Stars

Part II (continued) - First Jump

The same basic principle which had allowed mankind to explore the solar system, as well as a rather large parcel of space surrounding Terriana, now promised to open new vistas to man's inherent curiosity. The Tomlinson Effect had been bred to such a degree that science could now generate gravitational forces powerful enough to create a singularity. This was what men had been searching for for centuries. A means to explore the universe first hand. No more sitting around listening to static, praying for contact. The power to go out and find intelligent life was now in their grasp. At least in the grasp of a certain Captain John Sekora.

In theory the principle seemed almost logical. It was the long flight, Terriana dwindling behind, that was just a little frightening. And John Sekora was just a little frightened. Negotiating the Singularity. That's what they called it in the briefings. Flying into a black hole was what it looked like from the bridge of the Puddle Jumper.

The Puddle Jumper. Damned cute name for a multi-million dollar tin coffin. When did they change their minds anyway. It wasn't that long ago that everyone knew that flying into a black hole was suicide. You pass the event horizon and proceed to be torn apart into sub-atomic particles as you become part of the core and compress to greater and greater density. Somewhere along the line, someone decided that the hole was actually a gate to the universe. Instantaneous transportation.

Negotiating the Singularity. It had all sounded so grand in the beginning. Making history, that's what it was all about. John had been fascinated with space flight since grade school. He had joined the Air Defense Corps to get involved in flying. It wasn't long before he had mastered atmospheric flight and started looking for a way to get out into the void. At twenty three he applied to the IGS as an Intra-System Navigator. Two Years later he passed his Pilot's Comprehensive Examination. Three years after that he had command of a Planetary Class Exploratory Cruiser. 

When word got around that a new drive system was in the works, he decided that he would be part of the test flight team. The rumor mill was frantic with stories of the S-Drive. According to all reliable sources the new system was capable of transporting ships millions of miles in an instant. If the real thing was even half what it was purported to be, it could be the most important advance in travel since the Grav-Drive was first adapted to space flight. This was exactly the kind of event John had been waiting for his entire life. He would be a part of it.

"You're not going." Janet Sekora was nothing if not practical. "It's bad enough you're gone for months at a time now. This is just plain stupid."

"Janet, you don't understand." This wasn't going to be easy. "This will be history-making."

"Well if it's that God damned important they must have hundreds of idiots lined up to go. You're not going."
Somehow Janet had decided that he was doing this to her. "What am I supposed to do? Sit here and play the supporting wife while you flit off to some star a bazillion miles away?"

"Look, Janet, this is important. It could change everything. Don't you see? It will change everything!"

"I'll tell you what it will change. It'll make me a widow. Don't you get it, John? Those assholes don't know what they're doing. If you go up there you're not coming back."

"Jan. I want to go with your blessing. I want your support. But the fact is, with or without it, I'm going. I've already signed the waivers. I'm on the team. I leave for the Orbital Dock in two weeks to begin training."

"You son of a bitch!" The accompanying slap didn't hurt half as much as the look on her face. "You signed up without even talking to me first?" 

"Janet..."

"YOU'RE NOT GOING! I'M NOT DISCUSSING THIS ANY MORE!" With that she flew down the hall and locked herself in the bedroom.

That was the last time he saw her. It wasn't that he didn't want to, it was just too easy to find excuses not to face that again. Any way, if he got back...when he got back he'd be famous. When it comes down to it, there isn't room in the life of a hero for a wife anyway. She'd just get in the way, cramp his style.

The problem with reliving the past is they don't let you change anything. You're bound to make the same stupid decisions over and over again. Instant replay; it's for the coach, not the players.

"Captain Sekora, this is Flight Control. Begin preparations for manual tests." The voice in his headset snapped him back to reality. Not much better than where had been.

"Sekora here. Acknowledged. Preparing for manual tests."

"Turning over flight controls in fifteen clicks. Following completion, return controls to FC with a 30 click countdown to Jump." None of this was news to Captain Sekora. This flight had been simulated hundreds of times in the past three years.

"Kyle, bring the Navi-com on line. get ready for manual flight tests."

"All systems up and green, Captain. Ready on your mark."

"Manual in eight clicks... six... five... four... three...         two... one... MARK!"

"We have manual Captain."

"Initiating test flight sequence."

The manual tests had gone smoothly, too smoothly. It wouldn't have taken much to abort the mission. Going home was foremost in John's mind suddenly. Janet. He tried to call up a picture of her, but somehow it wouldn't materialize. Janet. Maybe she had been right all along. There really had been hundreds of guys begging for a chance to be here now. Was it this important for it to be him? He was a long way from home to be thinking like that now. He glanced at the count down clock. Fifteen and counting. He really wished he could tell her how much he loved her. He should have told her a long time ago.

Ten and counting. When I get back... Five... I'll make... four... it up... three... to... two... her... one...

Captain John Sekora watched as the counter clicked to zero. His eyes registered the change, but before his mind deciphered the information, he was beyond the Event Horizon and racing down a black corridor toward an even blacker cavity. 

As the Puddle Jumper disappeared from the Flight Control monitors, a wild cheer of success exploded in the control room. Soon the news of the flight had leaked out and found it's way to news agencies. It wasn't long before the entire world heard of this momentous feat. 

At the Sekora residence, while John was watching the clock, it was early in the morning. Janet hadn't slept well that night. Actually, she hadn't slept well since John left. She still had a hard time believing he would just walk away like that. Maybe she had under estimated how important it had been to him. She had been sure he'd be back. Was he really that dedicated, or was he just bullheaded? What ever he was, he was up there somewhere, preparing to make history.

She was standing by the stove, waiting for the water to begin boiling, lost in though. If you had asked her, she would have smiled and told you that she didn't believe in ESP, telepathy, omens, or any of that shit. But as she stood there, alone in her kitchen, watching the water boil away in the glass pot, she was enveloped in a cloud of blackness so vivid she could taste the emptiness of it. In that instant she knew, knew, that John was gone.

It was several months before the experts concurred.