I provide my written material for reading purposes only.  Please do not modify, copy, or take credit for this work of fiction. If you have comments, suggestions or questions, please send them to CPConnection@Geocities.com 

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Omacron Delta 2
March 12, 1996

Near the end of his story, I did not feel so bad for my friend Mike. Mike was single and did not have much family. I knew that he was going to a good place and that he deserved it.

The bar tender further explained that I needed to stop chastising myself; that no man on this earth had infallibility. He then turned away and proceeded to the back room of the bar. It was the man's words that gave me the courage to rethink my decision on flying the mission I was asked to fly. I then furtively walked out of the bar and back home.

I awoke the next morning on my front door step, my mind in a state if morale and still affected by the alcohol from the night before. As I moved my druged body in the house, I could see my wife sitting on the couch reading the newspaper.

"Good, you finally got you butt off the ground."

"You knew I was out there?"

"Hell yeah! You didn't think for one minute I would let a man, whether I knew him or not, who lack coherence sleep in the same bed with me did you?"

"Well, ahuuuu...ahuuuu..."

I always knew when my wife was furiously mad at me. She had her own hyperbole for everything you could think of. One of the most obvious hyperboles she had was being respectful by paying someone a compliment when something deleterious was the subject. The person realizing that if the roles were revered, they would be just as upset as she was. There were many things that were considered acceptable by society in general, but unacceptable to my wife. Most of the time, if it was not approved by her, and her alone, it was illicit in her court of law. (Mental note: Divorce the Judge, Juror, and Executioner :) )

My wife's continuous ignorance of me was becoming irritating. At our wedding, she swore to me that nothing would ever come between us, and that she would always love me. But I wasn't so sure of that. After dinner that evening she failed to ask if I wanted some coffee; the complement to our dinner every weekend. The ignorance, hyperboles, facial expressions, possessive attitude, and others all pointed to the opposite direction of those words she so solemnly swore to me on that jovial day. The emotional effects of this day seemed to be unbearable.

The day had finally come. The day of the launch to Omicron Delta. Everybody in mission control, launch pad, and prep room were in a prevalent in a frantic state of mind. It was two hours before launch, and there was still much to be done.

With the little time I had left I walked to the far fence where my wife was going to watch the launch. Approaching the fence, I could see her sitting on the bleachers like a five foot statue. Only her eyes were blinking very recapitulate. "Becky," I called. She was slow to respond. She casually walked down to the fence to where I was standing.

"I just want to tell you how much I'm going to miss you and how much I love you."

"Are you sure you will miss and love me," she said

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You mean you haven't figured it out yet? Think about it, everything that happened last night. I don't know what has gotten into you. Ever since the accident, you seem like an incognitos person to me. I don't know what to think of you."

"It is just a phase that some people go through. Men have feelings to you know. I had a lot on my mind. It was clouded with memories of Mike, anger, defeat; you know what I mean. I would had never embarrassed you by coming home drunk if my mind wasn't so preoccupied. I will always love you, live I have in the past, like I do now, and like I always will in the future. I swear to you."

I backed away slowly, my wife not wanting to let go. I then proceeded to the gear check room to suit up for the mission that would probably be my last. Seeing the rest of the crew beginning to suit up brought some hint of joy to me. Joy that the day had finally come. The day that would put all the tedious questions and answers to this mission to the test.

However, I say it only brought me a hint of joy because Mike was not with us physically, but we all knew he was one with us spiritually. It was the courage that Mike gave me to accept this mission. And it was Mike's death, although not realizing it the day before, that gave me the courage to try and complete this mission. Beginning to suit up for the launch, I struck a conversation with Jeff.

"Is that your halitosis breath I smell?"

"HA, very funny. Stop acting like an adolescent, and finish suiting up."

"Any recommendations on how to better control the negative force roll wants we reach the outer part of the atmosphere?

"I so freak'in nervous right now, I really can't think of anything remotely technical about this mission."

"Well, I guess you lucky."

"Lucky?"

"Yea, I got my wife to worry about. My marriage is a little rough right now. I'm afraid that if I leave now, our marriage will be irreparable. I have already had that happened once to a person I loved, and I sure as hell don't want it to happen again."

"Don't worry, I'm sure that she will wait for, after all you going to be a father."

"WHAT! What the hell are you talking about?"

"You mean she never told you. Oh boy."

"How did you find out"

"Listen, I'll tell you when the schedule is off the ground, that way if you have to scream, cry, or whatever it is you're going to do, nobody we be able to hear you. NOW, get the strap pack on and lets get going."

As we rode the elevator up to the cockpit of the schedule, the thoughts of Mike in my mind were replaced with jovial happiness but also shock. Why would Becky hide the fact that I was going to be the father of her unborn child. It was hard to clear these thoughts from my mind, but I knew I had to do it in order to make the mission a successful one.

"Schedule Atlantis, this is mission control, we are clear for T-minus three minutes and counting."

For the most part, my mind was focused on this mission that needed to be accomplished. Thoughts of Mike and Becky were still dwindling in my head. Each passing second made those thoughts easier to understand. My mind was becoming more and more focused to the point that I could here the ticks of the clock outside the schedule. Tick, TIck, TICk, TICK.

"Schedule Atlantis, this is mission control, we are at T-minus thirty-five seconds and counting. You are go for Burn Engine Start."

"Roger that mission control, go Burn Engine Start."

Suddenly, the engines started with a thunderous roar. I knew then and there that this could be a volatile mission. The sound of mission control began to ring loudly in my ears.

"10 - 9 - 8 - 7 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 - We have ignition start --- WE HAVE LIFT OFF.

Repeat, we have lift off of the space schedule Atlantis."

The g-force of the uplift was hell. I felt my nostrils hit the back of my brain. All I could think about at the moment was Becky. I knew thinking of her would help me get through the roughest part of a schedule mission. THEN...

"Atlantis, this is Houston. We are picking up an unidentified craft approaching you at 37° North-Northwest of you position, please confirm."

Roger that Houston, unidentified craft at 37° North-Northwest of center. Please advise!"

"What the hell is that," I said

"I don't know, but we're in no position to defend ourselves."

"Atlantis, this is control. Abort mission! I REPEAT, Abort mission now, damnit. It's the Lexicons."

"You heard control, everybody prepare for emergency landing."

We all frantically tried to do out part to abort the mission. The fact that it could possibly be done was doubtful because we were still experiencing the g-forces. I knew that if we did not do something soon, our main tank would run out of fuel because we had not separated when we were supposed to. Suddenly, I bright purple ray came out from the front of the Lexicon space craft.

Oh, my! Everybody brace yourselves for the blas......(Huge explosion).

 The Space Schedule Atlantis was destroyed, along with its entire crew. A crew that had been through a lot over the months and deserved to die with honor and dignity.

Robert: Meteorologist whose body was never found despite more than two weeks on searching. It is feared that his body may have been taken by the Lexicon's for further study on how to defeat the human race.

20 years later . . .

{May the Lexicons burn in hell with us}; "All ships, fire at will!"

With that order dozens of phazer cannons fired on the approaching Lexicon fleet that seemed to cover one end of the Milky Way to the other. Had our time come? Was this the war to end all wars for the human race; a final confrontation the would mostly likely mark the extension of the Planet Earth? Explosions rang all around us. In some cases they were so close that one would believe that they were flying into the sun. I was scared, but I dare not show my crew, fearing we all might be dead sooner then I expected to be. I wanted to turn and run like hell, but the thought of the Lexicons killing my father in cold blood 20 years ago was all the reason I needed to stay.

"Sir, are shields are buckling!"

"See if you can reroute power from the auxiliary generators to the shields!"

"If it works captain, the shields will only have a few minutes of power in them. However, I not sure how many laser hits we'll be able to take!"

"Well damit man - do it! It will be a hell of a lot better to die later instead of now you know! And somebody get a fire extinger on the science station console. Firing control, I want you to give me everything you can and fire it at least one of those ships; I don't care which one.

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