retire on.”
Niles smiled when he heard applause erupting from every view of every venue. He also saw the vice president stand and leave the Johnson Space Center mostly unnoticed by anyone.
“The backup is, of course, the Saturn V launch vehicle. The payload, as with the two Ares rockets, has been expanded to carry the new Lunar Excursion Module and the expanded crew cabin that will eventually double as the crew capsule on the ride to and from the Moon. The Altair Lander has been massively redesigned to carry the necessary men and equipment to and from the lunar surface. Needless to say, ladies and gentlemen, this is where the real danger lies. The Altair system is totally untested-therefore the need for two complete crews and one solid backup in the Atlas. These three expanded crew capacity landers were only prototypes five weeks ago, and the engineering done to complete the systems has just been amazing. The Dark Star mission time will be a record- setting two days to the Moon, with four days there. We’ll leave coming home to another timetable.”
Niles allowed that to sink in for the general contractors who had not been privy to the time element before today. He braced himself for what was coming.
“At this time, I am ceasing today’s communications with all but the military and space elements of Dark Star. For the contractors who have contributed so much manpower and time in bringing these systems, expanded prototype landers, and equipment online, thank you and good-bye.”
Three quarters of the monitors went dark inside the Event Group conference room as Niles saw the civilian aspect of the mission vanish. He looked at the Navy signalman.
“Please bring up the astronaut training facility,” he said, opening a red-bordered file folder on the podium. He glanced up and looked at the president, who was waiting as patiently as the others.
On one of the monitors, a room full of blue and red clad men and women appeared. They sat patiently with pen and writing tablets. They knew they were about to be briefed on the parameters of the mission ahead. In the back of the astronauts’ room, Compton saw his very own people looking at up at his image. For all he knew, this might be the last time he saw the young faces of Sarah, Mendenhall, and Ryan.
“Our mission goals,” he said, not looking into the camera, “are to militarily secure the Moon and any artifacts found there. The mission landing area is one mile from Shackleton Crater. NASA personnel will deliver geology specialists and engineers to the surface of the moon. The site will be secured by fourteen United States Special Forces personnel undergoing training in California. If the failure to secure Shackleton is likely, and it looks as if the Chinese will take it intact, the site will be destroyed. I repeat, the site will be destroyed. This act is regardless of any foreign government’s presence in or near the crater. None of you will be expected to go into this blindfolded. What follows is top secret information. The European Space Agency and NASA have been cooperating since the emergency began, for reasons I cannot go into now. The base problem here is the Chinese government. The president is attempting to gain cooperation from the People’s Republic in this and other matters, but as of this moment that issue is in doubt.”
At every location from the Pentagon’s Space Command headquarters, to Pasadena, U.S. Air Force personnel started handing out sealed orders to every man and woman assigned to flight control, security, and engineering positions for the mission.
“If, in a military circumstance, the European and American personnel see a viable chance at taking the technology if it falls into Chinese hands, they are to take it regardless of cost. If not, destroy the technology in place. Study the mission parameters, and at this time I will say good-bye and wish each and every man and woman Godspeed.”
Spandau Prison was built in 1876 and demolished in 1987 after the death of its last inmate, Rudolph Hess, Hitler’s right-hand man in the early days of the Nazi regime. The old prison was torn down before it could become a shrine to the neo-Nazi movement across the globe. Today there was nothing left to mark the site where the convicted Nazi hierarchy had tended gardens and made paper.
The lone structure still standing was a brick building. The facade was nothing to write home about as it stood stark against the darkness of the night.
“So, how do we get in?” Everett asked.
“We don’t. The weapons we asked for are meeting us here, along with an old friend of mine. Right now I think we should step out of the car and let them know we’re here.”
Everett, Ellenshaw, and Golding were confused as to Jack’s methods, but they did as he said. A brief moment later they became even more confused when Collins raised his arms into the air as though surrendering.
Everett did the same and gestured for the two professors to follow suit.
“You want to let us in on what’s happening, Jack?” Carl asked quietly, as his eyes scanned the darkness around the building.
Collins didn’t answer. Instead, he allowed their guests to do it for him. Several red laser beams pierced the night air and each man standing around the car had three pin-sized red dots targeting their chests.
“Wow, this is really uncomfortable,” Everett said as he recognized the lasers for what they were.
Ellenshaw saw the three dots on his jacket and swiped at them like they were bugs.
“Doc, hold still please,” Jack said. Ten dark figures stepped from the trees surrounding the lone building.
“Oh, my,” Ellenshaw said as he saw the black-clad men.
“I take it we’re caught,” Pete Golding said. He watched the heavily armed masked men approach them cautiously.
“Easy, Pete. I think these guys may be the result of Jack’s phone calls,” Carl said as he saw one large man take the lead.
The lone figure stood still as he looked Jack and his men over, then took two steps forward and removed his black hood.
“You know, officially I have orders to hunt you down and place a bunch of bullets into your head and face, maybe one in your ass also.”
Jack lowered his hands and smiled. “Oh, I saw you and your unit the moment we drove up,” Collins said.
“Bullshit, Jack. We had you cold.”
Collins walked forward and held out his hand. The other black-clad commandos lowered their weapons and surrounded the colonel.
“How in the hell are you, Sebastian?” Collins asked, holding out an extended hand. “And thanks for not shooting me in the head and face, and especially my ass.”
The two men shook hands and the large German slung his automatic weapon over his shoulder.
“I’m fine, Jack. Better than you, anyway.”
“Mr. Everett, meet Major Sebastian Krell of the German army. He’s the team leader of the elite counterterrorism force GSG 9. He’s an old buddy of mine from the Gulf War.”
Krell shook Everett’s hand and looked him over.
“I smell U.S. Navy in this man, Jack.”
“You don’t miss a beat. Mr. Everett here is a SEAL-he comes in handy from time to time.”
“I’m impressed with Jack’s new friends,” he said to Carl.
“As I am with the company you keep,” Everett said. He released the man’s hand and gestured to the nine commandos around them.
“Ah, I just keep them around for running errands and getting coffee.”
Major Krell held out his hand and two of his still masked men stepped forward and handed him two items, a bag and a thick file.
“Here’s four nine-millimeter handguns stolen from my daughter’s room,” Krell said, joking, while handing Everett the black bag. “There are ten clips of ammunition inside as well. And this is what you specifically asked for, Jack. We just went in an hour ago and retrieved them from the museum.”
Collins took the offered file and looked up at Sebastian. “Thanks, this will help.”
“Your president is a very persuasive man.”
“He can be, but I imagine I’ll still be in hot water when I get home.”
“Who did it, Jack?” Sebastian asked, getting serious for the first time.
“We think James McCabe may be in on it, but we’re not sure.” He looked at the German commando in all
