Command Decision

Chapter 2-1

2

Lyndon B. Johnston Space Center, Houston, Texas: 0800.

Josh held out his hand to retrieve his security badge and picked up the small bag holding his belongings. His gaze flickered around the huge reception area of the compound before narrowing on an older woman that was walking toward him and Ash. She paused to speak with one of the guards, glancing at the two of them several times before she nodded.

“Commander Manson, Commander Haze, welcome to the space program. My name is Lydia Gaines. I’m one of the senior scientists that will be overseeing your training. Please follow me,” she said with a warm smile before reaching out to take two badges that the security guard was holding. Turning back to them, she held one out to him before giving the other to Ash. “You’ll need to keep that with you at all times. If you don’t, you’ll find yourself locked out.”

“Dr. Gaines, can you tell us what this is all about?” Josh asked with a frown. “The information we were given was little more than an order to report here.”

Lydia smiled over her shoulder as she swept her badge across a lighted post and stepped through. Josh did the same, following her. Ash glanced at Josh with a raised eyebrow as he did the same.

“Everything will be explained shortly, Commander. I apologize for the lack of information given to you so far. I’ve, uh, scheduled a briefing within the hour,” Lydia assured him, pausing outside a bank of elevators. “I think it would be best if the entire team is present.”

“Team?” Ash asked, watching as the doors parted.

Josh watched as Lydia Gaines nodded her head and stepped into the elevator. He followed and turned. Ash raised an eyebrow at him again. It was Ash’s way of asking him if he had figured out anything. Josh gave a barely visible shake to his head.

He stepped to the back so that he was standing behind the woman. She was in her mid-sixties if he had to guess. His gaze swept down over her. She was wearing a pair of tan dress pants and a dark red blouse with a wide, matching red belt around her waist. Her feet were encased in a pair of sensible, tan loafers that matched her pants. Except for her badge, she didn’t appear to be carrying anything else. The lack of information was frustrating to Josh.

“How long have you been in Houston, Dr. Gaines?” Josh asked politely.

Lydia glanced over her shoulder with a smile. “Almost, uh, ten years, Commander,” she replied. “Why do you ask?”

“Just curious,” Josh said with a shrug. “I imagine the weather isn’t much different from Louisiana.”

Lydia’s soft chuckle filled the elevator as it began to slow. “Very good, Commander. Can you tell me which part of Louisiana I came from?” she asked with a curious expression of her own.

“Outside of New Orleans, perhaps the Metairie area,” Josh replied. “You have a slight French accent on some of your syllables and often use the term ‘uh’ which is common in the south Louisiana dialect.”

Lydia’s eyes widened and she nodded in approval. “Your files indicated that you were a smart man, Commander Manson. You’ll need to be for this mission,” she added before turning around and stepping out of the elevator.

“I wonder what in the hell that file says about me?” Ash muttered under his breath. “How the hell did you know where she was from?”

Josh’s lips curled into a smirk. “The last woman I dated came from New Orleans and said ‘uh’ in just about every sentence,” he admitted with a mischievous grin. “I immediately recognized it. It isn’t something you forget, especially when it is inserted repeatedly between exclamations of passion.”

Ash chuckled and shook his head. “Only you would pick up on something like that,” he muttered.