Red Rocket One

Red Rocket One

“…and three…two…one…rolling!”

“Welcome back. We’re joined now by Jack Gissom founder-”

“Co-founder, Mandy.”

“Sorry Jack, co-founder of Red Rocket Inc., the company that made it possible for just about anybody to get to Mars!” Applause. It was pre-recorded — there was no audience. “We’re so excited to have you with us today, especially since you made the effort to actually join us in the studio!” More applause. Talk show pretense sickened me.

I watched from the producer’s booth, watching the different camera angles, slightly delayed to give Hector enough time to pick the right one based on the flow of the conversation. I’d hate to have his job, but I suppose somebody’s got to make the empty-headed gabbers look good. If it were up to me I’d probably start throwing in the worst angle, just to see what happens.

“So Jack, I hear that you’ve got a tremendous announcement to share with us. Is…this a good time to share it?”

My watch buzzed. I looked down and saw I’d received a message from H. Green, the CEO of Cylon industries. “Do tell!”

Jack’s eyes sparkled, and I could see why he was so easy to like. That goofy grin somehow touched every square centimeter of his face. You couldn’t look at him and not want to be his friend. The man just oozed charm and charisma.

“I’d be happy to, Mandy. Actually it’s been killing me to keep it quiet these last few months. We’re going to Alpha Centauri!” A wiggle of Hector’s hand and the imaginary audience erupted in gasps, sighs, and words of amazement. Jack couldn’t hear it, of course, which is a good thing. There’s not much he likes better than playing to a crowd and if he’d heard it and not been able to see it…I don’t know, his head might explode.

Now that would be interesting! My watch buzzed again. “He talks a good game.” I ignored the message. Cylon Industries were buzzards, feeding off Red Rocket’s scraps. Hettie Green had been trying to get me to reveal some of Red Rocket’s secrets for months now.

Jack and Mandy talked for a bit about how he was going to get there. They put up a picture of our baby, Red Rocket One. The audience — by which I mean Hector — oohed and wowed appropriately. And even I had to admit that this was a beautiful piece of equipment. Crimson from point to points; three sharp fins were at the bottom, framing the rocket manifold of the most powerful engine ever created. A line of black circles — portholes, really — marched up the side from mid-ship to just below the pointed nose. The nose itself was black on one side — the radiation-proof window for the pilots and navigators.

“That’s some tech you have there. Care to tell me about it over dinner?” Buzzed Hettie.

“…is a little more than four light years from Earth, so we’ll get there in just about 5 months from the time we hit the button.” Jack said in answer to Mandy’s question.

“That seems like a long trip!”

“You going? I’ll miss you.” Hettie interrupted.

“Of course not.” I tapped out. Someone had to stay home and keep the fires burning. Or so Jack had said.

“Why not?” Came her reply.

“Someone has to mind the store, right?” I replied.

“Well Mandy, you’ve got to remember that space is really, really big! To give you an idea how fast we’ll be going, I could get from the sun to Mars in just under twelve seconds.”

“Amazing!” Mandy turned straight to the camera and said, “how long would it take to get to work, I wonder?” Laughter. Did I mention I hated talk shows? “Now that’s a long trip. Are you going alone?”

“Oh heck no! I’ve got a huge crew, okay, well four, four and a half, really coming with me.”

“…and a half, Jack?”

The words, “He doesn’t mean, her does he?” showed up on my watch.

“Oh yes! My daughter, Jacq will be coming with me.”

“Apparently he does. Stupid.” Wrote Hettie.

That boyish grin was even brighter this time. Every time that brat was mentioned, Jack couldn’t stop beaming. There was nothing that seven-year-old could do to cause Jack anything but pride. He was even teaching her to fly the Red! It would have been heartwarming if it hadn’t been so saccharine. “…since her mother died in the NASA accident three years ago I can’t bear to let her live a week without a parent, let alone a full year.”

“No comment.” I answered.

“Well thank you for coming to the studio Jack,” said Mandy, clearly ready to move on. “Will you send us a postcard from Alpha Century when you get there?”

“Sure, but I’d really like to introduce-”

And that was it. A buzzer sounded and Hector’s voice came over the speakers, “we’re clear!” Mandy got up and walked away from her desk without even looking at Jack, all the charm she’d exuded a moment before, gone. Jack, getting the hint, shrugged and walked off the set toward me, smiling.

The interview was over, and once again I didn’t make the cut. Sure I wasn’t the swashbuckling engineer-astronaut, but I put my time into Red Rocket just like Jack. But instead of inventing warp drives, I got financing. If it weren’t for me, there would be no Red Rocket. You need money to get to Mars.

“I think that went pretty well, don’t you, Ludwig?” Said Jack, smiling, like always.

I smiled right back at him. “Yeah, it went pretty well, you got them to ooh and ah, laugh, and even be a little sad when you trotted out Milla’s death.” I knew that was a little harsh to say it that way, but Jack needed to come down to Earth every now and then. I mean he got everything he wanted: adventure, fame, fortune. Milla.

“That was a little thick, wasn’t it?” He admitted. “You’re so good at staying on message, and I just say whatever comes to mind. I’d be grateful for some more of your coaching. Say over dinner? Day after tomorrow? You name the place.”

“The usual place, day after tomorrow?” Hettie sent.

I’ll be honest, it’s hard to stay angry at Jack, but I’d learned to do it over the years.

“Sorry Jack, I’ve got plans.”