Space Case

“Transportation”

The excerpt preceding Chapter 5 describes the luxurious transportation that lunarnauts can expect. A footnote to the description clarifies that some people may not be able to travel on the elite Odyssey Raptor 12 and will instead have a slightly less luxurious experience.

“Lunar Day 188, Noon”

After a slight delay, which is common with lunar travel, the new arrivals make it to the moon on the Raptor. Everyone on the base is anxious with anticipation; while they wait, Dash fills his parents in on the conversation he had with Nina. The on-base Moonies discuss the new arrivals, who they have been able to study in advance. Nina approaches Dash and tells him that he will now be the primary contact for the new adolescent, Kira Howard, who is arriving. Dash feels that he is only being assigned to Kira “to distract [him] from raising questions about Dr. Holtz’s death” (83).

Everyone greets the new arrivals with excitement, and Dash finds Kira, who seems “a bit overwhelmed” (87). Once they meet, Kira says that she actually is excited to meet Dash and that she loves his weekly video logs. Dash shows Kira how to walk on the base and begins giving her a tour, resolving to try to make things easier on her.