Peter made a mental note. “When you get a chance, let me know which parts, and I’ll see what I can find out for you.”
“Will do.”
KUANG HAD CALLED Lin to his office. He wanted to get an update from the MSS assistant director on their scheme to bomb the International Space Station. His hope was that their inside man had convinced the American space company to launch their rocket early, unknowingly carrying out the operation.
Lin had an arrogant look as his voice swelled with pride. “The mission is moving forward. Our operative has informed us that the American company plans to launch their rocket on September 21st.”
With a concerned look, Kuang quizzed the man. “Is everything in place to ensure our operation will be a success?”
Lin answered, his voice tight and efficient. “Yes, everything is in place and we feel there is a ninety percent chance of success. We even learned they plan on informing the press soon after launch, hoping to show the world what their rocket can do.”
Kuang’s face muscles relaxed. “Perfect. Are you certain there is no way the Americans can trace the cause of the accident back to us?”
With a cocky nod, Lin confirmed they had covered their tracks. “There will be no trail leading to China. All the evidence will point toward an accident caused by EarthOrbit.”
Kuang examined the man for a moment. He was impressed by Lin’s poise. “Let’s not fail.”
Lin brazenly shook his head. “We won’t.”
16
STEP UP
On a quiet Friday morning in his office, Peter decided to do some detective work on his computer, researching Krause Aerospace. Carl had gotten back to him on what parts were having their identification numbers mysteriously changed, which were all associated with the parachute deployment system for the Iris spacecraft. Nothing seemed to stand out in the German company’s files that he was able to access. He had also heard from SID about the bank account number found in Chris’s office. There were no red flags other than the large-dollar transactions. The casino names given to SID were different hotels from those researched in the past, and checked out fine. So far, his leads were not finding anything substantial. He wondered if there was anything for him to find. Frustrated, he leaned back in his chair and stared out through his open doorway. As he watched workers hustling by in the hallway, his mind began to fill with thoughts of Anya. He was excited she was on a plane flying back to the States. He glanced down at his watch; she was to arrive in less than four hours. His hope was to propose to her sometime over the weekend.
Peter forced himself to focus on his computer screen. A faint knock on his door interrupted his concentration. He looked up to see Jesse entering. His heart sank to see the commander walking very gingerly.
“Got a moment, Peter?”
Peter leaned over his desk. “What’s up with you?”
Jesse stayed quiet as he labored toward the chair across from Peter’s desk. Once there, he carefully lowered himself before letting out an exhausted sigh. “I tweaked my back last night.”
“Damn. How did that happen?”
“Just lifting up my two-year-old, something I’ve done a hundred times. I felt this awful, sharp pain in my lower back. It was so bad it knocked me to my knees.”
“Have you had it looked at?”
“I just got back from medical. The x-rays came out negative. I was given some pain medicine and anti-inflammatory pills.”
“Will you be able to do any training?”
“The doctor told me to hold off doing any physical activity at this point. He said I can work in the simulator as long as I can deal with the discomfort and it’s set in static mode. He doesn’t want me experiencing any sudden movements.”
Jesse’s limitation would put a big dent in the team’s preparation for the flight. “Any idea when you’ll get better?”
“The doctor hopes in a week or two. However, if the pain persists, he suggests having an MRI.”
Peter shook his head. “Damn, there’s no way we can launch by the twenty-first if you can’t train. Besides, who knows if your back will be completely healed by then?”
Jesse shook his head. “Sorry, Boss, I was really looking forward to this mission.” The man winced in pain as he adjusted himself slightly in his seat. “Maybe you should put someone else in command.”
Peter raised his eyebrows. Was he hearing this right? Did the space veteran just offer up his seat? Practically every astronaut he knew would be fighting and begging to stay on any space flight. Something seemed amiss. Jesse’s words and expressions seemed to lack sincerity. Could Jesse be trying to get out of the assignment? Was he scared to be the first man to fly the Zeus rocket? Peter quickly brushed off his suspicions, given the former Navy SEAL’s background. “I know Walter wants a veteran at the controls. Let me talk to him and see what he thinks.”
PETER LOOKED DIRECTLY at Walter. “I have some bad news.” The president’s eyes narrowed in on Peter. Chris repositioned himself in his chair so he now faced Peter as well. “Jesse pulled his back last night. Right now, he’s questionable to fly the mission.”
Walter slapped his open hand on his leg. “Gosh darn dog it!”
Chris blurted out, “How did that happen?”
Peter turned to his boss. “Lifting his kid.”
Peter looked back at Walter to see him staring out the window. Water’s voice had a faint tint of sadness as he softly spoke. “Maybe we postpone the mission?”
Chris extended an open faced hand in the direction of Walter while vigorously shaking his head. “We don’t want to do that. We have this window of opportunity to showcase our rocket.” One of Chris’s temples looked to be swelling as he looked back at Peter. “Has he been checked out by a doctor?”
“Yes, he can’t do any physical activity. He’s on medication with the hopes it might subside in a week or two.”
“Then I suggest we continue preparing for the scheduled launch and re-evaluate the situation then.”
Walter swiveled his chair around toward both men. “I agree, though we can’t afford to lose two weeks of training, not if we want to launch by the twenty-first. The whole team still needs to prepare, and we need the astronauts’ involvement.” A suggestive grin slowly crept across Walter’s face as he directed his gaze straight at Peter. “How about you fill in for Jesse over the next few weeks? We’ll have Jesse observe all the training from the control room so he doesn’t lose any ground.”
Peter interlocked his fingers on his lap. Though he had been itching to try out the Iris simulator, he wondered if Jesse would heal fast enough. Would they expect him to fly the mission? “What if Jesse doesn’t recover? We do have four other men on our astronaut team.”
Walter leaned back in his chair and raised both hands. “Then you fly. We need an experienced commander on our first flight, and no one has more experience than you.”
Right away, Peter thought of Anya and her recent anxiety attack. As much as he would love to fire off in one of those Zeus rockets, she was now his number one priority. Shit, Jesse will probably get better in time. This might even allow me to get a unique perspective on the company and possibly improve my chances of learning if any conspiracy is going on. And besides, I am here because of SID. Peter gave an audacious grin. “Sounds exciting. I’d be more than happy to step up and fill in for Jesse, and if he doesn’t recover in time, then I’d love to fly your rocket.”