"I have time for a few questions."

Members of the press immediately took their cue, as dozens of questions were thrown at Armour. One particular question was louder than all others.

"What does the future hold for construction of the space station?"

It was the one question the media had asked anybody who spoke publicly of the station accident. Numerous experts speculated the answer over the last day and a half, each having a different theory about when or if construction would continue.

"The accident was certainly tragic and all has been done to maximize the protection of our crew," Armour said. "But every single construction crewmember knows the dangers involved in this kind of work. With that being said, nobody could've predicted that something this horrible would happen. The ultimate decision lies in the hands of President Marshall but I am certain he will do what is best for this country."

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE.

Thirty-six hours elapsed since Wesley Maddox received the fateful distress call from Team One. Maddox knew a tragic accident was possible in this harsh working environment, but he never truly thought one would happen. His workers were so well trained and so much progress had been made that this sort of accident never crossed his mind. When he received the distress call from Team One, ice water poured through his spine.

Accidents that happened miles above the Earth's surface hardly ever ended well. There were no salvage procedures, no rescue operations to help Vladimir Maskaev or Frankie Barnes. By the time Maddox was informed of trouble, both leaders of Team One were already dead, their lifeless bodies floating farther and farther into deep space.

The only move Maddox could make was to completely shut down construction, have his crews sit tight and await further instruction. That further instruction was something Maddox waited for from James Armour or President Marshall.

Maddox and Slava Kovalchuk sat in their space station corner, waiting in silence for word from Earth. Neither man had slept for more than a few hours since the accident, and those few hours were nightmare-filled for Maddox. The project leader could not sleep longer than twenty minutes without jolting awake, afraid that his part of the space station was falling apart.

Ever since the accident, Maddox thanked his lucky stars that he wasn't alone in this part of the station. Had Slava not been there with him, not been strong during this difficult time, Maddox wasn't sure how well his nerves would have endured the stressful situation. Maddox had to wear a mask of authority at all times around Slava, a mask that kept him from falling apart.

"I still can't believe this is happening," Maddox said softly, the sound of his own voice loud compared to the quiet of space. "I can't believe Frankie and Vlad are gone."

The two men stared through the window into space. Work completed by the different teams was clearly visible from their position. Even more visible was the missing utility arm from the north corridor.

"Frankie seem like good man, very funny and happy man," Slava said. "And I know Vladimir long time. He was one of best men for space program and one of hardest-working men I ever meet."

There was nothing Maddox could have done to prevent the accident and the death of his two men, but he still felt guilty that he was alive and Frankie and Vladimir weren't. He felt even worse about something else in his mind.

"Can I make a confession to you, Slava?"

"I am not priest but you can tell me what you are thinking."

"I feel horrible about Frankie and Vlad and I know their deaths should take precedence in my mind," Maddox said. "But all I keep praying is that President Marshall doesn't shut us down, doesn't shut down construction of the space station."

"I think all men feel this way," Slava said. "We are all very sad, but nobody wants to quit now."

"Frankie and Vlad wouldn't want us to quit because of their deaths," Maddox said.

Slava nodded.

"My reasons are more selfish, though," he admitted. "I don't want to go down in the history books as being the man responsible for blowing this project. I don't want children reading twenty years from now about the man who was in charge of this huge project that failed."

"I do not think this will be happening," Slava said.

Slava's optimism did nothing to appease Maddox. The project leader knew the cancellation of this project would require a scapegoat; in the long run, that scapegoat would have to be him. Before Maddox could wallow more in self-pity, the radio crackled to life for the first time in hours.

"Ground control to Maddox, do you copy?" an unfamiliar voice said. James Armour had spoken with the two men several times since the accident, the last time a few hours back. He did not recognize this voice, though.

"I copy, ground control. This is Maddox."

"Please hold for President George Marshall," the voice said.

Instinctively, Maddox looked at Slava, who looked as surprised as Maddox felt. Although the wait for the President was only a few seconds, dozens of emotions rammed through Maddox's mind at the mention of speaking to him.

The President had always been the biggest supporter of the space station project, of Maddox and his company. If there were one person Maddox thought would be more upset than himself about the accident and its implications on the future of construction, it was President Marshall.

Would he go through the trouble of calling to yell at me for messing up his project? Maddox wondered. He'd never seen the President angry but could think of no other reason why Marshall needed to speak with him.

"Maddox, are you there?" Marshall asked, his voice coming through loud and clear. Something in his tone led Maddox to believe the call would not be as unpleasant as he originally assumed.

"Yes, Mr. President. I am here, along with Slava Kovalchuk."

"How are things up there? The rest of the construction crews okay?" the President asked.

"To be honest, sir, the men are all very shaken. And very tense, too," Maddox answered honestly.

"With good reason," Marshall said. "They have just been through a terrible ordeal. I could not imagine having to watch helplessly as my fellow men floated away into space. Please give the crew my deepest sympathies and make sure they know the rest of the country and I realize their heroic efforts."

"Thank you, sir. They will appreciate those kinds words during such a tough time," Maddox answered.

"The main reason I'm calling is because I want you back on Earth," President Marshall said.

Maddox immediately panicked at this news. In the hours Maddox and Kovalchuk awaited word on the space station's future, they discussed possible outcomes that could happen. Both men agreed that if all crews were called back to Earth at once, it would be highly unlikely any workers would ever return to space. Now, the very possibility Maddox feared most appeared to be becoming a reality, leaving Maddox no words to fight the President's decision.

"Mr. President, the men all agree that the rewards of space construction outweigh the risks involved. Nobody wants to give up on construction; the men certainly don't want to return to Earth in defeat," Maddox said.

There was a lengthy pause before the President spoke again.

"I'm glad to hear your crews aren't quitters," Marshall said. "But I wasn't referring to your entire crew. I was only referring to you and the remaining members of Team One. Shuttle Revolution has arrived already?"

"Yes, sir, many hours ago. Revolution and Team Five are docked next to Team One as we speak."

"Good," Marshall said. "I've already sent instructions for Shuttle Exploration to pick you up before returning to Earth. The future of the space station can be decided upon much sooner if the leader of the project is on Earth during this harrowing time."

Maddox was relieved that construction was not cancelled but knew more difficult times were ahead if he wanted the project to stay alive.

"That makes sense, sir," Maddox said.

"Get your stuff ready, Wesley. Exploration will be picking you up in about an hour."

Fifty-eight minutes later, Wesley Maddox sat in the transportation hold of Shuttle Exploration with the remaining members of Team One. A once lively, fun-natured group of guys, Team One lost its humor without Frankie Barnes' presence. Maddox exchanged handshakes and a few words of condolence with a couple of the saddened team members.

Once strapped in, Shuttle Exploration began its descent to Earth. The men remained quiet throughout the trip, no doubt more nervous and tense about space travel than they'd been during the launch four months ago.

While the other men spent their time thinking of the here and now, Maddox thought only of a more distant future. He'd been happy when President Marshall allowed the rest of the crew to stay in space, but the fact that Marshall wanted him on Earth made the project leader uneasy.

They still might make me the scapegoat for the accident, Maddox thought. They want me back on Earth so I can face the firing squad. Construction can continue with the four remaining teams and Slava as their leader but my neck is on the chopping block.

During the early days of ground construction, the public had been kept in the dark about what was happening with the space station, leaving Marshall with no media to answer to. Now it was different. The accident was a major, breaking news story and debates raged among the public about whether construction should even continue.

Maddox was still confident in his ability to lead the construction process of the space station. There was nothing on Earth he wanted more than to keep his position as project leader. If being fired meant his crew and Slava could continue construction though, Maddox would certainly not hesitate to step down.

Shuttle Exploration's engine roared to life as re-entry began. The g-forces slammed Maddox against his seat and he quickly realized his biggest fear might not be getting fired. If he survived this shuttle ride, no other fear could possibly seem as frightening.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX.

SEPTEMBER 7, 2015.

The cloud-covered sky looked like it was about to begin pouring rain at any moment. While Maddox had seen the Earth covered in clouds during most of his four months in space, this was the first time he would actually feel raindrops fall from the sky. Rain was something he missed while in space, one of many random things he never thought he'd miss. This kind of weather was appropriate for the moods of Maddox and the dozens of people around him but the rain could not come at a worse time.

A priest continued to pray in front of the empty coffin of Frankie Barnes. A large American flag was draped over it and a row of saluting Marines stood off to one side. The regal ceremony was held at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, the most well-respected cemetery in the country, a cemetery reserved for truly heroic Americans.

But I doubt that gives any comfort to his mother and girlfriend, Maddox thought, unable to take his eyes off the two women in the front row. The rest of Frankie's family appeared strong but both women cried throughout the ceremony. Maddox wondered how a self-described 'ugly' guy like Frankie could get such a beautiful girl. Laughter was probably a key in their relationship, something Frankie certainly brought to any relationship he ever formed. Maddox could see why Frankie always talked about her.

As if she read Maddox's mind, Frankie's girlfriend looked up and their eyes met. Maddox quickly looked away and took a few steps back, attempting to blend in as much as possible. After all, there were far more important people at this funeral than Maddox. President George Marshall was at the front of the crowd, standing only a few feet besides Frankie's grieving family. There were quite a few other high-ranking government officials in attendance, including various Senators and Congressmen, as well as the Mayor of Philadelphia, Frankie's hometown. There was little doubt in Maddox's mind that some of these people were only here to get their names in the paper.

Along with Maddox, most members of Team One and Team Two were also in attendance. Maddox stayed near his crew the entire time; some members of Team One still used canes to help with balance. Upon returning to Earth after months without gravity, Maddox's leg strength and sense of balance were poor the first few days away from weightlessness. He used a cane for those days but finally regained enough strength to avoid using it today. His legs still felt heavy when he walked longer than a few minutes but the muscle stamina grew stronger with every passing hour.

The final group of people in attendance that truly made it an 'important' funeral was the press. Photographers stayed a respectful distance from the families but Maddox could still hear their clicking cameras whenever the priest paused. At least they were respectful enough to turn off their flashes despite the darkness of cloud cover.

When the priest finally finished, two Marines approached the casket and removed the flag. They proceeded to fold the flag, which was then given to Frankie's mother. The Marines rejoined the line of their fellow soldiers, who brought the ceremony to a close with a five-gun salute.

Mourners lined up to offer condolences to Frankie's family. The first man in line was President Marshall, who shook the hand of Mrs. Barnes and spent a few minutes quietly talking to her. Maddox joined the line with many of the construction crewmembers.

Waiting was okay with Maddox, who was in no rush to face these people. The project leader did not know what to say to Frankie's mother and girlfriend. He hoped the two women did not blame him for Frankie's death.

The President finally finished speaking to the family and was quickly flanked by Secret Service agents that led him toward the Presidential limousine. Marshall nodded to Maddox as he walked by, the first contact of any sort the President made with the project leader since Maddox arrived back on Earth. If Marshall agreed with nearly every person on TV with an opinion about the space station, then Maddox would soon be fired.

Maddox watched Marshall enter his limo but was surprised when the car did not drive away. Over the next ten minutes, the line to the Barnes family was cut in half. Maddox tried to think of what to say but his concentration was disturbed every couple seconds when he turned to see if the President's limo was still there. Every time he looked, the car had not budged.

Once members of Team One made their way to the front of the line, Maddox finally saw some movement from the limousine. A bulky Secret Service agent emerged from the back and quickly made his way toward the remaining small crowd.

Did Marshall leave something behind? Maddox wondered.

The agent stopped in front of Maddox, much to the project leader's surprise.

"Mr. Maddox? Please come with me, sir," the agent said.

Maddox was next in line. He quickly shook hands and offered brief sympathies before hurrying off with the large agent.

"Leave us for a few minutes," President Marshall told the two Secret Service agents as Maddox climbed into the back seat. The President did not speak until they were alone.

"I never know what to say to families at these things," Marshall admitted. "All I could think was, 'Why would these people care what I have to say? Because of me, their son is dead.' Do you think the family blames me?"

"I actually wondered if they blame me," Maddox said. "I was supposed to be in charge. I was supposed to be leader of construction."

"Was the leader? Sounds to me like you're speaking in past tense," the President said.

"Two men are dead and the media wants someone's head to roll. I'm the logical candidate to face the guillotine," Maddox said.

"I developed the plan for the space station. I set strict timetables for construction to be completed. I pushed you to go into space as soon as possible and I did that fully knowing the dangers involved. If anyone's head should roll for this, it should be mine," Marshall said. "You don't have to worry about losing your position as leader, Wesley. The progress you've made is well beyond what we hoped. You don't fire someone who's ahead of schedule, regardless of the tragic accident."

"But what about the media? Most people don't think the space station should even continue. They'll want someone to pay for these two deaths. Even Vice-President Brighton said he thinks construction should come to a halt."

"I'll deal with Andrew, don't you worry about that. I've learned over my years as President not to concern myself with the media's perception of me," Marshall said. "I know what I'm doing is right and I know another breaking story will eventually come along to make the public forget this one. And one day, when the space station is finished being built, everyone will see that I was right."

For the first time in days, Maddox felt relieved. The knot in his stomach finally started to loosen. Although he would not feel completely secure until he heard Marshall publicly state that construction would continue with him as leader, Maddox still felt better about the situation.

"I will be returning with Team Two then?" Maddox asked.

"Do you feel this accident could've been avoided? Do you think we rushed into space construction without the men receiving proper training?" President Marshall asked, avoiding Maddox's question.

The loosened knot in Maddox's stomach started to tighten again. This question did not make Maddox feel comfortable about his future in space.

"I'm not an expert on exact procedures of space construction. I was only trained to direct the operation, not do actual work on the space station," Maddox admitted. "But Slava Kovalchuk has years of experience in this field and assured me many times that the men received the best possible training. They were more than ready for space construction to begin when it did. My answer to your first question is no, this accident could not have been avoided. There was a string of unfortunate events that led to the utility arm's break and that was compounded by the fact that Barnes and Maskaev tried to prevent anything from going wrong."

"Then you truly feel that everything should continue as before?" Marshall asked.

"I feel as responsible for the deaths of these two men as you do," Maddox said. "But taking my personal feelings out of the equation and just weighing the knowledge I have of the operation, I do not see any reason why construction should be halted or altered."

President Marshall sighed, as if Maddox's answer was making his life more difficult.

"I can't just send you back to space in two weeks and act like nothing bad happened. I believe construction can continue as scheduled, but I feel I must do something to help secure the safety of the crew. If you say the operations and construction procedures are the best they can be, I can only go in one other direction. Manpower."

Subtracting the two recently departed crewmembers, the number of space construction workers was now less than fifty. Maddox agreed with the President that there weren't enough workers for this huge job but he did not know how they could change that.

"We realized from the beginning that our number of workers would not be nearly as much as we wanted. If it wasn't for the Russians, we would have nowhere near enough," Maddox said. "We just aren't going to get a lot of volunteers for this kind of work, especially not now that they've seen the true dangers involved."

"That needs to change," Marshall said simply. "And that change is going to start with you going back to space on a later flight."

"You have an idea for more workers, sir?"