On to the Asteroid

by Travis S. Taylor

  “Yes, Evgeni. It is madness. And that’s why we’ve been instructed to put in place Plan B. Should the American effort fail, then we will be ready to launch our own rocket to deflect the asteroid.” Loktev pursed his lips as he spoke.

  “And what approach are we going to use? You know better than I that the academy has studied this problem for years and found very few satisfactory approaches to divert something this big. The answer always seems to be the one nobody wants to hear.”

  “The nuclear option,” said Loktev, answering Evgeni’s unspoken question.

  “Yes, the nuclear option. We need to detonate a hydrogen bomb just in front of the asteroid. Perhaps detonate two, just to make sure we’re successful.” Evgeni spoke in a hushed tone, as though he didn’t really want to have the other attendees of this meeting to hear what he had to say.

  “The president has given us the authorization to proceed with the approach you suggest. We’re to begin immediately to modify a Proton rocket to carry one of the military’s 8F675 twenty-megaton warheads and place it on an intercept course with the asteroid.” Loktev spoke of using a nuclear bomb with the offhand authority of someone used to being in the halls of power where such things are casually discussed.

  Evgeni, pleased that the chairman agreed with his position, was unprepared for the remark from Loktev that came next.

  “This plan is considered to be classified above Top Secret. You will not discuss it with anyone outside of this room and as far as the engineers who will be working on the project know, it is simply another doomsday weapon that we are prototyping at the request of the president. Lord knows we’ve done more than a few of those over the years. We’re holding this in reserve and it will only be launched if it looks like the American plan is going to fail. It will then be our right and obligation to do what is right—and what should have been done in the first place.”

  “What about our member of the team going to the asteroid? Will this person be told?”

  “No. We cannot risk allowing the plan to be known before we are ready to launch.”

  CHAPTER 13

  Paul Gesling walked into the conference room at the Johnson Space Center with a sense of anticipation and a bit of pride. Since he learned that he would be the commander for the international mission to intercept and divert Sutter’s Mill, he was once again filled with a sense of purpose. Carolyn was still in a coma and he thought that fact alone would disqualify him from being selected for the flight, let alone being selected as the person in charge. He was certain that Gary Childers and all of the money and leverage that his boss had played a role in the final decision somehow. It paid to have friends that were powerful and connected.

  Paul had only briefly thought about declining the offer because of Carolyn’s status. But that thought had been quickly dismissed. He knew what she would say to him if he had declined and that was enough to push him firmly into the mindset of being away from home, and her bedside, for the better part of a year.

  Glancing at the people milling around in the room, Gesling made a mental note of those in attendance. He saw NASA administrator Tara Reese-Walker and Paula Downey, the chief engineer for the nuclear propulsion system that would propel their spacecraft. He recognized several other NASA types as he scanned the room, but the appearance of the dark-haired woman near the front of the room actually startled him. It was the Chinese astronaut and commander of the ill-fated lunar mission that he and Bill Stetson had rescued, Hui Tian. He’d heard that a Chinese astronaut would be joining them on the mission, and he was now wondering if she was that astronaut. He hoped so. She was dedicated, and had proven herself capable in the face of extreme adversity when she and her crew had crashed on the Moon and were facing almost certain death.

  He knew that NASA astronaut Melanie Ledford was also to be among the crew. She was a space veteran who had flown multiple missions to the aging International Space Station. She hadn’t yet been beyond Earth orbit, but that didn’t worry Gesling. For the most part, space was space. They weren’t going into a significant gravity well, like the Moon, so her experience would be just as relevant as his, if not more so. He’d heard she was to be the commander of the upcoming Mars mission and he wondered if this change of plans would have any effect on her mindset and motivations. They’d met a few times at various conferences, but had never actually worked together.

  “Paul! Over here!” he heard a familiar voice.

  Paul looked toward the person calling his name and was pleased to see Gary Childers motioning for him to join him at the front of the room. He was standing with Administrator Reese-Walker, no surprise there, and Hui Tian, who had joined them in conversation while Paul had been scanning the rest of the room. He moved toward them.

  “Good morning, Commander Gesling. I’m very pleased you accepted the offer to lead the expedition. Bill Stetson speaks very highly of you,” Reese-Walker said.

  Paul was now convinced of just how his name was nominated for commanding the mission. The combination of Childers’s business power and Stetson’s connections at NASA were certainly the reasons. Childers, well, was Gary Childers. And Stetson’s reach and influence in NASA, despite being retired from the organization, never ceased to surprise him.

  “We’re just getting ready to begin. I understand you already know Ms. Tian. She will be the taikonaut joining the crew from China.”

  Gesling bowed toward Tian and smiled, “It will be a pleasure to work with you again, Hui. I saw you when I came in and I am extremely pleased to learn that you are on the team. We need someone with your ability to think on your feet and keep calm under pressure. This is not going to be an easy mission.”

  “The pleasure is mine, Commander Gesling. The Chinese government has pledged full support and any resources needed to this mission. We’re counting on it to be successful as are the rest of the world. The consequences of failure are too dire to even be considered.”

  “I agree,” Paul said.

  “How is your wife? I was so shocked at the news of the shooting and only recently learned that she was so seriously injured.” Hui nodded in respect as she asked.

  “She’s still unconscious. The doctors tell me that’s not unusual from such a serious brain injury, but they’re also telling me it could be a long, tough road to full recovery.” Gesling looked pained as he shared the news of his wife’s condition.

  “I’m so sorry. Please let me know if there is anything I can do.”

  Administrator Reese-Walker moved to the podium and called the meeting to order.

  “Today the crew of the asteroid diversion mission begins the training that will enable them to repair the propulsion system on Sutter’s Mill and prevent a catastrophe. To begin, I’d like to introduce the crew and then send them off with the technical team we’ve assembled to begin their rushed orientation and training. There is not much time. I’d first like to introduce the mission commander, Paul Gesling of Space Excursions. Paul has extensive experience…”

  “Paul, hey Paul?” While Reese-Walker was speaking, Childers whispered in Gesling’s ear, “Paul, you need to know that there are several on the crew that didn’t think you should be in command. Mikhail Rykov, the Russian standing over next to the wall, was the other candidate. He had the support of Russia, of course, the Europeans and Japan. Hui and the Chinese supported you being the lead, as did Administrator Reese-Walker—thanks to Bill Stetson. And, of course, I really lobbied on your behalf.”

  “I kind of figured. What was the main issue?” Paul asked.

  “Carolyn. They said you’d be too distracted being away while she is in the hospital. Personally, I think that was just their excuse. It was all politics, as one would expect,” Gary continued to whisper.

  “Harrumph.” Gesling wondered what the interpersonal relationships among the crew might be like under these circumstances. Though he had to admit that he had considered that his predicament with his wife’s condition might keep him from the mission entirely. He didn’t really blame othe
rs for having any of the opposing arguments.

  Childers leaned back to again listen to Reese-Walker as she completed her introduction of Hui Tian. Paul wasn’t sure if their conversation was done or not.

  “Ms. Tian is a valuable addition to the team. Next, I’d like to introduce Mikhail Rykov, from Russia, who will be responsible for repairing the electric thrusters on the asteroid that malfunctioned. He is an advanced propulsion expert, and the designer of the electric thrusters that Russia is planning to use for their upcoming Kuiper Belt Explorer mission. He’s flown in space three times, most recently on a mission to the Moon where he served as the commander of their first crew in the Russian outpost now established there.”

  Rykov, with his characteristic Russian swagger and exaggerated charisma, stood and nodded his head toward the attendees. He then broke out with a big smile.

  “Reudiger Hahn, of Germany, is the European Space Agency’s member of the crew. Reudiger is one of those overachievers; if there aren’t any more in this room I will be utterly shocked. He earned a doctorate in advanced propulsion, specializing in electric propulsion systems, and another doctorate in planetary geology. He will be able to work with Mikhail in repairing the broken thrusters on Sutter’s Mill and, if time permits, gather a few samples of the rock to bring home for analysis.”

  Hahn was tall and thin. To Gesling, he didn’t look like he weighed over 140 pounds. He, like Rykov, stood and nodded toward those in the room. Unlike Rykov, he didn’t exude a sense of machismo. Rather a sense of quiet competence that Gesling liked.

  “Last, but certainly not least, I’d like to introduce Dr. Melanie Ledford. Melanie is a three-time Space Station veteran and was named the commander for the now-postponed mission to Mars. Dr. Ledford has her Ph.D. in aerospace engineering and is a practicing physician, an M.D. specializing in internal medicine. Dr. Ledford, welcome aboard.”

  Unlike her male counterparts, Dr. Ledford remained seated, smiled and only slightly bowed her head to acknowledge the introduction. She was a redhead and Gesling knew that her temperament was sometimes stereotypical with what people have come to associate with redheads—fiery.

  “We don’t have the time for any speeches or further introductions. I’d like to get them started in their orientation by sending them off with Paula Downey from NASA Marshall. Paula is the agency’s chief engineer for the nuclear thermal propulsion stage that will send the crew to Sutter’s Mill,” Reese-Walker concluded, nodding to Downey who now stood near the side exit to the room.

  “If the crew will come with me, we’ll get started,” Downey said as she motioned to the door.

  “I’d best be off,” Gesling said to Childers as he rose and began to move toward the exit.

  “Good luck and take good notes,” Childers said, sounding more like a boss giving an order than a friend cheering him on.

  * * *

  “Now that they’re on their way, we do have a few more items to discuss. First of all, I’d like for Gary Childers of Space Excursions to tell us the status of the Deep Space Habitat after the unfortunate events that happened at the company’s Nevada spaceport last week.” Reese-Walker walked away from the podium and motioned for Childers to take her place.

  “Thanks, Tara,” Childers used the administrator’s first name to reinforce the fact that they were good friends and to let everyone know that he was not to be taken lightly. “Last week, our facility in Nevada was attacked by remotely piloted drones carrying high explosives. The first drone flew into the high bay where we were servicing the Dreamscape reusable orbiter and exploded. The explosion sent shrapnel downward toward the engineers and technicians servicing the ship. Three people were killed and about fifteen others were injured. The Dreamscape too suffered significant damage and we’re considering just scrapping the ship and building a new one to replace her. The damage to the ship’s airframe was significant.”

  “The clean room where the Deep Space Habitat is being tested was not damaged in the first attack. If it hadn’t been for the quick thinking and skill of my bodyguard, more people would have died and the habitat damaged by the second drone which flew in shortly after the first one exploded. He shot it down with his sidearm. And we were lucky. The bullet clipped the wing and the cable that connected the explosives with the radio antenna that controlled both the plane and the detonation of the explosives. When the crashed plane was examined by the FBI, they found that the perpetrator didn’t rig it for any sort of impact explosion. There was a small camera used to steer the drone and we suspect that a signal was going to be sent to detonate the device when it was in position to do the most damage.”

  “Mr. Childers, isn’t this the latest in a string of attacks on you and your team that began with your being shot just a few months ago?” The question came from one of the managers attending from the European Space Agency.

  “Yes. It was. Someone tried to kill me and ended up injuring me and my associate, Carolyn O’Connor. Following that, there was a bomb attack on Bill Stetson and his wife in Houston. This bombing at my Nevada facility was the third event in the series.”

  “Do you or the police have any idea who was responsible?”

  “No. There are a few leads, but very little evidence. Whoever is behind these attacks is a professional and very, very technically savvy. The experts tell me that the Houston bomb and those on the drones in Nevada were made by the same person using the same explosives. Both were highly sophisticated devices. The drones were purchased commercially but they were heavily modified to serve as flying bombs. Whoever is behind this is not stupid. He, she, or they appear to be highly trained and very capable. And they are still out there.”

  “Do you think the attacks are related to this mission?” asked one of the NASA managers sitting on the front row. Childers recognized him, but couldn’t for the life of him recall his name.

  “No. The first attack, the shooting, occurred before the whole Sutter’s Mill activity began. Before the Asteroid Ores rocket to Sutter’s Mill was even launched. No, whoever is behind this has a motivation that isn’t connected.”

  The next question, from Reese-Walker, surprised Childers for its bluntness. “Will Space Excursions be able to fulfill its commitment and maintain schedule in light of this attack? And, do you think having your hardware and your team as part of this mission will jeopardize it?”

  “The Deep Space Habitat is complete and almost ready to be shipped here for launch. So, no, the hardware we’re under contract to deliver shouldn’t be an issue. As to my company being somehow a detriment to the project’s success, I cannot answer. We’ve beefed up security at all of our facilities and this project already has the highest level of security possible. We know there is someone out there gunning for us, but I don’t think that will be a risk to the mission going forward.”

  “Thank you, Gary, for your candid answers,” said Administrator Reese-Walker as she rose to retake control of the podium.

  Thank you my ass, thought Childers as he sat down. You set me up and then after I recovered to your satisfaction, you get all chummy again. Typical politician…

  CHAPTER 14

  “With the Dreamscape out of action, how are we going to get into space to rendezvous with the ship that’ll take us to Sutter’s Mill?” Melanie Ledford asked. She, Paul Gesling and the rest of the crew were dressed in clean room clothing, the so-called “bunny suits” that covered them from head to toe just like a child’s bunny costume at Halloween minus the ears and fluffy tail. Paul couldn’t see Melanie’s mouth, but he could see the paper facemask vibrate as she spoke.

  They’d just finished their final walk through of the habitat they’d be calling home on their journey to the asteroid before it was to be broken down and shipped to the launch site for integration into the rocket that would take it to space. The bunny suits were standard issue for everyone working on sensitive space hardware—worn to minimize contamination from “dirty humans” prior to being launched. They were standing in the clean room looking
at the outside of the habitat while similarly clad engineers were completing their final technical inspections.

  “We’re working on that. We can get you a ride from the Russians or one of the other commercial space companies, if they have a vehicle that will be ready in time. Alternatively, the Chinese government has offered a ride in one of their Long March rockets. We’ll go in whatever vehicle is available and that our leadership signs up to,” Paula Downey responded. As NASA’s chief engineer for the project, she was well versed on the technical as well as management and political issues associated with the asteroid diversion mission as well.

  “And I wouldn’t count Mr. Childers out just yet. He is moving heaven and Earth to get the ship rebuilt as fast as possible. But there isn’t much time, I agree,” Paul added.

  “What is our launch window?” Mikhail asked.

  “Well, it isn’t set in stone yet.” Paula frowned as she responded. “We have a window of about ninety minutes each day for a week. After that, we need to rerun the Earth departure trajectories to find another one that will close and allow you to reach Sutter’s Mill in time. Unfortunately, the planets and this damnable asteroid aren’t sitting still as we try to put this ship together. Though, the nuclear engines will make the job a lot easier on us.”

  “How so?” Reudiger Hahn asked with a tone in his voice that sounded offensive. The tone was accentuated by the arching his back, making himself appear taller and more like an alpha male trying to gain control of the tribe that was his fellow astronauts.

  Gesling recalled that Reudiger was an outspoken critic of using anything nuclear-powered in space, whether it be fission-powered rocket engines like the ones that were about to take all of them on an intercept trajectory with the Sutter’s Mill or the plutonium power packs that were routinely used on deep space robotic probes. His reaction to the word, “nuclear” was clearly personal and a conviction that was not to be swayed by any real data.