As Dmitri set his shot glass down he spoke from the heart. “Peter, I often think of the sacrifice your dad made. The life I now live is greatly due to both you and your dad, and for that I am grateful.”
Peter held up his empty shot glass giving an imaginary toast. He always thought it ironic; of the two of them he was the one who never flew in space. He stared at his shot glass remembering back to that night over thirty-six years ago at the Soviet space complex.
AS A TEN-YEAR-OLD BOY, Peter was startled awake to a loud rapping on his window in the middle of the night. Thinking it might be Dmitri, he snuck over to peek out. Seeing it was his friend, he scrambled to open the window. Dmitri’s face was as white as a ghost and he was out of breath. Dmitri started talking a mile a minute in Russian. Peter had no idea what he was saying. He kept hearing the word trenser, which he thought meant simulator. He remembered the two had talked about one night sneaking into the training center to check out the Soyuz simulator and assumed that’s probably what he did. Wanting to make sure, he asked, “Simulator?” and put his arms out to simulate flying. Dmitri sadly nodded as he said, “Da.” Peter wondered why he was so upset and figured he must have been caught or something. Dmitri began to cry, saying something else Peter didn’t quite understand, but he thought he heard the word otets which he thought meant father. Dmitri then turned around and trudged away with his head down.
Peter assumed his friend was going to tell his father what happened. He felt bad as he watched Dmitri walk away. He slowly closed the window and sat back on his bed, head in his hands, thinking back to the day before when they talked about sneaking into the training center. He never thought either of them would actually do it. Now his friend was in trouble. Not sure what to do, he decided to go tell his dad.
Peter walked into his dad’s room and woke him. As his dad slowly opened his eyes, Peter began telling him what happened. His father told him to slow down and repeat what he was trying to say.
Suddenly his father’s eyes widened as he quickly lifted his head. “Son, Mr. Alexandrov could be in serious trouble. If Dmitri was caught in the training center without permission, or even worse, broke something, Mr. Alexandrov could be kicked off the mission.” His dad sat up in his bed, rubbing his forehead. “Mr. Alexandrov’s bosses are very strict. It doesn’t matter if it was Dmitri who did wrong. Mr. Alexandrov will pay the price.” His father shook his head and looked straight ahead. “Dmitri is only out here because of you. Viktor is a good man, and a good cosmonaut.” There was a still silence for a moment before his father turned and raised his eyebrows. “Where’s Dmitri now?”
“I think he was going back to their room to tell his dad,” answered Peter.
“Son, we don’t want Viktor to be kicked off this mission, it means too much to him.” Tom reached for the phone from the nightstand, setting it on his lap.
“Who are you calling, Dad?” asked Peter as he moved closer.
“I am calling Viktor to see exactly what happened.” As his dad dialed the rotary phone Peter rubbed his hands together. He knew of all the cosmonauts, Dmitri’s dad was the only one his dad always talked about, and the only one he could understand through his broken English.
After six rings, his dad assumed Viktor was not going to answer and was ready to hang up when Viktor’s voice came through the receiver.
“Allo.”
His father said later he could hear the sadness.
“Viktor, it’s me, Tom. Peter just came in my room and said something happened to Dmitri. I was calling to see if he was okay.”
Peter moved even closer to hear. “Dmitri okay. But hay got in trouble. Hay broke in Sorok Building tonight.”
“Did he get caught?”
“Nyet, but Soviet Comrade see him.”
“Do they know it was Dmitri?”
“Nyet, but he see boy. Zis all bad, I be sure off mission.”
Trying to cheer Viktor up, Tom said, “I can’t imagine they would kick you off the mission just because your son was being an adventurous boy.”
“He not only got in Sorok, he damaged trenser cunthroy panel.”
“How did he damage the control panel?”
“Dmitri hit vater glass, spilled vater on cunthroy panel.”
His dad always said it was careless that the Soviet operators often left food or drinks around the control panel. Apparently Dmitri must have accidently knocked one over. Peter knew any water leaking inside the control panel could break it.
Not knowing what to say, his father tried to be positive. “Viktor, you are one of the best Soviet cosmonauts. I am sure things will work out okay.” But his father put his head down when he said this, and ended the conversation as best he could before hanging up.
Peter grabbed his dad’s leg, shaking it. “Is Mr. Alexandrov going to be okay?”
His dad slowly turned and said, “Son, Mr. Alexandrov is not going to be okay. Dmitri did a very bad thing, and unfortunately his dad will probably be kicked off the mission.”
“Will he be able to fly another mission someday?”
Looking Peter straight in the eye his father said, “He will never fly in space. His cosmonaut days will be over. He and Dmitri will have to leave Star City forever.”
Peter’s heart sank, and he put his head down. He was going to miss his friend.
His father put his hand on his son’s leg, lightly patting it. “But maybe we can change that.”
Hearing this perked Peter up and he lifted his head. “How?”
“You and I will have to tell a lie. I know I’ve told you to never lie, but this is to protect a man, his family, and his future.”
Peter had become a very honorable boy since being caught and strictly punished for a lie he told his father. This was the first time his dad suggested a lie would be okay. He was confused, but desperately wanted to help his friend. “How do we do that?”
“Dmitri’s father says they only know it was a boy who snuck into the building. Since you two are the only boys on the base, it was either you or him. I have already walked on the moon and that’ll never change. Nothing I do in the space program will ever top that. If we say you were the one who snuck in, then NASA will discipline me. Sadly you’ll probably be sent home, but that’ll be it, and Mr. Alexandrov can stay on to fly the mission. I’m on the backup crew, but Victor is primary and this is his first space mission. If we do nothing, he’ll probably be kicked off the mission and out of the space program. His whole career ruined.” His father put his arm around him. “I believe this is the right thing to do, but I want it to be your decision. Whatever you decide I’ll support. It’s up to you.”
Peter looked down at the floor, thinking on what to do. He was honored his dad was allowing him to make the decision, and he didn’t want to disappoint him. But he was scared of what might happen to him, and felt he would probably have to fly back home alone. After a few moments thinking of his friend and Mr. Alexandrov, who was always nice to him, he clinched his jaw before saying, “I’ll do it! I’ll hate having to go home, but if you think it’s the right thing, then I’ll do it.”
His father smiled and gave him a big hug. “The Soviets may be a little hard on you for damaging their equipment, but don’t let it bother you. I’ll try to take the brunt of whatever they say to you. Just be apologetic.”
Peter nodded. His dad immediately grabbed the phone and called Viktor again.
This time it was just a couple rings before Peter overheard, “Allo.”
“Viktor, it’s Tom again. Have you talked to anyone yet about what happened?”
“Nyet. I vas getting ready call General Titov.”