Moonbase Crisis

by Kevin J. Anderson

  “I’ve been thinking about that,” JJ said. “Blowing the hatch would release too much pressure at once, but this leak isn’t releasing enough.…”

  “Right,” King said. “Maybe all we have to do is make the hole a little bit bigger, so it can vent the atmosphere.”

  “Exactly,” JJ said, her excitement flowing through the suit radio. “Someone’s got to release the pressure faster, and it might as well be us.”

  King gave JJ a quick high five. “Major, if Bronsky and Cushing take off the patch on the inside while we expand the hole from here, most of the air should jet out of the Halley’s cabin in only a few minutes.”

  Major Fox was pleasantly surprised. “I don’t generally try to solve a problem by causing more damage, but you may be on to something. We have limited time, and your solution is rapid and simple. A careful expansion of the hole would minimize damage while increasing the venting flux. Once the internal air pressure is released, we can operate the hatch manually.”

  Bronsky’s voice came over the suit radio. “I hate to rush you, but we have less than an hour of oxygen—and that’s using all of our reserves. My suit’s getting a little stuffy already.”

  “Very well, we’ll implement your plan, cadets,” Fox ordered. “Captain, remove your makeshift seal.”

  The three rescuers set to work on the lander’s hull. With the interior patch gone, air sprayed out more quickly. It made no sound in the vacuum, but King could feel the increased vibration when he touched the hull. Using cutters and pry bars from the MAR, Fox, King, and JJ expanded the breach, increasing the volume of the leak. More air rushed out.

  “Thirty minutes left,” Bronsky reported. “Once we get the hatch open, Cushing and I will need to hurry to reach your rover.”

  “What is your present cabin pressure?” Fox asked.

  “Normal pressure is one atmosphere—760 Torr. We’re down to 300, but it’s dropping rapidly. We may have to blow the hatch now and hope the release doesn’t cause too much damage. Our suit air tanks are showing empty, and we’re using reserves.”

  If the astronauts inside the lander ran out of oxygen and lost consciousness, King and his companions could still carry them into the MAR cabin where they would be able to breathe. But that would take a lot longer than if the men could make their own way there.

  Fox waited one more minute in tense silence, then decided it was time. “Two hundred Torr—that’ll have to do. Stand back. This might be a forceful release.”

  King and JJ stepped out of the way. When Fox activated the unlocking mechanism, the Halley’s hatch popped open with enough force to knock the British major aside by several meters, so that he struck a boulder and landed awkwardly on the rough ground.

  The last gasps of air from the lander’s cabin came out in a rush, and the two suited astronauts emerged, climbing one at a time out onto the lunar surface. King helped the major back to his feet and checked over his suit for any damage. “Quickly, to the rover,” Fox said. “The cab is already pressurized.”

  Running with dancelike grace in the low gravity, Bronsky and Cushing bounded toward the MAR and climbed the metal rungs to the platform level. King, JJ, and Major Fox waited outside, giving the two newcomers priority as they cycled through the airlock.

  “A job well done,” Fox said.

  While they waited outside under the starlit velvety-black sky, King looked over at the canted lander, thinking about how difficult it would be to do the repairs out here.

  Once they were inside the cab, Bronsky transmitted, “Ahh, that’s the freshest canned air I’ve ever breathed. Now let’s get to the moonbase. I won’t feel safe until we’re inside a good, solid module.”

  Following his companions up the ladder to the MAR’s cab, King scanned the stars overhead. Three strange lights circled in the sky, flitting back and forth … like ships. He could think of no astronomical phenomenon that would explain this. Reconnaissance vessels from the mysterious other base?

  But nothing else was supposed to be here on the Moon.

  Before he could point them out to JJ and Major Fox, however, the bright lights accelerated and streaked away with amazing speed and disappeared over the lunar horizon.

  ***

  Eighteen

  Even after the Halley crew got to Moonbase Magellan in the MAR, JJ could see how shaken the two men were. Captain Bronsky, the bristle-haired Russian pilot, had a haunted look in his eyes, and Dr. Cushing looked pale and rabbitlike.

  “I know it doesn’t make any sense,” said Bronsky. “The Halley’s only external camera got blasted before we knew what hit us, so there’s no way to prove what we saw. We’re not a research craft. Who would expect pictures to be important on a supply run?”

  “Describe the other base for us,” said Chief Ansari. “You’re certain it was some kind of artificial structure? Not just a trick of light and shadow?”

  “Shadows don’t shoot at spacecraft flying overhead,” the Russian pointed out.

  “No doubt about it, Chief,” Cushing said. “We saw a whole outpost—excavations, construction sites, mining areas. It was an extensive complex, several times the size of this base. I’d say at least a hundred personnel, plus a large amount of heavy equipment. We don’t know what was going on, but those people certainly didn’t want to be seen.”

  Bronsky jumped in. “I couldn’t believe my eyes. We sent a standard contact transmission—what else were we supposed to do? We weren’t spying on them.”

  “And then we saw some spacecraft launching,” Cushing said, breathing hard again at the frightening memory. “We got a good look, too—hull configurations like nothing I’ve ever seen. Angular and … unearthly.”

  “So you figure they were alien ships, right?” Dyl asked. The moonbase crew frowned at him, but JJ’s brother stood his ground. “Anybody got a better explanation? How does a full-fledged base magically appear on the Moon without anybody knowing about it?”

  “Could it be an Earth military complex?” Fox said, then answered his own question. “No, I can’t believe any government has the funds to undertake a project of this scope. And how would they keep it a secret?”

  “And most important, why would anyone from Earth shoot at a supply ship?” Bronsky asked. “Moonbase Magellan is a peaceful research station.”

  “But why doesn’t your ship have weapons like lasers or blasters for defense?” JJ asked. It sounded like an absurd question, but they were in the future, after all, so they didn’t know what was possible.

  The moonbase crew looked at her, baffled. Bronsky snorted. “What would the Halley or Moonbase Magellan need to defend itself against?”

  “That’s not a rhetorical question anymore,” Ansari said. “We’ll get to the bottom of this. Cadet Wren, open a channel to Collaborative Mission Control on Earth. If there are no explanations, we’ll declare an emergency.”

  By now, Dyl looked like a professional at the comm station. He told JJ, “You know, when we called the International Collaborative Space Agency earlier to tell them about Halley, the ICSA staff looked like a skeleton crew. I guess they’re used to everything going smoothly. Boy, were they surprised.”

  The CMC had immediately summoned extra help after the Halley’s rough landing, though, and now the responders were awake and concerned. The International Space Station Complex had been put on high alert, and even some members of the news media decided to cover the story.

  Nevertheless, separated from home by almost a quarter of a million miles, the moonbase crewmembers were on their own.

  “Be careful not to use the word crash on an open channel,” Ansari warned Dyl. “The Halley is damaged, but intact. No one was hurt. We don’t want a news reporter to blow it all out of proportion.”

  “Blow it out of proportion?” Captain Bronsky exclaimed, “Our transport was shot down by attackers from an unidentified base!”

  “True, but I’d rather not start a panic just yet,” admonished Ansari. JJ saw the lines of genuine worry on her face. No
one had any idea what was going on, so they hoped someone on Earth would have answers. The officer on duty for the CMC responded. Vince O’Connor was a red-headed young man with a freckled face. JJ didn’t think he looked old enough to hold a position of such authority … but then, the Star Challengers were young, too, and they had a lot of responsibility at the moonbase.

  “Acknowledged, Magellan Control. Are you ready to file your analysis of the Halley accident? Over.”

  “We’re classifying it as an incident, not an accident,” Ansari said. “Captain Bronsky and Dr. Cushing concur that they encountered an unknown and likely hostile installation on the far side of the Moon.”

  The redhead nodded solemnly. “I just received their report, Chief, but it’s being met with a high degree of skepticism here.” He didn’t sound as if he believed the story either.

  “Let me talk to Director Bean myself. The Halley was fired upon—I saw images of the marks on its hull. I’ve spoken extensively with Captain Bronsky and Dr. Cushing, and I believe their report. Believe me, those aren’t micrometeoroid impacts. Something damaged that vessel, Mr. O’Connor. There is something dangerous here on the Moon with us. If you have any information about who it is, I need to know immediately.”

  O’Connor laughed. “But, Chief Ansari … a secret base? Who could possibly have built it? Where would they come from?”

  “Aliens,” Dyl muttered, and JJ shushed him.

  Ansari was impatient with the officer on duty. “Mr. O’Connor, if we had those answers I would not need to call for information. If I cannot get that information, I’ll need to declare an emergency. I will continue this discussion with the director herself.”

  O’Connor showed no real sense of urgency. “I’ll have her contact the moonbase as soon as she comes in to work.”

  “Wake her up!” Ansari sounded angry. “This is a crisis. Why isn’t she at CMC? Do you really think there’s anything more important she should be doing right now? Over.”

  The young redhead was startled. “No, Chief. She’s awake. I already informed her about the lander accident … incident. I’ll see what I can do. Over and out.”

  After the officer on duty signed off, tension in Magellan’s Control Center continued to build. When Director Gloria Bean of ICSA finally appeared on the screen, she looked bleary-eyed, disheveled, and cranky. “You’re quite insistent, Chief Ansari.”

  “Because it’s quite a situation, Madam Director.”

  “We haven’t had time to make any decisions yet, Chief. Just sit tight and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.” Gloria Bean was in her late fifties, squat and solid as if she’d grown up on a high-gravity planet. Her brown hair was cut short in a no-nonsense style. JJ had expected the director of such a vital program to be an impressive, charismatic leader, but apparently in this future, managing a space program was not a highly respected job.

  “Captain Bronsky would like to give his report to you personally.” Ansari gestured the captain forward. Though JJ had heard his story already, she still found it chilling. Bronsky stood ramrod straight as he spoke, his voice deep and serious, his short, steel-gray hair poking out in bristles.

  When Bronsky finished, Director Bean’s voice held a hint of sarcasm. “An extensive and hitherto unknown base? Something like that would require years to build, countless flights, and a massive budget. Why would no one on Earth have noticed while all this was going on?”

  “It’s not as if anyone has been paying close attention to the Moon, is it?” Major Fox replied.

  “Do you have physical evidence to back up your claims, Captain Bronsky?” the director cut in. “Any images of this mysterious complex?”

  “The Halley isn’t a surveillance ship, Madam,” Bronsky snapped. “Our imager was damaged. Many of our systems went offline. I think the other base was scanning us.”

  Dr. Cushing pushed forward into the screen’s range, pale with anger and frustration, “It was only Captain Bronsky’s flying skill that kept us alive, Madam Director. There’s something out there, whether we can show you a picture or not. And it’s definitely hostile!”

  Director Bean frowned. “I find this all quite melodramatic.”

  “Prepare to receive a data transmission. These are clear images of the damage to the supply ship’s hull.” Ansari nodded to Dyl, who quickly uplinked and transmitted the photo files.

  When the images arrived on her screen, the director glanced at them. “I’ll have our analysis teams thoroughly study these and report their assessment.” She pinched the bridge of her nose, as if she were developing a crushing headache.

  After a moment of frustrated silence, Ansari crossed her arms over her chest and spoke in a firm tone. “Inform the leaders of the world of this unprovoked attack on a peaceful international facility. Someone is responsible for it, and we are at risk here—completely alone!” The chief’s voice rose as she grew more passionate. “You need to declare an emergency, Director.”

  The director leaned forward and looked directly at the viewscreen. “That’s a tall order, Chief. As a private agency, we have very little political influence. Although I realize this is an urgent matter to you, I think it’s unlikely that governments here on Earth will take the threat seriously.”

  “Not take it seriously?” Song-Ye strode forward.

  “Song-Ye, don’t—” Dyl warned.

  But she didn’t listen. “Let me speak to my father! He is a Korean diplomat. He can talk to his contacts in the Cabinet and get things moving forward with the United Nations, as well.”

  “A member of your crew is the daughter of a diplomat?” asked the director sharply. “Why wasn’t I informed of this? And what does this girl mean about the United Nations? That was disbanded—”

  JJ gave Song-Ye a quick glance, and the Korean girl flushed as she remembered that they were far in the future, and no one knew her father anymore.

  Ansari abruptly cut off the directors questions. “I assumed you would have more information about these classified new crewmembers than I do, Madam Director. Are there secrets you have been keeping from Moonbase Magellan? Military secrets, perhaps?”

  “I assure you, Chief Ansari—”

  The chief obviously didn’t want to hear a standard song and dance, and JJ silently cheered when Ansari interrupted the director. “As leader of this moonbase, I formally request that you place ICSA on high alert, Director Bean, until such time as this undocumented base can be explained to my satisfaction.”

  The director shrugged. “Very well, I will forward Captain Bronsky’s report, along with your own observations.” Her face filled the communi-cations screen in front of Dyl. “The fact is, no country in the world has a space program anymore—military or otherwise. Even if the whole world believed you, where could we point fingers? Outside of ICSA, no one has the capability or equipment to send a single vessel to the Moon, much less construct an outpost as significant as you’ve described.”

  Captain Bronsky growled. “And yet we saw what we saw.”

  “Wow, what does it take to get those guys excited?” JJ muttered from the side.

  The director let out a sigh, as if giving up. “I’ll do what I can by sharing your information with our data analysts and trying to pass it on to the leaders of various countries.”

  Chief Ansari stood beside the Halley crew. In a clipped, formal voice, she said, “Thank you, Director. We will await further word from you.” She motioned to Dyl, who cut off the transmission.

  “How can they not see how important this is?” King said. He looked around with an expression that was more baffled than angry.

  “The situation might be a lot worse than Earth thinks it is,” Dyl said.

  “As in, deep poop,” Song-Ye agreed.

  As soon as the comm console fell silent, everyone gathered in the MCC and began talking loudly, expressing dismay at ICSAs unhelpful attitude.

  Dr. Wu reported in from the astro bubble. “Chief, I’ve discovered something rather disturbing. As you
know, with Cadet King’s able assistance, I’ve been scanning the inner solar system for uncatalogued objects.” He shook his head. “Quite honestly, I have never seen anything like this. I think it may have some relevance to Halley’s recent encounter.” He showed them high-resolution images taken by the moonbase telescope.

  JJ noticed numerous slashing bright lines in the pictures. “It looks like a meteor shower.”

  Ansari leaned toward the screen.

  “Not meteors,” Dr. Wu explained. “If you will notice, some of the lines have abrupt angles.” He paused for a beat, then explained the significance. “Those are distinct and intentional course corrections. Nothing natural would do that. The lines on the images are tracks of artificial objects moving at high velocity.”

  JJ knew the answer even before the astronomer revealed it. “You mean those streaks are ships—lots of ships.”

  “But they’re not coming from Earth,” King pointed out. “All those streaks come from the opposite direction—outside the solar system.”

  “Aliens,” Dyl insisted again. “I told you!”

  King hummed the theme from X-Files.

  Major Fox stated the obvious. “We will have to mount an expedition to see this base ourselves. I want to get a good look at whatever is out there on the Moon with us.”

  “Pick your crew, Major,” Ansari said. “Head out as soon as possible. There’s no time to lose.”

  “I’ll take Cadets King and JJ Wren,” he said. “They can assist me in the long-distance driving across the lunar landscape, while the expert crewmembers stay here to effect repairs on the Halley.” He paused. “I’m not convinced our young guests don’t have a special role to play here. Commander Zota may know something we don’t.”

  “Of course he does,” Ansari said. “Very well, take your crew and leave immediately to scout out the strange base.”

  Dyl moved close to JJ, Song-Ye, and King. “Aliens,” he whispered once more. “It’s got to be aliens.”