Space Escape

By Tom Gdisis

“Last one out is a rotten alien egg,” Cheryl laughed as she opened the door to the return space pod.

“I’ll make sure to do a final wave to the space station for you,” chimed Glenn.

“We’ll be back in an hour,” Cheryl replied. She was letting Korean astronaut So Jung practice docking manoeuvres.

Glenn turned back to his duty checklist for station shutdown.

Outside the ship, Cheryl and her two crewmates, So Jung and James, circled the station a final time. Cheryl commanded the crew of four, with James on his first mission, So Jung a decorated Korean veteran, and Glenn operations commander. Everything they had brought to the station was neatly packed and stowed.

The space station was being retired after twenty-three years in service. Some of the equipment had seen better days. This was the third mission Cheryl and Glenn had worked together. They were close.

As Glenn reached the end of his packing, he clutched the 5-by-7 photo of his wife and daughter. He then headed down the narrow corridor to the airlock. It was a small metallic room with a compact window. He swallowed his last bit of berry Twizzler, and sucked in one last breath of stale-recycled air from the place they’d called home for the past 18 months. Securing his helmet over his blonde wavy hair, the inner airlock doors shut with the grating sound of metal. His ears resisted the pressure rise, muffling the sound of hissing air.

“All secure?” asked Cheryl.

Glenn paused. He had an uneasy feeling. Glenn would admit he usually did. Since leaving home in Fort Worth, he had been stressing over his bumpy marriage, his daughter’s college tuition and his plans for a job with ground control upon his return. Cheryl scoffed at the idea of working for ground control. “You won’t find me behind a desk.”

Everything seemed normal, until …FLASH – an alarm sounded. Sparks flew from the airlock panel.

“What’s wrong?” Cheryl gasped, over the comms.

“Something’s up with the airlock door,” Glenn cried out.

Cheryl was a veteran pilot, she’d faced extreme dangers before, on her Middle East tour aboard the carrier Nimitz.

“Oh God,” Glenn blurted.

“What’s wrong?” Cheryl said, frantically pressing her comm.

“The door controls are toast!”

“Try manual override.”

Glenn fumbled with the manual lever. It was stuck solid.

“No use,” Glenn said over the pulsating sound of the alarm.

“I’ll contact mission control,” said Cheryl.

Cheryl was half-Greek and had worked extra hard to gain acceptance in the military and now with NASA. Her dark eyes stared intensely at the radio. After what seemed an eternity, Cheryl received the news from mission control.

“Glenn, mission control says they can’t get a shuttle team up here for three days. I’m so sorry,” she sobbed. “Damn!”

“There’s only enough oxygen for eight hours,” sputtered Glenn. He glanced through the window at the only trip home and then his eyes turned downward to the large blue ball-earth. He stared through the glass; thinking of everything he had gone through. Working his way through college, no scholarship, three part-time jobs and a full load over summer semesters. His father, a janitor and mother a housewife who lived for her children. He was the first to graduate from college in his family. They were proud.

“I’m going to try ramming the door,” Cheryl said, as she exhaled a long breath.

“NO! You could damage your pod and not get back to earth.”

“I’ve got to risk it, Glenn.”

The sphere-shaped pod detached from the space station. Then, with a soft jolt, floated backwards a few yards, and glided forward as the boosters fired. Cheryl winced, wiped the brow above her dark eyes, pushed back her hair, and tugged her helmet back on. The rocket’s glow reflected off the side of the station.

She turned back to So Jung and James, “Hang tight; brace for impact.”

Thud.

The sphere’s hull met with the airlock door. Nothing.

The sphere backed away again, then lurched forward.

Thud.

“Damn it, nothing.”

Glenn stepped back from the air lock door and froze.

Suddenly, a crack appeared on the window of the airlock.

“SHIT!”

Glenn’s eyes widened, he held his breath.

A small wedge of debris hurled toward Glenn, striking Glenn’s suit just below the helmet. His suit split its seams, and internal body fluids splattered the visor.

“NOOooo!” screamed Cheryl.

James and So Jung stared in disbelief.

“Nooo…” Cheryl’s voice trailed off…

The escape pod drifted slowly downward toward the big blue marble below.

***

After the mission, James and So Jung went on to successful careers in space. Cheryl left the suit behind and joined ground control to honour Glenn’s memory. She works in the troubleshooting division. She later married and has a son named Glenn.

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