The Suited Astronomer

2026

Artemis II Launch: April 1st 2026

A view of Earth taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman from one of the Orion spacecraft's window after completing the translunar injection burn on April 2, 2026. The image features two auroras (top right and bottom left) and zodiacal light (bottom right) is visible as the Earth eclipses the Sun.

Credit: NASA

Stories: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

We may brave human laws, but we cannot resist natural ones.

Me seeing what actually happens:

“I dare you to…” Aries Flamsteed tipped up on his toes, his eyes darting around his father’s office in search of the perfect dare.

“You can’t dare me no more. Any more.”  Atlas lurked behind his brother just over the threshold.  He was coming in.  He was definitely coming in, because Aries had gone in, and because everyone knew that nothing truly bad happened if you entered the inner sanctum. Just that Dad made that face where his eyebrows looked like they were fighting, and Atlas felt sick about fighting eyebrows.

“I can dare you if I want to dare you.”  Aries scowled at his twin before crossing boldly to the desk.  Now there was no question that he was in the office. Fully in the office.  No fear.

“Mum says no more dares because then we work ourselves up to a frenzy and things HAPPEN.”  But Atlas tiptoed across the threshold, and he felt like a weight lifted when the walls didn’t come tumbling down on their heads.  It was okay to be in here as long as they didn’t touch anything.

Aries picked up a lint roller.  They were going to Azkaban.  The walls were definitely going to fall in!  “She said you don’t have to do the dares just ‘cause I make them.  That’s not the same thing.  So I can make dares and I’m not breaking any rules, but you either have to not do the dare and break twin code or do the dare and break Mum’s rules.”

A conundrum.

Atlas picked up Pebbles from the corner of the desk and stared into the pet rock’s silly eyeballs. “You could just not dare me so I don’t have to decide.”  So he didn’t have to upset someone.  Upsetting his twin or upsetting his mother (his father was already going to be upset because here they were touching things).  Atlas EEPed loudly and dropped Pebbles back onto the desk.

“But I do want to dare you. I dare you to dare ME.”