Chapters Return to the Moon: Mission 12B
"This plan isn't gonna' work, Paul." Eric said with an angered look on his face.
"Hell yeah it will! Everyone will go crazy over it! This is something the world hasn't seen in ages !" Paul said as he waved his hands over his head with excitement. "I can bet you my life this will work!"
"The A.S.R.F has planned everything out. There's a 50/50 chance it will work." Joseph pointed out.
"And think about the money!" Paul said, still overwhelmed with excitement. "Gold will rain into our very hands!"
"It's not just about the money, damn it!" Eric slammed a fist into the wooden table as he stood up from his chair.
Joseph patted Eric's back. "Eric, calm do-"
"You know very well how our last mission ended up. All you... you mindless freaks think about is money ! How about, for once in your lives, you think about the consequences, the safety, the people involved in this!" Eric slightly calmed down as he finished.
A long silence filled the room. Everyone looked down at the floor. They all did know how Mission 12A had ended up. No one had ever brought up that incident since it happened, as no one wanted to be reminded of the brave lives lost on it.
"F -" Eric could barley speak. "Fine... but if something happens to them, you know what will happen to you ."
A huge smile spread across Paul's face. "Perfect..."
Mark's heavy boots thumped with each step he took on the hard, concrete floor. Getting around the A.S.R.F facility was basically playing a maze, except there was a larger chance of you getting lost. The facility itself was larger than a football stadium, maybe even two! (plus the extra test chambers and training courses outside the facility.) What did Paul need now? Mark thought as he tried to remember where Paul's office was. Surely it was to the north, but there was no way of telling which way was which inside this giant labyrinth. Mark took a right turn and entered an office hallway. He was relieved to find a golden plaque with the words "Paul Fredrickson " on top of an office door. Mark, fortunately, had taken the right path. He knocked on the door.
"Come in!" said a high-pitched, raspy voice.
Mark recognized Paul's voice and obediently opened the door and walked inside.
"Knights!" Paul said with a big smile as he stood up. "Glad you could make it! I thought you'd get lost on the the way!"
Mark gave a small grin. "I almost did though!"
"Please, take a seat." Paul sat back down, and so did Mark.
Paul took a thick stack of papers and put them aside. He opened a drawer from his office desk and grabbed a sheet of paper.
"So," Paul began. "the A.S.R.F team has been talking about an important project lately,"
Paul stopped as he placed the sheet of paper on the desk's surface. "Actually, Knights, let me ask you a question: when was the last time a man set foot on the moon?"
Mark tried to remember how long it had been since the most recent success. "Well, sir, it's been more than 53 years. Why?"
"Let me explain this mission thoroughly ," Paul's excitement grew as he spoke. "we recently discovered a new type of material on the moon. It's a flexible metal that can be found deep within the moon's crust. So, to learn more about this material, we're going to need a live sample."
Mark looked at Paul awkwardly. "So you're suggesting that, this mission involves sending a rover back to the moon, and retrieving a new type of ore?"
"Indeed. Well, not entirely. You and your team will be going instead," Paul responded.
"Since when was this mission in mind?" Mark asked.
"Why, it's been planned for over fourteen years!" Paul said with a small chuckle.
Fourteen years? How come Mark hadn't heard a word about this? Surely it was 100% safe if it was tested for this long. There was a long moment of silence. In that moment, Paul just took a cup of coffee and relaxed as he sat in his chair. After a while, Paul finally broke the silence.
"Take your time thinking about it. No need to be rushed," Paul said before he stood up and walked over to the door. "e-mail me when you make up your mind."
Mark stood up from his chair and walked to the exit.
"I will," Mark said as he said his good-byes and walked out the door.
That night, all Mark could think about was the mission. Should he take it? He was stuck between two hard choices, and Mark didn't like making choices one bit. His head was even starting to ache from all of the thinking. As Mark laid in bed, his mind raced through the pros and cons of both choices. Take the mission, one side of his mind would say. You'll never get another chance like this again, take the mission. But another side of his mind would come along and deny it. Don't take the mission. You're not ready for this much pressure and responsibility on you. Just decline the request and go on with your life.
The two sides of his mind would argue and battle as Mark's head pleaded for a rest. Mark decided enough was enough and took some sleeping pills. They helped him fall asleep, but that didn't prevent the mental argument to continue in his dreams, which actually felt more like nightmares. This cycle continued for a week, but eventually, Mark finally came to a conclusion: he would accept the mission. He decided that this indeed was the chance of a lifetime, and that he would most definitively not get another chance like this. Plus, Mark needed a little excitement in his life. Those two components outweighed the rest and led to Mark's conclusion.
Before Mark got to his daily routine, he got on his computer to send the promised e-mail to Paul. As Mark finished, he could feel his head aching less and less, and his mind beginning to focus more and more. When he hit the send button, it was as if Mark had just removed an anvil from his shoulders. The pressure and stress faded away and he regained consciousness of the world around him. Mark had finally made his choice.
"I accept this mission," Mark said confidently. "it is my duty, as a commander at the A.S.R.F to accept any given mission by my host."
That morning, Paul had called Mark into his office. Apparently, Paul wanted to confirm that Mark had accepted the mission by hearing Mark say it himself. Mark thought this was kind of stupid, but saw that it was just a safe way of knowing someone's real answer.
"Wonderful!" Paul exclaimed as he clapped is hands together. "Excellent choice! All I need you to do now is to sign this confirmation sheet and you're all set. That is, other than the health risk sheet, the warning sheet, and... you get the point," Paul slid the sheet across the desk and placed it in front of Mark.
Mark looked down at the sheet. He didn't even bother to read it. He had read it countless times when he read the document files. It wasn't mandatory, he just felt that knowing what each document contained would speed things up for him in the future. Mark picked up a pen from a cup that was on the desk and started sign the sheet. He could see Paul's grin getting wider and wider with each letter Mark wrote on the sheet. Mark finished signing the sheet and handed it to Paul, who by now had the biggest (and creepiest) smile Mark had ever seen.
"The mission will begin in nine months," Paul said, still with a smile. "Time will be extended if clarification of any lesson in training is needed."
"Don't worry. I'm pretty sure I'll handle everything just fine." Mark responded with relaxation as he began to rise from his chair.
Return to the Moon: Mission 12B
"This is getting old really fast," Mark said as he floated in the water.
Mark had been through this course over twenty times already. He had memorized every step to beginning and ending the training course. They almost felt like a haunting to him. First, put the suit on. Make sure the oxygen levels are at least eight point five out of ten. Blah blah blah, submerge into the water feet first. All Mark literally had to do was put on some suit, check its oxygen levels, go underwater, and try to walk and stay balanced at the same time. This test was supposed to simulate walking on the moon's surface, as gravity is very low on the moon. But, of course, Mark had to go through it in order to keep his job and go on the mission.
"Beginning launch simulation in three...two...one, " said a voice on speaker as the floor began to shake violently beneath Mark's feet.
He tightened his hands around the seat's arm rests as the vibrations became stronger by the second. Mark absolutely HATED this training course. He would rather jump in a pool full of piranhas than going through this course! This was, once again, a simulation of the mission. This time, it gave astronauts a feeling of what it is going to be like when they're in the process of launching. A couple more seconds passed until finally, the shaking stopped.
"Thank goodness this thing is over!" Mark sighed out.
He unstrapped his seat belt and immediately got up, wanting to leave the horrid training room.
Mark began to sweat as his frustration built up. Mark just couldn't tell which was the answer to the question he was on. He had been sitting at his desk for nearly half an hour taking that stupid test because he couldn't find the answer to the last question. What is the minimum amount of air that is needed within moon base DLS-16 in order to maintain at least three people? Of course, anyone would think Oh, why don't I just ask the science team? But in this case, Mark wasn't allowed to do that. He had look in his manuals, books, and documents to find the answer or else he would automatically fail the test. Why is this? Mark didn't know. All he knew is that he wouldn't risk failing this test.
Three more months , Mark thought. Three more months and I'm off to the moon . Mark didn't exactly feel anxious. In fact, he slightly regretted ever taking the mission in the first place. But there were two main reasons Mark didn't call the mission off. The first reason was, Mark was trying his absolute best at his job. The second reason was, Mark felt he needed a little more excitement in his life. Though those two reasons held their place in Mark's mind, he thought of the worst that could happen during the mission.
Return to the Moon: Mission 12B
Mark yawned as his eyes slowly cracked open. He got his rest that night, that was for sure. He sat up and and pushed himself to the edge of the bed. As Mark sat there, he heard an all too familiar voice begin speaking to him.
"Good morning, Mark," greeted Luna as calmly walked to Mark's side. "did thou sleep well?"
Mark always thought Luna acted like a puppy in many ways, most of them being the way she moves. He turned his head to see Luna standing next to him.
"Morning, Luna," Mark responded. "slept like a baby last night,"
"We are happy to hear that thou did," Luna said with a little smile.
She seemed... nervous. Or perhaps stressed. Mark couldn't put his finger on it, so he just shrugged it off. Mark got up as he put on his over shirt and pants. They were uncomfortable, but what other choice did he have? He began to walk to the main station room to check the temperature and oxygen levels. He was thinking about checking the communication signal, but he had lost all hopes during the past few days, especially since the radio broke down. There was simply no use to check when it was a fact that the radio wouldn't pick up a signal. Mark walked down the stairs into the main station room and kneeled down in front of the oxygen tanks and temperature monitor. He looked at the oxygen tank levels. The oxygen levels were fifty-six point five and the temperature was seventy-two degrees Fahrenheit. Weak, but good enough , Mark told himself.
As he got up, Mark noticed something. Luna had been following him the entire time. This was odd, as Luna would usually greet Mark with a "good morning" and then just run off and do something else. But Mark, once again, pushed the thought aside and continued his daily routine.
"If I may ask, what did thou have planned for us today?" Luna asked.
For the first time, Mark had plans other than wake up, eat, and sleep. Today, Mark was going to be active trying to find a solution to the loss of air. He would try and figure out how to use less air while still holding the minimum amount needed. But from how well Mark knew Luna, she would definitely not be interested in the situation. Maybe Luna could just hang around or re-read one of the books that were in Mark's room.
"Well, I was sorta going to try and solve our oxygen complications, but I didn't really have plans for you," Mark admitted.
"Perhaps we can serve a use?" Luna questioned.
Luna? Helping? Mark never thought he would hear those two words combine. He thought about it for a moment.
"Alright then," Mark finally said. "but first, let's head over to the dining room for breakfast,"
Mark saw Luna's eyes brighten up in excitement, yet, they still held that tensed look from earlier. She began to trot alongside Mark. What is up with her? Mark thought. He kept walking as he pondered on the calculations he would need to find his solution.
Mark and Luna were half way finished with their meal already. Mark noticed Luna didn't talk much, but she sure did seem less talkative than usual for some reason. Mark would ask why, if not for the fact that he would drift off and focus on his calculations from time to time.
When they were finished, Mark and Luna began walking back to Mark's room to begin the "problem solving." On their way there, Mark remembered he had left his notebook and pencils in the communication center from last week's events.
"Wait, Luna. I forgot my notebook in the communication center. I'll go get em'," Mark said.
"Wait!" exclaimed Luna as she tugged on Mark's shirt.
What is her problem? Mark thought. There was a moment of silence before Mark spoke again.
"Wait for what?" Mark asked.
Mark noticed Luna began to get really, REALLY nervous. Okay, now something was up, Mark knew for sure.
"Uh... I uh...," Luna couldn't find any words to say until she finally sighed. "nothing,"
"Um... okay?" Mark said as he raised an eyebrow.
Obviously Mark wasn't born yesterday. He knew something was wrong. Maybe she was dealing with depression, like when he first met her. So Mark, once again, shrugged it off and let Luna be. When they arrived at the communication center, they began searching for Mark's notebook. In a couple of minutes, Mark managed to find his notebook, but still couldn't find the pencils. Aha! Mark remembered. I left them on the radio's table from when I took notes! Mark walked over to the table and saw a pencil under the table on the floor. He kneeled down to pick it up, only to notice a small, red light turning off and on at random intervals. Mark immediately knew what this meant.
"The radio's picking up a signal," Mark gasped. "The radio's picking up a signal!"
Mark sat in the chair next to the table and plugged in a headset into the radio. He started tampering with the controls to get better reception. Mark was finally going to be able to talk to the A.S.R.F crew again!
"Wh-t the hell? Wh- is this? H-llo? Hell-? Is any-n- ther-?" a voice on the radio said.
It was cutting off, but was enough to let Mark know what the man on the radio was saying.
"Yes! Hello? This is Mark Knights, the man who went on the mission four weeks ago! Send help!" Mark said as the thought of finally going home flooded his mind. "Please, PLEASE send help immediately!"
Dead silence other than Mark's heavy breathing filled the room.
"H-hello?" Mark said in fear.
Mark slowly looked down at the radio console and saw the last thing he wanted to see right now: the red light turning off. He sat there, frozen, for what felt like an eternity until Mark laid his head against the table surface.
"No," Mark muttered under his breath. "this can't be happening right now,"
Mark felt something rest on his shoulder, which he identified as Luna's hoof. He lifted his head up and slowly began to look over his shoulder. But before he could even look at Luna, he caught a glimpse of something. He looked back at the radio and noticed its side was a little out of place.. Actually, it was very out of place.
