Tom’s wife, Penny, was found dead this morning. She was in her car, at the bottom of a ravine, about two miles from their mountain cabin in Colorado. It appears she may have been heading into town, possibly for supplies, and experienced a blowout just before a sharp curve in the road. She would have had little time to react and slid through the guardrail. Rest assured, she died on impact and did not suffer.
The duty to inform Tom thus falls to you, both as a psychologist, a friend, and the one on site capable of assessing his reaction and subsequent mental state. Please keep me advised if any action on our part is required, although there is really very little any of us can do at this point in the mission.
There are only a couple things that could be done, with none of them a good solution. An abort would involve continuing on to a Mars flyby, swing-around, and free-return trajectory, putting you back at Earth in about twenty-two months. Such action would need to be considered soon, as the primary mid-course adjustment is coming up within the next few days.
As the Hab was not built for Earth re-entry, we will also need to launch another Dragon capsule for you to dock with and transfer to, for splashdown. The safety of the crew is of the utmost importance. As you well know, such as in the case of Commander Cody, emotional distress can be a devastating and paralyzing event.
The families of Tom and Penny have both been apprised. Penny’s mother, father, and sister are en route to tend to the funeral preparations. They have all been advised not to say anything to Tom until you have had a chance to speak with him. For everyone’s sakes, please let me know when Tom has been briefed on this matter. Also as a personal favor, please pass along my condolences to Tom.
Thank you, Cmdr. Morgan Lewis
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