Unexplained Absence

I had a dream of a lady I work with. She was absent from work one morning with no call in, which was quite unlike her.  Not a long dream. Just her standing by a launch pad in a space suit instead of being at her desk at KISD.  With Jacqueline its family first, then work. A few of the story lines refer to private jokes so this story is dedicated to her.

Unexplained Absence

By Chucky

Houston Galaxy one. We have a problem. We are leaking a fluid of some sort into the oxygen rebreather system. Haven’t determined exactly what it is or where it is coming from. We noticed a peculiar odor upon waking up this morning. We’ll keep you informed.

What does it smell like? Can you describe it by anything you have smelled before Galaxy One.

Negatory Houston. We are investigating and will get back to you.

Houston Galaxy One. This is beginning to smell like trouble. We haven’t much time before the atmosphere becomes infected with some serious pollution. If it’s a software problem you had better get Two Shoes up here fast. We don’t have onsite knowledge. She’s the only one who can fix it.

Ahh Roger that Galaxy One. We are in process of deploying the Asset. Since it is early on we may be able to reach her before she is on her way to get her kids off to school, vacation in Denton with her husband, personal business, work or any one of the myriad of her usual excuses. We’re dialing her now.

Hello, this is Jacqueline.                                                                                                                                                             

Two Shoes Houston here. We have a Galaxy One phase One high priority code red  emergency.

“Houston Two Shoes. Switching to encrypted mode. Wait one. ..Houston Two shoes on encrypted channel 3-4 How do you read?”

We read you five by Two Shoes. How us?

Houston Two Shoes reading you 5by. State the nature of the emergency.

We have an unknown software bug, possibly a worm that got through the filter, that has emerged on Galaxy One . It looks like it is manifesting itself in interfering with the O2 discombobulation Compressor Module.

Houston Twoshoes. That’s possibly a fault controlling the sewage gas overboard recombobulation 3rd state evacuator cycle. That is serious.

Twoshoes Houston. We need you up there for an immediate repair. They do not have anyone with knowledge on site.

Houston Twoshoes. I am currently on my way to deliver my kids to school and also planning a vacation with my Husband in Denton, Texas and then there is personal business I have to attend to. I’ll try to squeeze some…..

Twoshoes Houston. WE NEED YOU UP THERE ASAP. NONE OF YOUR USUAL LAME EXCUSES. THIS IS SERIOUS. THOSE GUYS ARE BREATHING SEWER GAS AND TIME IS LIMITED. IF YOU DON’T GET UP THERE AND SOON THERE WON’T BE ANYONE ALIVE TO RESCUE.

TWOSHOES. THIS IS GENERAL FLABBERGHAST. I WANT YOU TO DROP WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING AND PROCEED IMMEDIATELY TO FT. HOOD FOR IMMEDIATE TAKEOFF TO HOUSTON.

TWOSHOES…YOU READ ME!!?

Yessir. I read you. I will drop the kids off at the nearest bus stop and email my boss that I will be late for work. I hope I can get back in time for work. They get all nervous over there when I’m late for work. As a matter of fact when I’m not there…..

TWOSHOES FLABBERGHAST!! I DON’T CARE TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR SAD STORY AT KISD. WHAT I NEED IS YOU TO GET YOUR BUTT TO FT. HOOD AND FLYING YOUR T-38 TO HOUSTON ASAP!!! IS THAT CLEAR TWOSHOES?!!  

Twoshoes Houston again. Your aircraft is being preflighted and will be ready for departure when you arrive. WHICH I HOPE WILL BE SOON!!! We are preparing your rocket and spacesuit at this end to expedite your departure from Houston Pad 1 upon your arrival.

Roger Houston. I’m on my way. Eta 0812 I want to mention that I hope they can find a space suit that fits me.

“Ok kids I’m going to have to drop you off here. There’s a bus stop around here somewhere. Here is 3 dollars. Just ask around if you can’t find it.

“but Mom. How do we know what bus to catch? We don’t even know where the bus stop is.”

“Whatever! You’ll be ok. You two need to start growing up. The world is going socialist, Putin is in the Ukraine, The Pope is in front of Congress badmouthing capitalism , our astronauts are breathing sewer gas and you two are crying because you don’t know where the bus stop is. Let me tell you a thing about ..

Twoshoes Flabberghast. Are you there yet?

“Not yet General. I am finding it necessary to administer additional parenting to my kids because they don’t know how to catch a bus. I’m telling them how lucky they are to live in this great nation of ours and how ashamed they should be because our astronauts are breathing sewer gas and all they are worried about is finding their way to school. In addition I am also explaining that….”

TWOSHOES!! GET ON THAT PLANE!!

“Roger General. On my way.”

She slams the door and zooms off in the direction of Ft. Hood. In the rearview mirror her kids are making hand gestures and looking awkwardly around.

She speed dials her husband. “John. Go get the kids. They are wandering around somewhere downtown..No I have personal business of the kind we never talk about to attend to and ….no no. forget about the Denton vacation for a while. I haven’t got time right now. Ok. Yes. Spaghetti for dinner tonight. I’ll hit the grocers when I get back. No lets not talk about where I’m going right now…ok if you must know it’s about 350 miles away then another 350. Call you when I get back.

“I haven’t got time for this. What with dropping my kids off in a strange neighborhood, planning our Denton vacation, spaghetti for dinner, late for work.  Still..Ok. Refocus on the mission. Hope I can get back in time for the afternoon leg. Then shopping, plan for Denton, look for John and the kids.”

Upon pulling into her reserved parking space she sees her plane sitting on the ramp. Commanding General Echelon1 has the third space. General ‘Bomber’ Hankeyjammer, Special Presidential Envoy the second and the one closest to the ramp: simply named “TWOSHOES”.  ‘Who is Twoshoes’ is an occasional topic of conversation at upper level staff meetings. The answer: classified.

Habitually she grabbed her ‘dighty bag’ then hesitated, gave herself a resigned eye roll and tossed it back toward the car as she ran toward the jet. “we’ve got the plane pre-flighted ma’mn and its all ready to go fueled for Houston. We’ve filed your flight plan. Here is your pressure suit. As soon as you are seated we’ll get the start cart plugged in for engine start on your signal. “

Climbing into the cockpit , the flight suit snagged on the canopy latch. She reached back and unhooked it. As the start cart began spinning up she hit the canopy switch and pulled on her helmet, plugged into the mic jack and pulled on her oxygen mask. She gave the thumbs up to the lineman and when the start cart light turned green she initiated start sequence. Master Switch on. The engine instruments came alive. She looked for oil pressure and N1 the rpm of the first stage compressor. When it indicated 10% she flipped  the ignitors on and heard their ‘tick tick tick…’ anticipating the familiar rumble of twin J85-5 engine ignition. After listening to automated airport information she dialed the ground frequency into her UHF and hand signaled the lineman to disconnect the power cart.

“Ft. Hood ground. T-38 NinerZeroFourFife with bravo Hangar 2 taxi.”

“Ah roger 9045 taxi to the runup area , hold short for the 747 exiting the active”

“Ground niner zero four five cleared to taxi hold short for the 747”

She completed her runup and airframe flight control checks.

“Ft. Hood ground, niner zero four fife ready for takeoff”

“9045 ground contact tower 295.8.”

“Ft. Hood tower . T-38 9045 IFR Houston”

“9045 Tower you are cleared for immediate takeoff runway 30 , altimeter 2994, squwak 4035, immediate right turn after departure heading 185 contact departure control 298.6.”

“Cleared for departure runway 30, altimeter 2994, sqwak 4035 immediate right turn heading 185 departure 2 niner eight point 8 9045. “

The aircraft accelerated down the runway with full power. After the right turn to 185 magnetic she dialed in the UHF frequency for departure control.

“Niner zero four fife climb and maintain flight level 370. You are cleared to Houston Space Port direct”

The flight at 37000 feet was smooth. The ground moved almost motionless below her. She turned her attention to troubleshooting the software for the O2 reconbobulation module. She forced any distracting thoughts of her kids looking for a bus stop, her husbands Denton vacation, spaghetti shopping and additional personal business from her mind.

Twenty minutes later she contacted Houston Approach for landing. “Houston Approach T-38 9045 Angels 37 full stop Houston Space Port.

“Niner zero four fife Houston Approach good morning. Descend and maintain eight tousand  heading 175 hold at Charlie Foxtrot. Sqawk 4398 report the beacon outbound.

She reached for the throttles to begin her descent. The VSI needle swung to 3000 feet per minute. Upon reaching CF she made the turn and pressed the mic button on the top of her control stick.

“Houston Approach 9045 eight tousand beacon outbound.”

“Roger 9045 , altimeter 2998 expect runway 14 contact tower 276.4”

“Altimiter 2998, runway 14, tower 276.4, 9045”

Houston Space port tower T38 9045 CF outbound full stop .

“Ahh Roger 9045 you are cleared for the approach. Upon clearing the runway contact ground 334.7.”

Upon landing the ground crew rushed out to the aircraft. Put up the ladder and escorted her to the dressing area. Her frustration showed as she hesitated to unsnag her flight suit from the canopy latch.

“We are scheduled for rocket launch in 10 minutes”  As she suited up the faint sound in the main control room could be heard over the preflight briefing she was being given by the launch coordinator.  “T minus 9 minutes and counting. Launch on schedule.” As she climbed out of her flight suit and into her space suit. ”This flight suit is too large. They are all too large. I could stuff a pillow in here and still have room left over. It’s just too much flight suit. Even when I’m pulling Gs and it inflates I can barely feel it. I almost passed out on my last check ride. “

She finished the launch briefing on the elevator.

“Can’t you get me a smaller space suit? I feel like I’m swimming in this thing. I can hardly walk without tripping over myself, and this fishbowl helmet…I have to fix spaghetti tonight. Have you called my boss yet?”

“Oh yeah. Call your boss. Sure email the boss. When you arrive be sure to don the oxygen mask before entering the pressure hold Agent Twoshoes. No telling what the density of the cabin atmosphere is. We can’t get an accurate estimate from the crew. They’re starting to sound giddy on the radio. Sewer gas has a strange and unpredictable effect on people, especially astronauts who are used to breathing purified air, not like what we have to breathe down here. There are no cows in space.  “

“Ok but I have to get word to KISD and tell them I may not be in till after lunch.”

“No sweat Twoshoes.  Yeah sure. Email kisd. “

Twoshoes contacted Houston after launch and initiated procedure for docking with Galaxy One. The space station orbiting 350 miles above her.

“Be sure to email my boss” at KISD were her last words before she switched frequency and contacted the space station.

“Ok yeah sure email your boss at ..Where was that we were supposed to email?”

“Hey. Anyone seen Jacqueline? “

“Dunno, maybe she’s at a campus. It’s 9 o’clock and not here. She isn’t on the calendar. Ask Cynthia. Maybe she called in sick. “

No word. Maybe she is at the other Data Center. Is today her turn to be down there? No, we checked and she’s not there. This is strange. She usually emails us with about 10 pages worth of explanations why she is going to be 5 minutes late.

“WHERE IS JACQUELINE? People are calling. There are students that can’t log in. filter requests. Trouble tickets for server issues. The department heads having a fit and doesn’t know what to do. Where is she? We have to find out where she is. She’s not here. Its very odd she’s not here with 40 pages of explanation as to her being tardy and how she is going to make up the time. We have to know. There is no email, no phone call no nothing. Call the police and report her missing. She’s maybe lying in the road hit by a truck. Call the hospital and tell them to wheel her over here. Where is she? Ohh. What are we going to do? We are in a real jam here. Oh! Yes. Denton. Maybe she’s in Denton again. She has relatives in Denton. Maybe she’s at church. Hey Yeah. Church. Maybe she is on one of her all day Wednesday church sabbaticals. No she only does them on Sunday , Tuesday, Fridays Saturdays, her birthday, her husbands’ birthday, his Army discharge anniversary,  fourth of July week, spring break, Memorial and Labor Days.  Does anyone have her home phone? Send someone out to her place. Maybe she was touring her property and got lost.

The true identity of special agent Twoshoes was never revealed. Due to her unrelenting devotion to duty and ability to simply vanish at a moment’s notice the nations’s space program was reinitiated and we no longer had to beg rides from the Ruskies. All NASA records of her existence are sealed in the archives. Although forever anonymous, she will remain in our hearts simply as Agent Twoshoes ; The Top Secret American Space cadet who led two lives; never failed to report ‘Mission accomplished’ and whose spacesuits were too large.