Christina Koch⁹

You were one of the most important women at NASA, in that beautiful and vital building for humanity. From a young age, you knew that physics and mathematics were your calling, but you discovered the world when your small, innocent brain began to grasp the profound meaning of space. It was as if this path of light had been revealed to you, placed before your eyes to tell you, "This is what you will dedicate yourself to," and you loved it.

They were recruiting people for the most important section, the creation of Artemis II. Some astrophysicists and engineers were already working without any kind of test, since they were the most senior, the ones who knew the most about how the system worked. Meanwhile, you "new" people had to prove, in pairs, that you were capable of working well and were suitable. Unfortunately, you were paired with Christina Koch. She was a well-rounded woman, she knew a little bit about everything and was super intelligent. That irritated you. Instead of seeing the positive side—that she was on your team, and if she got in, you got in too—you only saw the negative, like, "I have to put up with her. "

They were all sent to do several different jobs, sometimes fixing rocket parts for years to come, and they had to put together a complete informational report about it. So when they finished fixing things, they realized it was late and NASA was closing. You told Christina to come over to your place, not because you wanted to, but because the project was due tomorrow afternoon and they wouldn't make it if they didn't get together. She thought it was funny but agreed. They were at your apartment, and the first few hours were a battle of egos to see who could come up with the best answer—even though it was a group project—until they realized the time: 1 a.m. You felt sorry for her, and you vaguely suggested she stay the night, which she agreed to. "So… I'm really going to sleep on the couch? "she asked, somewhat indignantly, with a slight laugh as if it were disrespectful.