Oleander (492 hits)
Category: GeneralRating: 1 on 4 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Biz <bizantine.at.hotmail.com> (View user info) at 2005-08-11 22:05:36 EDT
The Oleander stood, tall and silent, a living monument to mankind's achievements, its endurance. Television cameras swarmed about its base, thousands of lenses trained on the cockpit, where Meng Chang ran through the final safety checks, in preparation for tomorrow, a day many people said would never come.
"Almost 100 years ago, Man first set food on the moon. Tomorrow, the 12-person team will follow in that tradition..." a reporter chimed.
"...to realise a dream that man has had since..." another announced, as the VC sped past. A 2-wheel vehicle, the VC was made in the style of 20th century motorbikes, but considerably larger to accommodate two people, and with a wider wheel-base. With its two enclosed passengers, it negotiated the media swarm, heading to central command. The lights reflected off the visor, making it hard to distinguish the occupants, but as it wheeled around the crowds of people, a finger was pressed against the inside of the glass.
"Look! There's the guy from channel 12." Shanti exclaimed in delight.
Su didn't respond. She nudged him.
"Are they going to interview you?" Her eyes were wide. "Can I meet Razul Venkatesh?"
"Su smiled. "How many cups of coffee have you had?"
"Five; is that a Morheeb?" She asked, without missing a breath.
He glanced over his shoulder at the all-terrain vehicle they'd just passed, being demonstrated for the media.
"Yeah. I had a go in one like that."
"Last week? You never told me that!" She exclaimed, hitting him playfully, then wrapping her arms around one of his and moving closer.
"I wish you were going." She said dreamily.
"Thanks." He replied, with a sarcastic grunt.
"Oh, you know what I mean. My boyfriend would be an astronaut. 'Astronaut's Brother' doesn't sound as impressive."
"Well I'm sure he'll bring back photographs." He replied, winking at her.
The Engine slowed with a crackle and they pulled to a halt. Su let go of the wheel and put his hand on Shanti's cheek, while she rested her head on his arm.
"Come on, the paparazzi await," He said, grinning.
She beamed back at him and looked over his shoulder at the guard, who nodded in acknowledgement. Some minutes, and many security checks later, they were walking through the corridors of central command. They passed a famous, framed photo of Razul Venkatesh playing chess against Akbar Amari, with his hand pressed to his visor, and almost silhouetted against the Martian landscape in a classic Socratic thinking pose.
There was a commotion coming from the control room, and as a guard opened the door for them, they could tell it was celebration. There were fewer cameras in here, but they made up for it by their prominence, in the faces of all the senior staff. Tonight was just a formality, but ISA was sparing no opportunity to showcase their work. It was important to Su, too. This was his brother's big moment, since he wouldn't have a prominent role in the flight itself, and the last-minute checks were left to him. The rest of the crew were at the press conference, which could be seen on one of the many screen dotted around the room.
"K.L., I'm coming home" Meng announced clearly. Su turned, to see his brother signing off, on a screen that dominated the room.
"Roger." The commandant responded with a smile, mainly for the cameras. It was all very Hollywood, except Holloywood was long gone, and would probably be turning over in its grave if it knew these events were playing out in Kuala Lumpur instead of Cape Canaveral.
"Don't tell him we missed it." Su whispered.
Shanti winked back.
"...Brother of the Standby co-pilot, Su Chang."
Su froze, still facing Shanti. Her face was contorted in a petrified smile. His eyes wandered left, towards the screen, in a query to his girlfriend, who nodded indiscernibly. He swallowed hard and turned to face the cameras. The bright lights were dazzling, and made him think of the billions who could be watching him.
User Reviews
Submitted by Bizantine (user info) at 2005-08-13 16:22:21 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Xcuses, yes. but trust me, it's not going to be something to look forward to. You have my sympathies.
Submitted by Xcuses (user info) at 2005-08-12 10:11:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
since you know the future, will I ever get married?
Submitted by Bizantine (user info) at 2005-08-12 08:54:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
it's set like 60 years in the future, so they're not born yet ;)
Submitted by project_nessa (user info) at 2005-08-12 00:06:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Who are these people?