The best and worst destination

We begin to adapt to this environment now, however, we have a limited time for this, but we still need to complete the additional mission. We take the first step of scouring on the Lunar’s surface by collecting some samples of lunar materials. I pick up a rock and look it closely, the stones are primarily grayish. I found out that many rocks are quite similar to the rocks on the Earth. I decided to step forward to the next mission to measure and sample the solar wind outside the Earth’s magnetosphere. While I am experimenting, Neil takes a picture of the Lunar’s surface. Another experiment that we did was a Laser-Ranging Reflector, the purpose of this experiment is to learn the distance between the Earth and Moon, whether the continents move over the years or not, and how fast the Moon is moving away from Earth. 

“We finish our mission, and now it’s time to head home”, I said proudly. 

“You can go first, I want to explore a little bit more”, My partner replied. 

“But..we have a limit of the time, we need to go now”, I responded. 

“I know but this is the first time, I want to explore more”, He said. 

“huhhh, fine, but don’t go over 1 hour; it’s dangerous”, I sighed. 

I went back to the Eagle and took a rest there. Forty-one minutes later, Neil followed back to the Eagle. 

So now, we are fully ready to return to our home.  

‘Split Up’, I said. 

‘Split Up. Done, the descent stage is on the surface’, My partner replied. 

There are two parts of the Lunar Module. The Descent stage let us land on the surface safely, and now we don’t need it anymore, so we left behind on the Moon’s surface. The Ascent stage, the primary purpose of this stage is to gets two astronauts safely return into orbit. 

‘Fire Up’, I shout. 

‘Fire Up Ascent stage, done’, he shouts back. 

While Collins is still orbiting the Moon, the Ascent stage fire up; gets us back into the Lunar Orbit. Several short engine burns happen over the next few hours. This takes almost two orbits before Docking can happen. As we use the engine burn, the distance between the Eagle and the CSM becomes shorter. 

“First Engine Burn, Fire Up!”, I Call.  

After a while, I called up for the second burn. 

“Second Engine Burn, Fire Up!”, I continued. 

Almost finished the second orbits, I called up for the last shot again. 

“Third Engine Burn, Fire Up!”, I shout. 

After the LM and CSM are docked, Neil and I quickly move to the CSM or the Columbia, carrying Lunar’s materials. When I first saw Collins, the lamentable feeling appears in my heart because he did not step on the Moon, but we did. This seems like we are selfish. He needs to orbit around the Moon so that we can go back into the Lunar Orbit. So, I start the conversation. 

“Hey, Collin, you know what, I am very sorry for you”, I said with a guilty tone.  

“It’s fine, my job is to control the Columbia until you guys are up again. Don’t worry about that. The victory is in our hand now!” He said it proudly. 

“Wooo.Yayyyy!!!!” We shout. 

“High five!” We gave each other a high five for completing the mission. 

And now, it’s time to say goodbye to the LM Ascent stage. 

“Split!”, Collin said. 

“Split complete!”, I shout. 

The Ascent stage was either left floating in the lunar Orbit or smashed into the Lunar surface. 

And now, it’s time to bring back our trophies.  

On the far side of the Moon, the Service Module Engine fires up – Trans-Earth Injection. Three days to the destination. We stay in the command module. I went to see one of the windows in this spacecraft. Something. There was something coming closer and closer. As it moves forward, it becomes bigger and bigger. The picture begins to be clearer and clearer. There was something stuck on its tail – the red fire mixing with the smoke. It was… 

“Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Can you hear me?!” Neil shouts. 

“Oh, wait, did you just call me? I didn’t hear that”, I replied. 

“What do you mean you didn’t hear? I called you like 10 times already!” He shouts again. 

“I…I am sorry.. I was looking at the window and I saw something too; it was like a meteorite!” I spoke. 

“There was no meteorite, Focus!” He warned me. 

‘Really? But I saw it, or was it was just a delusion?’ I thought. 

Suddenly, A huge rock comes towards our spaceship. I noticed now. I did not have a delusion. It was real. It was the meteorite.  

“Neil!!!! There is a…OUCH”, I scream. 

BOOM! BANG! OUCH! BOOM! BOOM! 

All of us were on the floor: I was sitting in one of the corners of this spacecraft, feeling so dizzy, recalling what happened to us. Collin was lying on the floor in the middle, having a headache, touching his head. Neil was sitting in the opposite corner, looking around, recalling his memories back. 

“OUCH! What just happen?”, Collin asked while touching his head. 

“I was not having a delusion! It was real! It was a meteorite!” I answered. 

“Hey!! Can you guys hear me?! What happened?!” said Mr. Charles Duke. 

“We’re fine sir! It was a meteorite smashing our spacecraft”, answered Neil. 

“What?! How many percentages of fuel are left?” the capsule communicator asked. 

I quickly ran to check the fuel. There was only 3% left. I was startled. 

“There is only 3% left!” I answered. 

“You guys need to focus now! We only have 3% left! This is risky! Pay attention!” Mr. Charles Duke shouts. 

“Yes sir!” all of us answered. 

After a while, we were back in the Earth’s orbit. The service module is no need now. We started with an enormous rocket, and now we were left with only the command module that returns to Earth. 

“Operating to let go of the service module!” Collin said. 

“Going back through the Earth’s atmosphere!” He shouts. 

At the bottom side of the command module is the heat shield. This section of the journey was like the climax. Success or failure depends on this stage. Re-entering back to the Earth’s atmosphere is very dangerous because of the heat that is produced. The more we go near Earth’s surface, the hotter it is. As we go through the atmosphere, I felt like the steam was coming out from my body; it was scorching. Even though we have a heat shield, I was a fire, burning everything inside the spacecraft. The heat shield protects the command module for several minutes as it passes through the atmosphere. 

At last, we passed through it. 

“Passed the atmosphere!” Collin said. 

“Going Down!” Collin announced. 

“2 miles above the surface!” Collin shouted. 

Once we get about 2 miles above the surface, it’s time for the parachutes. I remember that before we launched the rocket, I’ve checked the parachutes to ensure that nothing will go wrong. I am sure nothing unexpected is going to happen anymore. 

“Parachutes Ready!” I spoke confidently. 

“Open up the parachutes Now!” Neil calls out. 

I went to the parachutes button. I push that red button. I was sure that the parachutes would work. But it doesn’t. I pushed that button again and again. It’s still doesn’t work. 

“I said open up the parachutes NOW!” Neil repeated. 

“I…I tried it! But it doesn’t work! I already checked it before we launched! I don’t know why it is not working! I shout. 

“What do you mean it doesn’t work?! He asked. 

He runs towards the button to check out. He pushed that button. The first time, nothing happens. The second time, nothing happens. The third time, nothing happens.  

“What happened!! Why is it not working?!!!” He smashed the button hardly. Nothing happens. 

“Hey! Don’t do that! Smashing the button is not going to help! It could cause danger to us!” I shout. 

“Mr. Charles Duke! What happened! Can you hear me!” Neil asked.  

“HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAH!! HAHAHAHAH!!He laughed. 

“The reason that it doesn’t work because I took out your parachutes even before you launched!! HAHAHAHAH!!!!”, He answered in a satisfying tone. 

“Why did you do that?!!” I asked with my tears coming out. 

“I already checked the parachutes, and it was there!!!” I shouted. 

“Such an innocent boy. You don’t need to know why. Just enjoy this moment, the last moment of your life. HAHAHAHAHA!”, He said and hang up the call.  

We were shocked. I never thought that he would do that. There is no way we are going to be safe without having parachutes. We are hopeless, the module did not stop, it moves towards the ocean beneath us. The parachutes are not working. I asked myself, “Why I am so careless, I did not check for the second time, or else we won’t be in danger. The pressure of the spacecraft smashing through the atmosphere is too much. Even if it smashes down into the ocean, we will still die. I chose to protect my body as much as I could: I squat down on the floor, bend my knees, cover my head with both of my arms, and tucking my chin in.  

Boom! Bang! The sound of the module smashing hardly down into the ocean.  

I feel the touch of the water, it’s coming in. My head is hurt. I can’t breathe. The bubbles were coming out from my nose. Falling deeper and deeper without the destination.  

“We are now at the crime scene, here is the place where three of the astronauts fell down from the sky”, one of the journalists said. 

“Unfortunately, the Lunar’s materials that they brought are disappear. The module fell deep down into the ocean with the materials inside.”, She continued. 

We were stuck inside the module. I slowly turned around to see both of my partners. They were not breathing anymore. I gradually close my eyes. Talking to myself, “Sorry Dad”. 

“How did they fell down sir?” She asked Mr. Charles Duke. 

“There was an issue with the parachutes, the parachutes did not work properly”, he answered in a guilty tone. 

 “Do you know why sir?” She asked. 

“It’s because of the system; it’s did not work properly”, He answered. 

“How about the astronauts?” She continued to ask. 

“We don’t know anything. If they are lucky, they would be safe. But… if they are not, I’m very sorry for them. They are like heroes, sacrificing themselves for US victory”, He said in a regret tone. 

“How about the materials? Will it be safe?” she asked in a curious tone. 

“Don’t worry about that, we’ve informed the police about this, they will proceed this issue by this evening. We will find the module soon”, he said with a smirked.