Parker's Folly (17 page)

“I think it's gonna make it, Billy Ray,” said Chief Zackly, speaking for the first time since they entered the cargo hold. “Look, you nearly hit that one!”

Sure enough, Billy Ray's arrow had come within a few feet of one of the Russians. The suited figure, most likely Col. Kondratov, grabbed the line and moved to make it fast to the station. Once it was secured on that end, the cosmonaut waved back at the people in the open cargo door. Billy Ray secured the line on their end and motioned the station crew to start across the gap.

* * * * *

Ludmilla had followed Yuki out of the Crew Airlock hatch into the startlingly bright sunlight. It was hard to look around in the bulky spacesuit but she managed to spot Ivan moving along the side of the Unity module toward them. She started to drift away from the airlock when she remembered to grab on to part of the station's structure. This was definitely not the same as the big swimming pool used to simulate working outside the station.

Ivan arrived just in time to snag Yuki as he started to drift off. As the three of them clung like insects to the side of their former home, their rescuers' strange silver ship floated beneath the station with the sunlit Earth as a backdrop. The underside of the station was illuminated by earthshine—much brighter than the feeble moonshine from Earth's natural satellite.

Yuki started the journey to the ship, working his way along the guide rope. Unfortunately, he was making little progress in the direction of the beckoning cargo hold opening. As he pulled on the line his center of gravity seldom lined up with the force created by his tugging. The Japanese scientist was twisting around like a leaf in a gale as the line stretched wildly to and fro.

“Ivan, you must do something,” said Ludmilla over their suit radios. “Yuki is taking far to long to reach the ship.”

“Yes, you are right Ludmilla. Yuki, can you hear me?”

“Yes, Ivan. I'm sorry but I don't seem to be capable of heading in the proper direction.”

“Listen, Yuki. I'm going to untie the line from the station. Just grab on to the line and let the ship pull you in.”

* * * * *

What are they doing?
Lt. Curtis asked herself. Dr. Saito is taking far too long to pull himself over to the ship. While they had been
able to communicate with the station earlier, they didn't have a direct link to the spacewalkers. “Bridge, can you talk with the station crew and ask them what they are doing?”

“Cargo hold, be advised we have been out of contact with the station since the crew emerged from the airlocks.”

“I don't think the line is taut enough to stop him from swingin' around like that, Lieutenant,” said the Chief.

“It looks like they just cast off the line from the other end,” observed Billy Ray. “Yep the guy on the line has wrapped his arm around it, we need to pull him into the ship.”

Billy Ray and the Chief both moved to grasp the line and nearly collided. “Let me do the pullin' Chief. You go to the door and catch him when he gets here.”

“You got more heft than I do, son. Don't take much pullin' in this zero-g but you might be better at landing him.”

“Yeah, you're right Chief.”

“Course I am,” the little man said, moving to pick up the line. “That's why I'm the Chief Boatswain's Mate.”

Once the two crewmen sorted themselves out they managed to bring the floundering scientist smartly to the door. The Chief had gotten the man in the American spacesuit moving at a fair clip and when he came across the threshold of the cargo door it was all Billy Ray could do to bring him to a safe halt. Billy Ray moved the floating man over to one of the strapped down crates and, using hand gestures, managed to get him to hang on to one of the crate's straps.

Meanwhile, the Lieutenant was trying and failing to get the floating line back onto the spool on the front of the crossbow for another shot.

“I don't think we're going to need that, Lieutenant,” said Billy Ray. “Looks like they are making a leap for us.”

Lt. Curtis looked back at the space station just in time to see one of the suited figures push the other toward the open cargo hold.
That's going to be a hell of a shot if he makes it,
Gretchen thought. Sure enough the figure coming their direction was starting
to drift high. “He's going to miss the door for sure. Maybe even the ship.”

“Here, Lieutenant. Tie that line around my waste,” said the Chief. “Come on, Ma'am. This is bosun's work. Just tie me good and secure.”

With the line affixed to his suit the Chief crouched in the open doorway. “Make sure that line don't foul on nothin' and pull me back in easy so's I don't lose the Ruski.” With that the wiry little man leaped from the deck out into space.

“That old coot is either one of the bravest men I've ever met or he's batshit crazy,” commented Billy Ray, paying out line as the Chief closed with the drifting Russian.

“Possibly both, Mr. Vincent,” agreed the Lieutenant.

“Ya know I can hear both of yous!” The Chief snapped, an instant before colliding with the drifting spacewalker. The boatswain grabbed the floating figure around the wast and yelled. “I got 'em, pull us in!”

Billy Ray complied, gently slowing the outgoing line, bringing it to a stop and then slowly pulling the drifting duo back toward the cargo door and safety. After the pair bounced off the upper lip of the door opening, Lt. Curtis managed to take the Chief's passenger from him and move her—it was clear looking through the suit's clear  helmet visor that it was a woman—against the crate with Dr. Saito.

“OK, we have Dr. Saito and Dr. Tropsha. That only leaves Col. Kondratov.”

“Looks like he's on his way, Lieutenant. Chief, you'd better get ready in case he drifts too.”

“I'm ready. Hell, I ain't had this much fun in years.”

As it turned out Ivan's own jump was closer to the mark than his toss of Ludmilla. He went just wide to the left, landing on the open cargo bay door itself, which was slid forward along the hull. As the Colonel bounced off the door the Chief was able to lean out around the cargo hold opening and snag him. Within a minute, all three of the space station crew were safely in the cargo hold.

“Bridge, this is Lt. Curtis. I'm closing the cargo hold door. You can give us some atmosphere any time.”

“Roger that, Lieutenant. And congratulations on a job well done. You had us worried there for a bit—until we saw the chief launch himself out of the hold like a comic book superhero.”

“Weren't nothing, Captain. Like I told Billy Ray, just bosun's work.” There was a look of pure joy on the little man's face as he basked in his Captain's praise.

“Captain, we're going to work our way forward with our new guests. I think it will be easier if we leave the deck gravity off for now. Two of them had a hard enough time floating in a spacesuit, let alone hopping along the deck in one.”

“Very good, Number One. We will have cabin pressure restored by the time you get to the forward bulkhead.”

The Lieutenant shook her head.
Did he just call me “number one”? He hates that Hollywood space opera lingo. Our captain was more worried about this little exercise than he let on.

* * * * *

Upon reaching the forward bulkhead, the rescue team managed to get the space station crew members to doff their helmets and start removing their spacesuits. They were hesitant at first and only started un-suiting when all three of the rescuers removed their helmets, proving the hold now had a breathable atmosphere.

Hitch and Jacobs entered the cargo hold to assist with suit removal, the later limited to capturing parts with his unbandaged arm. Kondratov, Saito and Tropsha were soon stripped to their cooling and ventilation garments, floating around in what looked like lumpy white long underwear.

“We can offer you a shower and a change of cloths if you would like to follow us into the crew quarters,” said Lt. Curtis, addressing the trio of space refugees. “But before that happens I need you to all assume a balanced, standing position on the deck.”

The trio complied with somewhat puzzled looks on their faces. The Lieutenant did not wish to disorient or traumatize the newcomers by having them drift from zero-g into a part of the ship under deck gravity. Once everyone was in a stable standing position the Lieutenant spoke to the bridge, “Bridge, this is the cargo hold. Could we get the deck gravity restored in here? The station personnel are out of their suits and we are ready to come forward.”

“Roger, cargo hold. Restoring deck gravity to one tenth G in three, two, one.”

The now empty spacesuits all slumped to the deck while their former occupants wobbled about, trying not to fall under the sudden restoration of gravity.

“How can this be?” asked Ivan, “is the ship under acceleration?”

“No, Colonel. There are a number of surprises in store for you on board Parker's Folly. First among them is that we have controllable gravity on all of the decks in the ship's habitable spaces.”

“You have artificial gravity?” asked Yuki. “How do you do this?” demanded the excited Japanese physicist.

“You will have to talk to our chief engineer, Dr. Gupta. As I understand it the gravity is real, not artificial, but the method of its generation is not what most Earth scientists would expect.”

“So you are not from Earth after all,” said Ludmilla in an accusatory tone. “Have you told us any other lies, Lieutenant?”

“I've told you no untruths, Dr. Tropsha.” the Lieutenant replied stiffly. “We are all Earthlings here, though some of our technology may seem a bit... advanced.”

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,” Billy Ray murmured under his breath.

“Yes, Arthur C. Clarke was totally correct,” Ludmilla, who's hearing was evidently excellent, shot back. “If America has such technology why doesn't the rest of the world know about it? I assume that this ship does not operate like our rocket ships, if you have found a way to control gravity.”

“As I said, Doctor, there are many things about Folly that will be unfamiliar to you. I can only reassure you that the Captain will answer your questions. So, if you please, follow Mr. Vincent into the crew quarters where you can shower and slip into a change of clothing.”

“I am forgetting my manners,” Ludmilla said, looking at the Chief and Billy Ray. “Thank you for saving my life, all of our lives.”

“Our pleasure Ma'am,” answered the Chief, who had remained quiet while the officers were arguing. “Don' worry, the Captain will explain everything.”

“He surely will,” added Billy Ray. “Now if y'all will kindly follow me to the showers?”

Fifteen minutes later, Billy Ray was back at the helm. When he arrived, Bobby fist bumped him and said, “awesome, Dude!”

“It was pretty intense, man,” Billy Ray replied. Then, looking around to ensure they were not overheard, he added in a hushed voice, “that Russian Doctor lady is definitely space babe material. And Lt. Curtis knows her way around a skintight space suit too.”

Shaking his head, Bobby told his friend “go with the Russian babe, Dude, 'cause the Lieutenant will kick your ass.”

“Word, brother,” the lanky Texan agreed, “you got that right.”

* * * * *

Lt. Curtis escorted the three rescuees to the Captain's sea cabin just off the bridge. The station crew were now clothed in the one piece coveralls and soft soled boots that were standard issue on board Parker's Folly. Their outfits were a light pastel blue in color, which pleased the Russians since it was similar to one of the colors in the Russian flag. Dr. Saito's feelings regarding the new attire remained unvoiced.

One thing Gretchen had notice when she delivered Dr. Tropsha's post-shower change of cloths was that, beneath the bulky spacesuit undergarments, the Russian lady doctor was quite shapely. Even taking into account the salubrious effect that low gravity had on women's figures in general, the ash-blond cosmonaut was stunning. Male members of the crew would agree—she was built like a brick shithouse.

Between Ludmilla and the sexy blond newswoman, there will probably be some interesting interpersonal dynamics to deal with before the voyage is over,
thought Gretchen. Billy Ray was a known hound dog and she had spotted Susan Write looking at the Captain with a predatory glint in her eyes on more than one occasion.
Don't borrow trouble, girl,
she scolded herself.

Lt. Curtis knocked on the sea cabin's door and the Captain said “come.” Entering the cabin, the Lieutenant formally introduced the trio as the Captain shook each one's hand in turn.

“I'm glad to be welcoming you on board Parker's Folly—Col. Kondratov, Lt. Col Tropsha, Dr. Saito. I know you must be brimming with questions about us and this ship.”

“To say the least, Captain!” Ivan replied. “How is it that you have technology only seen in science fiction books or movies? And how has your country kept it secret? Why have you kept it secret?”

“You see Colonel, our government doesn't know about this ship. Or at least it didn't until we were forced to takeoff just a few hours ago.”

“You expect us to believe that your government is unaware of this ship, its technology?” asked Yuki. “I find that a bit incredulous, Captain.”

“Folly was built by a very rich man, a Mr. TK Parker. He bankrolled the ship's construction. If you have enough money nearly anything is possible. The government wasn't made aware of this project because Mr. Parker doesn't trust the U.S. government, or any other for that matter. As for the advanced technology, most of it stems from a breakthrough in gravitonics.”

“I have never heard of such a field of scientific study,” said a doubtful Dr. Saito. “It sounds more like the sort of pseud-science one finds on the Internet.”

“You are a scientist, Dr. Saito. You arrive at explanations based on empirical data derived from experiment and observation. Is that not correct?”

“Yes, of course.”

“And you as well, Dr. Tropsha? In fact, all three of you trust in science and the scientific method?”