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facility we wish you a safe journey and a speedy return” The crew stood to attention and returned the salute. The officers and the crew sat down. Major generals Stewart reached over to his terminal and pressed the key marked activate.
The entire corridor containing the two officers slid silently to the left, as it did so it revealed the panoramic view of the launch pad. By this time the shuttle that was to take them out of the confines of their planet was standing proud on its supports. All around the area the hustle and bustle of support vehicles could be seen. As the room travelled slowly towards the shuttle, Mary thought that this was like watching a huge television screen, to her; it felt like she was watching a film. It had a strange fictional quality to it, a quality that suggested that this was not really happening, that somehow it was all a dream. In the night sky she could see a myriad of stars, as she scanned the skies she gave a heavy sigh, soon she would be a very small part of that theatre.
Her attention was drawn to the carnival that was now being played out in front of her. The speakers inside of their room had now been patched through to mission control, as they came on line the first words that the crew heard were those of the countdown operator.
    “T minus one hour, four minutes and twenty seven seconds”
    With these words the clocks in front of them changed from reading present time to give a countdown time displayed in minutes, hours and seconds.
    As the room approached the shuttle, activity in the area intensified. They could see final fuelling of the craft taking place and an army of ground staff making last minute checks that were a familiar sight to anyone who had made this short trip before. The nearer they came to the shuttle the more they could make out finer detail on the craft. The lighting that was illuminating the area was not as intense as the lights that were picking out the shuttle; they gave a magical almost surreal air to the craft. Upon arriving at the base of the support structure, the room came to a steady but firm standstill. Outside the room they could hear the sound of ground staff making ready for the next part of their journey. To the sides of the room they were in had been attached the mechanism that was to take it upwards though the gantry towards the opening into the shuttle command positions. As they rose into the air, spotlights followed the room. All that could be seen at this distance by the crew was the topside of the shuttle, either side they could see out into the night sky. As they travelled upwards the legend on the side of this great vehicle came into view, as it became fully visible, each of the crew found themselves breathing in, expanding their chests with a feeling of intense pride and a sense of supreme adventure, wondering what the next few weeks would bring.
    All of them sat for a while and read the legend it simply read...
    1472 ALPHA
PRIDE OF GOD

 
2. The journey.
    Upon reaching the top of the structure, the room came slowly to a halt. From the sides of the room a curtain began to extend towards the shuttle, as it did so, the night sky that had been visible either side of the ship became obscured. The curtain had created a walkway though to the entrance hatch which was now clearly visible at the other end. The space that had been created now went though the sterilisation process. As the crew waited they could feel themselves becoming more and more impatient, this time the purple lights seemed to last for an eternity. The glass panel that had formed the front wall of the room was now silently lowered. The only barrier remaining between them and space was the door which was about to open before them.
    A feeling of exited anticipation seized them. It was the type of feeling that at one time or another we have all experienced, the kind of feeling one gets when one walks into a new house for the first time or sit behind the wheel of a brand new car. As they