Space Hoax (Hoax Trilogy Book 2)

by Paul Gillebaard

  “Damn! You two look beat.”

  Peter gave a tired answer. “I am beat. It’s been a long day.”

  Blake sat in the seat next to Peter. “Well you’re an old man. We expect that.” Blake swung his head like a bobblehead doll toward Jesse. “How about you commander? Us young guns need to show up the old timer.”

  Jesse broke out of his trance. “Let’s just say I’ll sleep well tonight.”

  Blake took a big bite of his burger as he surveyed their surroundings. “Damn, where is everyone?” Not getting any response from Jesse or Peter, he started his own conversation. “Well, I just got off the phone with Suzy, and she told me a funny story about Matthew.”

  Having met the cute boy, Peter was curious. “What happened?”

  “Well, Matthew is your typical four-year-old who hates vegetables. Tonight Suzy made green peas. He finished all his food but the peas. She signed he had to eat those before he could leave the table. He sat there with a pissed off look for the longest time, just staring at his plate. Basically it was a standoff between the two.”

  Peter chimed in. “My money is on Matthew.”

  Blake smiled. “Well, after Suzy had cleaned the dishes she went to do the laundry. When she came back, she saw Matthew putting the last bite of peas in his mouth. She was so impressed that his plate was clean that she rewarded him with ice cream before putting him to bed. Later when she started to clean up his area of the table, she was shocked when she lifted his placemat and saw most of the peas smashed on the table. But what tickled her was seeing the peas arranged to spell out the word, no.”

  Both men laughed. Peter was impressed the deaf boy knew how to spell no. “That’s funny. What a smart boy.”

  Jesse seemed to be coming back to life as he smiled. “I remember hiding my peas in my milk.”

  “That wouldn’t work. Suzy has the kids finish everything.”

  Peter cut another piece of lasagna with his fork and brought it to his mouth before stopping. “Matthew sounds like a good kid. I have to say when I met him I was surprised he was deaf.”

  Blake wiped his mouth with his napkin. “We do everything we can to treat him like a normal boy. We try not to make a big deal about it away from home.”

  Peter finished his bite. “Well maybe he’ll be a pilot. He was real good at flying his toy plane.”

  “He loves that plane. I promised Suzy I would teach him how to fly someday. With the new interface technology available in the cockpit, he should be able to get a pilot’s license. Of course our number one goal is for both kids to get a college degree.”

  Peter remembered the wonderful times when his dad taught him to fly. The buzz of his phone caught everyone’s attention. Peter smiled at Blake before taking a look at the caller ID, Carl Stewart. He needed to take the call. He politely excused himself as he quickly walked through the empty cafeteria, punching the answer button as he walked. “Hello.”

  “Hey, Peter, it’s Carl.”

  As Peter exited into the hallway he confirmed it was empty before answering in a soft tone. “Hey Carl, so were you able to inspect the parts?”

  Carl’s tone was apologetic. “I did; sorry I am getting back so late. I had to wait until the factory cleared out before getting to it.”

  Peter anxiously rocked back and forth on his feet, impatient. “I understand. So what did you find?”

  “Everything checked out fine, nothing suspicious.”

  Peter stopped rocking. “Are you sure?”

  Carl responded instantly. “Absolutely.”

  Peter’s whole body relaxed as he leaned against the wall. “Great, I appreciate you doing this for me.”

  “No problem.”

  Peter heard brisk footsteps increasing in intensity within the hallway. He looked up to see Chris advancing toward him. He spoke in a whisper as he quickly wrapped up the call.

  Chris stopped short and pointed to the phone as he spoke in a directive tone. “Who was that?”

  Peter’s analytical mind told him to respond with a coy and logical answer. “My girlfriend, wondering if I am flying.”

  Chris casually put both hands in his pockets. “Probably not, but we should know for sure within the next few days. By the way, Walter told me about your concern with the Parachute Deployment Device. You know, you could have asked me about that?”

  Peter’s whole body went rigid as his hand tightened around his cell phone. He’d taken a risk telling Walter, knowing Chris was his right-hand man. Fortunately, Carl just confirmed there was no reason to be concerned. “I guess I should have. Sorry about that. Walter was next to me when I first heard about it, so I questioned him on his thoughts.”

  Chris’s dark eyes challenged him. “Well, please make certain you go through me on any other concerns.”

  Peter swallowed his pride as he accepted the order. “Will do, Boss.”

  KUANG WAS IN a foul mood due to a disagreement earlier that morning with his wife. Ever since his father had moved in with them, his dad’s constant bickering had been putting a strain on his marriage. After his mother died, his father had become a defeated and angry man. Yet still, Kuang strived for the man’s approval. He invited his father to live at his home with the hopes their relationship would improve. Sometimes he felt like that little boy who just wanted his dad’s acceptance and love.

  He cleared his head of the challenges at home. He leaned back in his chair as he took a sip of hot tea, hoping to calm his mind. He surveyed his desk, reviewing what he needed to get accomplished. The quiet was interrupted by the loud ringing of his phone. He practically ripped the receiver off its cradle. His voice was short and direct. “Hello.”

  “Kuang, it’s Lin.”

  Kuang growled. “Yes?”

  “We might have a problem with Tianlong.”

  Kuang snapped his head up. “What? What kind of problem?”

  “I have just been informed someone may suspect there is a bomb. They have been asking questions.”

  Kuang’s voice rose in aggravation. “Who?”

  “I don’t know who, but I was told their questions were answered without giving any insight. Apparently this seemed to have appeased the individual.”

  With his fist now clenched in frustration, Kuang spoke harshly. “I want to know who this person is. I want to know why he is asking these questions. Is he associated with the United States government? Find this out now!”

  “Yes, sir. I will check on it immediately.”

  “If he is a serious threat to the operation, I want him eliminated.”

  “Understood.”

  21

  MOOT ISSUE

  Two days before launch, Peter still wasn’t sure if he would be flying or not. He had repeated every exercise Jesse had been doing ever since arriving at the spaceport. He felt much of this redundancy was a waste of time and tough on the team, especially for Blake. The prime crew was sitting in the Iris spacecraft on top of the Zeus rocket going through their plugs-out test, their final dress rehearsal before launch. The test had dragged out way past the scheduled four-hour timeframe due to unexpected kinks. The hope was for the team to repeat the exercise later that day with Peter in the commander’s seat. But with all the problems experienced, he figured he wouldn’t get his shot until the following day.

  All the astronauts were now sequestered from the other team members, except those cleared by medical. The crew couldn’t afford to come into contact with any virus that could result in an unwelcome sickness in space. Peter was separated from the launch team in a closed-off VIP area next to the firing room observing the test. Dressed in his EarthOrbit-issued jumpsuit, he stood next to a glass wall that separated him from the room, watching the activity below. The room’s speakers above kept him abreast of the test’s progress.

  Peter had been impressed with EarthOrbit’s ultra-modern facility, and the firing room was no exception. The room looked like some tidy, high-tech auditorium typically found in the headquarters of a top corporation, with its marble
floors and sleek design. The managers and engineers sat at ergonomically designed computer consoles outfitted with a large computer screen surrounded by three small monitors. The consoles faced a huge, two-story window, aimed in the direction of the launch pad, similar to NASA’s firing rooms. EarthOrbit’s launch control had to face the window so they could observe the return and landing of the rocket’s first stage.

  The countdown clock was approaching the twenty-minute mark, a planned hold point. The spacecraft test coordinator announced over the speakers, “Close out cabin vent valves.”

  Peter expected Blake’s adrenaline to be pumping as the rookie sat strapped in the spacecraft doing his cross checks. Everything the young astronaut was experiencing was just as if he was actually going to launch. Peter remembered how excited he had been during his first plugs-out test, while Viktor had acted as if they were doing just another simulator exercise. Peter was pleased to have had the calm, cool, and collected space veteran on board, just as Blake was lucky to have Jesse. Peter grinned slightly, knowing the men were also probably sitting in wet diapers due to the extended test.

  “T-minus 20 minutes and holding. This is a planned, ten-minute built-in hold.”

  The door in the VIP room swung open. He turned and saw Chris enter. He had been cleared by medical and was allowed to interact with the astronauts. An announcement came over the speakers, drowning out the sound of the door closing. “Clear closeout crew from pad.” A frustrated look crossed Chris’s face as he walked over to the room’s audio control knob and abruptly turned down the volume, silencing the room.

  Peter felt he should politely acknowledge his boss. “Hey, Chris.”

  Chris started to roll up his sleeves as he approached. “Hey.”

  Peter pointed toward the firing room. “Looks like they’re experiencing some issues with the test.”

  Chris stopped in front of Peter before looking out over the room. He said, as if to put an end to the matter, “Nothing we didn’t expect. We have to remember this is the first manned flight for this company.”

  Peter nodded in agreement. He figured the team would most likely be exhausted when they finished the exercise. “I guess I’ll be doing my test tomorrow?”

  Chris turned toward him. “That’s why I’m here. I just got done talking with Walter. Since Jesse passed his medical exam this morning and has been doing a great job all week, we’ve decided not to run the second plugs-out test. He is officially the commander and will fly the mission.”

  Relieved, Peter leaned back against the glass wall. “That’s great.”

  “However, we still want you to stay in quarantine with the men.”

  Peter expected this. “Of course, no problem.”

  Chris looked back out over the firing room. “Also, Jesse requested that you be the one to strap them in Friday.”

  Peter was flattered. He was pleased to be the last person the men would see before the hatch was closed. “I’d be honored.”

  ALL THREE ASTRONAUTS were quarantined within their bungalow, beat after another long day. Peter had a refreshing, ice-cold beer in his hand as he sprawled out over the couch, shirtless after a relaxing shower. Both Blake and Jesse had their lounge chairs fully reclined as they sat across from him, Jesse holding a scotch on the rocks and Blake a beer.

  Blake lifted his drink. “Cheers, gentlemen. In less than forty-eight hours, Jesse and I are out of this world.”

  Peter lifted his bottle. “You’re going to love it.” He took a big swig of the frosty brew before glancing over at Blake. “And it’s normal to feel a little anxious throughout the launch. I had a space veteran give me some advice once. He said, ‘All astronauts are a little scared during launch; that’s why we wear diapers.’”

  All three men chuckled. All astronauts must wear the Maximum Absorbency Garments known as MAGs.

  Blake turned his eyes on Peter and asked, “How about you, what were you feeling during launch?”

  Peter looked at his beer as he wrapped both his hands around it, thinking of his first launch in the unproven Newton rocket, not even three months ago. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous.”

  Blake relaxed his shoulders. “That’s good to hear, because my blood was really pumping today during our test. So I’m sure I’ll be pretty amped Friday.”

  Jesse chimed in. “We both will. But this is what we trained for. You’ll do fine.”

  Blake bowed slightly in his commander’s direction.

  Though Blake and Jesse were limited to one drink, Peter had one more before all three called it a night. He was looking forward to calling his fiancée and informing her of the news he wouldn’t be flying. The bungalow had four separate bedrooms, each numbered and with its own private bathroom and two beds. The layout was so a full crew and their back-ups could stay together. Since it was just the three of them, they each had their own room.

  After saying goodnight, Peter closed his door and flopped onto one of the beds. He speed dialed Anya on his cell phone. He heard the muffled sounds of his roommates through the walls as he waited for her to answer.

  Anya’s soft voice answered. “Hello, Peter.”

  His whole body relaxed. “Hey baby, how are you?”

  “Doing better now. So how’s it all going?”

  Peter stretched out on the bed, crossing his legs at the ankles. “Great. The guys finished the plugs-out test today and all went well. In fact, it went so well I won’t be repeating the test. Looks like Jesse is definitely flying the mission. So start making those dumplings.”

  Anya’s tone perked up. “Fantastic.” She took a breath. “But are you okay not being on that rocket?”

  Peter put his free hand behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. “Right now, that’s what I want. There’ll be other flights. Besides, this is Jesse’s mission.”

  “So I guess I need to get a dress for the White House.”

  “Yep. Something sexy. Let’s make the President jealous.”

  The two continued to have a pleasant conversation. Since he felt comfortable there was no explosive device on the spacecraft, he decided to open up with her about the subject. He valued her input. Anya was surprisingly calm as he explained his initial concern. When he finished, she brought up a good point that made him think. She speculated if a bomb was on board, why would the culprit also put a similar device in the backup unit, leaving evidence for investigators to find later? This triggered a thought—what if the part numbers that were switched affected the spare unit? Though he still felt all was okay, he complimented her on her creative thinking. After ending the call, he decided to follow up immediately with Carl.

  To ensure his conversation wasn’t heard outside the room, he first turned on the television. He leaned back on the bed and rang Carl up. After some small talk, Peter got right to the point, questioning if it was Krause who determined which Parachute Deployment Device would be the prime unit, or was that decision left to EarthOrbit.

  Carl was direct and decisive when he answered. “Both PDDs for your spacecraft came in together. Neither unit had a designation stating if it was the backup or prime. That was our call, which we made after a thorough inspection.”

  Peter felt a little more comfortable hearing that. “Obviously both inspected fine.”

  “Yes.”

  Peter started to rub the side of his face. “What about the switching of the part numbers you mentioned? Did any of those changes happen to Iris 1 units?”

  “I’m pretty sure the units that had their numbers switched were PDDs received later for future missions, but I’ll have to do a little more research to verify that.”

  When Peter hung up, he was convinced the whole matter was a moot issue. Exhausted, he turned off the television and lights before pulling the covers over him. His last thoughts were of Anya as he drifted off to sleep.

  KUANG CRADLED THE phone on his shoulder as he tapped his pencil on his desk, waiting for Lin to inform him who had been snooping around at the American space company.
He was growing impatient with the MSS man’s lack of directness on the matter.

  Lin’s voice crackled through the phone as he finally addressed Kuang’s concern. “We did get confirmation on who has been asking the questions.”

  “Who, a government agent?” Kuang’s tapping started to increase in strength with every second that passed without a response. Frustrated, he growled. “Well, who is it?”

  With a reluctant sigh, the man spoke guardedly. “Sir, it’s Peter Novak.”

  The pencil instantly snapped in Kuang’s hand as his blood boiled. “What? Is this the same man who went to the moon?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Kuang was furious as he stared straight ahead. “Is he one of the astronauts?”

  Lin’s voice was flat and emotionless. “He is actually the manager of the astronauts. He is also the backup commander for this mission.”

  Kuang’s hand was now balled in a tight fist. “Are we convinced he is not affiliated with some government agency?”

  “Our background check has not turned up anything suspicious. His only affiliation with a government agency is being an ex-NASA astronaut.”

  Kuang wasn’t convinced. “What are the odds this man would work at Byington Corporation, fly to the moon, and now be working for the space company associated with Tianlong?”

  “It is suspicious. Much of his connection seems to be due to his NASA background and the fact his father walked on the moon. However, we will make sure he is closely watched.”

  Kuang thought back to the emergency meeting earlier in the year at Jiuquan, when he sat across from the arrogant American. Supposedly, he was a vice president for the laser manufacturer. Kuang put his fingers deep into his thick, silver hair. These were no coincidences. This man had to be associated with some organization. He clenched his jaw tightly as he looked across his office. This was his opportunity to repay the American for embarrassing him and his country. Without thinking it through, he gave a snap order. “I want him to fly the mission. Tell your contact we want him put on the first crew. I don’t care if they need to postpone the mission a few days to make it happen. I want him in that spacecraft when it explodes.”