Alex dropped the report on the desk, not really looking at it. If it contained something important, Vlad would have just told him. “So you think this idea will work?”
“You tell me, Alex. You’re an engineer.”
“Well, theoretically you could pilot a brick to the moon and back provided you had enough delta v and fuel to escape the earth’s gravity well. It’s not like the Gordust needs to be aerodynamic or anything.”
“Agreed, and that’s why I think this plan may actually succeed. It’s audacious and cunning, bold but simple,” Vlad said, looking at his chief engineer with a gleam in his eye. “Who could have imagined a low earth space station being converted to a lunar spaceship?”
Alex wasn’t sure if his boss’s question was rhetorical or not, so he answered anyway. “The Gordust certainly will look like a pig soaring through space; that much is sure. It looked fine as a floating station, but despite the lack of aerodynamic requirements, I think it will just look plain ugly up there. That isn’t a concern, however, as long as we make it there and secure the prize.”
Vlad stretched his arms and yawned—not the most professional thing to do for the Director of Space Launch Operations, but he didn’t care. He was more than tired and glad for the downtime, having finally caught up on some of his sleep in the meantime. “Well, hopefully this time next week, or soon thereafter, we’ll be watching the Gordust as it heads to the moon.”
“That will be a good thing, boss,” Alex said. “Did you see the latest pictures?”
“Ah, you mean the ones from the horizon angle?” Vlad asked.
“Yes, they were taken from farther away, but with the high resolution lens and the horizon angle, the alien device can be seen in an interesting perspective. Some of the newscasters are already commenting on the bulge in the lunar soil at the base. This will be very interesting once we’re there,” Alex said.
“The signal strengths are a bit higher than we anticipated, but the shielding on the orbiter is holding and all systems are still functioning. Our signal technicians are still trying to make sense of the data stream from the alien broadcast. Between the pictures and the data, things are looking interesting,” Vlad said.
“I was wondering if we were making any headway with the signal. This is good to know that the orbiter isn’t experiencing any of the same issues that the Chinese equipment did,” Alex said.
Vlad nodded. “I agree, and speaking of equipment, Dmitry has asked us to review the manifest as well. That is part of the reason why I asked for you today. I hated to interrupt your downtime, but we need to assess it before the lander is mounted in order to secure any other equipment that they may need to investigate the device.”
“I assume Moscow sent a list already along with the equipment?”
“Yes, it’s in the report, but Irina has made copies with just the proposed equipment manifest as is. If you or Yosef can think of anything else that our cosmonauts may need, then we have to have it ready and secured in the lander in less than two days. The second launch will carry nothing but fuel pods for the trip, so this is our last chance,” Vlad said.
“I’m sure they thought of everything already, but it doesn’t surprise me that we have only two days to review this list and secure any necessary equipment. Typical for Moscow,” Alex said, his face scrunched in a frown.
“Well, it would be easier to load and secure any extra equipment now, but if not, you still have the three days afterward for final preparations. It will just be more difficult to work on storing the equipment when it’s one hundred meters in the air.” Vlad nodded.
“Oh yeah, I don’t fancy the crewmember who will have to scramble around inside the lander once it’s attached to the Energia. Best hope they don’t need anything bigger than what they have listed already.”
“No worries, Alex. I’m sure they will be successful with whatever we send to them. We just need to make sure we cover our bases so those bureaucrats in central don’t have a goat to scape.”
“What?” Alex asked, his face puzzled.
“Never mind. It’s an English term I learned years ago. We don’t want to be blamed for any potential failure, so make sure you and Yosef give this a good once over.”
“Understood. We’ll start on it right away,” Alex said, standing and heading out the door, stopping for one moment and turning to face his boss.
“Yes, Alex?” Vlad asked, looking up.
“If we don’t succeed? Has anyone discussed our options on this matter?”
“No.” Vlad shook his head and lowered his eyes. “If we fail, the consequences would be too serious to contemplate given the nature of our mission.”
“That serious, then?”
“More so. Let’s not find out what fate awaits a failure.”
Alex didn’t speak again and looked down first before leaving the office. Vlad wasn’t sure what his government would do if the entire mission failed, and he feared more for his boss and friend Dmitry. There would be no dacha, no pension, and no retirement for him if they did fail. God help us, Vlad thought to himself, pulling open the report and starting to read it for the second time that day.
Chapter 17
China Strikes First
People’s Republic Space Command
Outside of Beijing, China
In the near future, Day 41
Hun watched the screen from the control room as two technicians strapped Hen Sing into his chair in the command module perched on top of the Long Reach. This would be the second launch in three days of the Long Reach rocket. The first one contained the power and fuel modules for the lander, and this one held the actual lander and other electronic equipment with upgraded shielding.
The secondary screens showed the plot trajectory of the first launch as it hurtled toward its rendezvous with the moon. It had traveled nearly two thirds of the way there, and several control and command technicians were updating the telemetry on its flight path hourly. Hun knew his team was being observed by the general’s staff, as was his consoles and data streams. While he was given operational command over the mission, the entire team was compartmentalized to the extent that communications between them were impaired, if not completely interrupted.
“How do you feel, Colonel Sing?” Hun asked through his headset.
A thousand kilometers away, he could see the colonel tilt his head toward the internal camera, despite the helmet, and an almost imperceptible nod. “Fine, Director Lee, though the accommodations are rather tight in here.”
Hun stifled a chuckle as he watched the two technicians finish strapping the colonel in his seat and crawl toward the exit hatch. There was almost no room for the three of them inside, and Hun knew that only someone like Sing could get away with some levity while the general’s staff was monitoring their communications.
“You’ll get accustomed to it soon enough. The flight profile is the same as the energy module, which precedes you by a couple of days. You’ll receive updated information on your primary monitor in front of you. In the meantime, our health and wellness specialist will be monitoring your vitals and talking you through the launch. Let my team and I know if you have any issues during the flight.”
Sing nodded. “Very thoughtful of you. After piloting the MiG-55, I’m sure I’ll be fine handling the Crimson Glory.”
“Very well, Colonel. Success and honor,” Hun said.
“Success and honor,” Sing replied in kind.
Hun watched as the door to the module was shut and sealed as red lights on one of the system consoles changed to green. Hun knew the MiG-55 required a flight pressure suit as it could pull over nine G’s in supersonic flight, so the colonel would not be surprised at the thrust and inertia factors that were about to be thrown his way. At least in this regard, he felt the general had made a fine selection.