1960s: One Small Step for Man - One Giant Leap for a new Young Adult
For years, Arthur has been working towards one single goal. To see the rockets he helped design and build reach the moon. For years, there has been successes and disappointments, sorrows and joys - but nothing can compare to the feeling of seeing all his hard work finally come to fruition as it's time for the US to land on the moon.
With other missions, Arthur has been following the event from Edwards control room, but this time Edwards is not one of the contact stations, so Arthur gets the rare opportunity to watch events unfold on TV, together with his family. They've gathered everyone in the house, the chairs are moved to stand in front of the TV, the dining table turned into a buffet table as everyone gathers in the living room, plates in their knees as they watch events unfold. There is talking, comments and a lot of shushing when the commenters speak, as children and adults alike are glued to the events on the screen. For Arthur, it's a nervous day, especially at touchdown and he follows every moment of the broadcast from touch down at 1 PM in the afternoon to Armstrong stepping on the moon at close 8 PM in the evening. Others are more restless, and comes and goes during the day, the kids running off to play at regular intervals during the day. When it's all over and time to head to bed, the entire family agrees that it has been a good day. For Arthur it's been a great day. Never has he felt more proud of anything in his life.
As TV and papers in Oasis Springs speak of little else but the Moon landing, the papers in San Sequoia has started reporting more worrying issues as three different papers have received a letter from a person calling himself "Zodiac" claiming to have committed several murders. Along with the letters is a cipher, and a challenge to solve it.
Over the next few months, news gets worse. Some university teachers crack the cipher and the contents is published, the Zodiac reveals that he "likes killing", new murders occur, and new letters are sent. Even among Barbara and her friends, worries increase, and Barbara more than ever finds herself feeling saftest when there are people in the house. She starts locking her doors at night, something she never has before.
She tries not to scare Abby, and make her life as normal as possible, allowing her to play and be free as she should be, but when the killer threatens school children, she's half ready to keep Abby at home instead of sending her to school, or perhaps sending her back to her grandparents for a while. Oasis Springs is at least safe, even if she can't stand the thought of being without her daughter.
With other missions, Arthur has been following the event from Edwards control room, but this time Edwards is not one of the contact stations, so Arthur gets the rare opportunity to watch events unfold on TV, together with his family. They've gathered everyone in the house, the chairs are moved to stand in front of the TV, the dining table turned into a buffet table as everyone gathers in the living room, plates in their knees as they watch events unfold. There is talking, comments and a lot of shushing when the commenters speak, as children and adults alike are glued to the events on the screen. For Arthur, it's a nervous day, especially at touchdown and he follows every moment of the broadcast from touch down at 1 PM in the afternoon to Armstrong stepping on the moon at close 8 PM in the evening. Others are more restless, and comes and goes during the day, the kids running off to play at regular intervals during the day. When it's all over and time to head to bed, the entire family agrees that it has been a good day. For Arthur it's been a great day. Never has he felt more proud of anything in his life.
As TV and papers in Oasis Springs speak of little else but the Moon landing, the papers in San Sequoia has started reporting more worrying issues as three different papers have received a letter from a person calling himself "Zodiac" claiming to have committed several murders. Along with the letters is a cipher, and a challenge to solve it.
Over the next few months, news gets worse. Some university teachers crack the cipher and the contents is published, the Zodiac reveals that he "likes killing", new murders occur, and new letters are sent. Even among Barbara and her friends, worries increase, and Barbara more than ever finds herself feeling saftest when there are people in the house. She starts locking her doors at night, something she never has before.
She tries not to scare Abby, and make her life as normal as possible, allowing her to play and be free as she should be, but when the killer threatens school children, she's half ready to keep Abby at home instead of sending her to school, or perhaps sending her back to her grandparents for a while. Oasis Springs is at least safe, even if she can't stand the thought of being without her daughter.
As Christmas nears, and it's natural to go visit Oasis Springs anyway, Barbara is grateful and happy to spend a week living in her parents' house. The week starts with Michael's birthday, as he's turning into a young adult on Christmas eve.
Betty has gone out of her way to make everyone feel welcome, not just on Christmas eve but also on Christmas Day as Josephine has been a bit tired lately. "Don't worry about it," she says, just happy to have her family there two days in a row. For Michael's birthday, Betty's parents are there too, as is a friend of Michaels, and Linda. Betty is so curious about her eldest son's girlfriend, but she can't help but to wonder if her skirt had to be that short.
Michael doesn't mind the skirt, and after a good dinner, he's happy to blow out the candles on his cake.
The next day the family is once more gathered in the house, and Michael gets to show off his new outfits and speak about college. Carl still can't get over the fact that Michael is applying for a deferral. "It's not right!"
"What's wrong with going to university?"
"Nothing, but you do it after you've done your duty! Like dad did!"
Betty has gone out of her way to make everyone feel welcome, not just on Christmas eve but also on Christmas Day as Josephine has been a bit tired lately. "Don't worry about it," she says, just happy to have her family there two days in a row. For Michael's birthday, Betty's parents are there too, as is a friend of Michaels, and Linda. Betty is so curious about her eldest son's girlfriend, but she can't help but to wonder if her skirt had to be that short.
Michael doesn't mind the skirt, and after a good dinner, he's happy to blow out the candles on his cake.
The next day the family is once more gathered in the house, and Michael gets to show off his new outfits and speak about college. Carl still can't get over the fact that Michael is applying for a deferral. "It's not right!"
"What's wrong with going to university?"
"Nothing, but you do it after you've done your duty! Like dad did!"
After having been told, in no uncertain terms, by Betty that those kind of discussions will have to wait, it's time to open the presents. While adults are chatting around the table, the kids (including now young adult Michael) gathers around the tree.
But neither gifts nor family gatherings are over as Christmas Day ends. This is the time of year when everyone in the family seems to be born, so on Boxing Day, it's Kenneth's turn to have a birthday. Like Susan, he's starting high school after Christmas and can hardly wait.
With his father being a chef, food is fancy and plentiful at his party and the cake in several tiers. "You could have settled for something simpler," Grace says, but she's still pleased. While she never really wanted to be a mom, she adores her only child, and with no job of her own she's spent every waking moment making his life as happy as it can be. Mother and son are incredibly close, and while David is a supportive father he can sometimes be a bit jealous of their bond.
But today is all about Kenneth, or Ken as he prefers to be called. Dinner is delicious, conversation moves freely, both inside and outside the house, and finally it's time for Ken to blow out of the candles.
But neither gifts nor family gatherings are over as Christmas Day ends. This is the time of year when everyone in the family seems to be born, so on Boxing Day, it's Kenneth's turn to have a birthday. Like Susan, he's starting high school after Christmas and can hardly wait.
With his father being a chef, food is fancy and plentiful at his party and the cake in several tiers. "You could have settled for something simpler," Grace says, but she's still pleased. While she never really wanted to be a mom, she adores her only child, and with no job of her own she's spent every waking moment making his life as happy as it can be. Mother and son are incredibly close, and while David is a supportive father he can sometimes be a bit jealous of their bond.
But today is all about Kenneth, or Ken as he prefers to be called. Dinner is delicious, conversation moves freely, both inside and outside the house, and finally it's time for Ken to blow out of the candles.
The evening ends with the elder children of the family, Michael, Carl, Susan and Ken watching a movie as the rest of the family take their leave to put the younger ones to sleep, although Betty stays and help clean up a bit.
New Years eve starts out well for Michael, as he gets the news of his acceptance into Britechester and his approved deferral. He's not going to war!
Carl is as angry as always when this is brought up, but his father has had enough. "It's not your call. The government has decided it's better for this country that your brother goes to university, and that's that. I will not hear more about this in this house."
Instead they all make resolutions for the coming year, before Michael heads out for a party with his friends and girlfriend. A last night of fun before heading off to Britechester. Who knows when they'll all be together again? And so Michael leaves his jealous younger siblings with their parents in front of the TV, watching the New Years Eve special together. He himself, is off.
The party is held at the Solar Flare. It's the first time Michael has ever been there, considering it does not allow minors. But Mike is no longer a minor, and neither are his friends, and so which night could be better than New Years to go to a real night club for the first time?
Once there it turns out it isn't so different from the parties they've held themselves at the park. There is no keg (which Michael misses), but a lot more expensive drinks, and other than that they do what they normally do. Dance, flirt, chat and make out.
Carl is as angry as always when this is brought up, but his father has had enough. "It's not your call. The government has decided it's better for this country that your brother goes to university, and that's that. I will not hear more about this in this house."
Instead they all make resolutions for the coming year, before Michael heads out for a party with his friends and girlfriend. A last night of fun before heading off to Britechester. Who knows when they'll all be together again? And so Michael leaves his jealous younger siblings with their parents in front of the TV, watching the New Years Eve special together. He himself, is off.
The party is held at the Solar Flare. It's the first time Michael has ever been there, considering it does not allow minors. But Mike is no longer a minor, and neither are his friends, and so which night could be better than New Years to go to a real night club for the first time?
Once there it turns out it isn't so different from the parties they've held themselves at the park. There is no keg (which Michael misses), but a lot more expensive drinks, and other than that they do what they normally do. Dance, flirt, chat and make out.
Well one thing is different. The "going away present" Linda gives him as they sneak off from the main party. "So you don't forget me over there," she says. Michael promises dearly that he will never forget her as long as he lives. And as one decade ends and another begins, he and Linda are too wrapped up in each other to even notice that the clocks strike midnight and 1969 ends.
And as a new decade begins we start it off with a family tree:
80 years has passed since we first met Abigail, and we're just starting out on gen 4. It makes me realise how very, very, long a typical 10-gen legacy challenge is. If I went with 10 generations I'd be well into the future when I stop. I also realised something else, and that is that the gen-5 babies will be my generation, and grow up to be teens roughly around the time when I was a teen. Now that will be interesting. But we're far from that yet. Next up: the 1970s.
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