prologue (2/2)

7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2……

“All systeo”

At that instant, Tsukuda opened his eyes

“Main engine start Igniting SRB……Lift off!”

Just as the announcer’s voice–monotone up until now–suddenly becaine with a terrible roar

Siren, we’re counting on you!

Tsukuda said a silent prayer Fly baby, fly!

Siren ee flames as white smoke billowed around the launch pad and the 30-ton rocket was propelled upwards

“Go! Go!” Mikami balled his fist and let out a yell

As Tsukuda watched, the rocket distanced itself from the launch pad and quickly became a mass of flame as the camera tracked it upwards From there, the rocket continued on its scheduled path into the southeastern sky above Tanegashi+ to a tiny point

“Siren’s initial flight angle is 99 degrees, 15 kilometers southeast above the Pacific Ocean, altitude 17 kilometers”

Tsukuda quickly gave up following the rocket with his naked eyes and shi+fted his gaze to the flight path trajectory shown on the radar screen

“Thats right, atta girl!” Mikami screamed with excitement He and Tsukuda intently stared at the rocket’s trajectory as they prayed for a good flight

The monitor now displayed the number of seconds since launch 170, 171, 172……

That hen Tsukuda realized so out of the un to deviate from the planned trajectory

“shi+t!”

Mikami’s face turned pale and he scrambled to check the data on another plotter In theuproar, Tsukuda stared speechless at Siren’s abnor out of the plotter

“Abnorht path detected!”

The researchers rushed to their respective stations

“Second stage engine igniting!”

A froht plan

Tsukuda’sthe intercohtly Oba was on the other end, several kilometers away in the central command tower

“Sir, we have a flight abnormality!” Tsukuda screamed into the microphone

“Predicted peak altitude is approxinition of the third stage may be impossible”

Oba would have already been watching the rocket’s abnormal trajectory on a monitor in the central command tower even before Tsukuda had reported the problem to him

The post-launch counter displayed in the top right of the nearby monitor continued to rise

187, 188, 189…… By now the rocket, having lost control due to insufficient altitude, was flying nearly horizontally above the Pacific Ocean at close to the speed of sound

A thick silence hung in the room only for a brief moment before it was broken by Oba’s calm voice

“Order e security command…”

There was no time to consider the iet absorbed in feelings This was a self-destruct order

Oba’s announcement was broadcast simultaneously on the intercom and the speaker system, and the final coement team’s communications system

The countdown on thethe control tower in a dead silence

212 seconds after launch, Siren returned home–to the sea