17
Karen had been looking forward to this day so much. She was sitting with Raef in his office at Mission Control drinking Coffee, feeling that it should really be a glass of chilled Moet et Chandon in her hand, rather than the mug of steaming hot coffee that it was. Her friend Coppélia had been away from Earth for 8,848 days – 24 years 2 months and 21 days – and on another planet for 1,175 of those days. But today was different. Today, Coppélia would be lifting off from the surface of Proxima b and starting the first phase of her journey back to Earth. Coppélia was coming home.
Karen looked at her husband, proud of what he and his team had achieved. She’d felt the separation from Coppélia more strongly than she had expected, but that sense of loss was beginning to recede now. Yes, it wo
