They had chosen only the best. A diverse crew of brilliant minds and exception skills - and her. One young but ordinary woman. That's what the propaganda promised.<br/><br/>Sarah Coalman stood among her crew mates on the platform surrounded by flags and microphones. Press talked over one another trying to get their questions answered. It made her head hurt, but the Director was an old pro and filtered out good questions from bad. His voice was just the right balance of intellectual precision and excited explorer to fuel the imaginations of all who listened.<br/><br/>“Director, is Ms. Coalman truly ready to handle the rigors of deep space travel?”<br/>“Sarah is more than ready. She is a full fledged member of this expedition. One ordinary woman who will be given the chance to touch the stars. Her place on board New Horizon sets this expedition apart. I believe in the human spirit to explore, to learn, to handle any challenge with ingenuity. Sarah represents that spirit. One ordinary woman will touch the stars.”<br/><br/>Voices rose once again. Officer DeClan, medical chief, clapped Sarah on the back and she couldn’t help smiling. She wanted nothing more than to get on with it. The massive ship stood behind them, ready and waiting. She had never dreamed when her father had entered the funding lottery that she would be the winner.<br/><br/>Many had called the lottery a stunt, a hail Mary pass by a losing corporation to beat their greatest rival to a corner of uncharted space that promised material riches. But, the ordinary men and women who had taken part in the lottery felt differently. The colonies had grown crowded. People wanted to believe they could build a new life. It was the "land rush" of the 22nd century. They had been the backers of this grand enterprise and when New Horizon left the atmosphere, one of them would be on board.<br/><br/>Sarah would be on board. She’d had to pass general health and education tests, and she’d managed it. She’d learned the basics of the ship's communications systems. She’d been assigned duties of her own. While the rest of the crew kept detailed secure ship's logs, her personal journal was published daily for avid fans and naysayers to discuss. As they had moved closer to the launch date, the numbers of viewers had reached billions. People all over the colonies were listening to her impressions of this adventure.<br/><br/>The space program had become the career of the future again all thanks to one brown haired, hazel eyed only child who had never made it beyond Basic Ed. Thanks to her logs, every ordinary man, woman and child in the colonies would be an pioneer aboard New Horizons.<br/><br/>As she looked out over the crowd of reporters and onlookers beyond, she felt the familiar burn at the back of her eyes. Her father's face wasn't among them. Before tears could well, there was a blaze of fireworks and fanfare of trumpets as the ceremony finally ended. Taking in a ragged breath, she steadied herself and the cameraman who caught the look knew it would be the best image of her so far.