Rocket! by Laurence E Dahners

Author:Laurence E Dahners [Dahners, Laurence E]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Science Fiction, High Tech
ISBN: 9781478344056
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 2012-07-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

The vid crews were setting up cameras in the Oval Office. One of President Teller’s staff came into his study and handed him a slate with the script for his speech opened on it. Teller turned to NASA Director James Epaulding and said, “Do we know for sure that they’re already dead Jim?”

“Uh, no sir. Telemetry showed the oxygen concentration started falling about sixty minutes ago telling us that the generator had run out of water. Even though the Station holds a pretty large volume of air, they can’t have long to go. It’s possible that they might have some ‘oxygen candles’ or pressure bottles in the emergency locker that we don’t know about.”

“You don’t have them on the line?”

“Uh, no sir. That seemed like it would be pretty morbid. The Station crew expressed a desire for privacy in their final moments. They did record some brave final words to be shared with the world after they’re gone.”

The President sighed, “Crap! What an awful thing.” He looked over at his Science Advisor, Chip Horton, who nodded gravely. “How will we know for sure?”

“Telemetry will show us when the oxygen level is too low to sustain life. We expect that to be within the hour and well before your scheduled broadcast. Let me check what it is now.” He looked up as he spoke to his AI.

He frowned, “What?”

He turned to the President, “The oxygen level is back up. In fact right now it’s higher than normal. They must have had an ‘oxygen candle’ or a pressure bottle or something we didn’t know about and used it to boost their levels for a while. We may need to reschedule the broadcast.”

The President’s secretary whispered “OK” and looked up at the ceiling as she listened to a message through her AI. She blanched and darted a glance at the President. “Sir… Dr. Slager… the, uh, Space Station commander is asking to speak to you.”

Teller’s stomach roiled. He reached into his pocket for a Tums. Talk about a “dead man walking.” He didn’t want to talk to this man who was about to die anymore than the next person. He grimaced; I didn’t take this job so that I could shirk the tough stuff. “OK, put him on,” he said, suppressing a sigh.

“Mr. President?” He heard a voice say.

“Yes Dr. Slager? I would like to express my sympathies in these bleak hours.”

“Tell Chip Horton he really ought to answer his calls! Can you shift us to a video screen so we can have a real conversation?”

“Do as he asked, Cindy,” Teller said to his AI. The large video screen on the other side of the study popped to life showing the eleven current astronauts floating in the main module, weightlessness evident in that they were all oriented differently. Teller noted with astonishment that they looked like they were in good moods. Slager, right side up and close to the camera actually had a huge smile on his face. Teller said, “What’s this

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