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"Houston? Tranquility Base. The Moon is occupied," the transmission came through scratchy.
A chuckle echoed through Mission Control. The crew of Apollo 11 were known to joke on occasion.
"Tranquility? Houston. Please repeat." Capcom Bruce McCandless stared at the television images of the lander environs.
Neil's voice repeated. "Moon is occupied. Encountered one subterranean native. Please advise."
Bruce turned to the fellow men in the room. Each man there stared up with incredulity. This was no joke.
It was absolute silence. Bruce would get no help from the flight departments.
"Tranquility. Houston," Bruce finally spoke. "Do they have a flag?"