An Astronaut's Destiny

Mark Nelson was stoic as he entered the NASA Houston living quarters for astronauts in training. He walked to his room, opened the door, and slammed it behind him. He dropped onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. “Damn,” he said as he smashed his hand against the wall. A several minutes later, someone knocked on his door.

“Who is it?”

“Anderson. Can I come in?”

Mark sat up on the edge of the bed and said, “I really don’t want to talk to anyone right now, Bill.”

“Let’s talk. I need to know how you’re doing.”

Mark reluctantly got up and opened the door. He looked somber. Bill walked in and asked him to sit down. He put his hand on Mark’s shoulder, “I’m sorry to hear that you didn’t get the pilot’s assignment for the Mars mission. I know you’ve been training hard for this past year.” Bill sat in another chair.

“Cripes, commander, this is a raw deal being the backup pilot. It’s like being the Vice President. I’m just going along for the ride.”

“Hey, being the backup pilot is still an important part of this mission. It’s a complex mission. I’ve been thinking about a key position we need filled. It will give you a significant role before we launch.”

He closed his eyes and shook his head.

Bill frowned, “Stop feeling sorry for yourself. You have a promising career ahead of you, don’t mess it up now.”

He sat and stared glumly at Bill. He didn’t speak for a few minutes as Bill waited for a response.

Mark said, “How can I be a part of the mission and make a difference?”

“Damn it, you aren’t thinking like a team member. I know you thought you were a prime candidate for the pilot’s position. However, you still have a few things to learn. Apparently patience is one of those things,” he added disdainfully.

Mark looked chagrined. “What did you have in mind for me?”

“How about being part of the mission launch team in orbit?”

“What does that mean?”

“You can check out the Asimov spacecraft launch preparations. You need to make sure we don’t have any glitches. I’d like you to be part of that team as an advisor. You know more than the launch specialists and any computer program. You know what’s important to us. That would be a valuable asset to our mission.”

Mark seemed to ponder Bill’s offer. “It sounds like a job the mission specialists can handle. Besides we have been making dry runs in the simulator. What can I add?”

“That is not the same as operating the actual spacecraft. Simulations are fine. We know they don’t always reveal important details. As good as our engineers are they aren’t infallible. Its’ my proposal to Flight Director Peterson, and he agrees that role will be your assignment. You will have final approval of the preparations. You’re selling yourself short, Mark. You have a lot to offer. We need someone with your training to take a fresh hard look at anything before we launch.”

He tried to smile, “Is it really that important?”

“Yes.”

He looked pensive.

Bill said, “Hang in there. It’ll get better.” As he opened the door to leave, he said, “I’ll talk to you again soon.”

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