Chapter 5
"Mr. Richards, you should understand that this apparatus is perfectly safe. However, you may feel slightly dizzy or nauseated. There will be no long-term damage," said the man in the white lab coat.
"I, I, I don't know about this," stammered Reed.
"Don't be a wuss," advised the lab coat.
Reed was strapped tightly a black leather chair surrounded by silver rings. All of a sudden, he began spinning wildly. It was a little like riding a roller coaster mixed with the sensation of slipping on ice. Just as quickly as it began, it was over.
"How do you feel?" asked the man in the lab coat.
"That depends. Will I have to do this again?" asked Reed.
"Certainly. Seven more times today. And even more after that."
"Lousy. I definitely feel lousy," said Reed.
The next test was much better. He almost enjoyed it, except for the fact that he was stressed out about failing. Images of a plane flying in a blue sky came up on a monitor. He had a black control stick that could shift the direction of the plane's flight. Sometimes flocks of birds or mountains came into view. He had to steer the plane image to safety. The controls felt stiff and jerky at first but he got more comfortable with it. There were two times when the screen froze on one image and a technician had to adjust it. But avoiding the birds and mountains was pretty easy.
"Excellent Mr. Richards, very well done," said the lab coat.
"Can you tell me if I made the cut?" asked Reed.
"It's against protocol, but I just feel I can trust you. And I don't think anyone would really press the issue. Yes, you're very likely to get a call from us. But if I may be blunt, a NASA mission could be very dangerous. There is a very real possibility that you could be lost in space without even a body for your loved ones to bury. Of course, if you succeed, you would be an absolute hero, so there's that."