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Earth is the cradle of humanity, but one cannot live in the cradle forever.”-Konstantin Tsiolkovsky​

The Blue Marble. Earth. Home. It was but a mere term to describe the 'cradle' humanity resided in, and for the rest of the greater world that the 'cradle' resided in. It had been a mere two decades since man had first reached out, stretching her fingers out to open the door, only to shut it after a mere six steps in the outside world. She had found herself settled in the room, building the blocks to stay outside of the cradle, but she has yet to venture further. The blocks stood individually, always separate, yet for now, a group of blocks were starting to be combined.

“We have her in sight, Houston,” Pilot Daniel C. Brandenstein spoke over the comm.

“Copy that, Enterprise. Inform us when you are within three hundred meters,” the CAPCOM replied back.

“Understood, Houston,” Brandenstein spoke back, before gazing further out at the slowly emerging man-made object that was starting to slowly be illuminated by the sun.

She had a cylindrical body, with two thirds of the body being wider than the rest of the body, before it 'dropped' in size to a much smaller diameter. A pair of solar panels hung from each side of the larger cylinder, extending from the front of the cylinder all the way to the back. A single protrusion held from one of the 'two' sides of the smaller diameter, extending just beyond the larger cylinder before ending.

It had been the mission of astronauts before them, and now after a break of three years, it was to be the mission of them now.

Spacelab's within three hundred meters. I'm seeing no major damage from her time alone up here,” Brandeinstein continued, “might need some maintenance, but looks nearly brand new.”

“We copy you Enterprise. How does Unity look?” the CAPCOM spoke.

Unity is looking good for deployment from the payload bay, and to be docked to Spacelab, Houston. Bluford is checking her over before taking her out of the bay,” Commander Robert Crippen spoke in.

“Understood Enterprise. You are good for deployment of Unity.”

“Roger that Houston. Go for deployment of Unity.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *​

Commander Robert Crippen slowly pulled the hatch open with a 'ka-tung', smelling the stale air that had come out. He pulled himself up through the docking port, slowly drifting through the laboratory Unity. He turned his head to gaze along the both filled and empty laboratory racks as he drifted upwards. Robert slowly turned his head directly upwards to look at the hatch that separated old and new. “Houston, this is Enterprise, opening the hatch to Spacelab,” he spoke out loud, moving his limbs as he began the preparation for the opening of the hatch.

Like before, another 'ka-tung' filled the air, and he pulled himself in with the smell of stale air once more. He looked around, and saw the appearance of a station that had been left, to be inhabited once more. “Houston, this is Enterprise, we are aboard Spacelab,” Crippen spoke with a grin on his face, “Everything is good up here, and it's great to be back.”
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