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The trip had been on one of your first sub-orbital spacecraft, back when you were still experimenting with piggy-backing rocketships to the edge of space by carrying them on specially adapted aircraft.

The rocket had been designed by your business partner, who was a grizzled former test pilot and engineer with twelve space missions under his belt and his own aerospace company into which you’d invested – by that point – over five hundred million dollars.

The crew consisted of the two of you plus six assorted celebrities – pop stars, actors and social media influencers – who had all been paid over a million dollars each to join the promotional trip – and who had all eaten the same fateful macrobiotic breakfast before boarding that morning.

The ship was called “Marybelle” in honour of your mother.

Like the rocketship, your mother had been sleek, beautiful and expensive. And like the vacuum of space, she had been cold, empty and cruel.

Continue reading “You liked to remind people that you’d been to space – even though the actual experience had lasted for less than five minutes and had ended in shame and embarrassment for everyone involved” →