”
From his seat at the back of the passenger corridor, Will overheard Frank’s request and Tony’s response over the comm-set. He looked at the back of his fellow crew members’ helmets, almost hoping that one of them would rise to the occasion. Maybe Sara would like to go, he thought. She is always trying to prove that she’s as capable as anyone else. But he knew he was kidding himself. He knew it would be his responsibility. Eden Project ethics dictated that men should avoid putting women in harm’s way. He had been raised to believe this. His grandfather had given his life to remain true to this edict.
Besides, Sara wasn’t budging. Will summoned his courage and unbuckled his harness. “I’ll go,” he announced over his comm-set as he removed his thigh straps and pulled himself forward.
Laura and Sara both twisted in their seats to look as he passed between them. They all understood why he was going. Nevertheless, it was still a surprise to see Will rise to the challenge without even a moment of hesitation.
Will couldn’t see their expressions, but he could feel their respect. It was an unusual sensation for him. He had felt the respect of others for his knowledge as a scientist. He had felt the respect of his wife for his honesty and loyalty to her. But he had never felt respect for his bravery.
“ Make it quick, Will! ” Frank’s voice crackled in Will’s helmet. “ We’re running out of time! ”
Will passed between Maria and Adia, breaking Adia’s grip on Maria’s hand. Maria reached up and took Will’s arm. Will turned to face her and saw her worried look through her helmet visor. He had seen this look several times before. Once, when his wife had been ill, after the birth of their first child. Maria had been there by her side, the most loyal of family friends. And when Maria’s brother joined the Luyten Separatists, she had that same look for weeks afterward, until they had received a transmission from the fledgling outpost on Luyten Seven, and she learned that her brother was doing fine.
“Hurry back, Will,” Maria pleaded.
“Don’t worry,” Will assured her, patting her hand with his own. “I’ll be back before you notice I’m gone.” He gave her a half-hearted smile before he turned and continued toward the airlock compartment.
Maria watched him as he entered the next compartment. She couldn’t believe he was going. Of all the people she had worried about, of all those whose safety she had questioned, she never thought that she would fear for Will. He was such a quiet, diminutive man. So unassuming, polite, and trustworthy. So careful and safe—not at all the type to volunteer for something like this. She thought about Will’s wife, Abigail. She had been her closest friend for as long as she could remember. She had been Abby’s maid of honor at their wedding. Maria had delivered both of their children, and had nursed them all through various illnesses. And she had watched as Will and Abby became what every pre-selected couple on board hoped to become: a real, loving family. She couldn’t imagine what Abby would do without him.
Jack moved across to the other side of the corridor. The pods were arranged in a row—three pods on each side of the corridor, each offset from the other. He reached the second pod, and activated the manual override system on the wall next to the pod bay’s access hatch. According to his data pad, he had to wait at least twenty seconds between each pod launch to avoid any collisions during their planet-fall.
Will couldn’t believe it had been so easy. All he had to do was get up and start moving. And just like that, his crewmates saw him as brave. But Will knew that the first step was probably the easiest. After all, he hadn’t been left with many choices.
“How much time do I have, Frank?” Will asked as he opened the hatch to the
From his seat at the back of the passenger corridor, Will overheard Frank’s request and Tony’s response over the comm-set. He looked at the back of his fellow crew members’ helmets, almost hoping that one of them would rise to the occasion. Maybe Sara would like to go, he thought. She is always trying to prove that she’s as capable as anyone else. But he knew he was kidding himself. He knew it would be his responsibility. Eden Project ethics dictated that men should avoid putting women in harm’s way. He had been raised to believe this. His grandfather had given his life to remain true to this edict.
Besides, Sara wasn’t budging. Will summoned his courage and unbuckled his harness. “I’ll go,” he announced over his comm-set as he removed his thigh straps and pulled himself forward.
Laura and Sara both twisted in their seats to look as he passed between them. They all understood why he was going. Nevertheless, it was still a surprise to see Will rise to the challenge without even a moment of hesitation.
Will couldn’t see their expressions, but he could feel their respect. It was an unusual sensation for him. He had felt the respect of others for his knowledge as a scientist. He had felt the respect of his wife for his honesty and loyalty to her. But he had never felt respect for his bravery.
“ Make it quick, Will! ” Frank’s voice crackled in Will’s helmet. “ We’re running out of time! ”
Will passed between Maria and Adia, breaking Adia’s grip on Maria’s hand. Maria reached up and took Will’s arm. Will turned to face her and saw her worried look through her helmet visor. He had seen this look several times before. Once, when his wife had been ill, after the birth of their first child. Maria had been there by her side, the most loyal of family friends. And when Maria’s brother joined the Luyten Separatists, she had that same look for weeks afterward, until they had received a transmission from the fledgling outpost on Luyten Seven, and she learned that her brother was doing fine.
“Hurry back, Will,” Maria pleaded.
“Don’t worry,” Will assured her, patting her hand with his own. “I’ll be back before you notice I’m gone.” He gave her a half-hearted smile before he turned and continued toward the airlock compartment.
Maria watched him as he entered the next compartment. She couldn’t believe he was going. Of all the people she had worried about, of all those whose safety she had questioned, she never thought that she would fear for Will. He was such a quiet, diminutive man. So unassuming, polite, and trustworthy. So careful and safe—not at all the type to volunteer for something like this. She thought about Will’s wife, Abigail. She had been her closest friend for as long as she could remember. She had been Abby’s maid of honor at their wedding. Maria had delivered both of their children, and had nursed them all through various illnesses. And she had watched as Will and Abby became what every pre-selected couple on board hoped to become: a real, loving family. She couldn’t imagine what Abby would do without him.
Jack moved across to the other side of the corridor. The pods were arranged in a row—three pods on each side of the corridor, each offset from the other. He reached the second pod, and activated the manual override system on the wall next to the pod bay’s access hatch. According to his data pad, he had to wait at least twenty seconds between each pod launch to avoid any collisions during their planet-fall.
Will couldn’t believe it had been so easy. All he had to do was get up and start moving. And just like that, his crewmates saw him as brave. But Will knew that the first step was probably the easiest. After all, he hadn’t been left with many choices.
“How much time do I have, Frank?” Will asked as he opened the hatch to the
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