Susan’s Space Story

Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say. So, she stopped. She checked all of her vital signs. Everything was normal—for now. Susan McGuire had been floating in space like a feather on the wind after she became untethered from the space station. Slight bruises covered her wrists as she jammed the arms of the space suit loose from her hands.

“This is command central, do you read me McGuire?”

“Yes, I do.”

“You were supposed to report an hour ago. What happened?”

“Space happened!” Her past screams where shouts of joy. Finally, she had achieved a state of knowing what it was like to be completely unburdened by the push of gravity or the confines of the station. Of course she had trained in zero gravity and completed space walks. This was different. She felt a surge of power just being the sole individual, out there in the great black open.

“You’re going to need to circle back to the ship and—”

“No. I like it out here.”

“Excuse me, McGuire…when do you plan on reporting back to the vessel?”

She smiled. “Whenever I damn well sense that it’s time.”

“You’ve got a rigid schedule to follow. We can’t play these games. There is too much at stake for this mission, McGuire!”

“Jack, Jack, Jack, relax. If you could just feel what it’s like to be totally unhinged—”

“Unhinged is right. You’re exhibiting behavior that matches a mental health crisis. I’m going to get the flight surgeon on the comms.”

“Hey, Miss McGuire,” Dr. Vella Bartley chimed. “We’ve known each other for a few months. I made sure you were mentally fit to go on this mission. It appears that you are displaying abnormal behavior. With the trajectory you’re going, you are on course to plummet to Earth. If you do that, you will be incinerated as you well know,” Dr. Bartley’s voice darkened.

“Did you hear me?” Susan asked.

“Hear what?”

“When I screamed?”

“No, you must have turned—”

That’s what I thought. No one can hear me scream.

McGuire had the coordinates to go back to the station. She knew what she was doing. She just wanted to relax in the mysterious majesty of space. The feeling of nothing below her was familiar. The way she moved reminded her of the pool training exercises. Susan was always the top contender. She used the tiny jets to keep her close. Then, a piece of space debris, a broken communications satellite flashed by her like a bird of prey.

“Goddamn!” Susan lunged forward again to get out of this loop of space junk. Quickly, she recovered. She turned on the comms again.

“McGuire, you have one half hour to get yourself back to the station.”

“Roger. I think I’ve had my share of close calls for the moment,” she replied.

She took to mind her plan on reaching the station. In the time that she had been untethered, she brought to her thoughts the navigation system. That was broken.

“Shit.”

That’s alright, she told herself. If I can just discover the relation to the Earth, I’ll be fine. Comms came in spotty.

“McGuire…how…do…you…read?”

“I’m out here on my own, still. I’m not panicking.”

The comms came in clearer. “Check your speed and bring your suit in easily.”

“I have to disagree. I should be going faster or I’ll be in this damn junk field for who knows how long.”

“No, McGuire. You’re supposed to follow orders, remember?”

“I hear you talking, but some things you have to do on your own.”

Susan moved forward and almost bumped into another decommissioned satellite. She powered ahead once again. By taking the proper steps in saving her own life, she managed to overcome the comms and make her way to the bay of the space station.

Her compatriots cheered as she cleared the doors.

She then looked at the screen with Jack Mourning and Dr. Bartley standing with their arms folded. They then started to cheer.

“Let’s never have to go through again,” Mourning asserted.

“Roger,” Susan replied.