Chapter 1

Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga, Tennessee
7:27 A.M.EST

The television flashed images of blood spraying the white cabin walls of Space Shuttle Atlantis. Betty Brossfield sat in her couch, seated below the swinging hips of an Elvis clock. She sipped iced tea while watching the final live mission broadcast from space shuttle Atlantis before deorbiting.

This cancer treatment just wears me out. I'm so tired.

She saw blood specs appear on the face and blonde hair of her son's ex fiancée'.

What's going on?

She used a remote to turn up the TV sound. The tea spilled from her Elvis mug onto her hand, the cold momentarily distracting her.

"Houston, Atlantis has a class-one emergency cabin pressure-loss alarm," shuttle commander Bruce Wheeler yelled from the flight deck.
Betty saw the crew squinting to keep the floating blood particles out of their eyes. At the flight deck, Bruce pressed a red button and the klaxon silenced. The control panel lit up.

"Uh, our interview has just been interrupted by," A TV reporter voiced over, "… something urgent aboard the shuttle."

Oh, no. This can't be what I think it is. She adjusted her 1960's style wig.

The injured teenage astronaut cringed as she clasped her shoulder with a bloody hand. Dr. Amber Cobble rolled the girl over to examine the wound and then pulled out two first aid kits.

Betty noticed the TV flashed 'LIVE' in the upper right corner. It can't be. That's Amber and her hands look bloody.

Mission specialist Matt Tiger followed the flow of floating blood particles toward the source of the leak.

"I see two debris entry points! The dent is over a foot in diameter! The holes in the middle of the dent are each over an inch long with fractures around them."

This can't be happening. Betty said to herself. Not on live TV.

"Plug the holes," the commander yelled. "Follow the emergency deorbit checklist! Cookbook it and follow every line to get the recipe right!"

Matt grabbed a thin sheet of rubber and tried to maneuver it around the mangle of damaged water and Freon pipes. Instantly, the air pressure blew the rubber sheet though the hole.

"The patch got sucked out!" Matt said. He grabbed a towel and crammed it into the torn mess of pipes. The rushing air snagged the towel on top of the sharp metal.

"Ken, do the math on how much time we have," Commander Wheeler said. "Dan, close the cargo bay doors and get the seats ready. I'll pick out an emergency landing site. There better be one right in front of the orbiter."

Betty focused in on the television set. Straining to hear the astronauts, she turned up the TV volume.

The robot PSA camera floating aboard Atlantis showed the chaos inside the shuttle cabin.

"What's the status on the patch?" Bruce asked. "It better hold for two hours, or we're dead."

"The emergency patch procedure isn't working," Matt said. "The punctures are large and hard to reach. I can't see anything handy that will get a good seal."

"Atlantis, Houston. Cabin pressure is eight psi and dropping fast! Surge tanks are dumping to keep ahead of the leak."

"We've lost almost half our pressure in just a few seconds!" Bruce said. "Plug the hole with anything. Now!"

"I've stuffed the curtain and towels over the hole. It's still leaking!"

"Atlantis, Houston. Cabin pressure's six and a half."

Oh my god. Betty said. This doesn't look staged.

"Pressure is falling too fast for us to deorbit," Commander Wheeler said. "If it falls below three psi, we'll pass out and die. Dan, forget about closing the cargo bay doors. Help me get into a space suit. Now! Get Laney into the CargoHab."

A cold shiver pulsed through Betty's body when she saw Amber's blood-smeared face. She saw Amber pushed Laney into the airlock tunnel. Mission specialist Dan Wilson grabbed the first aid kits and threw them inside the airlock.

"It could take a while to patch the holes and repressurize the cabin," Bruce said, as Matt helped him suit up. "Throw some food and water into the CargoHab."

"Where's the cooling unit to your space suit?" Matt asked.

"We have about 30 seconds to 3 psi. I don't have time to put it on. Help me seal the suit!"

He tugged the upper-torso piece over his head like a pullover sweater. Dan attached his glove, and then fastened the pants to the torso. Matt attached the other glove, and then Ken slid the helmet over the top of Bruce's head.

"Where's the communication headset?" Bruce asked.

"Atlantis, Houston. Cabin pressure is 4 and a half psi."

"Hurry!" Bruce said, "Get ready to close the airlock door."

Betty watched and clenched a hand. Shut the door, Amber! Shut the airlock door! Whatever it is!

She saw Ken hastily slide a communications cap over Bruce's head and attach the helmet to his space suit. Another twisted the oxygen supply knob to pressurize it. Bruce gave a thumbs up and pushed the astronaut toward the airlock. The remaining astronauts floated into the airlock and slammed the door.

"Atlantis, Houston." Betty heard, "Cabin pressure is 3 psi and dropping."
Betty stared at the TV. What happened to Amber? Is she safe? I've got to call my son, even if she is his ex fiancée. I'm sure he can help her.

She noticed she had forgotten to breathe, and inhaled deeply.

He has to know about Amber. Now.

Betty stood and moved slowly across the room to her telephone. I feel tired. This chemotherapy makes me so tired, and now I'm a nervous wreck.