WHEN TIME STOOD STILL
A journey to the moon that lasted all of five minutes
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Peter, who was born in Vancouver and currently resides in Richmond, B.C., has two disabilities: dyslexia and myotonic dystrophy, a type of muscular dystrophy for which there is no cure. Peter enrolled in a live theater group with other disabled actors and, under the direction of a professional director, put together a show for the general public called Theater Terrific. Their motto is “Beyond Disability.” Peter has been a lifelong Star Trek and Star Wars fan and his interest in space and exploration was the inspiration for writing this story.
Iremember the day our class went on a field trip to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration museum. At one point on the tour, we were shown the command module from the Apollo 11 mission. “This is the command module Columbia,” the tour guide, an EX-NASA employee, began. “On July 16, 1969, Saturn V lifted o Earth and transported a team of three astronauts to the moon. Four days later, the Eagle landed on the moon. Neil Armstrong set foot on it and declared, ‘That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.’” Turning to the class, the guide asked, “Is there any group of three who would like to sit in the command module?”
Immediately, two of my friends and I put our hands up. Drake and Josh were the first ones in and I sank into the third seat.
We had been playing with the buttons, which didn’t work anymore, for five minutes when the guide called, “You can come out now, three others want to try.”
I let both Drake and Josh leave first. Everything seemed normal. As I prepared to get out, I couldn’t hear the guide, my classmates or any other sounds from outside. I then realized I couldn’t move because I was strapped to my seat, even though I knew the restraints hadn’t been put on. Then I heard a loudspeaker declare, “Attention! Thirty minutes to launch. Apollo 11 is going for launch.”
Outside, the ground was bustling with press activity. Security was everywhere. “Saturn V?” I thought out loud.
A voice beside me caught me o guard. “Of course, Saturn V. Don’t you remember the last year of training, Neil?’
Neil? My name is Andrew.
The man who called me Neil looked vaguely familiar. Then his name tag, Aldrin, made all of this much weirder. Another man with the name tag Collins sat next to him. Michael Collins. It was exciting, though, being seated next to these great men. The two of them were wearing space suits and when I looked down, I was wearing one, too. Though my name tag was upside down, from my perspective, I was able to read it. Armstrong.
Somehow, I knew exactly what to do when Capcom (capsule communication) began the countdown. “T minus 10… 9.… 8… 7… 6… ignition sequence start 3… 2… 1 and lifto . We have lifto . The tower is clear.”
Inside the rocket, I heard the hum of the powerful engines as they forced us upwards, leaving the Earth far behind.
As Neil Armstrong, I reenacted the entire Apollo 11 mission.
What an experience! Being in contact
with such famous pioneers, talking to President Nixon and reliving an experience others have only read about. Whoever said the books could open up the world must have been to the moon. It’s hard to explain—you had to be there.
The lunar module Eagle touched down four days later. Knowing the whole world was watching on TV, I triumphantly declared, “Houston. Tranquility base, here. The Eagle has landed.”
Soon, preparations to walk on the moon were completed. I kept in contact with Capcom as I made my way down the ladder. “I’m at the foot of the ladder. The LM footpads are only depressed into the surface about one or two inches, although the surface seems to be very fine-grained as you get close to it. It’s almost like powder. I’m going to step o the LM now,” I said. I jumped down onto the moon and took one step forward. I recited those immortal words,
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
After collecting rock samples, and erecting the
American flag, Aldrin and I used the top part of the Eagle to get back to the command module. After re-taking our seats, the top half of the lander was jettisoned back to the moon’s surface.
Four days later, Columbia blazed through the atmosphere and splashed down into the ocean.
A navy helicopter was soon there to help us out, except—when I came out, I found the class waiting for me. I gazed at them, confused. When I found some words to speak, I looked at the teacher. “You stayed here for more than nine days, waiting for me?”
The teacher looked as if she couldn’t believe her ears. “Nine days? I timed you. You were only in there for five minutes.”
I climbed out and stood back on the ground, still trying to figure out what had happened. Had I experienced a nine-day adventure in just five minutes?
As the class was getting ready to leave the museum, I found myself staring back at Columbia.
I looked up to see three large portraits of Michael, Buzz and Neil. It was as if they had given me an experience I would never forget. I smiled, “Thanks, guys.” ■