The Phobos Phobia

"We’re out now, and we will hold onto the brackets you’ve supplied," Lillian shouted, as Noah listened from inside.

"O.K. Ruth, we need to get over here a bit further. Hang on to the brackets, and make sure you fasten your short rope each time you move from one to the other."

Lillian had a Christian flag, which she wanted to proudly display, and also a flag, newly formed, for the country, or nation, or whatever this moon would be called. It was a brilliantly colored flag, with the words, "Phobos Phobia" printed on it.

"If you will hold this Phobos flag for a minute," Lillian asked Ruth, I’ll begin with the Christian flag." So saying, she mounted it on the vertical post, and although there was seldom any wind to speak of, she gazed lovingly at it. "I’ve got the Christian flag up, Noah, and I’ll get the other one in a minute."

So saying, she grabbed the other flag, took the wire, and reached down to unfasten her rope from the one bracket, and then moved over to the next one.

But, unknown to her, down on planet Mars, a huge dust storm had broken out, and although they were miles and miles away, it created a special kind of weather as a side-effect for Phobos. For suddenly, a severe air disturbance could be felt.

And just then, a gust of air whipped around her, upsetting her aim, and moved her just enough, that she missed the next bracket. She began to float out into space. "Noah!" she screamed, "I’ve lost my hold on the bracket. Ruth, can you catch any part of my rope...oh no, I’m floating out? I can’t get back!"

"I’m not going to make it," she moaned. "What’s going to happen to me? I’ve got enough oxygen for quite awhile, but how long can I stand the cold, and is there any way anyone can rescue me?"

Little by little, as she looked back, she saw Ruth getting smaller and smaller, and no sign of anybody else anywhere around. "Oh God," she prayed, "I don’t know how to ask You, but if it is somewhere within your will to provide a miracle, please do. I want to serve you for the rest of my life. I want to be a faithful wife, and maybe someday a good Mother. Please, Father, I’m in your hands."

Inside the house, Noah had made a dash for the garage. It took forever to get his suit on, and to hook up with oxygen, and install his helmet with the intercom system on it. "Hang on, Lillian, I’m coming for you, but I’ve got to get my jet pack on."

He never realized how tedious this whole process was, and all the time, he envisioned his new bride getting farther and farther away. All of a sudden, his little personal globe floated up in front of him, and quickly disappeared. Then, he too headed for the air-lock, steaming over the time it took to decompress and get ready to emerge on the outside. "Hold on, Lillian, I’m in the air-lock now. I’ll come for you!" he yelled.

In the meantime, Noah’s little globe had gone zipping through the cave walls and streaked over to where Lillian was desperately trying to keep up her hope. And then, her own globe suddenly appeared. And, almost as if by a common command, Ruth’s, Harry’s, and Jacob’s also went flying away from their owners, and circled around Lillian’s helpless form.

"Oh Father, is this the way You’re going to help me? But what if John is busy, or someplace where he can’t come, and how could he find me way out here in space? And is this even a part of what he can or cannot do?"

Noah burst out of the air-lock, and to Ruth, he said, "Which way did she go?" And as she pointed the way, he headed his jet-pack that way at it’s absolute fastest limit. He had no idea how far it would take him. He had no idea what the distance limit of his fuel might be. But he vowed that he would get Lillian or lose his own life. It didn’t matter now. He had to get her, and away he went. He couldn’t even see her yet. Would she circle the planet Mars, just like the moon did, and if Phobos circled Mars twice a day, would she be coming around again like the moon, and could her oxygen possibly hold that long? But how would that even help matters. They would never find her!

Lillian was beginning to feel mentally numb, sort of an acceptance of destiny; but she was fascinated by the circle of globes that surrounded her. It made her realize that each one of them represented a special friend, and one of them represented Noah. It was comforting, but she was also scared, and beginning to wonder about her chances of survival.

And just about then, she felt a surge of energy around her, and little by little, the direction of her fall was changing. It felt as though she was in a mighty embrace. "Maybe it is God," she thought, and as she came to her senses, she realized that it was John who was beside her. Yes, it was God...through John who had come.

In a moment or two, they saw Noah on his way out to meet them. He was barely moving, and it looked like his jet pack had quit. As they reached him, he grabbed onto Lillian, and let out a cry of surprise and gladness. Together, they were being moved back to their home. "It’s John," Lillian said. "I know you can’t see him, but he is right here with us."

And the next moment, they were back in the house, staring in amazement as John materialized before them!