Space Rescue One Read online

  Jimmy selected a different news icon.

  "A group calling themselves Clear Conscience is claiming responsibility for the bomb which blew up when the African Hope touched down on Martian soil. No one is sure if the bomb was on the ship or hidden somewhere inside the landing area. World leaders are condemning . . ."

  He selected another news station.

  "The stock market took a slight dip on hearing about the explosion that ripped apart the African Hope on landing. However, the dip lasted only half an hour before the stock market regained the lost ground and then some. . ."

  Jimmy switched to his personal icon. Moments later, his private chronology of events appeared. He spoke at the monitor. "Add African Hope destroyed, date it, and index. Display the likely time interval for the next destructive act."

  Moments later, Jimmy stared at the response. He gave it some thought, then selected the stock market icon.

  ***

  All personnel on Earth Station One stopped what they were doing as the intercom sounded out a somber bell ring once for each person lost on the African Hope. Shelly couldn't help but notice that Richard was quite reverent instead of his usually abusive self. Even more than before, she believed he was worth saving. She waited several seconds after the brief ceremony before she walked over to sit beside him at the bar. "Hi, Richard. Hope you don't mind me joining you. Terrible news about those crew members."

  Richard turned to gaze at Shelly as if he was surprised to learn that she cared. "It's never good news when space mariners are lost. I'll agree with you on that point."

  "Well, I was wondering if you could give me some advice. That is, if you don't mind."

  "What kind of advice?" he asked.

  "Well, do you know if the Merchant Spacemarine has any funding institutions to help the families of the victims? I feel like I'm not doing enough just by offering a silent prayer while the bell tolls."

  "Yes, they have institutions to help the families. I believe they accept donations as well. Still, you shouldn't sell your prayers short. I'm sure those help the bereaved a bit and it can't hurt the souls of those who were lost."

  "Would you know the name of one of those institutions?" Shelly asked.

  "Uh, no, but I'm sure they're listed on the Internet."

  "Okay, thank you, Richard. You've been a big help to me. I needed to know how I could show I care since I'm too far away to help directly."

  "You're welcome . . . Uh, now may I be alone?" he asked.

  "Sure, anything you like, Richard. Bye."

  Chapter 9

  "Attention all personnel. Space Rescue One is on scramble alert! Level one response. Attention all personnel. Space Rescue One is on scramble alert! Level one response."

  Richard ran eagerly toward corridor one on his first mission in a month. Personnel stepped back out of the way as he and other rescuers rushed down the corridor to board their ship. He found it hard to believe that his first mission back was a level one incident. He wondered if it was another fire on board a freighter.

  ***

  Chief Dickson entered the ready room with a somber look on his face. "This one promises to be truly nasty. We have a bomb threat to deal with. Preliminary information indicates that this is not a hoax. The crew of the Asian Joy believe they have found the device after following up on information provided to them by Interpol. I've asked the Captain to give us first shot at this incident. He wasn't especially eager, but he gave in. It's ours to deal with. However, I had to promise him that I'd only permit volunteers to handle the response. Do I have any?"

  Richard raised his hand. Around him, every other member followed suit.

  Isaac said, "Good! I think it's better when shipmates can depend on each other. Here's the information that Interpol sent us. We have plenty of time to look these over and plan our actions. Speak up when you have any ideas. If it's any good, we'll use it. Otherwise, we'll shoot it full of holes without any ridicule. I don't want any of us going in there mad at each other when we and others are depending on each other for our survival. Everyone got that?"

  ***

  "Okay, I think it's safe to say that Richard just demonstrated that he knows that ship better than we do. Since he does, it makes sense to let him be in front as he wants," Dickson said.

  "There's more than one place that a bomb might be hidden. We should check those locations as well," Richard said.

  "Our information doesn't indicate more than one, Richard."

  "I still suggest that either we or the Asian Joy's crew should search some other areas. It doesn't make sense to only plant one bomb where this one is supposed to be. As part of an overall plan, it does make sense. By itself, it's nearly useless."

  "I'll sign on to Richard's idea. I know enough about the currently active terrorist groups to agree with him. Most of them aren't interested in anything less than maximum results," Jimmy said.

  Isaac said, "Okay, I'll have Captain Shortner send a message to the Asian Joy about our concerns on this. Remember, they're maintaining radio silence as a triggering precaution, so we're going to have to assume that they'll receive and act upon the message. Under that assumption, where are the likely places for bombs, Richard?"

  Richard spread out several blueprints of the Asian Joy. He pointed as he spoke. "There should be one here to disable the communications. This is the only place to get the radio and all its backups. Another might be placed here to take out their life support system. If you really want to make it gruesome to whoever finds the wreckage, then you'd place another here in the emergency suit storage. Add one at this point on the backbone of the ship and another right here. Those and the bomb they found are enough to break up the ship quickly."

  Shelly asked, "What about the engine rooms? Wouldn't the terrorists put any in there?"

  Richard replied, "A dumb terrorist might, but a smart one wouldn't. He'd plan his detonations so that they happen while the engines are running. The ship breaks in two. The engine portion goes out of control, smashing first into the front half of the ship completing the destruction. Then it becomes a navigational hazard for a short while until it runs out of fuel or hits something large enough to stop or smash it. Meanwhile, we'd be chasing after it trying to find out if there's anyone alive in that portion so we can rescue them. For another thing, most engineers are very careful about their engine rooms. They don't let anyone snoop in them who shouldn't be there. It's hard to hide a bomb in there that's powerful enough to shatter the shielding without it being found. The best places are difficult to reach and opening them will set off sensors and alarms. Plus the bomber would have to be willing to die just to put it there."

  "Some of the terrorists are willing to do that. Clear Conscience is based in the Mid-East. Their members are fanatical enough to do that," Jimmy said.

  "They might be that fanatical, Jimmy, but the dead body would be a sure giveaway to the crew that something was wrong. The bomber isn't going to go very far after opening one of those compartments. I think the record is twenty feet," Richard said.

  The Chief said, "Well, we're not opening those compartments, either. I think we're going to have to assume that no dead bodies were found before takeoff and that the engines are clean of any bombs."

  ***

  Richard led the team into the Asian Joy after the whole team reached the ship's outer hull. It was a longer jump than usual since the Space Rescue One was being kept far enough away to avoid any debris from the Asian Joy should the bombs go off unexpectedly.

  Richard removed his helmet inside the airlock and said, "I'm glad they didn't link any of them to the airlock."

  Isaac asked, "Would you think of doing that if you were a terrorist?"

  Richard answered, "Yes, I think I would. I'd leave alone only the main entrance used for personnel entry before takeoff. Every other airlock would be wired and ready to trigger the rest of the explosive devices."

  "I'm glad you're on our side. You'd be diabolical as a terrorist," Jimmy said.

 
Richard ignored the compliment. "Okay, follow me. Careful with that equipment."

  A space suited crewman came up to them. He whispered, "We found two more where you said they would be. All the crew is suited up. Can they leave now?"

  Chief Dickson replied, "Everyone except one person can leave now. We need someone to show us which bombs were found. Then that person can leave."

  "I was afraid you'd say that. I lost the draw. I'll show you where they are." The crewman turned and waved to another suited figure standing by a hatch."

  Chief Dickson suddenly said, "Go tell them to use this airlock only! The others might be booby-trapped."

  The crewman ran down the corridor to reach the other crew members. He spoke with them in animated conversation for a few moments before he returned leading the rest of the crew to the only known safe airlock.

  "Okay, lead us to the bombs you found. The sooner you show us, the sooner you can leave," Richard said.

  The crewman said, "Yeah, that sounds good to me."

  ***

  "Well, what do you think?" Chief Dickson asked.

  "We'll get one of their spare hull plates and slide it onto that. Then we'll toss it out into space," Richard said.

  Tim asked, "Won't that still be a hazard? Some ship could still hit the thing and trigger it."

  "We'll let Space Rescue One get some target practice before we leave here. We won't leave any hazards behind," Richard replied.

  "Yeah, Richard! That sounds good to me," Tim said.

  ***

  "Nasty, nasty, nasty," said Chief Dickson as he looked at the bomb.

  "You're right. That one's booby-trapped. We'll leave it for last. Let's move on to the next location," Richard said.

  ***

  Shelly asked, "Another hull plate?"

  Richard nodded.

  Shelly said, "I'll get one."

  ***

  Several minutes passed. Shelly wasn't back with the hull plate. Richard looked down the corridor, wondering what was keeping her. Though the hull plates were heavy, even she could handle one of them in the weightlessness of space.

  Richard finally said, "Something's wrong. Let's find out what's keeping Shelly."

  "All of us?" asked the crewman.

  Richard fixed the man with a stare while replying, "Yes, all of us. You're not through here yet. Shipmates are the means to survival."

  "Yes, you're right," the crewman replied.

  ***

  Richard stopped suddenly when he saw Shelly frozen with fear while holding a hull plate. Then he saw it. There was a booby-trap attached to the plate. If she wavered one millimeter, a bomb would probably go off.

  "Who inspected this area?" Richard asked.

  "It was B Shift," the crewman replied.

  "Chief, I think we better call back the B Shift. This has to be an inside job," Richard said.

  "What makes you think that?" Dickson asked as he watched Richard slip his hands under the plate in Shelly's hands.

  Richard answered, "Because that device had to be put in place while there was no gravity unless there was a whole team of terrorists available to lift those plates that were on top. I don't think that many people could get past security. I also think the weight of the plates would have crushed the device, especially on takeoff. That would have been enough to trigger it then."

  The Chief replied, "Good points. Who do you suggest to go out and bring back the B Shift?"

  Richard answered, "You and our crewman. He can help you identify the B Shift, particularly those who inspected this area. Send them in through the airlock. We'll be waiting for them."

  Richard looked at the trigger device and clamped his fingers on it tightly. "Okay, take the plate away now, Shelly."

  Shelly moved the plate and breathed a sigh of relief when the device didn't go off. She set the plate down on the deck.

  "You want all of the B Shift?" Isaac asked.

  "Not really. I just want the ones from it who inspected this area. It shouldn't be hard for us to find that out inside the airlock," Richard answered.

  Jimmy said, "We better keep those who inspected those other areas for bombs and didn't find them the first time."

  Richard looked at Jimmy with a nod of his head. "Jimmy's right. We'll want them, too. There's probably more than one terrorist involved. Even with no gravity, it would take two people to place this device here."

  Chief Dickson and the Asian Joy crewman left for the airlock.

  Shelly asked, "What about you? You can't hold that switch forever."

  "I don't intend to. I'm going to let one of the terrorists do that just as I'm going to let one of them disarm the booby-trap we found earlier," Richard answered.

  "Can we trust them to do that?" asked Shelly.

  Richard answered, "Ask Jimmy. He knows the terrorists better than I do."

  Jimmy said, "Maybe. We have one advantage. They didn't volunteer to stay on board with the bombs, so I don't think they're fanatical enough to want to die."

  "Then that's what we've got to work on them with," Richard said.

  ***

  Jimmy grabbed the man's air hose and twisted it off quickly as he stepped inside from the airlock. Alex, Tim, and Shelly did the same to the other three returning crew members.

  "You're not going back out until you show us where all the bombs are at and help to disarm them," Jimmy said, as he removed the helmet from the first man.

  "I don't know anything about the bombs."

  "I think you're a liar. For now, move along to the supply room. All of you. Your helmets stay here," Jimmy said.

  The crewman tried to resist only to feel a knee in his groin. Then Jimmy produced a gun and placed it next to the man's head.

  "Try anything again, I'll kill you. I don't have any problem killing someone who doesn't heed the shipmate's code," Jimmy said.

  ***

  Richard looked at the four men entering the supply room where he held the booby-trap triggering device in his strong grip. He looked into the eyes of each man, then said, "You, come over here and hold onto this."

  Jimmy shoved the man forward toward Richard. The man hesitated. Jimmy shoved him once more, close enough for Richard to grab him with his free hand.

  Richard said, "I'm going to let go of this device in a few seconds. You can either hold it or disarm it. Take your choice. Of course, you could also choose to die since I believe that this device will trigger the rest of the bombs. I'm letting go on a count of five. One. . . two . . ."

  The man reached out and took the booby-trap from Richard. "There's a restraining pin in the trash. I need it."

  Shelly rummaged through the trash, soon finding the pin. She handed it over to the admitted terrorist. She and the others watched him disarm the boobytrap. As soon as it was safe, Richard jerked the man up by an arm.

  Richard said, "Okay, who else helped you? Either you tell us or learn how to breathe in a vacuum. It's not a pretty sight to see. I know, I've seen it a number of times already. Near as I can tell, it's right painful to those who die that way. They appeared to be in agony all over their entire body at the same time."

  The terrorist looked at Richard. Richard didn't flinch a muscle. The terrorist turned his head away from Richard's piercing eyes. He finally pointed at two others being held in the room.

  "Okay, each of them is to be escorted by two of us. They'll take us around to all the bombs and disarm them. Any of them gives you trouble, kill him. The ones that are left will just have to disarm a few extra bombs," Richard said.

  Chief Dickson said, "Shelly, you go with Richard. Tim, you're with me. Alex and Jimmy are the third team. Get your terrorist and get started."

  "I think we can let our volunteer and that other man leave now," Richard said.

  ***

  Chief Dickson breathed deeply when he entered Space Rescue One after several grueling hours on board the Asian Joy. Beside him, several other members looked as frazzled as he did.

  As Richard removed his helm
et, Isaac said, "Good work, Richard. You made all the difference out there. One question, though. Were you really going to release that booby-trap on the count of five?"

  "Yes, I was going to let go of it. I never bluff," Richard answered.

  Jimmy asked, "But what if it detonated the rest of the bombs? You would have killed all of us."

  "I disarmed it before you all returned. Our terrorist disabled an unarmed device," Richard replied.

  "I guess there was no way for you to tell us that under the circumstances. I wish I knew ahead of time that you were going to do that," Chief Dickson said.