“If you think—”
“Please, Commander Shaw!” Kalitzkin held up a hand in a schoolmasterly gesture of admonition. “I realize, of course, that you will tell us nothing until certain pressures have been applied. But let me continue. There is, as it has happened, also another reason why you can be useful: you can assist us in our actual diversion plans.” He caught Rencke’s eye.
“Really?” Shaw was icily polite. “You’re expecting rather a lot, aren’t you, Dr. Kalitzkin?”
“Possibly,” the Russian agreed, inclining his head. “But, again, we would not expect your immediate co-operation, naturally. There will be persuasion, of course. . . .”
“Of course! In the meantime, perhaps you’ll be good enough to tell me just what those plans are—and also exactly who you mean by ‘us.’ Judging from the fact you have Chinese around the place, I take it both Russia and China are behind the threat to Skyprobe IV. Now, I find that extremely interesting! Have the two Communist countries managed to find a common cause over this, Doctor?”
Kalitzkin shook his head. “Not exactly, Commander. Not exactly . . . there are, I regret to say, all too few matters upon which our Eastern governments see eye to eye, as you know. Indeed, the Kremlin itself has no knowledge of what we propose to do here, nor even, we believe, of our existence as a cohesive body. Peking is not directly concerned either, though—”
Shaw interrupted, “Let’s get this straight, shall we? Are you telling me you’re going it alone, that you’ve had no help from the Communist governments at all?” He waved a hand around the compartment. “Where did your resources come from, in that case? This isn’t exactly luxury, but it’s solid and it’s here. This outfit wasn’t put together with old ashcans!”
Thinly, Kalitzkin smiled over the tops of his fingers. Shaw noticed that, suave and correct and polite as the Russian was, his smile never once touched his eyes. He was too cold, too detached for that. “I am not doing this entirely on my own, Commander. I and my group have been given, and are being given, every possible background assistance and practical support throughout the world, and all the actual operational help we require—but not, and I must stress this, not by the official governments, who are in no way involved.”
“Then who—?”
Kalitzkin said in a tone that came close to reverence, “WUSWIPP, Commander Shaw! Indeed it is WUSWIPP that is carrying out the diversion of the capsule. I am merely an employee, the scientist in charge here in the Kuriles, as I have told you already.”
“And WUSWIPP is?”
“The World Union of Scientific Workers for International Progress in Peace. We use the English form as being more convenient outside Russia, in a world where English is so universal a tongue—and, you see, we are not purely Russian in any case, but are ourselves universal.” He gave a quiet laugh. “I can see you have not heard of us, and this is totally unsurprising to me, Commander! We preserve our secrecy excellently and we are very much more efficient at this kind of close secrecy than are any of your Western peoples. As I have told you, even the authorities in the Soviet Union know nothing of the existence of our organization.”
“But—what are you aiming for, Kalitzkin? Where do you differ from the Kremlin? Aren’t you all Communists?”
“But most certainly we are, Commander—all of us, without exception! Those of us who subscribe to the ideals of WUSWIPP are much more convinced Communists than are most of the men in the official Russian party. You see, our belief is in total Communism—by which I mean the political integration of Russia with China, and thus an end for all time to the differences between our two great countries—differences which so seriously weaken our joint march towards the World Communist State—or rather, what should be a joint march towards that end.” He shook his head. “No, the Russian and Chinese Governments in Moscow and Peking are not themselves concerned in what we mean to do, and as for the men in Moscow, they know nothing of what we are planning—”
“Which means, I take it, that the men in Peking do know?”
Kalitzkin smiled again; blandly. “Allow me to return to this point shortly. I was speaking of the men of the Kremlin. They do not know, for instance, that for the past two years we and our workers have been constructing this base against the time when a worth-while prize would offer itself, as we knew it would, one day.”
“But Russia and China have given unofficial assistance?” Shaw pressed. “When you said Russia didn’t know about your plans . . . you were speaking purely on an official level?”
Kalitzkin shook his head vehemently. “Not Russia, no. They know nothing—nothing! China has supplied workers, mainly unskilled men to excavate the silo, also she has supplied earth-moving machinery and other equipment. Our good friend Rencke, and others who think as we do, have supplied, or rather have arranged the supply of, the precision instruments and the highly specialized equipment we needed. Comrade Rencke is an ubiquitous man, Commander, with fingers in very many pies all over the world, and he is a very excellent agent. The firms who supplied our equipment through his good offices . . . they had no idea where their products were going! I and my fellow scientists of WUSWIPP have supplied the knowhow and the administration and have set up the control factor. Russia, my dear Commander Shaw, knows nothing of this. Naturally, we at this base are in constant touch with the world’s news and we know that Moscow is genuinely alarmed about the possible threat to the capsule—and thus, indirectly, because of public opinion in the West, alarmed also about a possible threat to her own territories by way of reprisal. They are scared that war will result.”
“Aren’t you, Kalitzkin? Doesn’t the threat of a war worry you?”
Kalitzkin shrugged. “I cannot say that it does. It would be unfortunate, of course, but—”
“It doesn’t worry you, that you could be responsible for the deaths of millions of people throughout the world— including Russia?”
Kalitzkin said calmly, coldly, “This prospect does not alarm me if in the end Communism is best served—and there is also my work, Commander. Perhaps you do not realize what a tremendous achievement it is, to be able to divert a spacecraft from its course! You do not realize what enormous power this will give to the combined East eventually. However, to return to what I was saying: I need hardly tell you, I think, that we have covered all possible angles in the interests of our complete security, and that our agents are in fact allaying the Russian fears of war and of the existence of our—”
“What, exactly, do you mean by that, Kalitzkin?”
Kalitzkin leaned across the desk. “I mean that we have our own men in the Kremlin, men who are expertly sowing the seed of the plant which says to the official leadership that in fact there is no threat, that it is all a trick of capitalism to prepare the people of the West for a war which they intend to start one day though not now—a capitalist scheme to poison the minds of men against Communism in a world that is tending more and more to accept the fact of Communism and to wish to live side by side with it—”
“But what’s the point of all this?” Shaw interrupted. “Even if you do get the capsule down where you want it, what in heaven’s name are you going to do with it? Do you imagine you can control space, or interfere with all Western space projects for all time, from here? Is that what you’re after?”
“No, Commander, that is not our aim—though it could well become a by-product of our success, of course.” Kalitzkin gazed thoughtfully at Shaw. “I will tell you what our objective is—but first I must fill you in on a little detail.” He rubbed again at his eyes behind the glasses. “The Kremlin has for some months past wished to get hold of Professor Danvers-Marshall—and to this end they have used the presence in Poland of his wife’s illegitimate daughter to apply pressure to him through her. Now this, we in WUSWIPP of course knew also, and we have made certain arrangements with Danvers-Marshall, who was under the impression that our agents were the agents of Moscow. Now, Danvers-Marshall has not been entrusted with any knowledge of the where
abouts of our base—he knows, of course, that the capsule is to be diverted, but he believes that he is going to defect to Russia and re-join his wife, who in fact has been delivered to our associates in that country. However, what is really going to happen is this: we intend to hand the capsule and the men in it, including Danvers-Marshall himself, to the Peking Government, with the object that they use them as bargaining counters with Moscow to secure a greater sharing of Russian technical know-how in the widest sense, and, among other things, to help to put Peking firmly into the space race—with a resultant rise in China’s prestige throughout both the Communist and the uncommitted worlds. The ultimate objective of this, Commander, is the integration of which I spoke earlier—we wish, by increasing China’s power and prestige, to force integration upon the Soviet Union.” He shrugged. “Naturally, this is a long Term project . . . and one which may not come to its full fruition in my lifetime. I know this well. But we all strive, and we can all make the humble beginnings that lead to great ends.”
Shaw said, “Yes, I get the picture. And you yourself, Doctor? I suppose you intend to go over to Peking once you’ve got the capsule into China?”
“Yes, that is so,” Kalitzkin answered. “I and all my staff here at this base. Indeed I have lived in China and have worked for the People’s Republic ever since four years ago . . . when I had certain ideological differences with my superiors in the Kremlin and escaped across the frontier— a little ahead of the KGB.”
“I see,” Shaw said. “Now, I’d be glad to know just how you think you’re going to get the capsule down anyway?”
“We do not think,” the scientist said. “We know we cannot possibly fail.” His eyes were glowing, alive and burning in the pale, ascetic face. There was no coldness there now; this man kept his coldness for his human contacts. “Our method is one hundred percent proof against failure. You have yourself been a victim of my interference system—you and your friends, when you were brought down in the helicopter. You have seen the metal plate, and its surround of jet blowers?”
“Jet blowers?” Shaw stared. “That circle of metal-lined holes . . . they were blowers?”
Kalitzkin nodded. “I will explain. When the plate was switched on, which was not until your machine was within its attraction area, a beam was projected upwards and homed on to the helicopter automatically. I have named it the Masurov Beam, after the professor who first interested me in such studies. It is an attractor beam ... a beam, my dear Commander, that inhibits and cuts out the entire control system, and also any radio equipment, of whatever comes within its field. Shortly after this is done, the beam automatically re-sets the controls in such a way that the object of its attention as it were steers towards it and brings itself down upon it—down upon the jet blowers. In effect, the beam acts so that it homes the objective on to this island and my ring of jets. That is what happened to you. Your landing was softened by the jets, which put a cushion of air between the helicopter and the ground. You could have been held there indefinitely. The jar came when the system was switched off. So, you see, you yourself have been the guinea-pig—though by no means the first, I must add. We have undertaken many such tests with our own machines. Precisely the same thing, in basis, will happen to the capsule when the moment comes, only then of course the strength of the beam’s signal, and of the jet blowers, will be very greatly increased. Today, they were switched on at their lowest degree.” He was staring unblinkingly at Shaw. “You must allow me to assure you, quite positively, that we cannot fail. I have myself been working on this project in laboratories placed at my disposal in the Ordos Plateau, in China. I began the drawing stage, secretly of course, even in Russia . . . many years ago now. It has taken much time to perfect. Again I say—we cannot fail.” He paused. “The procedure will be this: at the time of the ditching of the capsule, the plate will be raised on its column from the silo and trained as nearly as possible on the point where the capsule will re-enter the earth’s atmosphere. The plate is wholly directional—that is to say, it will not affect anything outside the track of its beam. Our radar will tell us the instant and the exact position of reentry, and from that moment of re-entry the plate will take over and home itself automatically on to the capsule, and the beam—which, by the way, positively cannot be jammed by radio interference—will be switched on. Now, I must remind you of the special nature of Skyprobe IV, in that she is of the new type that does not shed her stem section before re-entry—she re-enters the atmosphere as a whole entity, a complete spacecraft, thus she will still have her full control system in being, including the rendezvous radar, auxiliary electronics systems, radio and fuel cells. For our purposes she will be entirely manoeuvrable and controllable, and we shall in effect fly her to this island. Almost immediately upon re-entry—my attractor beam, you understand, will not operate outside the atmosphere— the capsule will begin to respond. She will change her course, and instead of continuing normal splashdown procedure, will move this way. She will be guided throughout by the attractor beam, and nobody inside the capsule can counteract its effect. Skyprobe will go through all the correct motions—that is to say, the drogue parachute and so on will operate quite conventionally—-and she will be brought onto my jet blowers and landed as easily as if she had made an orthodox splashdown in the sea. After this, the capsule and its occupants will be removed to the mainland of China, and thence to Peking, and Peking will then arrange matters as between themselves and Moscow. And,” Kalitzkin added, “do not be misled by any reports you may have heard about another spacecraft being made ready for launching at Cape Kennedy. It is true that without the help of your Danvers-Marshall we might not have a successful interception of this second capsule if ever the Americans get it up at all, which is very highly unlikely in the time—but, you see, by this time Danvers-Marshall will be in complete control inside Skyprobe IV. If Skyprobe V is launched successfully, and docks, then Danvers-Marshall will certainly ensure that no transfers are made!”
There was a silence in the room, a silence broken only by the loud ticking of a clock on the wall opposite Kalitzkin’s desk. Shaw asked, “Do you still think you can get away with this . . . now the story’s broken in the Press all over the world?”
Kalitzkin said equably, “Yes, I believe this. I have no doubts at all. Originally, I confess, we had hoped and expected that the disappearance of the capsule would be ascribed by the West to some inexplicable fault. Neither Moscow nor Peking would ever have released the true story, naturally! But we are fully prepared to proceed just as planned, even though, as you say, there is much conjecture in the newspapers.” Kalitzkin stared over Shaw’s head for a moment then went on abruptly, “I have said that we have made certain arrangements with Danvers-Marshall, who as you will have gathered is in fact to assist in the diversion itself—indeed he has already been of assistance to us in our project. It was he who inhibited the mechanism for firing the retro-rockets—”
Shaw broke in, “I’d suspected something of the sort— but why? My information was that you would be able to interfere with the capsule whenever and wherever it was ordered to ditch. Isn’t that correct?”
Kalitzkin smiled. “Let us take the whenever first, shall we, Commander? This is perfectly correct—now! Perhaps your information failed to include the fact that we were not entirely ready until yesterday. Danvers-Marshall had prior orders that in the event of any leak leading to an attempt at an earlier splashdown, he was to make sure the capsule did not in fact ditch until the last possible moment—in order, you see, to give us the maximum time in which to be ready. We did not know the date of blast-off until very near the time, and we had to work fast to be prepared for the splashdown date—and also we had certain unexpected, but now corrected, technical difficulties. Even in the East we are not free from such things, Commander.”
So—Thixey hadn’t been in possession of all the facts after all . . . Shaw asked. “What does Danvers-Marshall have to do when the capsule does finally ditch?”
“That
question,” Kalitzkin said smoothly, glancing up at the clock, “leads us to the wherever. I would not place too much reliance on my Masurov Beam at the very extreme range offered by the scheduled Caribbean splashdown, thus Danvers-Marshall has orders to see that the retro-rockets are fired so as to bring Skyprobe IV down over the Pacific instead.” He shrugged. “It is perfectly true, of course, to say that we can intercept the capsule wherever it is ordered to ditch, for the presence of Danvers-Marshall will ensure that it ditches in fact precisely where we want it—apart, of course, from a location which would be possible only on some different orbit. In fact the nearest possible point is over the Phoenix Islands in the Pacific, but this is quite acceptable. All this apart, Danvers-Marshall is our man on the spot to take charge of the two American astronauts, and also he has to inhibit certain other controls aboard the spacecraft during the final stages just before re-entry—that is, before the Masurov Beam can take effect.” He broke off. Briskly now, he said, “Commander, we have talked for long enough, I think, and I have much work to do. We must come now to the final point—this is, the way in which you will be required to help us. It is this. You will be in the control room during the diversion . . . and you yourself will speak to Washington and the NASA base at Cape Kennedy on our broadcast equipment—”
“I'll do what?”
Kalitzkin repeated what he had said. Shaw stared, wondering if he could have misunderstood. “You don’t find that a trifle risky from your point of view, Doctor?” he asked sardonically.
“No, no—not at all! Please let me go on. You will speak also to London, to your own chief, who will lose no time in confirming to Washington that the voice is yours. In the time that is now left—and that, as you know, is short—you will be well rehearsed in what you must say, but to summarize this briefly, you will tell your Western authorities that all is well, that you have managed to locate the source of the threat. You will tell the West to withdraw the fleets and the aircraft at once from all the areas of search or there will be war. You will urge your people to leave everything to you . . . you will say you have been a little too late to stop the actual diversion and to interrupt the process now might be to drop the capsule on to the land—but you have taken control of the base and the capsule will come down quite safely in the North Pacific if it is not interfered with . . . and you will stress most urgently that it is vital and imperative that Russian sovereignty is not in any way whatsoever breached by Western aircraft or warships. You are the man on the spot, Commander—they will have no alternative but to do as you say. I am sure you must agree with this. They may suspect coercion, but you are going to be very convincing, and they win have no proof—and they will not take the risk.” He paused. “Now, as you will have gathered, I shall want this broadcast to be made after the diversion has started—not before. No doubt you appreciate why, Commander?”
Skyprobe Page 14
