Chapter 5

Captain Malik and the Mars Mission crew followed Cooper to the docking station where V2 was berthed.

‘Ventura 2, entry please,’ Cooper said.

The large, sleek cruiser’s doors opened, responding to Cooper’s voice command. ‘Now, we know from the Milky Way Space Race that Ventura was fast,’ he said, ‘but we’ve made an enormous number of developments since then. The rate of technological change is racing forward. I call it ‘extraordinary technology’, or extra-tech. None of the other space stations or research facilities can match our low fuel usage or super speed. That’s why V2 is the perfect vehicle to get you to Mars.’

Cooper walked the crew through the shuttle, pointing out the key areas and equipment. Besides the normal bridge, gallery area, seating area, kitchen and bathroom facilities, there was a room filled with large glass pods on raised platforms.

‘What are they for?’ Nash asked.

‘These are the sleep pods,’ Cooper explained. ‘Decades ago, it took nine months to travel from Earth to Mars. Then, came the launches from the moon to Mars, which reduced travel times. Now we’re already out in space, that time has shrunk to four weeks. But!’ He held his index finger up and smiled. ‘Add our amazing ‘extra-tech’ advancements and we’ve reduced the time to three days.’

‘Why do we need the sleep pods?’ Commander Best asked.

‘Super-fast travel can be hard on the human body,’ Cooper said. ‘We reduce the impact by inducing controlled sleep in these pods. That way, the speed is barely registered on crew members.’

Nash and the others gathered around the sleep pods, staring at them in wonder. Cooper pressed a button on one of the cylindrical cases. A panel opened and lifted. Various LED lights glowed along the edges of the pod. The bed inside looked comfortable and luxurious, with a white padded mattress and matching cushion.

KC stroked the plush interior. ‘So soft! I like it.’

There were enough pods for the Mars mission crew plus extras. Cooper explained that once the course was typed into the shuttle’s command centre, V2 would go into auto-pilot. The crew would enter their pods and initiate sleep mode. The shuttle would then speed towards Mars, turning off sleep mode one hour out from the planet to allow the crew time to wake and take control ready for landing.

‘Sounds easy,’ Orson said.

‘It’s super easy,’ Cooper winked. ‘Just how I like it. And it’s eco-friendly. Can you believe it? Other space stations don’t even bother trying, but it’s not that hard.’

Cooper then went on to show them the extratech space suits that his team had developed. ‘They’re perfect all-weather outdoor suits for any Martian conditions that can be thrown at us … or, should I say, you. They have inbuilt oxygen tanks, gravity boots, and heating and cooling units. While we have tested them rigorously in our labs, this will be the first time they’ll be tested on Mars. Obviously.’

‘They are safe, though?’ Orson said, inspecting one of the suits that carried the Misty logo and the words ‘Keeping Space Green’ on each sleeve. ‘We need to be able to rely on them to protect us.’

‘Safe as eggs,’ Cooper said.

Nash felt a pang of guilt. His dad was clearly worried about him going to Mars, but there was no way he was going to miss out. Not if KC and Raj were going.

Raj … Nash thought, glancing over at him. They were meant to be friends but since this morning, Raj had been acting strange. Nash had no time to think about it now though because Cooper dismissed them so they could pack for the trip.

Nash said a hasty goodbye and headed back to his apartment. He packed his bag and sat on his bed for a moment. He took an old photo of Cole and him from his pinboard and gazed at it for a while before glancing in the mirror. He’d changed a lot since the photo had been taken. His hair was darker, his freckles had faded, and he was definitely taller. Dad measured his height every few weeks and each time he had to add an extra mark on the kitchen door jamb.

Cole has changed too, he thought. I’ve seen it when we video call each other. I wonder which one of us is taller now?

Nash pinned the picture back on his pinboard and finished packing, zipping up his backpack ready for Mars. He was more nervous about the mission than he wanted to let on. He tried calling his mum, convincing himself he was merely checking in with her, but part of him knew he was saying goodbye in case he didn’t return.

There was no answer, so Nash grabbed his bag and headed for the docking station, butterflies of excitement and nerves whirring in his stomach.