"They say your life flashes before your eyes just before you're about to die. It's true. It's happened to me twice." From the book "We're Back and We're Staying." by Ryan (KT) Kinney- Taylor. (Published 2045)

July 2030

It's just a typical hot and humid summer morning in Florida. Brian and Justin are standing together in the grandstands at the Kennedy Space Center. Their son is 3 miles away on launch pad 39A. He's about to make his first space flight, along with six other astronauts, as co-pilot aboard the space shuttle Endeavor. Ryan's wife Amanda decided to remain in their home near Houston and watch the launch on TV. Traveling is never easy with twin boys. And the rest of the family stayed in Pittsburgh. Brian and Justin were beaming like any proud parents as they listened to the voice of Mission Control over the loudspeakers as the countdown neared zero.

"This is shuttle launch control. We're coming up on T minus 5 minutes from the launch of the space shuttle Endeavor. All instrumentation recorders have been started and a go has been given to start the APU's. These are the Auxiliary Power Units, which provide hydraulic power to the spacecraft. We also have verification that the liquid oxygen vent value has been closed and the tank is coming up to flight pressure."

"Coming up on T minus 4 minutes the helium purge of the three main engines has begun. The movement of the various control surfaces on the orbiter has been verified."

"T minus 3 minutes, 30 seconds the spacecraft is now on internal power and the three main engines have been gimbaled to their flight position. Co-pilot Ryan Kinney-Taylor has told the launch director "Thanks a lot troops it's been a real smooth count."

"You had to get him flying lessons didn't you" Justin says smiling, starting an old joke and argument again.

"Well you were the one who got him that flight simulator that got him hooked on flying." Brian answers back, smiling and remembering. Justin had bought him that flight simulator for Christmas when he was 14. You both saw how much he enjoyed it. You were the one who broached the idea of flying lessons. His instructor later said he was a natural. He soloed at 15 and at sixteen he got his pilots license. The same week he got his drivers license. From there it was on to Annapolis, naval flight training, and a carrier fighter pilot in that hell hole of a war in the Indian Ocean. Now he's about to fly the ultimate flying machine.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Hey there's Dad and Pop." Gus said as the camera scanned the viewing stand before returning to the image of the shuttle, posed for liftoff. Gus and his family were at his moms' house watching the launch on television. They all wanted to share the moment together.

"Anyone as nervous as I am?" Lindsay finally said what they were all thinking. Everyone silently agreed.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"T minus one minute, ok everyone, visors down." You hear the flight commander give the order. You lower and lock the visor on your helmet. You notice your hands shook a little. Lord please don't let me fuck up. You silently say the famous Shepard's prayer. Alan Shepard. The prayer he said just before he made the first trip, by an American, into space. Just remember your training and you'll do fine you tell yourself.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"T minus 30 seconds. Guidance is internal…T minus 15 seconds… T minus 10 seconds. We have a go for main engine start…6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Liftoff, we have a liftoff off and have cleared the tower. Liftoff of the Space Shuttle Endeavor on its resupply mission to the International Space Station."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Go for main engine start." comes through your headphones

Your job is to watch the engine indicators. They all come up to full power. No problems. "Three green." You yell to your flight commander over the noise. Then the solid rocket motors light. Lift off and you're pressed into your seat as you accelerate up. Man what a kick in the pants. This is better then being catapulted of a carrier. We're on our way, you think grinning from ear to ear.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Liftoff, we have liftoff off and have cleared the tower." announces mission control.

You're holding Justin's hand as you watch the shuttle leap off the ground. You don't watch a launch you feel it. You don't hear anything for about 10 seconds. Then the shock wave hits, the ground trembles and the unearthly roar that you feel more with your body then you hear arrives. You start yelling, "GO! GO! GO!" Just like everyone else. Damn you're proud of your boy.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Houston, Endeavor, roll program" Endeavor begins rolling and pitching to the north-east. You're going to fly parallel to the east coast as the shuttle makes the long climb to orbit.

"Roger roll."

You hear the commander make the call. You're not going to say much. You'll only talk if you see some problem. You watch the indicators show the main engines throttling back to lessen the stress on the vehicle as you climb through the atmosphere. And then you see a problem. Engine #3 is running hot and it's getting hotter. This will get their attention in Mission Control.

"Houston, Endeavor, engine 3 running high normal temp and climbing." you report.

"Roger Endeavor."

In Mission Control Ryan's report starts a flurry of activity.

"Booster, Flight, talk to me.

"Not good Flight. Looks like about 90 seconds and we red line the engine. Best case we're looking at is a shut down and a launch abort."

If they lose an engine this early in the flight that means they'll have to turn the shuttle around and head back to the Cape and make an emergency landing. Nobody has ever done it and nobody wants to be the first to try it.

"Roger, keep me informed." says the flight director.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

As you watch the temperature gauge in the cockpit climb you know you're not going to have a good day.

"KT?" your commander asks.

"Better start thinking about an RTLS (Return to Launch Site abort), looks like we're going to lose that engine pretty quick."

"Ok."

Man this is turning out to be a hell of a first flight you shake your head and think.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Houston, engine 3 running high normal temp and climbing." You hear your son say over the public address system. You look at Justin. This is not good. You see the nervousness in each other's eyes. Then you both look back at the shuttle climbing into the sky. You listen to the public affairs announcer "Engines at 65 percent. Three good fuel cells. Three good APUs. Houston is monitoring the possible problem on engine 3. Preparing to throttle back up to 104 percent rated power."

And then you watch the Space Shuttle Endeavor explode.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Engines throttling up." And just as you get the words out some part in the over heating engine 3 gives way. Engine 3 becomes a bomb and it just exploded. Pieces of the torn apart engine act as shrapnel and tear apart the back end of the shuttle. With its backend blown apart and external fuel tank all but destroyed, the shuttle begins to tumble and the aerodynamic forces on it rip it apart. In an instant you're slammed into your seat by a force 20 times normal gravity and you see the world start spinning as the tumbling crew compartment is thrown from the explosion. Your life passes in front of your eyes.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

You just stand there. The eyes see but the mind doesn't comprehend. There's a white cloud in the sky where the shuttle used to be. You see pieces starting to fall out of it. The solid rocket boosters have broken free and are beginning to cartwheel through the sky.

"All flight controllers looking very carefully at the situation. Obviously a major malfunction…" comes over the public address system."

You clench your jaw trying to hold the emotions back. You don't want to believe he's gone. Not like this.

"There is no downlink with the spacecraft… "

You put your arm around Justin. You see in his face he doesn't want to believe it either.

"Flight dynamics officer reports the vehicle has exploded. We're checking with downrange recovery forces to see what can be done at this point…"

You hear a gasp from the crowd. It's 1986 all over again. You're holding Justin tight and you see the tears. You're about to do the same thing but you're trying to hold it back.

"We will report more as we have information come available. Again, to repeat, we have a report relayed through the flight dynamics officer that the vehicle has exploded. We are now looking at all the contingency operations and awaiting word from any recovery forces in the downrange field..."

"This is Mission Control in Houston. Down range recovery forces are now reporting that crew parachutes have been sighted. Repeat, crew parachutes have been sighted. Recovery surface forces are preparing to move in as soon as it is safe to do so. There is still debris coming down. Recovery aircraft have been launched from the Canaveral Air Station and Patrick Air force Base and are heading downrange."

Oh my god, there's still a chance. The babysitter that NASA assigned to you is coming over. "Mr. Kinney and Mr. Taylor can you come with me. We have a place where you and the rest of the families can have some privacy." He leads the two of you and the rest of the families out of the grandstands to waiting cars. They take everyone back to the astronaut quarters. There's a large room and everyone splits into seven different groups, one for each of the crewman. No one knows at this point who or how many used their parachutes. There's a TV set to a news channel. They keep showing replays of the explosion. Your cell phone rings.

"Dad, its Gus." You just can't talk and give the phone to Justin and go sit down.

"We don't know anything for sure yet..." You hear Justin say. "As soon as we know anything, promise." Justin hangs up and comes over.

"How are they doing?" You ask.

"Basket cases and waiting, just like us."

"Amanda?"

Justin tries to call Ryan's wife back in Houston. "Line's busy."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

You're sitting in the playroom at the orphanage. Sitting at the play table and drawing. You like to draw. They always bring in adults to meet you when they put you in here. People that want kids. You may only be six but you know the game.

"Ryan, these two gentlemen would like to meet you." She points to the taller dark haired man. "This is Brian..." Then she points to the shorter blond guy. "… and this is Justin."

"Hi Ryan, you like to draw?" Justin asks.

"Yeah."

"Can I sit down and draw with you?"

"Ok."

He sits down with you and starts drawing. "Ryan is it ok if I draw you? That's what I do for a living. I'm an artist."

"Ok." You look at what he's drawing. You see he's really good. I like him. He doesn't talk down to me like everyone else. "Are you going to be my new mommy and daddy?" you ask.

You watch him look at the other guy and then back at you. "If you want us to be. It's up to you." Justin says.

"I'd like that."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It's your first night at your new home. You're scared. You know there's a monster under your bed waiting to take you away. You clutch your teddy bear and head for your brothers room.

"Gus?" You wake him up. He looks at you with sleep filled eyes.

"Ry? You ok?"

You don't answer. You just clutch your teddy bear. He must have seen the answer in your face. He pulls down the edge of the blanket and waves you over. You jump into Gus's bed and he throws the blanket over the two of you.

"I'll protect you little bro."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Dad, I'd like you to meet Amanda. We're going to get married" You watch Brian sit down in his favorite chair and not look to good. "Pop is he ok?"

"Yeah give him a minute. He's kind of going through a bit of a mid life crises. Found his first gray hair this morning."

"I am not going gray"

"Yes you are and they're not all on your head, so deal with it."

"JUSTIN!!!"

You can't help but laugh at your two dads. You look at your future wife, "You know we can still elope?"

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"I do."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It's pitch black over the Indian Ocean. You've been flying combat air patrol over the American Embassy while it's being evacuated. You're trying to make it back to the carrier. But you may have a problem. You felt a hit from ground fire and your engines are running rough. You test the fire light and it works so you don't think you have a fire back there. But it just doesn't feel right.

"T-bird two to T-bird one, can you swing by me for a look. My engines are running rough."

"Be right there KT." A moment later you hear the alarm. "FIRE KT! Punch out."

Shit "Home plate T-bird 2, I'm on fire. Punching out." You reach for the ejection handle and pull it. The seat automatically grabs your arms and legs and pulls them tight. The canopy blows off and the rocket in your seat ignites and fires you out into the night over a cold and dark ocean. Your life flashes in front of your eyes

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

You're floating in your life raft. You've talked to the carrier by radio and they're on their way. It's a pitch black and moonless night. The only light is coming from a burning fuel slick a few miles away. That's where your plane crashed. You can't believe the stars. They're so many. With no light pollution you see the entire night sky for the first time in all its glory. God it's beautiful. You then remember the notice that you saw a couple of weeks ago. NASA was looking for astronauts. You remember you met all the qualifications easily. I've got to try for it you think. I've got to go up there.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Admiral on deck!"

You jump to attention. Something must be up. The Admiral of the Fleet never comes down to a squadron ready room.

"Commander Kinney-Taylor, front and center." the Admiral announces.

Oh shit. You're trying to think of something that you did that would warrant this.

"Commander Kinney-Taylor, I have just received orders releasing you from duty with this fleet and ordering you to the Johnson Spaceflight Center to begin training as an astronaut candidate. Congratulations Commander."

I did it. I really made. You go weak in the knees as your squadron mates run and congratulate you.

The Admiral interrupts and touches the wings on your chest. The wings you earned when you became a naval aviator. "When you're out gallivanting around the universe son, you just remember where you got those."

"I promise Admiral."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Seven astronauts come in. It's always been NASA policy that news like this is relayed by a fellow astronaut. Ryan's friend and fellow astronaut Drew comes over. You met him when you visited Ryan last year in Houston.

"He's ok. They picked him up floating in the Atlantic. They're flying him back to Patrick Air Force base for a medical check. That's just south of here. We've got a car waiting."

"Amanda?" you ask him about Ryan's wife.

"The Astronaut office has got someone at the house. She already knows. I talked to her myself."

Two more families join you. Four others are staying behind. Knowing now they have to plan funerals. They take you to the medical center at the air force base. They tell you he's being examined and to wait.

"Like hell I'm waiting. I'm going to see my son. I can either go through you or around you, your choice."

Justin grabs your arm and holds you back. "Airman are you a parent?" Justin asks the guard.

"Yeah, two kids." You watch him think for a second. "Ok I'll take you to the doorway but you can't go in for now."

"I just want to see him."

They're still cutting him out of his pressure suit but he sees you and mouths the word "I'm ok." You pull your phone out and call Pittsburgh. Lindsay answers.

"He's ok Linds."

"You sure?" She asks.

"I'm looking right at him." You hear the relief in her voice as she tells everyone at the house. You see him mouth the words Hi mom. "He just said "Hi Mom."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

How did they make it? It was explained to us later that ever since Challenger, when it was seen coming out of the explosion intact, crews had planned to jump from a wrecked and free falling crew compartment if an accident like that ever happened again. The Columbia astronauts might have done it if the accident had happened a little lower during reentry and the crew compartment had survived. They figured Ryan and his crewmates freefell from about 50,000 feet to about 2,000 feet (with the rest of the wreckage he later joked) and opened their parachutes. He kept his head and saved his life. Seems I owe someone thanks for another miracle.

Justin and I flew back to Pittsburgh. It could have been worse. Next week, the two of you, Lindsay, Melanie, Gus and his wife Pam fly to Houston for the memorial service. You all know you have to be there. It's only by the grace of God it wasn't Ryan's service. For at least your son and for the others who weren't as lucky you have to go.

The six of you sat behind Ryan and his wife. Some NASA bigwigs spoke, and the President was there. Someone read from the poem High Flight.

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there, I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air. Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace Where never lark, or even eagle flew - And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

In the end four jets flew over and one left the formation as they passed over, the famous missing man formation. Then everyone left to pick up the pieces of the rest of their lives.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"You wanted to see me Deke." The head of the Astronaut office has called you in. It's your first true full day back at work. After helping out with the accident investigation you, Amanda and the kids took off for the Gulf coast for a little R&R. It didn't hurt to also get away from the reporters. You go into his office and sit down.

"This part of our conversation doesn't leave the room. After what happened I'd understand if you want to leave. No one ever will think less of you if you did. It's your choice if you want to remain on flight status.

"Amanda and I talked about it. I'm staying."

Good. I've liked what I've seen so far from you. This was in the works before Endeavor and I see no reason to change my mind. I want to assign you to the Eagle program. I want you and Drew to form a crew, you in command and Drew as the landing pilot, science pilots to be named later. What I'm envisioning is an early backup assignment and a rotation to a later prime crew.

Oh my god. Eagle was the return to the moon program. You're going to the moon. You sit there kind of shocked.

"Well, you want to go to the moon?"

"Hell yes!"

Deke smiled. He knows he shocked you with the news. "Good. Go tell Drew and the both of you go see Gene about a training schedule." He holds out his hand for you to shake. "Welcome back KT."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"The what?" your Dad, Brian, exclaims when you told him the news over the phone.

"They want me to command a landing crew. It won't be for a couple of years but yeah I'm going."

"You still want to do this after everything that's happened. Justin will you talk some sense into this kid of yours."

"Quiet Brian. You really want to do this?"

"It's what I've worked for."

"All right, don't worry about your dad, I'll knock some sense into him." Justin hangs up the phone and just glares at you.

You stand there and shake your head. "How the hell I managed to live raising the two of you I'll never know." is the only answer you can give.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Ryan kept us posted over the next couple of years on what was happening. He was involved with the design of the Lander and writing the book on how to fly it. And so he could do something useful after he landed both him and Drew get the equivalent of a Bachelor's Degree in Geology through their training. Christ how many different names can you come up for something that's just a rock.

When the crew assignments came out Ryan found out he was the back-up commander to the first mission. It wasn't official but that put him in line to command his own flight on the fourth mission. We were all a little thrilled and scared. Here we go again.

Justin and I went down to Houston shortly after he heard to visit him and the kids. One evening Ryan showed us the photos of where they were training to land. "It's a 50 mile wide crater called Tycho in the southwest corner of the full moon. Gene will come flying in from the northeast, pass over Surveyor 7 and land half way between it and Tychos rim. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/research/lunar_orbiter/images/aimg/iv_119_h2.j pg

"Why here?" I asked.

"Because Tycho punched through the crust and threw out really deep material from what's called the mantle. The deepest stuff is near the rim. That's the really good stuff. And Surveyor 7 is a time capsule. It's been sitting there since 1968. The pieces we bring back will tell us how materials survive in the lunar environment. It's important stuff to know if we want to build a lunar base." Ryan explained.

"Where the hell is he going to find a place to land in that mess?"

"It's not that bad. Surveyor took this photo. It's just a smooth surface with rolling hills. It'll be easy." http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/surveyortycho.gif

"How about your flight?" you ask

"Nothing is definite but the front runner is a 90 mile in diameter crater called Tsiolkovsky. It's on the back side. We'll land on the lava flood plains near the central peak. http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a15/as15-87-11729.jpg

"You know most of this gray hair is because of you."

"What can I say?" Ryan said laughing, "I'm your kid,and it's my job to give you gray hair."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

He took us to the Manned Spacecraft Center the next day. Ryan and Drew spent the morning suited up and practiced taking pieces off a model of Surveyor 7.

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a12/ap12-KSC-69PC- 546.jpg

That afternoon Ryan made some free time and took us around. We got to climb around mockups of what he would be flying. He even got them to do a simulator run with Ryan flying and Justin and I standing in the co-pilots position. Man, those video game companies got nothing on NASA's toys. It moved and shook like the real thing and looking out the window you'd swear it was real. And watching him do a couple of landings gave us some confidence in him. What can I say; my boy's a hell of a pilot.

Monday Ryan was off to Arizona. He and Drew were going to practice the moonwalks and geology out in the desert near Flagstaff. http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a15/ap15-S70-53283.jpg

I know the long absences have been rough on Ryan's marriage. First his naval deployments and now training all over the country. Leave for work on Monday and come home Friday. It was one of the reasons I retired from baseball. I just couldn't wake in strange hotel rooms anymore and not see Justin. Now, every morning I roll over and there's my little burst of sunshine waiting for me. I don't think I could live a life away from Justin anymore

We spent the week with Amanda and getting to know our grandkids again. I never thought I could ever handle being a grandfather. But when those two boys run at me at full speed and leap into my arms yelling grandpa at the top of their lungs, well even icebergs can melt. What a handful those two boys were. It brought back so many memories of Gus and Ryan as kids. It was a great week and we made plans for everyone to come to Pittsburgh for Christmas. Eagle 1 was to fly in November and Ryan would have some time off around the holidays before he jumped back into training for his own flight. Little did we know someone would get a bad break, literally, and all our Christmas plans went out the window.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Gene broke his leg yesterday. He tripped and fell down some stairs at his house." You're sitting in Deke's office as you absorb what you just heard. You're Gene's backup. You start to realize what the boss is saying. "There's no way Gene will heal in time so there's no other choice. Since you two have trained as a team for so long I'm not breaking you up. We're going to delay the launch to December to give you two a month's extra training time. I'm putting you both on the prime crew. You are to take Eagle One to a landing near Tycho in late December. You accept?"

You look at Drew and see the shock on his face. Yours probably looks the same but you know there's only one answer. "Lets do it."

"Good. Now get out of here. You two have got a ton of work ahead of you."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Brian answered the phone. "Hi dad."

"Hey Ryan. Hold on a second," You hear your dad say. "Justin pick-up the extension it's Captain Kirk."

"Hey fly-boy." you hear when Justin picked up the extension. "What's going on?"

"Been a change of plans, I won't be able to make it to Pittsburgh for Christmas."

"Shit," you hear Justin say, "We were going to get the whole family together. What happened? Where're you going be?"

"The Moon."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"30 seconds to pitch over." You heard Drew's voice in your headphones. The main descent engine that is dropping you out of lunar orbit has been firing for the last seven minutes. Now that almost all your forward velocity has been killed the vehicle will soon pitch forward and allow you to see the surface out the front windows from a height of about 7000 feet.

"15 seconds." Everything has been on automatic so far but you're not sure where you are. If you flew long you'll be in Tycho and have to abort. If you come up short you'll be to far away to be able to drive to Tycho's rim and get the really good stuff you came for. But you can't do anything till you see where you are. You put your hands together and crack your knuckles. Then you grab the controls and get ready to do some flying. It's time to earn your flight pay boy.

"3, 2, 1, pitch over." Drew announces.

You feel the motion and get your first look at the surface out the window. And you don't recognize anything. "Shit." You say softly under your breath. Your heads up display shows the point on the surface that the computer is flying toward. You study the terrain again. Ok if that hill is there and that crater is there. Suddenly the pattern jumps out at you. You're exactly where you're supposed to be. "Houston, Eagle, right down the middle of U.S. 1. The guidance was perfect."

"Roger Eagle." You hear from Houston.

"6000 (ft high). 15 (%) on the fuel." Drew is starting to call out your altitude, how fast you're dropping and how much fuel you have so you can keep you attention outside and fly.

"5000. Looking good… 3900. Right on profile…3000 …2000 at 60 (feet per second down)… 1800… 1400 down at 44"

"Eagle, Houston, go for landing." capcom says.

"Roger, go for landing." You're damn right we're go for landing. Like I'm going to get this close and not try and land. Who they kidding?

"1000 feet…800 down at 30… Ok 20 down at 500. You got plenty of gas… 300, 10 down… 200, 5 down… 150… 100 at 3… "

"Picking up some dust." You're seeing some dust that's being thrown up by the decent engine. We're always there.

"80… 50 down at 3…40… 30…. 20…You got it made."

"Contact light!" One of the landing probes extending from the footpads has touched the surface. "Engine shutdown." You hit the off switch. The engine shuts down and you drop the last few feet. You feel the jar and then silence. You look at Drew and he has the same shocked look on his face. Holy shit, we're on the moon you think.

"Houston, Eagle, we is on the plains at Tycho." You radio back to Earth.

"Roger Eagle congratulations. Stand by for stay/no stay at T+1."

You take the first minute to prepare for an immediate lift-off. Just in case there's some problem. At the same time Houston is looking at the telemetry to make sure everything is ok.

"Eagle Houston you are Stay for T+1."

"Roger boss. Stay at T+1." That means you're going to be here for a while. The two of you complete the post landing check lists and get ready to stay for a couple of days. When that's done you both take a few minutes and just stare out the windows.

"Well, want to go for a walk?" Drew asks with a smile.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"The hatch is coming open." you announce. You and Drew have just spent the last two hours getting suited up to go outside. You swing the hatch open and gingerly step outside on to a platform. From there you can get to the ladder that you'll use to climb down to the surface.

"MESA deployed." you announce. The MESA is an equipment storage pallet that contains equipment you'll use on the surface and a TV camera that will beam your first steps back to Earth. Houston reports a good picture and now you're ready to climb down.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The living room is packed. Everyone is glued to the ghostly image on the set. It's the front landing leg and the ladder.

"I'm heading down the ladder." you hear Ryan say.

Soon you see his legs slowly descend into the picture. Then you see the rest of him. Then you see his face. He hadn't lowered his gold sun visor. He's in shadow so he must have left it up so he could see better. Seeing his face makes it all the more real.

"Ok I'm about to step on the surface." As far as you know he hasn't told anyone what his first words were going to be. He certainly wouldn't tell you or Justin.

"We're back and this time we're staying." you hear him proudly announce.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a14/as14-66-9230.jpg

Wow, this is so unreal. You take a couple of steps back trying to get used to the lower gravity. Then some color off to your left catches your eye. It's the Earth. Blue and white, and low over the northeastern horizon. God it's beautiful. Dad, with his artist eye, would appreciate a sight like that.

"Hey Ryan, you ready for me to come out?"

"Yeah come on. Are you in for a treat."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a15/as15-85-11514.jpg http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a15/as15-82-11140.jpg

For the next eight hours we watch the two of them have the time of their lives. They were bouncing across the lunar surface talking, laughing, and occasionally swearing at equipment that won't work. They unpacked an electric car that will take them on their explorations across the lunar surface. Set up a nuclear powered science station that will beam back information long after they've returned to Earth. And they collected rocks and never shutting up for one moment while they did it. Brecias this, phenocrysts that. I figure someone in mission control knew what the hell they were talking about cause I sure as hell didn't.

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a17/as17-134-20384.jpg

But the moment I remember the most was when they set up the American flag. This is the picture I have framed in my office. The one of Ryan that helps me remember it all.

Before we realized it they were done for the first day. The first of four days of exploration was over. Ryan and Drew climbed back into the Lander, got out of their suits and had dinner. They had a couple of hammocks they were going to use to sleep in. And from the sound of their voices they sounded like they were about ready to crash for the night. Always a dad, what can I say?

I needed to stretch my legs so I took a few minutes and went out in the yard. The moon was still up. I just stared at it for a few minutes. It's hard to realize that what I'm looking at and what I watched on TV was the same place. But soon my thoughts were interrupted by a pair of arms wrapping around me. They can only belong to one person. You take his hands in yours.

"I thought I'd find you out here." Justin says.

"You really believe our boy's up there?" you ask Justin.

"Still kind of hard to accept isn't it." he answers with the same sense of wonder in his voice that you feel.

"We did a pretty good job raising him didn't we? Not bad for a couple of old fags."

"Speak for yourself old man."

"You know if you hadn't thought of it we never would have adopted him. And I'd have fewer gray hairs"

"I like your gray hair." Justin says with a smile as he starts playing with your hair. "Come on in, you'll catch your death of cold out here."

"I'll be right in." You watch Justin go into the house and then you look back up at the moon. "Yep, not bad for a couple of old fags." you say softly as you turn and go back into the house.