Thursday, October 11, 2018 (Gordoday, Pisces 31, 0031)

From: Brandon Devlin
Subject: No worries
Date: Pisces 31, 0031 06:47
To: Emma Devlin

(CLT): 4 min 30.44 sec

My darling M,

Just a quick note, with news about the mission. I don’t want you to get worried or afraid for me when you turn on the news. One of Bolo One’s solar panels was slightly damaged by a small asteroid, a couple of hours ago. It hit near the far end, on the port side of the ship. We are currently operating on half power and working to get things back to normal as soon as humanly possible. This should only take us a few hours to fix. No one was injured and we are not, I repeat NOT in any great danger. Tom had to report it to Mission Support and, of course, they will be alerting the media by holding a press conference. So, I wanted you to read the real story here, first. You know as well as I do, how the media is going to blow this whole thing way out of proportion. Coverage of the Apollo 13 mission had almost become a back page note until their mishap. Then there was a non-stop media circus, 24-7.

I’m not comparing this to the Apollo 13 disaster, by any means. I want to stress that this is only a minor setback. We’re going to have it fixed in a jiffy, and you know that is right up there with three shakes of a lamb’s tail. (Smile, that’s a funny!) Please let Rich and the rest of the family know what’s what for me, ok?

I love you so much and will come back to you safely,
Brandon

< ≡ ♂ ≡ >

*

Later that night CNN broke into their segment on dangerous beauty fads with: “This just in: the first manned mission to Mars may be in dire straits if the crew members are unable to repair a damaged solar panel on their ship, Bolo One. The two solar wings extending outward from the side of the spacecraft generate electrical power for the crew’s journey. This morning, one of the two panels was completely destroyed by a huge asteroid, estimated to be the size of an ocean liner. Had it come a mere forty-five feet nearer, the entire ship would have been destroyed and the full crew of six would be lost.

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