Space Hoax

4 GETTING HOME

The wooden wheels of the rickety horse drawn wagon rolled slowly along the bumpy dirt road, jostling Peter around as he sat on a patch of straw. A slight aroma of manure started to mix in with the stale mildew smell he had been inhaling over the last few hours in the tight, enclosed area. He thought at first the smell was coming from the horse pulling them, but soon realized it was instead coming from Ying’s baby next to him. A slight grin crossed his face. Just last week he was over 200,000 miles away in lunar orbit watching the majestic sight of his home planet slowly rising above the lunar surface. Now here he was, hiding like an outlaw in this muggy old wagon with a mother and her now crying baby in a dirty diaper. He had to laugh.

Unexpectedly, Ying’s grandfather, who was driving the wagon, anxiously yelled out something in Chinese. Ying’s eyes widened as she started to rock her baby, trying to calm him. “Soldiers come.”

Peter quickly peeked ahead through one of the narrow slits between the wooden planks that made up the wagon, just above the old man’s shoulder. He saw two Chinese soldiers stationed at a makeshift roadblock they were approaching. Shit. What am I going to do? Ying was having no luck quieting the baby. He was positive they would check inside. He was doomed.

Peter’s heart began to race as he shimmied toward the back end of the wagon where the flimsy access door was. Though it was locked, the wobbly wooden entryway could easily be pried opened. His mind started racing, trying to figure his plan of attack. His only hope was to surprise the guards as they opened the small door and overpower them. Peter looked back through the thin cracks to see they were almost upon the guards. His heart dropped when he noticed they had guns drawn. Fortunately, Ying had calmed her child. Soon the jostling ended as the wagon came to a halt. One of the soldiers shouted out a question. The grandfather timidly answered. Peter held his breath as the other soldier started to walk slowly along the side of the wagon, his gun pointed at it. Neither Ying nor Peter moved.

As the guard approached the back end, Peter’s adrenaline began pumping, his whole body prepared for attack. Suddenly the baby let out a cry and instantly Peter’s muscles tensed. He kept his eye on the soldier’s hands, waiting for him to attempt to pry open the door. The soldier instead yelled out a question as Ying quieted her baby. The wagon wobbled as the grandfather got out and gradually walked toward the back. The guard stepped back as the grandfather approached the door. Peter was convinced he was going to unlock it. The grandfather paused for a moment before he turned and began to plead with the young man. Thinking this might be his only opportunity to catch the soldier off guard, Peter lifted his leg, getting ready to crash open the flimsy door. Ying grabbed his shoulder. He briefly took his eye off the guard to look her way. She slightly shook her head no. Peter turned back to see the man move her grandfather to the side and stare at the wagon. Peter was convinced the bright morning sunshine made it difficult for the guard to see through the small slits into the dark wagon. The man shouted a question in their direction. Peter didn’t move nor say a word. Ying immediately spoke up as her baby began to cry. Peter was totally confused and stayed ready to kick. Ying briefly conversed with the Chinese man through the thin planks in their native language until the other guard called out. Peter was astounded to see the soldier say something to the grandfather before walking back to his post, surprisingly giving them clearance to pass.

Peter couldn’t believe his luck, escaping certain capture. After they had passed through the checkpoint and were far enough away, he whispered to Ying, “How did we get through that?”

Ying was patting her baby on the back. “Yeye say he have granddaughter. She nine months pregnant with second child. We flee family officials.”

Peter tilted his head. “So why didn’t they open the door to check?”

Ying shrugged her shoulders. “I not know. Guard ask me if I okay. I say I think baby come soon. Other guard call out to him. He say to Yeye this not his concern.” She smiled. “He say watch for bad American. He danger.”

Peter shook his head, assuming that the soldiers didn’t want to get involved with the possibility of delivering a child. “Damn, that was close. I was sure he was going to open the door.”

Ying raised her eyebrows and leaned into him. “Since you be to moon, maybe Ching’e save you.”

Peter chuckled. “Or maybe that bunny.”

ANNE NOVAK WAS a wreck. She had been driving her sister-in-law crazy over the last hour pacing nervously back and forth in her kitchen waiting for a phone call from NASA. As the wife of a moonwalker, she had access to the top brass in the organization. She had a call in to the NASA administrator requesting an update on her son. She was assured she would get a call back within the hour.

In a relaxed tone, Virginia said, “Don’t worry. I’m sure Peter’s okay.”

Anne stopped pacing and darted her brown eyes directly at her sister-in-law. “How can you say that? Supposedly he landed three days ago, but yet we haven’t heard a thing. You know Peter would have called me by now if he could. I know something’s wrong.”

“Well the news said his spacecraft landed safely.”

“Yeah, in China! After what he did, do you think they were waiting with open arms?” Anne lifted her hands and covered her face knowing her sister-in-law was just trying to help. She lightly rubbed her face as she whispered. “Peter, please be safe.”

Anne heard Virginia get off the bar stool and walk toward her. Her sister-in-law’s arm wrapped around her and she said in a consoling voice, “You know our government will get him out, especially after what he did.”

Anne slowly moved her hands from her face and saw the encouraging look on Virginia’s face. Virginia was happy her brother’s legacy was restored, as was she. Anne was immensely proud of her son for proving that his dad had walked on the moon, but Peter’s well-being was all she cared about now. She couldn’t bear to be without both her husband and her only child. Finally, the phone rang. Surprisingly, Anne couldn’t get herself to move.

Virginia nudged her. “Answer it.”

Anne looked at her sister-in-law as she drew a deep breath.

Virginia removed her arm before tilting her head and giving the reassurance Anne needed. “It’ll be fine. Go ahead, answer it.”

Anne slowly walked over to the phone. She stared at it for a second. God, please let him be okay. She gradually lowered her hand and grabbed the cold receiver. She closed her eyes as she lifted it to her ear. She timidly answered, “Hello.”

“Hello, Anne, it’s Doug Rose.”

“Hi, Doug. Thank you so much for calling me back.”

“My pleasure. It’s the least I can do after the heroic mission your son carried out. I have to tell you, not only is he a hero at this agency, he’s a hero to this country. In fact, the President of the United States calls him a hero.”

Anne opened her eyes, caring only about one thing. “Doug, is Peter okay?”

There was an uncomfortable silence. Doug’s voice turned serious. “We know the Chinese spacecraft had some problems when it entered the atmosphere; however, they did land. At this time, the Chinese are being vague on Peter’s condition. I’ve been assured our government is pursuing all options to make sure he’s safe and to get him home as soon as possible.”

Anne dropped her head. “Doug, do you think he survived?”

Again silence, before Doug answered with a definitive, “Yes.”

PETER TRUDGED UP the steep embankment carrying Ying’s sleeping baby through the trees that blocked the early afternoon sun. With no clear path up the mountain, he had to make one, going over bushes and under branches. He was happy to have had a few days rest at Ying’s family farm. No way could he have made this climb soon after returning from space. He looked back to see Ying struggling. They had been at it for almost two hours. Ying’s grandfather got them as close as he could, which was to the base of the mountains that bordered Kyrgyzstan. They were almost at the top of the ridge, and according to the grandfather, just past the peak was Kyrgyzstan.

“You okay?”

Ying stopped a second to wipe the sweat off her forehead. “I fine.”

Peter was impressed with the young girl’s strength and stamina. “We’re almost to the top.”

Ying bowed her head slightly before resuming the climb.

Peter came upon a hanging branch blocking his way. When he moved it to the side, he instantly stopped. A beautiful baby Panda cub was all alone playing at the base of a tree. It looked just like the many cute, cuddly stuffed toys he had often seen in stores, with its fluffy white fur and trademark black circles around its eyes. Part of him wanted to go pick it up and hug it. Ying walked up to his side and noticed the panda. A surprised look crossed her face. In a whisper she asked, “Where Mom?”

Peter quietly answered, “No idea. I haven’t seen her.” Though he didn’t know much about pandas, he knew any pissed off grown bear could kill.

Ying pulled Peter’s shirt. “Let’s go another way.”

Peter nodded as he turned, but in his rush he accidently let a branch swipe against Ying’s baby. The boy instantly woke with a wail. Peter looked back to see the panda cub scurry off in the opposite direction toward some bushes. Ying quickly grabbed her baby hoping to calm him, but regrettably, it was too late. A loud rustling sound started to come from the direction of the cub. Soon the bushes shook violently before an enormous panda emerged.

Peter kept his eye on the monster as he whispered, “Should we run?”

Ying was trying to muffle her child’s cries. “No. Not move.”

Peter stayed still, but the bear kept approaching. He had to do something. He quickly opened the survival kit strapped to his waist and quietly pulled out a smoke flare. He hurriedly pulled the cap before throwing the flare in front of the bear. Orange smoke instantly started shooting out one end with a loud hiss. Peter was relieved to see the bear retreat into the bushes. Soon the orange smoke had engulfed the area.

Waving the smoke from his face, Peter smiled. “That seems to have done the trick.”

Ying nodded as she motioned that they walk in the other direction.

After a few moments of walking, Peter’s heart sank when he heard helicopter blades. He turned and raised his hand for Ying to stop. She halted as she tilted her head, questioning why. He put his finger to his lips as he listened. It had been days since he had last seen any Chinese helicopters. He would have thought twice about using the flare if he thought choppers were patrolling. The faint sound started to increase. It was definitely a helicopter. He looked back at the bellowing orange smoke in the distance that now extended into the sky. There was no way the pilot would miss that. Damn!

Peter took the baby from Ying. “We need to find a hiding place, now!” They took off running, jumping over bushes as he scanned the area for cover.

Over by some large rocks, he thought he saw an entrance to a small cave. Perfect. He quickly hustled to the entry. The opening looked to be about three feet in diameter. He moved branches to the side as he peeked in. He could barely see in due to the blocked out sunlight. The hollow was empty and dark. Though it would probably be tight, it would work. He quickly motioned for Ying to get in as the helicopter approached. She reached for the baby. “No, get in first,” insisted Peter.

Ying got on her hands and knees before scampering into the small opening. Once in, her hands reappeared. Peter handed her the baby before swiftly gathering some branches. He quickly crawled in and covered the entrance with the sticks.

He was pleased the baby stayed quiet as the helicopter began to hover over them. Because of the smoke flare, he was sure the helicopter would land or send down soldiers on a drop line. Peter couldn’t believe his ears when he heard English being spoken over the helicopter’s PA system.

“This is the United States Air Force. Please come out and show yourself.”

Peter was cautious at first, wondering if the Chinese were playing a trick on him. He peeked through the branches to see the markings were definitely American military. He quickly brushed the branches aside as he jumped up and started waving and yelling at the chopper.

The PA blared, “We see you. Please stay put.”

A big smile crossed Peter’s face. He stuck his head back into the cave. “Looks like the good guys are here to save us.”

THE SMELL OF medicine filled the air as Peter dialed up Dmitri using the phone in the medical ward. He and Ying were safely at Manas Air Base. After a brief once-over by the doctor, Peter was finally free to make important calls. He had already tried calling Anya on her cell phone but got her voicemail. He elected not to leave a message, wanting to tell her directly he was safe and out of China. He hoped to reach her brother in Russia and find out where she was.

As Peter held the phone to his ear waiting for his friend to answer, he looked over at Ying who was lying on a gurney getting ready for an ultrasound examination. By her side, her son slept peacefully. Peter was happy to have taken her along and pleased she would be taken care of.

Dmitri answered, “Zdrah-stvooy.”

For the first time since leaving the moon Peter finally heard a familiar voice. He instantly flashed a big grin. “Hello, Dmitri, guess who?”

Dmitri’s voice shot up into a high octave tone. “Peter! It’s you. It’s great to hear your voice. We thought you were dead.”

Peter’s face tightened as he looked out the window. “What? Who told you that?”

“The Chinese. CNSA informed NASA you burned to death upon landing and there were no remains.”

Peter’s grip tightened on the phone. “Bullshit. Is that what Anya thinks?”

There was a long pause. “Yes. I informed her a few days ago.”

Peter started pacing. “Where is she? I need to tell her I’m okay. I just tried calling her cell phone.”

“She’s flying to America. After Dad’s memorial yesterday she told me she needed to give something to your mom.”

Peter stopped pacing and lowered his head. The depressing memories of Viktor dying in their spacecraft flashed through Peter’s mind. The veteran cosmonaut’s final resting place ended up being the surface of the moon, where their dying ship crashed with his lifeless body strapped in. “I’m sorry I missed his funeral. He did one hell of a job flying us to the moon. He was a good man.”

“Thanks Peter. If we had any idea you were alive, we would have held off. It was a beautiful service.”

Peter cleared his head. He needed to get to Anya and was sure she was delivering his letter to his mom per his request if he died. He resumed pacing. “When did Anya leave?”

“Earlier this morning. She’s definitely on a plane now.”

Peter’s mind began racing. He figured she had about twenty hours of travel time from Moscow before reaching his mom’s in Houston, probably arriving around dinnertime. He figured he could travel in half that time if he could fly out on one of the F-15s from the base. If he flew out in the next few hours, he should arrive before her. Convinced he could beat her, he decided not to wake his mom. “I need to get to Houston before she does.”

“Peter, there’s something you should know.”

Peter stopped pacing. “What’s that?”

“After she learned you were killed. The news…well…it was just too much for her to handle.”

“What happened? Is she okay?” There was a long pause. Peter began nervously tapping his finger on the phone.

“She lost the baby.”

Peter’s heart squeezed. He looked over to see Ying’s belly exposed as the doctor moved a rounded device over gel on her tummy. A big smile was on her face as she was seeing images of her child for the first time. She saw Peter look over and enthusiastically pointed to the monitor. He smiled before turning away. His smile fell. “Damn. Is she okay?”

“Physically, she’s fine. But emotionally, she’s a wreck.”

“Okay, thanks. I’m going to get to Houston as soon as I can.”

“Good luck. Anya will be thrilled. She’s madly in love with you, Peter.”

Peter grimaced at the pain she must be in. “I’m madly in love with her too.”

THE F-15E STRIKE Eagle looked impressive as Peter walked around the gray beauty, inspecting it while wearing a borrowed flight suit and carrying a helmet by his side. The Air Force had pretty jets, and to Peter, the F-15 was the queen of the ball. The sixty-foot plane looked like it was doing Mach 2 sitting on the ground. He couldn’t wait to get her in the air.

Pleased he was able to get in a quick shower and shave before suiting up for the flight, Peter slapped the back of the pilot who was stuck with the chore of escorting him home. “Tommy, I call the front seat.”

Tommy shot him a surprised look. “Sir, I was told you were to be in the weapon’s seat.”

Peter arched his eyebrow and assumed a cocky grin. “Why? Are we going into battle?” He pointed his finger to the back seat. “You don’t want to waste my talents back there, Son. Tell you what, you sit in the back and take a nap.”

Unwavering, Tommy said, “Sir, I need to check with my commanding officer.”

“Or you can check with my commanding officer.” Peter winked. Tommy was aware the President of the United States had given clearance to the base commander for him to have this ride. “Tell you what, I’ll just fly the first leg.” He would probably need sleep later on anyway. But right now, he had to get his hands on this baby and see what she could do.

Tommy started climbing up the ladder to the cockpit as he asked in a sarcastic tone, “You won’t crash it?”

Peter looked up. “Dude, I don’t have $30 million in change. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of your precious baby. However, I might show you a trick or two.”

Peter got his way, and before he knew it, he had the F-15 engines roaring as the jet sat motionless at the end of the runway waiting to be freed. Peter held the mighty bird back as he teased his senses. The howl of the engines shot goose bumps all over his body. His hand tightened around the stick as he looked down the straightaway in front of him. It’s been awhile, baby. He had been given final clearance by the tower and was ready to play. He wrapped the oxygen mask around his mouth and locked it in place before lowering his visor. He yelled out, “Are you ready for an E-ticket ride?”

His young passenger questioned, “What’s an E-ticket ride?”

A mischievous smile crossed Peter’s face as he released the brakes. The jet shot forward with an unbelievable force. “Let’s see what 60,000 lbs of thrust feels like.” The afterburner kicked in as their acceleration increased. Peter couldn’t have worn a bigger grin. As they powered down the runway, Peter decided to give the tower a little show. “Hold on.” He pulled back on the stick and went vertical, shooting straight up into the sky as he continued to accelerate. After all he had been through over the last month, this was the release he needed. He couldn’t contain himself as he yelled out a wild, “Yeehaw!”

KUANG SLAMMED THE phone receiver down hard. His blood boiled after learning the military allowed the American to escape China. With the astronaut safely out of the country, he lost his last chance of forcing a false confession with the hopes of swaying public opinion. Boxed into a corner, he had no choice but to put into action China’s backup plan, put in place in case the moon mission failed. With the American beating them to the moon and exposing their lies, he had to play his trump card. Though the hoax would kill astronauts and affect future space exploration for the international community for years, there was no other option. China had to strike back after being embarrassed in front of the world.

He decidedly picked up the phone to call Lin Wu, the Assistant Director of China’s secret service. The MSS was the lead agency for the covert operation and had been waiting for Kuang’s approval to initiate the final stages. Kuang hesitated for a moment before dialing the number, making sure he was making the right decision. He peeked over at the picture of his parents. A quick flash of Americans celebrating their recent success was enough to convince him. He assertively punched in the Assistant Director’s number before patiently waiting for Lin to answer.

“Hello.”

Kuang spoke in a steady voice. “Lin, it’s Kuang.”

A cocky tone oozed from the phone. “I was expecting your call.”

It was obvious Lin knew the details of the failed mission. “Put operation Tianlong into action.”

“You want all phases initiated?”

Without hesitation Kuang answered, “Yes, immediately.”

“Consider it done. You have made a wise decision.”

PETER HUSTLED UP the front porch steps of his mom’s house, wondering if he had arrived before Anya. The F-15 did a great job getting him halfway around the world in record time, and a loaner military car was waiting for him at Ellington Air Force Base. He figured he had about a 60% chance of being first. If he wasn’t, then his mom was probably already informed her only son was dead. The news would be devastating and possibly a total shock if she still had no idea that he had been on the mission to the moon; for all he knew, she’d never been told about the top-secret assignment. He took a moment to peek through a small slit in the side window blinds to see if he could spot either lady. He moved his head around, but there was no evidence.

He repositioned himself with his face looking directly at the door as he nervously rubbed his hands together. These two ladies were the most important people in his life, and he couldn’t wait to see them. He looked down at the potted plant and considered using the front door key hidden in it as he often did. Not knowing what was going on inside, he felt it best to ring the doorbell. Besides, if his mom had been told of his death, then he would be pulling off a miracle for her. Opening the door and seeing her son standing there alive would be a shocker, and he had a flair for dramatics.

He took a deep breath before pushing the doorbell button. The chime echoed throughout the front foyer. He was surprisingly nervous as he waited, shifting his weight back and forth on his feet. After a few moments, he heard someone slowly walk up and unlock the door. He stood up straighter as the handle turned and the door slowly opened.

The sunlight followed the door inside and worked its way across his mother’s body before lighting her face. He could tell by her red eyes she had been crying, evidence Anya was there and had given her the bad news. Her mouth gaped wide open, obviously startled to see him. He smiled big as he raised his arms, “Guess who?”

Her whole expression transformed to joy. She yelled out, “Peter!” as she jumped into his arms. As they hugged, she said softly, “I thought I had lost you forever.”

Peter smiled. “Na, you didn’t lose me. Not yet anyway.”

She pulled away and looked into his eyes. “Anya’s here. She told me you died while landing in China.”

Peter shook his head. “Sorry about that, Mom. That was a bunch of crap put out by China.” He stepped back slightly and peeked into the house. “Where is she?”

His mom smiled big. “She’s in your dad’s office. She will be so surprised. I know she struggled to stay strong while telling me you didn’t survive. She’s hurting deeply.”

He patted his mom lightly on the back. “I’ve got to see her.” He gave his mom a sweet kiss on the cheek before walking down the hallway.

“I’ll warm up some tea in the kitchen.”

“Perfect,” Peter whispered.

He worked his way through the house before reaching the end of the hallway where his dad’s office door was not quite closed all the way. Quietly, he pushed it open and peered inside. Anya’s back was to him as she stood looking at the photographs on the wall. She was dressed casually in a pair of jeans with an untucked purple blouse, her jet-black hair flowing past her shoulders. He grinned with pride. No matter how she dressed, she looked fabulous.

She was staring at the picture of their fathers together, taken during their training for the U.S.-USSR mission. He took a second to take in the moment, one he had felt he would never have after taking on the suicide mission. Finally he said, “Your father was one hell of a cosmonaut. He saved my ass a couple of times.”

She didn’t move. The room was still for a moment. In a frail voice she said, “I hear your dad was a hell of an astronaut, too, and that he even walked on the moon.” Without turning around, she slowly lowered her head as he walked up from behind. Her voice trembled as she said, “This better not be a dream.”

Peter put his hand on her shoulder. “Baby, it’s no dream.”

She turned, tears swelling in her blue eyes. “Oh, Peter.” She flung herself into his waiting arms as she wrapped hers tightly around him. Peter never felt so good in his life. He picked her up and twirled her around as he said, “Anya Alexandrov, I missed you so much. I love you.”

Her whole body was shaking. She squeezed even tighter as she responded, “Peter Novak, you have no idea how much I love you.”