So many secrets now. A fistful of cards held tight against his chest. And three days’ ride home to decide how to play them.
He rolled out of the hammock, stretching against the suit as he stood. Yesterday’s work had left bruises on his knees, shoulders and back, and his body protested the movement. But he didn’t feel much different than he had as a teenager, the day after a wrestling tournament. Pain was just a reminder of victory.
“FLIGHT, Chad’s awake.” JW had been watching his console data for the change of heartbeat.
“Copy, SURGEON. CAPCOM, let’s get them into the checklist ASAP, and headed towards launch.”
Kaz nodded. “Good morning, Bulldog, we trust you had a good sleep, and when you’re ready, we’d like an IMU Power-Up, on page 7-9 of the Surface book.”
Chad acknowledged and threw the switches. Time for me to do what I’m best at. Time to fly this thing.
In Moscow, Chelomei had heard Miller’s voice and waited impatiently for the orbiting vessel to disappear behind the Moon so the other astronaut—Esdale—wouldn’t hear him. As soon as the TsUP flight director nodded, he pressed his mic button.
“Major Miller, listen to me carefully. I have a plan for your splashdown when you return to Earth.” He quickly explained the key points of what he had set up with his contacts at the KGB and the Kremlin.
Chad had ceased moving, holding perfectly still, listening, rapidly weighing Chelomei’s plan. Svetlana was watching him, listening as well.
Chelomei said, “I need you to be ready and make it happen. If you do not, we will reveal to your masters where all the money you thought your brother was sending you actually came from.” He paused to let that new threat sink in, and then said, “If you understand, Major Miller, use the word ‘Russia’ in your next call to Houston.”
All these years, you’ve been using my brother as a means to compromise me? Anger roared through him. You asshole! He pounded his clenched, gloved fists on the flat of the instrument panel.
I need to win this! He wrestled his thoughts back under control, his mind clicking into overdrive; yes, there was still a way to come out on top. In fact, this new demand gave him even more power over the course of events. He looked at the cosmonaut, warily staring back at him.
“Houston,” Chad said, “it’s been great here on the Moon, Russia and America working together like never before.”
Kaz looked up, frowning. Odd thing for Chad to say. “Copy, Chad.”
On the other side of the world, Chelomei smiled.
Svetlana stood on Chad’s right in the cockpit, watching him go through the pages of checklist steps before launch, listening to the technical chatter with Houston. She pictured what the geometry would look like for them to blast off, rendezvous and dock. They’d offered translation, but she’d declined it as unnecessary. Better to just watch, listen and beware. She glanced at her watch—still over an hour to go.
She’d slept poorly, fully expecting that Chad would try to take the gun from her during the night. When she’d finally dozed off, she’d been clutching the pistol inside her leg pocket. But when he’d opened the window cover, waking her up, the hard metal was still there under her hand. It was an important win; once they docked, she’d have the other astronaut, Mikhail, always present as a witness, which would decrease the constant threat. Just three more days and nights to go.
Chad looked sharp and well rested, as if he’d had an untroubled sleep. Even with what Chelomei had said. Psychopath, she decided.
During a lull in the chatter with Houston, a Russian voice broke in. Chelomei again, from Moscow.
“Major Miller, we know you can hear this, no need to respond. We think your normal procedures have you opening the hatch once more to jettison unneeded items. When that happens, we need one of you to walk quickly to Lunokhod and brush the dust off the radiator. We just got word that it’s overheating. This is critical.”
Svetlana saw that Chad’s hands stopped moving while Chelomei spoke, but his expression didn’t change.
Dust on the radiator! She leaned to get a clear view of the rover. So that’s why it had been moving around! But how had anything gotten on the upper surface? She thought back to her close inspection for damage. Had there been dust on top?
Chyort! She couldn’t remember! Did he put it there?
She turned and looked at the pile of items on the floor behind them: a couple of duffle bags full of trash and their two backpacks. It made sense to throw them out so their engine didn’t have to lift useless weight off the Moon. But neither of them could go outside now. Their hoses were plugged into the ship.