Moon Hoax

7 REASSIGNMENT

Even the sudden wet weather or the lack of sleep couldn’t dampen Peter’s spirits as he held his coat over his head in the driving early morning rain that pelted his jacket. “I sure won’t miss this goddamn weather,” he mumbled as he readjusted his make-shift umbrella. He was happy to be going back to the States after being requested back by his boss, Gavin Ross, the director of SID. Byington Corporation had finished its contract with China, and due to the lack of activity with CNSA following Peter and Rob’s visit to Jiuquan, Gavin decided it was time for Peter to be reassigned.

As Peter frantically searched for one of Britain’s black cabs, he realized he wasn’t sure exactly where he was. He took a quick glance at his watch. Damn, it’s already after four. His flight out of Heathrow was scheduled to lift off at 6:25 am and he still had to stop by his apartment to pick up his bags. He had no idea how long that would take. His co-workers had given him a sendoff party at a local pub the night before, and as a “farewell” gift to himself he ended up escorting a raving beauty to her flat. They were all over each other during the cab ride and he wasn’t paying attention to where they were going. He hoped he wasn’t going to pay the price for indulging in one last fling before flying back to the States.

Peter let out a big yawn as he struggled to wake up. He found locating a cab in the dark difficult. He tried to avoid the many puddles as he continued searching. Finally, he spotted one coming down the street and aggressively waved his arm. The driver made a daring move, cutting across two lanes and came to a sliding halt right in front of him. Peter stepped back to avoid the splashing water. Yes! My kind of driver. He quickly opened the door, throwing in his wet coat before jumping in behind it. “Thanks for stopping. I’m in a hurry to get to Heathrow, but I need to stop by my flat first at 2665 East Nightingale Street. There’s an extra 20 pounds if you can get me to the airport before 5 a.m.”

“Got it,” said the driver as he clicked the meter, quickly shifting the car into gear, and racing off.

Peter had to grab the handle over his head to prevent himself from sliding on the now wet seat. As he held on, his cell phone rang. The display read Dmitri Alexandrov. A grin came to his face as he thought of his long time Russian friend who he hadn’t spoken to in over a year. He quickly pushed the answer button on his phone. “Hello, Dmitri, how are you, ole buddy?”

“Hey, Peter, I’m good. How are you?” asked Dmitri from the other end.

“Great! In fact I’m on my way to catch a plane for the States. I’ve been in England for the last year on assignment,” said Peter.

“Oh, sorry. It must be early there.”

“No worries. I’m awake.”

“Well I’m in D.C. on business for a couple of days and was checking to see if you were in the area. I know you get out here a lot. I was hoping to get together and reminisce about old times?”

Peter smiled at the thought of seeing his friend. They had a long history together. Plus as the assistant director in the Russian Federal Space Agency, his friend might even have some insight on China. “Perfect, that’s where I’m flying to. I get in early morning your time and have meetings most of the day, but I should be available for dinner. How’s that sound?”

Dmitri readily agreed and the two worked out a time and place to meet.

PETER LAY MOTIONLESS in the tight quarters trying to convince himself he was comfortable enough to fall asleep. He always had a hard time sleeping on airplanes. He pulled the blanket tighter around his body trying to make his own little cocoon. He hoped to catch up on needed sleep over the remaining seven hours of flight time if he wanted to be refreshed for his late morning meeting with Gavin. He purposely faced the window, trying to avoid seeing any activity going on around him. Outside the window, the wing extended into a sea of darkness. At the end, a single flickering red light lit up the fragile wing every time it flickered.

The light mesmerized Peter as he thought back on the past year’s assignment. Though he was proud of what he had accomplished and learned, he was still shocked by China’s crazy claim, and disappointed in himself for not seeing it coming. With all my dealings with China, I should have suspected something! He wondered who actually knew at CNSA. Everyone he talked with was openly envious of America’s success and talked about how they hoped to duplicate it, becoming only the second country to put a man on the moon.

Peter slowly gravitated over to one side of his seat as the plane began to roll into a turn. Though the sky was completely dark outside with no reference points, he knew from his movements the wing was rising. Soon his body was pulled down into his seat, indicating the plane was now in a tighter turn. When the plane began to level off, the moon rose over the wing, as if it came out of nowhere. It was like watching a fast-forwarding moon rise. Once the plane did level off, the moon seemed to be balancing on the end of the wing as if it were a soccer ball, tempting Peter to come out and kick it. The sight was ironic since everything going on in his life seemed to revolve around that big rock. He pulled his hand from underneath the blanket and extended his thumb to cover the moon. Moving his thumb back and forth, he covered and uncovered the moon just as his dad had done almost forty years earlier with the earth when he stood on the moon. As Peter continued, it took him back to that magical day. Absorbing the jet engines’ humming, he closed his eyes.

PETER WAS TOO HOT and excited to have his Snoopy covers over him and had kicked them off long ago. His room was dark except for the light that shone through the slightly cracked door, casting long shadows that scared him as he lay in bed. He did everything he could not to be frightened, feeling his father would be disappointed in his seven-year-old boy if he knew. He so wanted to be strong like his father, especially on this special night, a night he would remember for the rest of his life. This was the night his dad, Commander Tom Novak, was going to walk on the moon.

Muffled noises of people laughing and talking drifted up from downstairs. His mom had promised him she would wake him as soon as his dad was about to disembark from his spacecraft, so he could witness the historical event. All kinds of people had gathered at their house; grandparents, uncles, aunts, friends of his parents and even some astronauts. To get his mind off the scary shadows, Peter remembered the many times his dad had sat him down and excitedly described exactly what he would be doing on the moon. This calmed him as he recalled his favorite part, his dad promising to write his initials, PDN, in the lunar surface dust just before he would board the spacecraft for home, where they would stay undisturbed forever.

The noise began to get louder downstairs and Peter hoped this was a sign his mom would soon be coming. Sure enough, his door slowly opened and his mother’s silhouette appeared. Knowing he was supposed to be asleep, he simply couldn’t control himself and yelled out, “Is it time, Mom?”

“Sweetheart, you were supposed to be asleep,” his mom remarked as she turned on the light.

“I can’t sleep, Mom, I’m too excited.” Peter sat up.

She crossed to the bed and sat next to him. With her soft hand she lightly brushed his hair out of his eyes. “I understand, dear, I’m excited too. Well… it’s time. Your dad will soon be walking on the moon. So let’s get you out of bed and downstairs with the others.”

Peter hopped out of bed in his Bugs Bunny pajamas, raring to go. His mom smiled as she stood and grabbed his hand before escorting him out the door. Peter skipped all the way down the stairs as he held her hand. Most everyone was crowded around the single black and white TV in the den. The only person not in front of the tube was his grandfather, his father’s dad, Opa. He was waiting all alone at the bottom of the staircase looking up. When he saw Peter, a big smile came to his face.

“Peter, are you ready to see your dad walk on the moon?” Opa extended his hand. Peter took his grandfather’s hand and with a big smile nodded “yes” proudly. “Well, let’s get our little astronaut the best seat in the house.” He winked at Mom. “I’ve got him, Anne.” Anne Novak smiled, and Peter skipped away tightly holding Opa’s hand. Opa placed Peter front and center of the TV.

The grainy, black and white picture on the TV flashed in and out and Peter was having a hard time seeing anything clearly. However, since one of his favorite toys was a Lunar Lander model, he knew exactly what he was looking at. On the screen was a portion of the Lander, with nothing else going on.

Someone behind Peter called out. “Okay, everybody, it looks like Tom is getting ready to open the hatch. He should be coming out very soon.”

Everyone stared at the television closely. Peter was surprised how quiet the room was as he turned and looked back at his mom. She was fidgeting with her hands. She made eye contact with him and blew him a kiss. Peter turned back to the TV, excited and happy.

His dad’s foot slowly appeared on the TV screen to come down the ladder. Opa yelled excitedly, “There he is!”

Full of pride, Peter straightened up when he heard his dad’s voice come out of the TV. “Houston, I am on the ladder, heading down.”

“We copy that, Tom,” answered CAPCOM at Mission Control.

Peter looked over at the blue ribbon he won in swimming that hung off the mantle over the fireplace. He was feeling the same joy as he felt when he received the award. Beaming, he looked back at the TV rubbing his hands on his legs. For as long as he could recall, his dad talked about one day walking on the moon, and here he was reaching his dream.

“Houston, I am ready to step off the ladder.”

“Roger, Tom, good luck,” replied Mission Control.

Peter watched as his dad jumped off the ladder. He seemed to float in slow motion forever before finally touching down on the lunar surface. “Houston, you have one happy astronaut here. The ground is covered with a few inches of gray dust and all is okay.”

“Roger, Tom. Congratulations, and try not to get too dirty,” responded CAPCOM.

Everyone started hooting and hollering in celebration. Opa glanced at his watch and yelled out, “My son first stepped on the moon at 9:45 p.m., a time I will always remember.”

Peter’s mom walked directly through the celebration straight to him and bent down to gave him the biggest hug she could. To Peter the hug seemed to last forever. Finally as she released him slightly, he looked up to see she was crying, which confused him. “Mom, why are you crying? Daddy’s okay.”

Anne looked down into her son’s eyes and put her hand on his face, lightly stroking it. “Sweetie, I am just so happy for your daddy, you have no idea how hard he worked to get to this moment.”

FORTUNATELY, Peter was able to get a good six hour rest on the flight to D.C., and the hour long taxi ride to CIA headquarters allowed Peter a chance to wake up. It was always easier traveling west. He was still groggy as he went through a couple of security check points and walked down the corridor of the CIA building toward Gavin’s office. The long walk was starting to get his blood pumping. Peter glanced at his watch; 11:25 a.m. Having a few spare minutes, he hoped to get a cup of coffee to energize him.

As Peter came around the corner he was surprised to see Chris Riddick walking toward him. Peter wondered what that asshole was doing here. Peter never got a seat on the Shuttle because of Chris. As director of flight crew operations at NASA, Chris was Peter’s boss and had the authority to decide who flew and who didn’t. Peter was always considered one of the top astronauts by both his peers and management, but for years he saw fellow astronauts with lower scores, or credentials, fly before him. Though Chris could be overruled on any selection he made, it rarely happened. Peter could have had his dad contact Chris’s boss at the time, Stu Bailey, and probably have gotten a ride. Stu and Peter’s dad were in the same group when they joined NASA and subsequently trained together. However, Peter never wanted to get the nod because he was a moonwalker’s son.

He always suspected Chris had some sort of vendetta toward his dad and took it out on him. Chris was on the support crew of the U.S.-USSR joint mission, behind his dad who was on the backup crew. His dad later mentioned that Chris felt he should have been on the prime crew or worse case, the backup crew, and believed Tom had a hand in preventing him from getting a spot on either crew, which was never the case. According to his dad, there were more deserving astronauts who warranted those seats.

As the two approached each other in the hallway, Chris smiled and slowed up, apparently wanting to chat. “Hello, Peter. What are you doing here?”

Peter clinched both fists low by his hips and said nothing as he walked on past.

Behind him Chris said, “Well, same to you.”

Peter smiled as he continued walking, satisfied his brush-off bothered Chris.

He turned the last corner and saw Gavin’s assistant, Lola Peterson, at her desk. She was a 60-year-old grandmother who Peter always assumed was part of the hippy movement of the late sixties, the time of free love. In past conversations she often spoke of being sorry she missed out on going to Woodstock. She had a good body for a woman her age and always dressed a little sexy. Peter knew she loved being a grandmother, but hated thinking she was actually old enough to be one.

“Hello, beautiful,” Peter said with a smile as he approached her desk.

Lola looked up and immediately smiled as she straightened her dress. “Welcome back, handsome. Right on time as usual.”

“So how’s boss man today?” Peter leaned on her desk.

“He’s in a good mood, considering everything that has been going on. Can I get you anything before you go in?” She flashed a flirtatious grin.

“I can think of quite of few things you could do for me, but I think we might get in trouble,” he whispered with a wink. She blushed as Peter continued, “But if we insist on being a good boy and girl, then a cup of strong coffee would be nice. I’m trying to shake this jet lag.”

Looking up at him with a sly smirk, she responded, “Peter, you know I am always a good girl.”

She got up to get his coffee, walking over to the counter and pouring it with her back to him. He couldn’t help but check her out. Damn, not bad for a grandmother. She looked back, catching him staring. He just smiled.

She handed him his cup of coffee. “You better get on in there before we both get in trouble.”

Peter winked and gently took the hot cup from her hand making sure not to spill any, and kindly thanked her. He always practiced his manners.

Before stepping into Gavin’s office, he took a few sips. The caffeine gave him the quick jolt he needed. Gavin’s door was already open. Peter entered, giving a slight knock as he walked in.

Gavin was noticeably tense as he looked up from his desk. He immediately smiled and walked over to welcome Peter back. He shook Peter’s hand, closing the door behind him. “Welcome home, Peter, how was your flight?” The director motioned for him to have a seat in the leather chair at the front of his desk.

“It was fine,” Peter said.

Gavin walked back around his desk to sit. Gavin was a quiet guy, which some people took as arrogance. Peter assumed Gavin came across that way at first because he was sizing you up, but once he got to know you, he was actually a great guy. He was the kind of boss who if you put in a good effort and were honest with him, he would back you up 110 percent. Gavin was someone he could trust and be himself around. He was actually one of the reasons why Peter came to SID from NASA. Gavin was able to put him at ease about the new CIA division; convincing him it would be a great opportunity and probably catapult him into space sooner rather than later. The director had complete confidence in Peter’s astronaut skills and let him know it. In fact, he said Peter was by far the best candidate to be the first agent of the division.

Peter crossed to the chair. The office still looked the same, beautifully decorated with mahogany furniture, immaculately cleaned. Even the papers and files on Gavin’s desk were perfectly organized. He set his coffee gently down on the front of his boss’s desk. Next to the coaster sat a new framed picture of a pretty girl who Peter assumed was Gavin’s youngest daughter, Krystal. He picked up the picture frame to get a closer look as he sat in the chair, “Wow, Krystal is growing up. How old is she now, fifteen?”

“She’s sixteen and driving me crazy,” Gavin said with frustration in his voice. “Between her and her mother, I’m glad to be able to get away to the office. You were definitely smart not getting married and having kids. It can drive you out of your mind sometimes.”

Peter laughed as he put the picture back. “Gavin, you know the grass is not always greener on the other side.”

Gavin leaned forward in his chair. “Who are you trying to kid? I know the bachelor life you live. I think most males with a pulse would love to spend a few days in your shoes.”

Though Peter loved his life, he did feel like he was missing something. “Kids are a wonderful joy in life. I miss not being able to experience that.”

Gavin smiled. “Yes, they are a joy… just a pain in the ass sometimes.”

Peter sobered. “I just saw Chris Riddick in the hallway. What is that asshole doing here?”

Gavin chuckled as he shook his head, “You still have issues with him. He is out here to advise me on possible astronaut candidates for SID. He also updates me on what is going on at NASA, including current training developments.”

Peter mashed his lips together in disgust, but kept quiet.

Gavin said, “I was surprised he never recommended you for SID.”

“It didn’t surprise me, but I am glad you looked beyond his recommendations. I needed to get out of NASA and away from him. So if he was wrong about me, how can you trust who he suggests?”

“Well, I don’t rely solely on him, though he usually gives a pretty fair assessment of the candidates he has. I guess he must have had personal issues with you.” Gavin leaned back in his chair and asked, “So, how is your dad taking all this crap?”

Peter appreciated Gavin thinking of his dad considering all that had been going on. “I talked with Dad shortly after those crazy allegations came out. It’s been tough on him, and Mom. They’ve been bombarded by media invading their privacy. It seems more fanatics are coming around, insulting Dad with absurd talk about how he’s a liar and never walked on the moon. It’s just ridiculous stuff.”

“Well, it should be over soon,” Gavin said. “In fact, I was informed the LRO reached the moon earlier today. We should be receiving detailed pictures later this week of one of the landing sites, which should shut China up. Plus we’re supposed to hear from the UN either later today or tomorrow on the outcome of the rocks’ origins. So tell your dad we should have enough proof this week to end all of this ridiculous talk.”

Peter smiled in appreciation.

The meeting turned to Peter’s future. As expected, Gavin told him they did not have a new mission for him as of yet, but the agency did want him to get refresher astronaut training at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Peter was happy to hear this since it would give him an opportunity to visit his parents.

Peter debriefed Gavin on his mission in China. After thirty minutes of discussion, Gavin’s phone rang. While he usually never picked up his phone in a debriefing, Gavin frowned at the caller ID screen and excused himself as he answered. Peter leaned back in his chair during the long pause as his boss listened to the other end. Gavin’s jaws tightened as he lightly shook his head in disgust. Soon Gavin replied with an upset tone, “You’re kidding me. Any idea on how this happened?” Again, a long pause as he turned away from Peter and looked out his window while listening. “Well let me know what they find out and if they determine the cause.”

Gavin turned back, hanging up the phone. He slowly put both hands through his hair as he leaned back in his chair, keeping them behind his head. “Bad news. That was Jack. He just spoke with Doug Rose. For some reason the LRO came around the moon in pieces, completely destroyed. NASA has no idea what could have happened. All systems were a go to enter lunar orbit. They assumed there must have been some kind of explosion on the back side, possibly during its burn. Since they have no data at the time of the explosion, Doug feels they may have a hard time figuring out what exactly happened. NASA is gathering a team together now to try to determine possible causes.”

“Damn, that was not the news I wanted to hear. Does NASA have another orbiter they can send up?”

“Jack mentioned NASA does have a backup unit, but probably won’t be ready for a month.”

Peter thought for a moment. “I wonder if the MK Laser is somehow involved?”

Gavin’s eyebrows raised and he leaned forward putting his hands on his desk.

Peter continued. “As I mentioned, I’m convinced China used the laser on their last space flight to the moon. I assumed they tested it in space while they were circling the moon, but maybe, instead, they deployed it somehow to where it could shoot down satellites orbiting the moon. They could have released such an orbiting weapon with the MK Laser on it, designed to fire at other satellites. This would explain why they needed Rob and me so quickly in Jiuquan. China needed to fix the problem with the laser while they were orbiting the moon, or possibly their mission would have been a failure.” The more Peter thought about the possibility, the more it started to make sense. “Maybe that was their plan all along. If they knew before the mission they were going to claim our landings were a hoax, they would expect us to send a satellite camera to prove them wrong. If that was successful, their lie would be exposed. But if they could prevent pictures from being taken of our landing sites, the only way to prove them wrong is with evidence here on Earth.”

“Is such a weapon even possible, and would China be able to operate it from Earth?” asked Gavin.

Peter looked Gavin in the eye. “Possibly yes, but does China or even the U.S. have the required technology to design and deploy such a weapon? I don’t know.” Peter suddenly creased his forehead. “There’s one problem with this idea. If the laser is orbiting the moon, NASA should be able to pick up a radar signal. I haven’t heard anything about that, have you?”

“No. I’ll check with Jack and Doug. Regardless, both should know this immediately. NASA may want to reconsider sending up a second LRO if there is a chance it too, could be destroyed. I need you to research this further and see what you can find out. I know you requested some time off, but I want you to stay here and see if you can find out more information. Maybe you can get more intelligence from your contacts at CNSA.”

“Possibly. I’ll be happy to see what I can find out.”

Peter wondered if he should tell Gavin about his dinner meeting with Dmitri later that night. Since they were getting together as friends first, he figured to hold off and if anything worthwhile came from the meeting, he would immediately let Gavin know.

As Peter stood, he leaned over Gavin’s desk. “Gavin, you know I have a vested interest in all of this. I will do whatever I can to prove China is full of crap.”

Gavin smiled. “I know Peter… I know.”