by E. N. Abel
''Liked his flying, did you? Well, one lunatic deserves another ....'' Mike laughed. ''OK, Commander, you win. Play safe.''
''Always, Captain, always.'' Tjurin got up and left hurriedly through the still open canteen door. He somehow had forgotten to close it when he had entered earlier.
Chapter 121
Moon
Wednesday, 04.01.2017
The bridge crew watched the sledge streak across the plain at 1220 knots - Mach Two. First it moved up, gained some altitude, rushed on to the designated starting point, then dived into a steep hyperbolic course that would bring it over the rock. The flyover took less than a heartbeat.
Tjurin's voice broke out of the comm link: ''Buggy-One to Stardust.''
''XO,'' Snider replied at once.
''Flyby shows no radioactivity whatsoever.''
''Roger. Proceed as planned.''
''Roger. Pilot, reduce speed to Mach-One. Another pass.''
''Yes, sir.'' Wolfram somehow sounded satisfied.
On the main screen the bridge crew could watch the sledge return on the exact same route, just now at half of its previous speed. They dived down, passed the rock, pulled away.
''Buggy-One: no change.''
''Commander, this is the Captain speaking.''
''Captain?''
''Another pass, at one hundred kph.''
''Nooooo!'' That was Chan, startling everyone shortly. Upon realising what she had done, she blushed.
Mike simply ignored her.
''Roger. Pilot, reduce speed to one hundred kph. Another pass.'' Dimitri's voice was emotionless.
''Yes, sir,'' confirmed Wolfram's cool voice.
''Walter,'' Mike began to speak, only to be interrupted by the distant pilot.
''Not to worry, boss, I'm awake and ready. Reaching starting position in ten, nine ...''
Breathless, the bridge crew watched the glider reach the starting point of its approach course, swung onto the earlier course without hesitation - this time in slow motion.
They hadn't even reached the rocks vicinity, when Tjurin's curse broke out of the receiver: ''Tschjort!''
Before the word could end, Walter already swung the buggy into a hair-raising escape route, accelerating dramatically to maximum speed, putting distance between them and the target area. Then, after a handful of seconds he reported dryly: ''Aborting escape, returning to starting point.''
''Well done, son!'' Tjurin's voice lauded, to continue: ''Captain, we caught about five rads again. Shall we return?''
''What do you think, Commander?''
''I think we're being had, Captain.''
''Continue examination.''
''Will do. Mike, the radiation hit us at four hundred meters. Pilot, approach target area to five hundred meters. Land there.''
''Yes, sir.'' Walter still sounded completely cool. ''ETA to landing site thirty seconds.''
The announcement passed in silence, then he spoke up again. ''Buggy-One has landed.''
''Disembarking,'' came Tjurin's voice. ''Mike we'll walk over now, keep reading the dosimeter aloud.''
''Roger. Could you switch on your helmet cameras ...'' Two video views appeared on the main screen. ''Yes, that's good. Thank you.''
''Five hundred meters - zero activity.''
One minute of breathing, the field of vision dancing over a barren plain, then: ''Four hundred fifty meters - zero activity.''
Another minute of breathing, more dull landscape, then: ''Four hundred meters - zero activity.''
''Take a break,'' Mike ordered.
''Yes, Captain. I'm looking straight at the target site. Can you see more than we do?''
''NAV?'' MacMillan just asked.
''I can run it through the image processor of the astro computer ...'' Marlene offered.
''Please do so. And send it back to the away team, too.''
''Yes, Captain.'' Marlene hammered away on her keyboard, then exclaimed: ''God lord!'' She hit a key, then looked up to the main screen. Everybody followed her eyes. In the middle of the main screen a small yellow-orange dot became visible, just in range of the cameras' capability. It wavered slowly, changing its colour through the spectrum from dark-red to orange to bright yellow. Stripes of blue and green moved through it. That all made for a demonical appearance.
''What the ... Oh my God ... Oh Shit ...''
Mike let the uproar go for a minute, then ordered shortly: ''Tell me what you think, Commander!''
''I ... I ...''
''Dimitri!''
''Sorry, Captain. I have no fucking clue.''
''Radiation?''
''Zero.''
''Who has the Geiger counter?''
''I have it,'' Wolfram replied.
''Walter, you have a thin, but tough rolled-up lifeline built into your suits, remember?'
''Sure, Mike. Five hundred meters ...''
''Hand the Geiger to Dimitri. Hook him up, tie the other end to the buggy.''
''I understand.''
''Me too,'' Tjurin stepped in. ''I continue walking, and if something happens, like I break down...''
''I'll rescue your sorry Russian ass,'' Walter finished, teasingly.
''That's the plan,'' Tjurin laughed, obviously unruffled, ''But somehow I suspect you're just speculating on some of my vodka reserves ...''
''Christ,'' Marlene sighed, ''if anybody could hear us ...''
Now everybody laughed, shaking off the accumulated tension.
A dozen more steps and the Russian master cosmonaut could touch the stone. From this close up it looked like any other rock on that stony field, just with a shaved off top and reaching a meter out of the ground - except that it glowed in those yellowish colours. Tjurin held his position, using his suit's built-in instruments to collect data and transfer it to the ship.
Marlene was frantically typing away, rushing the incoming data through the different analysis stages. For a few minutes nothing happened, then she looked up at Mike: ''Simone was right. The rock is composed of elements beyond atomic weight three hundred. Some are over five hundred. Stable hypermatter - Mike, it must be artificial.''
Mike took a deep breath. ''Commander!''
''Sir?''
''Withdraw! Return to base!''
''Acknowledged, sir!''
''Defence!''
''Captain?'' Carl was caught by surprise.
''As soon as they are safe, fire a class four mine at the rock!''
''Captain!'' Everybody on the bridge had risen. Mike ignored that and looked at his DEV-One.
''We need to lift off for that,'' Carl said thoughtfully, ''and gain some altitude, like a hundred miles or so. And the away team should be back on board first.'' He scratched his chin. ''We'll need the defence shield tight and on maximum. Antimatter and hypermatter - the resulting explosion will be titanic - and absolutely spectacular.''
''Alright, we'll do that,'' Mike said and send a nod towards the pilot, got a nod in reply. Turning to Carl he ordered: ''Prepare the attack!''
When Carl nodded, Marlene shot out of her seat: ''You can't do that,'' she shouted, sounding highly alarmed.
Mike turned towards her, icy: ''You are questioning my order?''
''Mike,'' she pleaded forcefully, ''that rock is of unimaginable value, you can't just destroy it!''
''Maybe it is, but not for us,'' Mike said forcefully. ''It mustn't fall into human hands.''
''This is a unique artifact, Mike,'' Marlene pleaded. ''We simply must not destroy it - we have no right to! It needs to be examined!''
''You are relieved. Call your backup.''
''Mike! That rock is solid proof for intelligent life, for a spacefaring species ...''
''Guard to the bridge!'' The words came pittyless.
Marlene stopped dead, shocked. In a heartbeat Peter Heinrichs appeared, with a sidearm on his belt.
''Miss Chandler is under arrest,'' Mike stated coldly. ''Take her to the brig.''
Without comment Peter placed himself in front of Marlene,
nodded to her to move towards to lift.
Marlene, still shocked, complied, but drifting down she shouted: ''You are making a mistake!'' The little scene was over in a moment.
Carl hesitated: ''Captain?''
Mike took a deep breath. ''Command revoked. We can take care of that thing tomorrow.'' Looking at Snider he added: ''XO, get the away team back in.''
''Yes, sir.''
''XO has the bridge.'' With that Mike turned, drifted up to his quarters. Behind him the eyes of the remaining crew, shocked by the harsh reaction, followed him.
Chapter 122
Moon
Wednesday, 04.01.2017
For four-and-a half hours Marlene had been locked up in the little room on Deck Four. Thankfully it was the deck's rest room, so she had water and a toilet, which now doubled as a seat. It had taken a full hour for the shock to wear of, and one more for her tears to stop flowing. Mike's brutal reaction had frightened her beyond wit. Sure, she had opposed him while he was in command, but to treat her like a mutineer ... beyond that she felt a little nauseous. No wonder, being pregnant in the second month ...
Silently the door opened and Peter's head came in, a finger on his lips. Marlene stared at him for a moment, then, in view of his repeatedly raised finger, nodded.
''Miss Chandler, step forward!'' Peter commanded loudly, being heard throughout the little ship. ''You are to appear in front of the ship's court.''
At first taken aback by his words, she saw his finger rising again, pressing on his lips. When he waved her forward, she got up and followed him. They took the lift, drifted upwards to Deck Two. Swiftly Peter led her to Simone's office, ushered her in and closed the door behind her.
Mike, Simone and Alex were seated in the room, looking at each other, coming across as stern and serious. Chan was standing behind Alex, ashen. Fear crawled up Marlene's spine.
Mike looked up, saw his girl and recognised her feelings. He jumped up, took her in his arms, pressed her against his chest. ''Oh, my poor darling.''
His sudden, strong hug, the loving tone ... first she felt totally confused, then, as the embrace continued, a big stone fell from her heart.
Mike kept her in his arms for a while, then led her to a chair: ''Sit, sweetheart, sit.'' Waving at Simone: ''Please ...''
INTEL-One leaned forward. ''Congratulations, Marlene, that was a world class performance.''
''Performance?''
''Yes. A performance.''
Marlene took a few deep breaths, then her brain started working again: ''It was a setup?''
''Not for you,'' Simone replied.''
''We have a spy on board,'' Alex explained.
Marlene was flattened. She leaned back: ''A spy? For real?''
''Yes.''
A few seconds of silence followed, then Marlene said slowly: ''It's a trap. The whole thing with the rock is a trap.''
''Correct.''
''Where was all the data from? And the visuals?''
''Tjurin and Alex faked them. On the fly,'' Mike replied, proudness in his voice.
''And that show there on the bridge ...''
''... was for the enemy.'' Simone said. ''You were not planned to be the main actress, just happened to stumble into the role.''
Marlene swallowed hard, looked at her lover. ''And you needed our little run-in to look absolutely convincing.''
''Yes.'' Mike nodded. He took her hand. ''Your shock, your pain, it had to be as real as possible.'' With a sad smile he wiped a tear from his girls face. ''I'm so sorry I hurt you.''
She jumped onto his lap and into his arms, crying with relief. Mike held her tight.
The clock showed 2200 hours, when Simone suddenly said: ''It is starting!'' Startled by her exclamation all four looked up. ''Looks like our little show pushed him over the edge! Finally! The air lock has been opened, someone is going EVA ...'' She typed on her keyboard, a hidden screen on the cabin's side wall lit up and showed an outside view: the buggy in front of the stations large hangar door, a figure in a Russian space suit moving towards it. ''Perimeter camera,'' Simone commented.
''He picked a Russian scaphander,'' Alex observed, pointed. ''There: additional air tanks - that makes for sixty hours of oxygen.''
''Scenario three ...'' Simone worked her computer for a moment, then looked at Mike: ''The seal is cracked.''
''Not bad.'' Alex sounded impressed.
Marlene felt like in a theatre piece where everyone but her knew the script: ''Could someone please ...''
''Sorry.'' Mike took over. ''See, we knew for a while that someone on board is sending encrypted messages down to Earth. Regular messages, like progress reports. Chan could decode them, but they were in Arabic and some parts double encoded: the clear text made no sense: just keywords. Like: Yellow Rabbit, oculus deus, oakleaf.'' He smiled sadly again. ''Only the recipient can understand the meaning.'' He paused shortly, then he went on explaining: ''We were not able to identify the culprit, so we decided to set up a trap for him. But our opponent is very careful and exceedingly clever. After all he had cracked our valued security system to send all those messages ... and probably expected us to set up a trap. So we had to show him one. Dimitri came up with that idea: present a highly interesting scenario that's nearly impossible to verify but also not falsifiable and overall far too important to dismiss.'' Mike smiled. ''For example an artefact close by, discovered by chance, apparently of non-human origin. Something outright alien, maybe. Difficult to access - this is an airless, low gravity environment - but with extremely attractive properties. So it could contain materials to build a super-nuke - the wet dream of every dictator.''
''But you say he saw through that maneuver with the rock?''
''Well, we expected that.''
''But how ...''
Simone stepped in: ''How high is the probability that we, on our first moon expedition, by pure chance during a test to shave the top of what we think to be a rock, find an alien nuclear reactor lying there for aeons?'' And, seeing Marlene hesitate, she went on: ''Zero.''
''The only thing that kept him really uncertain,'' Alex added, ''was the miraculous time lag we suffered occasionally. That - other than the story with the rock - was verifiable. For that he had no other explanation ... of my mishap with the folder he had no knowledge.''
''Mishap with the folder.''
''Yes, under certain circumstances it deforms the time line. We're currently looking into that effect.''
''But why is the spy fleeing? Does he have what he wanted?''
''Yes and no.''
''But the rock is a fake ...''
''He has finally cracked the seal. The seal of our data storage.''
''You mean the security software that protects ... what?''
''What is our last and most valuable secret?''
''I don't know ... maybe the star drive?''
''Exactly.''
Marlene sat up straight on Mike's lap: ''You mean the spy is running off with the secret of our star drive?''
''Yes. But we were suspicious that he had been able to crack the firewalls for some time now. What really pushed him over the edge was Mike's reaction to you.''
''I don't understand ...''
''See, our Captain is a man with a past. He has a reputation. And people in the trade know it,'' Simone pointed out. ''The spy witnessed Mike reverting from kind civilian spaceship captain to the harsh combat-proven commander he had heard of, maybe even encountered, treating his own bed-mate like a mutineer. And immediately knew that Mike would hunt him down, no matter what. So he grabbed the data and ran.''
''We need to do something!''
''What do you suggest?'' Mike asked.
''With that buggy he can fly to Earth in - what ... fifty hours? We need to follow him with the sphere!''
''Not possible,'' Alex threw in.
''Why ... ?''
''Reactor is down for routine maintenance. Takes a day to get the ship running again.''
''Is that true?''
''Yes. I personally took him down this afternoon. Guess why ...''
''So what do we ...''
''Identify him first?'' Mike offered.
''How?''
''You forget that we are half a military unit, sweetheart.'' MacMillan touched his communicator: ''Captain to bridge.''
''XO.''
''Full red alert. Man battle stations.''
''Yes, sir.'' A nerve-splitting siren squealed through the sphere's intercom.
''In five minutes we'll know who is missing,'' Simone explained, unsmiling.
They watched the suited figure turn towards the hangar in surprise, then jump onto the sledge and take off into the sky, accelerating quickly. The perimeter camera followed the buggy's movements for a few seconds, then lost it.
It only took three minutes until the XO called: ''Captain, Reyd Shagan has not reported for duty.''
Marlene looked shocked, the others sad.
''XO, open a channel to the buggy,'' Mike ordered finally.
''... done.''
With the established connection the buggy's peripheral cameras were automatically routed to the bridge's main screen. The stern camera showed a shrinking Moon surface, the one on the bow the distant Earth, the other four just the darkness of space.
''Reyd, this is the Captain speaking. Can you hear me?''
A sharp crack, then a woman's voice drifted in, sounding calm: ''Yes, I can hear you. Will you now demand that I come back?''
''Not yet,'' he replied. ''First I want to know: why.''
''I can imagine.''
''So?''
''Think back, Captain. Or should I better say: First Lieutenant MacMillan?''
''You're talking about the war ...''
''Yes, the great war, the holy war!''
''There is no such thing as a holy war, Reyd.''
''Not to you maybe, but to my people, to me. Say, who was your greatest foe?''
''In dessert country? Nobody. Plenty of murderous barbarians, though.''
''Try to remember. Remember the battle for Tehran.''
''What battle for Tehran? There was no battle, my dear, just some combat. And certainly no great enemy, no war hero. Only the usual mix of brutes and fanatics. No match for us; we killed them by the numbers.'' Mike's tone was dismissive, provoking her even more. ''Any specific hero you are referring to?''