February 18, 1992 — Cape Canaveral, FL
3:44 PM, EST

The Tenacity return module touched down off the coast of Florida with a loud splash. What should have been a time for celebration was instead a time of mourning, and a time of relief. They'd made it home, although barely.

The recovery team helped the team out of the floating capsule, quickly covering them with blankets and offering them hot coffee and tea. Shelby took a cup of the latter, sitting numbly on a bench as the recovery ship rocked gently in the ocean waves.

"Welcome home, Dr. Colewell," a polite assistant said as he helped Shelby out of her boots.

Shelby didn't say a word, and instead stared blankly at the tea bag floating lifelessly in the hot water. She wanted nothing more than to go home, curl up in her bed, and not open her eyes for days.

"Has ... has Mrs. Feldstein been informed?" Shelby asked the assistant.

He sighed, watching the astronaut with sympathetic eyes. "Yes, she has."

Shelby nodded and looked back down at the mug. Eventually, her eyes drifted shut, and someone took the mug out of her hands before she could drop it on the floor. When she awoke again, they were being ushered into a van that would take them back to Kennedy.

A short drive took them back to the headquarters, and each of the astronauts was ushered into a separate room, where they were (rather thoroughly) washed up and checked over by medical personnel.

"How is your head feeling, Dr. Colewell? It looks like you sustained quite the bump in the accident."

Accident? So that's what they were calling it? Shelby wondered if any of the people back at NASA even knew what they actually saw.

"Yeah, you've definitely got a concussion," the doctor said. "You'll want to take it easy for a while."

Shelby stared blankly at the wall ahead of her. "Sure."

A female medical assistant helped Shelby out of the hospital gown she was wearing and into a set of NASA sweats. Shelby's head was pounding and standing up made her a bit dizzy.

There was a knock at the door, and Dr. Croft poked his head into the room. Shelby's mind flashed back to the extraterrestrial conversation she'd heard months back between the man and an unknown source. He was the last person she ever wanted to see.

"Dr. Colewell, might I have a word?" He glanced over at the medical assistant. "In private?"

Before Shelby could respond, the assistant answered for her, quickly leaving the room under the judging eye of Dr. Croft.

"Can we do this later?" Shelby asked, closing her eyes as she laid back on the exam chair.

"No," Dr. Croft replied, smoothing out his tie. "We've got a press conference in ten minutes, and I want to hear your account of the incident before the journalists come after you."

Shelby cleared her throat. "Something hit our shuttle. It wasn't a mechanical fluke or anything like that. Something hit the shuttle and caused the integral failure. Something damaged the shuttle, and we lost ... we lost Dr. Feldstein."

She wanted to bring up the extraterrestrial conversation; she wanted to throw it in the man's face and tell him it was his fault that Dr. Feldstein was dead because of him.

"Yes, we believe it was a meteoroid, most likely. A freak, tragic accident, unfortunately," Dr. Croft said.

"No, Dr. Croft, I --"

The door opened once again, but this time it was Dr. Croft's assistant.

"They're ready for the astronauts, sir."

Dr. Croft turned to Shelby. "I'm sorry to rush you all into this, but we need you to go out to the press conference."

A press conference? Shelby could barely focus on getting words out of her mouth, and she knew the bright lights would absolutely destroy her already aching head.

"Dr. Croft, I have a concussion. I don't think that's the best --"

"Go on, Shelby," Dr. Croft held the door open. "You have to go out there. Here, these might help." He offered her a cheap pair of sunglasses that had definitely come from the space center's gift shop.

Shelby put the sunglasses on as Dr. Croft's assistant ushered her out of the exam room, and she noticed the rest of the Tenacity crew was huddled in a group outside. Beyond the next door, Shelby could hear the raucous chatter of a large crowd, one she wasn't too keen on seeing.

"I don't want to do this," she muttered under her breath, standing next to Wilson. His face was battered and fresh stitches graced the side of his face.

"None of us do, but the public deserves some answers." He gently wrapped an arm around Shelby's shoulders. "It's going to be okay."

She nodded as the door opened and Walker took the lead. Shelby waited behind until they'd all left, then followed in last.

The brightness of the lights, paired with the flashing cameras and roar of the crowd made her dizzy, and she thought she might collapse right there on the stage. The sunglasses did little to soothe her sensitive eyes and aching brain. Wilson, who was in front of her, gently grabbed her arm and led her to her seat. Once she was there, she gripped the edge of the table to prevent herself from falling forward or backwards.

Dr. Croft sat next to Shelby, a microphone in his hands. "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for joining us this afternoon. Before you today we have Dr. Shelby Colewell, Lieutenant Ethan Wilson, Colonel Chris Walker, and Dr. Adam Mitchell, of theTenacity mission. We will allow ten minutes of questions, and that's final."

Ten minutes wasn't that long, but to Shelby, it seemed like an eternity.

The journalists began to rattle off questions about the incident and the mission, most of which Dr. Croft answered. Shelby was grateful, and she imagined the rest of the crew was, too. None of them were in the right state, physically or mentally, to be answering such questions.

"Hi, my question is for Dr. Colewell. Dr. Colewell, how does it feel to be the first woman on the moon? Can you walk us through what you were feeling when you took that first step?"

She squinted out through the sunglasses and into the crowd, trying to locate the person that was talking to her. "Right," she cleared her throat. "It was a great feeling, at the time. Now, I ..." She trailed off as she looked at her team beside her. One more person should have been there, and they all could have died. "The novelty has worn off. I'd give it all back to have Dr. Feldstein here beside us, alive."

"You were close with Dr. Feldstein?" The same journalist asked.

"I think it's safe to say we all were," Shelby replied, looking down at the table.

"That will be enough questions for now, thank you," Dr. Croft took the microphone from Shelby. "I think our astronauts are eager to head home. We'll announce a second press conference at a later date and time. Thank you."

Shelby bolted from the stage, Wilson, Walker and Adam right behind her.

As soon as she was out of sight of the cameras, tears started streaming down her face, and her stomach lurched to her throat. She turned to look at the others, who all looked worse for wear. Walker was hunched over a waste paper basket, throwing up whatever snack he'd eaten between their arrival back at Kennedy and the press conference. Adam sat on a chair, his palms pressed firmly into his eyes. Wilson wrapped an arm around Shelby's shoulder as he too sniffed back tears.

They were not the happy, proud group that had left Cape Canaveral. They were beaten, ragged and exhausted.

"I can't do this," she sobbed. "It's too hard without him here."

"I know," Wilson muttered. "But he'd want us to carry on, you know that, Red."

As much as it pained her, Shelby knew he was right. Joe wouldn't have wanted them to be in such a sad state, but his death and the incident were both far too fresh in Shelby's mind. How could NASA have sent them out like that, to be devoured by the press? Shelby could barely talk to her crewmates about what had happened, and they'd been there with her the whole time.

She pulled away from Wilson, shakily taking off the stupid glasses that Croft had given her. She wanted to go home.

"Shelby?" A familiar voice called out, one that brought the redhead comfort like no other.

Fresh tears formed in her eyes as she turned around to see Tony and Maggie standing in the doorway, NASA visitor badges slung around their necks.

She ran to them, wrapping them both in her arms as a loud sop escaped her lips.

Tony's arms wrapped around her, firm and safe. It was the first time since they'd left the moon that she'd felt absolutely secure.

February 20, 1992 — Cape Canaveral, FL
9:30 AM, EST

It was the second time that winter Shelby was having to wear her funeral dress.

She hoped she'd never have to pull it out of her closet again.

Though Joe Feldstein's body would never be recovered from the depths of space, NASA was holding a memorial service for the lost astronaut, in association with Miriam and Henrietta.

Shelby wondered if Dr. Croft and the other NASA higher-ups truly cared about Dr. Feldstein's family, or if they were only holding the memorial service as a PR stunt.

Tony drove her to the space center, as she still wasn't cleared to drive after her concussion — not that she would have been able to focus on the road anyways. He'd be returning to New York soon, but she was grateful to have him there with her the day of the service.

Mourning the loss of Dr. Feldstein was like mourning her own father. Joe had done more for Shelby in the few years he'd known her than Shelby's dad had done her entire life.

Tony's hand rested on Shelby's knee as she stared blankly out the window. He'd asked her about the incident, but she'd only told him very little. He didn't want to press her for details, but he wanted to know what happened, so he could understand how to help her the way she'd helped him when his parents had passed away.

They parked in Shelby's assigned spot and headed inside. The service would take place in one of the fancy auditoriums that was typically reserved for tourist shows at the space center.

"Would you find us some seats?" Shelby asked, glancing nervously around. Those were some of the few words she'd said all day. "I need to go talk to Dr. Croft." Surely the boss would be around somewhere.

"Yeah, sure." Tony took Shelby's purse and sweater, then affixed a visitor badge to his suit lapel. "Take all the time you need."

The redhead marched for the other side of Kennedy, where Dr. Croft was sitting in his office, scribbling down last minute notes on what he would say to honor Joe Feldstein.

Shelby pounded on his door, seeing the light coming out from under it.

"Come in," he called out. She pushed the door open, and the man was taken aback by her angry composure. "Dr. Colewell. What can I do for you?"

She closed the door behind her, her heart racing as she walked in front of his desk. "Dr. Croft, I have to tell you something."

"Well, please. Take a seat, then."

She did not take a seat.

"Back in November, I came to your office to get some papers signed."

Dr. Croft raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Shelby. I've signed lots of papers. That's 70% of my job, signing papers."

"When I approached your office, I overheard a conversation you were having on the phone. I shouldn't have eavesdropped, and I apologize for that, but the conversation I heard was concerning," she said.

"Okay," Dr. Croft sat up straighter. "So why, Dr. Colewell, are you just bringing it to my attention now?"

Shelby swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. "Because I think it may have had something to do with the incident on board the Tenacity, and Dr. Feldstein's death."

Dr. Croft folded his arms over his chest. "What conversation are you describing?"

"You mentioned something about extraterrestrial activity in association with the Tenacity launch."

Dr. Croft laughed. "Shelby, what on Earth are you talking about?"

"When we were on board the return shuttle, we were hit with something," Shelby continued. "I told you as much. But, outside the window, I saw another ship. I don't know if it was of terrestrial origin. It could have been an attack from another country, but I very much doubt it, because inside this unidentifiable shuttle, I saw figures, alien-like figures, with blue skin. I know this sounds preposterous, Dr. Croft. But then again, I think you already know what really happened up in space."

The old man's jaw clenched and he stood, rising to meet Shelby's eyes. "Are you accusing me of something, Dr. Colewell?"

"Yes," Shelby said shakily, knowing that how she handled her next words could make or break her job at NASA. "I think you knew something that could have prevented the incident, which could have prevented the death of Joe Feldstein."

Dr. Croft studied her furiously. "I'm sorry, Dr. Colewell, but I have no idea what you are talking about." He took a deep breath. "Listen, I have been in your position before. I know what it's like to lose someone you are close to. Your head isn't in the right place, and you become somewhat hysterical."

Shelby clenched her teeth. He was calling her hysterical?

"How dare—"

"Listen, Shelby. I know you must feel guilty for what happened up there. I'm sure all of you do. But, you can't come up with these ... these illogical scenarios to explain what happened up there. Space is unpredictable, and unfortunately Dr. Feldstein was a casualty of this unpredictability," he said.

"I'm not hysterical, Dr. Croft. I know what I saw up there, and so does the rest of the crew."

He shook his head. "Listen, Shelby. I'll keep this conversation between us, alright? It's a time of grieving, so I won't take anything you say too seriously. But, this should be the last time you speak of such ridiculous ideas. Each of you has a psychological evaluation coming up, and I would hate for you to bring up such hysterics there, and lose your place with NASA."

Shelby's mouth fell open. "Are you threatening me, Dr. Croft?"

The man chuckled, his eyes shining cruelly back at Shelby. "Heavens no, Dr. Colewell. I'm just providing some thoughtful suggestions."

So that was it, then? If Shelby brought up any mention of what she'd seen in space, she'd lose her job? They'd cart her off and away from the Kennedy Space Center, labeling her as just a crazy, hysterical young woman who couldn't handle the sudden loss of her beloved mentor.

Shelby clenched her jaw and cleared her throat. "Well then, I should get back to the service."

Dr. Croft offered a fake smile. "As should I. You first, Dr. Colewell," he said, gesturing to the door.

Shelby marched out of the room, her heels clicking loudly in the empty hallway. She fumed the whole way back to the auditorium, not knowing what to think. She'd trusted NASA with everything, her life included. As had Dr. Feldstein — and now she saw clearly that they didn't give a rat's ass about the loss of his life.

"Shelbster?" Tony called out from a group of people. Shelby hadn't even noticed him standing there, among the other Tenacity crew members and their families. "Are you alright?" He asked, placing a gentle hand on her arm.

"I'm fine," she muttered through gritted teeth as she joined the rest of the group.

The door opened and everyone turned to see who had arrived. The crowd parted as Miriam and Henrietta Feldstein walked inside.

Shelby gripped Tony's hand. She'd thought about Miriam and Hettie almost every moment since the incident, and she didn't know how she would face them.

They walked slowly towards the Tenacity group, each clutching onto the other as if they each relied on the other for strength.

Wilson immediately left the group, going over to pull them both in for a long hug. The rest of the Tenacity crew, and their respective families, followed.

When it was Shelby's turn, she didn't dare look either woman in the eye, for fear of the tears that were threatening to spill from her green eyes.

"Oh, Shelby," Miriam sniffled as she wrapped her arms around the redhead.

"I'm so sorry, Miriam, Hettie," Shelby whispered. "I wish I—"

"Shh," Hettie quieted the girl. "Hush, now. There's nothing that you could have done. Our Joey wouldn't want you to apologize for anything." Even at her son's funeral, Hettie expertly played the role of proud mother.

Shelby squeezed the two women tightly.

"Joe loved you so much, Shelby," Miriam said quietly, tears streaming down her face as she smiled at the younger woman. "Truly, you were like the daughter we were never blessed to have."

Tears erupted from Shelby's eyes, and she hugged the women each one last time.

Shelby had finally had everything she'd ever wanted — her dream job at NASA. When, then, had her dream gone so terribly, terribly wrong?