Chapter 2

Like a Family

Rei and Hugh, tied up together, came into the command module. Hugh was still unconscious. Alex closed the hatch hurriedly. They filled in the air which was let out in a manual mode. Chang sent over a signal after having checked the barometric pressure gauge. The crews took off their helmets. It was not yet time to celebrate. Rei sat on her captain seat. Chang and Alex assisted Hugh to sit on a chair. On the outside, Hugh did not seem to be hurt. However, they had no idea how much internal bleeding he was having. In case of internal bleeding in zero-gravity, it was extremely difficult to let it flow out.

Chang spoke out anxiously, “Could he survive?” “We have no choice, let’s hurry,” Rei said. Alex put a X shape safety belt around Hugh, “OK, Will start right away with capcom.” The position in the orbit was not bad. “Here we go. Slowing down the engine.” Rei injected the engine break control at the speed of 500km per hour. “Let’s give it a try!”

They could feel the Earth pulling them towards it. In about 25 minutes, they will be able do a free fall. In the meantime, the gravity of 4 times greater power than that of Earth, will weigh down on the four crews. Their airway was not an exception.

As it became more difficult to breathe, Alex shouted out, “I really....hate gorillas.” Rei answered, “You are so corny." 'Gorilla' is a traditional expression for the pain felt by astronauts when the acceleration of gravity increases. "I actually think this feeling is rather sweet? I imagine handsome Hugh sitting on me.” Rei’s words stopped and stopped in between.

Chang said, “Rei, but Hugh...is lying there like that?” Rei suddenly turned wildly angry. “Hugh, will be all right! He will get well again!” Alex tried to cool down Rei. “Okay, Okay, no need to lose yourself”

Outside the small window of the command module, a grand plasma made due to the frictional heat, glimmered as if awaiting to devour the ship. The heat sink underneath the command module was vaporizing. The fire, for some reason, reminded Rei of Hugh’s brown curly hair. The parachutes opened up. The body of the crews suddenly lurched forward as if they had been in a car crash.

“Wow!”

“We are alive!”

They were safe. As the parachutes opened, their return home was over 90% a success.

“Captain. we are all so lucky!” Alex cheered clapping his hands and Chang gave a shout of joy.

Chang said, “My mom used to tell me that my MING will be long.” “MING? What’s that?” Rei asked. Rei’s parents were from Japan, but Rei did not know much Chinese characters. Chang answered, “Oh, it is a Chinese letter meaning LIFE.”

The command module fell at a point quite near the expected landing spot of the East Sea. Chang and Alex opened the hatch first and helped Hugh come out. Doctors who were awaiting for them at a nearby barge assisted them to move Hugh onto the barge.

“Don’t worry. We assume it’s only a light concussion.”

One of the doctors having noticed Rei’s worried face, told her not to worry and pointing his thumb at her. The pilots were escorted to a helicopter of which a large 'Dragonfly' company logo was drawn on its outside. Alex and Chang staggered as they were not used to Earth’s gravity yet.

“Wow, what’s this luxury about?” Michelle Chang opened her eyes wide, and looked at the blue helicopter with white writing, S-76 Sikorsky written on it.

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It was the first time a helicopter was awaiting to pick them up. They were not actual pilots yet, they were still audition challengers.

Rei smiled at the crews, as she stretched her long legs to ride on the helicopter. “I guess there is a reason. I picture it already,” Chang asked back, “What picture?” Rei said, “You will see. I think it will a huge bustle”

The helicopter stopped at the astronaut training facility near West Sea satellite launch site in Korea Federation. The heliport seemed to be newly renovated as the asphalt’s dark gray contrasted vividly with the clean white lines. There were thousands of reporters on site. It seemed that nearly all the press bureaus stationed in Pyongyang had sent a reporter.

Alex was bewildered and scratched his head. “What? So many of them! How did them come to this faraway countryside so fast?” Rei tapped on Alex’s shoulder and said, "I told you it will be a bustle. Such a scene happened up there was broadcasted live. Who would not come here for an interview? So, try your best not to stagger, walk straight and get your mind right. This means that our team has high possibility of winning! Here we go, get ready!”

The helicopter door opened up and Rei stepped down to the asphalt floor. Tons of flashes bursted. Rei, holding her helmet with her right hand smiled brightly. “Great! Keep on smiling!”

Rei asked the other crews to make a pose in front of the camera as well. Rei, as if doing a football goal ceremony, twisted her forefinger and middle-finger and touched her left eyebrows with it. With her ring finger folded and her little finger open, she made her own style of a salute. It was indeed, return of the heroine.

The staffs restricted the reporters from getting too close to the crews. However, they stretched out their boom microphones and continued asking questions. "How do you feel?” “What is the string you had used to tie your colleague?” “Was the escape you just made instructed in the manual?”

One of the reporters asked a question aloud, “Wasn’t it too dangerous?”

Rei who was smiling as she walked, stopped at that point. She stared at the reporter who asked the last question. There was an instant tension but soon, she smiled kindly and said, “Magellan did not return to Spain...but I am alive right in front of you. Should I be sorry for this?”

Rei asked the reporter to move closer to her by moving her fingers. The reporter, eager to hear more about the journey, bent closer to Rei. Rei moved her face nearer to the reporter, near enough to be able to kiss him, and with a sweet smile on her face, said, “You bastard. Is that all you can say to someone who survived from near death experience?” Rei kicked the reporter’s leg and the reporter helplessly knelt down. Nobody had noticed Rei’s kick. Everyone looked bewildered. Rei, as if nothing had happened, continued waving her hands at the reporters.

...

The astronauts rode their mini-bus and arrived at Mars Camp One, their lodge for the night. The three crews were finally able to take off their pressure suits. Inside their suits were all wet with sweat. Although everything was over, the fever was still lingering. It was an accident which almost killed two astronauts.

Rei, unlike herself, said to the other crews, “You know what? I was wondering...who would cry for me if I die.”

Chang jokingly looked over at Rei and answered, “Hey, you are an idol star! I am sure millions of your fans will cry!”

But Rei wasn’t joking. She was serious. “No, not that...” Chang smiled and stroke Rei’s hair. “Why do you say that?”

Rei was more than perfect in everything. She had balanced and robust body, and her inner persistence and agility added with the physical fitness made her stand out in all sports training.

Rei said, “You silly! I don’t have a family. I am all by myself.” Michelle Chang suddenly opened her eyes widely. “Really? Me neither, I have no family as well.” Rei looked back at Chang and said, “Hey... Michelle, you always talked about your mom.” Chang replied, “Yeah. But she passed away. It’s been more than 10 years.” Rei hugged Michelle. “I’m so sorry, Chang.”

Robin Alex also came over to them. “Let’s talk a little more. There’s something weird about this.” Michelle Chang stared at Alex. “What is weird? Then...you too, Alex?” Alex, with a straight face, nodded back. “Wow...” Michelle Chang’s face stiffened.

The three crews fell into silence. The process of Dragonfly, selecting the pilots for 'Mars Two Project' was as same as the way they chose for 'Mars One Project'. It was even more competitive. Among 2,700 applicants, they narrowed to 500, then to 100 and the final 24 were divided into 6 groups of 4. The whole process was open to public, and audience vote on TV was also added. The broadcasting right of this space reality show was sold throughout the world and the world audience participated in the show by sending their vote. The size of the advertisement income for the show was more than a triple times bigger than that of a once famous Super Ball Games. The sports management and copyright companies envied Dragonfly as they were sweeping all the money.

Alex said waving his hands in the air with an absurd face. “Then...who were those people waving hands outside the quarantine room? I remember that there were kids there too.” Chang said, “Well...they must have been Hugh’s family. I don’t know, I am gonna go take a leak. Luckily this time, my diaper is feeling fresh and clean.” She got up and walked over to the shower room. Chang was smiling but her eyes were wet with tears. Rei must have hurt the dark side of Chang’s past.

Alex kept his absurd face. “Whichever way you think...this is stochastically impossible.” Rei said, “Maybe...” “Maybe?” Alex listened up curiously with his ears up. Alex’s ears really moved upwards when he wanted it to.

“Perhaps it’s natural. People do say that the journey to Mars is a one way trip, so called a 'suicide journey', that it’s so crazy. Perhaps we are the people suitable for this kind of a task? We, who are used to disguising our loneliness...” Rei said. She walked towards the shower, waving her hands at Alex. Rei thought it did not matter – whether the crews had a family or not, whether there was a grand conspiracy behind everything or not. Rei recalled Hugh and smiled. Maybe it’s not that bad after all. 'Two men and two women. I guess we will be like a family.'