Natalie To The Rescue

Natalie stepped out of the black SUV and strode across the tarmac to the waiting ladder. Her face had a confident look and a small smile played across her lips. Inside though the butterflies were dancing hakas in her stomach. This was the day when her greatest adventure was to commence and she wanted to do everything right. 

So many people were depending on her to complete this mission successfully and make the intensive training she had undertaken all worthwhile. At the moment though she was concentrating on reaching the ladder and beginning the long climb to the small door in the side of the waiting spacecraft. Once there she would be able to forget about all of those waiting around and watching her and she could begin the sequence of events that would see her leave the ground before the end of the afternoon.

Reaching the top of the ladder Natalie squeezed through the tiny door and entered the control area of the craft that was to be her home for the next two weeks. On hands and knees now she crawled across the floor and then stood up so that she could manoeuver herself to sit in the perfectly designed pilot’s seat that had been made to fit her physique. All of this of course was made more complicated because of the space suit Natalie was wearing, the large boots on her feet and the many wires that had to be attached to various switches as part of the start up procedures.

Once settled into the seat Natalie reached into a pocked of her jacket and took out her favourite soft toy- Oscar the rabbit - and placed him on the instrument panel in front of her. He would be her only companion for the next two weeks and she had already decided she would need someone to talk to as they journeyed through space. Now began the task of turning on all those switches that would control the spacecraft’s lift off along with the many other things that needed to be completed before the adventure began. This was when all the training Natalie had undertaken began to take over as she ignored everything except those things that would ensure a successful trip. She read gauges, turned on monitors and  spoke to those in the control centre who would follow her progress and relay it to the world through TV news.

Before long everything had been completed. Natalie had finished the long check list she had to fill in and she and Oscar were strapped into their seats and ready for the noise and the force that would tell them the spacecraft had left the ground and was now in space. Soon with a whoosh and a roar the  craft left the ground and began its long flight into the sky above Orewa. Too late now to change her mind thought Natalie. 

In no time though the noise had ceased, the craft was in orbit and Natalie was able to unstrap herself and float around the cabin completing all those tasks that needed to be attended to as the journey towards Mars and the rescue of the Mars Rover began. This then was the important mission that had been assigned to Natalie. She had to journey to Mars, secure the Mars Rover and return it to earth with all the important information it had gathered over the many months it had been on the surface of that planet. It had required a special person to be able to undertake this mission which is why Natalie had been selected and would be why hopefully one day she would become famous. So many scientists on earth were relying on her and she knew she was not about to let them down.

Meanwhile back on Earth Natalie’s Nanny and Pop watched the news every evening to make sure she was alright and eating the correct things to keep her healthy. They were very proud of her and recognized that she was a very special person just as she had always been a very special little girl. 

“Go Natalie.” they said.

 “Take care of her Oscar.” they said. “See you when you land back on Earth.”