(This is part of a serialized novel. Click MENU + Polaris Station to read and comment on latest revisions)
Concept art for Polaris Station
The Commander stopped, tilted his helmet slightly and nodded slowly, eyes closed. The music volume oscillated, unhurried. Crackling static engulfed his crew’s upbeat playlist. One astronaut turned toward another and tapped the side of his helmet. Gloved hands slowly lifted toward the horizon as a flicker of light drew attention. A cylindrical object slowly tumbling end over end drifted across the black sky. Everyone froze. Minutes passed.
The radio static dimmed to a whisper, then silent as the object seemed to run for cover in the brilliant glow of the sun. Momentarily blinded, helmets turned a few degrees to the right, where reflected moon light revealed the home planet, faintly glowing in its own shadow. The lights in and around Rio de Janeiro, and New York speckled the dark blue and white disk. The crew’s playlist resumed. The astronauts one by one turned back to their work.
“Uh… can anyone explain that?” a newer crew member asked across the open crew frequency.“ What was… Where did it come from?”
“Second one since we got here,” Another replied. “We reported it, but the answer was…”
“Site Ops?” A strong voice interrupted the conversation.
Several crew members turned toward their commander perched on a platform near the lava tube. He was looking some distance at a cylindrical elevated module with small rounded window ports, antennas on top.
“Roger, this is Site Ops. Yes commander?”
“Log and report…” The commander ordered with a flat tone.
“Already done sir.”
The crew resumed surveying the cavern for habitat suitability. The commander remained in place, hand on the safety railing, face shield towards Earth. Seemingly distracted by its thin sun-lit crescent, he raised his left arm in front of his visor and checked his watch. He reflected audibly, “California. Friday evening. Yosemite.”
“Say again,” Site Ops inquired. “Can you repeat that?”
The commander quickly reached for his belt audio control unit (ACU) and flipped a switch. He turned back toward Site Ops, crossed both arms above his head with palms facing forward. He turned again back toward Earth and thought to himself, “Amazing. From here, Earth never rises. Never sets. It just turns every twenty-four hours like a rotisserie roasting over a fire.” He gazed upward, then back to the crescent. “She said they would be flying tonight? I wonder if he’ll get caught this time? I wish I could watch, the sun setting to the west, the nearly full moon rising here in the East, their ascent, their descent…”
After a minute or two he nodded, and as if he was on Earth for just a moment said, “Son! You’re so passionate…like your father, I suppose. We both wanted the same thing… We both wanted to be space architects. If only you were more rigorous in academics, you could have followed me into space.”
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Reader comments requested – I appreciate suggestions on clarity, flow, dialog, characters and engagement. I especially welcome technical subject matter expert discussion. Challenge assumptions and help improve realism and storytelling.
Enjoyed the prologue!