Fallen Star

1128 Hours, May 6th, 2555
Gagarin Training Building, Interkosmos Launch Center
Republic of Levosia
Adrian Stanap looked at the spaceplane trainer before him. Mounted vertically in "launch position" up on its hydraulic system, the white crew compartment mockup bore the name Colonial in black block letters on its left side, just behind the crew entry door. As he and the other seven mission trainees waited, he adjusted his pressure suit gloves, before he heard the clicking of shoes coming towards them up the stairs on the simulated launch tower. Looking up, he saw one of the Interkosmos training cadre, but unlike previous simulator training missions, he had no clipboards in his hand for the trainees to use during their simulated launch or time in space. He walked past the line, stopped just before the crew door, and cleared his throat.
"Ladies, gentlemen, the training mission today will not be like any others you have done so far. You have no responsibilities in this other than to listen, and take in what you are about to experience. Going to space is a dangerous gamble, you and your predecessors have been informed of that. But it is one thing to know it, and another totally to face it."
"I have a question...why are you being so cryptic?" piped up Major Julian Fullman, the assigned mission commander.
"I wish I could tell you Fullman, but this is not something that can be talked about. It must be experienced. Watchman crew, you are cleared to board."
He stepped out of the way, and motioned to the open crew hatch. 
Placing his hand on the top, although in normal orientation it was the left side of the crew hatch, Stanap ducked his head under and stepped in onto the rear bulkhead of the upper crew compartment. Grabbing one of the handles, he pulled himself vertical and lowered himself into his pilot seat on the near side of the compartment, just across the crew console from the commander's seat, and began gently strapping himself in, being careful not to inadvertently lock the straps with an impulse of force, and plugging in his intercom wires. Soon after, one after the other, the remaining seven trainees did the same, just as they always did prior to every training simulator.
Finally, Fullman pulled himself into position, and keyed his mic. "Crew, all aboard and strapped in?"
Stanap keyed his mic "Roger that."
"Here."
"Onboard."
"Ready to roll."
"Strapped in."
"Confirmed."
"Ready to roll here Control.
Their trainer popped his head in one more time. "Sounds good. Good luck, Ranger.", before closing the hatch with a metallic thunk and latching it.
At the final word of the sentence, Stanap looked over at Fullman, who was likewise looking right back at him.
"Did...did he just say Ranger? What is that supposed to mean?" Fullman said.
"I don't know...they don't joke about that kind of-"
Stanap was cut off as his statement was ran over by what sounded like an audio recording.
"Cabin pressure check?"
"Uhh, yep, we're good, pressurized."
As the recording went on, Stanap felt a chill run down his spine. He knew those voices. They were Charles Lowap and Constantine Gavraliz, the pilot and commander of the Ranger. He looked over at Fullman, and his face was white. Everyone aboard knew this audio. 
"Five, poyekhali!"
Stanap felt the simulator shake violently as it simulated the solid rocket booster igniting. Looking back forward, he saw the screens in front of the sim showed them rocketing upward into the virtual sky.
"Initiate roll program"
"Initiating"
The sim rolled to the left and pulled back even farther.
"Mach 1."
Stanap knew what this was now. It was a simulation of the Ranger, presumably to remind them of the danger that spaceflight could be. But it would be over soon. The audio never went past the famous last words from Gavraliz.
For now, there was silence.
Suddenly, as the audio continued, he felt the simulator shake violently.
"Control, Ranger, engines feel like they're running rough."
But the simulator didn't stop shaking, nor did the voices.
"Jesus Christ, attitude indicator is showing us tipping."
Stanap felt the chills go down his spine again as the simulator pushed over to the the right and the audio continued. Then two thumps from underneath and it pulled back further. Then a loud rattling.
"Cabin pressure dropping, activate positive pressure systems now!"
He could feel his eyes welling up as the quavering voices of Catherine Maynard and Michelle North chimed in on the recording as Gavraliz and Lowap attempted to regain control. He looked out the front windows and saw the craft going over on its nose, rocketing towards the ground.
"Pulling her up, she seems to have somewhat stabilized." came Gavraliz's voice. As it came up towards the horizon, it then started spinning again, in total free fall as he was thrown back and forth in his harness. Then, it was being pushed over one more time, facing down towards the ocean now.
"If my kids hear this, kids, Mom wants you to know that she loves you very much."
Stanap couldn't hold it in anymore. The tears began flowing down his face as the audio continued on and the ship headed for oblivion further. But the cries for help and of anguish began to meld with the collected voices of the two men who sat in the front seats. He looked down in his lap.
"Mark!"
He looked up and saw the ship facing skyward again, then down at the altimeter. 100 feet.
"Oh no..."
Then a thump as the simulation ended. The ship oriented itself on a normal axis, and the door opened. The next few minutes getting out of the spaceship were a blur. He sat down on the metal catwalk leading to the sim, removed his helmet, and placed his head in his head, openly sobbing. And he wasn't the only one. Their trainer who had run the simulation sat down next to all of them, and opened his mouth to say something, then closed it.
Category:Safe Havens