“I said that the existing astronaut situation has been handled, Douglas. They’re both dead. Jerry Laub and I are in sole command.”
“That’s great news, Mark. I assume that the controls on Stargazer are the same as what you’ve been studying for a month. Are you guys prepared to begin the satellite test sequence?”
“Please repeat, you’re breaking up,” Bill said, trying to buy some time.
“Now what the hell do we do, Nance?” Bill whispered. “Remember what happened last time we tested the satellites?”
“We’ve got to follow their orders, or we’ll blow the whole thing.”
“I asked if you’re prepared to execute a satellite test pattern. Do you read me?”
“Yes, I read you, Douglas, if not loud and clear.”
“Okay, Mark, one by one, I want you to test each of the 20 satellites, including the solar panels.”
Bill and Nancy began the satellite tests.
“Hey, Nance, why isn’t Duncan the one speaking to us?” Bill whispered.
“Beats me, but we know we’re communicating with Rosetta. Just another little mystery.”
Chapter 53
August 14 – The Blizzard Returns
“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, I’m your host, Ellen Bellamy, sporting my new suntan. Today we’re going to discuss a pleasant topic, one that hasn’t been much fun to talk about recently. Al Roker, the world’s favorite weatherman, is here with me to discuss the beautiful August weather we’re enjoying. Al, please tell us the good news.”
“Recently you’ve heard me talk about the new meteorology, Ellen, a science that has recently been unable to live up to its mission—to forecast the weather. For almost a month no meteorologist on earth could tell you what to expect, other than by using radar, which is nowhere near as accurate as satellites for long range predictions. This time period will forever be known for the strangest weather on record. We saw temperatures in the low single digits and even a monstrous blizzard. For the past few days, however, we seem to have caught a break. Temperatures worldwide are at or near normal for this time of year, with a few exceptions of course, which is to be expected. Here in New York City at 3:05 p.m. on a beautiful August 14, the thermometer reads a delightful 82 degrees Fahrenheit, and the black ice has been replaced by water puddles.”
“Two down and eighteen to go, Nance. The next satellite we’re about to test is the one where the shit hit the fan last time. Here we go into the wild blue yonder.”
“Al, are you willing to go on the hook with a forecast for the rest of the week?”
“My parents raised a positive thinker, so yes, Ellen, I’m willing to give you a forecast. For the Northeast United States, it’s more warm temperatures and beautiful sunshine. Over the past month I’ve joked that the only reliable weather tools at my disposal were my window and my telephone. Well, our long-range radar, one of our trusted forecasting tools, tells us that the same delightful weather that we’re experiencing now will continue. It’s not as accurate for the long-range forecasting as a satellite prediction, but the news looks good.”
Both Al Roker and Ellen Bellamy grabbed their earpieces as their producer screamed into their ears.
“Look out the fucking window, Al, and tell the audience what you see,” yelled the producer. “Snow, and a lot of it. The thermometer on our roof reads 31 degrees.”
“You folks often hear me say to look outside your window, and that’s exactly what I’m about to do, as my producer just suggested while yelling into my earpiece.”
When the camera turned to the window, Roker flipped his producer a middle finger.
Roker walked up to the window, which rattled from a fierce wind. Swirling sheets of snow blew against the glass.
“I often wish that I could do a show that I could rehearse for, one where I show up and just go through the scenes that I had rehearsed. Weather reporting isn’t like that, as you can see by looking through our studio window. A couple of minutes ago I was happily gushing about our beautiful weather. Now I’m told that our rooftop thermometer reads 31 degrees Fahrenheit, 68 degrees colder than when I started this segment 15 minutes ago. I just looked at my radar screen, and contrary to what it showed a few minutes ago, we are covered by thick clouds, obviously bearing snow. So, the radar is working, but we just can’t use it for reporting good news. And here’s the scary part: our Doppler radar didn’t see this front coming because it happened so fast. There’s been no change in our satellite situation, which remains the same—no contact with the satellites. Our research reporters tell us that the situation is similar all over the globe, rapidly dropping temperatures, and in many places, heavy snow. So, head to the closet and get out your winter clothes once again.”
“Unit 359, this is Home Base, do you read?”
“Roger, Home Base, Unit 359 here, but we still have heavy static,” Bill Cranston said, hoping the guy on the other end didn’t realize that he wasn’t speaking to Mark Jackson.
“Mark, I want you to hit the override switch on the main console.”
“Holy shit,” Nancy whispered, “the switch is malfunctioning again. Tell them we just tried it and it doesn’t work.”
“We’ve just discovered that the override switch doesn’t respond, Douglas. The satellites are going through their configurations and there’s no way to stop them. Is it affecting the weather on earth?”
“Let us worry about the situation on earth.”
Chapter 54
August 15
“Mr. President, when you ran for office did you expect that you would be giving so many weather reports?”
“Very funny, Jake,” the president said to his chief of staff. “Update me on our rescue mission for Stargazer.”
“As you ordered, sir, we’re keeping this plan as secret as possible. I’m dealing directly with Roger Palmer, the administrator of NASA. He knows that all communications between NASA and the rest of the government will come directly through me to you. Only nine people in total are involved in this operation. We believe that a ship from another entity, probably Bartholomew Martin’s people, has docked with the Stargazer. As you know, there is still a total communications blackout with Stargazer. We don’t know the fate of the two Rosetta astronauts. Our objective is to get close enough to Stargazer so we can communicate directly by shortwave radio.”
“What do you expect to find, if not the two astronauts?”
“Depending on what we find, sir, it could be a violent confrontation. But our ship, called Ranger, will pack enough firepower to come out on top. Ranger will have six people aboard, all heavily armed SEALs, well experienced in close combat. If we find William Cranston and Nancy Mullin aboard and safe, we will relieve them with two new astronauts after they get checked out on the Stargazer controls.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong,” the president said. “The craft that docked with Stargazer is considered hostile. If so, how can Cranston and Mullin be safe?”
“Cranston and Mullin are both smart and they’re also a couple of tough cookies, to put it bluntly, Mr. President. Cranston was a Marine captain and engaged in combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Mullin was a captain in the Air Force and saw combat in a firefight in Afghanistan. These people aren’t a couple of yokels that can be rolled over easily. They’re both armed with Colt 45s. We think it’s unlikely that a hostile force could take over Stargazer without getting into a serious mix-up with Cranston and Mullin, but obviously we don’t know the result for certain.”