Read Online The getaway special by Jerry Oltion - Free Book Online
Authors: Jerry Oltion
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, adventure, Science Fiction - General, Fiction - Science Fiction, Space Opera, Interplanetary voyages, Space ships, Scientists, Space flight
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shining white in the direct sunlight. The airlocks sticking out of either end were surrounded by machinery and tool lockers; placed where they would be easy to reach during EVAs. Half a dozen emergency descent modules clustered around the airlocks as well, poised for quick evacuation in case the habitats lost pressure or came under enemy fire. Nobody had ever actually ridden one down from orbit, but they were basically the same system as the old Gemini capsules, two-seat reentry vehicles with ablative heat shields and parachutes. NASA had originally intended to build a miniature shuttle for a lifeboat, but the X-38 program had fallen to the budget axe along with so much else.
Judy eyed the descent modules critically. "Carl, what's our ground track, anyway?" she asked. He called up the display on the center monitor. The station and shuttle were over western Australia, heading northeast. Not good. If they were to de-orbit now, they'd wind up in the north Atlantic, or worse, in the Middle East. But in one more orbit they would pass over the U.S. If they timed it right, they could make like they were going to dock with the space station, then grab an EDM and be gone before Mary and the rest of the station crew could react. The modules were mostly composite material; radar couldn't track them. If Judy and Allen switched off the emergency beacon, they stood a good chance of making it to the ground without detection. NASA could only calculate where they would land to within a few dozen miles; that was a big area to search. With any luck at all, they could make a clean escape. Provided they survived the descent.
Judy flipped on the radio again. "Mary, you still there?"
"Still waiting. Have you made a decision yet? Ground control is getting a little nervous."
"We're still thinking about it. Have you got any idea just what they've got planned for us?" Mary laughed. "Well, what do you expect? They were willing to give you a simple trial and execution until you pulled that stunt with the communication satellite, but now I think they're leaning more toward public humiliation and stoning."
"Not funny," Judy said. She looked out at the descent modules again, wondering just how far off the mark Mary was. Not far enough, she was afraid. All right, then, time for plan B.
"I'm willing to stand trial," she said, "but I want some assurance I'll get a trial. If the President promises us safe conduct, we'll surrender." There, that ought to ensure a long enough delay to get them into position.
In the meantime, she made Allen keep breathing oxygen so he could get back into his spacesuit when the time came, and she began washing the nitrogen out of her own system as well. Normally a transfer from shuttle to space station didn't require suits, but Judy explained that she wanted to be ready in case they had docking problems, and she made Carl and Gerry breathe oxygen, too, so they wouldn't suspect her real plan.
But ten minutes later, Mary came back on the radio and said, "Switch over to ground control. The President is waiting."
If Judy had needed any assurance that she was in deep trouble, she'd just gotten it. President John
"Private Interests" Stevenson didn't respond that quickly to a call from his stockbroker. That was his voice on the radio, though, saying, "Well, Miss Gallagher, you've certainly caused a ruckus, haven't you?"
Judy was beyond being impressed by politicians. She said, "It seems to me that whoever spread the virus on the internet is the one who caused the ruckus."
"That will be a matter for the courts to decide." He cleared his throat, then said, "You've asked for my word that you'll be treated fairly when you return. I can assure you that you will receive the full protection of the law in your prosecution for high treason, piracy, hijacking, computer hacking, and violation of Federal communications regulations."
He had to be reading that from a note card. Good. If she ever wound up in court, Judy would subpoena the
Judy eyed the descent modules critically. "Carl, what's our ground track, anyway?" she asked. He called up the display on the center monitor. The station and shuttle were over western Australia, heading northeast. Not good. If they were to de-orbit now, they'd wind up in the north Atlantic, or worse, in the Middle East. But in one more orbit they would pass over the U.S. If they timed it right, they could make like they were going to dock with the space station, then grab an EDM and be gone before Mary and the rest of the station crew could react. The modules were mostly composite material; radar couldn't track them. If Judy and Allen switched off the emergency beacon, they stood a good chance of making it to the ground without detection. NASA could only calculate where they would land to within a few dozen miles; that was a big area to search. With any luck at all, they could make a clean escape. Provided they survived the descent.
Judy flipped on the radio again. "Mary, you still there?"
"Still waiting. Have you made a decision yet? Ground control is getting a little nervous."
"We're still thinking about it. Have you got any idea just what they've got planned for us?" Mary laughed. "Well, what do you expect? They were willing to give you a simple trial and execution until you pulled that stunt with the communication satellite, but now I think they're leaning more toward public humiliation and stoning."
"Not funny," Judy said. She looked out at the descent modules again, wondering just how far off the mark Mary was. Not far enough, she was afraid. All right, then, time for plan B.
"I'm willing to stand trial," she said, "but I want some assurance I'll get a trial. If the President promises us safe conduct, we'll surrender." There, that ought to ensure a long enough delay to get them into position.
In the meantime, she made Allen keep breathing oxygen so he could get back into his spacesuit when the time came, and she began washing the nitrogen out of her own system as well. Normally a transfer from shuttle to space station didn't require suits, but Judy explained that she wanted to be ready in case they had docking problems, and she made Carl and Gerry breathe oxygen, too, so they wouldn't suspect her real plan.
But ten minutes later, Mary came back on the radio and said, "Switch over to ground control. The President is waiting."
If Judy had needed any assurance that she was in deep trouble, she'd just gotten it. President John
"Private Interests" Stevenson didn't respond that quickly to a call from his stockbroker. That was his voice on the radio, though, saying, "Well, Miss Gallagher, you've certainly caused a ruckus, haven't you?"
Judy was beyond being impressed by politicians. She said, "It seems to me that whoever spread the virus on the internet is the one who caused the ruckus."
"That will be a matter for the courts to decide." He cleared his throat, then said, "You've asked for my word that you'll be treated fairly when you return. I can assure you that you will receive the full protection of the law in your prosecution for high treason, piracy, hijacking, computer hacking, and violation of Federal communications regulations."
He had to be reading that from a note card. Good. If she ever wound up in court, Judy would subpoena the
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