As the Horizon flew past the Moon the captain of the newest ship in the fleet couldn't help but feel a great sense of happiness at what mankind had accomplished in only a few short decades. Gone were the rust-covered tent cities filled with their crime lords who would rob you of your house and what few belongings you had on you. He knew of course that much work still needed to be done but even so he knew that life was far better now than he had ever known before.
Looking at the controls he saw the procedure to go to warp flight on his tactical displays. A procedure he had done countless times in the sims. But this wasn't a mere simulation that he could retry should he fail. This was real. Here what he did would affect later missions for better or for ill.
"Everything is showing up green command. I'm powering up the warp nacelles now". Alexander Reznikov said over the intercom. He knew that once he entered warp that communicating with command and control would take far too long to be useful. He had to know how to fix anything on his own because he didn't have time to wait for a reply if and when something happened. He knew this ship inside and out and so wasn't too worried when something would undoubtedly fail and would need to be fixed. As he felt the unmistakable sensations of the ship rocking to and fro he looked over at his copilot. Andrew Washington was an odd choice to be on this mission and he was sure the fact he was here at all was as much a surprise to him as it was to most who knew him. The man was eccentric, to say the least and he always seemed two seconds away from doing something that was most definitely not allowed by the regulations of the SFC (Starfleet Command). Upon seeing his copilot go for something he flipped the communications channel to the interior com network. Now what he said wouldn't be picked up by anybody back on Earth and end his time in space with just one mission to his name.
"What the hell is that"? Alexander asked as he watched as the man pulled out a prewar vodka bottle. He knew he was from what was once the Soviet Union but some things were just wrong. In this case, it was the expectation that he enjoyed vodka. He did not. In fact, if he was asked he would opt for a good bottle of whiskey. He guessed that came down to the fact that whiskey was the first thing he had when he was finally old enough to buy such things. Another guess and the one he liked best was it was just a damn fine thing once one had gotten a good bottle down their gullet. The burn of it was something he found he enjoyed and would make sure to get a few any time he was in the bar.
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"Something for when we make history man. We do this and we will be like them guys back in the day. The ladies will be on us like crazy man. All the sex..." Was as far as he got before the look he was getting put a stop to that.
"Please keep that sort of talk to yourself. You know as well as anybody that I'm not looking to have ladies on me all the time. The last one nearly did me in with that um...send off a few days ago. So please keep all the ladies to yourself. I'm good for a while my man". Alexander said as he waved his hand in a way that made it clear he had somebody and said person would do him in in a way that was far less enjoyable and more painful should she ever find him with anybody but her on his arm.
"Um...right sorry I done forgot about your lady. How is she anyhow"?
"She is good. Well not really good anymore but at least the doctors in San Francisco think that they might have a potential cure for what she has. The thing is it'll cost and arm and a leg to have done and even then I'm not too sure it'll be enough". Alexander said as he thought back to the day they found out. He had only been on the mission for a week when the call came in. He had been given leave but she had made him keep on with his training.
"I'll live or I'll die. You leaving aren't going do anything to that. So you do what you're doing here and I'll see you whenever we meet again". Thinking on those words he knew she was right. He had to do this. He would dedicate this mission to her. Pulling his mind back to the here and now he flipped the communications channel back and relaid he was going to warp.
"Copy see you back here in a few days". Came the voice of the mission head. He was one of the few who had been born before the war. Back before the bombs fall and cities burned in their afterglows. It was perhaps one of the reasons he was here now. He had seen loss and if he could ensure those dark days were long gone he would do whatever he had to in order to see it done. In seconds the blackness was replaced by the milk-white of warp speed. A minute later the Horizon dropped below warp speed and turned to face Mars. They would orbit the red planet taken high-resolution photographs before wrapping back to Earth. Sadly when the two would land news came that killed any joy the pair may have had hours later. Alexander had no reason to worry about the cost any longer for his wife had passed away. Her last words were "You did it. Now nobody can say Mars isn't red". Her joke was perhaps the only thing that made her passing bearable.