The Forgotten Man on The Moon

That vision of the blue green marble in his hand was the only thing that kept Henry York from not completely breaking down. As he sat holding the hand of his mother as she lay in the hospice bed he felt her pulse as it slowly faded away. A marble, a childhood gift he was given by his mother.

“Sir, would you like us to call anyone?” The nurse attending politely said.

Henry looked up, wiping away a single tear “No Mam there is no one to call” he said one final goodbye to his mother and straightened his navy uniform as he walked out.

Henry had been given special compassionate leave he had been told by his superior officer to take as much time as he wanted. But Henry wanted to get right back into work and consume himself with it all to avoid any thoughts of his mother creeping into his head.

The other thing that brought him back was the mission he was part of was top secret testing for new tech. Henry had grown up just after World War 2 and had been fascinated by planes and the stories of the fighter pilots and bombers during the war.

At the earliest possible age he had applied to be in the navy and excelled in his class eventually becoming part of the Navy flight school.

There wasn’t a plane he had not flown and loved the feeling of being up far in the clouds way past where any man had been before. He was well aware of the NASA missions to the moon and always assumed he was part of some of the testing.

Henry had been selected as one of the possible picks to go on a mission to the moon but his status kept getting pushed further and further back to the point he assumed he had no chance.

Henry was caught by Captain Hooper leaving the locker rooms “York your needed in meeting room 1a follow me”

Henry followed as the two made small talk he knew that Hooper was part of the navy that was assigned to liaise with NASA on the more delicate parts of the moon missions. Everything was always kept quiet as leaks and spies were always a constant threat. Even telling your family was deemed a big no no.

Henry walked into the room. It was bright white walls, a single steel desk with what Henry recognised were NASA officials and men in sharp suits sat off to the side.He had seen these men around the base but never interacted with them.

A tall thin man in his late 50's black rimmed glasses and an aloof look that all the NASA top officials seemed to have spoke up. “York your record speaks for itself we don’t need to tell you that you are more than qualified for any mission your stats and numbers are always within the parameters”

“Thank you Sir”

“You recently lost your mother I am sorry to hear that”

Henry nodded gripping his marble that he kept in his pocket “Yes Sir”

“And you have no other family?”

“None”

“No significant other?”

“No Sir”

The official looked over his shoulder at a man in a suit behind him whispers were exchanged then he came back to face Henry pulling out a beige paper file. Pulling out a sheet of paper he slides it across the table face down to Henry.

“York, what I am going to show you is classified and will not leave this room” the man said sternly as Henry nodded.

The official turned over the paper and handed it to Henry it read

• The information below is classified only to be read by those authorised to do so.
• SUBJECT — Project Pathmaker
• A one manned voyage to the moon via Saturn V and Lunar module Bluebird. Launch site pacific

Henry looked over the paper scanning the words again and again then looked back at the NASA official “Is this correct Sir”

The official took the paper back and slid it back into the folder and passed it back to one of the other suits, placing his hands on the table and looking Henry right in the eye.

“Are you in?” the man asked Henry had always dreamed of going this was his chase but he had questions.

“Why is it one manned I thought the Gemini missions were a three man team?”

“Are you in?” The official said again.

Henry paused looked down then back up “Yes Sir”

The official stood up and exited through the door on the other side of the room as Captain Hooper placed his hand on Henry’s shoulder. “Follow me” Hooper said as he too went out the opposite door leading Henry to a part of the facility that had always been off limits to him.

Walking through sealed rooms with various compartmentalized staff each working on projects they knew nothing of the common goal to. Henry was now on his way to finding out that common goal.

“We thank you for your commitment to the cause Henry” Hooper said marching forward.

“It’s a pleasure! Anything I can do to serve my country” Henry didn’t hesitate he wasn’t lying but also he wasn’t telling the full truth. Part ego part curiosity he wanted to be the best and to be the first in everything. Being pushed down the pecking order for the crews to pilot to the moon had been a major setback for him.

This was Henry’s opportunity to excel and be the best.

Hooper ushered Henry into another side room where he sat him down and pulled another beige file, this one filled with 8 photos which he handed over to Henry. Inside were shots of the Saturn V but the command module looked a lot different to what he had been seeing be built.

“Module Bluebird it’s designed for one man and that man is you Henry”

“Where have they been hiding this?”

“Past Hawaii just east of the Marshall islands there is a small strip of land we have keep off the books”

“Off the books?”

“Away from the eyes of the commies”

“Why all the secrecy? I thought the whole point was to prove we are better and win this race?”

Hooper stuffed the photos back into the folder “We need to make sure there are no problems with the main mission and work out what problems might occur. We send you up first you report back and then we send the main mission”

“Report back what exactly?”

“Anything and everything the exact reports they want will be briefed to you but we need to know every darn thing that happens the Russians beat us into space they won’t beat us to the moon”

Henry shook his head in awe of the whole thing “Do the Gemini crew know i’m going up?”

“No this is a need to know basis they will be informed of your presence on approach to the moon and you will board back on their module and hitch a ride back home with them”

“So I will be the first man on the moon!” Smiled Henry

“Yes but you can never tell anyone”

The biggest achievement of his life but Henry had to keep it a secret he wondered if he could keep it under wraps.

“Well I guess if I told anyone they would just call me crazy”

Henry was briefed further and sent to Arizona as part of a larger backup training crew to train alongside the main Gemini crews. He was under strict instruction to not utter a word to anyone as to why he was there.

Attending separate briefings Henry raised one important question to a head NASA scientist.

“I’m sorry if this is a stupid question but hell if you’re sending me alone and the other crews are a three man op how am I supposed to do a three man job?”

The scientist looked at a colleague then back to Henry smiling “It’s purely the amount of work they have to do we have way more programmed for them for you it’s simply get there and report that’s it no other jobs. And they will be your pickup crew so all you gotta do when your there is sit and wait”

Henry smiled loving the extra special attention he was getting and the thrill of the secrecy and the chance to be the first man on the moon.

Training was over for him Henry was pulled from the programme for medical reasons officially but really he was being shipped off to the pacific for the launch. Hitching a ride on a navy boat with Hooper and some NASA Scientist he raised more concerns.

As they sat in a bunk below deck passing the time Henry spoke his mind again “If this mission is so top secret won’t anyone notice a bug rocket going off into space?”

Hooper spoke up “For all these people knowledge it’s a test flight to put you in orbit and drop you down off the coast of Florida don’t worry about anyone finding out Henry you got your job to do”

The boredom of the wait was only bearable with the knowledge that he was going to be the first man on the moon.

The mission was bare bones and soon Henry was strapped in and ready to go. The feeling of being alone hit him for the first time in a while, as he sat there the hatch closing sealed off from the world. His head tagged thinking the next humans he will see will be on the moon. The idea thrilled him, occupying his thoughts with excitement of the trip than the looming loneliness.

The countdown was on 5 the rocket rumbled 4 his chair shuddered 3 he gripped the arm rest 2 he said a little prayer and thoughts of his mother ran through his head 1 lift off. He felt the weight lift off him as the rocket slowly gained thrust then momentum and speed. The rocket now blasting through the sky right up.

He could hear the comms in his ears Captain Hooper and two other NASA scientists.

“Perfect liftoff Henry we got you on your way”

“I sure hope so” Henry smiled as he entered the upper atmosphere then cleared the Earth’s grasp and into the dark of space.

The rocket broke up as he was slung at blistering speed to the moon he unattached himself from the seat and felt the magical moment of floating. Bright smiles over his face he whooped and screamed with joy as he spun around.

“You gotta try this Hooper it’s amazing”

“Sounds like you’re having a little too much fun up there! York now we gotta keep comms to a minimum we can’t have these being picked up by anyone we can only scramble so much so from now on its contact every 6 hours”

This was not part of the plan that Henry had been told “Wait every 6 hours but…”

“6 hours from now” Hooper said as the radio cut out and fuzzed.

Henry passed the time between comms by writing down what little he observed and checking the course and direction which all he could report was fine.

“This space stuff sure is boring” he remarked as he saw little but darkness outside of his window. He had been tasked with trying to broadcast a series of beeps back to earth as he entered through the Van Allen belt; that was one of the roles he was given.

Checking his vitals and how his body was reacting was what else he had to do which when called back every 6 hours by Captain Hooper he had to reel off the info in specially coded words.

“The days are sunny in Florida and great BBQ food” was translated to “mission is fine and vitals within set parameters”. A long and boring 4 days ahead for Henry.

It wasn’t until the final approach when the moon came into view Henry looked in awe having seen nothing much of anything the moon up close was mesmerising.

Captain Cooper patched through on the comms “York you should be entering the moons orbit soon you’ll do one circuit and on your circumnavigation of a full loop deploy the lunar lander and descent to the surface”

“Affirmative Captain Hooper”

The module rumbled as Henry made his way around the moon styling live in comms with Hooper as he described in code what was going on.

“No storm clouds …” Henry was cut off his transmission as he was beginning his report as the module entered the dark side of the moon. The radio was unable to beam back to earth from behind the dark side of the moon as he breached the other side seeing Earth come into view. The radio burst back to life.

“Henry you there we had suspected that would happen on the dark side”

“Affirmative still here beginning descent”

Henry stopped into gear having his suit already on he sat in the lunar kinder and realised himself from the rest of the module. The gravity of the situation hitting him the thrill the rush as the lander shook as he began his descent.

Watching the Moon below race by, he fired up the jets to begin his controlled landing, his hand steady as a rock his heart which normally was always close to resting raced as he felt himself touch down on the moon. The first man on the moon he thought.

“Everything is sunny in Florida,” he reported back.

Stepping out Henry’s helmet on, opening the door and looking around at the strange surface as he stopped foot on the moon. Feeling his feet touch the first human to ever set foot on another surface other than the earth.

“York read us back the readings” Hooper demanded as York stepped back in the lander and relayed the stats and number back to him from the Lander’s computer. Scrambling back out onto the Moon’s surface feeling the magnificent wonder of walking on the moon.

“Hooper I bet the boys on the Gemini are gonna love this’ The radio clicked dead Henry tried again and again. But the radio was completely dead. It didn’t read as if it was a lost signal, it was reading that there was no signal coming from his side or back home.

Henry stood there alone on the surface of the Moon looking back at earth that big blue green looking marble in the dark of space glowing back at him.

He tried the radio again and again “Come in Hooper come in “ he grew more frantic.

Back on earth at NASA in a secure room Captain Hooper placed the reading sent by Henry into a beige file and handed them over to the NASA official that had first briefed Henry.

“It’s all there he made it and sent us back the readings we needed”

The NASA official took the folder “And did you cut the radio feed on both ends?”

“Yes Sir it’s been cut”

“Well that’s that then make sure the files are classified and destroy anything else” He said looking around the room.

“Sir he was a good man” Hooper spoke hoping to have some kind of remembrance for Henry.

“Oh and make sure to eraser his name too”

Henry stood on the moon alone, no one coming to pick him up; he’d been told they were launching the other mission just after him. Only two days of oxygen he dies alone; his files erased no memory of him existing.