|
Ah ... but it's not altogether a simulation, you see, Kenny. That's just what they want you to believe.
Secretly, on June 3, a real mission takes off from the remote Australian wilderness. Those in the simulation team are actually made to experience exactly what six other astronauts are truly going through.
A cadre of sinister NASA masterminds -- desperate to have an experienced crew alive and trained for an open mission within the President's promised timeline should anything go wrong with the secret flight -- have set the whole thing up so that the Agency can hedge its bets, save its funding and survive to boldly go on and on.
The real mission to Mars hits a major crisis and -- in a fit of remorse and a desperate bid to save the endangered astronauts in deep space -- one of the NASA cadre (who's now a tad less sinister than he was before) turns rogue and finds a way to put the simulation crew in touch with their real-life comradres. Neither group had hitherto known of the existence of the other.
And the walls come tumbling down and shit happens ... fraying relationships in the spacecraft and its earthbound clone are repaired as everyone pulls together ... etc ... etc ...
Could make a tale for Steve or one of our other SF buddies.
Mind you, my internet's been a mess today and I've not been able to work properly ... so maybe this flight of fancy is more down to a couple of bottles and a dreamy few hours in the sun than to concept plotting. Steve could make a much better job of it.
Hoots toots. The Man from Marr's. N
|