CHAPTER 15

Everyone heard the news about the first launch almost as soon as they got back from Georgia. It was generally taken as good news but most of the crew, of the future starship Hermes, was more in the mind to ask ’what took so long?’ No one particularly cared that Jack would be flying the first mission although they cheered appropriately when the Sergeant Major was around. Most of them had not even met their future commander yet so what could you expect?

The news that really hit home was that they were all going to be there for the launch. That produced some grumbles until it was learned that this came with a day off. That turned into cheers when it was learned that everyone would get to spend that day, with their families, as special guests of a nearby major theme park. The news just kept on coming too. After the park they would all be special guests at a dinner hosted by the Vice President of the United States. He got less applause than Jack.

Pamela had wasted no time calling home when she found out about their day off. She had thought that a week and a half would be enough warning for her parents. Besides that, how often does your youngest daughter fly to another planet? Her parents were excited but also didn’t think twice about bowing out on the park. They had no problem with the dinner though. It was really of no surprise to Pam. She could never picture her Dad with Mouse ears on anyway.

The truth was that her parents were not all to happy about this. Her mother had cried for days after Pam told her about the application. That was then topped by her near nervous break down when Pam got accepted. Her father did nothing so dramatic. He never would stoop to such things. He simply said nothing at all and Pam knew what that meant. “Don’t talk about it.”

Pam had learned a long time ago not to let such things bother her. Both of her parents were respected physicians back in Detroit. They both traveled in the upper social circles there. Pam realized they were good parents. She would never even dream of having any others. They loved her and she felt the same about them. Despite this they had made sure that her path was preordained from the day she was born.

They had wanted her to be a doctor and so she had. The only conflict they had about it was which medical school she would go too. Pam’s mother, as opposed to her Dad, had won that round which is why Pam graduated from John Hopkins.

At least Pam could not say she was sorry. She did like being a doctor. There was even a certain adrenalin rush about working in a Detroit Emergency Room. It had never been her dream though. Since Pam could remember, she had always wanted to be an astronaut. She didn’t even know why. It was just a bug she always had. Till all of this came along it had only been a stupid dream.

Of course Pam had never really expected all of this. She never dreamed that in order to get to another planet she would have to go through a Florida tourist attraction. The best part of all was that they did not even have to wait in any lines! The park was cleared out just for them!

As they ran from one ride to the next, Pam felt kind of depressed about it. After her parents said they would not be there, she figured she would hang with Carl Lopez. Carl’s family, which was quite an extensive one, had showed up in force. Despite the fact that her drinking buddy was doing his best to make her feel at home, Pam knew she was a fifth wheel. Carl deserved the time he had left with all those nieces and nephews, who followed him around, with big star struck eyes.

Pam drifted away and then found that she was not the only person alone. There was Harry Wu but, then again, he acted too much like a big kid and that was even by Pam’s standards. Jerry Pullman was living up to every expectation that Pam had about Baptist Ministers. He was a stick in the mud and made it clear he liked his solitude. They were not really who she was looking for anyway. The only problem was that she could never find who it was that she thought about paling around with. That left her with only one real choice.

Since Julia Rice had brought her son down to the Space Center, that little boy had become an instant hit. Pam could see he’d be a lady killer one day. He practically had every woman in the program fighting over who got to sit with him next. While in future years, Joey might be accused of being a smart ass, at the age of ten his attitude was as cute as it could be and he earned the proud title of ham. It only made him more irresistible.

When Pam spotted the kid, and his Mom, she bounced over to them with the biggest smile she could make. That earned her a hug from Joey who seemed excited to see her. Even if he did that with all of his babysitters it still made Pam feel good.

The response from his mother was a different matter. As near as Pam could tell, Julia was always aloof, distant, and essentially cold. She was such a nervous acting woman. Pam could forgive her about being over protective of her son. What else were mothers for? Still, why did she have to do it in a theme park custom made for kids?

“Doctor Short, you didn’t have any family come?” was the question that Pam got from Julia.

Pam kept the smile and just shrugged it off nicely, “oh they’ll be here tonight, flights and stuff.” Pam decided something at that point. If she was going to spend the day with this woman, if only because of her son, not to mention the next couple of decades locked up in a space ship, then they had best start with first names. Pam put out her hand, “call me Pam.”

At first it looked almost as if Julia wouldn’t shake. She definitely thought about not doing it. Then suddenly it was almost as if a switch had been flipped and Pam was talking to someone else entirely. Julia broke out with a huge smile. What was even more surprising was how genuine and warm it seemed.

They shook and Julia replied, “then call me Julia.”

They took Joey from ride to ride and like most little boys he was tireless. By the time they got to the haunted house ride both of the women could go no further. Fortunately they ran into Harry Wu who seemed to have as much energy as little Joey. At that point it seemed that Joey was ready to do a ‘guy’ thing and he deemed this ride to be it. For that reason, and quite thankfully so, there was no argument about sitting next to Harry on this one.

As the male types walked off towards the entrance Pam did ask, “hey Harry, have you seen Pete?”

Harry looked back but kept on walking, “him and Jack didn’t win the lottery. They had to work. They’re at the cape already.”

Pam sighed and then sat down on a bench next to Julia. They were both in need of a rest now. As Pam closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and caught her breath she heard Julia state, “you know Joey’s really taken with him.”

“With Harry?” Pam figured why not? Harry was not much more than a big kid anyway.

“No,” Julia giggled and then slapped Pam on the arm, “I mean with the Colonel.”

Pam peeked out of one eye. Julia was resting with both eyes shut. Pam closed her eyes again and said, “yeah, well Pete does seem to be a natural with kids, you know?” After a moment of silence Pam had to add, “course I noticed that Joey is all starry eyed with Jack too.”

“Yeah,” Julia relented. “I guess so. You know sometimes I almost wish I really was going.”

This time Pam opened both eyes. She looked at Julia seriously, “what do you mean by that?”

Now Julia opened her eyes and sat up, “Joey really has had a great time with all of this. A lot more than me. I can’t leave him behind Pam. Who knows when I’d get back? That is if any of us ever get back.”

Up till now Pam had not really given the matter much thought. When Joey first showed up, Pam had simply assumed that Julia was keeping him as near as possible till she left. Who wouldn’t? Pam had not really thought about what would happen to Joey once they were gone. Now that it was hanging right there in front of Pam, she wondered how she could have missed that. Pam even felt guilty for not having thought of it. Pam had no kids but, if she did, it would be a cold day in hell before she went off to another planet and left them.

“Joey doesn’t live with his Dad or something?” Pam asked.

“Huh?” Julia was kind of surprised by the question, “oh no. I’m all he has Pam. My parents are dead. His father… oh god don’t even bring that up. Joey’s never even met him.”

Now Pam was thinking, and looking, very serious. She felt stunned. She looked up at the ride like she could actually see Joey up there. Then she gazed at the boys mother and asked with a befuddled voice, “Julia? Why in god’s name did you even apply?”

Instead of getting mad, as Julia had every time this subject came up, she found herself laughing. Then she felt a tear roll down her cheek. It didn’t stop her giggles though. She explained her situation to Pam who became the first person besides Pete who knew the entire story. She told Pam, not because she had to, but because she wanted too. It felt good.

As for Pam she reeled back in shock, “oh my god. I had no idea.”

Suddenly Pam not only forgave Julia for all of the ways she had been acting but, even sympathized with her. Pam was not even sure she could have taken a situation like that and done so with the self restraint that Julia had shown. That cold and aloof attitude that Julia had displayed no longer looked like bitchiness, it was really grace under fire. Pam found herself admiring this woman for her perseverance.

Pam swallowed, built up her resolve, and then announced, “well that being the case girl, tell you what. We’re going to make sure that. for all of the crap they’ve put you through, you’re going to get your money’s worth out of it. You and Joey are going to have fun today, damn it.”

Julia burst out laughing. It was the first time in forever that she did. Julia stood up and then snatched Pam to her feet, “I’m going to take you up on that!”