Chapter Text
After years of training, and an extra six months of preparation from the technological and logistical side, Holtzmann was finally there: a new addition to the ISS, in orbit of the Earth. Peering out over the console, she paused to take a moment to breathe in the sight of the Aurora Borealis over the North Pole. “Man,” she reflected, gazing down at her home planet. “I’m real glad I took up this job instead of accounting.”
“Ground control. The Earth is more beautiful than I imagined! I really wish you could see what I see,” The flight engineer commented in awe as her craft docked to the ISS.
The reply was underwhelming, from the wording and to the monotonous voice: “We can. We have video feeds set up and running from almost every angle of the station.”
Taking note of a camera directly in front of her, Holtzmann deducted it was monitoring her to ensure she was carrying out her mission properly. She covered the lens with her gloved palm for a moment, repositioning it away from herself. She used her newfound but, temporary, privacy to change from her ACES into something less constricting of her movements.
“Flight. How are you getting on? Will you be ready to embark the ISS soon?”
Holtzmann’s face popped up on the video feed as well as her bare shoulders. “Well...I don’t actually have anything on my top half and my pants are half down, what do you think ground control? I feel like this looks like the aftermath of a good night.”
A blush played on Gilbert’s cheeks. Either from second-hand embarrassment or personal interest, she wasn’t entirely sure. She was quick to rebound, regaining composure out of loyalty to her work. “You are aware that this feed is being broadcast worldwide? Be sensible flight.”
“Oh but where’s the fun in that?” Holtzmann whined playfully and sent a wink with her words.
She heard an exasperated sigh on the other side of her communications.
“You are doing something many people can only ever dream of doing, you do understand that? Please. Have some pride in the role you’re undertaking and be serious,” Gilbert practically hissed through her headset. She wasn’t in the mood for playing games today, it was 3am and she hadn’t had any sleep since the same time the day before.
“I’m sorry ground control. Actually, do you mind if I get your name? Ground control is waaay too formal. It takes a lot out of me to say it over and over again,” her face was still sporting a grin that made it completely clear that her antics were not over, she would continue to annoy those at mission control, namely Gilbert, for many more hours.
“I can’t give you that information, flight. And anyway, how are you even allowed on a lone mission? Like, how do you not have a babysitter with you?”
“Wow! Do I detect a hint of humour from the ever-dull mission control?” Holtzmann gasped with both hands clasped over her mouth in a playful way to emphasise her shock.
That comment went entirely unnoticed. Erin's attention was on her colleague that piped up from the opposite end of the room, "Gilbert. Check the information coming in for any problems."
Quickly, the volume on their end dipped so their conversation, or shouting whichever way you look at it, wasn’t audible - except it still was if you tried your hardest to listen in.
“Yates! I was trying to remain anonymous,” yelled Gilbert across the mission control room.
“Well how else would I get your attention and yours alone?! If I said “ground control” in this room everyone would turn around and look at me!” All eyes in the room shot around to look at the two engaged in an argument, “See! I told you they’d all look at me!”
“We are drawing attention to ourselves because we are shouting. You saying “ground control” has nothing to do with it.”
Arms folded, Erin disarmed and dismissed Yates with a stern glare. The two heated individuals took their seats again. Everyone else returned to their work that they were momentarily distracted from.
“Ground control? Helloooo? Or should I say, Gilbert?” There was a teasing tone in Holtzmann’s voice.
Holtzmann had the attention back on her and Erin got back in control of the mission. She directed the cocky astronaut on how to enter the ISS safely and what to do once there.
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After a few hours of her getting used to working on the ISS and being greeted by all the other astronauts aboard, she reported back to mission control to give some information and feedback.
“Gilbert! I have a new friend!”
Without any interest mission control replied, “That’s good.” On the monitor beside Holtzmann a familiar face appeared, “Wait up! Is that Tolan? Patty Tolan? I thought you were coming back down soon?”
Holtzmann looked towards Patty and then back to the camera, “You two know each other?”
“She was the junior flight director on my mission, or something,” Patty shrugged.
“Gilbert! Are you cheating on me?” Holtzmann pouted into the feed, “How dare you not tell me about this other astronaut you monitored! I can’t believe this treachery!” She then kicked mischievously against the padded wall in front of her. The lack of gravity taking action, Holtzmann launched backwards and away from the camera, leaving Patty and ground control alone.
“What an idiot,” whispered Erin.
“Tell me about it. I have to live with her up here, God help me.”
“Y’know, I do have ears! I can hear you two!” Holtzmann shouted while performing weightless flips behind patty.
Gilbert rolled her eyes, despite the fact that no one would be able to see her non-verbal gesture. “If that is all you wanted to show me Holtzmann then I’ll leave you two to it.”
“No more babysitters! Did ‘ya hear that Patty!” Holtzmann propels back towards Patty and knocks into her almost full force, “It’s playtime!”
“Holtzy. No playtime for you, we have to do work,” replied Patty, while she keyed something in on the computer that protruded from the wall beside her.
Holtzmann swooped past Patty and grabbed onto her arm causing them both to go floating down a narrow tunnel-way together. “But Patty, we are in spaceeeee! Don’t you see the gravity of the situation?” she chuckled to herself and reached out for a pipeline, messing about - of course because when was she not messing about, she did pull ups on it.
“Holtzy. There is no gravity in the situation, we are in space as you pointed out,” she put her head down into her hands to express disbelief at her fellow astronaut.
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Erin strode down the hallway to her superior’s quiet office. While hesitant to wake her senior she thought the query was important enough to let her knock on the door.
“Flight director Gorin, I have a question."
"Come in and take a seat at my desk, Gilbert." With a wave of her arm Erin was invited in to distract Gorin from her sleep with her questions about the mission.
She sat at the desk and began expressing her concerns, "How can we be sure that Holtzmann won't endanger this mission?"
“That is my call and that is why you are my junior flight director. I trust her and she has been through the correct training,” Gorin’s steely gaze drove knives into Erin’s skin. It made Gilbert flinch and shift her posture uncomfortably.
Who is she to question my judgement? Thought the flight director. “Now. If that is all you are here for…”
Gilbert cut her off with, “Sorry yes. I’ll go back to my place.”
She retreated from the room and as not to show disrespect she does so without turning her back fully on her senior. With careful hands she closes the door on Gorin’s office. Gorin climbed back onto the couch, pulled the warm blanket over her, and shut her eyes tight knowing that in only two hours she would be needed to observe the mission.
As a former astronaut she felt offended that her experience-based knowledge on the topic wasn’t good enough for her subordinate to have faith. Especially to not have trust in the one astronaut she trained to the highest standard – that was considered a direct insult.
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“Tea?! Coffee?! Anyone?” the blond intern entered the room with a loud announcement that made all heads turn to watch him as he boldly carried the two hot beverage flasks into a room full of electronics. He set them, to everyone’s relief, on an empty desk near the entrance at the back of the control room.
He felt like a fool for being so loud in such a place of extreme concentration. Stood beside the table of refreshments silent to match the atmosphere of the room, his name-tag glinted in the lights of the control room, ‘Beckham’ it read.
“Oh no, not another one. I hope he is better than the last,” Yates whispered to a colleague beside her.
“He isn’t making a good impression so far,” the colleague whispered back.
Across the room Gilbert had more hope for the sweet blond intern. He was trying his best and she admired that – as well as his toned biceps that flexed and tensed in a wondrous way every time he picked something up.
No Erin. Stay focused. She mentally slapped herself.
Erin walked up the stairs to the back of the room and poured herself a coffee, “So, what’s your first name?” she tried to make conversation.
“Kevin.”
“That’s quite…a name.”
“Thanks?”
She put the top on her cup and paced quickly back to her seat to spare her from anymore embarrassment.
What an idiot. That’s quite a name? What is that supposed to mean?
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A few hours had passed since the last contact between the new flight engineer and mission control. Which meant that it was time for Holtzmann to be briefed on her duties and to be checked in on.
"ISS. Can you hear us?"
"Loud and clear Gilbert," replied Holtzmann in that trademarked cocky intonation.
"Holtzmann. It is time to be serious, we have a list of duties that you need to be briefed on."
The flight engineer grabbed onto a padded tube and kept herself still in front of the camera instead of showing off with her floating and flips. Her expression showed that serious was possible for her, "Understood. Brief me."