Space Hoax

20 SPACEPORT

The aircraft engines hummed in the background as Peter studied the mission’s revised flight plan. He sat by the window next to an empty seat in the back of EarthOrbit’s corporate jet. He decided to give his brain a rest as he scanned the plane. Only five passengers were on the flight. Chris and Walter were sitting side by side chatting in the front row, while Blake and Jesse sat in separate rows in the middle of the plane. Blake had headphones on and appeared to be sleeping while his commander looked to be studying the same manual as Peter.

Turning to look out the window, Peter saw Las Vegas in the distance, signaling they would soon be arriving at the spaceport. An unexpected pang of longing hit him as he thought of his lover. I need to take Anya to Vegas someday. He closed his eyes, remembering their last kiss. A startling nudge on his shoulder broke his concentration. He turned to see Walter standing in the aisle with a slight smirk.

Walter pointed to the empty seat. “Mind if I sit?”

Peter wondered if he was trying to get away from Chris. “Not at all, please do.”

Walter grabbed the front seatback before falling back into the recliner. “You know it was a plane like this that your dad rolled.”

A faint smile crossed Peter’s face thinking of his dad pulling off the crazy stunt. “I betcha that was some show.”

“I thought it was hilarious.” He raised his hand waggling a pointed finger. “Of course, don’t you get any ideas.”

Peter chuckled. “Okay, no barrel rolls today.”

Walter looked toward Jesse and Blake before turning back. “So you think your guys are ready?”

Peter spoke with assurance. “They’re ready. You have two of the best flying.”

Walter leaned in, nudging Peter’s arm. “Are you sure you don’t want to go?”

Peter took a sharp breath. “I’d love to. I’m sure launching in a Zeus rocket would be a one hell of a ride. But you want to send the men best trained to do this mission. Both have put in long hours and are the right men for the job.”

“I agree. Of course it would definitely help us get better press coverage if the man flying was the same man who just went to the moon.”

SID would prefer him to avoid press coverage. The comment sparked Peter’s curiosity as to why Walter had agreed to move the EVA, which still gnawed at him. “I expect you’ll get good coverage, but I was surprised we moved Blake’s spacewalk. That definitely would have gotten the world’s attention.”

Walter reclined his seat back as he made himself more comfortable, settling his arms on the armrests. “It just makes more sense. I think I was getting a little greedy trying to do too much on this mission. Chris suggested we drop the second EVA, feeling we were biting off more than we could chew, and the more I thought about it, I realized he was right. He opened my eyes to the risks. The purpose of this flight is to show NASA what we can do, and doing a spacewalk is just an impressive feat.”

Peter’s hunch was right, Chris was behind the change. “I do agree holding off on that second EVA. In fact I was going to suggest this later in the mission if all went to plan.”

Walter raised an eyebrow. “Why didn’t you say something?”

Peter clenched his jaw. “I’m still new. I guess I wanted to see how the mission went first.”

“Well, it sounds like we are all in agreement.” Walter looked toward the front of the plane for a moment before turning with a questioning look. “So how does a guy working at Byington Corporation in the UK end up with SpaceQuest flying a mission to the moon?”

Peter went into spy mode, answering the question as scripted by SID. “Actually, Allen Ferguson was friends with my dad. Allen’s a big fan of NASA’s early space program and over the years had made an effort to get to know most of the moonwalkers. He was probably closest with my father. When China claimed landing on the moon was a big hoax, it pissed Allen off. He considered all moonwalkers to be national heroes and felt it was his duty to prove China was full of crap. His team came up with how they could get to the moon and prove we did land. Allen discussed the plan with Pop before he passed away, expressing his desire to have a NASA astronaut fly the mission. It was obvious that wasn’t going to happen, so Dad suggested me. He informed Allen I was well-qualified after spending years training at NASA. Of course, Dad had no idea at the time the operation was going to turn into a suicide mission. He was just trying to get his son into space.”

Walter interjected. “You know, that has been bugging me. How come someone with your skill and credentials never flew the shuttle? It sounds like you were one of NASA’s top astronauts.”

Peter fought the impulse to badmouth Chris. It wouldn’t be in the best interest of the assignment. So he swallowed his pride and took the high road. “I’m not sure, probably politics.”

A skeptical look crossed the president’s face. “Wasn’t Chris your boss?”

Expecting the question, Peter said quietly, “Yes, but he wasn’t the only decision maker.”

The plane started to go into a slight bank, pulling Peter toward his window, which was filling up with the landmass below. Walter’s arm shot across Peter’s chest, pointing outside. “There’s the spaceport.”

The complex came into view. What caught his eye was an ultra-modern building shaped like a stingray located right in the middle of the compound. The eye-catching feature looked to be resting on the desert floor, waiting to strike. All the roads of the facility fanned out from the large building. Peter followed one with his eyes as it led out to two launching pads, on one of which the massive Zeus rocket was patiently waiting. A ping of jealousy rang through him as he stared at the glimmering machine.

With a proud tone, Walter said, “You’re looking at the only commercial spaceport in the world. Not only will EarthOrbit’s rockets fly out of there, but someday soon we’ll lease out those pads to other space companies, some sending tourists into space.” Walter nudged Peter’s arm. “Of course that’s after we have a NASA contract in hand. We don’t want to give the competition any help.”

Peter stared out of the window as they came closer and more of the complex came into view.

“See that building in the middle?”

Without turning, Peter assumed he was talking about the one that looked like the stingray. “Yeah.”

“That’s one of the most energy-efficient buildings in the world. For example, the air circulating throughout the interior is cooled by a chiller that takes advantage of the lower temperatures below the desert surface. Water is circulated through pipes that extend deep into the earth before passing through the chiller. Also the exterior glass is coated with a special glaze to lower the carbon footprint. There are skylights throughout for interior lighting. Basically there are tons of features in that building that allow us to have one of the smallest energy footprints for a commercial building in the world.”

Though Peter was impressed, his gaze stayed fixed on the Zeus rocket.

After landing, Peter turned on his phone. He was pleased to see a voice message from Jose Calma. He was hoping the tycoon was able to get meaningful information on Krause. He watched Walter get up from his seat and walk toward the exit as he played the message.

Peter put the phone tightly to his ear and bumped the volume down.

Hello, Peter, this is Jose Calma. I’m calling you back to give you an update on what I’ve found out about Krause Aerospace. Though most checked out fine, I was surprised to hear a major explosion killed one of our factory workers when working on one of the parts for EarthOrbit. Apparently, the pyrotechnic device used to deploy the parachutes was way too powerful. I have been assured this was corrected before the units were shipped. Of course, this is inside information. I hope this does not prevent your company from doing business with us. If you need anything further, please feel free to call me directly. And once again, thank you for saving my son.

Peter’s brain went into overdrive as a concerned fear caused his gut to churn. Could there be a bomb in the parachute deployment device on their spacecraft? He stared straight ahead as Blake reached the door, the last to depart the plane. The young pilot turned around. “Peter, are you coming?”

Peter took a deep, calming breath as he gave a casual wave. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

Blake lifted his arm signaling he understood before ducking his head and exiting. The plane was empty except for the pilots behind the closed cockpit door.

Putting his elbows on his knees, Peter cupped both hands over his mouth. He wondered what his next move should be. He needed to know immediately if there was any chance an explosive device could be onboard their ship. Jose’s message was not enough to disrupt the mission’s schedule. He needed more concrete evidence. He started shaking his foot as he wondered who he could trust. Got it, I’ll call Carl and have him inspect the backup unit. All parts for each mission had at least one spare unit, which the shop manager would have access to.

Peter quickly scanned through his list of contacts on his smart phone before finding his reliable ally. As he speed dialed Carl’s number he spotted the men through his window walking toward a waiting van. Through the short conversation and without giving much detail, Peter instructed Carl to immediately inspect the spare parachute deployment device for their mission, focusing on the pyrotechnics. He stressed to examine it in private and relay his findings directly to him, no one else. Since Carl was the one who originally expressed concern on the German parts, he accepted the request without any questions.

After hanging up Peter hustled out of his seat and down the aisle knowing the others were waiting. As he approached the exit, Walter stuck his head into the plane with a concerned expression. “Hey, Peter, are you coming? We’re all ready to go.”

Peter’s gut told him to inform the president. Walter was the only one who could postpone the launch, and if Carl came back late with bad news, there may not be enough time to deliberate on what to do. Avoiding that mess would be best. He tried not to be too specific. “Walter, I just got off the phone with one of our factory workers. Apparently there might be some issues with the parachute deployment device on Iris 1.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The manufacturer had some early problems during testing of the pyro charge. Apparently it was way too powerful, killing one of their employees.”

Walter looked relieved. “Oh, we were informed of that accident. It was sad to hear someone died. The incident prompted us to send one of our inspectors overseas. He supervised the final testing and confirmed the problem was solved. Everything since has checked out fine. We even did a detailed inspection of the units after they were received. So sounds like you have some old news. That unit should be fine.” Water patted Peter on the back. “I do appreciate you bringing this to my attention, however. We can never be too cautious.”

Peter was encouraged to hear an inspector was sent out. “Okay, well then it’s probably best we keep this to ourselves. No need alarming anyone if you feel it’s a nonissue.”

“You’re probably right, but I’m happy you informed me, and I want you to communicate that to the factory guy. That’s working as a team, which is what all our employees need to do to ensure we succeed in this competitive space business. So who informed you?”

“Carl Stewart, he’s an old friend.”

“Well, you tell Carl good job and we’ve already checked it out.”

Peter nodded. He would call Carl, but only to inform him of this conversation to be prepared if Walter spoke to him. He was still going to have his friend inspect the backup unit, if only for his own peace of mind.

EXHAUSTED FROM THE long day, Peter sat with Jesse at the dinner table in EarthOrbit’s cafeteria. It was well after 8:00 p.m. and he finally got his first opportunity to sit and relax. Not only did Peter go through every exercise with the two astronauts, he also had to get up a few hours earlier to take care of his other responsibilities as their boss. During all this activity, worrying about what Carl was going to find festered in the back of his mind.

Peter took another bite of his lasagna then looked over to see Jesse in the same stupor. The two hadn’t said two words since sitting. The silence was broken when Blake walked up from behind, dropping his tray hard on the table. Peter turned to see a mischievous grin on the energetic young man’s face.

“Damn! You two look beat.”

Peter gave a tired answer. “I am beat. It’s been a long day.”

Blake sat in the seat next to Peter. “Well you’re an old man. We expect that.” Blake swung his head like a bobblehead doll toward Jesse. “How about you commander? Us young guns need to show up the old timer.”

Jesse broke out of his trance. “Let’s just say I’ll sleep well tonight.”

Blake took a big bite of his burger as he surveyed their surroundings. “Damn, where is everyone?” Not getting any response from Jesse or Peter, he started his own conversation. “Well, I just got off the phone with Suzy, and she told me a funny story about Matthew.”

Having met the cute boy, Peter was curious. “What happened?”

“Well, Matthew is your typical four-year-old who hates vegetables. Tonight Suzy made green peas. He finished all his food but the peas. She signed he had to eat those before he could leave the table. He sat there with a pissed off look for the longest time, just staring at his plate. Basically it was a standoff between the two.”

Peter chimed in. “My money is on Matthew.”

Blake smiled. “Well, after Suzy had cleaned the dishes she went to do the laundry. When she came back, she saw Matthew putting the last bite of peas in his mouth. She was so impressed that his plate was clean that she rewarded him with ice cream before putting him to bed. Later when she started to clean up his area of the table, she was shocked when she lifted his placemat and saw most of the peas smashed on the table. But what tickled her was seeing the peas arranged to spell out the word, no.”

Both men laughed. Peter was impressed the deaf boy knew how to spell no. “That’s funny. What a smart boy.”

Jesse seemed to be coming back to life as he smiled. “I remember hiding my peas in my milk.”

“That wouldn’t work. Suzy has the kids finish everything.”

Peter cut another piece of lasagna with his fork and brought it to his mouth before stopping. “Matthew sounds like a good kid. I have to say when I met him I was surprised he was deaf.”

Blake wiped his mouth with his napkin. “We do everything we can to treat him like a normal boy. We try not to make a big deal about it away from home.”

Peter finished his bite. “Well maybe he’ll be a pilot. He was real good at flying his toy plane.”

“He loves that plane. I promised Suzy I would teach him how to fly someday. With the new interface technology available in the cockpit, he should be able to get a pilot’s license. Of course our number one goal is for both kids to get a college degree.”

Peter remembered the wonderful times when his dad taught him to fly. The buzz of his phone caught everyone’s attention. Peter smiled at Blake before taking a look at the caller ID, Carl Stewart. He needed to take the call. He politely excused himself as he quickly walked through the empty cafeteria, punching the answer button as he walked. “Hello.”

“Hey, Peter, it’s Carl.”

As Peter exited into the hallway he confirmed it was empty before answering in a soft tone. “Hey Carl, so were you able to inspect the parts?”

Carl’s tone was apologetic. “I did; sorry I am getting back so late. I had to wait until the factory cleared out before getting to it.”

Peter anxiously rocked back and forth on his feet, impatient. “I understand. So what did you find?”

“Everything checked out fine, nothing suspicious.”

Peter stopped rocking. “Are you sure?”

Carl responded instantly. “Absolutely.”

Peter’s whole body relaxed as he leaned against the wall. “Great, I appreciate you doing this for me.”

“No problem.”

Peter heard brisk footsteps increasing in intensity within the hallway. He looked up to see Chris advancing toward him. He spoke in a whisper as he quickly wrapped up the call.

Chris stopped short and pointed to the phone as he spoke in a directive tone. “Who was that?”

Peter’s analytical mind told him to respond with a coy and logical answer. “My girlfriend, wondering if I am flying.”

Chris casually put both hands in his pockets. “Probably not, but we should know for sure within the next few days. By the way, Walter told me about your concern with the Parachute Deployment Device. You know, you could have asked me about that?”

Peter’s whole body went rigid as his hand tightened around his cell phone. He’d taken a risk telling Walter, knowing Chris was his right-hand man. Fortunately, Carl just confirmed there was no reason to be concerned. “I guess I should have. Sorry about that. Walter was next to me when I first heard about it, so I questioned him on his thoughts.”

Chris’s dark eyes challenged him. “Well, please make certain you go through me on any other concerns.”

Peter swallowed his pride as he accepted the order. “Will do, Boss.”

KUANG WAS IN a foul mood due to a disagreement earlier that morning with his wife. Ever since his father had moved in with them, his dad’s constant bickering had been putting a strain on his marriage. After his mother died, his father had become a defeated and angry man. Yet still, Kuang strived for the man’s approval. He invited his father to live at his home with the hopes their relationship would improve. Sometimes he felt like that little boy who just wanted his dad’s acceptance and love.

He cleared his head of the challenges at home. He leaned back in his chair as he took a sip of hot tea, hoping to calm his mind. He surveyed his desk, reviewing what he needed to get accomplished. The quiet was interrupted by the loud ringing of his phone. He practically ripped the receiver off its cradle. His voice was short and direct. “Hello.”

“Kuang, it’s Lin.”

Kuang growled. “Yes?”

“We might have a problem with Tianlong.”

Kuang snapped his head up. “What? What kind of problem?”

“I have just been informed someone may suspect there is a bomb. They have been asking questions.”

Kuang’s voice rose in aggravation. “Who?”

“I don’t know who, but I was told their questions were answered without giving any insight. Apparently this seemed to have appeased the individual.”

With his fist now clenched in frustration, Kuang spoke harshly. “I want to know who this person is. I want to know why he is asking these questions. Is he associated with the United States government? Find this out now!”

“Yes, sir. I will check on it immediately.”

“If he is a serious threat to the operation, I want him eliminated.”

“Understood.”