Moon Hoax (Hoax Trilogy Book 1)

by Paul Gillebaard

  Viktor smiled saying, “Spaseeba,” which Peter knew meant thank you.

  PRESIDENT EDWARDS WAS WORRIED as he sat looking out the window in the oval office. America’s only opportunity to alter the world’s recent belief that the United States never landed on the moon rested on two brave men launching on a secret mission later that day, a mission to prove China wrong and stop the balance of power from being shifted. It was an aggressive move he approved of and one he hoped wouldn’t backfire. He’d called in Doug Rose and Jack Dawson to review the mission one last time before leaving for the sanity of Camp David. “What time is the launch scheduled for?”

  “3:08 p.m., sir,” said Doug.

  “How’s the weather look?”

  “The forecast is for clouds but no thunderstorms, nothing to prevent the launch. My last conversation with Allen was everything was a go.”

  “And your man is still confident he can pull this off?” asked the president as he rubbed his hands together.

  “He still has it at over 90 percent, and considering all the variables involved, I consider that very high,” said Doug looking a little fidgety, as if he was concerned the mission might be cancelled.

  “Good, because the Chinese yuan is starting to kick our ass and public opinion is swaying heavily toward China on everything, especially economic issues, because of their lies. America is being treated like some second class country. I want to nip this in the bud now!”

  “Yes, sir,” Doug said.

  “Not surprising,” the president went on, “China is not buying our official response that SpaceQuest will not fire off that rocket. They have been all over the UN, even trying to intimidate this office. I sent a formal letter to China a couple of days ago informing them that we have been assured the private company that owns the rocket will not launch.” The president took a moment before saying, “We have one shot at this and we better get it right.”

  Jack Dawson chimed in. “We will, sir. If Peter says he is confident the mission will succeed, I’m sure it will.”

  “Does China still have their rocket sitting on the launch pad?” asked the president.

  Jack answered, “Yes, sir, but fortunately they haven’t fueled it yet. So until they do, we should have some time on our side.”

  Doug added, “Our boys have worked hard training to modify the Soyuz in less than the forty-eight-hour time frame you requested. In fact, they may even be able to handle the job in one spacewalk and be out of there in thirty-six hours, definitely giving them the head start they need.”

  “Great. I plan on leaving for Camp David shortly. I want to be there once the shit hits the fan. I’m scheduled to be there through the Fourth of July. When this goes public I want to be slow to respond, and being in Camp David will make this more plausible. I will eventually return to the White House due to the crisis and address the media in full detail, probably Monday. I expect our men to be on their way in the Soyuz by then. When should we expect to get pictures and video of our landing sites?”

  “Once they leave the ISS, four days. So we could start receiving pictures as early as the fourth,” Doug said.

  “How ironic and appropriate.” The president put his hand to his chin, lightly rubbing it. “How about the detailed pictures taken from outside the spacecraft?”

  “Within twenty-four hours of when they arrive at the moon.”

  “Will you be able to transfer what we get to the UN?”

  “I don’t see why not.”

  “Good. If all goes according to plan, in my press conference on Monday I’ll request a special session at the UN for the afternoon of July 5 to present our official response to China’s claims. I’ll have Steve attend the session. After he goes through his introduction and officially states China’s claims are lies, he can reference a large screen behind him which will have pictures of our landing sites. In fact it would be great if we could work in a live video feed from our men. That should shock the hell out of those Chinese delegates in attendance. I’d love to see their faces. We’ll give them a taste of their own medicine, humiliating them in front of the whole General Assembly just like they did us.…perfect!” Bill smiled. “Doug, I want you to return to your office and make sure I am constantly updated on the progress of the mission.”

  “Yes, sir, I will make sure your office gets regular up-to-date status reports.”

  The president got up, signaling the meeting was over. “Gentlemen, let’s pray our men pull this off.”

  26

  LAUNCH

  Dressed in his X-1 flight suit, Peter was surprised how calm he felt as he followed Allen down the hallway to the waiting van set to take them to the rocket. Viktor and Omar followed close behind. He remembered pictures of his dad walking through a similar hallway back in 1972, looking so confident and focused. Peter always admired his dad’s calm demeanor, no matter what the situation. He thought he would be nervous as hell, but here he was relaxed and in control. A chip off the old block. He smiled as he saw a few employees lined up in the hallway, there to see the two astronauts off. Though the folks did not know the specifics of the mission, they knew SpaceQuest was about to send men into space for the first time. This was a big step for the company and its employees, many of whom had put in long hours to reach this point. A sense of pride permeated the group, being part of the first private enterprise ever to put a man into space. Peter made sure he strolled down the hallway confidently, just as his father did forty years earlier, casually waving at the workers. He wanted to assure them their rocket was in good hands.

  They stepped out the door. A driver was already in the van, with the engine running. The only entrance to the van for passengers was on the other side, so they all had to walk around. Allen led them around the back end. Peter tried to grab Allen before he stepped into the puddle of pee, but he was too late. Allen stepped right in the middle.

  “What the hell is that?” Allen said looking down at his shoe. He quickly lifted it and started shaking the liquid off.

  Peter and Viktor smiled as each walked around Allen, making sure to avoid the puddle and flying droplets. Neither said a word.

  Allen bent down to get a closer look. “Omar, it looks like there’s some kind of leak coming from under the van. Hopefully it gets us to the rocket. Make sure you have it checked out.”

  Omar nodded as he walked past and opened the van door.

  Viktor and Peter were now laughing as they stepped in.

  “What’s so funny?” asked Allen as he followed.

  “I was thinking of one of Viktor’s crazy traditions,” said Peter.

  “Yeah, what’s that?”

  Viktor said, “We cosmonauts have plenty of traditions before flight.” He pulled out a CD from his carry bag and handed it to the driver. “Can you please play third song for ride? It cosmonaut tradition.”

  “What’s the song?” asked Allen.

  “‘Grass Near Home,’ by The Earthlings.”

  Allen chuckled. “Funny. The Earthlings.”

  Viktor smiled. This seemed to satisfy Allen, as he changed the subject by informing the driver they were ready to go. The driver inserted the CD, clicking on the third song before driving off.

  After a few moments of listening to the song, Peter and Allen looked at each other with questioning looks. The song was awful—like some early-’80s pop song sung in Russian. Viktor was looking out the window, obviously enjoying the music. Finally Allen couldn’t take it anymore and asked the driver to turn it down. Viktor protested as he peered at Allen.

  “Sorry, Viktor, but there are some things I need to pass on to you two before we get to the rocket. I talked with Doug just before leaving and we, of course, got the final approval for launch. He also wanted me to convey some final words from the president. First, the president wants you two to be aware that some of your video feed and pictures will be shown at the UN next Thursday in hopes of shocking China and proving them wrong. We may even go live with your transmission and pass it on to major news outl
ets throughout the world. So no picking your nose.” Allen laughed. Getting no reaction from either man, he straightened up and continued. “Finally, he wants you both to know how proud he is of your heroic efforts and what a great service you are doing for America. He will make sure regardless of the outcome your sacrifices will not be forgotten. His final words were ‘Good luck and Godspeed.’”

  Viktor and Peter looked at each other and smiled.

  Allen reached into his pocket and pulled out two small pill cases. He looked at the plastic cases for a moment in silence, then handed one to each astronaut. “Each one of these cases contains two cyanide pills. These are to prevent you from suffering.”

  Both men grabbed the cases and put them in their pocket, neither saying a word.

  PETER WAS THE FIRST TO DISEMBARK from the van, carrying his helmet. As he slowly got out, towering over him just twenty feet away was the beautiful Newton 9, well over fifteen stories tall. She was alive, gases seeping out of her and coated in ice due to the liquid oxygen now on board. Peter could feel the power in her as he stared, as if she was ready to explode and give him the ride of his life. Hello Baby…ready to play? Viktor walked up from behind and stood next to Peter. They stood together like a couple of school kids staring at the prettiest teacher in school, in awe of the sight in front of them.

  Allen poked his head out of the van. “She’s a beautiful sight, isn’t she?”

  Neither astronaut moved or said a word.

  Allen stepped out of the van and walked up from behind, extending his arms around both. “All right, gentlemen, this is where we part ways. I’m going to join Bud at Launch Control to oversee the launch.” Allen looked at Viktor and thrust out his hand. Viktor set his helmet down on the ground before grabbing the hand with a sturdy handshake. Looking directly into Viktor’s eyes Allen said, “Viktor, I have to say I was uncertain about you at first, doubting a seventy-five-year-old man could handle the rigors of training and ultimately this mission, but you have proved me wrong. I’m proud to have you on our team. Thank you so much for your efforts and your sacrifice. I am honored to have a man with your experience be the first to fly my rocket.” Still holding Viktor’s hand, Allen pulled Viktor close and gave him a hug, patting him on his back. “God bless you.”

  Viktor hugging back said, “Thank you sir, for giving me opportunity. We not let you down.”

  Allen pulled away smiling as he turned to Peter. He again extended his hand. “Peter, I have complete confidence in you. I am sorry about getting upset with you this morning. Considering what you are giving up, you absolutely had the right of spending your last night with whomever you wanted. There is no better man to lead this mission than you. I know your father would be very proud, just as I am.”

  Peter was surprised to see tears well up in Allen’s eyes.

  “I’ll never forget the sacrifice you two are making.” With that Allen pulled him close, hugging him. “Good luck, and may God watch over you both.”

  As Allen pulled away Peter said, “Allen, we appreciate you trusting us with your baby. We have total confidence in her. I promise we’ll make you proud, not of us, but of your dream.”

  Both men picked up their helmets and started marching toward the rocket, an unlikely pair of heroes; a short, old, bald Russian, and a tall, young, handsome American. As they walked, Peter put out his fist. To his delight, Viktor understood, and for the first time they successfully did the Galileo fist pump.

  Peter said, “Let’s do this shit.”

  Viktor looked straight ahead. “Yes…let’s shit!”

  Peter laughed.

  ANYA FOLLOWED BUD up the stairs of the launch control building to the roof top. He was taking her on a quick tour of the building per Allen’s request and this was their last stop. As Bud opened the door, a warm breeze struck them both. Anya rolled up her sleeves as she walked out.

  “This is where our clients can watch the launch if they would like. You may want to be up here when the rocket blasts off,” Bud said.

  Anya scanned the area, noticing they were the only ones on the roof top. The roof was beautiful. It looked like someone’s fancy backyard, with a covered patio area decorated with elegant patio furniture and neatly organized potted plants. On one side was a small bar with a TV above it; on the other, another TV hanging in the corner.

  Bud crossed to the bar and leaned over it, looking for something. “Sorry, it looks like there’s nothing in the bar, but you will still find this a comfortable place to watch the launch. He lifted his hand in the air. “It shouldn’t be too hot up here.”

  Anya smiled as she walked out from under the patio cover toward the side of the four-story building that pointed toward the Space Center. A railing was wrapped all along the rooftop edge. In front of the railing sat three outdoor plush couch seats aimed in the direction of the Cape, large umbrellas stationed behind them. As she approached and leaned against the railing, she was happy she could see the rocket out in the distance. This will be the perfect place to watch.

  Suddenly speakers surrounding the roof top came alive. “We’ve passed the two-hour mark. T-minus one hour, 59 minutes, 54 seconds on our countdown for Newton 9.”

  Bud said, “As you can hear, we have speakers out here too, so you’ll be able to hear everything. Since we’re at the two-hour mark, Peter and Viktor should be entering the rocket soon.” Bud walked back toward the bar and turned on the TV.

  When the closed circuit picture cleared, Viktor and Peter were visible stepping onto the hoist to lift them up to the entrance of the rocket. She stared at the TV, knowing this was some of the last images she would see of the two men she loved most.

  Bud bounced on his toes. “Well, I need to get back to work. Please feel free to stay up here as long as you’d like. If you need anything, just ask any of the workers below.”

  Anya said, “Thanks,” as Bud left. She couldn’t take her eyes off the TV as she watched two technicians follow Viktor and Peter boarding the platform. Fortunately, the technicians stood behind her men so Anya could see both clearly, wearing their blue flight suits and carrying their helmets. Her dad was looking lovely and Peter was looking as handsome as ever. The platform started to lift and the camera followed them up. Though never panning in for a close up, the shot was still good enough to see their faces. Both men looked focused and determined, neither saying a word. She looked out behind her toward the Space Center and could see the rocket from where she stood, but it was too far to see the platform rising. She turned back to the TV, figuring the direction they were looking was toward the ocean. She grabbed her pendant hanging around her neck and rubbed the engraving that said Soul as she softly said, “I love you, Peter. I love you, Nana.”

  The platform looked like it was nearing the top of the rocket when Peter turned away from the camera and looked to his right, which she assumed was in her direction. A strange feeling came over her, as if he was standing right next to her. To her surprise, Peter extended his arm over the side of the platform and pointed. Could he be pointing toward me? She watched him slowly bring his gloved hand to his lips and blow a kiss out in her direction, sending an electrical charge throughout her body. She turned around to look in the direction of the rocket and extended her hand up in the air, pretending to catch the kiss. Bringing her hand down to her cheek she gave a slight smile. She decided to blow a kiss back toward Peter, hoping he might sense it. After blowing the kiss she turned back to the TV. Her smile became even bigger when Peter reached in the air as if catching her kiss, and put his gloved hand to his face. She now knew for sure he was thinking of her; chills crawled throughout her body. She saw her father say something to Peter as they both looked in her direction and, after Peter said something, her dad waved. A single tear trickled down her cheek.

  “THIS IS KENNEDY LAUNCH CONTROL. We have passed the one-hour mark. Now T-minus 59 minutes, 45 seconds and counting,” said Floyd at Launch Control.

  Peter sat uncomfortably on his back in the Galileo capsule. Both he a
nd Viktor had been busy after being strapped into the rocket, going through their prelaunch checklists. They finally had a few moments in the countdown to relax. Both men had their helmets on, visors up. Peter reached down and opened his small carry-on bag, Velcroed to the side of his seat. Not being able to look down into the bag, he moved his gloved hand around inside, searching. He was having a difficult time feeling through the glove but finally found what he was looking for. He pulled up his hand, and hanging from his gloved finger was the chain from Anya, the pendant dangling on the end. Peter took the chain and started to wrap it around a knob on the control panel in front of him.

  Viktor looked over. “What’s that?”

  “It’s a gift from your daughter,” Peter said proudly as he grabbed the pendant between his gloved fingers and turned it in Viktor’s direction so he could read it. “It’s half of a pendant. She has the other half, which reads ‘Soul’ and mine reads ‘Mate.’”

  Viktor knew his daughter was a romantic. He gave Peter a sly smile. “She not think much of you to get half pendant.”

  Peter smiled. “Yeah, but at least I got ‘Mate.’”

  “True, since you got no soul,” said Viktor, smiling.

  Peter chuckled. He flicked the pendant, spinning it around as it dangled in front of them. “I figure it will let us know when we’re in space.” Gravity forced the pendant to hang directly down toward the astronauts, perpendicular to the control panel, and the necklace would continue to hang that way throughout the launch. Once the rocket approached zero gravity, the pendent would start to float, signaling they were entering space.

  “Good idea. Cosmonauts use tradition of stuffed animal to hang in similar manner, but this better.”

  “Damn, you cosmonauts sure have a ton of traditions. You need a checklist just to keep track of them all!” Peter grinned.