First

By Randy Brown

Winner of the Reader Views Literary Award Silver Medal for Best Science Fiction Book of 2023 and the Gold Medal for Best Book of any genre published in the US Mountain West region!

"The novel that's going to be a break-out hit this year...a mind-blowing, perception-altering, unputdownable book...truly a novel not to be missed." - Reader Views

Lewis is a rookie astronaut for SpaceFirst, a company headed for the stars. They race against rival corporation Deep Sky to be the first in history to send a person from Earth to another star system and bring them home safely.

Along with four teammates and his new AI, Lewis prepares for humanity's first push into the galaxy. The journey from SpaceFirst headquarters to Proxima Centauri includes triumph, loss, competition, and a friendship with the promise of more.

But then it all goes wrong.

Lewis is the first human to travel to another star system. Unless he can find a way home, it might end up being a one-way trip.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Oct 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9798350913965

Randy Brown

An Adams Media author.

Book preview

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First

©Randy Brown

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Print ISBN 979-8-35091-395-8

eBook ISBN 979-8-35091-396-5

For Jeremy, I miss you every day

You weren’t supposed to be the first

"All over the world we’re judged by how well we do in space.

Therefore, we’ve got to be first. That’s all there is to it."

John F. Kennedy, 1961

Contents

Here

There

After

Epilogue

Author’s Notes

Here

1

I spent most of my first day as an astronaut trying to find the nearest restroom.

The five of us trailed behind our CEO. He trotted down the center of the corridor on the tenth floor of our headquarters building and we did our best to keep up with him.

True, this wasn’t really the way I planned it, but I woke up early with excitement and downed a whole pot of coffee.

Chris double-timed it down the stairs and emerged onto the first floor and out the main doors. The perfumed smell of creosote and sage washed over us, and even though it was the middle of summer I knew it must have rained somewhere nearby, most likely the mountains to the northeast. The day was still young, the sun ascending toward its zenith. Without pausing Chris motioned us to walk next to him.

Come on, come on, he said. No need to trail behind me like a bunch of ducklings crossing the road. Our group of five quickened its collective pace and we fanned out, two on each side of our leader and one bringing up the rear. I found myself walking next to Eve. She was about a half-foot shorter than me, probably about my age, with shoulder-length auburn hair that flashed hints of red in the sunlight. I felt like I was out of breath with the quick pace, but Eve seemed barely affected.

Chris spoke up, I think you’ll like this. Your instructors plan to show you all this, but I don’t see why we should waste any time. He led us from the cluster of office and research buildings toward the perimeter of larger structures where SpaceFirst conducted research and development. The sidewalk curved back and forth through the manicured grass. Even though it was morning I was working up a sweat. I glanced once more at Eve. She maintained a faraway look in her eyes while gliding over the sidewalk.

We threaded our way between bulky warehouse buildings, and Chris took a right turn. The sidewalk narrowed. Within a minute he made another right. The huge white hangar in front of us had no markings on it other than A-10 in large black, block letters to signify the building number. The door he led us through seemed disproportionate to the size of the high wall it was set into, a mouse hole in the baseboard of a giant’s house. We filed in and found ourselves in what felt like a large cavern. The translucent ceiling allowed natural light to illuminate the interior evenly. Suspended light fixtures hovered over the collection of objects spread across the floor, highlighting individually each item Chris wanted us to see.

He led our group into the middle of the hangar. We stopped in a semi-circle as he gestured at the vehicles surrounding us. Here you are. These are the ships that’ll take you first to the planets and then to the stars.

We surveyed the hardware surrounding us. The vessels were corporate secrets and none of us had ever seen the ships before, not even in leaked pictures or drawings. The first thing Chris had done on our first day was to give us an up-close look at the coolest things we’d ever seen.

After the excitement of the moment leveled off, I counted. Eight of the craft sat on the bare concrete. Each one looked exactly the same, as if they’d come off an assembly line. They were amazingly small. In the science fiction movies and shows we’d all seen, space ships were almost always massive, accommodating hundreds if not thousands of people. In contrast, these ships were made for one occupant at a time and no larger than a small RV. The sphere perched atop the craft would be comfortable enough to move around in without gravity, or at least that’s the way it looked from the outside.

Don’t just stand here. Go take a look. There are three drones and you each have your own ship that’ll be customized for you. I don’t know how he knew which was which, but he unerringly pointed Colt, Peter, Sandra, Eve, and me to our respective ships. Explore, kick the tires, touch it, get inside, make it your own, he said, his voice echoing in the large cavern of the hangar.

I approached mine and circled all the way around it. When I glanced away I saw the others doing the same. The comparison to a catamaran jumped immediately to mind. Twin hulls rested directly on the floor, tapered wedges that I supposed contained the apparatus for flight, which I knew was a misnomer. Top, bottom, and outer sides of the hulls each sported small vents, which I later learned were thrusters for maneuvering in space. They wouldn’t get you anywhere fast but could move the craft short distances if needed. I had to say, the design was sleek.

Topping it all off, literally, was the sphere. Strong cross-braces linked the two hulls, and the bottom of the sphere anchored to the middle of them. It looked to be detachable. The whole surface was perfectly smooth, frictionless. Thin metal supports arced from the top to the bottom, thick glass filling in between the struts. The visual appearance reminded me of the sections of an orange, and I gathered the goal was to provide the occupant a 360-degree view from the inside. From the outside the glass was smokey, no doubt to provide protection against nasty things like x-rays and radiation. It wasn’t a starfighter made up by some Hollywood special effects guru, but I had to admit it was impressive.

Chris snuck up beside me as I stood taking it all in. What do you think, Lewis? he asked.

I let my awe get the better of me. I think this might be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

He chuckled. You need to go on more dates. He moved on quickly to talk with Eve at the sled next to mine. She continued circling her craft with wide eyes.

I wanted to enjoy the moment, knowing familiarity would creep in over the next several months and the initial sense of rapture would never return. I stepped onto one of the hulls and lightly ran my hand over the surface of the sphere. It was cool to the touch. I took a step to the left and searched for imperfections in the glass. My hand found none. Then I put both hands on it. I saw my reflection and couldn’t help but smile.

I hopped down and walked around to the gap between the hulls. A handy step up and I stood at what I thought must be the access point into the sphere. The smooth glass provided no clue of how to get inside. I touched the surface. The outline of a doorway pulsed green and then extended outward on unseen hinges and swung open. Once again I grinned like an excited schoolboy and stooped to enter.

As I looked around I let out a low whistle. Everything was new and shiny and perfect. The sphere was twice my height on the inside, with plenty of room to maneuver in a weightless environment. It took a few seconds, but then I realized I could see out through the surface and into the bay at all the other vehicles. At the bottom of the interior a dark spot marred the unbroken glass, and I guessed it had to be where the sphere connected to the sled. Other than that, it was pristine, with an unmarred interior surface, no equipment, nothing.

Hello, Lewis. The voice emanated from all around me. I froze and my eyes darted everywhere in a futile attempt to locate the source.

Hello, I said.

I’m your artificial intelligence system. You can configure me however you like.

I turned my head and looked out the hatch to make sure no one was standing there and pulling a fast one on me.

Okay, what are my options?

I can speak using whatever voice you prefer. Right now, I’m using a default male voice that many people find reassuring and soothing, but you can adjust the pitch and cadence to your preference. Or you can change to a female voice and also make adjustments.

What does the default female voice sound like? I kind of liked the idea of having a female companion in space.

The voice emerged as distinctly feminine. This is the default female voice profile. You can change this option at any time.

Can you give it an Irish accent?

Aye, what do ye think about this, Lewis? I liked it. And it would be very distracting when I needed to get work done.

Nice, but let’s go back to the default male voice for now. Maybe lower the pitch a tiny bit.

Okay, I’ve made the adjustments. Please confirm if you like this setting. The voice was male again, about a step down that gave it what I thought was an air of confidence.

Confirmed. What next?

How about a name? I have a factory ID but it’s not conducive to a successful long-term relationship.

You have a sense of humor, too?

Of course. I can’t let you be the one to make all the wisecracks.

Great. Are there any conditions on what name I pick?

Personally, I’d prefer something noble, a name fit for a king. A name that will ring through history when people tell our saga and how we changed the universe.

Sounds like you’ve been reading stories about King Arthur. Or you’re just full of it. Maybe both. I stood in the center of the bottom of the sphere, turning slowly and taking it all in as we spoke.

I am well versed in history.

I thought for a couple of moments. How about Ray?

Your great-grandfather.

You know my personal history, too, then, I said.

Of course.

He was the smartest man I ever knew. A scientist, and he would have loved seeing all this and what I’m doing.

I am honored to share his name, said Ray.

And if I ever change you to a female voice, we can just change the spelling of your name to be Rae with an ‘e’ on the end.

Let’s not.

What other options do I need to set?

The next option is a very personal preference. The company doesn’t dictate this configuration, which I think is actually very open-minded of them. You can leave me here and only interact with me when you are in this vessel, or you can take me with you wherever you go through your implant.

Ray referred to a small metal object which would be surgically implanted behind one of my ears, a procedure we’d been told would take place later in the day. This implant was vital for communications, location, and monitoring our health. I knew it would be hooked into the company nets and I’d be able to use it as a means to instantly contact anyone else connected to our net, including my fellow team members with their implants. The idea of having Ray with me 24/7 was intriguing but I wasn’t sure about it yet. The implant was already going to give the company unlimited access to everything about me, but they couldn’t get into my thoughts. At least not yet.

Can I think about that one a little bit before I decide?

Yes, you can change that setting at any time. I know we just met and it’s probably a little overwhelming to think that I’d be with you during your worst, most intimate moments.

What does that mean? You think my intimate moments are horrible?

Your romantic history and current lack of a long-term relationship indicate that my assumption is correct.

I laughed. I think we’re going to get along just fine. Now tell me, where is the equipment we’ll need for our missions? I don’t see a whole lot of storage space.

Ray flashed a series of light blocks on the surface around the inside of the sphere. These areas are where the operations team will install equipment and supplies before we depart. The team has determined optimal locations for everything, but of course you’ll be able to move them to your preference. For example, see this area? A square illuminated on the glass near the hatch. It was brown. This is where the toilet apparatus will be positioned.

Nice example, I said.

Dónde está el baño? That’s the first question most people ask.

Great. I’m sure we’ll get it all figured out.

Now you have to leave, said Ray. Chris has alerted all of us that your team is to gather once again in the middle of the hangar.

Thanks, Ray. It was nice meeting you.

You say that now. Wait until we’re all alone in the midst of space and start getting on each other’s nerves.

Sounds wonderful, I said as I ducked my head and exited, bracing my hands on the frame of the hatch. As I stepped off the sled and back onto the concrete I heard the hatch quietly close behind me.

We were in the middle of the hangar and the nearest restroom was a hundred yards away. I eyed the distance but knew I couldn’t make it there and back quickly enough. It looked like I was going to have to suffer a bit longer. Stupid coffee.

I admired the craft one more time, trailing my hand over the smooth hull, and walked slowly over to the small group assembling around Chris. He waited in the place he’d left us earlier, standing with hands folded. I joined the team and a few seconds later Peter completed the circle. He had slicked-back dark hair and wore a smile a mile wide.

What’d you think? asked Chris and answered his own question when he saw each of us beaming. Pretty amazing, huh? There’s a lot of work that went into each vessel and I know you’ll take care of them. I want you to learn them inside and out. Great things are going to happen. Any questions?

Sandra raised her hand and Chris chuckled. This isn’t grade school, Sandra, you don’t have to raise your hand.

She lowered it sheepishly, a blush reddening her cheeks. Who gets to go first?

Chris tilted his head. To where?

To wherever it is we’re going. Planets, stars, wherever.

Great question, he said. I don’t know yet. And neither does anyone else, no matter what the news reporters say. For now, let’s just say our management team will figure out a fair method to determine who goes on each mission. All right, I’ve taken up enough of your time this morning and they’re waiting on you. Let’s head back.

I wanted to hear more about who would be first, knowing the others did, too. My discomfort overrode my curiosity. Can we stop by the restrooms on our way out? I asked without raising my hand.

Yes, please, said Eve. She nodded and aimed a shy smile my way.

Chris waved for us to follow him and aimed for the facilities. As we followed in his wake, I glanced over my shoulder at my vessel and smiled once more. Maybe it was because we walked so quickly or maybe it was just a reflection, but I could have sworn a light briefly appeared on the glass surface of the sphere.

It was the shape of a huge grin back at me.

2

Even though our headquarters was literally in the middle of nowhere in the southern New Mexico desert, a cottage industry of services catering to all of us had grown up where the road out of the company’s property met the main north-south highway through the region. This included bars, restaurants, grocery stores, and even a couple of small department stores. After a long first day of astronaut orientation I decided to eat dinner at a place called the Goathead Saloon.

It sounded horrible, but the food was decent enough to keep the owners in business. People new to the region thought the name of the establishment referred to an actual goat’s head. No, goatheads are nasty little thorned balls of hate that grow in the Southwest United States. The plant sprawls flat on the ground and the spiky goatheads sprout straight from hell onto the tendrils. I don’t know why anyone would name a restaurant after them.

I entered through swinging saloon doors and the hostess led me to a small table at the edge of the dining room. I set my phone down and ignored the placard with the menu access barcode for the moment, surveying the room briefly.

I ordered a draft beer from the waiter. Just as he turned to input my order a shadow slipped from behind him and into the chair across from me.

It was Eve. She smiled and pushed her hair back from her shoulders. Hi Lewis, want some company?

I didn’t see you here or I’d have asked, I said. And sure, have a seat.

Thanks. Was it just me or did today go by fast?

Yeah, there was a lot of info. And it wore me out. Apparently being an astronaut is exhausting.

We’re not actually astronauts.

Well, not officially, at least until we get into space.

She smiled with her lips pressed together and the corners of her eyes crinkled. I noticed a couple of the guys nearby continually glancing our way. Her way.

The waiter arrived with my drink and took Eve’s order, rescuing me for a brief moment before she started in again. A country music song I recognized circulated overhead but I barely heard it as my focus remained directly across the table.

You’re from around here, right? she asked, leaning forward and resting her chin on her hands.

Yeah, I grew up in the mountains north of here. Cloudcroft, a tiny village about 8,000 feet up. Our claim to fame was a guy who discovered a comet almost forty years ago back in the 1990s. Plus, we have a really old hotel that’s haunted.

Eve stuck out her tongue. That doesn’t sound fun.

They have a great restaurant.

Where did you go to school?

Is this an interview? I honestly didn’t mind.

Maybe.

I don’t mind.

School?

New Mexico State. Just over an hour away to the main campus in Las Cruces. I was interested in engineering and they have a good program.

The waiter carried a round tray to our table and set a margarita in front of Eve.

Y’all ready to order? he asked with a drawl sounding more Southern than local.

Give us a few more minutes. I’m trying to decide if I’m going to be here long, said Eve before I could respond. The waitress gave me a raised-eyebrow look of pity and pivoted away.

That was harsh, I said. I thought the interview was going well.

I’m a tough grader. How does an engineer get into a space program and become an astronaut? She toyed with the straw in her frozen drink.

I’m not an astronaut yet, I said, trying to keep the conversation light.

True, we did establish that.

I shifted in my seat and stopped, realizing it probably looked like I was squirming. Deep breath. I guess I just naturally leaned toward the astronaut program because of my experience. SpaceFirst has plenty of smart people writing software, designing the ships, planning the missions, and so on, but knowing how it all works together is what interests me.

Is that what engineers do?

Some of us, I suppose. I’m the kid who played with Legos all the time. Heck, I still like them.

Eve scrunched her face. Ooh, there’s the first strike. You were doing so good.

Because I like Legos? Wow, this is a tough grading system.

You have no idea. Back to how you went from engineer to astronaut-in-training.

Well, I guess I impressed the right people. My boss – well, now she’s my former boss – told me I’m the type of person they want on these missions. Like back in the Apollo days. Those guys were pretty much all pilots, and they had to be to get those rockets to go where they wanted. For SpaceFirst they wanted variety. Like Colt and you. He’s a biologist and wants to find alien life. You’ve got astronomy covered.

Eve reclined against the seat cushion behind her. So local boy makes good, jack of all trades?

I lifted my bottle and took a long draw. She was making me work. I suppose. I don’t know about the ‘made good’ part just yet. That’s still TBD.

Did you bribe Chris like I did so you could get into the program?

I almost spewed my beer as she asked her question with a serious look before breaking down into a laugh. What?

There are plenty of rumors going around about how the five of us were picked.

And?

Favors were called in. Money was thrown around. That kind of stuff.

I laughed and shook my head. Bribes? You realize Chris is a multi-billionaire, right?

Maybe they drew our names out of a hat.

Come on. SpaceFirst is a completely modern company. They wouldn’t pick names from a hat. They’d write a software routine to randomly generate the team members.

She leaned forward, a new spark in her eyes. Tell me about your past girlfriends.

They all cry themselves to sleep every night thinking of me.

No stalkers?

I chuckled. Not that I’m aware of. Why, have you seen one?

Not tonight.

What about you? Past boyfriends?

This isn’t about me. We’re concentrating on you. She swirled the straw in her drink and took a sip.

Seems unfair.

Life isn’t fair.

A few here and there. Nothing very serious, though. You might be surprised to find out engineers spend a lot of time standing alone in the corner at parties.

Eve’s gray eyes danced in the light. I wonder why that is?

You tell me.

Longest relationship?

Are we back in high school?

She reached across the table and patted my hand. Please. We never left.

This is all very personal. I think next time we have dinner together it’ll be my turn to interview you.

Sounds fair.

She smiled and swished the straw in her drink. My first day as an astronaut had turned out even better than I’d imagined.

3

I rubbed the bump under the skin behind my right ear. The spot where the doctor had inserted the implant itched slightly, and the bump just felt weird. It was like being back in school with a pimple that felt the size of Mauna Loa on your face and you assumed everyone was staring at you. Of course, nobody really did, and as I walked down the corridor toward our meeting room people ignored me. Unless someone stood in line behind me at the grocery store they’d never notice it.

When I entered the room, I discovered I was only the second one there. Guess we’re the early birds, I said as I poured a cup of black coffee from a carafe on the side table and slid into the chair next to Sandra. The windows were darkened a bit, no shades needed since the glass adapted to the exterior conditions as the sun ascended over the distant mountains to the northeast. They were the southern tip of the massive Rocky Mountain range running from Canada through Colorado to southern New Mexico. Once again, a cloudless sky greeted the day. It was going to be another scorcher.

Hi, Lewis. Yeah, I have to get moving early or else I want to sleep too late. Sandra’s dark hair was pulled back from her face and tied off in a ponytail. After our meeting yesterday I looked up the profiles of the other people on the team. Sandra was from the Bay Area in California. From what I could find, which was very little, she’d received a hefty scholarship to Stanford. Sandra really was a rocket scientist, the most educated in our group. With a doctorate in physics, she put me to shame. No jealousy, though, since I’d already discovered she was about the nicest person I’d ever met.

What did you think about your AI yesterday? I asked, taking a tentative sip of the scalding hot coffee from my mug. Are you going to link with it all the time?

She pressed her lips together as she thought about it. Unconsciously she touched the implant behind her ear. Nice to see I wasn’t the only one who found it disconcerting. I don’t know yet. I value my privacy. But I see the benefits, too. Anything to help the AI learn us better can only help the mission.

I feel the same way. Not sure yet either. What did you name yours?

Yuki. It’s the Japanese word for courage and bravery.

I like it, I said, nodding. I named mine Ray after my great-grandfather.

Sandra smiled. Very nice. I wonder what the others named theirs.

Let’s find out, I said as Colt entered the room. Sandra’s posture changed subtly as she responded to the sight of him. I stood straighter as well. He had that effect on people.

I was observant enough to know Colt was a good-looking guy. He stood the same height as me, a couple of inches under the six-foot mark that was the limit for people in the astronaut program. The company didn’t want to try and stuff a giant like our instructor Jackie into one of those spheres. Other than height we had almost nothing in common. Colt clearly exercised routinely and filled out his shirt nicely. He had a ready smile and just the right amount of cockiness to come across as confident without being a jerk.

Find out what? asked Colt as he took a seat.

What you named your AI, said Sandra.

Honey, he said.

My eyebrows went up but I probably shouldn’t have been surprised. And of course, you chose the female voice to go along with the name.

Yeah, it’s going to be very soothing. Plus, I gave her a British accent. Honey is kind of hot.

Sandra covered her mouth with her hand as she stifled a laugh. Pretty sure you’re not the first person to ever fall in love with an AI. But definitely the first in this program.

Don’t be jealous. Honey can hear you. He pointed to the implant behind his ear.

Of course, I said. Sorry, Honey.

Yesterday we’d run through administrative tasks to kick off the program. Today Marie and Jackie, our leaders who entered the room right after Colt, wanted to talk about the program itself and our goals for the next several months. After Eve and Peter arrived, we repositioned our chairs and sat in a small circle. Marie stood. She exhibited a marked contrast to her fellow VP, who was every bit of seven feet tall. Marie’s complexion showed she spent plenty of time in the sun. She started off the conversation, speaking with a Latin American accent whose origin I couldn’t quite pin down.

I’m sure you all want to know the plans for how you’re going to get to another star system. Jackie and I figured it best to start off with a high-level overview before digging into the details. All of this is still months away and a lot has to go right, but we have confidence that we picked the right people.

She waved her hand in the air in front of her face. The room lights dimmed and a hologram sprang up in the middle of our group. It was a view of Earth from space, and as Marie gestured it shrunk in size. The Moon appeared in orbit and then both globes grew smaller to maintain proportion from our viewpoint.

If you’ve read any of the news reports about our plans, they think we’re going to the Moon first. That’s a nice goal, but it’s not true. Jackie, do you want to tell everyone why the Moon is last on our list?

Without missing a beat Jackie said, Because we’ve already been there.

Exactly. You all know your history. Astronauts went there over sixty years ago and then didn’t go back until the last decade. It’s all been done. Is SpaceFirst flying a bunch of rockets?

No way, said Jackie.

Also, I don’t know if you all know this, but we’re in a race. You know Deep Sky. They’re our competition and they’re trying to beat us in the race to send a human being to another star system. Our intel is that their first operational test will be to the Moon. We’ll let them have it while we skip the Moon and make a bigger splash.

Marie used both of her hands to signal the imager to expand the view. Now the hologram displayed the whole solar system. She pinched the fingers together on her right hand and pulled outward. Mars grew in size, and we made out two small rocky satellites orbiting the rotating planet.

Our initial choice was between Venus and Mars since they’re the closest planets to Earth. Not that distance matters so much with our technology. At least at the start it’s more about how long it takes radio signals to get back and forth for communication. We considered Venus but finally decided on Mars. Jackie, do you want to tell them why we chose Mars?

It’s sexier.

Correct. It captures people’s imagination in a way Venus doesn’t. With Venus you get clouds. With Mars you get a surface with mountains and valleys and the possibility humans can live there someday. People are still obsessed with it even after all the videos and pictures we’ve seen. In other words, it’s a great PR win for us.

We nodded as she spoke. It made perfect sense and would be great publicity for SpaceFirst if we could pull it off and beat Deep Sky there.

First, we need to test the drones. We’ve got three, and they’ll take turns and go to all the planets before any of you goes on a mission. Once the drones pass all their tests, we’ll start sending you out, one by one. Oh, and before I forget, you’ve probably also seen lots of ink spilled about why we’re sending you out solo instead of in teams. Jackie, why do you think that is?

Jackie still sat with his arms crossed, budging nary an inch since the start of the session. Risk and AIs.

Correct once again. You’re not going out there alone. You each met your AI yesterday, and it will be your companion. With the AI there’s no need to risk two human lives. This will be risky enough without doubling the danger. And make sure you understand completely – this is risky. It’s new technology, it’s not been tested, and you’re pioneers. Just like the explorers who discovered new continents and sailed around the world, you’re taking a huge gamble. If nobody else has said it, then I’ll be very blunt: there are five of you sitting here right now. When all is said and done there might be some empty chairs.

She let that sink in for a moment.

Colt leaned forward like he was going to say something but decided against it.

All right, first is Mars. Then we’ll backtrack toward the Sun to Venus and then Mercury. Those will be good tests of the capabilities of the ships, especially that close to the Sun. Then outward to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Jackie, why are we going to Pluto?

He raised a skeptical eyebrow. Because Chris still considers it a planet.

Yes. And then finally to the Moon to fine-tune our systems. That’s nine destinations before the big one.

Marie gestured toward the hologram to zoom in on the Moon, and then she abruptly pushed in with both hands, compacted the Solar System to almost nothing, and swooped the image to a dot on the very fringe of the starfield. She grabbed the star, magnified it, and pulled it to the center.

The first destination out of the solar system will be Proxima Centauri. It’s the nearest star system, part of the Alpha Centauri cluster, and has three planets that we know of. We’ll send a couple of drones as scouts before any of you make the trip, and then off you go.

We all stared at the image, a little bit in awe. This was it. The plan for humans to finally visit all the planets and then go interstellar. I had to admit it was a little bit scary, but then again, the way Marie explained the plan was almost routine. It wasn’t like building a highway or constructing a building, though. This was brand-new stuff. We thought we knew so much about our immediate galactic neighborhood, and that assumption was going to be put to the test.

What’s the timeline for all of this? I asked.

Eight months, said Marie. Someone drew in their breath in what I guessed was surprise, but I couldn’t tell who it was. Over the next three months you’ll be trained every day until your brains hurt. At the same time we’ll test the drones with missions to each of the planets. Once we get the all-clear from those tests, we’ll begin putting you on missions. Since we don’t have to launch rockets to escape Earth’s gravity well, we can start our missions at any point. Honestly, we could do all ten missions in ten days if we wanted, but that doesn’t give us any time for learning in between. Our current plan is to launch one of you every two weeks or so.

Sandra raised her hand. Jackie pursed his lips, probably to tell her the same thing Chris said the day before, but then just shook his head and remained unmoving.

Have you figured out the order of who will be going to which destination? Or will that be decided by how well we do in training? She leaned forward slightly as she spoke.

Marie waved her hand and the hovering image between us disappeared. The room lights brightened as she sat beside Jackie. I thought this might come up, she said. Jackie, do you want to tell them how we’ll figure out the mission order?

We’ll draw names from a hat.

I lowered my chin and under my breath said, You’ve got to be kidding me.

Jackie’s answer caused Sandra to sit back. Her eyes momentarily widened at the response, but then she nodded. Yes, I suppose that’s the only thing that makes sense.

Peter was not convinced, however. You’re telling us that you’re going to leave it up to chance? What if one of us knocks it out of the park during training and is the clearly the best man or woman for the big mission? That doesn’t seem fair.

I was startled when Eve spoke up before Marie could respond. Her voice was clear and strong. It’s the only thing that’s fair. It takes politics, favoritism, cronyism, and all the other -isms out of the equation.

We could make it a live event and let people vote, I suggested sarcastically, sipping the last of the coffee from my mug. Eve cocked her head and shook it at me like I was a stupid first grader.

Why not? asked Colt, tilting his hands up from his lap. It’s actually not a bad idea. Imagine how big a show like that could be and how many people would watch it live.

It’s a horrible idea, said Eve. Colt instantly deflated. We’re not doing this for a popularity contest. We’re doing this because we want SpaceFirst to beat Deep Sky to the stars. That’s enough of a reality show.

Marie stood again. She paced in front of us. "I feel like we’re getting a little off track here. Let’s be clear about how this works. Jackie told you how we’ll decide and that’s how it’s going to be. At the risk of sounding like my father, this is not a democracy. You’ll have plenty of other