Peter, out of breath, bowed slightly and thanked the girl. “Xie xie ni.”
She continued walking. “You come. I take to farm.”
Peter was exhausted and welcomed an opportunity to get rest somewhere safe. “I appreciate this, thank you.”
The girl turned and smiled. “I Ying.”
Peter, still breathing heavily, looked down at the tiny girl who looked to be in her early twenties and extended his hand. “Hello, Ying. My name is Peter.”
She stopped walking and bowed before taking his hand.
Curious why a Chinese girl so far away from a big city would speak English, he asked, “How do you know English?”
When she straightened up, he noticed her belly slightly protruding through her dress. Is she pregnant? Wow, and she ran all that way?
“Husband need for job. I help.” She turned and resumed walking.
Peter right away thought of Anya and his future child, which brought a big smile to his face. He was certain he would be seeing her soon. He called out, “Ying, are you with child?”
Ying abruptly stopped before slowly turning around with a distraught look on her face. She bowed. “Yes.”
Peter was surprised by her sudden change in demeanor. Enthusiastically he said, “Congratulations. That’s great. I just learned that my girlfriend is with our first child too. I can’t wait to see her and feel her belly.”
Ying kept her head down low and did not say a word as she turned back around and resumed walking. Peter scratched his head. Why wasn’t she happy to be having a baby? He wondered if maybe that was why she had been crying. He stopped. He had to know. He put his hand on her shoulder. “Aren’t you happy to be having a baby?”
She turned around, tears now in her eyes. “I not can have. I be forced with abortion.”
Peter was shocked. “Why?”
“This my two child. I no have birth permit.”
Peter was aware of the one-child law in China and had heard of some brutal forced abortions. But he thought it was an old law that was rarely enforced. Some of the Chinese engineers he dealt with over the last year while working undercover for SID had more than one child, but they lived in the bigger cities. Maybe the governments in rural areas were stricter. What could he say? “Oh, I’m sorry.”
“My husband work in Chongqing. I only see once a year.” She turned and solemnly walked on.
Peter put his head down, shaking it as he followed. He felt for this courageous girl who took a big risk in saving him.
DOUG ROSE ENTERED the President’s office, slightly slumped over with sadness in his eyes. It was obvious he wasn’t bringing good news. Doug had been in the Situation Room monitoring the landing of the Chinese spacecraft through NASA. The President set down the documents he was reviewing and leaned back in his chair, waiting for the administrator to have a seat.
“Did he make it?”
Doug straightened up in his chair as he glanced uneasily at the President. He shook his head. “No, sir.”
“Damn.” The President leaned forward and put his hand to his chin. He rubbed it as he studied the NASA man. “What happened?”
“Apparently he burned to death. CNSA said the capsule entered the atmosphere on a ballistic trajectory. A fire broke out in the cockpit and because Peter wasn’t wearing a spacesuit, they were unable to save him. Both taikonauts survived.”
A stab of anger flashed through the sadness. Bill took a deep breath as he gathered his thoughts. He wondered if the Chinese were telling the truth. “Are there any remains of our pilot?”
“No, sir.”
Bill shook his head emphatically. “This is bullshit. I don’t believe those bastards. They are holding something back. How do we know they’re not lying?”
Doug shrugged. “I guess we don’t. We can only confirm there was a problem when they entered the atmosphere, and they probably did enter ballistic. However, that probably didn’t cause the fire. That’s what I question. What started the fire?”
The President turned and looked out the window. Something in his gut told him their man was alive. He swiveled back around and locked eyes with the administrator. “I’m not buying it. Where did they land?”
“Western China, by the border of Kyrgyzstan.”
The President picked up his pen. “I bet you they have him locked up, or he escaped.” He brought the pen to his mouth as he lightly bounced the end on his lower lip. “We have a military base in Kyrgyzstan,” said the President as he picked up the phone.
“Who are you calling, sir?”
“The Secretary of Defense. I want to have Kyrgyzstan’s border patrolled. I’m not going to take any chances. I have this gut feeling Peter is alive, and if he escaped, he would head for that border. I also want to get inspectors to the landing site as soon as possible to inspect that capsule and review the evidence. I am not going to take China’s word on this. We owe it to Peter to confirm what happened.”
PETER WAS SURPRISED how quaint and cozy the small mud brick home was inside, considering how run down it looked on the outside. Ying’s father was sizing Peter up while a chicken ran loose around his feet on the small living room floor. The father’s intense stare did not waver and Peter did not avoid it, returning a smile instead. Behind the burly Chinese man stood a short elderly couple dressed in traditional Chinese clothing with their mouths gaped open, the woman holding a baby. Peter guessed the little guy was about a year old, given Ying’s condition; he’d sort of assumed the kid would be older. After Ying had introduced Peter, she had spoken at length in Chinese to her father. Not able to interpret what was said, he assumed she asked if he could stay for awhile.
The father raised an eyebrow as he pointed to Peter and said something.
Ying translated. “My father ask why you in space and land in China?”
Peter smiled at the father before turning to Ying. “I flew to the moon to take pictures of where America landed over forty years ago. I was about to die, but your country saved me, which is why we landed in China and why I am wearing these coveralls.”
Ying stared dumbfounded for a moment. “You were at moon?”
Peter swelled with pride. “Yes, just over three days ago.”
With a shocked look, she translated Peter’s response to her father. He watched the crusty man burst out laughing, as did the elderly couple behind. Peter was happy to have amused them. The father said something in between his laughter.
Smiling, Ying said, “My dad think you crazy. He say only Ching’e be to moon.”
Peter tilted his head. “Ching’e?”
“It ancient story. Ching’e be goddess of moon. She there with bunny.”
Peter chuckled. “Well, tell him they were visited by three Chinese taikonauts earlier this year.”
Ying just smiled as she shook her head. “Why? He not believe you.”
Peter arched his eyebrows. “Do you?”
Ying shrugged. “I not know.”
The father spoke up. Ying asked, “Dad want know why army after you?”
Peter felt his shoulders relax. “Because I proved China wrong. Your country claimed America never landed.”
Ying translated Peter’s answer before the father slightly chuckled as he gave a short response.
“Dad think army lock you up ’cause you crazy.”
Peter nodded at the father with a wink.
“Father say you can hide here for a couple day. I think he like you.”
Peter bowed before asking, “Do you have a phone or computer around?”
Ying shook her head. “Sorry, no. We have no electricity.”
The father started to speak in detail. The elderly couple participated in the discussion as the father used various hand gestures. Peter stood patiently, unable to decipher what was being said. The voices seemed to be rising in intensity.