes, they were wanted, they just might not like what some people had planned for them.

An alarm brought Gilda from her thoughts. Looking up she realized that the bus was approaching QUEENSRYCHE’s pad. NASA had done well by the Stardust Project, new buildings, new launch pads, access to The Tin Can and probably ten million other things. Though the girls had been treated as a media circus and NASA secretly knew that their crews would man STARDUST, they had been treated fairly. As she watched their driver pulled up to a designated spot, stopping within easy walking distance of the pads elevator.

Standing up Gilda turned to face her crew. “All right Ladies” she announced in her strongest voice, though she felt that her voice wanted to crack. “By the numbers. No one falls, no one drops anything. Follow the nice young men wearing white with double green strips on their uniforms. No jokes, no backtalk. They announced to the news crews as we boarded the bus that we are going up. Remember, the whole worlds watching.” She looked back at De, their geologist and least emotional member. “That means you De, no peeing in your suit.”

Standing the mink gave her Captain a sheepish grin. “To late Mam. At least my bag was already attached.”

Muted laughter followed the minks admission, as well as more than a pawfull of ‘Me Too’s.”

“Then try not to do it again” the vixen ordered, though she winked at the mink. An admission that a ‘me too’ was in order, but could never be admitted. “Then grab your gear, remember to give it to a ground crew member assigned to you and let them carry you’re a/c unit. On three. One... Two..”