“Roger, looks like they’re coming my way.”
A crease in his brow, Dmitri asked, “How much oxygen do you have left?”
Anya reached for Peter’s pendant again as she waited for his response.
“Primary is already empty, I’ve been on SOP for a few minutes,” said Peter.
His emergency supply provided a little over thirty minutes, which would be cutting it close.
Dmitri said, “Peter you need to get in their spacecraft now. I did not ask how long it takes to pressurize. Sie said they will get the ship as close as they can. You will need to undo your tether line and push off from the Soyuz and float over to them once the hatch is open.”
“Roger. Tell Anya I’ll make this work,” said Peter with determination in his voice.
Excited, but nervous, Anya said strongly, “You better! I want us to grow old together!”
“Roger, like soul mates?”
“Like soul mates,” said Anya with a grin.
PETER ANXIOUSLY eyed the Chinese spacecraft slowly coming his way. Come on…hurry up. I don’t have all day!
Peter turned back to his spacecraft and put his head inside. “Good news, old man, looks like the bad guys are taking me home. Can you believe it?” Peter unstrapped the computer, thinking he would take it along, before suddenly stopping. I would hate for this to get into the wrong hands. Not sure of China’s motives, he placed the computer back down before remembering the thumb drive that held all the manuals. Perfect, I can download the pictures on it and hide it in my suit. He squeezed partly in so he could reach the compartment that held the drive. Finding it, he pushed himself back to see the Chinese still a ways away slowly moving toward him. I have time. He leaned back in and slipped the flash drive into the laptop, quickly downloading the pictures. Once completed, he pulled out the drive and placed it into a secure pocket on his chest before checking the status of the Chinese.
Peter was pissed to see the ship parked over 20 yards away, which looked like a mile to him. What the hell are they doing so far out? They couldn’t get closer? Peter shook his head; knowing when he pushed off from the Soyuz untethered, his aim had to be perfect or he would fly right past the spacecraft. If he missed, he would certainly die. His oxygen was too low to allow time for the taikonauts to track him down.
Peter nervously took a peek at his oxygen. Damn, if they don’t open that hatch soon, I’m not going to make it.
Peter swung around to the entrance, looking back at his partner. “Viktor, I can’t wait any longer. I’ve got to get my ass over there. Wish me luck.” He started to push himself out before turning back. “Viktor, I hope I don’t see you for at least fifty years. But when I do, I’m sure I’ll have some wonderful stories about your grandkids. Shoot, I hope to have stories about your great-grandkids.” Peter saluted the cosmonaut before pushing himself back out. Holding onto the entrance, he took a final look at his oxygen level. He was starting to sweat. I have to go. I don’t care if the hatch isn’t open yet.
Peter had to figure how he was going to position himself to get a secure and accurate push off the ship. Looking around, he saw one of two eight-foot solar arrays sticking out from his side of the ship pointing in the direction of the Chinese. Perfect! He quickly worked his way to the array, positioning himself so he was standing on top of the Soyuz. He had to push down off the array to insure he could stand without floating. Through the top of his bubble visor he saw the Chinese ship directly above him. With some minor adjustments he eventually had his alignment perfect. Peter, you better not miss! He had only one shot getting this right and unfortunately, this was a rescue he had never trained for, or even considered.
Peter took a deep breath as he unlatched his tether line, mumbling, “God, please don’t have me screw this up.” He had a death grip on the array as he pushed himself down, slightly bending his knees. He took one last look at his target. Feeling he was aligned right, he took his gloved hand off the array before quickly pushing off with his entire might. As he powered through the push, his right foot slipped, altering his intended course. Shit! As he floated off the Soyuz he tried to gather his bearings and get a quick read if he was going to miss. Initially, it was too early to tell, but he could see it was going to be close.
An eerie silence filled his helmet as he floated between the two ships above the moon. Peter couldn’t take in the magnitude of what he was doing or the spectacular view surrounding him. His only focus was the Chinese spacecraft in front of him, which he was trying to will his body toward. Come on baby. There was nothing he could do to adjust his bearing. He was going to float in the vector he pushed off in, and he prayed it was good enough. Time seemed to stand still as his heart rate picked up. When he passed the halfway mark a terrifying revelation hit him—he wasn’t going to make it. He was barely going to miss. Damn it! I can’t die like this! His heart began beating out of his chest as he frantically searched for some hope or idea.
A glimmering piece of metal came into view, a lone antenna sticking out from the Chinese ship, possibly his savior. Can I reach it? Never did a piece of metal look so beautiful or mean so much. Peter focused on the sparkling antenna, extending toward him. He was fast approaching and quickly outstretched his arm as far as he could in the direction of the ship. This is going to be close. Peter’s eyes began to blur from the sweat pooling in his eye sockets. He blinked and shook his head, dislodging the droplets within his helmet, before sizing up his chance of success. It wasn’t looking good. He nervously watched as the rod slowly approached his extended hand. Come on, Peter, don’t miss it!
Before his hand was close enough, he let out a loud grunt as he did one final desperate stretch. The tip of his fingers hit the metal pole. Using all of his strength, he immediately curved his finger tips around the rod as it continued to slide through his fingers. He swallowed hard as he struggled to get a grip. Don’t lose it Peter! He couldn’t close his hand too quickly for fear he would slip off. He gradually worked his fingers around the antenna, each effort getting a better grip. He watched in horror as the end of the pole was rapidly sliding toward his hand. He had to have a solid grip or he was going to fly right off and die. His heart pounded wildly as he struggled to get his thumb around. Finally, he had his fingers in position and clamped down with all his strength. After another inch slipped through, his grip tightened and the friction stopped his motion, leaving only a few inches to spare. Dangling off the end of the rod, he let out a big sigh of relief.
He was far from safe. He didn’t even bother looking at his oxygen level, knowing its low reading would only frustrate him. There was nothing he could do, anyway. Using both hands he hurriedly shimmied down the antenna to the ship. He was relieved to see hand rails placed sporadically around the spacecraft, allowing him to work his way over to the hatch on the other side of the ship. When he came upon a window, an eerie chill raced through his body as he saw the face of a Chinese man staring at him, expressionless. Peter stared back with a blank stare, both men frozen for a moment. Are they going to just watch me die? Was that their plan all along? Peter shook his head and mumbled as he moved on, “I sure hope your friend’s in the airlock preparing to open that goddamn hatch.”
When Peter came around and spotted the hatch still closed, his blood started boiling. He couldn’t contain himself and began pounding on the small door with his gloved fist yelling, “Open up this goddamn thing!” He knew they couldn’t hear him and he was just wasting oxygen. Calm down, Peter! He needed to slow down his breathing or he would surely be dead before they even opened it. He took a look at the cyanide pill taped inside his helmet, as if it was mocking him. No way am I killing myself! He took one last deep breath before grabbing a hook on the side of his suit and clipping it to a nearby handrail. They can drag my dead ass body back to Earth if they want.
He had to do what he could to stay alive, for Anya, for his mom, for his child. If the Chinese were in fact going to try to save him, he needed to do what he could do to prolong the time he
had left. He decided to do an old magicians’ trick taught to him by his father, something he never mastered but hoped he could now. If he could slow down his metabolism he might be able to extend how much time he had left. Using sheer will-power, he hoped to slow down his breathing and with any luck, resist the urge to panic or rapidly gasp for air, preventing him from hyperventilating. He knew this would eventually lead to him passing out; he just hoped he would be revived in time and without sustaining any brain damage. As his body dangled next to the ship he closed his eyes. Per his dad instructions years ago, he put himself in a special place in his mind. Right away he thought of his last moments with Anya. Working to relax his entire body and control his breathing he felt himself starting to pass in and out of consciousness. His breathing began to slow and soon he was sure he was in bed with Anya. “I had this weird dream.”
“What was it about?” asked Anya, her breasts peeking out over the sheet.
“It’s a dream I keep having. I’m in space running out of oxygen and I’m going to die…never to see you again,” said Peter.
Anya cuddled up close. “It’s just a nightmare. I’m right here by your side. I won’t ever leave you.”
Suddenly everything went dark.
“PETER, XING YI XING! Peter, xing yi xing!” Anya said.
Why is Anya talking in Chinese? “Baby, speak English,” Peter mumbled.
Suddenly he felt his body being shaken. He slowly opened his eyes and with blurry vision saw what looked to be a Chinese taikonaut above him. Peter’s helmet was off and he was hot and sweaty, heavily breathing oxygen through a gas mask strapped around his head. He tried to remember where he was. As he shook his head he thought back to what just happened. His last memory was when he strapped himself to the Chinese spacecraft and attempted to slow down his metabolism. Damn, it must have worked! Thanks, Dad! As he continued to wake up, he looked around and found he was thinking clearly. Good, no brain damage. He was in the airlock portion of the Chinese spacecraft with only the one taikonaut and the hatch closed.
“Peter, you okay?” asked the taikonaut.
As Peter focused on the taikonaut dressed in a spacesuit with his helmet off, he did a double take. “Tang Liwei?”
Tang smiled. “Yes. You out ten minutes.”
Peter remembered meeting Tang at Jiuquan and knew he was one of the taikonauts who had walked on the moon. Holding the oxygen mask securely to his mouth Peter slowly lifted his head, looking around before saying, “Looks like I made it in okay. Thank you.”
Tang said, “We not leave fellow taikonaut to die.”
Peter smiled, honored Tang called him a taikonaut. After clearing his head he said, “Congratulations.”
Tang slightly tilted his head, questioning this. “Why?”
“For being the thirteenth man to walk on the moon,” said Peter with a wink.
Tang just smiled. “Yes, moonwalker like your father.”
PETER SAT STRAPPED in his seat ready to go home. Sitting next to him was Tang in the commander’s seat with Nei on the other side of him. Both taikonauts were speaking in Chinese, preparing their spacecraft for the journey home. Not able to understand them, Peter decided to look out the window. There in all its glory was the moon. He now looked at it differently, knowing he was returning to Earth. No longer was the moon the place where he was going to die, but instead it was a wonderful place he had visited. He couldn’t believe he was actually going home, something he had accepted wouldn’t happen. He thought of Anya and the moment he would embrace her. He also imagined, for the first time, holding and playing with his child—a thought he never allowed himself before. A smile came across his face, proud of what he had accomplished and excited about what lay ahead.
Peter felt the thrusters’ fire. As the spacecraft began to slowly rotate, the Soyuz appeared in the corner of his window, sad and lonely, doomed to crash into the moon. He gazed at his old home, thankful it had done its job. As the Soyuz continued to slowly pass, its position eventually allowed Peter to see inside through its open hatch. With the sun lighting up the interior he was able to see one of Viktor’s floating arms, as if he was waving goodbye. Staring at the levitating arm only reinforced the sorrow Peter felt leaving his friend behind. To ease his guilt, he remembered how happy Viktor was reaching the moon and how much he was looking forward to seeing his wife. Viktor was probably in a better place, and would have been happy Peter was returning to his daughter. Viktor probably wouldn’t have changed a thing.
Peter couldn’t think of a better resting place for the brave cosmonaut than the moon, where he dreamed of going all his life. He said a short prayer for his partner.
China’s spacecraft eventually moved to the point where Peter could no longer see inside the Soyuz. A tear welled up in his eye. Viktor, I would have been honored to have called you my father.
Peter wiped the tear from his eye before turning to Tang. “Let’s go home!”
Moon Hoax (Hoax Trilogy Book 1) Page 37
