7:30 pm Tuesday, 17th July 2029
SpaceX Spaceplane
Toby felt no movement after the shuttle undocked and started its fall towards the Earth. There were no windows in the passenger cabin of the Spaceplane but he'd seen simulations on TV and knew they would be in a shallow descent aiming to hit the re-entry corridor.
Jayal leaned as close to him as the safety harness allowed and he did the same. It was surprisingly quiet in the cabin and he listened to Rob telling Charlie about his holiday plans.
Mexico was out because of the recent virus outbreak but he was considering jumping on a flight from Miami to Nassau, he told her enthusiastically. He'd been told July was the best time of year in the Bahamas and he was keen to do some scuba diving and deep-sea fishing. One of his friends had caught a six-foot swordfish the previous year. He'd sold it on the dock and it had almost covered the cost of the entire trip.
"What are we going to do when we get home?" Jayal asked softly.
Toby considered what he had missed most over the last month.
"A long hot bath, a glass of Glenfiddich, a nice juicy steak if the freezer's still okay, then straight to my king-size bed," he replied.
"It sounds nice even though I don't understand most of it," Jayal laughed.
"Then, after a good night's sleep, we'll have to take a trip to the mainland and buy you some clothes. I don't think anything I've got will fit you."
"I'm looking forward to that. Charlie showed me some pictures on a computer. There are so many different things to choose from. All clothing was provided for us on Vitu."
"Shhh," Toby whispered. "From now on we're not supposed to mention Vitu. We have to be very careful. I made a promise to the president not to reveal anything about what has happened and they expect you to do the same."
"I understand. I have to say I'm from the country of India and we met and fell in love when you were on holiday. I like that. It sounds more romantic than the truth."
"We'd better tell people we got married in India," Toby suggested.
"Does that mean you want to bond with me?" Jayal smiled.
"Of course I do, and I have no choice now, your US passport is going to bear the name Jayal Jardine. We're stuck with each other for good."
"Jayal Jardine," she repeated. "From India ... I can get used to that."
Jayal sat back in her seat with a contented smile on her face and Toby closed his eyes. He reckoned they still had almost five hours to go before landing at Kennedy, then the long transatlantic flight to follow. He was looking forward to the peace and tranquillity of Oronsay.
#
Toby was half asleep when a faint rumbling noise disturbed his daydream. The volume of the noise rapidly increased and he felt Jayal's hand tighten on his own.
Rob stuck his head around the side of his seat.
"Don't worry. We're just entering the atmosphere. It's always like this and it can get a bit bumpy, but it's normal," he reassured them.
The Spaceplane began to vibrate and shudder violently. The roaring that filled the cabin was loud enough to hurt his ears. The buffeting grew more severe and Toby stared at the two pilots frantically stabbing at buttons on their control panels. The seats began to shake as if they were about to come off their mountings and Jayal gripped his hand so tightly it hurt.
Toby's teeth clashed together painfully and his vision was blurred by the vibration. The interior of the Spaceplane was unbearably hot. Then Toby realized with dread that he could smell smoke. He looked at Jayal who was gazing at him with a terrified look in her eyes. The noise was deafening and it was impossible to hear speech, but Toby saw her lips form the words, "I love you".