The feed cut off and the world watched in horror as there was a series of explosions on the surface of the asteroid. The ships were exploding as the power surged through them. They extra power had given the engines a massive boost. The exploding gravity field fields pushed the asteroid out of the atmosphere.

The earth was safe. Cheers erupted from the whole world. In the control room it took a few minutes for the screams to die down. In the control room.

Peter looked up from his coms screen. He was crying. Chloe stared and shook her head.

“I’m getting no signal from his tracking beacon I can’t raise him. I think all the ships were destroyed.

Chloe collapsed.

Charlie Sage, the man who had changed the course of so many lives. Who had saved his planet was dead.

All Characters © Beverly Taff

The radio crackled in the control room.

“This is Sylvia Milbourn on board the Dawn 2. Did Charlie get off?”

“We have heard nothing from him Sylvie. His tracking beacon has stopped transmitting. I think every ship exploded. I afraid he’s gone.”

Peter could barely say the last part. The lump in his throat was threatening to make him start sobbing again. He looked for Chloe and saw David was comforting her.

“Oh my goddess, no he can’t be.”

After a few seconds of crying the mike cut off.

The news services picked up the story and the celebrations were muted when they learned Charlie was dead.

“Sylvia, can you fly the ship back or do you need assistance?”

“Charlie showed me the basics. He controlled the ship until the explosions started, then I got manual control. That must mean he’s….”

Peter couldn't imagine this confident clever woman crying over a man she barely knew. The idea of a woman who was the product of an extreme feminist country crying over the death of a man surprised him.

“He saved me Peter. He knew all the ships would explode, so he sent my ship off. I’ve been taught all my life how greedy and stupid men are, now this happens. What do I believe?”

“It’s OK Sylvia, it’s not your fault. It happens all the time. Race, religion and gender. We are very good at finding differences, but not good at finding common ground. Come back to earth. You’re a heroine. I’m sure the world wants to thank you.”

“I don’t feel like that Peter. Charlie was the real hero. I don’t think I’ve ever used that word. What I would have given to spend more time with him. He took the definition of the word genius to whole new level.”

“He was a good friend to me Sylvia. I don’t know what we’ll do without him.”

“It all looks so fragile from up here. I can’t see why we have to spend so much time hating. We could be wiped out at any time.”

“That’s just how I feel.”

Peter had forgotten that they were still linked into the world’s television network. He cut the feed. He hoped that Sylvia wouldn’t be in trouble in the FR, after what she had said.

“Set to arrive at Darwin in around ten minutes Peter.”

“See you soon Sylvia.”

Peter looked around. People were relieved, but sad about Charlies death. Chloe and Dave had left. He would have to catch up with her before she left. There were only two ships left now. The only other anti-grav craft were Australia’s fleet of fighters. The world had lost more than it knew.

An urgent cry came through the radio.

“Peter, my ship not responding. It’s going off course. What’s happening?”

Juliet ran to Peter's side.

“Sylvia, this is Captain Juliet. The third screen on the right. Bottom left indicator what does it say?”

“Remote Override.”

“HE’S ALIVE!!”

Her shout silenced the whole control room. They waited holding their breath. Wishing it was true.

“He can take over any of his ships or destroy the engines remotely. I suspect his control ended on your ship when the rest exploded because feedback must have fried all his systems. His mobile phone would still work though. You must be close by. See if you can see him.”

“Can you help Darwin?”

“There's too much debris from the explosions. It’s up to you now. We will get our fighters launched to help. It might take them a little while to reach you. He'll be without power, he could suffocate or freeze. We need to find him, fast."

“The override keeps tuning on and off. What does that mean Juliet?”

“You can’t reach him if you can’t control the ship. He’s allowing you control so you can get to him.”

Sylvia looked over the ships systems. She saw the metal detection equipment Charlie used for prospecting. She turned the electromagnetic scanner on, and set it to discriminate for metal. Within seconds she found what she was looking for.

She waited for manual control to return the ship surge through the debris. She saw the dark outline of Dawn against the stars.

“Found him. The ship looks battered, but uncompromised.”

“No time to lose Sylvia. I’ll talk you through opening the cargo doors and taking Dawn 1 aboard. You must get him out quickly. He probably has hypothermia by now. I’ll tell you where the emergency release is for the ramp is. Please hurry.”

Dawn 2 jarred and shook as it took aboard the spinning Dawn 1. Sylvia ran down to the cargo hold and waited for it to pressurize. As soon as the green light came on the she rushed to the ship to release the ramp. Juliet had told her to wear gloves or she would lose all her skin off her hands, touching metal at absolute zero.

The ramp opened and a large cloud of mist filled the cargo hold. The air in the ship must be freezing. Charlie was sitting in the command chair his hand frozen to his phone.

She dragged him out into the comparative warmth of the cargo hold.

“Come on Charlie, stay with me.“

He coughed weakly. She must warm him up. She laid him on the deck, then took off her jacket and wrapped it around his shoulders. She hugged him into her body tightly, trying to share her body heat. It struck her. She had never hugged a man before. Feeling his well-muscled body against hers felt good. What the hell was wrong with her? she thought.

Charlie coughed again and dropped the phone. He looked up at her through frosted eyelashes.

“Do you mind madam? We hardly know each other.”

“Charlie you’re alright. You did it.”

Charlie started to get up. He grinned at her and said.

“No, we did it. Working together. The feminist and the feminist’s worst enemy. Help me back to the cabin I need a nice hot cup of tea.”

“Come on, I help back onto the command deck.”

She helped Charlie stagger up the stairs and into the co-pilots seat.

"The kettle should be in the galley. You don’t mind a man asking you to make him a drink do you. I know it goes against your ethics and everything.”

He must be feeling better thought Sylvia. His gentle, jokey sarcasm was back.

“Charlie, my ethics have taken a hard turn right over these last few weeks. Seeing the fun your workers have with each other. Women and men working alongside each other, has been an eye opener for me.”

“You do the tea Sylvia. I must call my wife.”

“Charlie Sage calling Darwin. I’m alive and well. Tell my wife I love her very much, and Major Tom will be back soon. Oh, and Peter,I saw a brass monkey crying its eyes out just before Sylvia rescued me.“

A huge cheer went up in the control room.

The world was informed Charlie was alive and after they played his message, many countries wanted to know what the “Brass monkey” reference meant.

Peter told them that to freeze the balls off a brass monkey means it is very cold. He didn’t go into its origin. Just that Charlie was joking saying it was cold enough for a brass monkey’s balls to fall off.

Charlie expertly piloted Dawn 2 back to Darwin. There were huge crowds to congratulate the pair. Charlie.

Charlie stood by the door to the control room. He had one arm around Chloe, the other around his dad.

The media companies wanted interviews with the pair.

“I’m tired. Please let me get some rest. Today we, the people of the world worked together. Men and women from all different races and religions, saved the planet. Tomorrow I’ll tell you how we work together to save humanity.”

The whole world waited on what this amazing man had to say.