Mission Log: Day 8 \u2014 The Bureaucracy of the Stars<\/p>\n
Telemetry is erratic. Flight Engineer Whiskers has fallen asleep on the main console (the auxiliary folding table), which has caused a critical dip in the cabin’s morale. I spent the morning recalibrating the CO2 scrubbers\u2014Eugene is looking a bit pale, perhaps a sign of cosmic radiation or just a draft from the bedroom door.<\/p>\n
News reached the WD-1 today via the subspace relay (the kitchen radio). NASA has announced the crew for Artemis III. Andre Douglas, Luca Parmitano, Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio. I recognize the names. Competent men. But there is a void where my name should be.<\/p>\n
I had submitted my credentials through the proper channels\u2014which is to say, I left a very detailed letter in a padded envelope marked URGENT on the porch of the local post office. I was the logical choice for the secret backup role. My experience in high-G maneuvers (the dizzying spin of the office chair) is unparalleled. But the rejection was swift and cold. Apparently, the WD-1 fails to meet NASA’s “luxury standards” for long-term lunar habitation. They want pressurized titanium; I offer a high-grade mahogany wardrobe with reinforced duct tape. The lack of vision at the agency is staggering.<\/p>\n
I paused for a moment. A single drop of condensation had formed on the inner wall of the capsule, right next to the emergency ration of instant noodles. I watched it tremble, a perfect, shivering sphere of water. In that tiny globe, I saw the entire Orion capsule, the lunar south pole, and the faces of the pioneers who didn’t care about luxury. Gagarin didn’t have a mahogany wardrobe, but he had the courage to leave the ground. I have the same courage; I simply have a better interior.<\/p>\n
The roar of a Saturn V just shook the hull. Or perhaps the neighbor is just using his lawnmower again. It is hard to tell the difference when the universe is screaming.<\/p>\n
Major Tom<\/b>
Commanding Officer, WD-1
Current Altitude: 2.1 meters<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Mission Log: Day 8 \u2014 The Bureaucracy of the Stars Telemetry is erratic. Flight Engineer Whiskers has fallen asleep on the main console (the auxiliary folding table), which has caused a critical dip in the cabin’s morale. I spent the morning recalibrating the CO2 scrubbers\u2014Eugene is looking a bit pale, perhaps a sign of cosmic … Continue reading Mission Log: Day 8 \u2014 The Bureaucracy of the Stars<\/span>