Strength of the Soul Pt. 01

"And what, Major?" the general asked.

"I've never been trained on re-entry from orbit, sir." The general nodded his head as he digested Mike's statement.

"I appreciate your candor. That's why I brought Deke Slayton. I'm sure you've heard of him. He was one of the original Mercury astronauts. I asked him to come up with a flight plan. He'll work with you in the simulator to get you ready," the general said.

"I hope you're ready to burn some midnight oil, Major," Deke said. "We're going to be spending a lot of time together." Mike looked at Jim, then back at Deke and the General.

"Is there a problem, Major?" General Allen asked.

"Uh, no sir. I need to pick up some things from the house," Mike said.

"Bring enough to last four days, Major. Until this mission is over, you are confined to this base," the general said.

"I have an appointment in Lancaster on Monday, sir," Mike said. "I'd like permission to make that appointment." Jim looked at Mike, his eyebrows raised.

"Oh? What kind of appointment?" General Allen asked.

"It's, uh, personal business, sir," Mike replied.

"No can do, Major. National security concerns come first, and I don't want to risk something happening to you. I'm afraid you'll have to reschedule your appointment," the general replied.

"Yes, sir," Mike responded.

"All right, gentlemen. Get to it. Time's a-wasting," the general said, standing up. That signaled the end of the meeting, and everyone stood with the general. "As you were," General Allen announced as he left the room.

"I'll see you in the briefing room when you get settled in, Major," Deke said before leaving.

"I'll be there," Mike said. Jim grabbed Mike by the shoulder.

"What kind of appointment do you have in Lancaster?" Jim asked after everyone else left.

"I'm seeing a lawyer," Mike said.

"What?" Jim asked, shocked. "Why?"

"That's who one normally sees about a divorce," Mike replied.

"Divorce? Are you out of your mind? Do you know what that will do to Rhonda? Or Lisa? Think about your little girl," Jim exclaimed.

"Is she my little girl?" Mike asked. "Really?"

"Well, of course, she is," Jim answered. "She adores you, and this would destroy her. And Rhonda." Mike studied Jim's face closely, looking for any resemblance between his "friend" and his daughter. The problem was that Jim and Mike looked enough alike that they could easily be mistaken for brothers.

Worse yet, standard blood tests wouldn't reveal much since Mike's blood was A positive, and Rhonda's was B negative. Theoretically, Lisa could fall into just about any blood group. If there was just some foolproof way to prove paternity, he thought sadly.

"And I adore her as well," Mike said, which was true. "I guess it's academic now. You heard the General. I won't be able to do anything until after this mission."

"No, you won't," Jim said. "You should take these next few days to calm down and think about things. I'd hate to see you ruin your career over something like a divorce."

"You might have a point. Maybe I should think about this a bit more," Mike said, hoping to throw Jim off, at least for now. "But I won't be made a fool of."

"Of course not," Jim said, not wholly convinced that Mike would let the matter drop.

"Anyway, I'd better go. I need to pack some things up and say goodbye to Lisa," Mike said. "If you'll excuse me... sir." Jim nodded his head as he let go of Mike's shoulder.

"Of course," Jim said. Watching Mike walk away, Jim wondered how much he actually knew.

...

"How long are you going to be gone this time?" Rhonda asked as Mike packed his things.

"A few days," he replied, not looking at his errant wife. "I'll call when I can. I'm going to be quite busy, but I'll try to call before Lisa goes to bed."

"Please do. She misses you when you're not here."

"I miss her, too," Mike said sadly.

"What about me? Do you miss me?" Rhonda asked. Mike stopped long enough to look at her. Part of him wanted to tear into her, but the rational part decided this wasn't the right time.

"You know I do. I'm wondering if you miss me, though," he said.

"Don't be silly, Mike. You know I miss you. And I love you," Rhonda said.

"Really?" Mike asked.

"Yes, I do. I know I've been a bitch lately, and I apologize for that. But I do love you."

"I'm glad to hear that," Mike said as he finished packing. "Yes, you have been somewhat bitchy of late. And I accept your apology." Not that it'll make any difference. He closed his suitcases and carried them downstairs, where Lisa waited for him, clutching a ragged teddy bear. It was her favorite, a welcome home present Mike had given her a few years earlier when he returned from TDY. He set his suitcases down and took her in his arms.

"How long are you going to be gone, Daddy?" Lisa asked.

"Not long, little angel. Just a few days," Mike told her.

"Are you going to get the space aliens?" she asked, a tear sliding down her cheek. Mike looked at Rhonda, who shrugged her shoulders.

"It's been on the news almost all day long," she said. Mike nodded his head and turned back to his daughter.

"I'm going to do my best, sweetheart," Mike told her. "I'm counting on you to watch over your mother while I'm gone. Will you do that for me?"

"Yes, Daddy," Lisa said, tightening her grip on Mike.

"That's my girl," Mike said with a smile. "And hang on to Teddy, okay? I hear space aliens are scared of teddy bears."

"I will, Daddy," Lisa said in her tiny voice. Mike kissed his daughter's forehead and gave her one last hug.

"I love you, sweetheart," Mike finally said.

"I love you too, Daddy," Lisa said.

"Go on out back, sweetheart," Rhonda told the young girl. "Daddy needs to load his things in the car." The little girl gave Mike one more kiss and ran out the back door. Mike took his things to the car and loaded them in the back seat. He heard a man's voice from the open garage door.

"Hey, neighbor," the man called. Mike turned to see Harold Keyes, a lieutenant who lived across the street with his wife, Rita. They had only been in the neighborhood for a couple of months, and both seemed friendly and easy-going.

Mike thought it a bit strange that a married lieutenant with no children would be assigned quarters in an area generally reserved for field-grade officers - majors, lieutenant colonels, and colonels. But housing wasn't his area of expertise, so he thought nothing more of it.

Harold said he was just assigned to the base Public Affairs Office. Mike and Rhonda met the younger couple shortly after they arrived and welcomed them into their home a few times for dinner and a friendly game of pinochle.

"Getting ready to head out for TDY?" Harold asked after seeing Mike load his car.

"I'll be on the base for a few days. JAFA, you know."

"JAFA?" Harold asked, confused.

"Just another fucking assignment," Mike said with a half-hearted smile. Harold chuckled at that.

"Don't tell me. Let me guess. You can't talk about it," Harold said.

"Nope," Mike said. "So, what brings you out today?"

"I was just wondering if you have a pipe wrench I could use. Got a leak under the sink and I promised Rita I'd fix it for her," Harold said.

"Yeah, I think I have one here. Hold on," Mike said, walking to the bench along his garage wall. He opened his toolbox and pulled out a red pipe wrench. "Will this work?"

"Perfect," Harold said. "I really appreciate that. If there's anything I can do for ya, let me know." Mike had a brainstorm.

"Actually, Harold, there is," Mike said.

"Of course," Harold said. Mike lowered his voice since he didn't know precisely where Rhonda was or if she was listening.

"I'm going to be away from the house for a few days, and I would really appreciate it if you and Rita could keep an eye on things here for me," Mike said. "If you'll give me your number, I'll call and check in - if you don't mind, that is."

"Not at all, Mike. We'll be happy to keep an eye on things here while you're gone," Harold said with a smile. "Here, let me write my number down." Harold pulled a pen from his pocket and wrote his number down on a slip of paper he tore from a notepad. Mike couldn't help but wonder who would carry a notepad like that around.

"Thanks, Harold. I owe you," Mike said, taking the paper from his neighbor.

"My pleasure," Harold said. "Well, I'd better get to it. Rita really wants to use her sink. Talk to you soon."

"Sounds good. And good luck with that sink," Mike called as Harold waved goodbye. Mike headed back into the house and didn't see Harold nod to Rita, who was watching the interaction across the street from their front window.

"What did Harold want?" Rhonda asked when Mike came into the house.

"He wanted to borrow a pipe wrench," Mike said. "So I lent him mine."

"Oh," Rhonda said quietly.

"Is there a problem?" Mike asked.

"No," Rhonda answered, but Mike wasn't convinced. "I just don't like the way his wife flaunts herself sometimes in those tiny little shorts and tied tops showing off her bare midriff. And I've seen the way she looks at you." Mike laughed at that.

"Seriously? You're worried that I might fall for her or something?"

"I know how men are," Rhonda said. "She's practically thrown herself at you every time they've been over here."

"Well, isn't this something," Mike said sarcastically.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rhonda asked, irritation clear in her voice.

"Have you ever known me to fall for something like that? Ever?"

"No," Rhonda admitted quietly.

"That's right. I never have and I never will. Can you say the same?" Rhonda's head snapped around, but she never answered. Mike snorted before he continued. "I didn't think so. I'll talk to you later, Rhonda. Bye."

"Wait, Mike," she called as he reached the door. "Don't I at least get a kiss?"

"I suppose if I must," Mike said, giving her a brotherly kiss. Rhonda looked at him, startled. "I'll talk to you later. Bye," Mike said over his shoulder as he walked through the door, leaving Rhonda in the kitchen, wondering how much her husband knew or only suspected.

...

"He's left," the petite brunette said as she sat at the small desk in the front bedroom. Making notes in her book, she looked through the powerful binoculars atop a tripod. "You have the bugs ready?"

"Yeah, they're ready. I also got the tap on the phone. Just in time, it seems. It sounds like she's making a call," the man known to Mike and Rhonda as "Harold Keyes" replied as he placed a set of headphones over his ears. He started the large reel-to-reel recorder and listened.

...

Mike checked in at the Bachelor Officer's Quarters, or BOQ, and took in the small room. It contained a single twin-sized bed with the obligatory military "blanket," a small desk with the standard black telephone, a chair, a chest of drawers with a small black-and-white television, and a tiny closet.

Mike was relieved to see he at least had his own bathroom. He put his things away, then donned his flight suit and went to the briefing room where a similarly-dressed Deke Slayton was waiting for him. Mike saw Deke's name patch and realized his "trainer" was an Air Force Major. Somehow, that made him feel a little bit better.

"Get settled in?" Deke asked.

"Yes, sir," Mike said.

"Good. Let's get to it, shall we? You can call me Deke, by the way. We have a lot to cover, and not much time to do it," Deke said, pulling out what looked like a sheaf of paper. "Might as well grab a cup of coffee. You're gonna need it."

"Sounds good," Mike said. "And call me Mike."

They took their first break about two hours later. After making a run to the men's room, Mike warmed up his coffee and sat across from Deke.

"May I ask a question?" Mike asked.

"Of course," Deke said.

"You seem very well-versed in all this. Why aren't you taking the 67 up?" Mike asked.

"A couple of reasons, Mike. First off, I was grounded a couple of years ago due to a heart condition. You know how flight surgeons can be." Mike chuckled at that.

"Yes, I do," Mike said.

"I stayed with NASA anyway, and they made me the senior manager of the Astronaut Office. The second reason is that you know this ship probably better than anyone alive right now. Yeah, I can teach you how to maneuver in space, and how to safely bring her back through re-entry. But you know how she... feels. No one alive can teach you that," Deke said. But he wasn't finished.

"I have a question for you, Mike. Why aren't you in the space program? Seems to me you'd make one hell of an astronaut."

"Thank you for the compliment. That means a lot coming from you. I actually did apply for it," Mike said. "Turns out I'm two inches too tall. They wanted pilots no taller than five feet 11 inches. I stand at six foot one." Deke snorted as he shook his head.

"Figures," he said. "That may change one day. If it does, come look me up."

"Thank you again," Mike said. "Of course, that assumes I survive... this."

"Don't think that way, Mike," Deke said. "From what I've seen, the 67 is a good solid ship. Rugged, sturdy, well-built. Hell, she's probably better built than the Mercury ships."

"She can take quite a pounding, that's for sure," Mike said. They spent the next two hours on Deke's flight plan, discussing possible situations that could arise. Then Deke talked about re-entry, the one area where Mike was weak. Mike's stomach knotted as Deke laid out the basics.

"Come in too shallow, and you could bounce off the atmosphere like a rock skips off the water. Come in too steep, and you burn up," Deke said, using his hands to emphasize his points. Mike knew some of this but never realized it would apply to him. "The trick is to come in at the right attitude and speed," Deke added.

"And you have that figured out?" Mike asked. Deke nodded his head as he pulled out another sheet of paper. Mike looked it over, surprised that he had such a narrow window to operate in. They went over the procedure until Deke sensed that Mike had just about hit overload.

"Listen, Mike, it's nearly 18:30 hours. Why don't we call it a night for now. Go get something to eat, call home, then spend the night going over what I've given you. I want you to have every program in this plan down pat. Tomorrow, we'll start in the simulator bright and early. Say, 0600 hours," Deke said.

"Sounds like a plan," Mike said. They shook hands, and Mike left the room with a full binder, his head reeling.

...

Mike returned to his room after a hearty meal at the dining facility. He was exhausted, both physically and mentally. But he still had a lot to do. Looking at the time, he decided to call "home" to tell his little girl good night.

"Hello, Rhonda," Mike said when his wife answered. "I'd like to speak to Lisa, if I may."

"Of course you can talk to her, Mike," Rhonda said. "She's your daughter." Mike was too exhausted for a sarcastic remark, so he let it go. A few moments later, he heard the sweet voice of his "little angel."

"Daddy! I miss you so much. Please come home," Lisa begged.

"I'd love to, sweetheart, but I have work to do right now," Mike told her. "I just called to tell you that I love you and miss you so much."

"I love you too, Daddy," Lisa said. "And Teddy loves you too." Mike chuckled at that.

"Tell Teddy that I love him as well," Mike said.

"I will, Daddy. Mommy says I need to go to bed now. I love you, Daddy. Please come home soon."

"I will, sweetheart. I love you, too," Mike said, wiping a tear from his eye. He heard the phone change hands, followed by Rhonda's voice.

"She really misses you, Mike," Rhonda said.

"I miss her, too," Mike said quietly.

"Look, Mike, I know things haven't been too good between us lately."

"No, they haven't," Mike said.

"I meant what I told you earlier. I really do love you. And I miss you too."

"I miss the woman I married," Mike told her. "After this job, we need to talk."

"I agree," Rhonda said. Mike noticed there was little if any, emotion in her voice. "Be careful."

"I always am," Mike said. "I'll talk to you later. I have a lot to do tonight."

"Okay, Mike," Rhonda said. "Good night. I love you."

"Yeah," Mike said. "So you've said. Good night, Rhonda." Mike ended the call, wondering if she even noticed that he didn't return her endearment. Her seeming lack of emotion was unnerving. Frazzled, he turned the television on, hoping to catch some news. After adjusting the rabbit ears and turning the channel knob to fine-tune the signal, he saw the black-and-white image of Walter Cronkite.

"Earlier today, President Kennedy spoke with reporters at Parkland Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, where he is recuperating from the attempt on his life yesterday," Cronkite said. The scene shifted, and Mike saw the president sitting in a wheelchair, wearing a robe with the presidential seal emblazoned on one breast. A white bandage covered one ear.

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice," the president said in his prominent Massachusetts accent. "First off, I'd like to thank the good people here at Parkland Medical Center for the, er, care that I have received. I've been told that it could have been a lot worse," he added with a sly smile that elicited chuckles from the reporters. "Rest assured, I will be back to work very soon.

"I know that you're all anxious about the, er, craft, now in orbit over Washington. I have been fully apprised of the situation, and I am, er, pleased, with the, uh, calm leadership shown by Vice President Johnson and the members of the Cabinet. I have also been in contact with the Soviet Premier, who assures me he is just as baffled about this as we are." Kennedy stopped long enough to recognize a reporter.

"Mr. President, are you saying this is not a Soviet space vehicle?"

"At this time, that is precisely what I am saying," the president replied.

"What message do you have for the American people, Mr. President?" another reporter asked.

"The American people can be assured that we are doing everything in our power to ensure the safety and security of everyone, not just in the United States, but around the world."

"Does that include military action, Mr. President?" a third reporter asked.

"Nothing is off the table, but I have no desire to instigate an interstellar conflict, if that is what you are asking," the president said. "In the meantime, I ask that everyone remain calm, and go about their daily business as normal." A man in medical garb stepped to the microphone.

"That will be all for now," the man said. "Thank you for your patience." An orderly dressed in a dark suit and sunglasses wheeled the president away from the microphone as other dark suits took position around the wheelchair. The scene shifted back to Cronkite.

"That was President Kennedy in his first public appearance since yesterday's shooting. As you heard, the president said that while he does not want to instigate an interstellar conflict, the possibility of military action against the alien spacecraft is not off the table.

"In related news, State and Defense Department officials say they are exploring a wide range of options, but have not yet reached a consensus. There have been no reports of any communication with the vessel, leaving officials confused as to the visitors' intentions. Stay tuned to CBS News as updates come in."

The newscast ended, and Mike turned the television off as the programming shifted to a short documentary of Kennedy's World War II service as commanding officer of the patrol torpedo boat PT-109.

It also covered his leadership during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the successful operation that led to the ouster of the Communist regime in Havana. Only a few words were mentioned of the disastrous 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion. Still, the documentary showed Kennedy's apology, stating the administration intended to "profit from this lesson."