02 January 2035 – Baffin Bay Spaceport, Kenedy County, Texas
Sabrina and Tom’s plane touched down with a quick screech of protesting rubber, the small sport jet decelerating smoothly as it rolled toward the FBO at Baffin Bay Spaceport. The excitement building in Sabrina’s chest since they took off from Langley was tempered by a faint sense of dread. Leaving the Air Force had been more challenging than she had anticipated. The adjustment to civilian life, to a company as dynamic and different as Ad Astra, was daunting.
“I can’t believe we’re here …” Sabrina muttered, fingers still gripping the throttle as she completed the shutdown procedure.
“End of an era,” Tom replied, unbuckling his harness.
His voice was confident and final. Sabrina could sense the undertone of relief mixed with a tinge of uncertainty. They were leaving behind one chapter to start another, but as with all changes, the future was hazy. Tom turned to her.
“And the start of a new one,” Tom added. “Alex and Adriana have done well here, and both say Ad Astra is a great company to work for. It already feels more like a family business than some huge, faceless corporation, and we haven’t even started yet.”
Sabrina nodded, but the weight of the transition still hung over her. The idea of fitting into a new environment and navigating a new routine while trying to heal the wounds of her departure from the Air Force … it felt like a lot to ask. Still, she couldn’t deny the excitement that surged when she thought about the future.
“I’m excited to see the quarters they’ve assigned us tomorrow. You can only get so much from real estate photos, but it looks like a nice place to live.”
“Hopefully, it’s not too humid. I was getting used to the lack of humidity at the desert bases. Langley was a little different. This is something else.”
Sabrina laughed, grateful for the small moment of lightness.
“Thank you for not saying, ‘but it was a dry heat.’ I would have hurt you.”
“Noted. And I know better than to mess with a black belt,” Tom grinned, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement.
Sabrina had a way of getting the last laugh in their relationship, but he wasn’t afraid to push her buttons – especially when she was already on edge.
As they disembarked and made their way toward the FBO, Sabrina glanced around, taking in the stark, open expanse of the spaceport. The place was bustling with activity. In the background, a giant Atlas rocket sat, its black-and-white form starkly contrasted against the endless Texas sky.
Ad Astra’s ambitious plans to expand private space exploration brought a new wave of business and innovation to the area. The sprawling facilities that lined the horizon, with the occasional landing of a rocket or space-bound vehicle, were a testament to that.
“We might be in the middle of nowhere, but this place feels like it’s on the cutting edge of something big,” Sabrina remarked as they stepped into the FBO’s hangar.
The polished floors reflected the industrial light. She took in the smell of fresh paint and aviation fuel, and the hum of machinery in the background was a steady reminder that she was about to be part of something monumental.
“It’s strange how quickly everything’s shifting,” Tom agreed, running a hand through his hair. “I just hope the heat doesn’t get to me. But I’ve got my eyes on the prize. I know you do, too.”
Sabrina smiled, a rare moment of confidence flickering behind her eyes. She felt a sense of possibility for the first time in a while.
“Let’s make this work.”
✦ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✦
As they entered the guesthouse lobby, Sabrina felt like she was entering a different world. The decor wasn’t the typical tired furniture and carpet feel that Sabrina had become accustomed to during her military career. Instead, the place felt homier and warmer. Wood accents and leather chairs lined the sitting area, and all screamed ‘Texas Ranch Chic’ without trying too hard.
“Beth must have a few nickels to rub together …” Tom muttered, clearly impressed.
“I’ll say,” Sabrina replied, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.
It was hard not to be impressed with the careful thought that had gone into the space. Everything from the oversized chandeliers to the soft leather chairs spoke of money and a deep understanding of comfort. Ad Astra had money, but they also clearly cared about the people they employed.
The front desk clerk greeted them with a warm, southern drawl.
“Y’all checking in? Y’all’ll be here for a week, I suppose?”
“Yes,” Sabrina confirmed, a little caught off guard. She had thought they were just there for a few nights until they settled into their new home. “But I thought we were just here for a few nights or so?”
The clerk smiled gently.
“Don’t y’all worry about that. Company policy. We give y’all a week just in case there’s some hiccup with the housing, and that way, we can get it sorted without y’all having to rebook.”
Tom raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. Sabrina, too, felt the lingering question on her mind – why did it seem like Ad Astra already knew them better than they knew themselves?
Sabrina said, “we’ll take the week. I’m sure we can find things to keep ourselves busy.”
✦ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✦
The next few days passed in a blur of adjustment and unease. Sabrina felt her stomach churn more often than not. At first, she dismissed it as nerves. Starting a new job always brings its share of stress. But when the queasiness lingered and worsened, she began to wonder. By the third day, it was clear: something was wrong.
Sabrina sat at her new desk, surrounded by the hum of activity from the other engineers and administrators. She had thought the most challenging part of this transition would be adjusting to the slower pace of corporate life and the lack of military structure and camaraderie. Instead, the persistent, nagging feeling in her stomach consumed her.
Nausea and dizziness swept over her like waves, hitting her in an irregular rhythm that made it hard to focus on anything else. She tried to push through, telling herself it was stress or maybe adjusting to the heat. But as the morning wore on, she realized she was barely keeping it together.
Finally, unable to hold it in any longer, Sabrina rushed to the bathroom, her hand clasped over her mouth to stop herself from vomiting. But when she reached the stall, it was already too late. The rest of the day was a blur. She couldn’t focus, couldn’t stop the nausea from taking over. Every trip to the bathroom reminded her how out of place she felt at this new job she’d worked so hard to land.
Later that evening, when Sabrina finally dragged herself home, it wasn’t just the exhaustion from her failed attempts to be productive that weighed on her – it was the gnawing worry about what was happening inside her body. She collapsed onto the couch, the motion of her head heavy, her body drained.
Just as she was about to drift off, her phone rang. It was Adriana, her sister-in-law. Adriana had been working part-time in the physics department at Ad Astra for the past few months, and Sabrina had always turned to her for advice. She picked up the phone, her voice weary.
“Hey, Sabrina! How’s the new job?” Adriana’s voice sounded cheerful, but Sabrina could hear the concern underneath. Sabrina hesitated, her stomach twisting painfully as she sat up.
“It’s been a rough start …” she admitted, squeezing her eyes shut. “I was throwing up nonstop all morning.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line before Adriana spoke again, her voice calm but serious.
“Sabrina, I think I might know what’s going on. Can I come over and talk about it?”
Sabrina’s eyebrows furrowed. What could Adriana know about this? She agreed, though, the curiosity gnawing at her even as she tried to process the sudden wave of unease. Adriana arrived twenty minutes later, carrying a small bag. Sabrina stood at the door, eyebrows raised.
“What’s going on, Anna?” she asked.
“I think I know what’s happening,” Adriana said with a knowing smile. She pulled several pregnancy tests from her bag, a small but pointed pile that made Sabrina’s stomach lurch again.
“What do you mean by this?” Sabrina asked, the unease creeping up her spine.
“I’ve seen this before,” Adriana explained softly. “It’s not just the flu or stress. I think you’re pregnant.”
The world seemed to pause around Sabrina, her pulse pounding in her ears.
“‘Pregnant?’” she whispered, staring at the tests in disbelief. Adriana nodded, her voice gentle and reassuring.
“I’ve worked with enough women to recognize the signs. It’s possible.”
Following Adriana’s calm instructions, Sabrina took one of the tests in a haze. Five minutes later, she was staring at the unmistakable two pink lines, a wave of realization crashing over her. She was pregnant.
✦ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✦
The following day, the world felt different. Sabrina didn’t know how to process it. She had just started a new life – a new job and environment – and this unexpected news added a new layer of complexity.
It wasn’t just the pregnancy. It was everything. The future she had imagined, where everything would fall into place neatly and with time, was now in question. Would Ad Astra accept her? How would Beth react to the news? How would she balance her growing family with the career she had worked hard to build?
She sat at her desk, thoughts swirling, when her phone buzzed. It was an email from Beth asking to meet for a brief discussion. The anxiety returned with full force. In Beth’s office, Sabrina explained everything. Her worries, the confusion, the uncertainty. And to her surprise, Beth’s reaction wasn’t disappointment or frustration – it was joy.
“Well, Sabrina, that’s wonderful news! Congratulations!” Beth exclaimed, her genuine smile making Sabrina feel a wave of relief she hadn’t expected. Beth continued, her voice sincere. “We’ll work something out, of course. Ad Astra supports our employees, and we want to make sure y’all have everything y’all’ll need as y’all prepare for this new chapter. We’ll handle things. Y’all focus on being healthy.”
Sabrina felt something shift inside her for the first time in days: a glimmer of hope. The future was still uncertain, but for the first time in a long while it felt like maybe it wouldn’t be so hard to navigate. Sabrina headed home and snuggled with Tom. She trusted Beth and knew she would figure out how to make things work for her chief pilot.
Sabrina continued to work as she slowly found her niche with Ad Astra. Since she was still in her first trimester, she could participate in the early tests of Ad Astra’s SSTO. Ad Astra also had simulators installed, so Sabrina didn’t have to worry about any G-force stress on her unborn child.
Sabrina looked down at the black flight suit that was now her ‘uniform’ as the chief pilot for Ad Astra. Specifically, she looked down at the company’s patch. “Ad Astra Space Exploration, Ltd.” the top rocker said, while the bottom rocker read simply “Sic Itur” – “So Let’s Go.” A stylized image of the company’s SSTO comprised the bulk of the central logo.
She bent to the pile of work papers on her desk, aiming to prove her worth to Beth Oldham. Her boss hadn’t ever hinted that she wasn’t, but Sabrina attacked her new job as she had various Air Force jobs.
Ad Astra’s Single-Stage-to-Orbit (SSTO) project was in full swing, and Sabrina’s expertise as a test pilot was invaluable. Every simulation she ran felt like a mix of exhilaration and responsibility. She wasn’t just testing a vehicle that could redefine space travel – she was paving the way for a future her child might one day witness firsthand. That thought alone gave her a surge of motivation.
One late evening, she was poring over flight data in the simulator room when Beth Oldham entered, her commanding presence filling the space. Sabrina looked up, surprised.
“Y’all’re still here?” Beth asked, though her tone carried more curiosity than a reprimand. “Most people call it a night after six.”
Sabrina gave a tired smile.
“Just double-checking some results. I want to be sure the adjustments to the SSTO’s control surfaces won’t interfere with reentry dynamics.”
Beth chuckled softly and pulled up a chair beside her.
“Y’all remind me of myself when I started this company. Obsessed with every detail, convinced the entire world would crumble if I missed something.”
“And did it?” Sabrina asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Not exactly,” Beth admitted, her smile warm. “But I learned that perfection isn’t always the goal. Progress is.”
Sabrina leaned back, her hand instinctively resting on her still-flat belly.
“It’s hard to shake the mindset. The Air Force drilled into me that anything less than perfect could be catastrophic.”
Beth nodded.
“That discipline is why y’all’re here, Sabrina. But don’t forget to pace y’all’s self. Y’all’re balancing more than work, now.” Her gaze dropped briefly to Sabrina’s hand, and Sabrina stiffened slightly. Beth had always been perceptive. “Does anyone else know?” Beth asked gently. Sabrina hesitated, then shook her head.
“Just Tom, Alex, and Adriana. I’m waiting until the first trimester’s over before making it public.”
Beth reached out, her hand resting briefly on Sabrina’s shoulder.
“When y’all’re ready, know that this company will support y’all. We built Ad Astra to be a place where people can thrive – not just as employees but as humans. Tell me if y’all need time, resources, flexibility – anything.”
Sabrina felt a lump rise in her throat but managed a nod.
“Thank you, Beth. That means more than I can say.”
Beth smiled, standing up.
“Now, go home. Tomorrow’s another day, and I need my chief pilot sharp.”
Sabrina laughed softly, powering down the simulator. As she walked to her car, the cool night air filled her lungs, and she felt a sense of calm for the first time in weeks. The uncertainty of the future hadn’t disappeared, but with Beth’s assurance and the growing sense of belonging at Ad Astra, she was beginning to believe she could handle it.
✦ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✦
As the weeks passed, Sabrina continued to excel in her role. By the time she entered her second trimester, her pregnancy was becoming harder to hide. The day she finally told her team, she was met with nothing but cheers and congratulations.
The team had figured it out, anyway. This was a moment of relief, a sign that she could have a fulfilling career and a growing family.
One afternoon, during a high-stakes simulation run, Sabrina found herself at the controls of the SSTO’s cockpit mock-up. The mission profile was ambitious: a rapid ascent to low Earth orbit, a short stay for satellite deployment, and a return to the spaceport within six hours. The pressure was palpable, but Sabrina thrived under it.
“Telemetry is green across the board,” the mission controller’s voice crackled in her headset. “You’re clear to proceed.”
“Copy that. Initiating throttle-up in three … two … one …”
The simulated thrusters roared to life, and the cockpit’s display filled with data streams. Sabrina felt the familiar rush of adrenaline tempered by a newfound sense of responsibility. Ad Astra wasn’t quite to the point where the SSTO’s engines were using just one kind of fuel, but they were getting closer.
Every decision she made wasn’t just about her career – it was about proving she could rise to this challenge for herself and her child. When the simulation concluded, the room erupted in applause. Beth, observing from the control room, stepped out to congratulate her.
“Outstanding work, Sabrina,” Beth said, her voice full of pride. “You’re setting the bar high for the rest of us.”
Sabrina smiled, the weight of her journey lifting slightly. For the first time in a long while, she felt she was exactly where she was meant to be. As she left the simulator room, Tom, with a proud grin, was waiting for her in the lobby. He handed her a water bottle and kissed her on the forehead.
“How’d it go?” he asked.
“Flawless,” Sabrina replied, her voice brimming with confidence. “I think we’re finally ready for the real thing.”
Tom’s hand rested on her growing belly.
“You’re unstoppable, you know that?”
Sabrina laughed, her heart full.
“We’re unstoppable.”
Together, they walked out into the Texas sunset, the horizon ahead as vast and limitless as the future they were building … one step, one flight, one star at a time. Being away from Langley – the Air Force – was tempered by a faint sense of dread. Leaving the Air Force had been more challenging than she had anticipated. The adjustment to civilian life, to a company as dynamic and different as Ad Astra, was daunting.
✦ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✦
The weeks that followed Sabrina’s announcement had been a whirlwind of change. The news of her pregnancy had been met with enthusiastic support from her team and Ad Astra’s leadership, but that didn’t mean the pressure let up. If anything, it increased. The SSTO project was accelerating; every simulation brought them closer to their goal. The timeline, once a vague aspiration, was now an urgent demand.
Sabrina balanced two very different worlds: the high-stakes, often overwhelming world of aerospace testing and the quiet, almost surreal world of impending motherhood. She wasn’t sure how it was possible to feel so many emotions simultaneously – pride, anxiety, excitement, fear – but somehow she did. And yet, the more she dove into her work, the more she realized that this could be her greatest achievement, not just as a pilot but as a person.
Despite the nausea that still occasionally crept up on her, Sabrina had adjusted. The first trimester had been the hardest, but now, at sixteen weeks, her energy was returning. Still, there were moments of self-doubt. Would her body continue to hold up? Would her mind stay sharp under the mounting pressure of her career and growing family?
She was still figuring it out.
✦ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✦
The sun set over Baffin Bay, casting long shadows across the airstrip. Sabrina stood by the edge of the runway, looking out at the massive structure that housed Ad Astra’s operations. The SSTO, sleek and almost intimidating in its sheer size, sat on the tarmac, its hull gleaming in the fading light.
Tonight, the team was preparing for a critical testing phase: the prototype’s first live flight with Ryan Hayes at the controls. Soon, the moment would be the culmination of months of grueling work and the beginning of something bigger than either could have imagined.
“Still can’t get used to the size of that thing,” Tom’s voice broke through her thoughts.
He stood beside her now, his face shaded by the brim of his cap, a slight grin tugging at his lips. Sabrina smiled and leaned into his side, resting her hand on his arm. The closeness felt grounding, comforting in the way only Tom could make her feel.
“Yeah, it’s massive. Hard to believe this is the same company I first looked at in the brochure …”
Sabrina’s voice trailed off, and she swallowed hard. The weight of it all was beginning to settle in her chest. She looked out at the plane, her stomach fluttering with a mix of nerves and pride. Tom noticed the shift in her expression.
“You’re doing this, you know. You’re ready.”
She nodded, but her voice was quieter.
“I hope so. It’s not just about the test anymore, Tom. I want to do it all.”
Tom reached for her hand, squeezing it gently.
“You will do it all. You always do.”
Sabrina leaned into him, letting the comfort of his presence settle her.
“I just wish the whole ‘doing it all’ didn’t come with so many unknowns.”
“Unknowns,” he repeated softly, his tone serious. “Sabrina, you’re literally going to fly a spaceship after the baby arrives. What’s more unknown than that?”
She laughed, the sound light and free despite the weight of her thoughts.
“I guess you have a point, but space travel seems a lot more predictable than this whole motherhood thing.”
Tom kissed the top of her head, a reassuring touch.
“Well, I think you’re about to break some records in both departments.”
Her heart warmed at the idea of Tom’s unwavering faith in her, but something else was nagging at her. The truth was, the pressure wasn’t just coming from the job or the pregnancy. It was the looming deadline for the SSTO’s first live flight. Ad Astra aimed for a space demonstration in just three weeks. The clock was ticking.
“We’ve still got a lot to do,” Sabrina said, pulling away slightly to look him in the eyes.
“You’ll be fine,” Tom replied with a grin. “Just remember to breathe. And maybe take the night off, huh? You’re carrying a little extra weight these days.”
Sabrina smirked.
“Funny, I didn’t realize you were a comedian now.”
“I’ve been practicing,” he said, laughing. “I’ll see you after the flight, yeah?”
Sabrina nodded and gave him a quick kiss.
“Good luck. Don’t do anything crazy.”
Tom winked at her as he made his way toward the staging area. Sabrina watched him go, feeling an unexpected wave of love and gratitude wash over her. There was something almost peaceful about watching him walk away – like the future, though still uncertain, was already laid out before her in a way she could now begin to accept.
As she stood there, taking in the sight of the spacecraft and the silent horizon, she thought about all the possibilities before her. She had left behind one world – the rigid, structured world of the Air Force – to step into this new one. And now, this new world was beginning to take shape, just as her family was. She didn’t know what the future held, but the feeling that had once plagued her with dread – the sense of uncertainty – was fading slowly but surely.
She was ready.
✦ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✦
But the spacecraft wasn’t.
It kept shutting down during live testing, and the engineers couldn’t figure it out. One of the women from the air and spacecraft maintenance section stuck her head in the engineer’s office, trying to find a particular engineer, but immediately saw the problem.
“This fuel line here looks funny,” Gabriela Pousa said, pointing to one of the diagrams.
“What do you mean?” Toby Gray asked. He’d been staring at the diagram for hours and hadn’t found anything.
“This fuel line here,” Gabi said, pointing. “See here? This fuel flow tube is probably getting kinked by this other line here when it’s under pressure, like high G-forces.” The engineers stared at her. “Hey, I’ve been dealing with aircraft for several years, so I’ve seen things like this.” She shrugged. “We’re talking about stresses that I don’t normally see in aircraft, but if this is happening in all six engines, it’ll cause a problem …”
Toby Gray looked like he wanted to kiss the older woman. He could finally see the reasons for the engine failures he’d tried to figure out for hours.
“Mister Gray, do you have some insight you’d like to share?” his supervisor, Ignacio Cadaval, asked from the door for the hallway.
“No, but Señora Pousa may have pointed out the problem, Sir!”
Toby Gray and Gabriela Pousa showed him what she had noticed.
“Señora Pousa, good catch! Mister Gray, did you learn anything today?”
“Yes, Sir! Don’t be afraid to ask new eyes to look over a problem! No matter whose they might be!”
“Good. Let’s have Señora Pousa look over the rest of the systems, too. There may be more than just this fuel problem. I’ll square it with her supervisor.”
Beth Oldham was less than thrilled with what promised to be a long delay to the SSTO program, but she’d rather have that, than a list of funerals to go to.
The following months were a blur of redesigns, reworking, and anticipation. Sabrina balanced the tail end of her second trimester by preparing the SSTO for its first official mission. Every week brought new milestones: system upgrades, test flights, and safety briefings. Ad Astra’s team worked tirelessly to refine the SSTO’s capabilities, and Sabrina’s expertise became the program’s cornerstone.
Her pregnancy, meanwhile, became impossible to ignore. At first, she worried about how her team would react, but their support never wavered. Engineers adjusted the simulator cockpit ergonomics to accommodate her changing body, and co-pilots offered to shoulder the extra workload without question.
Ad Astra even installed a private lounge near mission control with a white noise machine so she could rest undisturbed. Sabrina’s regular flight suit was replaced with black Ad Astra polo shirts and cargo pants. The polos somehow had a spot for her name tag.
Sabrina’s movements slowed by her eighth month, but her determination only grew. She had transitioned from active piloting to mentoring the next wave of test pilots, conducting simulations, and providing critical feedback. It wasn’t the same as flying, but she knew she was building a legacy – one she hoped her baby would one day witness.
The morning of the baby’s birth came earlier than expected. Sabrina had been reviewing telemetry data when a sharp, unmistakable pain coursed through her abdomen. She froze, clutching the edge of her desk. Tom, visiting his wife and sitting nearby, immediately noticed.
“Is it time?”
“I think so,” she whispered, her voice tinged with awe and panic.
Within minutes, the Ad Astra team sprang into action. Beth personally drove Sabrina and Tom to Baffin Bay General Hospital, her usual composure giving way to a protective urgency. The drive felt surreal. Sabrina stared out the window, her mind racing through the past year’s events – leaving the Air Force, moving to Texas, and joining Ad Astra. Now, she was about to embark on a more uncharted journey: motherhood.
Labor was a test of endurance and a testament to Sabrina’s resilience. Hours passed in a haze of effort and emotion, but when the cry of her newborn daughter filled the room, the world seemed to still. Tom’s hand gripped hers tightly as the doctor placed their baby on her chest.
“She’s perfect,” Sabrina murmured, tears streaming down her face.
The baby’s tiny hand curled around her finger, a connection as profound as any she had ever felt. Tom kissed her forehead, his own eyes glistening.
“You did it. We did it.”
They named her Marisa Mayumi Jones – after both of Sabrina’s grandmothers, as she and Tom had decided.
✦ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✦
Returning to work after maternity leave was another challenge, but Sabrina faced it with the same determination that had carried her through every stage of her life. Ad Astra welcomed her back with open arms, and Marisa became a beloved fixture among the team. The company’s daycare center allowed Sabrina to balance her dual roles as a pilot and a mother.
Marisa’s first months were filled with milestones: her first smile, her first laugh, her first trip to the simulator room. Sabrina often carried her daughter in a chest cradle while poring over flight data or briefing her team. It wasn’t conventional, but it worked. While Sabrina was reviewing SSTO flight plans one day, Beth stopped by her office. Marisa was asleep in a bassinet nearby, her soft breathing steady.
“I just came to thank y’all,” Beth said, her voice uncharacteristically soft. Sabrina looked up, surprised.
“For what?”
“For proving that we can do it all. Y’all have shown everyone here what’s possible.”
Sabrina smiled, her hand resting lightly on Marisa’s head.
“I’ve had a lot of help.”
Beth nodded.
“True. But leadership isn’t just about what y’all can do. It’s about inspiring others to believe in what they can do.”
As Beth left, Sabrina returned to her work, her heart full. The stars had always called to her, but now she had a new reason to reach for them. Marisa stirred in her sleep, and Sabrina’s gaze lingered on her daughter. The future felt as vast and open as space itself, and Sabrina was ready to chart it – for both of them.
✦ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✦
A little more than three months later, six months from Gabriela Pousa’s discovery, the moment of truth arrived. The entire Ad Astra team stood on the tarmac, their mood electric with anticipation. The SSTO was prepared for its first test flight, and Sabrina had been at the controls for days of intense simulations. Every check and flight profile had been reviewed and tested again and again, so there was no room for error.
Sabrina suited up, her black flight suit fitting snugly around her flattened belly. As she slid into the cockpit, the weight of the responsibility was almost suffocating. She had flown countless missions before, but this wasn’t just about the flight. This was about the future of space exploration. This was about proving to herself and the world that she could handle everything life threw at her.
“Clear for takeoff, Navigant,” the mission controller’s voice crackled in her ear. “Good luck.” The ship’s full name was “Navigant Astra” – “Sail the Stars.”
The final countdown began.
“Five … Four … Three … Two … One … Execute!”
Sabrina took a deep breath and nodded. She wasn’t nervous – she was determined. With a button press, the engines roared to life, and the SSTO began its slow roll down the runway. The SSTO surged into the sky with a force that Sabrina could feel deep in her bones. For the first few minutes, she focused on the feel of the controls beneath her hands, the thrill of the flight mingling with the sharp focus of her professional training.
As they cleared the atmosphere, space stretched out before her – a boundless frontier. Sabrina’s breath quickened, the adrenaline coursing through her veins, but at that moment, it wasn’t just about the flight. It was about something more. It was about stepping into the unknown, not just as a test pilot but as a woman who was about to redefine what was possible.
“Telemetry’s all green,” the mission controller reported.
Sabrina smiled, her heart swelling with pride as she maneuvered the SSTO into position for reentry. This was just the beginning. And the future, whatever it held, was now wide open.
Landing back at Baffin Bay, Sabrina went through the shut-down checklist for the SSTO. It was an automatic thing for her following a flight. Her co-pilot – Ryan Hayes – did the same on his side. When they were done, they looked at each other and yelled happily while they jumped around the cockpit, hugging. They had passed the outer atmosphere and the Karman Line. They were astronauts.
As Sabrina descended from the SSTO’s cockpit, her boots hit the tarmac with a resounding finality. The cheers from the gathered Ad Astra team erupted like a tidal wave. She had done it. For the first time in her career, she had crossed the boundary between Earth and space – a milestone few had ever achieved. Beth Oldham approached, her stride brisk but warm. She tossed Sabrina a new name tag for her flight suit.
“Chief Pilot Sabrina Knox-Jones,” she said, her voice carrying the pride of an entire company. “Welcome back, astronaut.”
The word sent Sabrina shivering. She stripped the old name tag off her flight suit, accompanied by its Velcro's rasp, and slapped on the new one. The symbol of Ad Astra gleamed under the floodlights.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice catching. “But it was a team effort.”
Beth’s smile widened.
“And y’all led it. Now, go get some rest! Doctor’s orders!”
