The soft morning light filtered through the tall windows of the NASA training facility, casting long shadows across the sprawling complex. It was a bright contrast to the weight that Elanor and Raya felt as they stood at the entrance, staring up at the building that would be their home for the next month. The anticipation and nerves swirled inside both of them—this was the beginning of something extraordinary, but also something incredibly demanding.
The International Space Station (ISS) trip was a dream come true for Elanor. For Raya, it was a surreal detour from her photography career into a world she had never fully understood but was always intrigued by. Now, however, standing at the cusp of it all, they both felt the looming challenge ahead.
Elanor had spent his entire career immersed in space science—theoretical, data-driven, always on the safe side of Earth's gravity. He understood the complexities of space, but living in it? That was a whole different universe. He'd never expected he would get the chance to experience it firsthand. Raya, on the other hand, had no scientific background or any serious interest in space travel until this offer came along. Now, as Elanor's guest, she was being thrust into the deep end of astronaut training.
"I still can't believe we're doing this," Raya said, her voice filled with a mix of awe and anxiety as they approached the doors.
Elanor smiled, though there was a nervous edge to it. "Me neither. I've dreamed about going to space my whole life, but actually preparing for it? That's a different story."
"Yeah, I'm just hoping I don't trip over my own feet or something. You know I'm not the most coordinated person on Earth, let alone in zero gravity."
Elanor laughed, reaching over to squeeze her hand. "You'll do fine. Besides, we're not aiming to be astronauts. We just need to survive the basic training and make it through without any major mishaps."
"That's the goal," Raya said, giving him a playful smirk, but inside, her stomach was twisting in knots. The weight of what lay ahead had been on her mind since they first received the full itinerary of the training. They had been given a four-week preparation schedule—just enough to make sure they wouldn't float aimlessly into a bulkhead or fumble a basic task while aboard the ISS. But the reality of training for space, even in a limited capacity, was far more intense than Raya had imagined.
The first week was a whirlwind.
Elanor and Raya were given a tour of the NASA training facility, which seemed to stretch on forever with its sterile corridors, training pods, and the sprawling Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory—essentially a massive pool used to simulate the effects of zero gravity. Raya, always with a camera slung over her shoulder, immediately began snapping pictures. The excitement in her eyes was undeniable, but there was a nervous energy to it as well.
On the first day, they were introduced to the physical conditioning program—essential exercises that would help their bodies adapt to the rigors of space travel. While Elanor had always been active, often running in the mornings to clear his mind before heading to the lab, Raya was less accustomed to regular physical exertion. She often spent her days behind the lens of her camera, capturing the world around her, and while she was no stranger to hiking or running after the perfect shot, the physical demands of astronaut training were another thing entirely.
Their trainer, a no-nonsense woman named Dr. Hernandez, wasted no time in setting expectations.
"Being in space puts a strain on your body that you can't begin to imagine here on Earth," she explained as they stood in the pristine gym. "Your muscles will weaken, your bones will lose density, and simple tasks will become challenging. Our job here is to prepare your body as much as we can for those conditions, even if you're not going to be on long-term missions."
Raya nodded enthusiastically, but Elanor could see the apprehension in her eyes. As soon as the exercises began, it became clear that this was going to be more difficult than either of them had anticipated.
The first day focused on cardio and endurance training—simple enough in theory, but after just twenty minutes on the treadmill, Raya was already struggling to keep up. She kept glancing at Elanor, who was doing his best to keep his breathing steady while jogging beside her. Sweat dripped from her brow, and her legs felt like they were made of lead. When the session finally ended, she collapsed onto a mat, panting heavily.
"Oh God… this is just… day one?" she managed between breaths.
Elanor chuckled, though he wasn't far from feeling the same. "Yeah… day one."
They looked at each other, laughing despite the exhaustion. The weight of the week ahead loomed over them, but for now, they had survived the first hurdle.
The following days were a blur of physical conditioning, technical training, and simulations. Elanor, while used to complex calculations and handling vast amounts of data, quickly realized that being in the field—or in this case, space—was a completely different challenge. The Zero-G simulations were particularly difficult. Though it wasn't as harsh as real zero gravity, the sensation of floating weightlessly threw him off balance at first. More than once, he found himself awkwardly spinning in the simulation pod, arms flailing as he tried to reorient himself.
Raya, despite her natural grace when working behind a camera, struggled even more with the Zero-G training. The first time they were placed in the simulated pod, she accidentally pushed off too hard from the wall and ended up floating in circles, bumping into Elanor and the padded walls repeatedly.
"Okay, okay, I'm officially terrible at this," she groaned, laughing as she tried to steady herself but failing.
Elanor, still trying to right himself, chuckled. "Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it."
Raya's frustration was clear, though she tried to hide it behind her usual humor. "Yeah, I'll get the hang of it by the time the ISS mission is over."
But underneath her playful tone, Raya couldn't help but feel inadequate. She had always prided herself on being adaptable, able to capture life's moments with a quick eye and steady hand. But this—this was completely out of her element. The clumsiness in the Zero-G pod left her feeling embarrassed, like a guest at a party she wasn't really invited to. And it didn't help that every time she looked at Elanor, he seemed to be picking it up much faster than she was.
On the third day of training, they were introduced to the Neutral Buoyancy Lab—NASA's gigantic pool used to simulate the weightlessness of space. Wearing modified space suits, they were submerged into the pool and tasked with performing simple maneuvers—tasks that astronauts would do during spacewalks, like securing panels or connecting electrical components.
Elanor found the experience exhilarating but challenging. His scientific mind enjoyed the complexity of the tasks, but the physicality of moving in water—feeling the resistance of the suit, the disorientation of floating without gravity—made it harder than he anticipated.
Raya, meanwhile, had a harder time. She struggled to move in the suit, often getting turned around or drifting in the wrong direction. More than once, she bumped into Elanor or one of the training instructors, mumbling apologies as she tried to get back on track.
"This is so much harder than it looks in the movies," she muttered under her breath as she fumbled with one of the tools they had been given to connect two panels.
Elanor glanced over, his voice coming through her helmet's communicator. "You're doing great. Just take it slow."
But Raya wasn't so sure. She felt out of place, like an intruder in a world where everyone else knew exactly what they were doing. Every task seemed to take her twice as long as it took the others, and by the end of the day, she was exhausted—both physically and mentally.
When they finally emerged from the pool, their suits dripping with water, Raya pulled off her helmet and ran a hand through her damp hair, letting out a frustrated sigh.
"I don't know how you do it," she said to Elanor as they walked back to the changing room. "You make it look so easy."
Elanor shook his head. "Trust me, I'm struggling just as much as you are. The difference is, I'm just used to handling complex problems. But this—this is all new for me, too."
Raya smiled weakly. "Well, you seem a lot more graceful about it than I am. I feel like a clumsy kid on her first day at school."
Elanor paused, turning to face her. "Hey, you're doing great. This isn't easy for anyone, especially someone who didn't grow up dreaming about space. But look at you—you're here, doing this. That's more than most people can say."
Raya met his gaze, and for a moment, the tension eased. She knew Elanor was right. She wasn't an astronaut, and she didn't need to be perfect at this. But being alongside Elanor, who had dedicated his life to studying space, made her feel like she needed to catch up—like she had to match his expertise, even if it wasn't realistic.
"Thanks," she said quietly. "I guess I just… I don't want to slow you down."
Elanor's expression softened. "You're not slowing me down. If anything, you're reminding me to take a step back and enjoy this. We're going to space, Raya. How many people get to say that?"
Raya laughed softly, her spirits lifting a little. "I guess you're right. I just need to get better at, you know, not crashing into walls."
By the end of the first week, both Elanor and Raya were exhausted. The physical training was grueling, and the constant barrage of new information about space travel, emergency procedures, and microgravity was overwhelming. But despite the fatigue, there was a sense of accomplishment. They were doing it—slowly but surely, they were getting closer to the ISS trip.
Raya had developed a deep respect for astronauts over the course of the week. The sheer amount of preparation that went into even the simplest tasks in space was staggering. She had never realized how much effort went into maintaining the ISS, conducting experiments, and ensuring the safety of everyone onboard. It made her appreciate Elanor's dedication even more—how he had spent his life studying something that was so complex, so awe-inspiring.
"You're incredible, you know that?" Raya said one evening as they walked back to her apartment after a particularly tiring day of training. The sun was setting, casting a warm glow over the city, and the air was cool with the hint of autumn.
Elanor glanced at her, surprised. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, you've dedicated your entire life to studying space. And now you're actually going to experience it firsthand. That's incredible."
Elanor smiled, his heart warming at her words. "I guess I never thought about it like that. It's just always been my passion—something I've wanted to understand. But now that we're so close to the ISS trip, it's starting to feel real."
"Well, I'm impressed," Raya said, bumping his shoulder playfully. "Even if I'm terrible at Zero-G training, I'm glad I get to experience this with you."
Elanor laughed softly. "You're not terrible. You're just… learning."
Raya gave him a playful glare. "Uh-huh. Sure."
When they finally reached her apartment, they were both too tired to do much of anything. Raya made a quick dinner, but they ate in comfortable silence, both of them too drained from the week's training to carry on much of a conversation. Afterward, they collapsed onto the couch, the exhaustion settling in.
Raya yawned, stretching her arms above her head. "I don't know how astronauts do this for months at a time. I'm already wiped out after one week."
Elanor smiled, his own body aching from the physical training. "It's all part of the preparation. But yeah, I get what you mean. I'm exhausted too."
Raya leaned her head against his shoulder, her eyes fluttering shut. "Well, at least we're in this together."
Elanor wrapped an arm around her, feeling a sense of peace despite the exhaustion. They were in this together—navigating the challenges, the unknowns, and the excitement of the upcoming trip. And as they sat there, quietly resting in each other's presence, Elanor felt more ready than ever for what lay ahead.
By the time they both drifted off to sleep on Raya's couch, the weight of the week melted away, replaced by the quiet anticipation of the journey they were about to embark on—together.