Launch Day

Despite the sweat already filling in his suit, Dirk feels excited and alive. He works his way through his pre-flight checks, double checking that everything looks golden from where he sits. He gives a quick glance back at Belton and Hamlet, giving a quick smile and nod before returning his eyes to the front.

To Spay, "So far, so good over here boss"

Spay replies, "Good, McMillan. Let's keep it that way. Everyone stay focused, double check your systems, and follow protocol. We're just about a go for a launch."

Spay then proceeds to verify his own systems and glances at his instruments. While he does he calls back, "Turner...O'Neil and Weintraub secure and ready?"

Dierdre is wracked with conflicting emotions. Relief that the weather is perfect for the launch; apprehension about the mission; annoyance with weepy Weintraub and her inability to properly console the man who had no business being on this trip in the first place; and anger at being forced into a terrible position that had her clearing unfit men for this operation.

"Yes, commander. All systems go," she says, resigned to her fate.

» T MINUS 2 MINUTES: Crew members close and lock their visors.

» T MINUS 31 SECONDS: Ground launch sequencer is go for auto-sequence start.

» T MINUS 10 SECONDS: Main engine hydrogen burnoff system activates.

» T MINUS 6 SECONDS: Main engine starts. The entire launch stack of shuttle, fuel pod, and boosters pitches down about six feet. This is
known as the "nod" or the "twang."

» T MINUS 0 SECONDS: Solid Rocket Boosters ignite, explosive bolts release the boosters, and…liftoff. The astronauts feel the vibration of the incredible, deafening roar in the bones.

» T+12 SECONDS: The shuttle starts to pitch and roll, right on schedule. Instead of lying on their backs, facing upwards, the crew is now inclined, knees over head. The craft hits about 1.7 G forces, so someone who normally weighs 70 kg feels like they weigh 120 kg. All astronauts see a grey, speckly fog as G-forces impact their optic nerves. Weintraub starts gasping.

» T+19 SECONDS: The roll is complete. Weintraub is screaming. CAPCOM (Woolrich) cuts Weintraub’s mic from everyone in the shuttle and tells Turner that Weintraub’s heart rate and blood pressure have leaped into danger zones. She must watch them and prepare for treatment when the shuttle reaches orbit. Iron-clad protocol is to wait until microgravity (T+8 minutes, 30 seconds) before attempting to render aid.

Dierdre is dealing with her own anxiety while the ship goes through its maneuvers. Her ears feel as though they might burst. Her body feels like its vibrating so badly that her bones might shake themselves to dust, and it's all she can do to keep herself from biting her tongue. Worse is the feeling of being crushed and her eyesight becoming muddy. But this was expected. All of it. Still, in reality, it was horrendous to feel this way.

Weintrab's gasping breaks through her fogginess. She forces her head to turn and look at him. He's in trouble. She knows this and it's confirmed by Woolrich's report on his vitals.

Dammit! I can't fail already in my duties.

Now it's the doctor's heart rate that climbs ever higher as she is presented with a decision. Break protocol and help the man, or wait, in which case he could die before she can administer a drug to calm him.

>> T +38 SECONDS: Turner attempts to get to Weintraub but the G forces are too much and she's crushed into her chair unable to get out. The shuttle reaches "Max Q," the point of greatest aerodynamic stress on the vehicle. The throttle automatically eases back as the spacecraft breaks the sound barrier. CAPCOM restores Weintraub’s mic for Turner only, but cuts her mic from everyone but Weintraub. O’Neil demands to know what’s going on.

Damn good thing this launch is automated, thinks Spay. "Something's going wrong back there with the civilians!" Spay calls to Major McMillan. "I'm not going to let this mission fail before we even get it going! Make sure nothing goes wrong up here."

Then Spay attempts to make it to Weintruab

Just as Spay tries to get out of his seat the thrusters kick back into high gear and he's pressed firmly back into his seat, unable to get out. The whole shuttle is shaking under the strain and everyone's audio is out. The roar of the rocket boosters is almost deafening in the silence.

With clenched teeth as her chest feels like an elephant is sitting on it, she tries to sound reassuring as she talks into her mic to Weintraub.

"You're going to be ok, just breathe, -- BREATHE! -- and picture a nice scene. A sailboat on the horizon...."

As she turns her head, her eyes catch Spay making a move to help the struggling man but failing. The doc can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of doom. She almost laughs and then wonders if she's losing her faculties. She tries to see how Dirk is doing. Maybe he is faring better than the rest of them. And with O'Neill complaining she hopes that means he is relatively okay.

Con x 5 (55)

» T+7 MINUTES: The G forces continue to build, maxing out at triple Earth gravity. A 70 kg person feels like 210 kg.

» T+8 MINUTES 30 SECONDS: Thrust ceases. Orbit is achieved. The astronauts are in microgravity, orbiting Earth. The radio cuts back in. Woolrich explains that the problem on the ground has been solved and demands a situation report.

Con x5 (70)

Dirk's body relaxes from holding the Hick maneuver after having been squeezing his legs and abs in the long ascent.

"Whoo, what a ride. Easy parts over folks. Hows everyone doing back there? Anyone get a good nap in?"

Dirk begins reading the craft for orbital adjustments as he laughs at his own joke.

O'Neil grumbles at McMillan's comment but then you hear a worried gasp. "Weintraub! Weintraub wake up! Hey Doc, I think something's wrong with him!" Looking over at Weintraub you can see he is unconscious.