Open the Airlock
The surface of the moon was a dull, dusty gray, but the view from the lander window was still the most beautiful thing I had seen in my life. The earth shone brightly in the distance on a canvas of pure black, surrounded by legions of stars. I and my four other crewmates had just landed on the moon’s surface a few hours ago, cementing ourselves in the history books alongside only twelve others who had witnessed the same majesty in person. “Crazy, isn’t it?” a voice asked from behind me. I turned, knowing well the voice of the man whom I had worked closely with for the past two years in preparation for this mission. It was Andrew Ratcliffe, the crew’s geological specialist. “I can hardly believe it,” I said breathlessly. “I’m looking at it with my own eyes, and even still I can’t believe we’re here.” “Decades of staring up here wondering what it looks like will do that,” another voice chimed in - this one belonging to Diana Figueroa, our mechanical engineer. “Doesn’t seem real.” T