That same evening, while eating at a local restaurant, Allison turned to Brad and said: “Brad, I guess you have already guessed that I am that four-year-old girl that planet Zorbus is searching for.”
Brad responded, “It certainly occurred to me, but since it’s been such a long time since your arrival, I figured the message was just their attempt to discover if there existed another planet containing intelligent life.”
Deciding to approach the subject with care, Allison phrased her question this way. “Don’t you feel like it just makes sense to send someone up on an exploratory mission who is already familiar with this foreign planet and its people?”
“If you are hinting around that that person should be you, I think it’s a brilliant idea,” responded Brad.
Allison was met with cheers and total support from her fellow college professors and students when she announced that she was thinking about training as an astronaut and becoming America’s first Ambassador to this new planet. Her statement was immediately picked up by the hungry, supportive media. Nightly, the TV ‘talking heads’ talked about nothing else. The support from listeners were evenly split. About half of those tuned in thought the country would be nuts to risk sending up a woman, agreeing, to the ‘novelty’ of the idea but conceding the mission was too important to risk sending a woman, solo, as commander of her own spacecraft up in space. One devoted listener was heard to shout: “Send her up NASA, but don’t blow her up like you did Christa McAuliffe.”
Such news was, without a doubt, pure history in the making. NASA aware of the sensitivity of today’s elite society, daring not to go against women’s movement for change, acquiesced to Washington politics. Which, typical Washington politics, always late in catching up on hot issues affecting the populace, now, grudgingly, got involved. It was Only after receiving truckloads of letters and just as many phone calls from the constituents, demanding Allison be allowed to train as an astronaut did Washington act, agreeing that NASA should accept Allison as an astronaut trainee.
NASA made it crystal clear: “All astronauts, without exception, must go through a vigorous NASA training program. If for any reason a trainee should fail at any stage in the training program, his or her training will be terminated, instantly,” a spokesperson from NASA commented. “We will not risk sending an untrained astronaut on such a historical mission.”
But what they had not considered:failurewas not a ‘word’ in Allison’s vocabulary.
Allison prepared to throw her entire energy and devotion into the project. Spending less, and less time with Brad and her siblings. Refusing to back down or be influenced by NASA’s discouraging remarks. These remarks would never have been directed toward a male astronaut trainee.
Her family was one hundred percent behind her. Rose almost wet her pants, so excited, she was when she first heard the news. “You, go, girl,” she shouted.
Brad, a little more pragmatic than Rose, was bursting with pride! “Who knows? What if I am chosen to work on the rocket propulsion system NASA has designed to put you into space? Our grandchildren will be so proud of you.”
Allison: “Aren’t we getting ahead of ourselves? We are not even married.”
Brad: “That’s just a minor technicality. When all this space madness is over, I am going to ask for your hand in marriage.”
“What kind of marriage proposal do you call that? space jockey? Let us just hope I’m not too old to accept!” Flight Plans
Allison’s department head, Dean Paul Reynolds encouraged his department professors to take the occasional sabbatical from teaching or do lecture tours in other countries. Such change often inspired new insight and energy to the professor on retreat, injecting new, and fresh ideas on how to teach. But professor Dawkins’ request to take off up to a year—time needed to train as an astronaut - a person assigned to his department requesting time off to train in a spaceflight program- to command, pilot, or, alternatively, serve as a crew member on a spacecraft was a first for Dean Reynolds. He knew the entire nation was pulling for her and he certainly did not want to be the one who rained on her parade—disrupting her quest to be the first woman Ambassador nee astronaut to explore space frontiers.
To speak of becoming an astronaut is one thing but to become one is another. Something Allison would soon find out. Allison had no idea the training to be an astronaut would be so difficult; back breaking and mentally exhausting. There was never a moment left to think of anything else but her training. Midway through her training, NASA announced the program needed accelerating to meet a six-month launching date, in lieu of the planned one-year schedule. The public and congress would not accept NASA’s statement that it would take up to a year to successfully launch the program. They wanted that time cut in half. A delay of one year was unacceptable. This change mandated by congress did not give Allison the necessary time she needed to train for the mission; a mission like none other!
In addition to compressing the time given Allison to train for her historic trip into outer space, NASA was faced with a series of budget-pinching trials, having hardly enough funds to outfit a spacecraft equipped for one person—sending up two or more astronauts were out of the question. Which meant that Allison had to learn every role an astronaut must perform; to safely launch and navigate her ship into the proper orbit, calculated for safe entry into the upper atmosphere.
At first, NASA’s instructions were: “once in orbit, circle the mystery planet only—do not contemplate landing your spacecraft at this time. Use all your monitoring probes to obtain knowledge of the people living on the planet.” Assuming there are people there and this is not a hoax. “Take readings of all the fundamental things that must be in place on the planet to sustain life. Landing was discouraged. Land only in an emergency.”
25
Lift Off!
The Cape had not seen this type of activity since the early moon launches. All roads leading into the Cape area were completely full of spectators standing by or perched on top of their vehicles to witness the most exciting moment in human history. An astronaut, they understood, was fixing to travel thousands of miles into space. To verify that there existed another planet out there, capable of supporting intelligent life. Every eye in this country and every eye around the world sat glued, watching a TV monitor; anxiously waiting for the lift-off.
For the older generation, they were taken back to the glory days of live broadcasting. When the grandfather of modern TV media, Walter Cronkite broadcasted from the Cape minute-by-minute details of every launch from the Cape. It was not long after the early days of space exploration for a complacent society to lose total interest in space travel. Almost daily, some type of space conveyance was being launched either from this country, Russia, China, or North Korea. The uncaring citizens took no interest.
This was different. Speculation was running rampant. School children around the globe were asked to draw pictures. Pictures of what they thought people on the mystery planet looked like. Silently, Allison wanted to say: “Just look at me children and draw me. That will be your answer.”
Religious leaders around the world were puzzled. Why was there no mention of life on another planet in the scriptures? Did the Messiah visit there? If he did, did he tell them about us? We are all aware that the planet is probably populated by strange, unintelligible life forms. But, if that is true, how did they manage to send out messages, seeking contact with another planet. Maybe they are intelligent life forms after all. But what do they look like,” wondered the religious leaders. “Is contacting the unknown at taxpayer’s expense a wise idea. Are we really prepared to explore a planet that may have incurable disease that our universe has never heard of before?”
Not all messages were negative. Placards stating: “We love you, Allison!” were quite common. So was “Allison for president!” and other positive greetings presented everywhere. Allison began the long walk to board her spacecraft. A spacecraft NASA had named it Hercules. The assembled crowd went wild. You could hear before takeoff symbolic needle drops around the world, leading up to when a nervous Allison began her countdown as the fuel-propelled rockets roared to life. ****
“Houston, we have lift off.” Her first words were spoken as she approached the proper orbit. The tedium of flying into the unknown was something a good astronaut had to learn to live with. Always being on the alert was a necessary safety requisite. An astronaut can never be sure when some emergency might arise, requiring immediate attention and resolution. It took Allison several hours, to go through numerous mission routines: making certain that all systems were functioning properly before relaxing. The steady chit-chat back and forth to Houston Command Post finally dwindled down to a low hum. That is when Allison, turning off all non-essential lighting, took a well-earned nap.
On the third orbit of the mission, Allison was beeped by Houston, advising her to begin preparations required to be in the right orbit to circle around the new planet. Which now bore the Greek name, Socrates. Beginning her circle around the planet, she was suddenly shocked by the voice of someone on planet Zorbus speaking to her. “Please identify yourself.”
Do astronauts pee in their pants? Maybe not, but Allison came very close when she heard that command.
Without hesitation. Allison began by uttering words she thought she would never have a chance to say: “My name is Racine. Racine Spurketts, the 4-year-old lost in space many years ago. Are my parents still alive?”
“Welcome home, Comrade Racine! Yes, your parents are very much alive, and I am sure, anxious to see you.”
Puzzled, Allison thought: “Why did he use the expression Comrade? Has something caused a change in planet Zorbus’ form of government? Is planet Zorbus no longer a peace-loving planet?” For the moment, she had no time to dwell on it. She would soon know if her suspicions were correct.
Then the voice was back. “We picked up your approach on radar just moments ago. We have prepared a landing spot for you. Just follow the coordinates you see blinking on your console.” Allison panicked! NASA’s explicit directive forbade her to land. I must fabricate a story to justify my need to land.
“Houston, Houston! I am preparing to land on planet Socrates. I have made my initial contact with the planet. I am not certain of the explicit meaning of the message received. But it appears they want me to land at a designated area they have selected. If I fail to obey their orders, I am not sure of what action they might take. I can only assume they may have weapons trained on me, prepared to use them if I do not obey.”
Houston command, after some hesitation, responds to Allison’s concern: “Under these uncertain circumstances and not wanting to have you shot down, you have NASA approval to obey orders given by Zorbus’ air command. Primarily, to comply with their instructions.”
After another long silence, Houston Control speaks further: “Commander Dawkins. From your observations of the planet, do you detect any hostility on the part of these aliens? Do you feel comfortable that your Spacecraft will not be taken hostage, forcing the United States to take a more careful approach to establishing a relationship with the unknown inhabitants of this alien planet?”
“Houston, I do not detect any type of hostilities or bodily threat from the inhabitants of this peaceful planet. I feel my safety will not be put into jeopardy in any way. If granted, I will land and give you immediate updates. Hopefully, a live photo of those who live here.”
Another long pause. “Commander Dawkins, please prepare to land and take every precaution to protect yourself. Even if---you understand Commander Dawkins--- you have to resort to blowing up your own spacecraft, which I hope, it does not come to that.”
“Thank you, Houston. I will immediately begin my descent.”
Allison, on a separate transmission line, advised Zorbus’ Space Command of her intent to comply with their landing instructions. Docking her spacecraft in the space they designated. Nervously, deplaning her spacecraft, Allison was taken aback by the sea of faces surrounding her! Obviously, anxious, and curious to see the return of one of their own. Back home, the NASA team, monitoring her arrival on planet Zorbus and monitoring her docking procedure, jumped up with a jubilant roar; overjoyed with the success of the mission.
Then came the photos, streaming back to Earth from the camera attached to Allison’s astronaut suit. First, disbelief! Then, just as suddenly, realizing they were looking at people, real people living on another planet. People that look just like us! And then a bouquet of roses hanging around her neck.
