Part 1- Lift off

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Three.!Two.!One.!!
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My!body!slams!into!the!squishy!suspension!of!the!seat!as!we!rattle!off!feeling!the!
warmth!of!the!fire!underneath!us!making!us!go!up,!and!up,!and!up.!A!smile!broadens!
my!face!as!my!stomach!rises!upward,!like!the!best!roller!coaster!I!have!been!on!in!
ages.!We!have!a!long!journey!ahead!of!us,!but!I!feel!it!will!be!a!successful!one.!!
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Our!ship!makes!a!slow!stop!in!mid!air,!and!all!of!a!sudden!it!feels!we!are!on!a!regular!
plane.!Just!floating,!traveling!to!another!place.!We!are!beyond!the!birds!and!the!
trees,!beyond!any!planes!or!aircrafts.!The!sky!is!so!blue!here,!and!empty.!I!wonder!
how!space!is!even!dark,!with!the!sun!so!bright.!The!stars!surround!us!with!their!
special!welcoming!glow,!and!colors!that!do!not!even!have!names!on!earth.!We!are!
isolated!in!a!small!ship.!Alone,!yet!feeling!surrounded.!We!pass!through!the!air!with!
ease,!going!higher!and!higher!with!the!constant!speed!bringing!us!to!where!we!need!
to!be.!
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The!moon!and!stars!look!so!much!bigger!from!here,!and!they!continue!to!seem!that!
way!even!in!just!the!short!hour!we!have!been!on!this!aircraft.!!I!feel!so!free!and!
disconnected,!like!there!are!no!limits!to!what!I!do,!like!no!one!is!watching.!I!feel!

Singerman, Emily

Wednesday, May 27, 2015 at 10:44:54 AM Pacific Daylight Time

70:56:81:af:ca:ef

invincible,!like!the!sky!and!its!colors,!pushing!the!boundaries!and!limits,!to!make!
things!memorable.!I!feel!like!we!are!now!part!of!the!sky!and!the!galaxy,!like!we!have!
a!home!here,!and!I!become!more!and!more!comfortable!as!time!goes!on.!The!sky!
looks!like!a!swirled!espresso,!ever!so!carefully!making!shapes!to!please!its!own.!!
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Beautiful,!isnt!it?!My!partner!Stewart!inquires.!!
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Its!priceless.!I!reply.!!
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All!devices!are!working!fine.!See!you!on!the!moon.!The!man!in!the!radio!controller!
said.!!
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It!has!been!four!hours,!and!it!is!starting!to!become!claustrophobic.!The!ship!is!so!
cold,!and!lost!in!motion.!It!swells!my!brain!thinking!we!still!have!fourteen!more!
hours!to!go.!I!want!to!throw!things,!but!what?!I!cannot!put!on!such!rude!behavior,!
and!I!dont!want!to!mess!something!up!in!the!ship.!Stewart!is!just!now!waking!up,!
and!I!decide!it!is!my!turn!to!go!take!a!nap.!
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As!I!walk!over!to!the!bed,!it!shrinks!as!I!get!closer!to!the!size!of!a!classroom!table.!
Small,!and!thin.!With!only!a!blanket!and!a!blow!up!pillow,!I!try!to!comfort!myself!as!
much!as!possible,!tossing!and!turning!to!what!I!thought!was!unnoticeable,!until!
Stewart!asks,!!
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Singerman, Emily

Wednesday, May 27, 2015 at 10:44:54 AM Pacific Daylight Time

70:56:81:af:ca:ef

You!alright!over!there!Jane?!If!you!need!any!privacy,!there!is!a!curtain!over!there!if!
you!wish!to!use!it.!!
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!Thank!you,!I!didnt!see!that.!I!sheepishly!smile,!wile!the!curtain!slides!me!to!a!
rocking!sleep.!!
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When!I!wake!up,!I!look!at!the!clock!that!reads!8:00!pm.!I!have!slept!for!four!hours!
and!we!sill!have!nine!hours!to!go.!I!look!at!the!deep!colors!of!the!sky!as!we!keep!on!
lifting!up,!up,!and!up.!The!sky!looks!so!much!different!then!it!had!when!we!had!
started.!I!feel!like!I!am!in!another!galaxy!with!all!of!these!different!colors!and!shapes!
that!arose!from!the!milky!clouds.!Everything!is!now!so!much!darker,!and!colder.!The!
thermometer!screams!P30!F.!It!has!now!been!about!another!two!hours,!nothing!has!
happened,!and!no!news!is!good!news.!!
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I!slowly!stretch!from!my!bed,!with!soreness!in!my!neck!from!that!useless!pillow.!
Despite!this,!I!feel!far!more!refreshed.!I!take!a!seat!at!the!table!smack!dab!in!the!
middle!of!the!ship,!and!grab!a!few!packages!of!nuts.!I!wish!there!was!some!other!
likeable!food!that!could!survive!in!space.!!
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Did!you!have!a!good!sleep?!Stewart!politely!asks.!
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A!little!sore,!but!overall!good.!I!really!needed!it.!I!smile.!!
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Singerman, Emily

Wednesday, May 27, 2015 at 10:44:54 AM Pacific Daylight Time

70:56:81:af:ca:ef

We!are!now!at!the!point!of!antigravity,!and!all!I!have!to!do!is!pull!that!switch!to!feel!
the!experience!that!so!many!people!would!love!to!feel.!!
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That!sounds!wonderful.!May!I!finish!my!nuts,!and!then!you!may!do!the!honors?!I!
wink.!
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Sure!thing.!!
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Shortly!after,!Stewart!pulls!a!certain!knob,!and!all!of!a!sudden,!my!weight!is!lifted!to!
half,!one!third,!one!sixth!of!my!weight.!It!is!so!satisfying!and!exhilarating.!Once!
again,!my!stomach!is!having!the!time!of!its!life.!My!body!feels!so!weightless,!like!I!
could!do!a!million!things!without!my!feet!aching.!My!smile!is!plastered!wide!onto!my!
face,!and!I!cannot!pull!it!down!no!matter!how!embarrassing!it!is.!!
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This!is!so!cool!!Why!cant!we!do!this!on!earth!!I!say.!
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Take!a!wild!guess.!Steward!engagingly!smiles!as!something!rumbles!beneath!our!
floating!bodies;!and!at!this!very!moment!his!smile!fades!to!a!straight!line!of!worry.!
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Part 2- Bang

Stewart?!
Abort!mission.!Abort!mission!!Were!about!to!crash!into!Jupiter!!!

Singerman, Emily

Wednesday, May 27, 2015 at 10:44:54 AM Pacific Daylight Time

70:56:81:af:ca:ef

!
Balls!of!cold!sweat!form!on!his!face,!and!a!rock!in!my!throat!forms.!What!the!heck!
are!we!supposed!to!do?!I!cant!die!today!!The!ship!is!now!making!overwhelming!
beeping!noises,!tumbling!us!around!in!circles.!My!brain!is!fogged,!overwhelmed,!
unprepared.!But!I!must!find!a!way!to!help!pay!off!all!of!these!long!days!of!training,!
and!being!enclosed!in!a!room!for!such!a!long!time.!I!try!pushing!all!the!correct!
buttons!in!the!correct!order,!but!nothing!happens.!!
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What!do!we!do!now?!We!cant!die!!I!follow!Stewarts!lead!through!the!escape!
route,!while!quickly!tying!myself!to!whatever!would!be!left!of!the!ship!once!its!
pieces!fully!land.!It!is!moving!faster!and!faster,!like!a!roller!coaster,!and!I!feel!like!we!
are!in!a!cartoon!with!our!ship!catching!fire!on!the!body!of!the!ship.!And!now!it!is!not!
just!a!feeling,!but!reality.!Stewart!tries!to!reach!the!slowing!lever,!but!it!is!too!late.!
Jupiter!is!in!plain!sight,!and!we!are!landing!at!800!mph.!The!landing!is!not!easy.!
Things!are!shattered,!blown!up,!and!Stewart!is!lying!on!the!ground!face!down,!with!
little!motion.!My!eyes!blur!with!upset!and!fury.!Why!am!I!the!one!to!be!here?!I!dont!
deserve!this!!I!try!counting!to!one!hundred,!watching!Stewarts!shoulders!raise,!and!
lower,!and!raise,!and!lower.!I!tap!his!shoulder!gently!while!his!head!rises!and!I!take!
a!deep!breath.!!
All!of!a!sudden!he!is!up,!and!ready!to!go!as!if!nothing!really!happened.!We!walk!
briskly!across!the!open!horizon,!but!I!cannot!take!the!stress!anymore,!and!I!must!sit!
down.!

Singerman, Emily

Wednesday, May 27, 2015 at 10:44:54 AM Pacific Daylight Time

70:56:81:af:ca:ef

No!!Stop!!Abort!mission.!We!need!to!figure!out!what!we!are!doing!andP!!A!strange!
movement!comes!from!a!crater.!We!stay!motionless.!Breathless.!The!creature!slowly!
emerges!from!the!crater,!its!mouth!open,!trying!to!speak.!Stewart!and!I!both!are!
struck!dumb!with!his!appearance.!!
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Part 3- Him
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His!beard!shows!he!has!not!shaved!or!showered!in!ages,!and!he!looks!hungry!and!
weak.!His!eyes!are!the!size!of!the!moon,!and!he!creeps!with!his!bare!fingers!and!toes!
like!a!gopher!out!of!the!crater!he!slipped!back!in,!with!his!fingers!slowly!touching!
the!ground,!one!by!one.!!
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Stay!calm,!Stewart!whispers!in!his!microphone.!And!slowly!smile.!!
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He!is!so!old!and!frail.!Yet!filled!with!so!much!energy.!!There!are!cracks!and!craters!
in!his!own!face,!maybe!he!was!born!this!way!for!camouflage.!He!dashes!quickly!in!
our!opposite!way,!and!stares!bent!over!and!on!all!fours.!Stewart!and!I!are!
motionless,!sitting!on!this!planet,!with!no!one!but!this!hamsterPlikePhuman.!He!is!
wearing!nothing!but!a!thin!short!sleeve!shirt,!and!well!a!diaper!for!his!bottom.!
His!chest!hair!is!frozen!against!his!chest,!and!his!knees!are!buckling!as!he!comes!out!
of!his!crater.!I!blink!my!eyes!tight!every!few!seconds,!hard!enough!to!know!the!

Singerman, Emily

Wednesday, May 27, 2015 at 10:44:54 AM Pacific Daylight Time

70:56:81:af:ca:ef

reality!of!this,!and!slowly!trail!my!eyes!to!Stewart!seeking!for!assistance!on!what!to!
do!next.!I!cannot!get!over!his!appearance.!His!legs!are!boned!and!covered!in!
wrinkles!as!they!bend,!and!it!is!almost!as!if!they!cannot!straighten.!How!many!years!
has!he!even!been!here?!
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I!whisper!very!gently!into!the!microphone,!I!am!going!to!wave!and!see!what!he!
does.!
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Get!your!eyes!fixed!on!a!crater!for!safety!purposes,!Stew!replies,!So!you!can!run!
there!just!in!case.!He!pauses!for!a!few!seconds.!You!found!one?!
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Yep.!I!slowly!raise!my!hand!as!his!wide!eyes!grew!even!larger,!and!larger,!and!then!
with!the!sidePtoPside!motion!of!my!hand!he!buries!his!head!in!a!crater!with!the!
rest!of!his!body!standing,!like!an!ostrich.!!
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We!have!been!waiting!for!what!feels!like!days!now,!and!all!he!has!done!is!flinched!a!
couple!of!times.!I!have!made!so!many!drawings!in!the!cold!powder!of!the!planet!I!
have!no!more!room!for!patience.!!
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Say!something.!We!have!waited!long!enough.!I!command.!Stewart!slowly!and!
carefully!takes!his!microphone!out!from!his!suit!so!the!creature!can!hear!what!he!
says.!
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Singerman, Emily

Wednesday, May 27, 2015 at 10:44:54 AM Pacific Daylight Time

70:56:81:af:ca:ef

Hello,!kind!creature.!We!come!in!peace.!I!roll!my!eyes!at!this!clich!greeting.!We!
see!a!shift!in!the!powder.!My!eyes!willingly!encourage!him!to!go!on,!as!he!slowly!
emerges!from!the!crater,!his!ears!and!head!leaving!a!new!shape!to!the!crater.!
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We!have!no!intention!to!harm!Stewart!says!expecting!a!spasm!from!his!pattern!
of!movements,!but!he!does!not!shift.!
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I!am!Elizabeth!I!say.!!!
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!And!I!am!Stewart.!
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We!can!see!his!lungs!slowly!decreasing!to!a!normal!breathing!pace,!with!his!
shoulders!raising,!and!lowering!to!a!steady!beat.!But!how!can!he!even!breathe!
without!a!suit?!He!looks!like!a!normal!human!being,!just!without!any!fat!or!muscle.!
It!is!hard!not!to!notice!the!rib!cages!sticking!out!of!his!skin,!wanting!to!take!his!lungs!
back!to!earth.!!
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We!must!keep!positive!reinforcement.!I!move!a!couple!steps!closer!motioning!
Stewart!to!do!the!same.!
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It!is!almost!as!if!a!trance!has!overcome!him,!or!he!realizes!something!evil,!as!he!now!
welcomingly!waves!to!us.!My!excitement!and!joy!leaps!out!of!me!to!say!hello!as!I!
wave.!!

Singerman, Emily

Wednesday, May 27, 2015 at 10:44:54 AM Pacific Daylight Time

70:56:81:af:ca:ef

!
Hello,!kind!creature.!What!are!you!called!by?!
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He!starts!to!draw!in!the!powder!of!the!moon!with!his!shaky!finger!forming!the!
letters!A,!R,!N,!O,!L,!and!D.!!
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Hello!Arnold,!it!is!out!of!your!great!presence!we!have!completed!our!mission.!
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Please!dont!take!me!!With!his!arms!high!in!the!sky,!his!voice!sounds!as!if!it!were!
clogged!and!not!as!mature!as!he!looks!to!be,!like!Yoda!from!Star!Wars.!I!am!a!
human!too!!He!starts!to!whisper,!and!come!closer.!But!I!am!special!come!a!bit!
closer!to!me.!I!must!take!your!scent.!!
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We!both!inch!forward,!wondering!what!will!happen!next.!All!of!a!sudden,!a!large!
hairy!creature!pops!up;!and!everything!goes!black.!Whips!of!sounds!are!surrounding!
me,!lulling!me!to!sleep.!But!no!!I!mustnt!fall!asleep!!Stewart!is!still!here,!who!knows!
if!the!same!is!happening!to!him.!!
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Part 4- the Room

Singerman, Emily

Wednesday, May 27, 2015 at 10:44:54 AM Pacific Daylight Time

70:56:81:af:ca:ef

Stewart?!Stewart!!Where!am!I!?!My!echo!is!the!only!thing!that!keeps!me!from!
being!insane!at!this!moment.!What!am!I!to!do!here?!Why!am!I!here?!Is!this!a!dream?!
I!need!someone!or!something!as!I!sign!that!I!am!not!dead.!I!decide!to!run!around,!
and!maybe!I!will!stumble!upon!something,!that!blends!in!with!the!color!of!the!
ground!almost!perfectly.!It!is!a!frail,!thin!white!piece!of!paper,!like!the!skin!on!an!old!
and!genuine!person!or!that!evil!hamster!like!creature.!But!how!is!this!thing!
supposed!to!help!me?!Throwing!it!over!the!railing!!only!makes!it!fly!back!into!my!
face,!and!it!is!too!light!and!fragile!to!stuff!in!my!pocket.!Its!amazing!to!me!how!
everything!can!be!fine!and!stay!fine!for!quite!a!while,!and!how!fast!everything!can!go!
wrong.!!
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!

Singerman, Emily

Wednesday, May 27, 2015 at 10:44:54 AM Pacific Daylight Time

70:56:81:af:ca:ef