“Good thinking. I’m going to contact NASA and see if we can get the replacement rocket nozzle for the CRV to send up on your next mission.”
“OK, I’ll let you guys know about 20 minutes before we arrive at the Station.”
Ell walked back to her office and sat in her chair thinking for a bit. Then she said, “Allan, let me see an organizational chart for ILX.” It popped up on her screen and she studied it. David Dennison was listed as CEO as she’d already known. “Let’s see if we can contact Norman James.” James was the Chief Technology Officer.
Allan said, “Mr. James’ AI says that he’s unavailable.”
“Leave him a message that I called and let’s see if he calls back.”
Ell had Allan try several others near the top of the organizational chart, receiving the same “unavailable response” until she got to a “John Clarkson” who was listed as a “special assistant” to Dennison. “Mr. Clarkson?”
“Yes.” The voice sounded suspicious.
“Can we have a full audio-video chat?”
“OK.”
The screen in Ell’s office blinked to life showing a taciturn man staring at her with a look of intense interest. “Do you know who I am sir?”
“You’re the gymnast from the last Olympics.”
Ell nodded. “Is that the only reason you know my name?”
“What is this, some kind of twenty questions?”
“No sir, it just seems surprising that you’d take time out of your busy day to respond to a call from a gymnast?” His eyes flashed. Ell wasn’t sure whether in anger or perhaps in trepidation?
“Yeah, I know that you work for D5R too.”
Ell frowned at him, “And why would you be interested in D5R?”
“D5R is one of our competitors, it’s my business to know.”
“Really? What makes you think we’re a competitor for ILX?” Ell saw the surprise in his eyes as they darted around momentarily.
He swallowed, then said, “It’s our business to know.”
“But there isn’t any public information about our company even suggesting that we would be competitors for ILX.”
His eyes flashed, “It’s our business to know.”
Ell frowned, “Have you been investigating us by illegal means?”
“I don’t have to listen to this.” The video screen snapped off.
Allan said, “He’s disconnected.”
Ell rubbed her chin, “Let’s try an audio video connection with Manfred Phelps next.”
“Ms. Donsaii? I hope you’re reconsidering our offer to purchase your technology.” said the deep voice Ell remembered. Phelps had thin dark hair and a beard. He overfilled his chair suggesting that he was as large and burly as his voice suggested.
“No sir. I’m just wondering what made you think we had any new ‘rocket technology’ such as you wanted to purchase”
“Are you trying to say that you don’t?”
“No sir. But it was supposed to be a secret. How did you find out about it?”
“Oh come on kiddo. You used it to rescue the Space Station. Surely you don’t think that’s a secret?”
“Well in fact I do. Otherwise we’d have reporters all over us here.”
He leaned into the camera. “Ms. Donsaii, you’re playing with the big boys now. I’d strongly advise you to take our offer before you get squashed in the gears of a machine much bigger than you’d imagine.”
“No thanks.” This time Ell cut the connection.
Allan said “You have a call from Norman James, ILX’s Chief Technology Officer.”
“Put him on, audio video if you can. Mr. James?”
“Yes, Ms. Donsaii?” A video image snapped open showing a slender small intense dark man. His eyes tracked over to a spot just below Ell. Presumably the screen below the camera she was seeing him on. “To what do I owe this honor?”
“‘Honor’ sir?”
“Well, I consider it an honor to receive a call from someone I fully expect to win the Nobel Prize in physics very soon. How may I help you?”
Ell squeaked delightedly. “Really? I don’t think so. I just got very lucky with that paper.” She grinned, “Most people only know me for my gymnastics. I’m always excited to meet someone who’s heard of my scientific endeavors.”
“Well rest assured, I admire you for both, but my admiration of your scientific endeavors is much greater, probably due to my own bias.” He grimaced, “I truly hate to cut this short but I’ve made some people wait in my outer office while I speak to you. What can I do for you?”
“Well I work for a small company, maybe you’ve heard of it? D5R?”
James looked mildly embarrassed. “I’m afraid not. What does it do?”
“Research. Manfred Phelps is trying to buy some of our technology.”
James eyes widened. “Really!?” His tone was somewhere between surprised and dangerous.
“Yes sir. I’m sorry to have interrupted you. I’ll let you get to your meeting, I’m sure we’ll be talking more in the near future.”
James nodded, a furrow between his eyes. He said, “OK, sure, talk to you later.”
The connection snapped off and Ell leaned back musingly, rubbing her lower lip. The Chief Technology Officer doesn’t know anything about a major tech purchase? What was going on at ILX? At least it didn’t seem that James was likely to have been involved in the hiring of Sonny Alston.
Chapter Five
NASA Director James Epaulding was walking down the hall to a meeting with some ILX reps about the Vulcan 5. He had been wondering how the new rockets that Donsaii’d developed should bear on these meetings. Several times yesterday he’d considered calling her company to find out how they were coming with their new technology. Then his AI said, “You have a call from Ell Donsaii?”
“Put her on! Ms. Donsaii?” a picture of her snapped up on his HUD but since he wasn’t near a screen with a camera she wouldn’t be able to see him.
“Yes sir. We’ve significantly improved our technology.”
He grinned, “Yeah! I’ve seen video of your larger ‘ports’ delivering fresh fruit to the astronauts. They’re pretty pumped! How much longer do we need to keep this a secret?”
“Not much longer sir. I’ll append a little video that you might want to use when it comes time to make an announcement. But what I want to ask about now is whether we can pick up the replacement nozzle for the CRV and deliver it to the station? We have a vehicle big enough to take it up there now.”
“Really, that’s great! When will you launch?”
“Well, we’ve launched a flight to take supplies to the station this morning.”
“Really? I hadn’t heard.” He frowned, “Usually the guys make me aware of all the launches from Canaveral.”
“We couldn’t get permission to launch from Canaveral sir. We’ve launched from the Bahamas.”
“What! Why couldn’t you get permission?”
“I’m not sure. I even hired a lawyer with experience in obtaining launch permits but he tells me he was completely stonewalled.”
“Well there is a lot of red tape.”
“He couldn’t even get the red tape started sir. Perhaps if they had known who we were? But we’ve wanted to keep that on the down low.”
“Really?” Epaulding said in a speculative tone. “Well, I’ll find out where that replacement nozzle is and get back to you.” After the connection closed he went on into the ILX meeting still thinking furiously. He’d sat down when he remembered the video that Donsaii’d sent and told his AI to put it up on his HUD.
He watched in amazement as he saw a desolate landscape slowly filling his screens from the bottom. An object came into view. My God is that… is that one of the lunar landers?! They’ve sent a mission to the moon? Already? He suddenly found it hard to concentrate on this meeting about things that now seemed inconsequential. Suddenly he realized that a bunch of amateurs were about to try to dock with the Space Station! What am I
doing in this meeting? He stood and said, “Sorry, I’ve just become aware of an urgent event with the Station. I’ll have to go; my deputies will handle the rest of this meeting.” He strode from the room to shocked looks.
***
Dave Slager’s AI said, “You have an urgent call from Houston.”
“Yes?”
“Commander Slager, we’ve picked up a large object moving toward the Station.”
His heart skipped a beat, “How big?”
“Largest dimension is about 18 meters sir.”
“My God, that’s half as big as the old shuttles.” Much bigger than the current supply capsules, he thought to himself. “Where did it come from?”
“We only recently picked it up and believe it was just launched from somewhere in the eastern Atlantic sir.”
“Just launched? From Canaveral?”
“Nothing’s been launched from Canaveral sir.”
“Well, is it going to hit us?!”
“We don’t know. It is decelerating at present and may be going to match orbits with you. However, sir, we would suggest you stand by to maneuver the ISS in case it does look like it might hit you. We’ll try to give you warning but you might check your radar and start looking out your windows.”
“OK, thanks.” A shiver went over him and he started calling out to the rest of the astronauts.
Slager’s AI said, “Ell Donsaii would like to speak to you.”
“Sure! Put her on. Ell?”
“Yes sir.”
“Sorry to have to rush you but a large object is closing on the Station and I need to deal with it.”
“Oh! I’m so sorry sir. That’d be our ‘object.’ We’ve launched you a resupply mission. I should have let you know a couple of hours ago but we were waiting to make sure it was going to make it all the way up there.”
“Hah! I should have known it would be you!” to his AI he said, “Let Houston and the other station personnel know what’s happening.” Then back to Ell, “Are you sending up our CRV nozzle?”
“No sir. In case we’re successful with this mission I’ve just asked Director Epaulding if we can pick it up for our next flight.”
“Hmmm, how are we going to transship materials?”
“Well we’ve built an airlock adapter according to the engineering specs that were available. We couldn’t get NASA to let us test it against their dummy lock so we aren’t completely sure it will work. But we thought we could try it. Worst case, it leaks some atmosphere out of the lock and the air has to be replaced. Best case, you get some supplies.”
“You’re kidding. NASA wouldn’t let you test against their copy of the lock?!”
“Well to be fair, remember we’ve asked their brass to keep our involvement with you a secret, so the people who have the lock had no idea who we are.”
Slager rolled his eyes. “I still don’t know why they wouldn’t let you test. It isn’t like it would hurt the… Woops, wait one, I have another ‘urgent’ call from Houston.”
“Commander Slager, this is Director Anthony Willis at the Johnson Space Center. Your AI just informed us that the object approaching the Station is expected?! Expected by whom?!”
“Sorry, the people who sent up our previous rescue mission are sending up another mission. They just forgot to tell you folks.”
“Who?!! Who is this secret group?”
“Sorry sir, I’m not at liberty to say at present.”
“Commander, you cannot keep me out of this loop any longer! This has caused a major panic here and I and my people have a right to know what’s going on!”
“Just a minute, I’ve got a call from Epaulding…”
After a moment they were joined in a four way connection. Epaulding said, “Dave, I assume you’re aware that D5R is sending you a capsule?”
“Yes, but,” he cleared his throat, “someone forgot to warn us until after Houston had called in a panic.”
Director Willis was astonished to hear the voice of a young girl, “We are so, so sorry. This is the first time we’ve launched anything big and we just didn’t even think about how it would look on your radar. It won’t happen again. I will need to know whom I should notify though.”
Willis said, “Who are you?!”
Ell said, “Uhh…”
Epaulding said, “Sorry Tony. We’ve promised some people to keep this secret a little while longer. Right Miss?”
“Uh, yes sir. Maybe a week more?” Ell almost squeaked.
“OK, one week.” Epaulding said, “Tony, I promise you’ll be the first to know, and it will be before the public announcement. OK?”
“I don’t like it Jim. I think we have a right to know now.”
Ell broke in. “Director Epaulding, it would be OK with us to let Director Willis in on the story, if he’ll promise it goes no further?”
Epaulding barked a laugh, “Well Tony? Can you keep a secret?”
“I don’t think it’s right…”
“Tony,” Epaulding interrupted, “it’s you alone, or it’s no one in Houston. What’ll it be?”
“OK.” Willis muttered reluctantly.
“OK,” Epaulding said, sounding like he was rubbing his hands together, “Let’s get full video on this conversation.”
Willis blinked as his screen popped on and showed Epaulding in the upper left, Slager in the upper right, a familiar looking reddish blond girl in the lower left and a glowing dot in the lower right.
Epaulding said, “Tony, meet ‘Ell Donsaii.’”
The girl made a little wave. “Sorry Director Willis.”
“The gymnast?!”
“Yes sir.” She said quietly.
“And just what in the Hell do you have to do with this whole mess?!”
“Tony, calm down. Her company’s the one sending up the mission. We’ll explain it better later. First though, how close are we to matching orbits?
Willis realized that the dot had grown in the lower right part of his screen. It looked like a little cross now. A gust of material jetted out of the lumpy end of the cross.
The girl said, “Just a few more minutes.”
In the background Willis heard them talking about how to transship materials but his eyes were focused in horrified fascination on the screen as the cruciform structure grew into what, for all the world, looked like a Lear jet! “Is that an airplane?” he asked querulously…
***
Dennison said, “What?!”
“They want the rocket nozzle for the CRV back sir.”
“Why?! We’d just have to get it back from them again when we’re ready for the next launch.”
“Uh, they said they wanted to send it up sooner.”
“Who do they think is going to take it up there? We have the contract to supply the Station! Get me Epaulding on the line!”
There was a faint click in Dennison’s earpiece, then, “Hello Dave.”
“Hi Jim. Someone on your team is asking us to send the CRV nozzle back over to NASA? What’s this all about?”
“Yeah, we have another way to get it up there and so for the safety of the astronauts, we’d like to get it up there now rather than waiting until your next launch is ready.”
“We’ll be ready in six weeks!”
“But we can get it delivered tomorrow.”
“Jim,” Dennison said dangerously, “You know ILX has the contract to supply the station.”
“Don’t get frosty with me Dave, or do I have to remind you just what a fine job you’ve been doing of supplying the station this past year?”
“Sure, we’ve had a few bobbles but…”
“Dave! Those ‘few bobbles’ nearly cost the lives of eleven astronauts!”
“We’ve fixed our problem and we have a contract!”
“And are you going to honor your contract now that your ‘high efficiency’ Vulcan 5 motor is out of the picture?”
“Well, we might have to renegotiate…”
“If, you try to renegotiate, I’m
afraid you’re going to find yourself out of a contract. However, for right now, our other supplier will deliver the nozzle gratis, so it falls outside the ‘contract’ between NASA and ILX. Please tell your folks to turn our nozzle back over to us.”
“Who the Hell is this other supplier?”
“I’m not at liberty to say.”
“Is it that damned D5R?”
Epaulding’s eyes narrowed, “Who gave you that name?”
“It is, isn’t it! You haven’t heard the last of this!”
To Epaulding’s surprise Dennison broke the connection.
***
Ell looked around at her team. “So, “Amelia,” as Rob has named our first launch vehicle,” Ell waved at Braun, visible on the screen though he was actually on the island in the Bahamas, “successfully landed after delivery of a big load of supplies to the Station. Kudos to Brian; the airlock adaptor worked perfectly! We did have an issue with a couple of the aileron motors freezing up. Their regular lubricant hadn’t been completely replaced with vacuum tolerant molybdenum disulfide and their bearings froze. The AI was able to compensate with the attitude thrusters in the wings though. So! A little ‘hooah’ for the team that put up a nearly perfect first space mission!” Ell pumped her fist and led a lusty “hooah.”
“Next—we have one more week, then I’ve agreed to let NASA tell the world what we’ve been doing. After which,” she rolled her eyes, “we’ll be besieged by reporters. So—I’d like to land small rockets on Mars and on an asteroid so we have some footage to show them when the time comes. And, of course,” she rubbed her hands together, “I’ve got to go up into space myself. You guys have any other ideas or suggestions? Can we do all that or do we need to pare back?
The room stared at her in shock for a moment. Then Fred said, “You can’t go! If something happened and you died out there it would be an immeasurable loss!”
Ell frowned, “I can so go! It’s my life, to do with what I wish. Besides, if someone else died out there, riding my idea, it would destroy my life anyway! We’ll send Amelia up a bunch more times to be sure she’s safe before anyone goes up.”
Rocket! An Ell Donsaii story #4) Page 18
