R is for Rocket
By: Ryan Scott
Tags: Short Story, Space, Fiction, Science Fiction

Hong Kong, China

Zhao Family Apartment

[07/21/2097]

local time: 1:35 am

Children come quick!!

Jumping down the steps two at a time, they filed into the living room to catch what was to be their first Launch. This was the first time their parents had allowed them to stay up to watch the event on TV, and the day could not have come any sooner. All the stories they had heard from their older friends could now be put to rest… the glowing sky… the trembling ground, even the gullible minds possessed by the young were not naive enough to accept these claims as true. Hesitant with doubt yet consumed with curiosity, the kids prayed for the day when they would finally be allowed to experience first-hand what they had heard so much about. Sitting close and eyes fixed to the screen, they were ready to document all the details of a world so foreign to their own. Having already experienced a Launch, the parents calmly sat back taking enjoyment from the nascent wonder in each of the children’s eyes.

The program began. A wavering flag, red white and blue, dominated the screen as the Star Spangled Banner blared from the TV’s speakers. A proud moment, not only for the Americans but for the entire planet. The two adults couldn’t help but grin at the achievement of the human race. Launch day brought all who watched a sense of pride as we reached ever farther into the heavens. When the anthem had finished, the flag disappeared and the camera focused in on a sign which appeared to be mounted to the base of a large concrete building.

Kennedy Space Center — Launch Complex 81- A Cape Canaveral, United States of America

Mixed in with sounds of rushing wind and squawking gulls, whistles and cheers were roaring from a crowd hidden from those watching on TV. The camera began to zoom out, revealing to the viewers the true identity of the structure to which the sign was mounted. Quiet gasps erupted from each child as one by one, the rumors were slowly verified. Floating just above the sign, forty-two giant rocket engines hung gleaming in the Sun from the bottom of a metallic tower.

The Rocket.

Panning up, the camera rolled over the assembly with a pace that delivered the immense scale of the day’s feature presentation. Through the clouds of vapor streaming down from top of the vehicle, giant blue letters could be made out.

S

P

A

C

E

X

“SpaceX” the parents read aloud for the kids. The name sparked dreams of the future… a future where Earthlings have spread out into the Universe exploring the sweet void of the Cosmos.

A timer appeared at the top corner of the screen.

T — 00 : 03 : 00

Giggles from the children, creeping ever closer to the screen. On the TV, not a soul in sight. The majestic beast stood erect, stirring in it’s cryogenic sleep surrounded by a barren coastline. Oh how the children would love to go and see the Rocket with their own eyes. A trip to America?… the desolate landscape surrounding the spaceship was not lost on this desire. The camera seemed careful not to stray, but glimpses of scorched earth and a fouled ocean shoreline dampened the smiles on their faces.

T — 00 : 01 : 30

The Rocket began to tremble. Audible through the TV, the low hum of a million parts beginning to wake from their deep slumber. Overwhelmed with excitement, the children swore they could feel the ground shake. Unconsciously, the father gently slid his cup of tea away from the edge of the table.

T — 00 : 00 : 30

One by one, the engines slowly sprang to life, building up enough thrust to push off and away from the planet. To the children, each engine as bright as a Star. The Rocket now rested comfortably on top a bed of fire, stretching its legs, aching to be let go.

Children look!…

T — 00 : 00 : 09

Shadows from the flowers on the window sill were growing across the floor.

T — 00 : 00 : 04

The night sky no longer dark rather a premature dawn painted the Eastern horizon, over-powering the Moon in its attempt to shed some light on the shadow of the night.

T — 00 : 00 : 00

The Rocket broke free. Tearing away from the mechanical clamps that strained to contain it.

T + 00 : 00 : 14

Visibly, the battle was tough. The Rocket struggling to overcome Earth’s Newtonian tug, it lurched forward with a pace that made it appear to hover.

T + 00 : 00 : 52

Pushing through the atmosphere, the Rocket was on its way. Crackling and gimbaling, a freshly formed cloud trailing in its wake. Looking out the window, the Eastern horizon now resembled a mid-day sky, one which forgot to rise with the Sun.

T + 00 : 08 : 21

As the kids sauntered off to their rooms, exhausted from the adrenaline fix they had just received, the Rocket had one more dose to deliver. It came first with a low rumble, the children now sure they were feeling something. From all directions their world began to shake. A current of fear and joy swam through the children as they daringly tried to stand up, screaming…

Look!! No hands!!…

Car alarms blaring in the distance, it disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. With an abrupt stop, the final departure of the rocket was signaled with the sound of the tea cup shattering on the floor.