Silver Tower

by Dale Brown

  "Nitrogen ... too much nitrogen ... not enough prebreathing oxygen ... oxygen. . . . "

  He began to fumble for his spacesdIs oxygen controls. "'A My suit pressure. ... suit pressure ... increase She reached down to his spacesuit control panel on his chest and moved the suit pressurization selector to PRESS, increasing the suit's pressurization to maximum, nearly nine p.s.i.

  What had he said? Get him to the airlock. She lifted him up, an easy task in microgravity, brought him over to the ladder, then carried him down to the middeck level and into the airlock.

  By this time he was unconscious. She sealed the airlock behind her and studied the airlock controls. She had received briefings on how to operate the shuttle airlock, but that was a long time ago.... Finally she found the right switches and set the controls to maximum pressurization. Whik pure oxygen was being pumped into the chamber and the pressure slowly increased, she switched communication controls on

  her spacesuit chest panel from IC to A/G. "Control, this is Enterprise. Emergency." "Enterprise, this is Falcon Control. Dr. Page, is that you?" "Yes. General Saint-Michael is unconscious. He passed out a few minutes ago complaining of extreme pain. We're in the shuttle's airlock with the controls set at emergency pressurization. " "Copy, Enterprise. Stand by. We're calling the flight sur-

  geon now.

  The wait was not long. "Enterprise, this is Doctor Haroki Matsui. Is General Saint-Michael wearing a spacesuit?" "Yes.- "Did he complete the proper prebreathing before wearing the suit?"

  It was then she finally realized what was happening. Dysbarism, the bends, occurred when the body was moved from normal atmospheric pressure to an area of lower pressure. If the pressure was low enough-as it was when wearing a

  spacesuit-nitrogen in the bloodstream, which was denser than other dissolved gases, would bubble out of solution. Tiny bubbles of nitrogen would then float through the bloodstream, lodge in blood vessels or joints, grow larger

  and cause tremendous pain. In many cases nitrogen bubbles in the brain caused nitrogen narcosis, which made the victim feel angry or scfiizophrenic.

  Prebreathing OXYGen before putting on a spacesuit was critical to flush nitroigwrcut

  of die bloodstream. The normal prebreathing time*was two hours before exposure to a lowpressure regime. Ann had been spared the effects of dysbarism because the rescue ball had been inflated to one standard atmosphere with pure oxygen, which she had been breathing for hours. But Saint-Michael had been wearing a POS off and on before putting on his spacesuit, which did not provide enough time to flush the deadly nitrogen from his bloodstream. So he had had absolutely no protection. The physical labor he had done on Armstrong Station and on Enterprise only made things worse.... "No, I don't think he prebreathed properly," Ann said, having sorted it out. "Then it's dysbarism. You've done the only thing you can do for him now. Listen carefully. When the pressure in the chamber exceeds ten p.s.i., the pressure in the airlock will be greater than his suit's pressure. Remove his helmet and yours. Monitor the airlock pressure to make sure it climbs to at least twenty p.s.i. on the emergency setting. If it falls below ten p.s.i. for any reason, seal him back up in his spacesuit and set his suit controls to EMER again. Understand?"

  "Yes." -

  "Keep him quiet and immobilized as much as possible. You'll be in there for at least twenty-four hours until the rescue craft reaches you. How do you feel?" "I feel like I wish you guys were here now.

  I'No pain in your joints? Lightheadedness? Nausea?" "No, no ...... "You should be okay if you follow the same regime as prescribed for the general. We'll fly a hyperbaric chamber up with Atlantis in case he hasn't recovered by then." "Thanks," Ann said. Then had a sudden thought: "Can you retrieve the lifeboat with a hyperbaric chamber in the cargo bay? Will there be enough room?"

  No reply. "Control? Do you copy?"

  "Falcon here, Enterprise." The controller had come back on the channel, and his voice was muted, a monotone. Ann felt a shiv44, anticipating what was coming next. k "Dr. Page, we lost contact with the lifeboat some hours ago. We were in radio contact with them shortly after separation from Armstrong Station. About a half-hour later they said they ... sustained some damage. We lost control soon afterward. - . . "

  "I see." Her body went limp. "Control, what sort of damage? What ... happened?"

  There was a moment9s pause, then, "The last survivor, Airman Moyer, said they were under attack from a Soviet spaceplane. It apparently fired a single missile into the lifeboat. They didn't have time to get into spacesuits before their air ran out. There were no survivors ......

  MOSCOW, USSR.

  Govorov entered the Stavka conference chambers, accepting congratulations as he made his way to his place at the conference table. He gave a polite bow, then sat down, giving the other Stavka members their cue to follow. 'Me Soviet general secretary remained standing, saying, after die room had quieted, "Welcome home, General Lieutenant Govorov. I'd like to ask you at this time to please step forward."

  Govorov got up, walked to the front of the room beside the general secretary, and stood to attention. ' "Attention to orders," Minister of Defense Czilikov said in a properly ringing voice. The members of the Stavka got to their feet. Czilikov held up an ornately lettered document and read: "By order of the commander in chief of the military forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Alesander Govorov is hereby pronxxed to the rank of MarOW Kowwriatrii, Soviet Space Defense Command, Troops of Air Defense, effective this date. The Politburo joins with the Kollegiya and the people of the Soviet Union in honoring the accomplishments of Comrade Marshal Alesander Govorov this day."

  The general secretary moved forward, unclipped Govorov's gold and black three-star shoulder boards and replaced them with shoulder boards carrying one large five-pointed star underneath a gold four-blade propeller. Govorov saluted the general secretary and turned again to face the members of the Stavka.

  Czilikov called out, "Present arms. " Govorov and the members of the Stavka saluted the hammer and sickle over the general secretary's right shoulder, then saluted Govorov, who returned their salute. "Ready, front." The Stavka members returned to attention and were motioned back to their seats. When the group was settled it was all the general secretary could do to keep to himself the Politburo's wanting to award Govorov the Order of Lenin for his exploits in space the previous month, but he couldn't reveal it-at least publicly--because of Govorov's accidental destruction of the American space station rescue craft, mistaking it for a missile. It was damned unfair but there it was: he could just imagine the international press screaming about the Russian barbarians. True, it was against policy to shoot down a rescue craft, but it hadn't been intentional . . . .Well, perhaps later, after things had calmed down . . . .

  The general secretary nodded to Czilikov, who now took the podium beside him. "I extend my personal congratulations to Marshal Govorov, to his staff, and to every member of his command. I also extend to him the condolences of a nation for the loss of his comrade and wingman, Colonel Ivan Voloshin, who will receive the Order of Lenin for his role in the attack on the American space station. His actions are worthy of praise in any world forum." Followed by a short, polite round of applause. A few astute people understood that this was also a way of honoring Govorov ... once removed.

  As for the new Soviet hero, so far he had managed to keep his own feelings in check--about shooting down the American escape craft, mistaking it for a new weapon. But the honors and celebrations of his so-called great exploits by the general secretary-reflecting, of course, on the general secretary-were beginning to get to him. Yes, he was proud of what he and his men had accomplished. He believed in

  their mission, had fought for it, in fact. But it wasn't so easy to shut out of his mind what those men in that helpless craft had suffered.... Had death been instantaneous? Who knew? He had to hope so. If it had happened to him, he knew he would have wantedit swiftly. There was no special honor

  or nobility in suffering. That wa
s for martyrs and sick would-be heroes. He hoped he was neither of these. Ever since it had happened---or rather, ever since he had found out what he had don"e had thought about a simpler time when air war was plane against plane.... He had read avidly as a boy the accounts of wartime "dog fights," as they were called, between airmen in World War I and in World War 11. He had always preferred that one-on-one confrontation, between fighting men who depended on their own skill and managed to have some respect for each other. The notion might be romantic-heaven forbid that he should reveal that side of his character except to his wife in bed-but he still secretly longed for that kind of combat.... All right, he chided himself, enough of this. You are also a patriot, and it's undermining your usefulness to go about wringing your hands.... "Now to the situation in the Persian Gulf region and the status of Operation Feather, " the general secretary said, breaking through Govorov's thoughts.

  Czilikov recognized his cue. "Yes sir, there is much to report. In the weeks since the destruction of the space station Armstrong, we have consolidated our forces in the region, strengthening not only the battlefield units in each tactical location but moving to unify the entire triple theater forcesthe Persian Gulf flotilla, the Iraqi unified command in the west, and the Iran-Afghanistan command in the east. Complete unification is still weeks away. Our movement has been delayed by American naval troopi in the southern Persian Gulf whose efforts have been helped by seagoing and aviation forces. "

  The general secretary cut in. "I am beginning to believe, Admiral Chercherovin, that our forces will never take control of the Persian Gulf. Your plan to attempt to move your flotilla southward to reinforce air strikes against Bandar-Abbas

  and the other southern Iran airfields seems to be stalled once again. "Both sides art at an impasse, Sir," the admiral said. "The advantage is'with the ground-based defenders. They can move air-to-air missile batteries into'die area faster than we can move carrier-based fighter-bombers'to the Brezhnev. " "Supersonic low-altitude bombers from the Southern TVD have had success attacking Iranian forward enemy positions," Chief Marshal Rhomerdunov said. "Enemy advances to positions of tactical advantage have all been stopped or neutralized by small-scale Tu-26 bomber attacks. The Tupolev-26s are virtually invulnerable in the central mountains of Iran-" "Yet the strikes are strategically useless," the general secretary said. "They are not offensive moves, they gain absolutely no ground nor do they advance the objectives of Operation Feather. They arc mere reactions to American offensives. If this war of attrition goes on, sooner or later the side on the offensive will take control. That should be us. Must be. At present it clearly is not."

  The general secretary turned -to Czilikov. "The solution is obvious to me. Of the three tactical theaters of operation, the weakest is obviously the Persian Gulf flotilla. We have a limited number of vessels in the gulf with almost no hope of replenishment or reinforcement. We have only two sources of refueling these vessels, and we are under constant danger from attack by Iranian guerrillas on the Kharg Island and Abadan petroleum shipping ports. The carrier Brezhnev must use so much of its own resources for fleet self-protection that it is all but useless as a support vessel for other land-based strikes.... Admiral Chercherovin, what can you say to this? Your efforts in securing the coastal ports in the initial phases of Feather were laudable, but now that big, expensive, vulnerable fleet stuck in the northern Persian Gulf is impotent. I just read a report that four Iranian madmen carrying bazookas in an inflatable rubber speedboat inflicted extensive damage on the cruiser Dzerzhinsky before being destroyed. Is that how the great Soviet navy is going to go down in defeat? By crazed Muslims in toy rafts?" "No, Sir-' ' "The time has come, gentlemen, to make another decision

  on the direction of this conflict. There has been considerable pressure from the West to withdraw from Iran. The economic embargoes against our country are beginning to be felt. We are drawing off valuable resources to maintain an uneasy stalemate that threatens to blow up in our faces, while imports of needed raw materials and food are being halted." He sat, slowly folded

  his hands, and let his eyes wander across the highly polished table surface. "Perhaps we should withdraw from the region. . . . "

  No reaction from any of the civilian or military members of the Stavka--except for Govorov. He put both palms down on the table as if to push himself up to his feet in anger.

  The general secretary was looking directly at Govorov when he made his qui announcement, and a knowing smile creased his face. "Or perhaps I should dismiss all of you-,dl except Marshaf Govorov, of course-and replace you with a

  military council that will show some leadership, some initiative, some damned backbone." .

  Czilikov's face turned crimson" The general secretary ignored it. "I pledged to this council once that I would not become the first general secretary of the Soviet Untion to retreat in the face of inferior forces and I will keep that promise. In fact, I will never retreat."

  He stood and pointed a finger at Govorov while addressing the other Stavka members. "How can you sit here after we have just honored such a soldier as Marshal Govorov, a man who risked his life to give this nation the advantage we so badly needed and wanted, and then, with your silence, acquiesce in a plan for surrender and withdrawal?" "What would you have us suggest, Sir?" Czilikov said. "A nuclear strike against the Nimitz carrier group? An atomic cruise-missile strike against Bandar-Abbas? Perhaps a flight of SS-20 missiles targeted against the American fleet? We can blow the United Arab Emirates off the map and create a whole new Strait of Hormuz .... 11

  The general secretary seemed to ignore the outburst. "I want a plan for breaking this stalemate and accomplishing the goals of Operation Feather." He turned to Govorov. "Put yourself in die shoes of the minister of defense. What would you suggest?"

  Govorov understood he was being wedged between the minister of defense and the general secretary. Some unfriendly space. Well, he'd made a career out of speaking his mind.... "I must agree with you, sir, it was important for our forces to halt their advances while the space station Armstrong was being neutralized. A stalemate-breaking offensive such as the one we were talking about could have triggered a larger response, perhaps even a theater nuclear response from the Americans. Now Armstrong Station is no longer a ducat. So I believe it is necessary to secure a strong foothold in the region, act quickly and decisively." He paused for a breathand to have his head handed to him-and when he saw they were waiting for more substance and less speech, pressed on . . . . .. I would suggest that two major operations begin as soon as possible. The first would be designed to break down the land-based emplacements of the American rapid deployment forces by overwhelming them, then attacking and occupying their positions; the second would be to command and hold the region from the Arabian Sea to the Strait of Hormuz and control the access to the gulf. . . . " The silence was a

  vacuum to be filled, though he couldn't be sure it was because of approval or the opposite.... "I also propose a cruise-missile attack on Bandar-Abbas and the forces along the Persian Gulf. This type of attack was successful on the Nimitz fleet in the past. The Americans must engage the cruise missiles with their surface-to-air and air-to-air assets. The attack should be followed immediately by heavy bomber attacks, progressively moving to lighter fighter-bomber attacks until the targets can be occupied by paratroopers. In two days, if the strike is swift and devastating enough, we should be able to reoccupy Bandar-Abbas. "

  Finally a reaction: a murmur of voices. Then Chief Marshal Yesimov of the airJorce said, "It can be done. Our older Tupolev-95 turboprop bombers, which could not survive over the heavily defended coastal areas around Bandar-Abbas itself, can be armed with cruise missiles instead of gravity bombs. The bombers can launch their missiles from well inside occupied Irariian territory, far from the American surfaceto-air missile emplacements. Each Tu-95 can'carry four AS-6

  missiles, which have twelve-hundred-kilogram high-explosive warheads. I "How many Tu-95s could be made available?" Czilikov aske
d.

  Yesimov shrugged. "We can immediately send ten bombers to Tashkent, the largest

  available staging base in the region. Within a week I can dispatch our entire fleet of H-model bombers to Tashkent: forty planes, one hundred sixty cruise missiles." "Forty Tu-95 bombers in Tashkent would also be immediately noticed," Chief Marshal Rhomerdunov, commander of the troops of Soviet air defense, noted, "However, Zhukovsky Military Airfield at Tashkent can easily conceal the initial ten Tu-95 bombers." "I can have the bombers at Tashkent in less than a week," Yesimov said. "I will draft an operation plan for the bomber deployment right away."

  The general secretary was visibly pleased. "Now you're beginning to sound like the men I thought I knew. " He turned to Govorov. "What is your second operation?"

  The space defense'commander looked around the conference table. "The second operation is more crucial.... It involves moving the Arkhangel battle group into the Gulf of Oman to oppose the American Nimitz battle group directly."

  This time a loud murmur of voices, clearly not approving.

  It's out of the question," Admiral Chercherovin said. The Arkhangel is not just an aircraft carrier. It is our newest and best. It is more than just a vessel. It is our future. . . . "

  Czilikov took over. "Marshal Govorov refers to the new class aircraft carrier in its final year of sea trials, sir. It is now on a shakedown patrol of the South China Sea, but has been based at Cam Ranh Bay Naval Base in Vietnam for the past month. The Arkhangel is the largest naval vessel ever built, much larger than the Nimitz. She carries eighty-five aircraft, all of them Sukhoi-27 air superiority and antimissile fighters. Even more, the Arkhangel comprises her own battle group. She uses two Kiev-class short-takeoff-and-landing aircraft carriers, the Kiev and Novorossiysk, to carry the battle group's land-and-ship attack aircraft and a number of antisubmarine