Saving The Mission, page 25
part #1 of The Race to Space Series
The car parked directly next to David’s driver side. The window wound down and the man signalled that he should do the same.
“David Dryden?” David did not recognise the accent but knew it wasn’t local, maybe Eastern European. David nodded.
“Get in.”
David saw a door open on the rear passenger side. “But what about my car?”
The man said, “we will bring you back here.”
David tentatively got out of his car and walked towards the rear passenger door. Before David got in he looked around and noticed that they appeared to be in a blind spot with the CCTV for the car park. He checked his phone and made sure his location setting was on and got in the car.
In the back of the car was Scott. He looked unsettled. “This seems a bit over the top for a medical Mr Dudley.” Scott just turned away and looked out of his tinted window.
The man in the front commanded. “Get in.”
David got into the back seat of the car and shut the door behind him. They drove in silence and David could just make out their whereabouts through the dark window. They were making their way across towards London and David began to relax, believing they were heading in the right direction. As they passed inner London, Scott said, “Anywhere here is fine.”
The man in the glasses did not say anything. There was a glass barrier between them and Scott tapped on it hard. “Did you hear me? Drop me off here.”
The man carried on driving, ignoring them both. David turned to Scott “What is going on?” Scott looked at David and he could see that he was scared. Scott carried on banging on the glass. They both then started to smell a faint smell like gas. David recognised it. “Hey! There is gas in here. Let us out.” David’s vision became blurry and as he turned, he could see Scott was already passed out on the back seat. David turned to the man in the glasses who continued to drive, seemingly unaware or uncaring of their current predicament. David closed his eyes and felt the unconsciousness overcome him.
7.
David opened his eyes slowly and felt a strong burning sensation. The first contact with bright light made them shut again. He could feel his hands were tied behind his back tightly and he hurt his wrists trying to move them. David recognised they were bound up with rope. He slowly opened his eyes. He did not know where he was but the room was dark, with a bright light just above him. The smell of damp and mould filled his nostrils. As he opened his eyes he could see grey walls and on the side a range of shining implements. David squinted and could see a variety of saws, knives and general surgical utensils. His eyes were drawn to something that looked like a blowtorch.
David knew he was in trouble and at that moment felt the warm sensation of liquid running down his leg. He panicked. David looked around for a way out. There was one solid metal door, which had no window and rivets around the edges. He looked around, everything seemed so sterile, just grey concrete walls. David had calculated that he was likely to have been taken because he knew too much.
He tried to untie the knots behind his back and as he did so the door opened and in walked his driver. “David Dryden. Let me make this clear. You are in an unfortunate predicament. Co-operate and you can go.”
David raised his head to meet the man's eyes. He had taken off his suit jacket and tie and stood in a white shirt with his sleeves rolled up. David looked up at him and tried to keep his voice steady. “I very much doubt that.”
The man smiled. “You’re smart David, they should have chosen you but then again, you are too fat.” He poked his belly and David felt the overwhelming sense of humiliation particularly as the man looked down his trousers to see the wet patch under his chair. The man laughed.
“So, David.” The man pulled up a chair opposite him. “What do you know of Dayton Space.”
“They are building a shuttle for commercialised space travel.”
The man nodded and smiled. David did not feel reassured. “Very good. Did you know that you were being recruited for it.”
David shook his head. “No.”
The man got up and went across to the stand and picked up a large knife with a serrated edge. He stroked the edge of the blade. “Now David, if you lie, bad things happen.”
David shouted. he was shaking so much that the rope that bound his hands was rubbing harshly against his skin and David thought he could feel blood seeping from the wounds. “Not at first! I figured it out.”
The man nodded and sat back down. Still holding the blade which was inches from him. “What do you know?”
David said shaking. “Nothing.” Tears came down his face. “They didn’t tell us anything. I don’t know much as I needed to pass the medical.”
“How far away are they from launching?”
David said. “I don’t know they never mentioned it.”
The man sighed and stroked the blade once more. “Now David. I hope your not going to make this whole exercise a waste of my time.”
At that moment David heard a shout, which he recognised as Scott’s voice, coming from the direction of the door. He instantly looked at the door.
The man laughed. “We are trying to make your trainer co-operate. He’s stubborn but I can see you are going to be more cooperative.”
David shook his head weeping, begging for his life. “Please, they didn’t tell us anything.”
The man sighed, showing his frustration. “Fine David, let’s pretend you are as mute as you make out. Do you know who they chose?”
David’s thoughts flashed to Samantha. It was the only person he knew. He had contacted Elizabeth but she had not been successful either, neither had Tina. He toyed with the idea of just telling them about Samantha but his last bit of dignity wouldn’t let go, wouldn’t give in. He stuttered. “I don’t know.”
The man sighed and in a swift motion stood up and slashed across his stomach. David screamed and looked down and saw the deep gash across his stomach, which instantly started bleeding out over the floor.
“Tell me!” The man shouted.
David battled with his consciousness and he felt a slap. “You will not go to sleep.” David let out a cry as he felt the back of his ankles being slashed. The man picked up his chin. “Tell me or I will cut your eyes, then your tongue very slowly. If you tell me I will let you go into your slumber.”
David could not take it anymore. The pain he had felt was excruciating, he knew he was done for but he could not take any more pain and just wanted it to all be over. As much as he liked Samantha, he just wanted this to be over and would do anything for it to be done.
“Samantha Harrington.” He whimpered. David briefly saw the man go into his pocket and heard a loud bang. Then silence.
8.
Ed Dayton sat on his soft leather sofa watching the live news feed in front of him. It was ten hours since he saw the Russian shuttle take off and it was beginning its descent through the atmosphere. He leaned in as if by looking at the television screen that bit closer he could zoom in to see the shuttle in more detail. Ed was not in a good mood, everything had gone well.
The voyage had gone to plan with minimal hiccups and they were now returning to Earth. Unlike Dayton Space’s planned mission, the Russians planned to land on water. Ed had considered this option after Hans had advised him it was the safest (there was less likely to be a crash landing in the sea). He had overruled, deciding that he needed a shuttle that was more reusable. Landing on water limited the lifespan of the shuttle.
Ed watched as the fireball descended through the sky. As a member of the public, it was difficult to tell if everything was going to plan as the whole shuttle appeared to be in flames. Ed had been involved in space long enough to know that it was perfectly normal due to the intense heat on re-entering the earth's atmosphere and descending at speed.
Ed watched as the shuttle carried on its descent. It seemed to be increasing its speed and its descent seemed more erratic. It appeared to be spinning, Ed sat up straight, picked up his phone and dialled.
His voice quickened as he said. “Hans, are you watching this?”
“Of course I am watching it.” He said matter of factly. “I know what your next question is going to be.”
“Is that normal?” Ed listened as he waited for the next answer and wondered if Hans had deliberately kept him waiting for the answer.
“No, it is not. It should make a straight descent.” Suddenly the screen went off and returned with a very scratchy view like they were watching space flights from the 1960s. He could barely make out the shuttle and could not tell if it was still spinning. Then the screen cut out completely. Ed held his breath. The screen later returned and Ed watched as the shuttle landed in the Atlantic Ocean. Ed waited with bated breath as a boat crew came to the shuttle to help get the astronauts out. Ed watched as two astronauts were pulled from the shuttle with the exterior appearing undamaged.
The astronauts gave a wave to the camera as if nothing had ever happened. Ed was confused, it seemed like the shuttle was descending wildly and out of control.
“Hans? Was something wrong?”
Hans replied slowly and carefully. “I think so. I can’t say for certain due to the missing bits of footage but it looked like a problem in the descent. Maybe a booster, I’m not sure.”
Ed listened as the Russian Space Agency came onto the screen.
“добро пожаловать обратно на Землю.
(Welcome back to Earth)
у нас есть кто-то, кто хотел бы поговорить с вами
(We have someone here who would like to speak to you)”
The screen cut in half to reveal the Russian control centre at one end and at the other end of the screen was a tall woman with long blonde hair tied back, who was wearing a sports jacket which had the Russian flag on it. Ed instantly recognised Katrina Polova the triple gold-winning medalist at the Olympic Games who had won the 5000m, 10,000m and 1,500m races. The only woman to have ever achieved that feat. The world had questioned her legitimacy and whether or not she had competed fairly, but it was never proved otherwise. Innocent until proven guilty, which for the Russians, was never.
“Добрый день госпо
(good afternoon gentlemen)
поздравляю с успешной миссией
(congratulations on a successful mission)”
A bell could be heard ringing
“вы на последнем круге, чтобы отправить гражданских лиц в космос
(you are on the final lap to sending a civilian into space)
и первый будет русский
(and the first one will be Russian)”
The control centre stood up and cheered and clapped for several minutes. Ed watched as it cut back to the newsreader in full screen. “Well, there you have it. The first successful test flight in the race for commercialised space flight. Both astronauts came back safely and the mission will be considered a success.”
Ed raised his voice getting angrier. “Did no-one else see what we just saw?”
Hans paused “They believe what they want to believe. Propaganda has always been a strong point for Russia. They once sent a dog into space and hid that it had died within a few hours of the flight. That was kept secret for almost fifty years. People believe what they want to believe. Who knows whether it came back safely.”
Ed stood up and paced around his apartment and looked out of the window. “That’s what we are up against. Liars and cheaters. You see why I get so frustrated that we play by the rules? Because the competition certainly won’t. Hans, will that be something that they need to fix?”
Hans replied instantly. “Definitely. Shouldn’t take many repairs, the shuttle exterior looks intact and they will need to find out the issue...”
Ed interrupted. “How long?”
“Well it depends on what is wrong and I don’t know what that is. A couple of weeks if its nothing serious, months if parts need repairing.”
Ed said softly. “We still have a chance. We can still do it”
“Ed we have much bigger problems than they do and ours...”
“Thanks, Hans”
Ed hung up and put his phone down on the side table. Lanette turned around to him. “Everything OK Ed?”
Ed looked at her and then back to the window and stared up at the stars, seemingly unaware of anyone around him. “We still have a chance. We can still win this race.”
R E Cooper, Saving The Mission
