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"Mumbo, we are officially approaching our destination" calls Pearl, leaning back in her chair "Come take a look, it's pretty cool"
"Spotted any remains from Corix-164?" asks Mumbo, practically leaning over Pearl's shoulder to see the monitors
"Nah, but we'll get some better data later on"
The screen infront of him displays a set of slightly grainy photos, in black and white. Eventually, Mumbo does take a seat in one of the nearby chairs, Pearl scooting over to let him see easier.
"How long has it been now" hummed Mumbo, pulling up the tracking information on a seperate monitor, worrying at his lip as he stared at the information on the screen
"You say that as if you haven't being keeping count" chuckles Pearl, despite the matching nerves in her voice
"Yeah, well… make sure the rest of the team is ready" agrees Mumbo "this is what we've been waiting for"
"Already taken care of, we're all set."
"Alright" nods Mumbo shakily, steeling his voice "Everyone, as you've all heard by now we are aproaching asteroid P-H143 within an anticipated window of twenty-four hours. We've all been waiting for this—some of us for a year, and others have been waiting for this since we first launched. All I'm gonna say right now is that this is the first step of our most important phase, and you have all been incredible. Okay! Um, yeah get ready everyone, call home if you need too, this is going to be a long night."
There's a round of cheers around the office, Pearl and Impulse more or less tackling Mumbo to bring him into a hug making him yelp before pulling the two of them in.
Seven years, five months, three weeks, two days and counting. This might be one of the best days of his life.
Mumbo pulls away from the hug, whipping his eyes and sending the two of them off to go make calls to their own families. He takes a moment to call home as well, before turning back to monitor the screens.
Grumbot, Mumbo's pride and joy, is slowly approaching the asteroid he has dedicated his life to studying.
In the end, it takes almost exactly twenty four hours before they being the go/no go tests.
With a shaking breath, he readjusts the plush giraffe sitting next to his equipment and puts on his headset.
"Alright, let me know when we've found a good place to launch Red Moon" he announces, voice crackling through the headset
"Roger that" replies on of the techs "Heading into P-H143's orbit."
"All stations Go/No Go for mission launch" calls Pearl, "Start with mission assurance please"
The entire room waited with bated breath as the stations began the checks, sounding off that it was safe to launch.
"All stations have confirmed they are prepared to launch, begin sequence for T-12 minutes," announces Pearl, breaking the silence. "Stand by for launch of Red Moon"
People begin to move into place, checking and preparing all of Red Moon's equipment. The air is tense, filled with excitement and worry
"T-minus five minutes"
Mumbo nods, doing his last checks, checking the monitor to make sure they're still on target.
"T-minus ten seconds"
And thus the countdown begins.
"Go"
In what feels like a single, simultaneous moment, the rocket is launched.
The room falls quiet again, safe for the hum of their monitors and the solom clicks of machinery.
It takes ten minutes for the confirmation to come through. Mumbo's voice is barely audible through the headset when he finally speaks.
"Red Moon has successfully landed"
The words feel like magic on his tongue, finally, finally his years of work have payed off and Pearl starts cheering louder then any of them as the room finally fills with cheers and people clapping each other on the back. People are hugging, and congratulating Mumbo, someone starts making plans for drinks later and there is a flury of reporters waiting outside mission control. This is what Mumbo has been waiting for.
Pearl glances at the monitor, ready to report the initial findings and her face freezes. Quietly, she taps Mumbo's shoulder, pointing to the data displayed and he falls quietly staring at the screen.
"What happened?" he whispers, the air around them once again falling quiet, before standing up again. His voice shakes, and he needs to bite back a sob as his mind whirls with fallen plans "Tango, give me a report on any damages, Etho call front desk and try to delay reporters while we try to figure out what's going on"
The two of them nod, heading off to complete their various tasks
"The right hull is impacted, and engines one through three are damaged. I can try to navigate it back but…"
"Right" manages Mumbo "How are coms?"
"Coms are down" replies Tango "Including the signal to Red Moon
Mumbo goes quiet and still. Grumbot is gone.
No one needs, or wants to say anything. Why would they? How could they? An imposible grief, for their work, for the satillite and probe they launched, for what they might have learnt, seems to fill the room.
Billions of miles away, all those years of work are hurtling uncontrollably through space.
Try to send a message home?
Yes
Where will you go now?
Home
That area is currently unattainable
Are you done? (Y/N)
Y
There isn't enough time, nor do you have the energy for more. END
N
You need to continue. Somehow, you try to glean a last bit of energy, of anything you can do to keep going
Space
Stars shimmer all around you, alongside floating bits of debris. You feel lost.
Are you done? (Y/N)
Y
There isn't enough time, nor do you have the energy for more. END
N
You need to continue. Somehow, you try to glean a last bit of energy, of anything you can do to keep going END
Red Moon
Red Moon is miles away by now. Both of your missions are now a failure seeing as you where the one homing base back to the space station.
You don't even have contact back to Red Moon either way.
Are you done? (Y/N)
Y
There isn't enough time, nor do you have the energy for more. END
N
You need to continue. Somehow, you try to glean a last bit of energy, of anything you can do to keep going END
Nowhere
There is nowhere to go, so you do not move. Ever drifting, until your power runs low and your cameras, all your equipment finally dies out.
END.
No
There is no sound in space. You're meant to sing happy birthday soon, or at least spit out data somewhere to prove how long you've been around.
That's not possible this year.
You can't quite feel pain, but you know you are damaged in the same way you know how cold it is in space.
The same way you know this mission has failed.
Where will you go now?
Home
That area is currently unattainable
Are you done? (Y/N)
Y
There isn't enough time, nor do you have the energy for more. END
N
You need to continue. Somehow, you try to glean a last bit of energy, of anything you can do to keep going END
Space
Stars shimmer all around you, alongside floating bits of debris. You feel lost.
Are you done? (Y/N)
Y
There isn't enough time, nor do you have the energy for more. END
N
You need to continue. Somehow, you try to glean a last bit of energy, of anything you can do to keep going END
Red Moon
Red Moon is miles away by now. Both of your missions are now a failure seeing as you where the one homing base back to the space station.
You don't even have contact back to Red Moon either way.
Are you done? (Y/N)
Y
There isn't enough time, nor do you have the energy for more. END
N
You need to continue. Somehow, you try to glean a last bit of energy, of anything you can do to keep going END
Nowhere
There is nowhere to go, so you do not move. Ever drifting, until your power runs low and your cameras, all your equipment finally dies out.
END.