Laura Thompson's POV (Present Year: 2022)

"Hey! Hello? Is anyone in there? Hellooooo?" A distantly muffled voice echos from outside my headspace, pulling me back to reality ever so slightly.

"Go away." I groan, grabbing the pillow from beneath my head, using it to block out any more noise.

I just want to sleep...

"Lori! It's me, Vivian!" The voice continues to nag, now completely pulling me from my slumber.

Darn it...

"Vivi! I was trying to sleep, you know!" I grumble, slowly sitting up and fighting away any left over fatigue.

"Well," My friend starts from the opposite side of my locked door, a teasing tone to her voice. "I guess that means you don't want your Flight Suit then?"

A jolt of excitement makes its way up my spine, as the realization follows.

Our Flight Suits are already in? Wow, that was fast!

"Are you kidding me? Give me that thing!" I bubble, any left over exhaustion now completely gone as I race towards the door and unlock it.

"Good afternoon, sleepyhead!" Vivian smiles, stepping past me into the room, already decked out in her own Flight Suit.

"You look great!" I complement, admiring the many different pockets on the jumpsuit, especially the ones on the sleeves.

The design is fairly simple... and practical.

A zipper down the front ending with a simple collar around the neck, the NASA logo emblazoned on the right side just below the collar as well as a name tag on the opposite, and an American flag on the left shoulder.

The woman in front of me just beams as she hands me a neatly folded item, the color matching her own outfit.

That's my Flight Suit!

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" I can't help but squeal as I hurry to the small bathroom, eager to see just how my new piece of clothing fits.

I hope this thing is comfortable... If it's not...

Well, I guess that'll really suck.

As I unfold the package I'd been handed moments ago, a dark grey standard cotton t-shirt as well as washing instructions drop to the ground.

"I'll be sure to hang onto that..." I murmur, setting the small piece of instructional paper off to the side as I suit up.

Much to my surprise, my jumpsuit is extremely comfortable.

Tailored in all the right spots, and not too scratchy against my skin, either.

Gotta love plain old cotton!

I simply stand there for awhile, my reflection looking back at me in the mirror, my expression one of utter disbelief.

None of this seems real anymore...

"Are you gonna stay locked in there all day? Let's go to the kitchen and find something to eat! I'm starving!" Vivian's voice pulls me from my thoughts, startling me slightly.

Well, that's certainly real enough.

"Alright!" I chuckle, leaving the bathroom behind as I step out into the main area once more. "To the kitchen it is, then!"

"Thank you! You were like, taking an eternity in there, Lori!" My friend laughs as I haphazardly toss my now discarded clothes onto my bed, not really caring about the room's appearance.

It's not like anyone else'll be in here.

As the pair of us head out the door and into the main hallway, Vivian continues her constant rambling.

"I kept thinking, 'It's a jumpsuit! Surely it can't be that hard to put on!' But apparently you were struggling or something."

"Yeah, sure." I sigh with a light laugh. "I was just sorta in my own little world for a few seconds, you know?"

The woman beside me simply nods.

"Hard to believe all this is real, huh?"

"You can say that again."

We continue onward down the corridor, our footsteps echoing in the silent air.

The silence allows my thoughts to wander once more towards the same person who had practically taken them over.

Elon.

Musk.

Ever since the night in the pouring rain, I just haven't been able to shake him from my thoughts.

He just picked me up off the street and drove me home...

Then we were nearly jumped by two guys in the parking lot... I saved E's face from being smashed in...

I can't help but chuckle to myself lightly as that thought crosses my mind.

Good times.

He even helped me pack, though we spent more time laughing like morons...

I fell asleep on his shoulder and he didn't even seem to mind!

A slight shiver makes it's way up my spine.

And then this morning... his casual 'Oh, I guess we're neighbors then!' followed by that smirk!

That smirk!

That damn smirk!

"You good?" Vivian's concerned tone stops my thoughts dead in their tracks, as do I.

"Hm?" I muse, surprised at my sudden loss of thought.

"You've been staring off into space and laughing to yourself. Am I missing something here?" She elaborates, examining my features slowly, her gaze stern.

Vivi, if I could tell you what you're missing, you likely wouldn't even believe me.

"Nope, you're not missing anything." I smile broadly, attempting to keep a sudden rush of blush off my cheeks. "Just me and my thoughts, that's all!"

Maybe it would help if I talk to her about it... Maybe she could help me sort out my emotions...

"If you say so." She nods, a rather dissatisfied tone to her voice as she continues towards our destination, leaving me in her wake.

Pull yourself together, Laura!

For all you know, you're just overreacting!

My thoughts go blank for a moment before reappearing once more.

His smirk though!

"Geez!" I murmur aloud, shaking my head with a light chuckle as I dash after Vivi.

I really need to stop these thoughts from wandering like this!

"You coming?" My friend's voice echos from the corner that leads into the common area.

"If you would just give me a sec!" I retort, reaching her side as we round the corner together.

"I'm really hoping NASA stocks their pantries with good food."

"We'll know soon enough."

The both of us make our way into the common area consisting of a dining room/kitchen/living room, our footsteps now accompanied by the sounds of a rather loud TV program.

Both of our other Crew members are already up and at 'em, dressed in their own Flight Suits.

Mark is sprawled out on the couch facing the TV, his feet propped up on the coffee table as if he's at home while Elon is sitting quietly at the large table acting as the dining room table, laptop open and various papers strewn around in a rather neat looking fashion.

"Hey, Marko!" Vivian bubbles, stealing the nickname I had given the younger man as we both make our way past him towards the kitchen.

He simply nods as we pass, too preoccupied in whatever is on TV to do much else.

"Good afternoon!" Elon's familiarly upbeat tone greets as we both near the table he's sitting at, his gaze now on both Vivian and I, his work momentarily forgotten.

However, I can't help but feel as though his warm brown eyes are looking me over, almost like he's examining every inch of me.

Slightly uncomfortable and suddenly feeling very exposed in my new piece of clothing, I shift back and fourth, playing with my weight from foot to foot.

"Hiya!" The woman beside me grins, not sensing my sudden shift in attitude as she continues toward the kitchen. "Anything good to eat around here?"

"Plenty," Mark pipes up from the couch. "I just had a protein bar, but I saw bagels, toast, cereal... Anything you could want, really."

"Of course you would know that..." I hear Vivi reply as I allow their chatter to fade into the background.

"You don't have to stand there, you know." Elon teases, moving some papers around to clear off a spot on the table in front of us.

You didn't seem to mind it a few seconds ago, Mr. Wandering Eyes!

"I know." I reply lightly, slipping into the chair across from him where papers had been previously scattered across the surface.

"How are you feeling?" The man across from me asks, his gaze not wavering from me.

Feeling? Did I look that dead this morning?

"I'm fine," I smile, my own gaze and thoughts beginning to wander.

He looks so good in that Flight Suit!

I give my head a shake in a vain attempt to stop my drifting thoughts.

Come back down to Earth, Lori.

"So," I start, leaning forward slightly in my seat, peering at the papers Elon is so busy with. "What do you have cut out for yourself now?"

He runs a hand through his hair, shaking his head with a light chuckle.

His hair looks so soft...

Snap out of it!

"Oh, just reviewing this handful of designs for Starship's internal layout."

I nod slowly, confusion replacing my giddy thoughts.

"Didn't the design crew already go over all of this? I heard that items were already in production!"

Elon just sighs.

"Everything has to be looked over again thanks to the new budget constraints."

"Right." I hum, my gaze falling once more on the papers decorated with 3D rendered images and floor-plans.

"I'm liking this one so far," The man across from me nods, sliding the top piece of paper off the pile and over to me. "It's simple, gets rid of anything we don't absolutely need and would likely be well within the budget."

The image is a simple floor-plan, eight different circles acting as individual decks, are laid out neatly along with a color coded legend.

"Cargo, Surface access deck, a Lab, a deck just for Hydroponics... that's a great idea..." I murmur aloud, examining the layout. "Showers and ECLSS together... Smart. That way the water tanks are all together so they can run the showers, climate control and life support systems... Crew quarters on top of that... and then the Control and Observation deck."

"I take it you find it makes sense, then?" Elon questions, his tone intrigued.

I nod, flipping the paper around in his direction.

"The only thing I'm not seeing is a main access hatch for the main control cabin while here on Earth... And how will these decks be accessed? A ladder system through the center of it all?" I ramble, becoming lost in my own thoughts.

"A ladder system won't matter in zero g's... But it'll have to be there for when under the influence of a Planet's gravity..." Musk mutters, making his way around the table to join me at my side. "As for an access hatch, I guess it'll have to go directly into the cockpit for now... Later on, we'll have to move it..."

"You're right." I muse aloud, turning to look up at the man who's now looking over my shoulder. "When commercial customers start flying, it'll have to be a heck of a lot more user friendly."

Elon nods, bringing a hand against his chin, instantly becoming lost in his own little world.

"I have a feeling that won't be for some time..." He sighs tiredly, shaking himself out of his daze as he slides into the chair next to me. "But, yes. An access hatch behind the seats will have to do for now... And, since there's only four of us this trip, we won't have to worry about stepping on anything..."

However, his momentary exhausted blip doesn't fade off my radar.

"You good?" I murmur, genuine worry and compassion laced in my tone as I lean closer to his side.

"Just slightly sleepy, that's all." Comes the reply from beside me, almost inaudible. "I'll be fine, though."

Did he not get any rest?!

I fight back the sudden urge to practically scold the man beside me.

We had six hours of time to sleep!

At least he did manage to fall asleep while we were on the flight over here...

"Oh," I reply, a frown marking my expression. "Well, I'm sure-"

Before I can finish my sentence, however, I'm abruptly cut off by an extremely cheery voice from farther behind me.

"Good afternoon! Ya'll look like brand new folks after some well needed rest!" The voice bubbles as both Elon and I turn in our seats towards the source of the voice.

It's Mary.

And she seems to be even more energetic than this morning, if that's even possible.

"Hi, Mary!" I smile forcefully, biting back a laugh as I watch Mark scramble to take his feet off of the coffee table. "Yes, it's amazing what a bit of rest can do!"

I emphasize my last part for a certain someone beside me.

"Indeed!" She exclaims, beaming. "Is everyone here? I feel like we're missing someone?"

"That'd be Vivian." Mark chuckles, gesturing to the kitchen and pantry area.

"What'd you say about me, Marko?" My friend's distant voice calls, followed seconds later by the sound of rapid footsteps as she approaches us. "Oh! Hi, Mary! Great selection of food you've got back there!"

At this, the older woman in the room laughs.

"We do aim to please around here!"

The room goes awkwardly silent as she regains her composure, tears of humor shining in her eyes.

"Anyways!" Mary starts, laughter and humor aside. "I'm here to show you all to the Training facility. It's just a few buildings over."

"Great, thank you." Elon nods as he makes his way to his feet, gaze wandering over the three of us, his work now set aside.

We follow suit, the sound of our movements echoing.

"Starting now, we're a team." The man beside me begins, slipping into his more professional tone. "No matter how hard the road ahead of us becomes, we cannot falter. There are no replacements for any of us. We're in this now and we're in this together."

I nod in approval and agreeance.

"To Mars." I declare with a determined grin.

"To Mars!" Everyone else chants after me as we leave the common area behind, following Mary.

As the sound of our rather heavy footfalls bounce off the walls as we walk, Elon drifts back beside me, our own footsteps quickly synchronizing.

"Nice speech." I chuckle without making eye-contact.

"I felt like I had to say something."

"I'm not joking. It was a good speech."

"I was assuming your first remark was sarcasm."

"Well, you were wrong to assume."

"It would seem that way."

And then, as quickly as he had drifted back beside me, he's gone, keeping a distance between us.

A slight pang of sadness gnaws at me.

And I don't stop it.

Because one way or another, I'm eventually gonna have to woman up and tell him how I feel.

But, boy oh boy, does it ever feel so soul crushingly amazing to be falling so, so hard.

And who knows?

Maybe I'm just a love-struck fool.

****

"In that building over there is our state of the art facility called the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory. It's where we simulate and practice for spacewalks." Mary explains as we all make our way towards our destination under the heat of the afternoon Texas sunshine, passing the large building as we do so.

"Will we receive any training there?" Vivian asks, her tone curious.

"It's very likely, especially in yous' scenario. Having the training for a potential emergency spacewalk would definitely come in handy."

That thought had never crossed my mind until now.

An emergency spacewalk? I guess if something outside was to become damaged...

"However, the large majority of your training will be broken up by your specialties. Speaking of specialties..." Mary trails off, suddenly ecstatic once more as she turns to face us, coming to a halt.

Oh no... Not again...

"Let's see... Two of you have to become pilots, regardless of anything else..." The older woman mutters, her gaze skimming over the four of us.

She's gonna try and guess who's doing what.

Great.

"For the Pilots, my bet is on you two. Mr. Musk and Ms. Thompson." She beams, as my eyes widen in surprise.

How did she?

"The pair of you would make a fine piloting couple!"

I instantly feel the heat in my cheeks begin to burn as I quickly attempt to extinguish it.

Elon seems to stiffen slightly, almost as if the old woman's suggestion had hit home for him as well.

Maybe I'm not the only one who's love-struck after all.

However, my doubt begins to nag at me again.

You're overreacting.

I tear myself from my thoughts, not really in the mood for listening to doubt.

So, instead, I listen to the woman at the front of our small group.

"And you, Ms. Chang... Likely something to do with medical and scientific stuff... Am I right?" Mary inquires, her expression questioning.

"Um, yes, actually." My friend stutters in surprise.

The woman moves on.

"Mr. Myers... I see you as the type of person who likes to work with his hands... Mechanical based specialty, correct?"

"How did you?" Mark muses aloud, confusion and surprise also evident in his tone.

"Let's just say I have gotten pretty good at reading folks who come in around here." Mary smiles with a wink before turning on her heel and continuing on. "Let's keep going! We don't want to be late, that's for sure!"

All four of us exchange bewildered glances as we follow our guide, still trying to comprehend what exactly just happened.

How the heck did she manage to quote off every single on of our specialties to a tee?

"I think she's crazy." Vivi mutters from beside me suddenly, startling me slightly.

"I dunno what to think." I reply, bringing myself mentally back down to the present.

We've arrived at the Training facility.

"If you would follow me through here, please!" The older woman bubbles, using her ID badge to unlock the set of doors in front of us.

Inside, we're met with a rather large and spacious looking lobby, unlike the small hallways back at our Quarters.

"In this building we have many different types of labs. From Virtual Reality to hands on simulators, we've got all the best equipment at present." Mary elaborates, gesturing to the various seats lining the walls. "Feel free to take a seat. Your instructors will be out shortly, I'm sure!"

We all do as suggested, and somehow, I find myself beside Elon.

"I wonder what the simulators are like... Probably pretty similar to Crew Dragon's, I'd assume?" I muse aloud, my gaze wandering the walls of the large space.

Various pictures of each Astronaut class, a few mission patches, a few launches... Just all around nerdy decor.

"I do know that we had a team here awhile back, working on the Starship sim." The man beside me informs. "I, however, never actually saw any pictures or heard much about it all, actually."

"Hm." I hum lowly as the sound of a few different footfalls approaching us fills my ears.

"Good afternoon!" Mary exclaims as a trio of rather official looking NASA employees round the corner and come to a halt, examining our own small group with wide, rather surprised looking eyes.

"Hi, Mary." The woman out of the trio greets, shaking herself from her previous shock.

"Hello Jessica! How lovely to see you again!" The older woman bubbles as the other two members of the instructor trio just stand there.

"You're Elon Musk." The taller one out of the shocked duo states, his gaze one of confusion and curiosity.

"I am." Elon nods with a soft sigh, making his way to his feet.

The rest of our motley Crew follows suit, making our way towards Mary and the newcomers into the lobby.

"So, Ms. Lee," The other, older man who had been rooted to the spot with shock begins, seeming to