“Copy.” The comm tech turned and looked questioningly at the flight director, who was holding his two hands up, picturing the orientation. He twisted one wrist, deciding on the needed rotation, then spoke urgently to the officer in charge of Almaz attitude control. “Start a max pitch rate pure down, and be ready to cancel the motion and track as soon as they come into the field of view.”
The console officer rapidly typed on his keyboard and then paused briefly, his finger sliding across the screen to verify accuracy. With a small flourish, he raised his hand and stabbed the transmit button.
All eyes turned to the large screen, waiting for the video to reveal the attacking American vessel, squarely in Almaz’s sights.
“Shit, they’re moving, Michael!” Luke’s voice was urgent.
Michael had been watching the Soviet spacewalkers as they slowly clambered along Almaz’s hull, and he misunderstood. “Yeah, I see them. And it looks like their suits have backpacks, so no umbilicals.”
“Not them, the whole ship! I just saw the thrusters fire. It’s pivoting towards us!”
Michael moved his head left and right to take in the whole vessel. The blunt end was rotating downwards. He carefully tipped his joystick forward to match the rate, and then tapped his hand controller to start moving aft along Almaz.
“I see it, and am pitching to match. Should be good for you to start on the final photo pass anytime.”
Luke took one more look at the two cosmonauts moving towards him, like white birds on an elephant’s back, and then focused on his camera work. “Roger. Their pointy capsule is in my field of view now, starting pictures.” He pressed the shutter trigger, carefully twisting his spacesuit to hold the image centered.
The CAPCOM’s voice broke in. “Apollo 18, Houston, no response necessary, but your final TLI numbers are on board. New TIG is 3:25:00, need to get Luke inside prior-to. We should have you over Cape Town during the burn.” A brief pause. “You have a GO for Trans-Lunar Injection.”
Chad mutely raised his thumb again.
“Roger, Houston, 18 is GO for TLI,” Michael said. He glanced at the clock and realized that was just 14 minutes away. He watched Almaz moving in the window and did a quick mental calculation.
“Luke, did you copy that call? You’ll need to hustle inside as soon as this sweep is done so we can get the hatch closed prior to the burn.”
“Copy, wilco, no sweat.” A pause, and then Luke asked, “Michael, is Almaz pitching faster now?”
“Working on it,” Michael responded, staring out the window. He’d added a couple pulses to his joystick to match rates with Almaz. What were the Soviets up to?
Luke’s voice came again, and higher pitched. “Hey, the cosmonauts are getting pretty close to me. One of them’s carrying a big monkey wrench, and the other has something like a drill!”
Chad straightened himself and rasped, “I’m gonna poke my head outside.” He cautiously maneuvered under the hatch opening, trying not to trigger any more motion sickness, pivoting his whole body and moving his head and shoulders out into space.
“What the fuck?” Luke sounded incredulous. “Are these assholes coming for me?”
“What’s going on?” Michael could only see the wide fuselage section of Almaz in his window.
Chad called, “The lead cosmonaut has pushed off of Almaz.”
He watched in disbelief as the spacewalker floated across to Pursuit and grabbed a handrail near Luke. He moved closer, then swung his wrench towards Luke’s visor.
“Luke, watch out, on your left!” Chad yelled.
Luke, his feet locked in their restraints, deflected the blow with his suited forearm and swung back with the bolt cutters. “You bastard!” he yelled.
The cosmonaut got his arm up in time to protect his visor, and the bolt cutters bounced off.
Now the second cosmonaut made the leap and began maneuvering towards Luke from the other side. He started twisting back and forth in the foot restraints, swinging the bolt cutters in an arc to keep them both at bay, his other hand held high to ward off blows.
Michael could hear Luke’s grunting and harsh exhalations. “Boss, we need to get Luke inside now!”
“Agreed! Luke, pop your feet out of the restraints and I’ll haul you clear!”
Michael pushed his transmit button. “Houston, if you’re hearing this, the cosmonauts are on Pursuit and attacking Luke!”
Chelomei was yelling. “Increase the rotation rate! We have to get that ship in front of us!”