Adventure stories; Cold War -- Fiction; Moon -- Fiction; Science fiction; Space flight to the moon -- Fiction; Spy stories
"Impossible."
"Okay, well try and make it from here."
The Colonel added a few comments. They were colorful but definitely not
complimentary. He got the distinct impression the Colonel wasn't pleased
with events on the moon. When his cold voice faded from the
communicator, Crag tried the analog. The grid scope came to life but it
was blank. Of course, he thought, Drone Baker was cut off from earth by
the body of the moon. It could not be simulated on the analog until it
came from behind the blind side where the earth saucers could track its
flight.
"Morning," Larkwell said, sticking his head around the curtain. "How
about climbing into your suits so we can get out of this can?" Crag
studied his face. It seemed void of any guile. Nagel stood nervously
behind him.
"Okay," Crag said shortly. He hated to have Prochaska lose the precious
moments. They hurriedly donned their suits and Nagel decompressed the
cabin, Larkwell opened the hatch and they left. Crag closed it after
them and released fresh oxygen into the cabin. Richter took off his suit
and returned to his corner. His eyes were bright with interest. He
knows, Crag thought.
At 0630 the communicator came to life. A voice at the other end gave
Drone Baker's position and velocity as if nothing had happened. The
drone, on the far side of the moon, was decelerating, dropping as servo
mechanisms operating on timers activated its blasters. It was guided
solely by the radio controlled servos, following a flight path
previously determined by banks of computers. Everything was in apple-pie
order, except for the snafu in Arzachel, Crag thought bitterly.
Prochaska worked silently, swiftly. Crag watched with a helpless
feeling. There wasn't room for both of them to work at one time. The
Chief's head and arms literally filled the opening of the sabotaged
console. Once he snapped for more light and Crag beamed a torch over his
shoulder, fretting from the inaction.
Sounds came through the rear bulkhead where Larkwell and Nagel were
working in the tail section. Strange, Crag thought, to all appearances
each crew member was a dedicated man. But one was a traitor. Which one?
That's what he had to find out. Richter would have been the logical
suspect were it not for the episode of the time bomb. No, it hadn't been
the German. It was either the competent Prochaska, the sullen Nagel or
the somehow cheerful but inscrutable Larkwell. But there should be a
clue. If only he knew what to look for. Well, he'd find it. When he
did ... He clenched his fists savagely.
At 0715 Alpine simulated the drone on the analog. Fifteen minutes later
Prochaska pulled his head from the console and asked Crag to try the
scope. It worked.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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