Chapter I: The Launch"The sounds of the rockets were deafening, but the thought that these were taking us to the far beyond, was clear as day. It was so clear, that I felt like it wasn't real. I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that my group of highly trained astronauts and I were going to be the first humans on Mars. Ever since the discovery of water only three hundred feet below the surface in 2021, it has been a race to see which country would launch first. It is June 3, 2024, and my crew and I are on our way to make history. This is Brian Smith, entry log number one." We were forced to keep regular logs as a way to keep our mind at rest. I didn't find it too helpful, but you do what the president tells you to, or they will send you back to earth with the push of a button.
"Hey, Klutz," Chewie called me from his bunk, "you almost done on that thing? You have been talking to it for hours."
"Sorry for wanting my first entry log to be meaningful." I said jokingly.
"Haha. You really think that Houston gives a **** about it being meaningful? They just hope you aren't thinking about blowing our brains out halfway through the trip."
"Six months in a container with you? Now why would that drive me insane?"
"Hey watch it Klutz, you might be captain, but I have been able to kick your *** since the second grade." We both laughed, but we knew that being in this small container for so long, truly could drive one of us insane, and we knew what we had to do if it came to that. I am just hoping that it doesn't come down to it.
"You boys done messing around in here? We actually have some serious work to attend to, Houston wanted us to contact them as soon as we dropped our initial fuel canisters." Judy said as she floated into our room.
"Oh, we were just joking around. I will call the president on the M.P.C.D." I responded. She floated out of the room with the face of a mother that picked up her kids from daycare.
I decided not to fight with her, so I floated up to the third level, also known as the control room. It held the Multi Planet Communication Device, used to contact the president, who for his safety was stationed on a newly sprouting outpost called Destiny on the the moon. I booted it up and filed through the contacts which consisted of family members, the government space station in Houston, and of course, Destiny. I clicked on Destiny and almost immediately the president was displayed on a 40" screen on the wall.
"Good job Captain. You making this call, I assume that you are on your way here?" The President asked.
"Yes Mr. President. We will be landing on the Moon in about eight hours in order to refuel, and wait for mars to be in it's prime location."
"Good to hear. Well, have safe travels, I will see you when you arrive here at Destiny." Then with the push of a button, we were alone again, drifting like what seemed to be aimlessly in space. It was an eerie feeling. Although I knew we were on our way to a specific location, the pitch black sky, and shimmering christmas lights in the sky, seemed like something straight out of a dream.
We were heading for destiny.
