Space Hoax (Hoax Trilogy Book 2)

by Paul Gillebaard

  After China’s lie was exposed to the world by the American astronaut, Kuang had one last chance of sticking it to the United States and saving his career. He was allowed to stay at his post only after convincing his superiors that failure in beating the Americans back to the moon was due to Sie Wang’s miscalculations and eventual betrayal. The disloyal man was now in prison.

  A few years earlier, Kuang had given his approval to the MSS to begin the initial stages of Tianlong, which would seriously damage the International Space Station, possibly making the outpost useless. He had hoped to never have to put the plot into action. Tianlong was only in place as a backup plan in case they were unsuccessful with the moon mission. With that failure and the military’s lack of success in capturing the astronaut, Kuang had no choice but to give his acceptance and carry out the operation.

  Kuang’s superiors wanted China to rule space for military reasons and did not care how it was done. After the recent success of putting their first space station module into orbit, CNSA was ready to start adding more modules to rival the ISS. However, the military’s goal was for their station to be the only one circling the globe, and that was Kuang’s objective.

  Kuang was pleased that the first phase of the operation to test the remote-controlled detonation system on the Soyuz worked, causing an explosion on the ship in space. Though he was disappointed no cosmonauts died. No doubt such deaths would have led to the spacecraft being grounded indefinitely, clearing space of any international-manned flights. The director looked at Lin. “What is the status of your inside man in America?”

  “He’s in place with the commercial space company waiting for our orders to proceed with the final phase.”

  “Do you feel we are ready to carry out the operation?”

  “After the success of our detonating device on the Soyuz, I’ve been assured that all pieces are in place. The only question is if our operative can get EarthOrbit to launch an unauthorized manned-mission to the International Space Station.”

  Kuang leaned back in his seat. Lin was implying they had the bomb in place, as well as the automated system capable of firing a set of thrusters. The plan was that when EarthOrbit’s capsule rendezvous with the space station, MSS would remotely fire the thrusters, crashing the spacecraft into the ISS. At impact they would detonate the potent bomb, seriously damaging the station and probably killing astronauts. It was paramount that the explosion be deemed an accident with no chance of China being linked to the incident. Kuang’s hope was that the ISS would be damaged beyond repair and abandoned.

  The bomb had been secretly switched with the pyrotechnic device needed to deploy the main parachutes in EarthOrbit’s capsule. The MSS special weapons department designed the powerful mini bomb to look exactly like the parachute’s explosive device. Of course, this made the parachutes inoperable. It didn’t matter since the spacecraft would be destroyed, killing all its occupants.

  The MSS selected EarthOrbit as their target since they were the only U.S. commercial space company having key components of their spacecraft manufactured overseas, making them more accessible to the agency. The Parachute Disconnect Assembly was manufactured at a plant in Germany where the MSS had undercover agents deployed to make the switch.

  “I want this mission put into its final phase, now! Communicate this immediately. Tell your man that waiting is not an option, and it will be detrimental to him and his family if he doesn’t get a rocket launched soon to the ISS.”

  Kuang stood, indicating the meeting was over. Lin bowed, signaling he understood what needed to be done.

  14

  ALL IN

  With a notebook in hand, Peter opened the door to Walter Going’s lavish office. This was his first meeting in the office since coming on board with EarthOrbit. When Chris informed Peter of the conference, he expressed its purpose was to develop an aggressive strategic plan moving forward. With only a few days under his belt, Peter hoped to be able to contribute and not be just a spectator.

  Up to this point, Peter hadn’t found anything suspicious or out of the ordinary at EarthOrbit. Of course Chris was his prime suspect if any type of conspiracy was going on. Peter needed to dig deeper in his investigation and planned on snooping around his boss’s office later that evening, once the building was empty.

  Peter charged in and noticed Chris was sitting in a chair with his back to him, having a discussion with Walter, who was at his desk. Concerned he might be late, Peter took a quick glance at his watch. He was still a few minutes early. Walter interrupted Chris when he spotted Peter. “Come have a seat, Peter.”

  Peter walked across the large office directly to the empty seat next to Chris. “I hope I’m not late.”

  “Nope. Chris got here a little early to talk about a few things.”

  Peter looked over and acknowledged Riddick, making a conscious effort not to sneer. As he settled into his chair a shiny new Rolex on Chris’s arm caught his eye.

  Walter leaned back. “So are you all settled in?”

  “I’m getting there. Everyone has been very helpful.”

  “Great. So what do you think of our little company so far?”

  “Impressive. Your equipment looks to be on par with SpaceQuest.

  I’m especially pleased with your corps of astronauts.”

  “I’m glad. I feel our company should employ only the finest if we are going to be one of the first commercial companies to put astronauts into space. I’m a firm believer the men and women flying our equipment need to be the cream of the crop. You never know when an emergency might happen during flight, and we want the best at the controls who can handle any situation and get themselves back safely.”

  “They’re definitely some of the best.”

  Walter straightened up. “Did you get a good look at Zeus II?”

  A senior engineer had escorted Peter around the company. When they visited the warehouse, he was given a detailed description of both the rocket lying on its side as well as their capsule, Iris. “I did. Those Soviet engines look impressive. I was pleased to hear the rocket can fly on just two of those. You never know when one might fail.”

  Walter smiled. “True. However, those babies have been thoroughly tested. I’m certain they’ll do the job.” The president grabbed a file and placed it in front of him.

  Sensing they were getting down to business, Peter set his notebook on his lap and opened it.

  A serious look crossed Walter’s face as he homed in on Peter. “I’ve just learned the government has approved SpaceQuest to launch a rocket with NASA-supplied dummies. Each one of those dummies will have various sensors to determine exactly what astronauts will experience during flight. They plan to launch in forty-five days. If they pass this test, their rocket will be man-rated and ready to launch their first astronauts. SpaceQuest will probably have the NASA contract locked up. We are losing this battle, and we need to make a bold move to get back in the race. Chris and I have put our heads together. I am convinced our best option is to launch a manned rocket to the ISS as soon as possible.”

  Peter was shocked at the company’s sudden aggressiveness and looked at Chris to see him nodding in agreement.

  Walter arched an eyebrow in Peter’s direction. “What do you think?”

  Peter didn’t know what to think. “Sir, since I’ve basically just joined the team, I’m probably not qualified to answer that question.”

  “True, but you’ve done this once, so I value your input. If you were to give me a logical reason why we shouldn’t go, I would seriously consider it.”

  “Has NASA approved such a flight?”

  “Not exactly. Though we have passed the same tests and inspections as SpaceQuest, NASA has been leery in assigning us a firm launch date. Their worry is the fact that we launch out of Nevada and fly over land. I understand their concern, but they’re not giving us a chance. We have met or exceeded every test thrown at us. My fear is if we continue to wait, we’ll lose.”

  Chris turned to Peter a
nd chimed in. “SpaceQuest took a gamble putting you into space, and look where they are now.”

  Neither man knew that NASA had supported that mission, and Peter couldn’t tell them. If they did know, they probably would reconsider launching without NASA’s blessing. Though he struggled rationally with the idea, he still had to choose his words carefully. “It’s definitely taking a gamble. If you are not successful, failure to reach your declared objective could kill this company.”

  Walter looked out the window as he stroked his chin. A heavy silence settled over them. He slowly turned. “The way I look at it, SpaceQuest did take a gamble sending you up. If Allen was unsuccessful with that bet, his company would have been ruined. I think we have no choice. We are either all in, or we leave the table.”

  Peter had an uneasy feeling about the plan. He considered what was at stake for the young company. He wondered if launching so soon was all Chris’s idea, driven by some hidden agenda. “I’m not so sure about all of this. Do we even have a rocket ready?”

  “Yes. The one you saw is ready. It just needs to be transferred to our Nevada launch site.”

  Peter doubted the ISS would allow the unapproved spacecraft to dock. “Do you plan on docking?”

  “No. We would fly within fifty meters. Just have our men give the ISS astronauts a little wave.”

  Chris raised an open hand. “I was thinking a little more about all of this, and if we really want to make a big splash, how about we also do a spacewalk? The spacesuits are ready. This will prove we’re capable of servicing satellites.”

  Peter pushed his chair back in shock, surprised by the suggestion. Walter’s eyes widened as he stared at Chris. This was obviously something he hadn’t considered. Stillness hovered over them as Walter seemed to be weighing the impact of pulling off such a historic feat. “Are you sure we’re ready?”

  Chris answered brazenly, “Absolutely.”

  Walter leaned back in his chair and put both hands behind his head as he looked up at the ceiling. “Wow, that would really show the world something. I like it.”

  That they were ready to do a spacewalk was news to Peter, let alone launching a rocket so soon.

  Walter pitched his body forward and directed his attention toward Peter. “Well if we do this, I want to launch before SpaceQuest does. Do you think you can have your astronauts ready by then?”

  Peter hadn’t yet observed their training to know exactly where they were in readiness. He shook his head. “Again, I’m not sure, but they’re a pretty impressive group. I think if we put in some long hours, possibly.”

  “Who would you recommend for the two-man crew?”

  Peter rubbed his hands on his legs. “Probably Jesse and Blake.”

  Walter glanced at Chris. “Do you agree with that?”

  “Yes, those are our two best, and I would suggest Blake doing the spacewalk.”

  Peter piped up, “Has he trained for that?”

  Chris’s face took on a self-assured expression. “Yes, but he would need more. All we want him to do is exit and crawl a short distance along the spacecraft. Something similar to China’s first EVA.”

  Walter chuckled. “And maybe like them, our man proudly waves his country’s flag.”

  Chris lifted both arms. “Why not?”

  Walter shook his head. “I like all of this, and at this point I say it’s a Go. However, I have an open-door policy. If at any point anyone has concrete reason to believe the mission will fail, I want to be told about it right away. If it is a valid concern, I’ll immediately pull the plug. I want to win this thing, not drive this company into the ground.”

  Peter gave a cautious nod.

  “All right, let’s do it. Let’s set a tentative launch date for September 21st. I want to make this a spectacle. I suggest we get the press involved shortly after launch. I want the world to see our success and make it that much tougher for NASA not to award us that contract.” Walter closed the file in front of him. “I’ll get the final approval from the owner before coordinating with our Nevada launch site.” He stood. “All right, gentlemen, we have just pushed in all of our chips. Let’s make this gamble pay off.”

  PETER SAT AT his desk intently studying the manual on the Iris spacecraft. He found the capsule had many similarities to the Galileo, including its control panel layout. He looked up for a moment to rest his eyes and was shocked to see darkness had settled outside his window. He glanced down at his watch. Wow, already 8:50. Peter had been so engaged, he wasn’t sure if anyone was left in the building. Since his main purpose for staying late was to snoop around Chris’s office, he decided to take a relaxing stroll through the building to see if anyone was left.

  After walking through most of the complex, Peter found the place empty. The last section to inspect was Mahogany Row, where Chris’s office was, along with some of the other bigwigs. As he casually strolled down the empty hallway, he nonchalantly peeked out of the corner of his eye into the offices he passed, looking for any sign of life. The corridor was eerily quiet; the only sound was his footsteps. He stopped midway at a counter that had a coffee maker. He yelled out in a booming voice that vibrated through the large corridor. “Anyone here? I’m going to make some coffee. Would anyone like some?”

  A strong voice with burly overtones answered from behind. “What are you still doing here?”

  Peter jerked around to see Walter approaching, briefcase in hand. “Oh, hey, Walter. I’m just working late trying to get up to speed on Iris. There’s still a lot I need to learn about the spacecraft, especially if I am going to help my team be ready to fly by nine twenty-one.”

  Walter smiled as he patted Peter hard on the back. “Well, don’t work too late.” He continued down the hallway toward the stairs.

  “I won’t. Any idea if anyone else is left in the office who might want some coffee? Otherwise, I’m making just one cup.”

  Walter raised his hand as he kept on walking. “You and I are the only fools left, and I’m out of here.” The president then turned and started down the staircase, his steps softly echoing out of the opening. A loud voice came roaring back, “Good night.”

  Peter cupped his hands around his mouth. “Good night.” He went back to making his coffee. Once he had a cup of fresh brewed java in his hands, he walked back to his desk, again casing out the place to verify no one was left. He decided to spend another ten minutes reviewing the Iris manual, allowing Walter enough time to be out of the parking lot and long gone.

  The unexpected vibration of his cell phone rattling on his desk broke the stillness in his office. He touched the screen. He smiled to see a text from Anya. Please call me around 11pm your time. I want to talk.

  Knowing it was early in the morning for her, he wondered what was on her mind. He quickly answered back. Will do.

  She texted back. Thanks. Love you.

  He answered. Ditto.

  Peter set the phone back on his desk. He looked at his watch as a cocky grin shot across his face. It’s time to play Mr. Spy. He pulled out a couple of spy tools from his briefcase and placed them in his pocket before walking directly to Mahogany Row. To confirm no one showed up in the area while he was gone, he went back to the coffee machine and called out again. “Anyone here? I’m going to make some coffee.” He stood still and listened, nothing. He grabbed a small wrapped candy from a dish before turning around and leaning against the counter. He casually unwrapped the mint as he eyed the hallway from side to side. Feeling confident he was the only one left, he popped the small treat in his mouth. Time to get to work. Instantly the theme music from Mission Impossible started playing in his head as he treaded softly down the hallway.

  He first turned on the lights of a handful of offices in a row, including Chris’s. Any single lit office could draw suspicion from the parking lot, including the glow from a computer screen. Though the cleaning crew typically worked a later shift, having a few offices lit would give the impression they were there.

  After turning on the la
st light, he strolled over to the storage room at the end of the hallway. He grabbed the vacuum and rolled the machine back to Chris’s office. After entering the well-lit room he left the door slightly ajar. He then rolled the vacuum to the center of the room by the couch and plugged it in, to further the cleaning crew illusion.

  He quickly crossed to Chris’s desk and sat down. He was stunned to see Chris’s Rolex sitting in plain view. What an idiot leaving a $20,000 watch lying around. Peter was tempted to snatch it just to piss off the old man, but he knew better than to leave any clue someone had been in the office, and didn’t want to get some cleaning lady fired. Besides, it was probably a fake if it was left so carelessly out in the open. He slipped on a pair of latex gloves before pushing in a SID-issued USB thumb-drive into the computer. He promptly booted up the unit. While waiting for the program on the thumb-drive to locate the computer’s passwords, he started searching through the desk.

  The first few drawers had various business related stuff, nothing of interest. He shuffled through some business cards, but all seemed legit. The bottom file drawer was locked. He bent down to see it had a basic pin-and-tumbler lock.

  He pulled out a pick set from his pants pocket and set the leather case on the desk. He unsnapped the pouch and pulled out a tension wrench, along with what he suspected was the right-sized pick. He always prided himself with the speed he could open such locks, usually kicking the ass of his fellow CIA agents. He glanced at his watch to challenge himself. Start now. He then slipped the wrench into the small keyhole to determine the direction the key would spin. Left. He kept constant pressure on the tool before he quickly slipped in the metal pick over the wrench. He began to fiddle with the instrument, expertly adjusting each pin within the lock casing, starting with the one farthest back. He listened for a faint clicking sound as he worked each obstacle. The pressure he applied to the wrench insured the pins wouldn’t fall back down and ruin his progress. A small bead of sweat started to trickle down the center of his forehead, tickling him. After a short moment of struggling with the last pin, the wrench turned, unlocking the drawer. Yeah, baby. He wiped the sweat off his forehead before smugly looking down at his watch. Fifty-five seconds, not bad.