I didn't think this day would ever come. It wasn't until they twisted on the helmet and gave me the thumbs up, that I was really sure ... well, pretty sure, anyway, that I was about to take off. My ship was designed to leave the solar system and head out on a ten year voyage to the nearest star system, the binary Centauri A and B and its closer neighbor, the red star, Proxima. The news feeds called it the First Interstellar Mission—to reach a planet scientists believed could support human life. Of course, the real reason for the trip was something else completely, and besides, it wasn't the first mission ... fact is, no one knew that there has been a previous mission.
***
When I awoke, everything was dark. I wasn't sure if I was awake or just dreaming about waking up. I moved my fingers along the edge of the console, out to its center where I recalled the cabin light toggle was located. After a moment, I saw my blurry reflection in one of two transparent panels, and beyond
that, the deep black firmament that was the universe. No matter how much I squeezed my eyes, I couldn't see sharply enough to pick out the stars. That I
was now awake meant that my ship had reached Centauri—that's what the automated life support systems were supposed to do. But I just couldn't see well enough to be sure of anything yet. All I saw was my stubbly face.
After a few minutes, the instrument readouts merged. I could focus again. I was supposed to be about four light years away from Earth, but the monitor was
telling me a different story. I was barely beyond the planetoid Pluto, nowhere near Centauri.
***
When I awoke, everything was dark. I wasn't sure if I was awake or just dreaming about waking up. I moved my fingers along the edge of the console, out to its center where I recalled the cabin light toggle was located. After a moment, I saw my blurry reflection in one of two transparent panels, and beyond
that, the deep black firmament that was the universe. No matter how much I squeezed my eyes, I couldn't see sharply enough to pick out the stars. That I
was now awake meant that my ship had reached Centauri—that's what the automated life support systems were supposed to do. But I just couldn't see well enough to be sure of anything yet. All I saw was my stubbly face.
After a few minutes, the instrument readouts merged. I could focus again. I was supposed to be about four light years away from Earth, but the monitor was
telling me a different story. I was barely beyond the planetoid Pluto, nowhere near Centauri.