The Final Expedition

Day Zero

Floating in zero gravity, I smiled at the camera, blissfully unaware that we were less than half an hour from the apocalypse.

“Okay,” I began, gazing into the lens of the camcorder held by my colleague, Aki, “This is my first Video Diary since arriving two days ago on board the International Space Station. My name is Max Carter, owner and chairman of Zap dotcom, guest of the European Space Agency and so-called ‘Space Tourist’. It’s always been my dream to travel into space and now I’m here, I really want everyone back on Earth to feel like they’re here with me on this fantastic adventure. Unlike the vast majority of Astronauts, I’m not a scientist or military officer, but an ordinary person. A person who has been fortunate enough to have the resources to live my dream. My webcasts won’t be the usual dry, forensic and to be honest, dull reports that we are used to seeing from NASA. Travelling into space and seeing the beauty of the planet Earth from orbit is an experience that should be full of awe and wonder. I want to share that experience with you.” Taking the camera from Aki, I aimed it through one of the small windows in the floor. The cloud swathed continent of Europe was directly beneath us.

“I’m actually only two hundred and fifty miles from my home in London. It doesn’t sound like much, but definitely looks far enough from here!” I pulled away from the window and pushed myself carefully backwards, floating away from Aki a metre or so before aiming the camera at her.

“This is Aki Takako, the representative of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Good morning Aki.”

“Konnichiwa.” She replied, smiling and waving at the camera, her other hand clinging to one of the many blue hand holds placed at regular intervals throughout the station, preventing her petite frame from floating off as she did so. Her long dark hair was collected in a pair of pigtails, which floated sideways to each side of her head. She was something of a celebrity back in Japan, particularly popular amongst young men. Publicly she played this down, insisting that though flattered she just wanted to be an Astronaut, but I suspected the level of care which went into her appearance every day suggested otherwise. “Aki is a Chemical Engineer and like me, is new to the station and at 28 is among the youngest people ever to venture into space. We are currently in the Kibo module, which means ‘Hope’ in Japanese and is the largest module on the station.” Aki swept the camera around the compartment, taking in the cream coloured boxy interior of the module with several laptops and screens fixed in place at the various workstations and experimentation racks along with the clutter of various pieces of equipment and bags and boxes strapped in place on seemingly every available surface of the walls, ceiling and floor. “You’ll have to excuse the mess, it’s the maid’s day off.” Aki smiled and rolled her eyes at me. Ignoring her, I continued. “The station is built up from several large modules which have been added over the years and joined together by smaller modules called nodes. Now I’m going to show you around my new home. See you later Aki.” She waved goodbye and turned back to the experiment rack she had been working on. I turned away and pulled myself through into the next compartment.

“This is the Harmony Node, which is basically the front end of the spine of the space station. Most of the modules are fitted in line with this one, with a few modules, like the Kibo module I was just in, arranged perpendicular to the rest of the station. Opposite the Kibo module is the Columbus Module, which is the European Space Agency’s laboratory and behind me at the end is P.M.A.2, which stands for Pressurised Mating Adaptor.” I turned the camera on myself and smiled into the lens before adding conspiratorially: “These spacemen love their abbreviations and acronyms! Basically it’s a sealed hatch for connection to visiting Soyuz spacecraft and back in the day, the Space Shuttle.” I then aimed the camera at a large hinged door in the wall before sweeping it down to the floor and up to the opposite wall and ceiling where three identical doors were located. “These are the sleeping compartments for myself and three other astronauts. Our two cosmonauts sleeping compartments are located in the Russian segment at the other end of the station.” I added sweeping the camera towards the next module which led to the rest of the station. “Right, I’m going to take you on a tour to the far end of the station and introduce you to the other four members of Expedition 79.” From there, I pulled myself through to the Destiny module where a solitary figure was working at one of the experiment racks mounted on the wall, checking data on a laptop. His feet were strapped into a pair of blue footplates on the floor, giving the impression he was standing.

“We are now in the Destiny Module, which is the US laboratory.” I commented, raising my voice above the ever present hum of the air conditioning. “This is mission specialist Major Chuck Flynn.” I added, zooming in on the stocky, balding American. “Chuck’s been here for the last three months, transferring over from the previous expedition. What are you up to Chuck?”

“Sorry Carter.” Flynn replied gruffly. “I’m right in the middle of an experiment here. If you want an interview, you need to contact NASA and arrange one through the proper channels.”

“Okay Chuck. See you later.” I propelled myself past Flynn and pulled myself through to the far end of the Destiny module, swinging the camera back towards Flynn, who had turned his attention back to his laptop. “Think someone’s floated out of bed on the wrong side.” I added quietly, before pulling myself carefully through to the adjoining Unity Node, which connected the American segment of the station to the Russian segment. I swung the camera to my left.

“We’ve got the Quest airlock to one side and…” I swung the camera to my right. “The Tranquillity Node to the other. I’ll come back to the Tranquillity Node later, as my favourite part of the station, the Cupola is through there.” I continued. “The Unity node is where a lot of our food is stored and we often congregate here for breakfast.” I swung the camera towards an open hatch to the next module, aiming the camera up to some yellow signs above it, one reading ‘Speed Limit 17500’.

“Some high quality Astronaut humour there.” I commented dryly before pulling myself through the narrow tubular Pressurised Mating Adaptor to the next compartment. The inside of the tube was ringed with a multitude of small white bags, all strapped into place, which contained the crew’s clothes, so it was a tight squeeze compared to the rest of the station. I pulled myself through into the next module.

“We’re entering the Russian segment now.” I continued my running commentary. “The FGB, or Zarya Module was the first part of the Station to be launched way back in 1998, though it’s mainly used for storage now.” I swept the camera up to the ceiling where lots of different items were strapped in place and below where a collection of large white square shaped bags were stowed and held in place with straps, criss-crossing from one side of the module to the other. Doors to various storage lockers lined each wall. I directed the camera to an open hatch in the floor.

“That’s the hatch to one of our two Soyuz capsules.” I added. “That’s actually the one I arrived in just two days ago with two of my colleagues here on the station.” I propelled myself onwards, through to the next module, Zvezda. Unlike the rest of the station, which was cream or white in colour, the interior of Zvezda was a light green colour.

“Zvezda is the Service module and the crew tend to congregate here at meal times and during our free time. We have a little galley table we gather around and enjoy each other’s company. If fact, one of our Russian colleagues seems to be having a spot of lunch right now.” I zoomed in on the middle-aged Russian, a bear of a man, who was squeezing the contents of his lunch from a silver bag directly into his mouth.

“Good afternoon, Comrade Carter.” His accent thick, his voice flat and serious. “And how do you find our little piece of the motherland today?”

“Good afternoon Mission Commander Karpov. Zvezda as always seems immaculately tidy and efficient.”

“Indeed. If it has a fault, it is that it should have been painted red!” Karpov looked directly at the camera before his mouth twisted slightly and he erupted in a booming laugh. “Sorry. I couldn’t keep that up any longer.” He admitted, his thick accent had immediately disappeared and he smiled broadly at the camera.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, Colonel Sergei Karpov, Mission Commander and living proof that Russians do have a sense of humour.”

“If you call that funny.” A voice commented from behind Karpov. I swung the camera around to the newcomer, who was emerging from a hatch at the far end of the module.

“And we are joined by Lieutenant Colonel Wesley Morrison of the US Air Force and NASA, who is our primary pilot here on the station and has just made the record books by becoming the fiftieth African-American in space.” He smiled and gave a thumbs up to the camera. “What have you been up to Wes?”

“I’ve just been familiarising myself with one of our docked Soyuz capsules.” The tall American told me.

“Ah yes.” I replied. “And that’s permanently docked here?”

“Correct.” The tall American replied, reaching up to scratch his close cropped hair. “It’s there in case of emergency, say a hull breach, or micrometeorite damage, something like that. We can take refuge in there, or even return to Earth if the station is catastrophically compromised.”

“Thanks Wes.” I swung the camera back around to the way I had come in. “Well, this is the aft end of the station, but before I wrap this up for today, I’ve saved the best for last. The Cupola.”

I propelled myself back through the station to the Unity node, turning left into the adjacent Tranquillity Node.

“Here we have a treadmill.” I swept the camera over the apparatus on the right hand wall. “As we have no gravity on the station, we are held in place with bungee cords. Running on the treadmill and using the other exercise equipment throughout the station helps us reduce muscle and bone density loss, which can occur in prolonged periods in zero gravity. As you can see, the treadmill is actually on the wall rather than the floor, so that messes with your head the first time you see someone running on it!” I then raised to the camera towards a cubicle jutting out to the right side of the Node just behind the treadmill. “This is one of our two space toilets, which due to zero gravity operates by suction. That’s an experience I can tell you!” I zoomed in on another set of apparatus at the far end of the compartment, this time on the ceiling. “Another piece of exercise equipment up there,” I frowned, trying to remember the overblown name for it. “The Advanced Resistive Exercise Device which we can use for various weightlifting exercises. Makes me wonder if NASA were being ironic when they called this the Tranquillity Node, with it effectively being a gym and a toilet!” I pulled myself past the toilet cubicle and then swung the camera to my right. The cylindrical compartment contained two space suits, held in place against the wall, while at the far end, a spider’s web of cords held a collection of white storage bags and containers in place.

“That’s the Leonardo Module, which as you can see is used for storage.” I then aimed the camera down through an open hatchway in the floor. “And through this hatch in the floor is my favourite part of the station, the Cupola.” I pulled myself through before continuing my running commentary. “It’s an observatory module and it’s located on the Earth side of the station. As you can see, it protrudes out like a bay window, so that we can see the station’s robotic arms, which can be operated from here. It is made up of seven windows, six smaller windows arranged around one large circular window, and I think you’ll agree, it’s quite a view.” I floated over to the circular window and swept the camera around taking in the vast, cloud swathed blue and green surface of the Earth beneath. Hearing movement behind, I glanced over my shoulder.

“Even after several weeks, I still haven’t got used to how beautiful it looks.” An awed feminine voice whispered. I panned the camera around to the newcomer, her pale blue eyes wide as she took in the sight below. Similarly to Aki’s pigtails, her long blonde hair was tied in a plaited ponytail which swung from side to side as she pulled herself through the hatch, expertly flipped her slender body around before grabbing hold of one of the blue handholds next to the windows.

“I’d like to introduce you to the last of our intrepid crew, Natalya Varennikova, Medical Doctor and our other Cosmonaut and with all due respect to our Mission Commander, the prettier of the two!” She shot me a disdainful look before smiling and blushing slightly and turning back towards the window. “Natalya, like Mission Commander Karpov and Major Flynn have transferred over from Expedition 78, so you’ve already been here… three months?”

“Yes, that is correct.” Natalya smiled a little awkwardly as I trained the camera on her.

“You are responsible for the health of the crew if anyone is taken ill or suffers an injury, but what do you do for the rest of the time?”

“I have a series of experimental racks for the purposes of Medical Science.” She replied stiffly. “For example, today I will study the effects of microgravity on different cell samples, each of which have been exposed to different criteria, such as cancer and heart disease. We are hopeful that the results will help us to better understand and perhaps one day, cure these disorders.”

“Thank you very much.” I replied. “Something for the critics to remember when they criticise the expense of the International Space Station.” I switched off the camera.

“Sorry to put you on the spot.” I smiled apologetically at Natalya.

“No, it’s fine.” She replied, immediately appearing more relaxed now the camera was off. “I have had media training as part of my Cosmonaut training, but it is something I have never quite got used to.”

“I was exactly the same to begin with when I was suddenly thrust into the public eye.” I grinned. “I remember feeling really self conscious, afraid I was going to say the wrong thing. You soon get used to it. Besides, it’s not going out live, so we can edit you out if you’re absolutely awful.”

“Thank you very much!” Natalya pouted theatrically before smiling. “Now, why don’t you get some footage of the Earth and give the viewing public a break from my pasty face.”

“Have you seen the last few female astronauts?” I replied. “I’m sure that certainly the male audience would appreciate a glamorous Cosmonaut after all the middle-aged plain-Janes of recent years!”

“That’s a little cruel.” She replied aghast, blushing again. I flashed her a smile and raised the camera, switching it back on. Aiming it through the large central window of the cupola, I continued my running commentary.

“The station takes just 91 minutes to orbit the Earth, so we see 15 sunrises and 15 sunsets per day. In fact, I can see the horizon lighting up as we speak!” I swung the camera towards the edge of the Earth, where bright light was shining through, though strangely it seemed to be pulsing.

“Only it’s daytime below us already.” Natalya murmured. “The sun isn’t behind the Earth at the moment.”

“What is it we’re looking at down there?” I asked, turning the camera towards Natalya and noticing with alarm that there was genuine concern on her face.

“I have never seen anything like this before.” She replied. We watched in silence for agonising minutes as the station continued its orbit. As the station crossed the pacific and reached the west coast of America, we noticed a mass of small perfectly circular black clouds beneath us arranged all the way down the coast. They were all grouped around the major American cities.

“Oh shit.” I gasped, my own voice seeming distant, almost as if someone else had spoken. My heart was thumping in my chest. “That’s not a storm front is it? Please tell me that’s not what it looks like?” I turned to Natalya whose face had turned pale. Her eyes glistened and she tried to blink away a tear which had formed in the corner of her eye. The surface tension held it there for a moment before it gently floated from her face.

“It looks like a nuclear attack.” She breathed, confirming my own fears. I looked from her distraught features back to the Earth below, a lump in my throat. The black clouds were expanding, staccato flashes of explosions behind them. Remembering the others, I moved numbly towards the open hatch and yelled for them, my panicked voice echoing through the nodes and modules of the station. As the station’s orbit continued I noticed more and more of the black clouds dotted all over the face of North America.

One by one, the other four crew members joined us just as the station reached a concentrated mass of the black clouds all down the East coast. As we watched there was a wave of fresh detonations like a series of flashbulbs going off beneath the clouds as the latest warheads found their targets. A blinding pinprick of light for an instant before it faded, leaving an expanding fiery red explosion as the mushroom cloud filled the sky above each target. These were followed in turn by an expanding halo from each as the shockwave of the latest nuclear detonations emanated from ground zero. I felt nauseas, scarcely believing what I was witnessing. It would almost be beautiful if it wasn’t so terrible, like watching fireworks, only this time I was in the sky and the fireworks were on the surface.

“This can’t be happening.” Flynn murmured, sounding as stunned as I felt. “This can’t be real!” Aki put a consoling hand on his shoulder.

We all watched in stunned silence as the station reached Europe. I reached for the camera which had floated away forgotten in the horror of what we were witnessing, aiming it at the devastation below. Almost the entire continent was a mass of the black clouds and even as the station crossed over into night, we could see that the devastation continued into Russia, then the Middle East, India, China, North and South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. I glanced at my companions, seeing the disbelieving horror of what I was witnessing mirrored on their faces. We all watched aghast, almost catatonic for several minutes as the devastation below us slowly cycled past.

“My God.” Morrison finally broke the silence. “This is it. This is the end!”