Up and Down (38 page)

“Minister, what a surprise.”

“David, I just had to call. I expected to get your voicemail, so it’s wonderful to catch you. You must be tickled. She made it. She’s there. She’s really in space,” the Minister of Science and Technology said. “We watched the whole thing live here in the office. It was thrilling.”

“It’s even better witnessing it from here in the crucible. It was astonishing. And Minister, thanks so much for your call to Landon yesterday. It meant a lot to her.”

“Well, thank you for suggesting it. I was delighted to wish her bon voyage.”

We chatted for a few more minutes, but then she had to go.

I hung up, and then dialled Amanda.

“Hey. How was it from outside?” I asked.

“Hey, David. Hi. I’m still trembling. It was unbelievable. My whole body is still shaking.”

“It’s kind of you to say, but I’m not really asking about last night,” I said. “I meant the launch.”

She laughed.

“Oh, you meant the launch. Right,” Amanda played along. “Well, the launch was almost as exciting. You can actually feel it when the sound wave finally hits you. And the noise was fearsome. I wish you’d been here to see it.”

“Well, I wish I’d been there, too. But it was pretty cool being inside Launch Control for the lift-off,” I replied. “So, um, how are you feeling now about everything in the harsh light of day?”

Her voice dropped almost to a whisper. But I heard every word even as I held my breath.

“Are we back to last night, now?” she asked.

“Well, yes, I guess we are,” I said, noticing how hard it is to speak when you’re holding your breath.

“Just making sure. Well then, David, I’m happy to report that I feel great. I really do. It all feels right to me. No second thoughts. No reservations. Nothing but good feelings.”

“What a coincidence. Me too. I’m tired but I feel wonderful,”
I replied, feeling warm and giddy. “And the
Aeres
launch wasn’t bad either.”

“Yeah, the launch was amazing. And all those people who went to lunch instead are nutbars.”

Amanda had to leave later that afternoon. It’s amazing how your feelings can intensify in the space of twenty-four hours. It had been quite a day and I wasn’t sure I was thinking straight about it all. I couldn’t even drive Amanda to the airport. Kelly wanted me available around the clock for any Landon moments that might arise in orbit. I thought they should be more worried about Eugene than Landon, but in the end, I was being paid to be there. I was able to step out of Launch Control for a few minutes to say goodbye to Amanda. It was nice.

We knew, of course, that there was no way I could stay on her team at
TK
when I returned to Toronto. But we’d cross that bridge then. I figured Diane would be reasonable and put me somewhere else within the organization. As Amanda’s taxi grew smaller and faded from sight after the main gates of the Kennedy Space Center, I pulled out my BlackBerry.

“Lauren, it’s David.”

“Hi, David. Congratulations! I watched it all but I didn’t see you,” she said.

“You weren’t supposed to see me. I’m behind the curtain pulling all the strings,” I explained.

“Well, it was amazing to watch the launch knowing that your bush pilot doctor was on board. It made it all so much more meaningful.”

“That was the plan. I’m glad it worked,” I replied. “How is everything in Toronto?”

“It’s getting better. The new job is going well. And I’m still seeing the new guy. So far so good,” Lauren said.

“Good. That’s all good. But …”

“David, I’m fine. The rough moments are fewer and farther between, now. They still come, often when I’m not expecting them. I was flicking through the channels the other night and came across a movie that Mom and I had seen together last year. That set me off for a bit.”

“Lauren, that’s going to happen. It’s supposed to happen,” I said. “I think it’s been easier for me. I’ve been consumed with all of this down here. I’ve thought about Mom a few times, but I’ve been okay. Distractions are helpful. And I’ve had more than my fair share of distractions lately.”

We spoke for another few minutes. I didn’t mention Amanda. I think I was worried I’d jinx it by telling anyone this early. Besides, who knew whether we’d still be on by the time I got back. I hadn’t yet figured out whether it was a nice fling or
something more. I wondered if Amanda had sorted it out yet. When I’d finished with Lauren, I noticed an email back from my friend at Environment Canada. It said he was swamped but would try to get me an answer and the backup records in the next week or so. I was hoping for a quicker turnaround time, but I’d take what I could get.

When the
Aeres
finally caught up with the International Space Station –
ISS
– I was back in Launch Control. I watched as the shuttle fired small rockets in short bursts to slow down to the same orbital speed as the
ISS
. Before moving in to dock, the commander executed what really amounted to a back flip, the shuttle I mean, not him, so that the crew on the
ISS
could check
Aeres
’s heat shield for any damage from the launch. Everything looked fine. All of the special heat-resistant tiles were in place. My monitor still offered the standard inside-
Aeres
view, but the external shot now on my screen was from a camera mounted in the shuttle’s docking hatch. I watched as the commander expertly closed the distance to the
ISS
, deftly firing various positioning rockets to ensure alignment for docking. He was doing this while travelling 17,250 miles per hour, some 213 miles above the Philippine Islands. Unbelievable. He was aiming for the illuminated docking ring on the space station and I watched on my monitor as it came closer and closer before the screen finally went dark. The shuttle had just penetrated what I’d been informed was the
“pressurized mating adapter” on the
ISS
. I know, it sounded like something out of a sci-fi porn flick. I figured I might be able to get a job at
NASA
cooking up better names for important mission-related components and procedures.

“Houston and station, capture is confirmed,” said the shuttle commander.

“
Aeres
, Houston, station free-drift is confirmed.”

“Houston,
Aeres
, copy that, free-drift confirmed.”

They were docked. I turned my attention to the
Aeres
cabin view and saw Landon and then Martine each punch the air before attempting the traditional high five. Without the familiar tug of gravity, coordinating something as simple as a high five took on new difficulty. It took Landon two swipes before her hand actually connected with Martine’s to complete their own small-scale docking procedure.

Thirty minutes later, a third view was automatically added to my monitor. I could now see inside the International Space Station as the four astronauts already there, two Russians and two Americans, got ready to welcome their new guests. The Russian serving as commander of the
ISS
grabbed a microphone and pulled out the cord from the wall receptacle. He floated pretty much vertically as a crew mate went through the step-by-step procedure of opening the hatch. I could see two of the
Aeres
crew on the other side of my split screen doing much the same thing with their hatch. I saw the station commander move the microphone to his mouth.

“Houston, station, I’m very happy to welcome aboard the commander and crew of the shuttle
Aeres
,” he said in a thick Russian accent.

He then rang a bell mounted on the wall as Commander Hainsworth appeared in the hatchway and floated into the space station. He greeted the four tenants of the
ISS
with hugs before the bell sounded again and the
Aeres
pilot, Jefferson Rand, made his entrance, delivering his round of hugs. After Martine Juneau, the last of the official crew of
Aeres
came aboard the
ISS
, the bell chimed yet again and the Russian commander read from a small clipboard he’d pulled from its Velcro mount on the wall.

“Finally, I am proud to welcome two citizen astronauts to the International Space Station. We are crossing a new threshold in the history of the exploration of space. Dr. Landon Percival.”

I was standing now, unable to sit calmly in my chair as this scene played out a couple of hundred miles above me. I saw a familiar head of grey, wiry hair pop into view as Landon floated into the International Space Station. As she had been since arriving in Florida, she was beaming. She embraced everyone and seemed almost overcome with emotion. She wiped her eyes now and then, but the smile stayed.

“And Mr. Eugene Crank.”

Poor Eugene. He was green and sweating when he appeared. He was clutching one of Landon’s Ziploc bags, empty, at least for now. He must have smuggled it aboard. In an attempt at nonchalance, he casually pushed off from the main hatchway and
took out the Russian commander with an
NFL
-calibre shoulder block. “Oooofff!” sounds just the same in Russian. Given his proximity to the microphone still clutched in the Russian commander’s hand, I could hear Eugene’s apology. He didn’t sound quite like himself.

I was excited about my first chance to speak with Landon since lift-off. It was set for about an hour or so after their arrival on the
ISS
. We had two five-minute slots scheduled each day, one in the morning and one in the evening. It was not on the main audio feed, but on a separate channel that gave us one-on-one communication. I’m sure it was being recorded somewhere, but I was told I could speak with Landon with some degree of privacy. As instructed, I reported to the special console on the other side of Launch Control and donned the headset. At the appointed time, I watched on the screen as Landon “flew” over to bob in front of the camera. She pulled on a headset and swung down the mike in front of her mouth. Sometimes her whole face filled the screen, and other times she’d drift up, giving me a very appetizing view up her nostrils. Then she’d correct and hover back into view. I was told she had a small monitor on which she could see me, as long as I stayed in front of what was really just a webcam on my console.

“Landon, can you hear me?” I asked. “Is this thing on?”

I waited and she said nothing, so I assumed the audio connection had not yet been made. But then suddenly she laughed and nodded.

“Yes, I can hear you and now I can see your worried little face, too.”

It obviously took a little longer for my words to reach her ears given her current location. I made sure I smiled.

“I don’t even know what to say to you other than you did it. You’re in space. You’re in orbit. I can hardly believe it,” I said. In case it was not obvious, I had no plan for these conversations. I was just thrilled to be having them.

“It’s all a dream to me too right now. But it’s actually not that much different from how I’ve been imagining it for the last forty years or so.”

“What about being weightless?” I asked. “What’s it really like?”

“It was odd at the beginning but after a few hours, it’s hard to remember what gravity feels like. We’re amazingly adaptable creatures, you know,” she replied. “It’s as close to flying as you can imagine.”

“Eugene didn’t look particularly adaptable when he made his grand entrance on board the
ISS
,” I observed.

“No. Young Mr. Crank seems be among those who are afflicted with space sickness. It’s a crapshoot as to who will be affected. I’m just glad I still feel myself.”

“What was the launch like?”

“The shuddering and shaking felt like I was taxiing a float plane through a very heavy chop, but for seven minutes solid. After
SRB
separation it smoothed out. And then after we jettisoned the
external tank, it was smooth as silk. But you can really feel the power you’re sitting atop when those engines fire.”

“How has it been with the rest of the crew? Is everybody getting along?”

“They’re all wonderful. I feel like I’ve known Martine my entire life. Such a smart and accomplished woman,” Landon said. “But I’ve noticed a change in Commander Hainsworth’s demeanour since we docked. He doesn’t seem quite right to me.”