started to figure out an adjusted flight plan for the shuttle, which was now on a course to meet up with the Atlas and the International Space Station.
“Mr. Evans, that was some piece of maneuvering,” said the voice of the president.
“Thank you, sir, it’s not over yet, but we are on our way.”
“Excellent. Now, we just received word that that the Russians are preparing to launch once again in two days. So, with the Chinese two days out from the Moon, we need to keep Dark Star on a strict timetable. We still don’t know if the Russians are with us, or against us.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good job, Hugh, it won’t be forgotten.”
“I think you need to start with that little bald fella that planned all of this. He’s the one that came up with the backup plan.”
“He knows how I feel, now get our people to the Moon.”
“Yes, sir, the Dark Star mission is on its way.”
When four Apache attack helicopters reached the scene of the Stinger launches the crews were amazed to see all four of the suspects in the attack subdued. They were being manhandled by a large crowd of onlookers on Cocoa Beach. The Army warrant officers watched, taking their time as they guided the local police authorities in to stop the lynching that was about to take place.
PART THREE
Come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr, and shine!
You reached for the secret too soon, you cried for the moon.
11
Niles watched Virginia sleep.
Her eyes fluttered open and her vision fixed on Niles.
“What? Was I slobbering or something?” she asked weakly, as she tried with much difficulty to sit up in bed.
Niles reached out and placed a firm hand on her left shoulder, easing her down onto her pillows.
“Take it easy, and no, you weren’t slobbering,” he said with a small, worried smile.
Virginia’s eyes fixed on the clothing Niles was wearing and then looked up into his eyes. Niles was aware how he looked out of his normally dark suit and tie and figured Virginia would figure it out quickly enough.
“You’re going to be running things right from this bed, Virginia. We have nothing going on at the Group that will require anything more than a signature, so you shouldn’t have any difficulties. You can have all four of my staff.”
“Where are you going?” she asked as she sat up, forcing Niles’s restraining hands away.
“I’m going where everyone else seems to be at the moment-Ecuador. Alice and the senator landed there about six hours ago, according to Jack.”
“What?” Virginia asked, wincing at the pain that shot from her forehead to the back of her head. “He’s not dying fast enough? He has to go to Ecuador?”
“My thoughts exactly,” Niles said as he handed her a glass of water. “Anyway, let me catch you up on your plan. Two elements of Dark Star have been destroyed. We lost the Endeavour and the Discovery, all hands. Dark Star 3 is now in geosynchronous orbit over North America and is at the rendezvous point with the space station. The shuttle Atlantis was slightly damaged in the attack and has already docked with the ISS.” He saw the concern in Virginia’s face. “Yes, Sarah, Will, and Jason are fine, as are the rest of the crew. Atlantis, on the other hand, will never see the Earth again-she’s just too damaged.”
“So, we managed to retire the complete shuttle roster in one day,” Virginia said, thinking about the twenty- four crewmen lost on Discovery and Endeavour.
“My plan, my losses,” Niles said, then turned and looked away in thought. “The chairman of the People’s Republic is still uncooperative, and the Magnificent Dragon spacecraft is twenty-four hours away from a landing attempt.”
“Are the Chinese personnel still onboard with our plan?” she asked, trying to get Niles to tell her everything.
“Our sources in Beijing, along with the vice chairman, have assured us that the crew understands Earth’s plight and is sympathetic to our plan.”
“So we don’t know,” Virginia said as she watched Niles finally turn around.
“We don’t know. Won’t know until Dark Star arrives on the Moon and we find out whether we’re welcomed by the Chinese crew or fired upon.”
“And if they’re welcomed, what will happen in China?”
“A coup-when you say the words, it sounds so simple. But there it is. We’re hoping for a coup.”
“Why won’t the chairman listen to reason? He’s had five years to make up his mind. We’ve given him all of the evidence and information from Matchstick that we have and he still doesn’t believe there’s a threat. We need that technology, Niles. We’re desperate for it. Without it we’re a doomed race.”
“We may have a chance if the ESA spacecraft makes it. Otherwise, it’s all up to Dark Star.”
“When are you going to let Jack and the others in on what’s really happening?”
“The president has labeled this Black One. No one is to know. I hate it as much as you do, but we’re talking about the most guarded secret in human history. The words ‘Case Blue’-if any person says them out loud, it will get that person killed.”
“We need Jack’s thinking on this, or at least the senator’s while he’s still with us. I’ve said that since the beginning.”
“And I’ve argued the point since the start and you know it. The president won’t budge on this. You, I, the president, and the heads of state of Britain, France, China, and Russia are the only ones who know what’s happening. A few others may have guessed, like the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but that’s it. It was a brilliant ruse by the president to publicly slash the budgets of NASA, DARPA, and the rest of the space program. That alone should keep the press away from Case Blue for at least a year.”
“How are the people taking the Moon shots?” Virginia asked, watching Niles closely.
“The tide has turned for the good there. The polls are saying eighty percent of the people are now backing the space program. That means we’ll have a budget to work with after the mission’s complete-at least to start with. We won’t have to hide so much from the pencil pushers.”
“Too bad it took all of those deaths to get the people back.”
“It’s a shame. Anyway,” Niles said, placing a hand to Virginia’s cheek, “I’m off to see if we can uncover Columbus. that would go a long way to guaranteeing some kind of defense against what we know is coming.”
“Tell Jack, Carl, and the senator what’s going on,” Virginia said, her eyes pleading with Niles. “It’s bad enough that we have Sarah, Will, and Jason up there in the dark. Don’t do it to Jack.”
Niles removed his hand and turned away, moving toward the door. “Sarah knows. I told her.”
