“Roger, Galileo.”
Peter waited, hoping mission control would respond with some miracle solution, but the radio stayed silent. Damn. The main parachutes were set to be released in roughly 30 seconds at approximately 10,000 feet. At the speed they were traveling, the main chutes wouldn’t fully deploy, and he could do nothing to change their dire situation. Though he was positive the main chutes would be released, the question was how much drag would they develop. Galileo’s designed splashdown velocity was 30 feet per second, around 20 miles per hour. If those chutes failed to open properly, their impact speed could be as high as 200 feet per second, sure death for both men. If only they were landing on land like the Chinese ships, at least then, there would be a slim chance of crashing through trees to break up their energy. Landing on water at those speeds would be the same as slamming onto concrete, only after impact the surface would open up and swallow them whole.
The radio crackled. “Galileo, what is your velocity?”
Peter responded in a fierce tone. “355 feet per second, over.”
“Roger.”
A bang confirmed the main parachutes were being deployed. Please, God, let them catch. A combination of light tugs in rapid succession followed by the ship going into a slight spin were signs the parachutes didn’t fully open. Shit. “Failure with main chutes.” Peter’s heart sank when he reported their velocity. “230 feet per second.”
“Roger.”
Peter was still waiting for some plan of attack from mission control. Their lack of response made it obvious they didn’t have one and neither did he. The ship was being tossed around under the struggling chutes. Peter steadied himself as he looked over at his partner. His voice was flat and emotionless. “We’re going to hit hard; brace yourself.”
Jesse’s tone was surprisingly clear and strong. “Roger. Let’s survive this crash.”
Peter liked the young man’s attitude. He took another look at their velocity. He was encouraged to see it dropping, but they were still falling way too fast. He figured they needed to be at less than 150 feet per second to have a shot.
Peter was surprised to hear a new voice squawk over the radio. “Galileo 2, this is the recovery ship. We have a visual; please tell us your splashdown error.”
Splash down error, are you serious? Peter let his emotions get the best of him as he yelled out. “We’re falling at over 100 miles per hour is our God-damn splashdown error, over.”
There was no response.
At the 1,500 foot level, and with only seconds left before impact, Peter took a final look at their velocity. A slight glimmer of hope shot through him seeing it had dropped to 162 feet per second. The one unknown was how much energy the spacecraft would absorb during impact. Even falling at six times faster than their intended splashdown speed, he convinced himself they could survive. Their fate was now in God’s hands. Facing skyward, Peter tightened the straps holding him down in his seat. He was prepared to be smashed painfully hard backward. His life was either over or he would completely change it. Either way, he was convinced this was his last mission. He quickly yelled out. “It was an honor flying with you, Jesse!”
“The honor was all mine, sir!”
ANYA SAT AT the small dining room table in Suzy’s house as the young mother brewed some tea. Anya’s excuse for visiting was to drop off presents for the boys, explaining it was a Russian tradition to give children gifts when their fathers were in space. She said it always seemed like Christmas every time her dad flew.
Anya looked outside the window and admired the boys playing. She settled in with easy conversation. “You have two wonderful boys.”
Suzy seemed unassuming and relaxed as she poured the tea. “Oh, thank you.” As she set the two cups on the table, she looked outside. “They sure are enjoying those presents. Thanks again. Now they’re going to be all excited the next time Blake flies.”
Anya reached for a cup as she tilted her head, lifting an eyebrow. “Weren’t they excited this time?”
Suzy spoke in a gentle tone as she tucked her hair behind her ear. “Brian was okay with it, but Matthew was scared. Surprisingly, he seemed to grasp what his father was doing. In fact, it was so cute the last thing he communicated to Blake. Matthew signed, Don’t die, Daddy, I don’t want another daddy. I could see Blake was caught off guard by his fears, but then he knelt down and put his arm around Matthew, promising he would be back. He then pointed to Matthew’s heart and said a part of Daddy would always be right there, even when he was in space. It was such a sweet and touching moment.”
Anya turned back toward the window. Suzy’s words had touched her heart. She closed her face down like a gate slamming shut. Though she had no idea what was going on in space, she still had to make sure she didn’t give away any sign she knew anything. She prayed Blake was okay as she pretended to be watching the boys.
Suzy asked, “Is everything all right?”
Stay strong, Anya. She took a deep breath before turning back with a consoling smile. “Yes. That is a touching story.”
Suzy sprang up. “How rude of me, I should have gotten us something to snack on.”
Anya raised her hand as she emphatically shook her head. “Please don’t go to any trouble.”
Suzy marched over to the counter. “Oh, it’s no trouble. I baked some cookies last night with the boys.” When she was halfway across the kitchen, the phone rang. “Excuse me.” She did a 90-degree turn and aimed for the sound. As she answered, she looked to the floor with a slight smile.
Anya studied the young woman’s face to see if this was the call. For a few moments, there was no change in Suzy’s expression as she just listened. Soon her smile gave way as disappointment etched steadily across her face. This was the call. Finally, the mother spoke to the caller. “Okay, I’ll be there as soon as I can.” When she hung up, she dropped her head.
Anya innocently asked. “Who was that?”
“EarthOrbit. They had to cut the mission short and asked me to hustle over to Hobby Airport. Apparently, the men are coming home today. EarthOrbit wants to fly me over to the recovery ship.”
Anya let out a big sigh, sure that this meant both men were returning.
Suzy looked outside at her children. She spoke with a hint of alarm in her voice. “It’s kind of odd they’re flying me to the recovery ship. That was never in the plans, and they asked me not to bring the kids.”
Those comments made Anya nervous. She swallowed hard as she kept her demeanor steady. “I’m sure they’re doing it just because they’re cutting the assignment short. Maybe Blake asked for you. Anyway, I’m sure everything will be fine.”
Suzy flashed a grim smile.
Anya offered, “I can watch the boys if you would like?”
Suzy gave an appreciative nod. “Thanks, but I’ll have my mother come over.” As she reached for the phone, she suddenly stopped and turned toward Anya. She bit her lower lip for a moment before asking, “Would you mind going with me? I could use the support. Besides, with Peter as part of the team, I’m sure it wouldn’t be a problem.”
Anya rose from her chair. She would love to escort the young mother. Plus, being on the ship would allow her to learn if Peter was involved. “Sure, I would be more than happy to.”
MING WAS SURPRISED to see his boss’s door shut. Though it was not an uncommon sight during most days, Kuang had purposely left his door wide open lately so he could be given quick updates on what was happening in space. Ming assumed Kuang was probably on a private call. He took a moment to ponder if he should interrupt. Since his boss had insisted on being informed on the latest developments, Ming was sure the news of the Americans landing in the Pacific warranted being told immediately.