Moon Hoax (Hoax Trilogy Book 1)

by Paul Gillebaard

  “Lucky for me,” said Peter, doing an imaginary toast. “Your mom was a sweet lady. I’m sure it’s been tough on your whole family, especially your dad. He always mentions her during training. In fact, I catch him mumbling to himself, and whenever I ask, he always answers the same way, ‘I talk to Maria.’ I can tell he loved her deeply.”

  “They were perfect together. Nana has been miserable ever since she left. That’s why this mission is so great for him. I can’t tell you how pleased I am you selected him. I haven’t seen him this cheerful and energetic for years. He’s acting like he’s fifty years old again. It’s been wonderful to witness.” She paused for a second. “Thanks, Peter.”

  Reminded of the specter of death hanging over the mission, Peter answered somberly, “You’re welcome.”

  20

  THE DECISION

  Peter was falling in love and the depth of his connection to Anya scared him. Not because it was the first time he had felt this strongly for a woman, but because he didn’t want to break her heart. Every time he woke up next to Anya and felt the softness of her skin, his emotions shook and rattled like ice cubes dancing in a glass. Should he end their relationship?

  They had a wonderful couple of weeks together while finishing his training at SpaceQuest. They spent every free minute together, and Peter treasured every moment, especially the nights back at her hotel, filing each into his memory bank to reflect on during the mission. He could tell Anya was falling in love too, though neither of them had actually said the words. She was everything he wanted in a woman—bright, fun, loving, classy, and damn hot. Why did they have to find each other only weeks before he was to die?

  Peter was happy with his and Viktor’s training at SpaceQuest; they both had mastered what they needed to. With Rob’s help, Peter was clocked consistently at nineteen minutes inputting the MK laser codes, beating the drop dead time of twenty. The team also figured out how to modify the Soyuz in less than two days, improving their chances of beating China to the moon.

  Peter was feeling confident about the mission, but had a heavy heart concerning how to handle his relationship with Anya. She was scheduled to fly back to Russia at the same time he was flying to Florida. With their training completed in Los Angeles, the two men were eager to transfer to the Cape for final launch preparations. Peter decided to stop off in Houston on the way to see his mom one last time while Viktor flew straight to Florida. Anya mentioned she had reasons to go to Houston and suggested meeting Peter there. She said it would be nice visiting his mom with him. Peter liked the idea and felt it would allow them a little more time together, as well as give him an extra day to decide what to do. Anya was to arrive in Houston earlier in the day for a meeting at NASA’s Johnson Space Center before Peter would fly in to Hobby Airport and pick her up.

  The next twenty-four hours were going to be difficult. Peter was going to see his mom for the last time, and possibly Anya. He informed Anya he thought it was best not to discuss the details of the mission with his mother, especially since it was a top secret operation. She understood.

  But what should he do with his relationship with Anya? Part of him wanted to continue it and hopefully get her out to the Cape before they launched. The other side felt it was best if he ended the relationship now, but would breaking up hurt her more? Peter was torn. If they continued seeing each other, Anya could end up resenting him for not telling her the mission’s true outcome, and possibly blame him for her father’s death. It was going to be an emotional trip no matter what he decided. Right now, these two ladies were the most important people in his life. He loved them both.

  PETER CALLED ANYA to say he was on his way to pick her up. While she sounded giddy to hear from him, she unfortunately needed another hour before she could get away. Since NASA was right by his old neighborhood of Nassau Bay, he told her, “No problem,” and decided to spend the extra hour reminiscing in the area where he grew up.

  Nassau Bay was the town where most of the astronauts lived in the late ’60s and ’70s. The quaint suburban neighborhood was conveniently located on NASA 1 Highway directly adjacent to Johnson Space Center. It was the perfect neighborhood for an adventurous young boy. The developers designed the neighborhood to be as appealing to the future astronauts as possible. They developed a little oasis resort, putting in a small lake, a small bay that connected to the Gulf, an undeveloped peninsula, and a community pool, all within a short bicycle ride.

  As he turned off NASA 1 into his old neighborhood, he drove by the local town center. He focused on one shop at the tattered center which used to be the local ice cream parlor. Though he had many memories from there, a smile came to his face when he remembered a classmate’s 2nd grade birthday party. He was sitting next to Jannet Gunter, the prettiest girl in the class. All the children were sitting around the decorated table with birthday hats on, eating ice cream and cake. Out of the blue Peter got this urge to give Jannet a kiss. He couldn’t remember why, especially since he had never kissed a girl before. Not caring what his classmates thought, he leaned over while she wasn’t looking and kissed her on the cheek. All the kids started hooting and hollering. Jannet’s face turned beet red, but to Peter’s surprise, she turned and gave him the biggest smile ever. Peter grinned toward the old building, figuring that early success probably propelled him to be the playboy he became.

  As he came up to his old street, he drove by the small bay on his left. He’d had tons of fun water skiing and jumping off the ski jump in the center of the bay as a young teenager. One time he wiped out trying to break his best friend’s record jump. His dad was driving the boat and leaped into the water to rescue him. Peter had broken his arm, and ironically, he ended up getting a couple of dates because of the accident, thanks to the cast on his arm. Some of the prettiest girls signed it, a few leaving their phone numbers. Driving by, he was sad to see the ski jump no longer there. He probably wasn’t the only kid who had broken a bone. Probably for liability reasons, the city had it removed.

  Peter turned onto Prince William Lane and drove slowly up the slight slope of the street. Though many of the middle class homes showed their age, the forty-five-year-old neighborhood still looked the same. Homes on the waterfront had been completely torn down and rebuilt or remodeled, but the homes away from the water looked as they had when Peter was a boy, just weathered and aged. Scanning the area and homes, something struck him that he had never noticed before. There were no sidewalks, a sight you wouldn’t find in more modern neighborhoods. He remembered the streets being littered with kids biking and playing and he couldn’t recall an accident ever happening.

  Continuing the drive, Peter found he had a memory for almost every house. He glanced over at Colin’s home, his best friend, whose dad flew on Skylab. Across the street was Greg’s, who had been on his swim team. Greg’s father was with Mission Control during his dad’s flight to the moon. Two houses up was Cindy’s, his first crush, whose father walked in space. Each home seemed to have a connection to NASA in some way, and everyone knew everyone. Spacewalkers and Moonwalkers were scattered about, all within walking distance of each other. Thinking back, Peter was amazed at the number of people in this small neighborhood who would end up making history. Did the people now living in the area have any idea of that historical time, or had they too fallen victim to the world’s recent belief that America never landed? He hoped that out of all the neighborhoods in America, Nassau Bay, with its rich history in space exploration, would know better.

  Prince William Lane curved right in front of his house, so as he drove up the street and looked ahead, his old home stared right back at him. If he kept driving straight without turning he would run right into it. Approaching the house he saw the color had changed. Otherwise, it looked the same. No one was around, so he pulled up in front and parked. He sat quietly in his car looking at the old house, reflecting upon the many memories it held. Staring at the long driveway he remembered his dad teaching him how to ride a bike, or seeing his dad proudly dr
ive up in his new Corvette. As Peter glanced at the yard, he thought of the many hours he’d spent sweating in the Texas heat mowing the lawn.

  Tourists use to always come through the area trying to meet a real astronaut. On one occasion a car stopped in front and the passenger rolled down his window, yelling, “Hey, ya’ll know where any astronauts live?”

  Dad had already walked on the moon at the time, and strolled to the car and bent down, saying, “I think Tom Novak lives a few streets over.”

  The gentleman got all excited. “Wow, the moonwalker?”

  “Yep, I hear he’s a swell guy. Good looking too.”

  The man gave his dad an odd look with that comment. Peter laughed in the background, amazed the guy had no idea who he was talking to. His dad went on to give directions to Evan Parker’s home, a rookie astronaut. All the veteran astronauts would send tourists to the rookie’s homes, their way of saying, “Welcome to the neighborhood.”

  Peter scanned up to the front door. His room had been above the front porch. In the wee hours one summer night when he was eleven he was awakened by a commotion below his window. When he peaked out, his view was blocked by the patio cover, but heard talking and laughter. All of sudden he heard a loud pounding on the door. Scared, Peter ran to his parents’ room to wake his dad, saying someone was at the front door. His dad, half asleep and in his boxers, walked down the stairs and opened the door, Peter at his side. Standing on the front porch with martinis in their hands were two fellow astronauts in tuxedos with their wives in beautiful cocktail dresses, all with big grins on their faces. One of the astronauts said, “Hey, Tom. We all just wanted to see what you sleep in.”

  One of the wives chimed in, “Nice boxers, Tom!”

  His dad just laughed and invited the couples in. After his dad woke Mom and put Peter back to bed, his parents ended up partying with the couples until the early morning hours. Peter laughed. Astros in those days definitely knew how to party.

  Peter continued to reminisce until he realized it was time to pick up Anya at the space center. He did a u-turn and drove back down the street. His old home was centered in his rearview mirror as he drove away. He glanced at the mirror, watching the house gradually shrink. As the image disappeared, he said “Goodbye” for the last time to his childhood home, and those innocent years.

  PETER SAT ON HIS DAD’S WOODEN BENCH in his mom’s backyard. It was a cool, clear evening with a chill in the air. He was glad to be wearing a long-sleeved shirt. He had just finished a wonderful dinner with his mom and Anya. His mom insisted he leave the kitchen while the two women did the dishes, which he assumed was so they could have some girl talk. Giggling floated out to him through the open sliding glass door as they worked. Looking over his mother’s garden as he sat alone in the bright moonlight, he knew he needed to make a decision concerning Anya. She would soon be coming out to join him, and they had only a short time before he would need to take her to the airport. Her plane was scheduled to leave George Bush Intercontinental for Russia later that night. If he was going to break up with her, it was best to do it before she flew home. He accepted he was in love with her and, because of this, regardless of how much it would hurt both of them, he wanted to do what was best for Anya. But what was best? Breaking up, or continuing their relationship regardless that he and Viktor would not be returning home? He looked up in the sky at a full moon and whispered, “Dad, I’ve fallen in love with Anya. Help me make the right decision on what to do.”

  He heard the sliding screen door open, and he turned to see a happy, smiling Anya walking toward him. She bent down and gave him a light kiss on the lips as she sat as close to him as possible.

  She put her hand on his leg. “Remember the first night we sat out here?”

  “Absolutely, it was a magical night.”

  “It was magical. It was dreamlike. In just that one night, I realized I had more in common with you than with Dean. I knew you were someone special.”

  How was he to respond to that? Looking at her, he put his hand on hers and squeezed.

  She suddenly lifted her other hand and swung it around so it was now in front of him. There resting in her open hand was a small, gift-wrapped box. “I got you a little something while I was in Los Angeles,” she said. “Go ahead, open it.”

  Peter grabbed the small box with his free hand, a shot of guilt rushing through him. “You didn’t have to get me anything.”

  Anya grinned. “I saw this in a store window and immediately thought of us. I had to get it.”

  Peter let go of her hand and slowly began to tear off the wrapping paper. Whatever it was, her gift probably wasn’t going to make breaking up any easier. As he pulled the paper off a small jewelry box, he gave her a perplexed look. Bouncing in place on the bench, she motioned for him to open it. He slowly lifted the box cover and there in the center was a gold pendant of some sort; he couldn’t quite make it out because of the patio light glaring off the shiny metal. He pulled the pendant out of the box. It looked to be only half of a round gold pendant, as if it had been broken apart from its other half. Engraved on the pendant he held was “Mate.” Peter looked at Anya, wondering what it was exactly. She put her hand inside her shirt and pulled up a necklace around her neck. Dangling on the chain was the other half of the pendant. She held it up so Peter could see. The inscription read “Soul.” She then grabbed his pendant and held it next to hers; it was a perfect match and together they read, “Soul Mate.”

  “They were perfect for us,” said Anya. She grasped the box from Peter’s hand, and pulled out a thicker gold chain that was under the velvet liner. She slid his pendant on the chain and leaned over to put it around his neck. She was just inches from his face while doing this. Looking in his eyes, she said, “I know you wear the locket from your dad, and I don’t expect this to replace that. I just wanted to give you something to let you know how much you mean to me.” She paused for a moment then said, “Peter, I think I’m falling in love with you.”

  He loved her too, but he still hadn’t decided what to do. If he was going to break up, he knew he shouldn’t admit the same. Keeping his composure, he gave her a simple kiss. “These last few weeks have been wonderful. I have been trying to train for the mission of a lifetime. Yet all I have been doing is thinking of you. While you were in the kitchen with Mom I was looking up at the moon thinking of what lies ahead of me.” He looked away from Anya and upward to the moon; Anya did the same. To his surprise, the moon was no longer there. Clouds now covered it, as if someone had taken it away. Was this a sign? His heart sank. He had to assume it was, and as much as he hated doing it, this was the best time to break off the relationship.

  Turning and looking into Anya’s eyes, he grabbed her hand. The dark smudge of her mouth changed shape as she tucked her lower lip between her teeth. An awkward silence stretched between them. Tension tightened his shoulders and his breath grew shallow. Finally, Peter broke the silence. “Anya, with all that lies ahead of me, I think this is not the right time to have a relationship. I think we should cool it for awhile.”

  Anya pulled away with a sharp inhale. She turned away, looking over the garden.

  Peter put his arm around her. “I’m so sorry, Anya, but I think this is best.”

  She shrugged from under his arm and stood. Grabbing her necklace she ripped it off her neck. She swung her arm back and chucked the necklace across his mom’s garden. Her voice thick with tears she said, “I can’t believe I read this all wrong! I was sure everything was going perfect. Well, I sure made an ass out of myself, damn it!” A single sob escaped as she swiped an arm across her face. “I want to get out of here. Take me to the airport. Now!” She stormed back into the house.

  As Peter watched her walk away, he put his head down in despair, praying he had done the right thing.

  THE EARLY MORNING TEXAS SUN beamed down on Peter as he combed through his mother’s garden searching for Anya’s pendant and necklace. He was groggy from barely sleeping, lying awake wondering
if he had done the right thing. All he could think about was how upset Anya had been. He hated hurting her. It broke his heart when she took her bags out of the car at the airport and left crying, not saying a word. He could say nothing as he watched her angrily walk away, whispering to himself, “I’m so sorry, Anya, I love you. Someday, you will understand.”

  He had to find her pendant, especially knowing how much the trinket meant to her. He wasn’t sure what he would do with it, but wanted the jewelry all the same. He needed to find it before breakfast since he was leaving right after to catch a plane for Florida. Peter knew his mom sensed something was wrong last night after the two bolted out the door so abruptly. When he returned, she was already asleep. He assumed she would be quizzing him at breakfast, especially since she liked Anya. First he had to find the pendant.

  Walking toward the end of the garden by the fence, he saw a glimmering piece of metal. As he got close, the sun glinted off the necklace with the pendant still attached. He picked up the chain and stared at the dangling pendent. Reading the engraving of “Soul,” he imagined how Anya must have felt when she first saw the two pendants. Though he and Anya used the term loosely, they both hoped they were each other’s “soul mate.” Deep down, he truly felt she was. He put the necklace in his pocket and somberly went back inside where his mom was making breakfast.