The Queen of the Underverse - Chapter 1

Welcome to Chapter 1, which I hope will be the beginning of an engaging story. At the time of writing this, I'm on Chapter 5, with a possible five more chapters to go. I've written about 27,989 words that I think are marginally acceptable. I optimistically called it Book One of the Queen Saga in the Intro to this story. That might be a little too presumptuous on my part. From here on, I call it the Queen of the Underverse.

Also, I'm pretty sure I know how this ends, but you never know. Either way, all I can say is I'm sorry, Rebecca Lopez. I hope one day you'll forgive your author. 😉

Chapter 1 - Five-ish Days, I Promise

"Alright, Rebecca, you got this!" She thought as she swung around the International Space Station. She was nervous and jittery each time she prepared to step outside for an EVA, constantly checking and triple-checking beyond what protocol was required. But once outside, it was as if she were taking a stroll around the park with Mark and the kids. Just a bit more peaceful. She smiled a bit at that last thought. She kept a small photo of Mark and the kids in her suit taped to the side. 

She looked at the photo as she drifted along the skin of the ISS in her EMU — the big, blocky suit that made her feel like a marshmallow with a PhD. Tucked onto her back was the SAFER pack, NASA’s version of a jetpack: brilliant, precise, and the last line of “please don’t drift forever.”

“Yep,” she muttered. “Just a casual stroll in Low Earth Orbit… 400 kilometers up, 28,000 KPH, wearing a few million dollars in gear held together by science, Velcro, hope, and duct tape.”

Commander Rebecca Lopez and her crew included her best friend, Sara Mitchel, the flight engineer; Maya Sanyal, the science officer, wrapping up the space-side experiments; and Jessica Williams, the mission specialist. They were completing a crucial step in preparing the ISS for de-orbit. According to NASA and its partners, the ISS had finally reached the end of its life. 

They were on a mission of utmost importance, ensuring that when the station made its final orbit, it didn't break apart early and cause even more problems. The problem with Low Earth Orbit was that the junk was filling up fast there. Eventually, it would all come down, but dodging space debris moving faster than a bullet made life challenging if you wanted to work and live up there. There was a concerted effort on everyone's part that not even a scrap remained behind.

---

About an hour ago, she talked to Mark and the kids from the Unity Module aboard the ISS. Paul, being four, was distracted by his pad, but six-year-old Sarah sat on Mark's lap, looking across at her mother. It's funny how the genes work out for the kids.

Rebecca was 38, with a warm complexion of light brown skin adorned with charming freckles across her cheeks. Her captivating emerald green eyes sparkled with curiosity and intelligence. Her shoulder-length, dark brown hair, styled with gentle curls, beautifully framed her face, adding a playful touch to her appearance. At least that's how Mark described her.

Mark was 30 years old and as pale as could be. He often joked that he was so pale he was almost translucent. He had light brown hair that had turned prematurely gray, which he kept short and neat. His dark brown eyes were sharp and clear. Despite being younger, most people assumed he was older than she was. Mark wrote for TV, movies, and novels. She loved his stories most of all. He wore his favorite shirt from a cartoon show from the late 80s. Such a geek, she smiled.

Sarah, with light brown hair, lighter skin, and some freckles, looked more like Mark every year, and she could see more of herself in Paul, whose skin and hair were a shade darker with almost no freckles. Paul at least looked clean in an animal print shirt. Mark always said she was being silly and that she was utterly wrong. She had it backward, of course, he would say. Sarah was wearing her school uniform, which looked like it had amassed a few grass stains.

"I'm taking good care of Dad, don't worry, Mom. You'll be home soon, in about five more days from that floating contraption," Sarah said, holding onto Mark's hand.

"Yep," Rebecca chuckled. "Two more days up here,  then another three-ish in transit and debrief before I’m home.”

"You said five days." Sarah admonished, staring hard at the screen in front of her. "No-ish days"

Mark laughed a little. "Well, Mom is pretty good-ish about keeping her word, isn't she?" He patted Sarah's head.

Undaunted, Sarah said, "The three-ish turned into fifteen. On the last mission." 

Both she and Mark winced at that one. Sarah had been five at the time, and there had been some concern about re-entry.

"I know, sweetie," Mark said. "But they wanted to make sure Mom got back home safe. And Mom is safe right now, and we must keep her safe first."

Sarah looked at the screen while her father patted her head. "Come back in five days, Mommy."

"Oh, sweetie," Rebecca thought. She said, "I will do my best. Besides, you and I need to go get Paul a birthday present." Paul's hand stopped moving over the pad.

"Is Aunt Sarah coming with us too?" Sarah said, and with that, Paul looked hopeful. 

"She'll be there for Paul's birthday with Aunt Jenn. She and Jenn are going somewhere special for themselves after the mission." Rebecca saw Mark wink at the screen at her.

"Is it Disney World?" asked Paul. Paul's eyes got excited as Aunt Sarah floated next to Rebecca. "Are you going to Disney World?" He asked again. 

Aunt Sarah and fellow astronaut and flight engineer Sarah Mitchel's green eyes twinkled when she laughed, "Nope, I'm heading to the Bahamas… with your Auntie Jenn and running around naked and drinking Mai Tai."

As the kids reacted with disgusted sounds, Sarah Mitchel exchanged a knowing wink with Rebecca, who shot her a sharp look before floating away, her pale blonde hair drifting behind her. Mitchel then playfully moved out of the camera's view, miming running and drinking. 

Sarah Mitchel had always been a constant in Rebecca's life, dating back to their college years. Their bond deepened when they both served in the Air Force, even though they weren't stationed together. So, it was no surprise when Mitchel followed Rebecca's lead and applied to the astronaut program. Their shared intelligence, level-headedness, and deep understanding of each other made them a strong pair.

Mitchel even played a pivotal role in Rebecca's personal life, introducing her to Mark, who later introduced her to Jenn. Mitchel became such an essential part of our lives that we named our daughter after her and even asked her to be the kids' godmother. Mitchel bounced off the wall from the camera's line of sight, miming the backstroke. 

"Anywho..." Rebecca said, trying to hold her laughter back with her smile. She waved her hand at her friend to make her stop. Mitchel laughed, gave her a jaunty salute, and floated to the next compartment.

Rebecca saw Paul eyeing his pad again and she said, “Hey, Paul, Knock, Knock.” She knocked lightly on the camera twice. 

Paul smiled, Sarah smirked, and Mark groaned. Paul said, “Who’s there?”

“Adorable,” said Rebecca, grinning.

“Adorable, who?” Paul responded. Rebecca could see Paul trying to guess the punchline.

“A-door-a-bell doesn't work, that's why I knocked!” Rebecca flashed a brilliant smile and laughed as Paul giggled.

Mark sighed, “Don’t encourage her.” He winked back at Rebecca.

Rebecca told her family, "I'll see you all soon." 

Without needing to be told, Sarah grabbed Paul's hand and said, "Come on, Paulsy. Mom and Dad want to say lovey-dovey stuff."

Mark smiled and laughed as the kids walked out of sight. "Sigh, those two are way too smart to be ours."

"Well, too smart for you, maybe?" She smiled, teasing him. "I hope you have some new stories for me when I return."

"Mom said she'd come over for a few days and watch the kids. I'll tell you all the stories you want." Mark smiled and winked at her again. It wasn't that he was devastatingly handsome, although she'd never tell him that. It was just him. All of him in one package that was so goddamn beautiful.

"Sounds like someone missed me," she stared back at him.

"I don't want to jinx it, so I'm not going to say anything, except I love you and I'm really, really.... realllly looking forward to you coming home."

"How's that not jinxing it?" she thought. Rebecca sighed and gave him her best come-hither look. "I'll try to make it four days. Don't tell the kids." She blew him a kiss and signed off before Houston decided she wasn't being G-rated. Again.

She heard a muffled Knock-Knock in the module.

Knock-Knock

Rebecca turned around at the sound and thought Mitchel had returned, but no one was there. She sighed and patted the station. “It won’t be long now, old thing. I wish we could’ve kept you up here forever.” She drifted down the narrow passage into the Unity Node, moving toward the Quest Joint Airlock, where Sarah was halfway through her suit-up procedure. The hallway was quiet, the calm that only came with bulkhead hatches sealed and minds focused.

No one was around in the Unity Module to hear the faint sound, Knock-Knock-Knock-Knock.

---

"Mark can be incorrigible," she thought as she continued pushing the EMU further down outside the ISS. "10 missions—10 Promises to Mark." She looked at the small family photo, thinking, "Plus, I'll be home in a few days, just in time for Paul's birthday.” Rebecca sighed, “I've missed too many of those moments. Still, it's time to stop playing spacer." 

Houston: "Well, it's official, Commander Lopez. You've been in space longer than Peggy Whitson by five hours." Lloyd's voice broke her from her thoughts.

"Am I being recorded?" Rebecca said as she swung over the Port Photovoltaic Arrays.

Houston: "Always." She could hear a slight chuckle in Lloyd's voice.

Rebecca approached the mission specialist and mechanical engineer, Sarah Mitchel, who was also out on EVA, preparing the ISS for its final voyage. "Peggy has been one of my idols, and I've been lucky to meet her. Her achievements made my journey in the astronaut corps possible. I hope my story will inspire some young girl one day," Rebecca shared, her voice filled with admiration and respect for her idol.

There was a long pause while Mission Control digested her statement.

Houston: "And we're clear for 30 minutes. We will be in monitor status only. Enjoy the view while you can." 

Rebecca sighed, thinking she probably should have taken Mark up on his offer and had him write something. After all, he was a writer. "Mark and his stories," she mused. "He'd probably come up with some insane plot twist for the ISS final mission."

"Coming up on your left in 5 meters, Sarah," Rebecca said as she approached Mitchel. Mitchel had made it clear to her that calling her Mitchel or Aunt Sarah was fine when she was in "family" mode. However, she was not to use any of those names when they were by themselves unless she wanted to be shoved into an airlock without a suit.

"You so rehearsed that, Becks." Sarah's booming voice sounded tinny through her suit speakers.

Rebecca replied, "Of course I did. Peggy is probably down there right now. 'Sides, what did you want me to say? Nyah Nyah! I beat her!"

"Well, I would've!" Her visor hid her face. It was down since they were on the dayside, but she could imagine her tongue sticking out as Sarah said, "Nyah!"

Rebecca laughed. "Look, make sure the solar panels are pulled in here and here," she indicated on their shared screen. They don't want them to drift off into LEO. Or I'll tether your EMU to them, and you can drift in LEO."

"All work and no play, make Commander Becks go space happy!" Sarah said, and she made room for Rebecca. "Are you going to nag and eat oxygen, or help me wrestle this contraption?" 

"Contraption! Have you been talking to your goddaughter again? My little girl calls the ISS a contraption. Remind me, why did I pick you for this mission?" Rebecca was smiling behind her visor.

"Because you love me. But more importantly, I don't snore like a freight train like Maya." Sarah deadpanned.

"True," said Rebecca.

"Commander!" Maya's voice cut over their speakers, making them both wince. "I don't snore!"

"Maya Sanyal, you are an excellent astronaut and top-notch flight engineer, and will make a wonderful addition to the Artemis project. But you snore. I think it's endearing, though." Rebecca nudged her suit against Sarah's. "Right, Sarah?"

"Sorry, Maya. Really, it's not bad." Sarah said, throwing her hands up and letting the socket drill hang there. "Especially when it's almost like you're trying to sing and snore simultaneously." Sarah soon began snoring in a waltz theme that ended in a crescendo.

There was a brief pause, and all three women laughed very hard. Then, Sarah's EMU suit alerted them: "That's odd. I've got an indicator my reserves just kicked on."

"Commander," Jessica Wilson chimed in, her voice calm. She'd been listening and smiling at the banter between her friends. It was her job to monitor the EVA along with mission control. "My board lit up, too. Her reserve just kicked in. I started the clock at 30 minutes. Your EMU looks good on this end."

"Yeah, we've got the notice out here, too. I will check her EMU first, then we'll head in." 

They floated side by side, tethered just outside the ISS truss segment, a few meters from the port-side solar array. Rebecca rotated slowly to face Sarah’s suit, bringing up the inspection HUD overlay. Yep, Sarah’s  O₂ backup had kicked in—an emergency supply meant to buy 30 minutes, tops. She looked over the “contraption.”

Houston: "ISS, we are reading a fault in Sarah Mitchel's EMU. Her reserves have been activated. We recommend you abort the EVA and return to the ISS."

Jessica replied, "Rodger, Houston, Commander Lopez is giving Mitchel's EMU a once-over before the head in."

Houston: Rodger ISS. We will keep looking at it over here.

"You've got an impact," Rebecca said as she worked around Sarah. Rebecca could see at least six impacts on Sarah's EMU. "You have a few impacts. Let's head, but be careful. I don't want to break anything else." They began moving back along the station to the Quest Air Lock just under it. 

"Jesus, Commander, you both need to move now!" Jessica's urgent voice broke the silence. "Micro meteors are peppering us. They're working their way to your section by the sound inside."

"Shit," Rebecca thought. EMUs like the ISS are designed to withstand micrometeoroids. The ISS has been hit hundreds of times before. With humans working and some living in Low Earth Orbit, there's also an increase in artificial micro-meteors. 

However, Earthside can track almost all of that, and in nearly 24 years she's been in space, she's seen some micro action, but nothing she couldn't handle or dodge if given enough warning. This time, there was no warning. The sudden danger was a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of space.

"Maya," Rebecca said. "I need you to warm up the Soyuz."

"On it," Maya responded.

"Commander," Jessica said. "It sounds louder in here now."

"Get suited up and head to the Soyuz. We are working our way back. If you have to go, go. Don't wait for us," Rebecca instructed, her voice firm and determined.

Moving towards the rear of the station, past the Unity Node, Maya and Jessica made their way to the Russian Orbital Segment, where the Soyuz was anchored. Along their route, they quickly closed and locked compartments in case of an explosive decompression.

Sarah said, "Uh, Boss... Do I get a say?" 

Rebecca ignored Sarah as they carefully returned to the Quest Joint Airlock. "Houston. We are heading back to the ISS, and I've ordered Jessica and Maya to go to the Soyuz to prepare for an emergency departure. Sarah and I will try to make it back into the ISS independently. I estimate we're about 10 minutes from the Airlock and about 10 minutes to get out of these and into Soyuz."

Houston: Rodger Commander, we're assisting Maya and Jessica with preparation protocols and monitoring the ISS remotely. The station still has integrity, even if it is a bit noisy. You are shielded from the worst in your position at the station. Try not to go topside.

"Rodger Houston, No topside strolls on the station." 

Sarah said, "Well, I got that off my bucket list before this. So, I'm not tempted." Sarah's breathing sounded a little rough.

"Sarah, you okay?" Sarah didn't respond. She stopped moving and rechecked her suit. 

"Shit," Rebecca looked at her friend of the last 23 years. "Sarah, the impacts breached your cooling system and oxygen reserve seal. That would explain the plummeting pressure.”

"Well, crap. So much for reserves," Sarah said. 

Houston: Commander, we just received an alert from Sarah's EMU. Her reserves are less than half and falling. 

"How much time does she have, Houston?" She could hear Lloyd breathing in the open channel. "Houston, do you copy?"

Houston: "At the rate she's losing oxygen, less than a minute." Lloyd's voice was tense.

"What the hell is going on?" Rebecca thought, "Micro-meteors shouldn't be doing this damage." She shook her head inside her helmet. "Blame later; work the problem now."

"I'm not going to make it back inside," Sarah said. "I'm starting to get cold, which means my temperature regulator is damaged." Sarah's breathing was tense over Rebecca's speakers. "Ah, crap! Jenn will be so upset with me; she wanted to propose when I returned." She turned her helmet towards Rebecca. "When this is over, boss, just find out how this happened." There was a pause. "It's been fun."

"No," Rebecca said in finality. "Jessica, how's the ISS holding up?"

Jessica, "She's holding together. We've secured the hatches to the other compartments. We are just waiting for your return.

"I need a volunteer to get suited in one of the Orlan Suits and wait with the Airlock hatch open," Rebecca said. 

Jessica said, "We're on it."

"What's going on, Boss?" Sarah asked.

Rebecca thought, "If I burn everything, we can cut the 10-minute route to under 80 seconds—just don’t miss". She said to Sarah, "I'm going to push you and be your thruster. Right now, we have a straight line to the Airlock. You will have to slow us as we get closer." 

"Becks? I'm getting... I'm getting..."

Rebecca cut her off, "You're going to focus; you've got enough for this, plus the cold will help.” She looked into Sarah’s eyes, struggling to keep them open. “You're going home to your fiancée. Jessica."

"I'm suited up. There's going to be some hell with depressurizing," Jessica said.

"Yeah. I know. That's the next problem," Rebecca said between gritted teeth.

Houston: Commander, officially, we are not authorizing this attempt. She has less than 30 seconds remaining in the reserves, and then what's left in the suit. The temperature is dropping rapidly.

There was a pause, and she could hear Lloyd breathing.

Houston: Good luck, Rebecca.

"Copy Houston, and thanks, Lloyd." She grabbed Sarah's suit, threaded her arms around the harness, and tossed the tools aside to float away.  

Jessica said, "We're ready, and I'm opening the hatch. It's going to be tight here. I've got some Oxygen mix we can pump back into the suit once she's back in." 

They were just below the Quest Airlock now, the metal ribs of the station framing their path like bones. The airlock door waited ahead — too small, too far — and time was bleeding away.

"Copy that," Rebecca said. "Okay, Sarah,” Rebecca said, voice tight. “I’m firing my SAFER — it’ll push us toward the hatch. When I give the word, you hit yours to slow us down. If we mistime it, we’re gonna ricochet off that airlock like a couple of bowling pins.”

"About that, Becks... Yeah, that's not working either. It's not powering on."

"Fine." Rebecca gritted her teeth. "I'll break us. I'll turn us around, and then we can slow down. What's the status of the micro meteors?" Rebecca looked up and saw what appeared to be a mist floating a few meters above their heads. "What the hell?"

Maya said, "It's like being inside one of those toys where you can rattle beans back and forth. I would find it soothing if we weren't inside a tin can in a vacuum."

"All right, I'm executing another burn on SAFER." Rebecca, it is time to move some mass. "Stay awake, Sarah." 

"You can't tell me what to do," Sarah's voice returned weakly over her headset.

Houston: "Commander, she's losing consciousness." Lloyd's voice wasn't helping right now.

Rebecca replied, "Copy, Houston. We are almost at the Quest Airlock. Has no one picked up this debris? More importantly, does anyone know how big it is?

Houston: "We can see it now when we switch to the outside cameras. The initial estimate is enormous." She heard a muffled response, "Really?" "However, the information is very recent. We can see it because we are on the dayside, and it reflects light. It appears to be in the same orbit as the ISS. Our best guess is that it just appeared in LEO."

"Almost to the airlock, Sarah," Rebecca said. She had already turned off her SAFER and was facing the opposite direction to slow their velocity before reactivating it. She'd throttled it for two—maybe three—seconds. Then nothing. Dead. Not meant for dual loads.

“Shit,” she thought. “These EMUs weren’t built for tandem flights.”

They were barreling toward the airlock at nearly ten meters per second — about 340 kilos of stubborn hope and Newtonian panic. And now she could see it: they were off course. They were going to miss. "If I can give Sarah a nudge back toward the airlock, that should put her back on track." 

Limited oxygen, a critical misalignment, and split-second decisions

Rebecca focused on the SAFER unit strapped to her back, finally coaxing a longer burst. She tracked the telemetry numbers ticking by through the HUD inside her helmet. With a flick of her wrist controller, she rotated their spin, trying to line them up like a dart aiming for a shrinking bullseye.

She called Jessica while she was waiting in the Airlock. "I've tried aiming for the airlock opening, but I think I'm a bit off. I will push and release Sarah. The momentum should nudge her into the Airlock. She'll be moving, but hopefully not too banged up once she's in. I'll maneuver my EMU around the lock until you are clear, and I'll come in afterward. That Airlock wasn't meant for more than two people anyway. We can work on the depressurizing problem then."

"I'm ready," Jessica said, but she thought, "This is perhaps the most stupid thing I've ever done. There is no way I'll catch her. I hope I did the math wrong today."

Rebecca silently prayed and released Sarah as she floated toward the Quest airlock. "Go, Go, Go, Go..." Rebecca said and started floating back the opposite way.

Jessica braced herself as Sarah Mitchel floated toward the Airlock. Commander Lopez had somehow aimed true, but Mitchel was still coming in hot. Weighing about 68 kilos and carrying around 100 kilos of gear, Jessica could not avoid a rough impact.

With a sigh, she reached out to her friend, grabbed Mitchel, and pushed her to the side of the Airlock, where she bumped against the wall and slid down. Mitchel's feet cleared the Airlock. Jessica forced them to the floor and hit the emergency close button. The emergency close system took over a minute to close, during which Jessica wrestled with the unconscious Mitchel until the system restored the pressure. By then, she had reconnected the air she brought to Mitchel's suit.

She quickly and safely disconnected the EMU and SAFER while remaining in her spacesuit to maintain pressure. Jessica thought, "Luckily, with recent modifications to spacesuit designs, a modified version of the advanced crew escape suit was being used. The updated EMU was essentially just a glorified shell wrapped around it." Once finished, she opened her communication channel, "Mitchel is secure. She's unconscious but breathing on her own. So are we dead yet?"

"Not yet," Maya responded. "The debris field seems to be getting louder. Commander?"

"Houston," Rebecca said. "We have a problem. I can't get back.”

© Donnavon Evans