Moon Hoax

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 Shit!”

“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 exhausted 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.

Because of all the scattered clouds over the earth, it took Peter awhile to figure out exactly where he was, but soon a big smile came across his face when he realized he was slowly passing over Texas. Breathtaking anvil tops of thunderclouds jutted up, like jagged rocks protruding upward, each casting large shadows over the clouds below. Fortunately they were in West Texas, away from Houston and his mother.

She had no idea he was in space, let alone floating above her. She also had no idea she would never see her son again. Knowing he was above her gave him a sense of closeness. I hope someday you’ll understand why I am doing this, Mom. Peter flashed back to his mom’s description of the horror and fear she experienced when his dad had his heart attack. He was doing the right thing. We owe it to Dad to clear his good name and prove he is a hero! Please forgive me… and know I love you! He took a few sips of water from the small tube by his mouth before taking one last panoramic look. Re-energized, he turned back to the Soyuz. Let’s finish this crap.

BOTH MEN WERE PUSHING THE LIMIT of their oxygen supply. They were already past the eight and half hour mark for their spacewalk and Boris had been hounding them to get back to the airlock. The last thing he needed was two dead astronauts floating outside his space station. Peter had finished attaching the booster to the back of the Soyuz with the explosive bolts. He had connected all the bolts’ wires to one lead wire that he was going to attach to the wire Viktor would supply from the Soyuz so they could initiate the firing of the bolts by a switch in the cockpit. Viktor was handling all of the wiring inside the Soyuz since he was the expert on the machine. He planned on hooking the wires to system switches they did not need, such as those needed for returning back to earth.

Boris’s intensity in his voice increased as he now was ordering the men back to the airlock, informing them they were dangerously low on oxygen, but Peter continued to ignore the request, stating they were too close to stop now. If they didn’t finish, they would have to wait until the following day for their second spacewalk, extending their stay up to three days at the station. Considering the jump they needed to get on China, this was too risky. Peter was determined to finish now.

Peter looked at the monitor of his main oxygen supply—he was already in the red. Damn it, I can’t quit now! “Viktor, I’ve finished the wiring, how are you doing?”

Viktor, breathing heavily said, “I need few more minutes.”

“Well, I’m already in the red on my oxygen level.”

“I already switch to SOP.”

Adrenaline shot through Peter. SOP was the astronaut’s secondary oxygen supply and offered around thirty minutes of oxygen. It was to be used only in emergency situations, not as an additional oxygen supply. Any other astronaut would have long warned Mission Control of their low oxygen level and would be in the airlock by now. Travel back to the airlock would take fifteen minutes, and they needed another fifteen minutes to pressurize it. “Viktor, why didn’t you tell me? We need to get going now!”

“We almost done—we can’t wait till tomorrow. Let’s finish!”

“How long have you been on SOP?”

Victor paused. “Couple minutes.”

Suddenly Boris came over the radio. “Damn it, Viktor, you need to get to the airlock now or suffocate!”

“Just few more minutes,” stressed Viktor as he kept working.

Peter floated around from the back of the Soyuz, holding the wire he connected to the explosive bolts. He grabbed a handrail on the side of the Soyuz and waited for Viktor, who was moving as quickly as he could. Peter agreed they needed to finish, but not at the risk of his partner running out of oxygen. Viktor was needed for the mission. While nervously waiting, Peter saw the end of the robotic arm floating next to him and got an idea, “Boris, can Todd transfer Viktor to the airlock by the ISS arm? That should save ten minutes.”

The radio was quiet for a moment. “What about you?”

“Once Viktor hands me his wire, I’ll only need a few minutes to connect the two. I’ll fly over on my SAFER and probably beat Viktor over there.”

Peter saw Viktor floating toward him, his gloved hand extended with the wire. As soon as Viktor reached him, Peter snatched it and proceeded to connect the two wires. While working he told Viktor, “Get on the arm and get over to the airlock!”

“Roger,” said Viktor as he grabbed a hold of the robotic arm. After attaching his tether line he radioed in an exhausted voice, “On arm.”

“Roger, hold on,” said Boris. Soon the arm slowly swung Viktor to the airlock.

Peter finished connecting the wires and hoped they had done everything right. Unfortunately, he did not have time to review their work. He hoped for the best.

It had been years since Peter had trained on how to operate the SAFER, and he’d had very little review at SpaceQuest. He hoped he remembered what to do. He hurriedly swung down both arms of the contraption so they extended out at a 90 degree angle in their locked position. Placing one arm on each he mentally reviewed the procedures for operation. He looked out toward the Quest Airlock and saw Viktor already getting off the arm and climbing in. Figuring he didn’t have any more time to waste, he pushed off the Soyuz. Oh fuck it… I’ll figure it out! While floating he turned the switch to “on,” activating the machine, and the small control panel on his left lit up. He lightly pressed the miniature joystick forward with his right gloved hand, firing small thrusters that propelled him forward. He was flying toward the airlock. Wow… this baby works… cool!

Viktor said, “Peter, I in airlock.”

“Roger… Johnny Quest on the way,” said Peter with excitement in his voice. “Yahoo!”

The SAFER was working perfectly. Peter sailed along under the station in a straight shot to the airlock. As he approached, he pulled back on the joystick to slow down, but the reaction time of the thrusters was longer than he had expected. He was going too fast. He was going to hit. “Oh, shit!” said Peter over the radio as he braced for impact. This is going to hurt!