Moon Hoax (Hoax Trilogy Book 1)

by Paul Gillebaard

  Boris calmly asked Todd, “Any idea?”

  Todd tilted his head. “She’s about half full.”

  Boris looked at Peter, asking if that was sufficient.

  “We need it full.”

  Boris looked at his crew. “Make that happen.” Looking back at Peter he asked, “Anything else?”

  Peter, wide-eyed and amazed, said, “Nope. Thanks.”

  Peter and Viktor turned and started drifting back to their spacecraft, Peter dying to ask his partner what he said. As soon as they were alone back in Galileo he asked, “What did you say?”

  “I told truth. I told him we go to moon and why, and China will try to stop us. I say we have a fake bomb, which I showed him.”

  Peter’s jaw dropped. “You told him the truth? What if he tells Houston the bomb is a fake?”

  Viktor shook his head. “I take gamble. We have history together. He respects and trusts me. I figure we need his support. Only he know bomb is fake, and he ask we not tell anyone we told him. He will tell Mission Control bomb is real. Also he concerned about hijacking Soyuz. They need two spacecrafts for all crew escape emergency. I say Galileo could be second lifeboat, and SpaceQuest Mission Control could fly them home. I promised to give education.”

  “So he just said okay go ahead?”

  “Not exactly, not until I reminded him who bought 75 percent of this station, and he not want to piss America off.” Viktor grinned.

  PETER ALREADY HEARD VIKTOR SNORING, proving once again he was an old pro in space. Peter was strapped in a sleeping bag on the ceiling of the airlock, Viktor below him on the floor. They’d had a nice meal with the crew, and it was now time to get some sleep before their big day. The small airlock module was closed and filled with oxygen to help purge the nitrogen from their system. The airlock was broken into two compartments, the equipment lock and the crew lock. Peter and Viktor slept in the equipment lock, the bigger of the two, which housed most of the equipment needed for an EVA. The crew lock was where they would wait out depressurization before opening the hatch and going into space.

  Peter was exhausted from the day, but his mind was still racing with all that happened and with what was to come. Not only did he hear Viktor snoring, he also heard all kinds of humming and noises from the station’s many fans and pumps, which only added to his troubles of getting to sleep. He also was having a hard time getting comfortable because he was floating in his sleeping bag. Though weightlessness was a sensation he had expected, the lack of a definitive up or down was still difficult to adjust to. Wide elastic bands that acted like bungee cords were strapped over him to keep him from floating around the room and bumping into equipment. They permitted him the flexibility to move around in his sleeping bag, but they also allowed him to float. The best position was to lie on his back. The chamber was orientated in such a manner that his brain told him he was on the ceiling, an odd sensation. Why the hell did Viktor get the floor?

  Low voltage lights dimly lit the airlock, allowing Peter to make out the two EMU suits below that he and Viktor would be wearing. As he peered down on them they looked like two buddies sitting across from each other having a discussion. Each suit was attached to an adaptor on opposite walls, connected to the station’s power system, insuring they would be fully powered for their spacewalk the following morning. The suits were completely assembled, from the boots up to the helmet; only the gloves were missing. A cover protected each helmet. In the dim light and dark shadows, the suits looked ghostly, their arms floating with no hands. Peter whispered, “Hey, what are you two talking about? You two better do your job tomorrow!” He got no response.

  Peter grinned as he closed his eyes. Restless, he reviewed the day’s events in his head, hoping that might put him to sleep. The first image that came to mind was his first glimpse of Earth from space, and the joy that swept through his body. He would see many more amazing sights over the next week, but that image would always be special. He reviewed the launch in his head—all the shaking, the excitement of liftoff, the pogo drama; he concluded he was satisfied with how it all went. He reflected on the docking and how proud he was he made no mistakes. He also was pleased the ISS crew let them in without any issues, even willing to help by offering to use the robotic arm to move the VASIMR engine during their EVA. Good thing Viktor had that connection with Boris! Everything was going to plan. The only issue, which was expected, was when Boris informed Houston they had welcomed in some surprising guests. Initially, all hell broke loose, but things seemed to calm down, which Peter was sure was due to Doug Rose. Peter was happy both the commander of the ISS and the head of NASA were in on the mission.

  Peter opened his eyes…he wasn’t having any luck getting to sleep. Bottom line, he was just too excited. He turned his head toward the Crew Airlock, looking through the opened hatch that connected the two locks, imagining their big day tomorrow. He hoped to get a lot accomplished, and if everything worked out, they possibly could finish the job and have the Soyuz ready to fly to the moon during one spacewalk. Though it was a long shot, the sooner they finished, the better, since it was only a matter of time before China would figure out their intentions.

  He closed his eyes again…Come on Peter…get to sleep! A slight smile came to his face, thinking of his dad having the same problem trying to sleep on the moon. He remembered his dad saying he was just too excited. How could he go to sleep when the moon was just outside his door? Peter could relate, but never had it been so important for him to get a good night’s sleep. Finally, he focused on the one thought that would put him at ease—his last image of Anya lying in bed. He blocked out everything but that one image, and before he knew it, he was out.

  28

  THE JOY OF SPACE

  Peter and Viktor floated alone in the crew lock, sealed off from the equipment lock and the rest of the space station and crew, ready for their spacewalk. The pressure in the lock had been reduced from the .7 bar they slept in down to .35 bar, 5 psi. The lock was a tight fit for the two astronauts as they floated around the three-by-four-foot folded template needed for the EVA in their bulky EMU suits, large backpacks, and SAFERs. Since they never trained for this exercise, they comically kept bumping into each other and the template. They finished their final leak check of their spacesuits and disconnected them from the space station’s service and cooling umbilical cord. Peter wanted to take advantage of living off the station’s power as long as they could before heading out into space, allowing them as much time as possible to finish their tasks. The suits were now operating on their own power. Peter tried to position himself in front of the hatch on the floor and in doing so accidentally kicked Viktor in the helmet. “Sorry about that, ole buddy,” said Peter snickering at his clumsiness.

  The vent valves were partially opened to depress the crew lock to its final pressure so the hatch could be opened. Knowing it was only moments before they would be in space, Peter prepared himself for what he was about to see and experience as he hovered over the hatch. They would be exiting from the bottom of the station in the direction of the earth.

  “Crew lock is at .2 bar. You are go for opening hatch,” said Boris, who would be supporting the astronauts from inside the space station.

  “Roger, go for hatch opening.” Peter fully opened the vent valves to depressurize the remaining .2 bars, bringing the pressure in the lock down to vacuum, the same as in space. Once the valves finished venting and the pressure was equalized, he opened the hatch. As he lifted, all he saw peering back at him was his planet, engulfing the full cavity, completely swallowing up all his senses. He froze for a moment, simply amazed at the sight below him. Some astronauts preferred to exit feet first, but not Peter. He wanted to go head first so he could get the full experience of the slow rotating globe below him, taking in all its vibrant and wonderful colors. He gave himself a push from within the lock, and slowly floated through the opening, headed toward Earth. He had the impression he was falling out of a slow moving airplane in slow motion. “Holy Sh
it!”

  “What’s problem?” radioed Viktor with concern in his voice.

  “This is way too cool! It’s fantastic!” Peter exclaimed.

  Viktor started to laugh. “I worry you see alien monster or something.”

  Peter smiled. “No monsters, just unbelievable beauty.”

  The splendor mesmerized him. The astronaut’s helmet was fixed on his spacesuit, unable to turn, but his visor was almost a complete half circle dome, allowing him nearly a 180 degree view when turning his head from side to side. Peter looked all around, astounded. The view was much more enhanced than looking out a flat window. Seeing Earth on the other side of his visor was a true 3D effect only a person floating in space could experience. He forced himself to focus back upon the task at hand, securing his tethered line. “Viktor, I’m tethered and ready for the template.”

  “Roger. Sure no monsters?” asked Viktor.

  “All clear,” said Peter, grinning. He grabbed the template as it slowly started to protrude out through the hatch, Viktor following close behind. Peter secured the cord attached to the template to a clip on his suit and let it float next to him.

  Once Viktor was out and tethered, Peter closed the thermal cover, and the two started to venture toward the model K Soyuz using the handrails along the station. They had a little over eight hours available to work before they would need to head back to the airlock, pushing the limit of their primary oxygen supply. Both men had choreographed exactly what each had to do to attach the VASIMR engine and have the Soyuz ready for deep space flight. They hoped it could all be done in one spacewalk, putting them ahead of schedule and giving them their best chance of beating China. Doing it all in one time out was an aggressive undertaking, but with the help of the robotic arm and a trouble-free EVA, they just might pull it off.

  JACK SAT COMFORTABLY on a brown leather couch in the president’s cabin at Camp David, waiting for the president, who was having a private meeting with the secretary of state. Jack had called the president earlier in the day asking for the meeting at the naval base to discuss urgent news he had recently received regarding the secret space mission. News he wished he didn’t have to pass on.

  Though Jack did not get to Camp David often, he loved it when he did. All the cabins had a rustic look that gave him the impression he was at a mountain ski lodge in Vermont. The room had a smell of oak mixed with aromas from the freshly cut flowers adorning the room. It was easy to imagine being there on vacation instead of some important business matter. Though the décor was nice, it was nothing impressive or over-the-top, not what you would think of as a get-away home for the leader of the free world. In fact the old fashioned fabric chair where the president usually sat looked more like something Archie Bunker would sit in, with its crisscrossing pattern of red, yellow, and blue.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting, Jack,” said the president as he stormed into the room, Secretary Russell following closely behind. “Steve and I had some issues we needed to discuss.”

  Jack quickly stood. “No problem, Mr. President, this is always a nice room to relax in.” Jack shook both men’s hands before all three took a seat, Steve on a couch across from him, the president in his chair.

  “This is a great room. I love coming in here at night to read. It’s very peaceful,” said the president. He wasted no more time getting right down to business. “I just got an update from Doug on our men in space and it sounds like everything is going according to plan.”

  “Yes, sir, it sounds like the launch went off without a hitch. The latest I’ve heard is that they’re docked at the space station and have interacted with the crew,” said Jack.

  “Yes, we’ve officially learned of their visit from NASA and have begun an investigation as well as informing our partnered countries. So what did you need to talk to me about?”

  “Sir, we have a problem. Our intelligence has learned that China has already begun fueling their moon rocket.”

  The president slammed his fist on his armrest, startling Jack. “Does that mean we won’t be able to beat them to the moon?”

  “We believe so, sir. Because of cloud cover, we’re not sure exactly when they started. We assume they began fueling shortly after our men launched. Even if Peter and Viktor finish attaching the booster in one spacewalk, it will probably be too late. By the time they’re set to fire off, China’s rocket will be ready, or close to it and will easily be able to overtake our men.”

  “Why in the world did they fuel it?” fired the president as he threw up his hands.

  “We have no idea, sir. We can only assume they did it because of the SpaceQuest rocket,” said Jack.

  “Their intelligence knows the Newton 9 can’t reach the moon. It makes no sense for them to fuel it because of that.” The president stared straight ahead at the fireplace, apparently trying to make sense of it all. Suddenly he mashed his lips together and frowned. “I wonder if their intelligence learned we are trying to get to the moon? If they already know this, the mission is doomed. Damn it!”

  The president sat in deep thought while Jack and Steve said nothing. Jack was disappointed he had to bring this information to the president, knowing it could possibly lead to cancelling the mission. He was only doing his job. He knew Peter would be upset, but deep down Jack felt the news could save his agent from wasting his life on an ill-fated mission. At least Peter was able to obtain his dream of flying in space.

  Steve said, “Sir, we are not sure if China’s rocket is being fueled to chase down our men. What if we still send Peter and Viktor to the moon and see if China does launch their rocket? If they don’t, we’re fine. If they do, couldn’t we just bring our guys back to Earth?”

  The president looked at Jack. “Is that possible?”

  “No, sir,” Jack sighed. “Our men will be using a one-time booster rocket that will propel them out of Earth’s orbit. There would be no way for them to turn around during their flight to the moon. Their only way to return would be to swing around the moon on a free return trajectory, a figure eight around the moon. The problem there is China will beat them to the moon and reprogram the laser, thus killing them on the back side.”

  The president got up from his chair, shaking his head. “I’m going to my office and call Doug. I want to get his take on all this before I make a decision. You gentlemen stay here and I’ll be back.” He stormed off.

  Jack and Steve discussed various possibilities on saving the mission, neither coming up with any viable solution. Soon the president returned with a gloomy look on his face. “Doug agrees. If China is already fueling their rocket, he doubts we can beat them.”

  The president took a moment to sit in his chair, putting his hand to his chin and staring down at the floor. Jack could see the president was struggling. He knew how badly Bill wanted to prove China wrong, and everyone in that room knew this was their last chance to do it. He knew the president hated pulling the plug, but he had no choice.

  The president lifted his head and said in dismay, “For God’s sake, we need to cancel this mission. I want you to bring those men home.”

  PETER PUSHED WITH ALL HIS FORCE on the pistol grip tool, NASA’s 21st century powered hand drill with its computerized LED readout, drilling one of the ten holes on the Soyuz engine’s exhaust duct where the VASIMR engine would be attached. He had already secured the template around the rim showing the VASIMR bolting pattern, giving him the exact positioning of where the holes would need to be drilled to align with the VASIMR connecting flange. Fortunately, he was securely strapped by four tether lines which prevented him from flying away or spinning while using the drill. Small curly metal shavings were thrown in all different directions as he drilled, some glimmering from the sun’s reflection as they floated away. The shavings were no cause for alarm; his main concern was insuring no wiring or any part of his suit came into contact with the drill bit during operation. His life depended on it.

  They were only in the third hour of the spacewalk and Peter was already exhaus
ted from the strenuous work. As hard as he was working, his body was not sweating thanks to the liquid cooled garment he wore. It was just another odd sensation he was experiencing while in space.

  Drilling the holes was his responsibility, since it was the most physically demanding part of the EVA. Viktor’s job was overseeing the release and transfer of the VASIMR engine from its docking port as well as confirming its fuel level. Before it could be moved, however, Viktor had to detach all of its connections from the station. The robotic arm being operated by Todd would grab hold of the engine before the engine was released from the station then swing it over to the back end of the Soyuz.

  Each hole Peter drilled took about fifteen minutes, with another ten minutes needed to readjust himself for the next one. He had just finished hole number four and his arms were killing him. He needed a break.

  Peter looked up in Viktor’s direction. “How’s everything going, Viktor?”

  “All good, some connections stubborn. She checked out okay for fuel. We should swing engine over in couple hours. Will you be done?”

  “It’ll be close. I have six more holes to drill.”

  “Roger.”

  Peter still needed a few minutes to relax, so he took in the view below. The Soyuz hung on the bottom of the space station, and he was at the back end. As he looked down, all he saw in his 180 degree vision was Earth and the surrounding black space, as if he were alone in space. A spiritual moment overcame him as he took in the amazing view, almost like he was God looking down at his creation, and what a beautiful creation it was. He was experiencing an awe inspiring moment as he looked over the stunning panorama before him. How could there NOT be a God? He felt some comfort, knowing he would soon be meeting his creator. He stayed mesmerized as he watched the sun setting over the earth’s horizon, providing a unique change in color scheme, adding shades of orange and purple to the earth’s already tremendous blues and whites.