Space Hoax

5 BACK IN THE FIRE

Late for an urgent meeting with the director of the Space Intelligence Division, Peter had a confident strut in his step as he hustled down the long narrow corridor of the CIA building. He couldn’t hide the elation that bubbled within, happy to be back on Earth and to have spent the last few days with his true love. He came close to proposing to Anya while in Houston, but with the loss of the baby, the timing wasn’t right. He knew they were destined to be together and that moment would come.

Unfortunately, their time was cut short by an early morning wakeup call from Gavin Ross, requesting him to report immediately to the Virginia headquarters. Although he was not given any details, the urgency in the director’s voice, along with a waiting jet to fly him to D.C., convinced him it was a serious crisis. He hated leaving Anya so soon after getting back; however, he was excited about rejoining SID. Peter had to resign from the agency before accepting the secret mission to the moon, ensuring he had no direct ties to the government. The President wanted to make sure America could not be directly blamed for the operation if it failed.

Peter was pleased he caught Gavin’s assistant before she took off for her lunch break. Lola Peterson immediately lit up when she saw him, sending a surprising jolt of joy through him. The attractive sixty-year-old grandmother jumped to her feet and extended her arms. Peter swooped in for a hug. She squeezed tightly. “I thought we had lost you.”

From the genuineness in her voice, he realized she must have known that he had been on a suicide mission. He tried to lighten the mood. “Then you wouldn’t have to worry about some cocky agent flirting with you.”

Lola pulled back. Her eyes locking on his as her expression grew serious. “You would be the one I would miss.”

Considering all the agents she had dealt with over the years, that was high praise. “Thanks, Lola. I appreciate that. So I guess you can tolerate my flirting?”

Lola gave him a final squeeze before pulling away, her face glowing again. “Tolerate it? I insist on it.”

“Great.” Peter arched an eyebrow as he slowly looked her up and down. “Well then, you look as sexy as ever.”

She blushed as she tucked her hair behind her ear. “Keep ‘em coming, young man. Can I pour you a cup of coffee before you go in?”

“That’d be great.”

As always, he watched her from behind as she walked over and poured. She quickly turned around to catch him staring. He just smiled. She carefully handed him the cup as she winked. “You better get in there.”

He leaned over and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. “Thank you.” He took a whiff of the freshly brewed coffee before proudly marching through Gavin’s open doorway. He barked out, “Good afternoon, Boss.”

Gavin quickly swung around in his chair and looked up from the paperwork he was reviewing. A warm smile instantly appeared. He stood and extended a welcoming hand. “Good to see you, Peter.”

Peter nodded as he approached the empty chair in front of the desk. “Glad to be here.” He gently placed the coffee on a coaster before he took the outstretched hand, and gave a firm handshake.

Gavin mashed his lips before he spoke, his voice laced with sincerity. “I’m so happy you made it back. That was a hard call for the agency to make, sacrificing one of our best.”

Peter tried to put the director at ease as he let go of his hand. “It was my decision. I did it for my dad and my country. You put no pressure on me. I’m just happy China saved my ass.” Peter pulled a thumb drive out of his pocket and tossed it on Gavin’s desk. “Here is a copy of the pictures taken at the moon. Hopefully it wasn’t damaged from the water.”

Gavin picked up the drive and looked at it. “Water?”

“Yeah, we landed in a river.”

“Well I am glad you survived. That was some adventure you were on.”

“An adventure of a lifetime. It was amazing flying over Dad’s old stomping grounds, seeing his footprints after forty years.”

Gavin placed the drive into his desk drawer. “I’m sure you made your dad proud, and you definitely made your country proud.” Gavin motioned toward a chair. “Have a seat.”

As Peter sat, the director continued to stand, holding the paperwork by his side. “I appreciate you coming out on such short notice.”

Peter flashed a sly smile, remembering his frustration at leaving Anya in a warm bed. “I could tell by your voice it was urgent.”

“It is.” Gavin sat down and set the papers on his desk before shuffling through another stack. His eyes widened when he found what he was looking for. He studied the paperwork for a moment before looking up with hope. “How would you like to rejoin the team?”

Without pause, Peter answered, “Absolutely.”

“Great.” Gavin leaned over and placed the paperwork in front of him. “Here are your reinstatement papers. Sign them, and I can brief you on the mission.”

Peter grabbed one of Gavin’s pens from a holder and started initialing the highlighted areas. “I think I might hold off taking any suicide missions for awhile.”

“Let’s hope I never have to ask an agent to do that again.”

Peter signed the last page before handing the papers back.

Gavin spiritedly grabbed the papers. He flipped to the last page and signed it. “Okay, it’s official. You’re back on board.”

Curiosity had been gnawing at Peter ever since Gavin’s call, wondering why he was needed over other agents. “So what’s this crisis?”

Gavin leaned back in his chair and studied Peter for a moment. He answered in a tight and efficient voice. “The Soyuz that launched yesterday for the ISS had an explosion in orbit and is stranded. The explosion happened in the service module, damaging the descent module. All three cosmonauts have been forced into the orbital module until they can be rescued.”

Peter’s jaw dropped as he straightened in his chair. Though he hadn’t watched much news since getting back, he remembered hearing a civilian was going to the ISS. “Isn’t there a space tourist on board?”

Gavin nodded. “Yes, and apparently he is some billionaire’s spoiled ass kid who is not handling this very well.”

“How much time do they have?”

“NASA figures they have less than forty-eight hours before their air supply runs out.”

Peter lifted his hands, palm side up. “So why doesn’t Russia just send up a Soyuz to save them?”

Gavin shot him a dejected look. “They can’t. The damaged Soyuz is the newer model K, which unluckily happens to be what’s sitting on the pad for an emergency rescue. The Russians fear the same problem can happen again, and there’s no reliable Soyuz model TMA ready. They can have one on the pad by tomorrow, but it will be minus an orbital module. So it can’t be used for the rescue.”

Peter shook his head, amazed at Russia’s shortsightedness. He understood there wouldn’t be enough room to house all three men along with the rescuing pilot in a Soyuz without an orbital module. Since the damaged ship the cosmonauts were in also had no airlock, there wasn’t the possibility of saving two of the men and transporting them to the ISS before returning for the other.

Peter raised an eyebrow. “What was the rush launching without a TMA model ready?”

“Apparently there was some clause in the space tourist’s contract that said he had to launch by July 15^th or it would be null and void.”

Peter rolled his eyes. He knew how important money was to the Russian space program. “So why don’t they just pick them up with the escape pods from the space station?”

“Well, if you remember, you stole one,” replied Gavin with a smirk. “And the other one was brought back on schedule with three ISS astronauts.”

Peter took a sip of coffee. He was starting to get the picture. The only potential lifeboat out there was the Galileo parked at the space station, which he flew up. He figured that must be why he was needed. He leaned back in his chair, putting both hands on the armrests. “So what do you need me for?”

Gavin spoke without hesitation. “The Galileo is our only option at saving those men, and you are the only man who has flown it.”

Peter looked out the window. Though Galileo could be returned to Earth by mission control, it would need to be piloted by an astronaut to rendezvous with the disabled Soyuz. “So I fly up on the Russian rocket being put on the pad?”

“Yes, a TMA model with no orbital module. If you accept the mission, you would need to leave immediately for Baikonur. A veteran cosmonaut will fly you to the space station.”

Peter figured it would take him at least fourteen hours travel time to get to Russia’s launch facility, Baikonur Cosmodome, in Kazakhstan. With the ten-hour time change, he would probably arrive mid-morning local time.

Peter rubbed his chin, thinking. “How will we dock to the ISS without an orbital module?”

“You won’t. Since you will not have a docking apparatus, the ISS robotic arm will capture you. You’ll do a spacewalk to enter the station.”

Peter grabbed his cup of coffee as he looked past Gavin, taking a sip as he thought of the operation. He assumed his responsibility would be to fly the Galileo, while the cosmonaut taking him up or one of the ISS astronauts did the rescue spacewalk. He started shaking his head. He was familiar with the internals of the Galileo, and questioned it being large enough to house all five astronauts. “I think we have a problem.”

Gavin tilted his head. “What’s that?”

Peter set the coffee cup back on the desk. “I seriously doubt the Galileo can handle five men in spacesuits, especially if one of us is in an EMU suit.”

Gavin relaxed his shoulders. “Not a problem; that’s already been thought out. There will only be four of you.”

Peter leaned back as he shot a questioning look toward his boss.

“Only you will fly over in Galileo. Once you rendezvous with the Soyuz, you will pass control of the vehicle over to SpaceQuest. Then you will do the spacewalk to rescue the men.”

“Is the plan to return to the International Space Station?”

“No. There is not enough fuel. You’ll have to return to Earth.”

With his elbows planted on the chair’s armrests Peter extended his hands. “What if there is an emergency with the ISS when I depart in the Galileo? The only lifeboat available will be the Soyuz we fly up, and it can’t handle three ISS astronauts and the cosmonaut.”

“Correct, but that’s a risk NASA has accepted. Russia should get a second TMA model up there within forty-eight hours after you leave the station.”

Peter locked his fingers together as he looked out the window. Just as he couldn’t wear the rigid spacesuit in the Chinese ship falling through the atmosphere, he surely couldn’t wear one in the cramped Soyuz. “I doubt I can go through re-entry wearing an EMU suit.”

“NASA agrees. In fact they question whether you could fly the Galileo in that suit. NASA concluded there is only one type of spacesuit out there that would allow you the flexibility of sitting in a seat and doing an extended EVA.”

“Which one is that?” Peter reached for his cup and took another sip.

“The old Skylab suit.”

Peter practically spit out his coffee hearing he was going to be wearing a suit made for the 1973 mission. “Are you serious?”

“Yep. In fact as we speak one is being packed on the military plane that will fly to Kazakhstan, hopefully with you on board.”

Peter joked, “What museum did they find that at?” He set his coffee down. “Will it work?”

“I’ve been told they rushed to locate one your size and quickly had it tested. After replacing some parts, it should do the job.”

Peter was familiar with the Skylab suit. As he thought about it, using that suit made sense. The Skylab spacesuits were designed for both flight and spacewalks. Though the suit’s main source of oxygen during extravehicular activities, or EVA’s, was supplied by an umbilical cord attached to the Skylab station, they also had a small emergency oxygen pack strapped to the leg. These small packs differed from the Apollo suits that had large backpacks. Peter couldn’t sit in Galileo with the large Apollo backpack attached, and couldn’t hook up one on his own.

Gavin’s eyes grew wide. “Guess whose suit you’ll wear?”

Right away Peter thought of Dusty Robinson, the man who walked on the moon with his dad and later flew on Skylab. His dad always swore Dusty was over six feet tall, the height limit by NASA back then. Dusty later admitted he tried to avoid taking a physical in the morning because he seemed to shrink throughout the day, and he learned how to slouch unnoticeably. Peter smiled. “There is only one Skylab astronaut’s suit I could possibly fit in—Dusty Robinson.”

Gavin looked impressed. “Damn, you’re right. The cosmonaut flying up with you will wear the new Sokol LM spacesuit, which will allow him to do the transfer to the space station.”

“How will I move between spacecrafts?”

“A SAFER. You will jury-rig the jetpack to the Skylab suit.”

A sly smirk emerged on Peter’s face as he remembered slamming into the International Space Station wearing the propulsive backpack system. “Good; I’m an expert on flying that thing now.”

Gavin shot a puzzled look.

Peter gave a minor nod with a wink before he turned to gaze out the window. This operation was sounding like a blast, and he was convinced he could pull it off. But he hated leaving Anya so soon after getting back from the moon. How would she handle it? He hoped she would understand this was his job, a part of his life.

Gavin interrupted his train of thought. “Russia does not want this to go public. It could be a public relations nightmare and hurt their future tourist business.”

Peter turned with a look of coolness, understanding this was a top-secret mission. “Got it.”

Gavin leaned back and put his hands behind his head. “So what do you think? Are you game?”

“Absolutely. I’m your man. I’ll bring those men back safely. Besides, I never paid my bill for my last stay at the space station.”

Gavin smiled as he grabbed a file and tossed it across the desk. “Here are the specifics. You need to leave immediately. There’s a helicopter outside waiting to take you to Andrews Air Force Base.” Gavin stood and extended his hand. “It’s great to have you back, Peter.”

Peter quickly stood and grabbed Gavin’s hand. “Good to be back, Boss.”

PETER HUSTLED ACROSS the rooftop helipad as he powered through the rushing air being generated by the mighty rotors of the waiting black helicopter. When he walked under the spinning blades, he lowered his head, a common reflex.

Peter approached the helicopter’s entrance. An agent was waiting by the doorway. He yelled out over the thundering noise surrounding them. “Welcome aboard, Mr. Novak.”

Peter gave a casual wave as he hollered back, “Thank you.” He quickly jumped in before shifting over to the back seat bench. He immediately put on the radio headset lying on the seat. Other than the pilot at the controls, he was the only passenger. The agent outside gave a brief wave before shutting the door tight, instantly cutting off the loud noise.

The pilot looked back as he spoke into his mic. “Hello, sir; I’m Darren. Welcome aboard.”

Peter adjusted the volume on his headset. “Thank you. By the way, you don’t have to call me sir.”

“Are you ready for takeoff, Mr. Novak?”

“Darren, just call me Peter. I’m all set.”

“Yes, sir.”

Peter chuckled at the young agent. The craft started to lift as he looked outside. He always enjoyed the sensation of flying in a helicopter. After they were a safe distance up, the helicopter rolled on its side, pulling him toward the window as they went into a steep 90-degree turn.

Peter continued to stare as he started to review the mission in his head. He couldn’t believe he was already going back into space after being back only a little over a week. He was looking forward to launching in a Russian rocket for the first time, as well as getting back into a Soyuz spacecraft. He instantly thought of Viktor, sure he would reminisce about his old friend through the mission. He was looking forward to visiting those past memories.

This was the first mission he’d agreed to take on while in love. Anya was now a part of his life, and he had a responsibility to her. He needed to inform her he was leaving and would definitely return home safely. “Can you patch a call through for me?”

“Yes, sir.”

Peter rattled off Anya’s cell number. He rubbed his hands together as he waited. Soon the ringing reverberated in his headset.

After a few rings, her soft voice answered. “Hello?”

Peter figured she was probably wondering who was calling after seeing an unknown number. “Hey, Baby, it’s me.”

Her voice perked up. “Where are you?”

“I’m in a helicopter.”

“Are you coming home?”

There was a short pause. “I wish I was. I’m leaving the country on a short mission.”

Sadness outlined her voice. “Oh? When will you return?”

Peter spoke with assurance. “Not sure. Maybe in a week or so, but there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Where are you off to?”

Peter couldn’t tell her, and even if he wanted to, he was on an open mic. Though no firm plans had been made between them on what they would do regarding their jobs and living situation, Anya had mentioned she needed to get back to Russia because of her work. He figured if she went back and met with Dmitri, he would probably tell her what was going on, possibly allowing her into the control room. “I can’t tell you, but go ahead and travel back to Russia and take care of what you need to. I also suggest touching base with Dmitri.”

“Why Dmitri?”

Peter hoped to give her a clue. “Like when I went to the moon, he might be able to give you some insight.”

Her voice sounded apprehensive. “Oh, okay.”

“I’ve got to go.”

She cooed. “Take care of yourself. I don’t ever again want to think I’ve lost you.”

Peter grabbed the pendant around his neck. “Don’t worry; everything will be fine. I don’t want to be without you, either.”

“Promise?”

Peter rubbed the pendant. “Promise.”

“I love you.”

“Love you too, Babe.”