The Void

EPILOGUE

Russian Space Shuttle Orbiter Buran II, 300 miles above the Belozersky District in Vologda Oblast.

“It’s still with us.”

Commander Sergey Volodin watched the view screen as the shining dot grew larger. He turned in his seat.

“Trajectory?”

Cosmonaut engineer crewmember Valentina Marishnakov looked at her radar and shook her head. “Trajectory unchanged, velocity unchanged, astral body intersection unchanged — collision course confirmed; it will strike us in eleven minutes and twenty-three seconds. Evasive action has failed again.” She turned, her face pale. “We have not been able to outrun it.”

Volodin threw his head back. “Voloch, this damned bit of rock must be magnetic.” He wished he were seated in his Sukhoi jetfighter; he’d give it a burst from the undercarriage canon and shatter it into a million pieces.

“Wait.” Cosmonaut Nikolay Berezik held up a hand. “Roscosmos thinks they have a plan.” He listened to the voice in his earphones from the Russian Space Agency for a few more seconds. He began to nod and smile. He spun to Volodin.

“They believe we can use the robotic arm to bring it onboard.”

Volodin turned and looked at his engineer’s beaming face. He then turned to Valentina, who also nodded and raised a thumb.

She hiked her shoulders. “It’s the lowest risk.”

And doing nothing is suicide. Volodin turned back to his screens.

“Then let’s do it.”