Orbital Conundrum

Orbital Conundrum

Cora floated in weightlessness, moving her arms and legs as if swimming. Not allowed outside the maintained gravity of the churning main quarters, she had gained entry to the connecting pod where she could experience the nearest thing to a space walk.
         Unknown to Cora, a meteor shower had been spotted by ground radar. Per protocol for this event, Colonel Campion assigned commander Davodovich rescue duty. He seated himself in the escape pod, his spacesuit on, in case an excursion was needed to repair the ship or escort others to safety if loss of oxygen resulted from an impact.
         "Where's Cora?" shouted Colonel Campion.
         Cora's mother heard the colonel's question, but couldn't locate her daughter, and frantically raced through the ship until stopped by others. Forcibly strapped into a seat, where all the other crewmen were required to station themselves, she struggled against her restraints, in agony over Cora's disappearance.
         "Don't worry, Maggie," Davodovich reassured her over the intercom. "If anything happens, she'll be the first one I look for."
         "You won't do anything unless I order it," Campion replied.
         "Right," said Davodovich, sarcastically.
         The craft shook violently. The connecting pod had been hit, and the explosion threw Cora clear of the ship. She had put on a space suit for her joyride in the pod, as it seemed more like a space walk with all the usual equipment. Without the protection it afforded, Cora would have died instantly.
         An external camera relayed the horrible news to the crewmen. Seeing the child squirm as she was thrown clear of the craft, her mother screamed and proceeded to unbuckle her restraints. Others nearby stopped her and held her hands to prevent her from leaving the assigned area. Maggie gave up after a moment and whispered her daughter's name.
         "Going E.V.A.," said Davodovich via the intercom.
         "No you don't," replied Campion.
         The colonel noticed a warning on his control panel. A computer voice told him the rest.
         "Emergency hatch removal in progress--gas being retrieved from escape pod and pumped into auxiliary retrieval tank--hatch bolts will explode in fifteen seconds."
         " Davodovich!" yelled the colonel with all his might.
         "Too late," said his rebellious crewman.
         An explosion shook the ship. The crewman noticed the hatch door tumble rapidly across their screen. Colonel Campion hung his head into his hands and cried, shocking all who saw him.
         Cora's mother smiled as she cried, knowing that if there were any way to rescue her daughter, Davodovich would accomplish that task.
         "Why are you so upset?" Maggie asked Campion.
         "Lieutenant Cray, he can't get back."
         "Of course he can--he's tethered and has enough time to rescue Cora and--"
         "You don't understand. He blew the hatch. There's no way he can get back in."
         Maggie's horrified look returned to her face.
         "Don't worry, little Cora," said Davodovich over the intercom. "I can see you, and I'm on the way."
         "I'm scared," she replied.
         All crew members listened to the intercom except Campion, who was totally absorbed in grief.
         Before his tether stretched taut, Davodovich laid hold of Cora's ankle and wrapped his arms around her. The line tightened so quickly, Davodovich's back cracked and he yelled in pain. He barely remained conscious, holding onto Cora with all his might. Seeing the approach of the sun, he pulled her visor down. He couldn't feel his legs, but hid this from Cora.
         "Cora, honey, press the red button on my chest. That will reel us in," he said, barely able to speak from the pain in his back.
         A few moments later, as both neared the ship, Davodovich spoke to Campion.
         "Colonel, please open the outer cargo door."
         "You can't fit into that tight hole."
         Davodovich noticed the terrified look on Cora's face, as she knew this meant her savior was trapped outside. As she burst into tears, he forgot his pain and soothed her with careful words.
         "You mean we both can't get through at the same time," he answered, which put a smile back on Cora's face.
         With all his might, Davodovich shoved Cora into the tiny opening and after making sure she was inside, told Campion to close the outer door and pressurize the chamber. Moments later, Maggie and the crew helped Cora out of the cargo hold as her mother smothered her only daughter with kisses.
         Campion closed the intercom and opened a secure channel to the man he had struggled with since the day the two had met.
         "Why, Davo--why? There was no chance--you knew that."
         "She had to be saved--I had to try at the very least."
         "It's a miracle you saved Cora. Why did you give your life for her?"
         "I don't have anyone, Camp--unless you count my three ex-wives."
         "I always hated you, Davo. You never could follow a simple order."
         "I'm sure you can find somebody better than me in that regard. Put me back on the intercom and record every word I say from this point on."
         Colonel Campion switched Davodovich back to the intercom.
         "Cora, I want to say something. Your mother would have died if something bad happened to you."
         "Why can't you get back in?" she replied, as her mother made sure she had a firm hold on her daughter.
         "Listen to me--this wasn't your fault. I couldn't allow anything to happen to you. The day the Lord spoke to you, I was there--I heard every word. You have a special destiny. Remember me."
         "Davo, the colonel can find some way--"
         "Cora, I have to go now. Campion, put me back on the secure channel."
         Campion did so, to the loud objections of Cora, who refused to be comforted.
         "The Sun's coming over the horizon. I'll won't be burned alive--I'm not going out that way."
         "I never thought I'd regret not having you around."
         "Same here. I'm going to pull the front plug out. Semper Fi."
         "Semper Fi, commander Davodovich."

         A year later, Cora made a visit to a grave at Penny Farms outside of Jacksonville, Florida. She placed a bouquet of flowers against Jerome L. Davodovich's headstone, and wept as her mother looked on. The inscription on the headstone read,

                   To a man who never obeyed orders...and thank God for
                   Cora Cray he didn't...my fondest regards:
                   Colonel Lindsay Campion.