Tales of the Groundbound: A Leap, Chapter 19

[steuben]

Chapter 19

Mortimer stood on the very edge of the seaward side of the VAB. The last of the night’s sea breeze carried the iodine smell of the ocean. The updraft from the building carried the ozone-machine oil smell of the interior. The sun had not yet breached the horizon. Only one light remained in the eastern sky. Duna? Eve? Minmus? The sky had never interested him. Science had never interested him. Engineering had never interested him. He had learned them out of the necessity of his job. Only his numbers and tables had ever interested him.

The sun breached the horizon. He looked at the primary Launchpad. He knew its construction cost, its maintenance costs. Its eventual replacement cost. It sat empty. The only reason he could do this. It would be filled in a week. The pad would be filled in a week, another commercial launch. He knew its cost, its design amortization, its revenue.

The sun rose higher. He knew the VAB’s shadow would cross the prairie to the berm. Was his shadow visible or was it lost in the edges of the VAB’s.

The sun rose half way out of the horizon. He felt its cold light on his face and hands. He knew the cost, the revenue, and the numbers of everything with the KSP. He knew the cost of what he was about to do.

He lifted his arms straight out from his sides. Would anyone look up? Did anyone look up anymore? Would they see him if they did, or would he be just as invisible as if he was back in his office? What would they think if they did see him?

He shifted forward. He stood on the edge, only on the balls of his feet. He leaned forward slightly. He felt gravity start to pull him further forward. He felt the breeze feebly try to push him back. He surrendered to gravity. He pushed off as he fell forward.

He slowly rotated forward as he fell. He heard only the sound of the rushing air. He felt only the pull of it against his clothes. This must, almost, be what it is like up there. He closed his eyes.

He fell faster. He felt the tug of the cord on his ankles. He snapped vertical, his head to the ground. He felt the cord pulling him, slowing him to a halt. For an instant he felt the presence of the tarmac, smelt the spilt lubricants. The elastic in the cord jerked him back up.

He bounced up and down a few times before stopping. He swayed slightly in the turbulent breeze. He sighed and opened his eyes. He looked down ten meters to the ground below. He took the slack out of the line attached to his waist. He gave it a sharp tug. He slowly was lowered to the ground. On the ground he sat up and unhooked his ankles.

He stood and looked at the top of the VAB. He sighed again, another cost. Was it worth it? He walked towards the fire escape on the side. Not according to the tables, the numbers. But in the way that had such things always disquieted him; the way they escaped the numbers and tables; it was.