An angular black rock was now sitting clear of Lunokhod’s nose, jutting up out of the disturbed powdery regolith.
He pivoted his whole torso, the stiffness of the suit making it hard to see straight down, and finally spotted where the tongs had fallen. Other astronauts had warned him that picking things up off the surface was hard, and he didn’t want to fall over. He bent his knees as far as he could, blindly reaching, and grabbed the metal shaft just as he started to topple over frontwards. He let the pressure of the suit bounce him back up and took a couple of steps to regain his balance.
“Whooee, Houston, just getting my balance here.”
“Copy, Chad.” Kaz looked at the timeline. “We’re right on track. Once you’ve gathered enough samples so we can figure out what Lunok-hod’s been looking at, we’ll have you start back towards Bulldog.”
“Roger that. I’m going to start gathering local rocks with the tongs now.” He squeezed the handle with both hands to open the tongs all the way, swung it into place over the rock and released, letting the springs clamp down. Lifting carefully, he turned and released it into the handcart.
It didn’t look like much. He picked it up, turning it in the sunlight, startled by how light it felt. Sunlight glinted off internal crystals, and it had a dark, layered appearance, somewhere between deep red and black.
He looked around for similar rocks, but saw none.
How did you get here? And why are the Russkies so interested in you?
He pulled a plastic sample bag out of the larger duffel, carefully slid the rock in and rolled and twisted the wire top to seal it. He’d brought two collection bags, to make sure he kept this rock separate. Only he’d know which bag contained what.
He grabbed a collection rake from the cart and started gathering more samples, once more describing what he was seeing.
In Moscow, Chelomei had been watching the slow-motion sequence unfold, one still image at a time. He’d yelled at the technician in Simferopol to back Lunokhod up, and was gratified to see the result.
“Otlichna!” His plan had worked! The stone had been retrieved and was sitting there in the cart now on the first leg of its long journey back to Earth.
He glanced at the clock, seeing with surprise that it was already past midnight. He yawned hugely, suddenly aware of his exhaustion.
Kvatit. Enough. He gave the order to send the monk and his interpreter back to the hotel, since the American astronaut was behaving.
He just had time for a quick rest in his office before the joint press event with NASA. He nodded at the flight director, and turned to leave, thinking ahead to his next steps.
Gabdul’s voice stopped him, sounding tinny through the squawk box on the Moscow flight director console.
“We see the second astronaut climbing down the ladder now.”
What? Chelomei whipped around to face the image on the monitor. In the distance, beyond the nearby American and his handcart, there was a distinct blob of white against the angular shape of the lander.
He urgently queried the flight director. “Are we still hearing the astronaut?”
“Da, Comrade Director.” He turned the volume up on the sound of the male voice steadily speaking.
The interpreter clarified. “He’s talking about the geology of the samples he’s gathering.”
“Did the astronaut tell Lieutenant Gromova to come outside? Has she said anything recently?” It was frustrating not to be hearing what Houston had transmitted to the crew.
A headshake. “Nyet, Director.”
What is she up to? He watched as the still images showed her leave the ladder and start walking. Towards Lunokhod.
46
Le Monnier Crater
Svetlana moved her head carefully, looking around the blocky structure of the LM up into the blackness of the sky, gauging the turn of the Earth. The western edge of Russia was still visible; she figured Moscow could see and hear them for another hour or so.
Good.
By squirming inside the suit, she’d dislodged the stick-on sensor from her ribs to hide her heart rate, and she was glad she had, given that she’d staggered when she’d let go of the ladder. She hadn’t walked in weeks, and the oversized suit made her balance even worse. She’d grabbed the ladder again and held on until the dizziness passed.
Carefully, she let go and moved away from the LM, taking small steps. Like a toddler learning to walk. I even have a diaper on!
She cautiously followed the single line of tracks and twin wheel marks towards Lunokhod, feeling the blistering heat of the Sun through the fabric of her suit. Take it easy, Sveta, she counseled herself. She hoped the constant chatter between Chad and Houston would mask any extra breathing noises from her.