“Based on the data from Apollo, you are at fifty-six percent fuel capacity. Ninety percent is necessary for return to Apollo orbit and… sixty-five percent necessary to intercept Russian craft in retro orbit. Do you copy?”
Julie gasped. She had thought of the Gordust as a last resort, but now the fuel figures showed that they would not be able to reach its orbit. They were stranded. “Copy, Houston, keep us posted. Over and out.”
Julie clicked off the mike, not wanting to let the emotions in her voice be conveyed nor to make the mission team feel any worse on the ground. The work of retrieving the Chinese body, now alive, though it was thought that he would be dead by now, was busybody work to buy Houston time to run the figures and work out a solution.
She heard Craig call her on their low gain system so it would be a private chat. “You copy that, Jules?”
“Yeah, Craig, we’re SOL, and time’s running out.”
“Is that guy really alive?”
“Oh yeah, he wasn’t moving much till I dragged him out of his lander, but the pain definitely got his attention. He’s got both legs broken, and maybe more. I’m surprised he had enough oxygen for this long, not to mention living with injuries.” Talking about the poor condition of her passenger seemed to take her mind off of her own plight.
“So what’s the plan, Jules?”
“I’ll get back, and then we load our guest in the lander and wait.”
“Wait for what?”
“For what we always wait for. For Houston to pull a rabbit out of its hat.”
“Well, that better be one big fucking rabbit,” Craig said, not hearing Julie’s hysterical laughter.
Chapter 34
The Rabbit
NASA Space Center
Houston, Texas
In the near future, Day 48
“What are you talking about, Marge?” Rock asked, looking at his second in command with his eyes arched and his hands on his hips.
The entire mission team had all but huddled around Rock’s main command module, crowding the space entirely and making Mr. Smith and Mrs. Brown look more than a little uncomfortable.
“Our handlers there need to get the Russian president on the line and make this happen.” Marge shot them a look and put her own hands on her own hips, a stance displaying more than a bit of defiance.
“I’m not so sure we can do that,” Mr. Smith said, returning the look. “They are still recovering from the bombing of their space command center.”
“And you’re asking them to abort their own mission,” Mrs. Brown added.
“We are not going to leave our crew up there to die,” Marge practically shouted, frustration in her voice. “You two need to make this happen.”
Rock took a long look at the observation room high above them and could only make out a mass of dark shapes, Secret Service most likely. They needed a push now. Rock grabbed one of his technical manuals lying on his desk and hurled it at the observation window.
“What the hell are you doing?” Mr. Smith asked, stepping back and into Tom.
The response was immediate as figures moved, and four agents closed in on Rock’s console.
“We’re elevating the matter,” Rock said looking at Mr. Smith and sighing when he finally saw the vice president enter the room.
Gordust Space Station
Low Moon Orbit
In the near future, Day 48
“Ah, copy, Vostonchny, please confirm the mission parameters one more time,” Yuri said, rolling his recorders again. If they were going to order him to do this, then he damn well wanted it recorded, just in case.
Vostonchny completed its repetition and then signed out.
“What the hell was that about?” Olga asked.
“It seems we are now a search and rescue mission,” Yuri said, keying the internal mike on.
“Search for what? We know where the Americans are,” she said.
“All right, Olya, just rescue, then,” Yuri cleared his throat. “Nikolai, prepare for orbital insertion burn in five minutes.”
“Insertion?” Nikolai asked, obvious confusion in his voice.
“Yes, Olya, insertion. We are going to orbit closer.”
“Bozhe moi,” Olga said, her face surprised.
“My feelings exactly,” Yuri said, clicking on the diagnostic system check and strapping his seat belt tighter.
Apollo Lander
Lunar Surface, Marianas Plain
In the near future, Day 48
Julie had returned without incident to see that there was no sign of the Russian bodies. She got out after swapping one of the mini oxygen bottles attached to her waist from the rover and moved to the rear. She had purposely drove a few feet past the lander so that its intense overhead lighting array would illuminate the rear of the rover.
She saw the Chinese astronaut sitting, breathing heavily. His helmet and one glove was off. Craig came down the stairs of the lander and stood next to her.
“He’s really alive. Such a shame, too.”
Julie turned to see him better, but his face was in shadow and the visor didn’t help. “You think I should have just left him?”
“No.” His voice sounded artificial as it was bounced over the rover and back on the mini low gain array. “I think you should have never went there in the first place. Ah, what does it matter?”
Julie ignored the pessimism. “I see that you either managed to get an extra six percent transferred over or you understated our fuel load.”
“I transferred what was still liquid at the bottom in the secondary reserve tank. It appears they keep another hull over the reserve just in case, so that wasn’t frozen or ejected when the top of the tank was breached, not that six percent will make a difference.”
“But you transferred it, anyway.” Julie made a statement and not a question.
“I guess it’s just the training they instill in you,” Craig answered back. “What are we going to do with our friend there? Have you talked to him yet?”
“Of course not. I don’t speak Chinese, and I have no idea what com frequency he’s using.”
“Let’s get him inside the lander and see if we can talk to him, then,” Craig said, motioning to the man inside the rover and then his own helmet. The man nodded and started to suit up again. “Best to tell the man to his face that he’s still going to die.”
“Blackjack, this is Houston. Do you copy, over?”
“Houston, this is Blackjack. We are transferring our guest to the Apollo lander, over,” Julie said, switching her com mike control to voice activation so she would be hands-free to help Craig with the Chinese astronaut.
“Roger, Blackjack, acknowledge your return with one Chinese foreign national. Standby, over.”
“Standing by,” Julie said, moving to the rover where Craig had opened the door after the man inside had depressurized his compartment. Seems he was coherent enough to understand the correct button to push.
The two of them grabbed the man by an arm, each lopping the large suited limbs over their own shoulders. Julie was still amazed at how light the man was. One sixth earth’s gravity made for an easy move of the man over to the stairs of the lander where Craig went up first and then grabbed the man’s outstretched hands, arms completely overhead, and Julie pushed on the man’s butt, avoiding his legs, and in one fell swing, he was pulled inside the lander.
Julie started up the stairs when the call came in. “Julie, this is Richard Crandon, do you copy?”