Somebody Else's Space Program
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Chapter Sixty Eight
"Here's a health to the ship's designers
And the welders of her seams,
And all who manned the radar scans
To watch our dawning dreams."
Dual Launch Five -- Envyss and Naryana. Every flier had a shoulder patch that was either rank insignia, or clan badge, or, in the case of some of the foreigners, something more a whim than anything else.
"Which clan are you going to let claim you?" Ross asked Envyss. "Mother's or father's?"
Envyss shook his head, smiling. "I don't belong to either of them, not now." He looked over at his capsule mate, who nodded. Narayana brought over a presentation folder, dark blue with gold trim. Envyss bowed, and, taking the folder in both hands, presented it to Ross.
Ross opened it. Inside, there was an artist's rendition and an actual copy of the patch -- a golden rose on a dark blue background. And a photograph of the Envyss and Naryana in their pressure suits, both wearing the patch. Ross's eyebrow lifted. "Both of you?" You're sharing me with a female? Even this little?
Eyebrow lift, well, _you_ put me in the capsule with her. "With your permission, of course. She... doesn't expect any other privileges, if that is a concern."
Ross had stopped rubbing his ear where the new weight was, but his thumb touched the inside of his ring finger, the cool metal of the ring. "I trust you to preserve my honor."
Envyss bowed, "Your honor is one with mine in this."
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Envyss left Ross with one audio tape. "Don't wear it out."
Ross hefted it, as if its weight had something to do with the contents. "I'll play it the night before you're due home. Then you can get a proper homecoming."
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Security was the tightest it had ever been for a launch. Liftoff was scheduled for noon, but Ross expected holds to blossom as things were checked and double-checked. "We should have set it for dawn."
Envyss laughed, "Not if you wanted me on the bird. A noon launch, they still strap us in at six in the morning. Dawn..."
"All we did was sleep."
"Yes. And it was wonderful." The technician was waiting to help Envyss put his helmet on. Envyss reached over and pulled Ross's head to his, for a last long kiss. "I will come back to you."
Ross grinned, "You have to. I don't want to have to wait for your replacement to grow up."
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Ross in the CapCom's chair. "Begin standard hold at minus ten." He pushed the chair away from the console, stood up. "Back in a minute." Into the men's room, where he emptied a bladder too full of coffee, and took a pair of antacid tabs.
The door behind him opened. "Ross, are you going to be able to handle it?"
Three deep breaths. "Yes. I just didn't realize... I had never admitted to myself how much I love him. And I let him risk his life on this... have I done everything I can to bring him back safe?"
"Everything but pray."
"I've done that, too. I'm just not sure his gods are listening."
"They all listen, if you mean it."
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