Peter now had to come up with a plan. He took the last sip of beer before taking out a notepad and pen from his backpack. He started jotting down notes. If China was behind the operation, they would unquestionably be monitoring Space Quest’s rocket and any communication associated with the flight. Since there were supposedly only test dummies on board, he would have to stay in a radio blackout. He would be able to listen to mission control, but not able to respond. This presented a challenge when he rendezvoused with the Iris spacecraft. How would he be able to inform the men that there was a bomb on board? The men would need at least twenty minutes to don their spacesuits before evacuating, giving China plenty of time to detonate the bomb if radio silence was broken.
Peter scratched his head as he tried to come up with some way of communicating with the men. EarthOrbit was not using America’s network of communication satellites, known as the TDRS system, for radio communication. If they did, he could have communicated with the Iris crew during the short blackout period that occurs during each orbit as their spacecraft pass through the Zone of Exclusion, the point when they would be out of contact with any of the network’s satellites. EarthOrbit had full coverage around the Earth with no gaps.
He also had to worry about the astronauts saying too much over the radio. He was sure the commander would notify mission control once he spotted the spacecraft approaching. Peter hoped SpaceQuest’s earlier public announcement on why they were there would prevent any concern. They were there to show off. He just had to make sure Jesse didn’t tell mission control the spacecraft next to them was manned. China would interpret that as a rescue mission.
Peter looked back out his window. Come on, Peter, you can figure this out. As he stared out over the clouds, the small wing tip sticking up slightly blocked his view. Then it hit him. What if he could take out Iris’s main antenna? If he was able to do this, the crew would be forced to use the backup omni antenna built into the ship’s body, which he could overload with transmitted noise. But with their only line of communication disrupted, how would he be able to correspond with the men to tell them what was going on? Damn, this is a maze of challenges.
He stared back outside. The red navigation light at the end of the wing caught his eye. He gazed at the beaming beacon for a moment, transfixed by its bright color. The light quickly flickered, as if it shorted for a second. The odd occurrence triggered an idea. I could communicate by Morse code with a flashlight through the window.
Peter smugly straightened up in his seat and wrote down some notes of his plan. As an ex-Navy SEAL, Jesse would know the old military code. Once the commander was informed of the situation, Peter could stop overloading their antenna so Jesse could notify mission control everything was fine.
Peter still had a major obstacle. How was he going to take out the main antenna? He pulled away from the widow and leaned back in his seat. He stared at the lounge chair across from him. His only option seemed to be to take control of Galileo earlier than scheduled and use it to snap off the antenna on Iris. Of course, the ship wasn’t designed to crash into objects. Any such action could fatally damage the craft. Peter closed his eyes as he visualized Galileo, trying to determine the best location for the point of impact. Using any part of the vessel that would be returning home was too risky. He could possibly use the backend trunk, which would be discarded before re-entry. However, this would be a tough maneuver with both solar arrays extended from the sides. He shook his head; no matter how good a pilot he thought he was, pulling off such a stunt without damaging the solar arrays on either craft was practically impossible.
He opened his eyes as Lon walked toward him holding a serving tray against his body. That’s it! The Galileo was equipped with the Whipple Shield, positioned at the front of the craft to protect the ship from dangerous space debris. Perfect.
Lon interrupted his thoughts. “Can I get you another beer?”
Peter looked up. “That would be great, thanks.”
As Lon reached down and took the empty bottle, Peter began reviewing the idea in his head. Though challenging, his crazy plan just might work. Taking out the antenna with the disposable shield located in the front of the ship would definitely be a tricky maneuver, especially having only one shot. If he was just slightly off, he could damage their ride home, but this seemed to be his only option. Of course, he would have to keep his scheme a secret. Allen would never go along with any plan that threatened his spacecraft.
Peter’s phone rang. Thinking it might be Gavin, he checked the caller ID, eager to tell his boss the plan. He smiled when his mother’s number showed instead.
He punched the accept button and answered in his dutiful grown son voice. “Hey, Mom.”
“Hello, son, how are you?”
Lon approached with his beer. Peter plopped both feet comfortably on the lounge in front of him. “I’m doing pretty good right now.”
“That’s great. So do you remember Betty Jones?”
Peter set his notebook down before grabbing the drink, giving Lon a slight nod in appreciation. “Of course, why?”
“She’s on the Board of Directors for the Kemah Yacht Club, and they just had a cancellation for their dining hall on Saturday, April 20th. She said there is a waiting list, but since she owes me a favor, she has offered us the slot for your reception. I think it would be the perfect place. You could even get married right by the water. What do you think?”
Peter took a swig of beer. “Have you talked to Anya about this?”
“Yes. She seemed excited but wanted me to get your reaction first.”
Peter leaned back in his seat. “Mom, if you two are happy, then so am I.”
“Great, I’ll have it booked. One more thing, can you stop by next week and clean out the gutters?”
No matter how intense the spy business was, he still had to answer to his mother. “Sure, Mom.”
After hanging up he looked back out the window. He was looking forward to that moment when he could call Anya his wife. As he savored the moment, he realized his necklace with Anya’s gift and his dad’s locket was at home. This would be his first spaceflight without the good luck charms. He hoped not having the treasures wasn’t an omen.
25
LAUNCH
Dressed in SpaceQuest’s blue X1 flight suit, Peter calmly waited to board the Newton rocket for his third launch into space. His demeanor stayed steady as he stood on the swaying platform suspended high in the air off the crane’s boom. There would be no dress rehearsal for this launch, just as there hadn’t been for his launch with the Soyuz. There wasn’t time. The rocket was scheduled to lift off in two hours. Peter was pleased Omar would once again be strapping him into the missile, as he did for his first launch. The technician had a calming air about him that helped put Peter at ease.
After securing the platform against the massive rocket, Omar and his assistant started working to open Galileo’s hatch. Peter took advantage of the free moment to look out toward some of the old launch sites spread out at the Cape. As he inhaled the salty air, he zoomed in on launch pad 39A, the site where his dad had fired off for his two missions. He couldn’t believe he was on the threshold of passing his father in number of spaceflights, and all within a few short months.
He turned and faced the impressive rocket, just inches from his face. The massive engine had been awakened from its comatose state as gases breathed out of its sides. He put his hand on the vibrating machine and lightly caressed it. Even though it was made of metal, the rocket still seemed alive. It was as if he was visiting an old friend. Only a few months ago he was in this same spot getting ready for his first space flight, a suicide mission to the moon. Then, he had been nervous as hell. This time, he was a composed veteran. He turned his eyes skyward, knowing Viktor was looking down proudly.