Sabrina (Knox 3)
Copyright© 2026 by The Outsider
Chapter 43: Old Friends
01 March 2038 – Baffin Bay Spaceport, Kenedy County, Texas
Sabrina walked into Beth’s office wearing her usual black flight suit, complete with a name tag and a gold astronaut device superimposed over her silver command wings.
“Hey, Boss,” she chirped before tossing herself into a chair in front of Beth’s desk. “Mary said you wanted to see me?”
“Yeah. Thanks for coming over,” Beth said as she dug through some papers on her desk. “How are your two little kids doing at the daycare center?”
Sabrina rolled her eyes.
“You can barely drag those two away from Immaculada or Sofía at the end of the day, that’s for sure!” she said.
“I bet! How are things progressing with the SSTO fleet?”
“I’m sure you’ve seen the reports, but things are going well.”
Beth smiled at Sabrina before a serious look settled back over her face.
“You might want to see this,” Beth said while holding a piece of paper out to Sabrina. Sabrina read the paper, and a scowl fell over her face.
“The colonel is bringing this asshole here?”
“Rodi and I have already had a conversation about this visitor. Rodi’s not happy about being used like this, but there’s not much he can do. The visitor will be here in about a month...”
Sabrina stared back at Beth with barely controlled anger. The anger wasn’t directed at Beth or Colonel Armas but at the asshole who had bounced her from the Air Force.
“Rein in your anger, Sabrina,” Beth said in a calming voice. “You’ll have the opportunity to direct it where it should be aimed.”
Sabrina returned to her family and their house, but her rage remained. Tom and Marisa noticed it as Sabrina paced across the living room. Jeff was too young to fully understand his mother’s mood, but his father and big sister could. Jeff followed Sabrina with his eyes while Marisa clung to her father.
“Mommy’s not angry with you, Marisa,” Tom soothed. Sabrina stopped pacing and knelt in front of her daughter.
“I’m not, little sweetie. Mommy got some unhappy news today and is still processing it. Again, this isn’t your fault.”
Sabrina gathered the little girl into a firm hug. Tom raised an eyebrow at Sabrina, to which she mouthed, “Later.” After the children were in bed, Tom gave Sabrina the same look. She waved him downstairs, and they sat on their couch.
“Okay, Sabrina, what’s going on?”
“Campbell is coming here.”
“What?” Tom hissed.
Sabrina explained to her husband how Campbell had managed to finagle his way into a meeting with Beth and why Colonel Armas would also be present.
“Campbell’s gonna see you and go bonkers!”
“It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to use my karate properly...”
“No offensive stuff!” Tom warned. “Defensive moves, and only if necessary!”
Sabrina was still stewing over Campbell’s impending visit when Adriana came to have lunch with her the following day. Seeing Anna always calmed Sabrina down.
“How’s life in the physics department?” Sabrina asked.
“It’s not too bad, especially when you only have to work part-time. Plus, they hired some hot-shot woman with a doctorate to work alongside Alex, and it’s already paying dividends.”
“‘Dividends,’ how, exactly?”
“The girl they hired seems to get where Alex is trying to get to when it comes to engines. She’s even already suggested a few improvements!”
“What’s her name?”
“Amanda Parnell. She asked us to call her ‘Mandy’ and never to call her ‘Doctor Parnell.’”
Sabrina froze.
“‘Amanda Parnell?’” she asked. “Brunette? Stands about this high?”
“Yeah, that’s Mandy. Wait, how do you know what she looks like?”
Sabrina stood and began packing her backpack.
“Because this girl might be my freshman-year roommate from the Air Force Academy!”
Sabrina practically dragged Anna out to the parking lot and then rode her sister-in-law’s bumper on their way back to Anna’s building. Sabrina walked into Alex’s office, where he was trading notes with Mandy while they both faced away from the door.
“Alex,” Sabrina said, “when were you gonna tell me you were working with my freshman roommate from USAFA?”
Both looked up, and Mandy’s jaw hit the floor when she recognized Sabrina. Mandy slammed into her and wrapped Sabrina in a massive hug.
“Hi, Mands...” Sabrina said in a muffled voice.
“I knew Alex’s name sounded familiar!”
“Yeah, but he’s taken now.”
“Oh, I already know I’d never try to do that to Anna!”
“Have you eaten yet?”
“Is it that late already?”
“Man, do you and Alex both get into grooves!”
Sabrina took Mandy to one of the nearby restaurants on the Spaceport property.
“So. ‘Doctor Parnell!’”
“Yeah, and you better not ever call me that again!”
“Don’t worry, Mandy. I don’t like it when people call me, ‘The best F-22 pilot they’ve ever seen!’”
“So, you did get jets!”
“Eventually. I went through some difficulties at the Academy before I got my UPT orders after graduation. Now, how did you wind up as ‘Doctor Parnell?’”
“My parents stuffed me right back into college when I was forced out of USAFA. They put me in one of the best physics programs in the country. Princeton, no less! Then I went to Purdue for my master’s, and I stayed there and got my doctorate in aerospace engineering from them, too.” Mandy shrugged. “It seemed like the right thing to do at the time.”
“I hoped things would work out for you when Fairhaven forced you out of the Academy, Mandy.” Mandy’s face darkened at the mention of Devin Fairhaven’s name. “I went after him.” Mandy looked a question at Sabrina. “He got expelled from the Academy less than six months before graduation. He’s gone now, like totally gone!
“His half-brother forced me out of the Air Force before I came here. That jerk is coming here for a meeting with Beth in a month. What he doesn’t know is that I’ll be at that meeting, too, along with the full bird colonel who runs the wing at the Air National Guard base here, Mandy.”
Mandy now had a devious grin on her face.
“He doesn’t know that I’m the squadron commander next door,” Sabrina said, “or that I’m now a lieutenant colonel, either. Beth and Colonel Armas aren’t happy the other guy is coming, but they are happy that we’re all going to gang up on him. This guy will never see us coming!”
As the weeks passed, Sabrina kept Mandy apprised of Campbell’s arrival. On the day of Campbell’s visit, she warned Mandy to stay in her building. Sabrina was already sitting at the small discussion table in Beth’s office when Mary announced the arrival of Colonel Rodolfo Armas and Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Campbell. People entering Beth’s office would overlook Sabrina.
She watched Colonel Armas enter Beth’s office, an unhappy mask on his face. Richard Campbell strolled in like he owned the place. Rodi Armas received his usual warm welcome from Beth. Richard Campbell just got pointed to an empty chair in front of Beth’s desk.
“So, Colonel Campbell?” Beth opened once the men had settled. “What’s the purpose of y’all’s visit?”
“NASA needs one of your SSTOs,” the man said confidently.
“Ain’t gonna happen, Dick!” Sabrina said from behind Campbell.
The man spun around, recognizing Sabrina’s voice. Colonel Armas turned more slowly while he wore a sly grin. Beth’s face wasn’t far off.
“My chief pilot is correct,” Beth said, making the previously smug colonel’s head whip around again. Colonel Armas was enjoying the show.
“If y’all are here to order me to give y’all one of my SSTOs, the answer is, ‘no.’”
“The government will force you to give NASA the craft we requested.”
“You can try it, you worthless piece of horse excrement,” Sabrina said while she stood from her chair and approached. “It’ll be a violation of the Fourth Amendment, though.”
“And what do you know about what the government can do, you little pissant!”
Sabrina looked at her boss.
“Your turn.”
Beth picked up her desk phone and hit a speed dial number.
“Soren! Beth Oldham. How y’all doing?”
Beth listened to the man reply on the other end.
“Well, I’m in my office at Baffin Bay, and one of y’all’s astronaut candidates is trying to order me to give y’all one of my SSTOs ... That’s what I figured, but I’ll put y’all on speaker and let y’all explain it to him.”
Beth turned her desk phone around, stood to see the right button, and pressed ‘Speaker.’ Colonel Campbell just sat there, looking dazed.
“Y’all are on speaker, Soren.”
“This is Admiral Soren Hickman, the Director of NASA. Who am I speaking to?”
With the briefest pause, when she saw Campbell still frozen in his chair, Sabrina answered, “Admiral, this is Sabrina Knox-Jones, chief pilot for Ad Astra. With me in Beth’s office are Colonel Rodolfo Armas of the 196th Fighter Wing of the Texas Air National Guard and Lieutenant Colonel Richard Campbell. I assume Colonel Campbell is one of yours?”
“That remains to be seen. However, I understand you’re the commanding officer of the 217th Fighter Squadron under Colonel Armas and an astronaut yourself?”
“I’ve been fortunate, Admiral.”
“Yes, you have that reputation. Now, let’s return to the matter at hand, if possible. Beth, I’d like to apologize for Colonel Campbell’s behavior. NASA wants to open negotiations to see if we can use one of your SSTOs.”
“I have just one condition before we open negotiations, Soren.”
Here, Beth pressed a button under her desk twice in rapid succession. Two Baffin Bay Police officers, a sergeant and a patrol officer, entered her office. She had alerted their department that she needed two officers to stand outside her unless she pressed that call button.
“That condition is that Richard Campbell is NOT included in NASA’s group in any way, and it is made clear that he is not welcome on any property that Ad Astra owns. That includes our SSTOs.”
“Absolutely, Beth. Campbell? Did you hear that? Be in my office by nine o’clock tomorrow. Now leave the spaceport!”
Campbell sat there in disbelief.
“You worthless bitch!” he hissed at Sabrina while the two BBPD officers drew closer.
Campbell darted out of his chair faster than anyone could react. Anyone except Sabrina, that is. She stood there calmly as Campbell approached her, and then she let loose with a flurry of kicks and punches that put the man on the floor, looking a lot like Beetle Bailey, after the Sarge had worked him over.
’”Defensive moves only,” the man said... ‘
The BBPD officers handcuffed Campbell, pulled him to his feet, and dog-walked him – all bent over – out of Beth’s office. One of the officers came back in.
“Are you okay, Ma’am?” he asked Sabrina, who nodded. “Do you wish to press charges against that man?”
Sabrina sighed.
“I guess I gotta go give a statement, Boss.”
“Go take care of that, Sabrina. I’ll wrap things up with the admiral and colonel.”
Sabrina nodded to Colonel Armas and walked out with the BBPD sergeant.
“I think Colonel Campbell might be late for that meeting tomorrow, Soren.”
“He won’t like the outcome of the meeting regardless of when he makes it back here, Beth.”
“Soren, call me back when y’all can, and we’ll talk about y’all’s people riding in one of Ad Astra’s ships.”
“It’ll probably be tomorrow, Beth. Right now, I’ve got some paperwork to fill out.”
“Sounds like a plan, Soren. I’ll talk to y’all later.”
“Bye, Beth.”
Beth pressed the speaker button again, ending the call.
“You do know how to keep things interesting, Beth!”
“I sure do, don’t I? This won’t cause Sabrina any problems, will it, Rodi?”
“Are you kidding? She just about got that base running without any help! She doesn’t have to worry about getting a bad officer evaluation from me!”
Two weeks later, Sabrina stood on the tarmac at the Baffin Bay Spaceport, her black flight suit whipping in the gusty winds. The scene was quiet now, with the steady hum of SSTOs in the background, but she knew that wouldn’t last. She glanced at her watch, anticipation and irritation bubbling in equal measure. Mandy was supposed to meet her here, but her new colleague’s inability to track time hadn’t changed since their Academy days.
“Mandy, where are you?” Sabrina muttered as she scanned the horizon.
Just as she was about to give up, Mandy’s tiny electric scooter zipped into view, weaving through parked vehicles with reckless glee.
“Sorry! Sorry!” Mandy called out, parking haphazardly near the hangar. “Alex roped me into running some final numbers for the propulsion calibration tests.”
Sabrina raised an eyebrow but smiled.
“You’re lucky I like you.”
Mandy grinned.
“That’s what they all say. What’s so urgent, anyway?”
“Campbell,” Sabrina said.
The name was a loaded bomb dropped into their conversation, and Mandy’s smile disappeared.
“What now?” Mandy asked, folding her arms.
“He’s formally filed complaints about our actions during his visit. Instead of his dismissal being finalized, he’s fighting it – claiming bias and that his behavior was justified under the ‘pressure of high-stakes negotiations.’” Sabrina made air quotes, her frustration spilling into the motion. “Beth’s got legal on it, and NASA’s already distancing themselves, but this isn’t just about Campbell anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
Sabrina took a steadying breath.
“This is about the reputation of what we’ve built here. Ad Astra. Baffin Bay. It’s about proving that our standards of behavior, accountability, and excellence are higher than anyone else’s. If Campbell manages to spin this into anything other than his failure, it undermines everything.”
Mandy nodded solemnly.
“So, what’s the plan?”
“We stay ready,” Sabrina said, determination hardening her voice. “The SSTOs, the crew, our operations – all of it must shine. We don’t give anyone an excuse to question what we’re doing.”
Mandy grinned, the spark of competition lighting in her eyes.
“That I can help with.”
Sabrina smiled back.
“Good. Now, let’s get to work. I’ve got some maneuvers to test, and you’ve got propulsion tweaks to double-check.”
As the two women walked side by side toward the hangar, Sabrina felt the simmering anger from weeks before finally dissipate. In its place was a fiery resolve to protect what they’d built ... whatever it took.
As the afternoon sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the tarmac, Sabrina and Mandy entered Hangar 4. The cavernous space was alive with activity. Technicians in blue overalls maneuvered around the gleaming hull of Ad Astra’s next prototype, named Sidera Visito – “I Visit the Stars.” The ship’s sleek silver body reflected the golden light, a beacon of human ingenuity and resilience. Mandy stopped mid-step, her mouth slightly open.
“You never told me it was this gorgeous.”
“You never asked,” Sabrina replied, smirking. “Come on, there’s something I want you to see.”
They walked toward the rear of the SSTO, where a small group of engineers was reviewing diagnostics. Sabrina waved at one of them, a wiry man with thick glasses perched precariously on his nose. He glanced up, recognized her, and immediately waved back.
“Jimmy, got a second?” Sabrina called.
“For you, always,” Jimmy replied, stepping away from the console. He gave Mandy a curious glance.
“This is Dr. Amanda Parnell, our newest genius, and she prefers ‘Mandy,’” Sabrina said, motioning toward Mandy. “Mandy, this is Jimmy Carter – no relation to the president. He’s one of the best propulsion engineers in the business.”
Jimmy grinned.
“Flattery will get you everywhere, Sabrina. Welcome aboard, Mandy.”
Mandy shook his hand, her grip firm.
“Nice to meet you. What are you working on?”
Jimmy gestured toward the array of screens displaying complex data streams.
“We’re optimizing the fuel flow to stabilize propulsion during orbital transition. The last test flight showed a slight instability at Mach Twenty. Nothing critical, but we want it perfect before we greenlight the next mission.”
Mandy leaned in, her eyes scanning the data.
“Looks like a thermal expansion issue in the secondary injector valves. Have you tried recalibrating for heat-induced distortions?”
Jimmy blinked, impressed.
“That’s ... exactly what I was about to suggest. You’re good.”
“She’s brilliant,” Sabrina said, nudging Mandy. “And modest, too.”
Mandy rolled her eyes but smiled.
“Let me know if you need a hand running simulations.”
“I’ll take you up on that,” Jimmy said before returning to work.
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