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Hanna Storm could have had a normal childhood had her parents been normal. It just so happens, however, that they were not. Mr. and Mrs. Storm first met in the jungles of South America. Mr. Storm was an American serving in the Peace Corps. He was trying to help impoverished and remote villages by providing them with basic necessities such as water and shelter during a time of civil war. He dug wells, built houses, and taught English to the local children in addition to other noble endeavors. Mrs. Storm was a doctor from England who was also doing charity work in the same war-ravaged region. She bandaged up cuts and bruises and put back arms and legs that had come off. One day, when Mr. Storm was visiting the hospital, a group of rebel soldiers captured the international workers and carried them off, hoping to get a ransom for all the rich American and European doctors. Mr. Storm evaded capture, tracked the rebel army, and attempted to free the hostages. He was only able to free Mrs. Storm before getting himself nabbed. Mrs. Storm then returned the favor a few days later with a flawless rescue in the dead of night. Before their escape, they managed to execute Mr. Storm’s original plan to free the other captives and even found time to destroy the rebels’ ammunition stores just for good measure. They made their way out of the jungle and had been together ever since. That event remained one of their fondest memories.

Most parents had jobs to which they went in the morning and from which they returned in the evenings. Hanna’s parents did things differently. They owned their own company, called Extreme Adventures, and guided the world’s wealthy elite through various global excursions: mountain climbing in the Himalayas, deep-sea diving off the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, sky diving in the Sahara—they had done it all. Mr. and Mrs. Storm always made sure to include their daughter on their adventures, even when it required her to miss school. In fact, Hanna rarely spent a whole semester at school. “Experience is the best education,” her father would always say. Hanna was never quite sure how a person could “experience” algebra, yet she managed not only to learn it but to master it. Indeed, thanks to her intense curiosity about everything, she was proficient in most academic areas. Her favorite subject by far was astronomy. The fact that astronomy was not part of the ninth-grade curriculum wasn’t a problem for Hanna Storm. Flying to places like the Himalayas and Australia took several hours, providing the inquisitive mind with ample time to slake its curiosity, and that’s exactly what Hanna did. She was apprised of most current theories regarding different astronomical phenomena and could easily locate multiple planets and stars in the night sky. If tour buses traveled in space, Hanna would be the perfect guide.

On the day of her fourteenth birthday, Hanna arose early, the signs of dawn still far off. She had scarcely been able to fall asleep the previous night due to her excitement at the prospect of the huge surprise her parents had promised her. It was a gift “never to be forgotten” they had said. The only other thing her parents had told her was that she needed to “pack her gear.” They always said that before an “Extreme Adventure.” Smiling, Hanna threw off her covers. 

She knew exactly what to pack. Hanna Storm always carried a few key items in her trusty satchel, which accompanied her on all her adventures. This morning, she looked through the contents of the leather bag she had carefully packed the night before. She had her towel, a pocketknife, a tube of Vaseline, a headlamp, duct tape, a water bottle, one change of clothes, a mirror, some chocolate candy bars, and something to read (in this case, her current astronomy book). Most of these items had proven useful on adventure after adventure. Hanna Storm never climbed a volcano or trekked the desert without her gear. She tapped her foot; something was missing, but she could not figure out what it was. She stared blankly at her bag for a moment, before grinning as she recalled her most important piece of gear. She walked over to her nightstand, picked up a pair of drumsticks, and placed them neatly in her bag. She could not pack her entire drum kit of course, but that didn’t matter; she could beat out a rhythm on any surface with her sticks.

Having checked her pack, Hanna carefully tied her auburn red hair into a long braid. Her hair and freckles were inherited from her mother’s side of the family, she was certain. Her dark olive skin came from her father’s side. She glanced in the mirror, pleased with what she saw, both for the excellent job she had done in taming her wild hair and because she saw a perfect mix of her parents in her own reflection. 

Hanna went downstairs in search of breakfast and was surprised to see her father bent over the stove, wearing an apron stretched tight across his muscular bulk. The aroma of pancakes, bacon, and eggs filled her nostrils. Her mother sat at the counter drinking her morning cup of coffee.

“Good morning, Hanna,” she said in a gentle voice. “Happy Birthday!” 

Hanna loved her mom. Mrs. Storm was of average height with shoulder-length dark brown hair. She had a lithe feminine figure and carried herself with grace. Her eyes sparkled with intelligence and wit. Hanna occasionally noticed other men involuntarily staring at her mother wherever they went, be it the mall, the gas station, or the grocery store. Even Principal Jorgensen had once winked at Hanna’s mother. Gross. It was so inappropriate, and Hanna wanted to smack each and every one of them, but her mother would simply smile and say, “It is certainly impolite to stare!” whenever Hanna raised it with her.

“Thanks, Mom,” Hanna said as she bent slightly to put her arms around her loving mother. Her mother may have been of average height, but Hanna had been taller than her for at least six months. 

“Happy Birthday, Squinks!,” came her father’s booming voice. “Breakfast is served.” Mr. Storm stood at a height of six feet and seven inches. He had the broadest shoulders of any man Hanna had ever seen. His arms were thick and his legs resembled tree trunks. Hanna had once seen him lift up the back end of their car on a bet with her mother. Mom washed the dishes for an entire week, not just because he won the bet, but because he also strained a muscle or two. 

“I’m fourteen, Dad,” Hanna said with a tone of mock annoyance. “Legit teenager you’re talking to here. Enough with the Squinks, okay?” she implored as she stood on her chair, throwing her arms as far around his thick neck as she could. 

Smiling, he tapped his cheek and Hanna lovingly gave him a kiss. He smiled with absolute contentment.

“Hanna,” Mr. Storm said in his deep voice, “We need to get going within the next half hour or we’ll miss our flight.” Mr. Storm’s grin was more than a little mischievous. She glanced at her mother, who was trying hard to conceal a grin and a look of excitement herself. Hanna wondered what destination on Earth could have her parents so enthused. Could it be sledding with penguins in Antarctica or searching for shipwrecks in the Bermuda Triangle? Both were on her bucket list of must-have adventures. 

“Well,” Hanna answered, “I’m all packed and ready to go.”

After a hurried breakfast, the Storm family loaded into their sport utility vehicle and began a long drive. Hanna knew the way to the airport by heart, having been there many times. Her suspicions were aroused when her father missed the usual turn. Still, she said nothing. Hanna’s mind wandered to the time she had been on an Extreme Adventure with her parents in Jordan. The memory coalesced in her mind.

“Mom! What are we going to do?” Hanna yelled above her thudding heartbeat. “We’ll never make it back to the camp!”

Mrs. Storm responded calmly. “Hanna, remember, what do we do in an urgent situation?”

Hanna took a deep breath. “Observe, assess, act,” Hanna recited.

“What do you notice? What options do we have now, at this moment?”

“We can sit here and breathe,” Hanna mumbled.

“That’s good! That’s very good. Let’s breathe deeply,” Mrs. Storm encouraged. Hanna sucked in the hot desert air. “Good,” her mother hushed. “What else?”

“We can search our surroundings, look for anything that might be an asset.” Hanna’s breathing steadied and her heartbeat slowed.

“Right,” agreed her mother. “We may not have the camel but what do we have?” Mrs. Storm sounded like a teacher in a classroom lecturing an attentive bunch of students. She didn't act the least bit ruffled, though Hanna knew that her mother had earned such composure through a lifetime of experience. 

“We only have half a canteen of water,” Hanna worried. “But,” she enthused, “we have food in your pack. We have good walking shoes and a compass.” Hanna paused and added, “we have you!”

Mrs. Storm laughed. “Yes, all accurate. And we know how to use the compass. I happen to know that we are only about 10 miles from the camp and can probably make it before nightfall. 

“We are going to be just fine, aren’t we mom,” Hanna stated, rather than asked. 

“Yes, Hanna,” her mother agreed. “Besides, I’ve been this way before,” she winked. Hanna and her mother shared a long, hearty laugh. 

“Mom, I’m sorry I didn’t tie the camel correctly. I never thought it would run.”

Hanna blinked back to the present. They were headed west. She wanted to be surprised, but after they had been in the desert for a few hours, curiosity got the better of her.

“Dad, exactly which airport are you taking us to?”

“Oh, we’re not going to the airport. It’s more of a…eh…research facility…with a runway,” he paused, “and launchpads.” Mr. Storm looked desperately to his wife for help.

“Well, now that your father has blown the gaff, we might as well lay bare our little plan,” Mrs. Storm said, rolling her eyes. 

“I have not blown anything. No gaffs have been blown,” Mr. Storm said defensively. “She doesn’t know where we’re going. Besides, she’ll have it all figured out after we round that hill,” Mr. Storm gestured out the front window.

Hanna looked at the hill in the far distance. Had her father just said the word “launchpads?” 

“Are we going to see a rocket launch? Majestic!” Hanna said enthusiastically.

“Hmmm,” her mother said thoughtfully, “I suppose you will see it launch,” her mother admitted, failing to conceal her amused expression.

“What do you mean, ‘suppose’?” Hanna asked. She frowned a little over her smirk and spoke again. “I think it’s time you two just told me what my present is.”

“Okay, Squin…Okay, Hanna,” her father said, looking to his wife for approval. Mrs. Storm gave the nod and Mr. Storm continued. “Do you remember when we went on the Siberian hunting trip with Donovan Watts?”

“Yeah,” answered Hanna. “Of course. He was a nice guy. I really liked him.”

“And he really liked you. He said that you reminded him of his granddaughter,” Mr. Storm reminded her.

“Right, the one who disappeared. Eloise, I think. That was a really sad story,” Hanna said, remembering the nice old man’s tears as he told them about his unfortunate granddaughter.

“Do you remember what Mr. Watts does for a living? What business he owns?” Mr. Storm continued asking.

“Yeah,” Hanna replied. “It had something to do with building rockets. Are we going to see him?” she asked excitedly.

“Yes, Mr. Watts will be there,” Mrs. Storm said. “And you are correct; he does build rockets. But he was especially concerned with a particular project. Do you recall? He talked about it quite extensively.”

“I remember he talked a lot about a reusable rocket and about how spaceships will fly like airplanes and carry passengers in space and stuff,” Hanna said, recalling her doubts about his ideas. 

“You sound skeptical,” Mr. Storm rejoined with a harrumph.

“Well, he never really explained the physics of it. I think it’s going to be another twenty years at least before anyone figures that one out,” Hanna stated confidently.

At that very moment, Mr. Storm emerged from a long turn that wound around the hill previously glimpsed in the distance. The Storms fell silent as they stared out the front window. Hanna saw what looked like a small airport with giant hangars and an office building. There was even a control tower. Near one of the hangars, not too far from the building, was a shape that Hanna recognized well. It was similar to the old NASA space shuttles, but this one wasn’t standing vertically, nor was it attached to a giant orange rocket like she had seen in her school history videos. This shuttle was horizontal on the runway, parked just as an airplane would be. It even had windows lining the fuselage like an airplane. As they drew closer, Hanna saw the name “Eloise” scrawled across the fuselage in an elegant, cursive font. 

Hanna’s jaw dropped. She had seen many things in her travels and was rarely surprised, but this was most unexpected. She came to her senses as the Storm family’s SUV stopped at a security checkpoint. The guard asked Mr. Storm for his name and some identification and directed him to a parking spot by the main complex. The clock on the dashboard indicated that it was nearly 5:00 in the evening. The drive had taken all day. Hanna became very excited as she realized that she was going to witness a piece of history. She would be there when the first commercial flight was launched into space.

Media trucks dotted the landscape, each with its own newscaster and camera crew. Intermingled with the white trucks and vans were very expensive-looking limousines. Hanna saw chauffeurs unloading expensive-looking handbags for people dressed in expensive-looking clothes. This was a gathering of some very swanky people. As Mr. Storm pulled up to the main complex, Hanna saw an older man with a cane walking toward their car. He looked familiar.

“Sebastian Storm! I’m so glad you made it,” the old man coughed into his handkerchief. “Is she with you?” The gentleman could scarcely contain his excitement as he questioned Mr. Storm, who was just getting out of the car.

“You bet she is. Right on the other side of the car,” he replied. 

Hanna gathered up her bag, and before she could reach the handle, the door opened and the man with the cane stood before her, beaming like sunshine. As soon as Hanna saw that smile, she leaped from the car and embraced Mr. Watts with a squeeze so vigorous that he dropped his cane. He squeezed her back as they both fondly remembered the adventure they had shared. 

“So good to see you Hanna, child,” he said as he released her. “I’m so pleased you could come.” He turned to the third passenger. “Sara Storm, as beautiful as I remember.”

“And you’re as charming as I remember, Donovan,” Mrs. Storm said with a smile that caused Mr. Watts’s knees to tremble.

“I suppose you’ve figured out what your present is by now, then, Hanna?” Mr. Watts fished.  

“Oh yes, Mr. Watts!” came her enthusiastic reply.

“Please, call me Donovan,” requested Mr. Watts.

Hanna smiled. She was beginning to like this man even more.

“Well, Donovan,” she continued awkwardly, “I guess you did it. I mean, wow, a commercial space flight.”

“We like to call it a space cruise,” Mr. Watts corrected her.

“Then I am very excited that I get to watch the very first launch of a space cruise. I couldn’t have asked for a better present.” Hanna said with a nod and satisfied smile.

“Watch?” Mr. Watts exclaimed. “Gadzooks!” He turned to Mr. and Mrs. Storm who were standing by the Jeep. “Did she say watch?”

“We wanted you to be the one to tell her,” explained Mrs. Storm, touching Mr. Watts gently on the arm. The old knees shook a bit more.

“Well, I shan’t delay it any longer,” he said, satisfied with Mr. and Mrs. Storm’s decision. “Hanna dear, you are not going to watch the launch. You are going to participate in it. It is my gift to you.”

“What?” Hanna asked in disbelief, shaken by what she had just heard.

“Marvelous!” he chuckled at Mr. and Mrs. Storm. He turned back to Hanna. “I’ll repeat it more clearly for you child so there won’t be any confusion. In precisely twenty-four minutes, you and I and all of these passengers are going to board that space cruiser.” Mr. Watts gestured at the shuttle and guests quite dramatically as he spoke. “And,” checking his watch, “in precisely 52 minutes we will be leaving this planet for a leisurely cruise around the earth. Now, does that answer your question?”

Hanna could scarcely believe her ears. She remained expressionless while Mr. Watts and her parents stared at her, awaiting some sort of reaction. Nothing came except a prolonged, stunned silence from her gaping mouth. 

Mr. and Mrs. Storm were pleased as punch, grinning as they looked at their perplexed daughter. As they gazed happily at Hanna, Mr. Watts gazed at them with a similar expression. A series of beeps rang from Mr. Watt’s watch. 

“Excuse me. I have a few last-minute preparations to make. Just grab the young man over there in the blue cap and he’ll help you get settled,” he instructed Mr. and Mrs. Storm. “I may not have mentioned it before, but you two will be joining your daughter.” He stayed just long enough to see the same discombobulated look descend on their faces before turning to Hanna with a giddy grin. “And you, Ms. Hanna Storm, I’ll see you on board.” With a quick wink, he twirled off to attend to some important preflight task.

Hanna’s jaw dropped again, the first sign of expression after her lengthy blank stare. One word escaped Hanna’s flabbergasted mouth. 

“How?” she whispered. Hanna couldn’t understand why this man felt the need to bestow such a gift on her and her family. Hanna’s father, who never failed to teach his daughter some eternal truth or moral principle, seized the opportunity to do so now.

“You had no idea how much of an impact you had on his life, did you?” Mr. Storm asked. 

Hanna, staring at the ground with her mouth now closed, simply shook her head in answer. Her giant father knelt down on one knee squarely in front of his daughter and put his hands on her shoulders. 

“Hanna, always treat everyone with kindness and respect, for the people who need it most might be the ones you least expect. Now, I’m not sure which gift is greater, a flight into space, or the feeling you get when you know you’ve made a friend in Donovan Watts.”

Hanna looked up from the ground and smiled at her father. She loved his wisdom and insight. 

“Dad,” she said softly. “I know which gift is greater.” A look of excitement slowly crept into her face. “I also know which gift leaves in twenty-five minutes!” she finished with a squeal. “We’re going into space! Outer space!” She threw an arm in the air and waved at the boy in the blue cap. “Excuse me sir. I’m Hanna Storm.” 

“Yes miss Storm. Right this way.” The boy in the blue cap ushered them toward the shuttle. As he guided them to the front of the line, affluent passengers threw disapproving looks in their direction, but the Storms had no choice but to follow their guide. As they reached the front of the line, the older couple behind them who had been demoted to second place introduced themselves.

“Pardon me,” said the man, who was dressed in tan khakis and wore a navy suit jacket over an unbuttoned, white, collared shirt. “I’m Rory King, CEO of King Enterprises. Perhaps you’ve heard of me?” 

Mrs. Storm extended a hand. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Sara Storm, and this is my husband Sebastian and daughter Hanna.” Rory looked a little disappointed that Mrs. Storm did not appear to have heard of him. Turning to Rory’s companion, Mrs. Storm extended her hand. “And you are?”

The woman hesitantly extended her hand with a disinterested look. “I’m Genevieve King.” 

“Ah yes. The Storms of Extreme Adventures,” said Rory. “I’ve heard good things about your vacations.” 

“Adventures,” Hanna corrected him.

“Yes, adventures,” he repeated awkwardly. 

Mrs. Storm knew the question was coming, but nonetheless winced a little when Genevieve opened her mouth to speak. 

“So, how did you manage to be first in line? You must have paid quite a sum. We offered a small fortune to Mr. Watts so we could be first, but he refused it,” Mrs. King said smugly. “He said it was reserved for someone important. I didn’t realize your company was so profitable. Congratulations.” Her sarcasm was not lost on the Storms.

Extreme Adventures catered to the rich. While most of the wealthy clients who availed themselves of Extreme Adventures’ packages were perfectly lovely, occasionally the Storms encountered those who were a little self-absorbed. How he enjoyed talking with them!

“We didn’t even pay for the tickets, let alone for a place in line,” Mr. Storm said cheerfully. “It’s our daughter’s birthday today and this was a gift from Donovan.”

Rory and Genevieve looked at each other in disbelief. “Happy birthday Hanna,” they both said in turn with a somewhat questionable sincerity. That ended the conversation, much to Mr. Storm’s satisfaction.

As the time for boarding finally arrived, Hanna could barely contain her excitement. She ascended the staircase while a nearby orchestra played a jaunty symphony by Mozart. At the shuttle’s entrance, she was greeted by a flight attendant—or, rather, a space flight attendant.

“Welcome aboard, Ms. Storm. My name is Marie and I’m happy to be at your service. Let me show you and your parents to your seats.”

Hanna entered an elegant cabin with oversized leather recliners opened in pairs on either side of a single aisle. Hanna was more excited than nervous, but still, she found Marie’s warm and friendly manner reassuring. Marie motioned to a seat in the very first row next to a small window. She then directed Mr. and Mrs. Storm to seats across the aisle. Hanna handed her pack to Marie and took her seat. It was so comfortable! It struck her that such a comfortable seat might cause a person to fall asleep, and who wanted to sleep during a space flight?! She made a mental note to recommend less comfortable seating to Donovan. 

Hanna looked across the aisle at her parents who were also comfortably seated with excited looks on their faces. Mr. Storm usually did not fit in airplane seats and often had to buy two seats to accommodate his size, but Hanna could tell from his satisfied grin that this chair suited him perfectly. 

Hanna wondered who would occupy the empty seat next to her. Other passengers began to board, and she studied each one as they entered. Rory and Genevieve came first and took their seats directly behind Mr. and Mrs. Storm. They were followed by two men who looked as though they were brothers. Hanna noted they were about the same age as her parents. She watched as other passengers filed past while the seat next to her own remained empty. 

A young boy about Hanna’s age entered through the doorway followed by a woman who must have been his mother or aunt, or perhaps she was his au pair. He noticed Hanna and paused. Their eyes met and he smiled, offering a courteous hello that she returned. He was about to introduce himself when they both heard the woman behind him say, “Move along now, Henry.” Coming out of the moment, he started down the aisle. Hanna couldn’t help but turn her head as he walked away and found him looking back over his shoulder. Their eyes met again, and she quickly returned to a forward-facing position. She could tell her cheeks were flushed, and she felt a little embarrassed. He was handsome for sure, but Hanna had never paid much attention to boys. She turned toward her parents, who were both staring at her with large grins—they didn’t miss anything! She rolled her eyes and resumed watching the final passengers board the shuttle. 

After the last passenger to board had settled into their recliner, Mr. Watts made a grand entrance. Everybody began to clap and whistle loudly. Hanna leaped from her chair and very nearly knocked the old man over as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. 

“Oh ho! So, you like my gift, do you?” Mr. Watts said in a somewhat labored voice, hugging back with all his strength so as not to be crushed embarrassingly by a fourteen-year-old girl.

“Your gift? Oh, the space flight. Sorry. Space cruise.” Hanna corrected herself. “The hug wasn’t for the trip to space,” she taunted. She did not need to say anything else. Mr. Watts smiled warmly and gave her a much gentler hug than he had received. Mr. and Mrs. Storm beamed as they watched their daughter hug her newfound friend.

“Thank you, child,” Mr. Watts whispered. “Now,” he stumbled, hesitant to release Hanna, “let’s get you properly fastened into your seat.” Turning to the cabin he boomed, “We’ll be on our way shortly,” to which everyone responded with cheers. Hanna was surprised when Mr. Watts plopped down next to her. Marie took his cane and placed it in the same compartment where she had stowed Hanna’s pack. 

Hanna took a few moments to observe the environment in which she found herself. Her father had taught her to always be aware of her surroundings. She looked for the exits. She tried to observe who might be able to help and who might need help in an emergency. “It doesn’t matter how old you are; when someone takes charge in an emergency, others follow, and it could mean the difference between life and death,” her father had always taught. She noticed her dad taking stock of the shuttle and passengers as well and smiled to herself.

The chattering voices of the crowd began to stand out as she paid attention to them. The excited hum of the other passengers stirred up new feelings of excitement in Hanna.

“It’s almost time,” an older woman said, checking her watch.

“I know. I can’t believe we’re doing this!” replied the young woman with whom she was speaking. 

She had barely enough time to assess her environment before a voice came over the intercom. “Ladies and gentlemen.” The conversations all ceased simultaneously. “On behalf of Mr. Donovan Watts, I would like to welcome you all to this first of many space cruises.” The crowd of passengers cheered in response. Hanna let out a shout and clapped while Mr. Watts grinned with pride. The voice continued.

“I am your captain, Jack De La Vega. Before we begin this monumental adventure, we need to share with you a few items concerning your safety. Our chief attendant will explain those to you now.” A new voice came over the intercom. 

“Good evening, everyone, and welcome. My name is Marie, and I am the chief attendant. Welcome to this historic event. As you know, the Eloise was fashioned from old NASA space shuttle designs, but what allows us to travel into space is the innovative WXV Wolverine rocket, developed right here at Watts Industries. The Eloise will take off like a normal airplane using our extended runway. After we reach approximately 20,000 feet, Captain Jack will direct the shuttle’s nose straight up in the air and ignite the Wolverine rocket. You may experience some discomfort as we accelerate, but this should be mild. For your convenience, there are plastic-lined bags in the pockets located at the side of your seats. Once we reach space and establish an orbit around the earth, you will be able to leave your seats and enjoy the view. A meal and drinks will be served shortly after orbit is established.” 

Marie entered the main cabin and showed the passengers how to use their life vests in case of an emergency water landing, where the exits were, and how to use the five-point safety harness. Although this was a space flight, Hanna knew that most airplane accidents occurred during takeoff or landing. 

“Captain Jack, we’re ready,” said Marie with an enthusiastic smile at the end of her presentation.

Unnoticed by Hanna, the shuttle had taxied into position on the runway. Without much warning, the shuttle began to barrel down the long, straight path. A shiver of exhilaration ran up Hanna’s spine as the big engines roared to life. She felt the familiar sinking feeling in her stomach as the Eloise took flight. Hanna looked out her small window and watched as the ground below fell away. This was it. She was on her way to outer space!