CHAPTER 15

The weather wasn’t cooperating. As he stood out in the open on the deck, Sammy tried his best not to get sick. Twenty-five foot swells bashed the sides of the vessel, and a light rain whipped across the deck. Even though the aircraft carrier was very stable in the water, the sense of movement had his stomach roiling. “Ugh! Somebody better get me a Pepto. I think I’m going to lose my load any moment now.”

Janice handed him some pills and a glass of water. “Didn’t you take your sea sickness pills like I warned you? Honestly, Sammy, sometimes you take this macho thing too far.”

He popped the medication in his mouth and drained the glass. “Thanks, kiddo. I don’t know what I’d do without ya.”

“Pff! Probably be in jail by now…or dead.”

He smiled at her quip then settled back into the scowl befitting his demeanor. It’s that damned Higgy getting even with me when I cut his funding again. Stalling the reentry so’s I can get sick out here. “Any word on how long?”

An ensign standing near pulled up his comp pad and showed it to Sammy. “Telemetry has them on target to splash down off our port side in seven minutes, sir.”

“Huh, I guess I can last that long. Where’s Rear Admiral Jenkins at? See if he can keep this tub steady until then.”

“He’s up in the bridge, sir. Did you wish me to radio him with that request?”

Sammy chuckled. The young ensign wore such a sincere expression, he didn’t know if the fellow was serious or not. “Naw, I’ll manage. How long did you say it will take to retrieve the capsule?”

“Thirty to forty-five minutes. It all depends how far away it lands.”

“Hmm.” Sammy looked at the empty glass in his hand. “Jay girl, see what you can do about getting something a little bit more potent to celebrate with when they get onboard, will you?”

Janice pulled the glass away. “You can’t drink after taking those pills. It will only make you sicker.”

“Now ya tell me! I knew I shoulda toughed it out.”

The ensign handed him the pad again. “We have visual, sir. It’s right on target. The chutes should be deploying any second. Rear Admiral Jenkins has already started to move toward the splashdown point.”

He hoisted the pad and watched as the parachutes opened, slowing the descent of the capsule. The ensign nudged him and pointed. “Look up there, sir. You can see it coming down from here.”

Sammy moved forward a couple of steps, shielded his eyes with his left hand, and looked where the ensign was pointing. Plummeting down, right toward them, was the EROS I, the three large chutes splayed above it like giant mushrooms. “Ain’t that a sight!”

To his left, two large helicopters lifted off the deck and began to move out. It surprised him how fast the capsule was falling. Perhaps fifty feet from hitting the water, the parachutes cut free and flew away. The EROS I plummeted the final few feet. He had always thought it would float down, like a feather on the wind.

When it hit the water, the sound of the splash was louder than the noise from the helicopters as a large spray erupted from the impact point. The capsule bobbed up and the helicopters reached it in moments. A cable lowered from one, while men were jumping into the water from the other. They scrambled up onto the capsule, grabbed hold of the lowered cable and attached it to the top. The helicopter hoisted the EROS I up and returned to the deck of the carrier.

Upset stomach forgotten, Sammy stepped quickly to where the capsule was lowered onto the deck. The ensign put a staying arm in front of him. “Please, sir. No closer. Not until the cable is detached.”

He felt like a kid waiting for a ride on the roller coaster. Many of the other dignitaries onboard huddled near. His excitement had him fidgeting. “Jay, you got the stuff?”

“Right here, Mr. President.” She produced a case and opened it, exposing four medals on ribbons.

The moment he had been waiting for had finally come. The capsule was being opened. Four wheelchairs were lined up, and two men climbed in the ship. After perhaps two minutes, they emerged with Captain Jesse Cain between them. Sammy joined in a cheer and a round of applause erupting from everyone gathered. Jesse waved a hand as they sat him in the farthest chair.

It took less time for the team to retrieve the next astronaut, Brooke Jones. She stood and waved before being seated. The other two followed suit and once all four were on deck, Sammy stepped forward, Janice right behind him. “It is with great honor that I am here to greet the four of you today. Never has mankind traveled so far, or withstood such dangers in the name of science. It is my esteemed privilege to decorate each and every one of you with our highest honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”

He reached into the case and retrieved the first one which he placed over Captain Cain’s head. Taking the man’s hand, he shook vigorously at first but quickly softened his grip. Damn, the man’s as weak as a kitten! Janice warned me that might be the case.

“Congratulations, Captain. Your leadership in this endeavor will forever be enshrined in the halls of Washington.”

Jesse winced for a moment, but then the smile returned to his face. “Thank you, Mr. President, but the pleasure was all mine. The chance to be the first to step on the Red Planet was beyond my wildest dreams.”

“I envy you. I truly do.”

When he moved to astronaut Jones, she surprised him by rising and taking his hand firmly. “Mr. President, it’s an honor.”

He chuckled. “No, you got that wrong, the honor is all mine. Being the scientist who discovered the first alien life is something no one can take away from you. What an accomplishment indeed.” So how come she’s not weak?

He completed the ritual with the other two astronauts, both of them frail like Jesse, then turned and faced the crowd and the cameras. “All the people of America, correct that, all the people of the planet Earth are in your debt for the service you have done for us. Never again will the question be raised, are we alone? Never again will the ingenuity and determination of humanity be questioned as we reach out, first for the planets, then the stars. I salute you.”

He raised his left hand in salute, and everyone else followed suit. When he finally brought his arm down, the thunderous applause and cheering drowned out the thanks from the astronauts.

He stepped away from the crew and let the media swarm in. When he managed to reach his own personal helicopter, he paused to look back one last time at the intrepid crew of the EROS I and smiled.

Damn. I wished it could have been me.