The train arrived at Prestwick Spaceport, built adjoining the airport.
The heavy spacesuit made the short walk to the terminal difficult for Frank, the boots weighed him down.
Since watching an astronaut talk to his school class from the Space Station forty years ago, Frank had dreamed of travelling in space.
He had bought the old NASA spacesuit at auction and converted his garage into the interior of a space capsule. For days he would suit up and pretend he was flying through the stars.
Having spent the last of his savings on a ticket for the SpaceZ budget civilian space shuttle, he would finally realise his dream today.
He plodded up to the check-in desk. The woman stared at him.
‘Good morning,’ he said.
‘Good morning,’ she replied and picked up his ticket. ‘There won’t be enough leg room or seat width to accommodate your spacesuit. Have you brought any other clothes?’
Frank began to panic.
‘Don’t worry, you’re not the only one.’ She pointed wearily. ‘Through there.’
Frank walked through the door and joined the queue of middle-aged men taking off old spacesuits and being handed trousers and sweaters.
‘Thirty-five pounds for clothes hire,’ said the chirpy man handing out the clothes, ‘Seventy pounds to buy them.’
Written as part of Sunday Photo Fiction. Write a story of around 200 words based on the photo prompt given (above). Hosted by Al Forbes. For more details visit HERE.
Prestwick Airport in Scotland, typically used by low-budget airlines, is a possible sight for a new civilian spaceport on the near future.
To read more stories based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.
Just like any other travel company they are there to make a quick buck where ever they can! Great story!
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Thanks Angie, that was the idea. They would even exploit space travel to make money! Glad you got that from it 🙂
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Hilarious! Marketing in the space age. I’m always a sucker for good marketing, I’d have been directed straight into the same room.
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Ha, I can’t wait for the adverts for these flights to space, only £9999.99 with a meal included! Thanks John.
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I imagine those suits have to smell pretty ripe. And maybe not the safest, either! Nice story.
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Thanks J. Hardy.
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It’s just not the same without your trusty space suit, is it? I hope SpaceZ remembered to sell them overpriced life insurance too “in the unlikely event the capsule spontaneously pops open like a sardine can”.
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Travel insurance included, but only one small piece of hand luggage allowed in the over head lockers.
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Rather like Prestwick Spaceport
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Will be great if it happens, strange to think of it as a spaceport instead of budget holidays to Ibiza!
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I say nothing on that one…..
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Can’t do even a space story without creepy marketing rearing its ugly head? Well written, Lain.
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Thanks Neel, not in today’s world I’m afraid.
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I wouldn’t want to sit next to him in that smelly looking suit even he could sit in a seat! I can smell it from here!
Click to read my story
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Thanks Keith, another reason not to allow the suit!
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Ha! It wouldn’t be just middle-aged men. I was three years old when my Dad pointed up in the night sky and showed me a moving light he said was called “Sputnik” (it was actually one of the boosters that had launched Sputnik since the satellite wasn’t visible to the unaided eye). Ever since then, I was hooked. As a kid, I followed every launch of the Mercury program, then Gemini, and then Apollo. I recall exactly where I was when I heard Neil Armstrong utter “That’s one small step for me, one giant leap for mankind” as he stepped foot on the Lunar surface. If someone offered me a chance to go into space, even on a sub-orbital flight, I’d jump at it.
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I meant “one small step for man” , not for “me”.
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It’s getting closer but not sure I’ll ever be able to afford it in my lifetime. Maybe one day.
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Pretty funny stuff, Iain, and I now can’t escape the image of ladies who lunch from Barassie and Troon catching the Scotrail to Ayr only to be faced with all these weirdos in space suits.
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It’s an image with definite comic potential.
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It’s only a matter of time before we get the RyanAir of space. lol Great story!
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If there’s money to be made, someone will try it!
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Midlife crisis at its best, with the parking lot full of sports cars . Well done! Reminiscent of Mr Heavy Foot from Kids in the Hall.
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Thanks, a few marriages no doubt ended by the decision to spend the savings on the tickets too!
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Wow you don’t even get to keep the clothes on your back. You think the bully space suits would be worthy something. Nice take.
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Thanks Mandi.
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I think he should have read the small print before he signed up.
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Very true, it was probably hidden away somewhere – ‘no spacesuits’!
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They would probably say “If you read the fist letter of the second fifth and twelfth word from each paragraph, you will see it clearly states no spacesuits and there will be a fee for hiring of clothes”
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