Origins (26 page)

“
The reactor section is
approaching the probe,” Julie announced to the control room. 

It took just over two hours to close the gap between the two spacecraft.  During that time the tension level in the room declined dramatically.  Some people ate lunch in the cafeteria.  Others read a book or went to the gym to work off some of the stress.  Upon hearing Julie’s announcement the room collectively tightened up again.

“Let’s see what we have,” Dr. Kranz said.  “Can you bring the docking camera up on the main screen please?”

Mark was probably the only person in the room to notice the subtle change in Alfred’s demeanor.  During all the commotion of the rocket launch and reactor startup the flight director was very short and demanding with his instructions.  The man recognized a sharp, crisp leadership presence was needed during a time of panic. 

Now that everyone had time to digest the events, a softer, more collaborative and encouraging leadership style was required.  Alfred’s orders were phrased more like requests, enlisting cooperation from his team rather than obedience.  The loose leadership style encouraged thought and innovation, two critical elements at NASA.  Alfred definitely knew how to lead people Mark concluded.

The display blinked for a few seconds and then the flight path diagram was replaced by an absolutely stunning image.  The probe appeared as a small dark shadow in the foreground with a field of stars and a haze of purple red and blue gas as a backdrop. 

Like most people, Mark envisioned outer space to be a black void with a few stars here and there; that’s how all the sci-fi shows portrayed it anyway.  For the first time he realized the universe was alive with colors that were too dim for humans to see through earth’s atmosphere.  Mark wasn’t one to stop and admire the scenery very often, but this was truly a masterpiece that demanded his attention.

“Alright, show’s over.  Can you change the camera to thermal mode please?” Alfred asked.

Suddenly the inspiring image got replaced by a completely black canvas with a small bright red, yellow, and blue flickering object in the middle.

“Can you zoom in on the probe please?” Alfred requested.

The colorful object immediately grew to take up the entire screen.  Everyone in the room let out a collective groan when they saw the probe was not flying straight and level.  Quite the opposite, it was spinning out of control on all three axes.  Watching the chaotic motion up close made Mark’s stomach almost turn inside out.  One of the technicians sitting in the front row of workstations didn’t have as much control of his abdomen as he bent over and vomited in his trash can.

Mark looked around the room to see virtually everyone looking away from the screen to alleviate the vertigo sensation.  Mark glanced up at the image once again and wondered how in the world they were going to put the two pieces together with that much random motion.  They’d be lucky to even hit the right side of the probe, let alone slip two docking collars together that needed to be within a quarter inch up down, left or right of each other.

Alfred cut through the anxiety in the room with a confident voice.  “Alright.  Bring the reactor section within fifty feet of the probe and match velocities.  It may look random right now, but there’s a pattern to that tumbling, we just need to find it.  This is what we get paid the big bucks for people.  At NASA we do the impossible every day.  This is just another day.”

Mark quietly looked on as Alfred divided his people into four teams.  Three groups were to concentrate their efforts on the x, y, and z axis rotations.  The fo
urth team pulled all the data together to build a computer model of the motion and maneuvers needed by the reactor section.

For the next hour, Mark looked on with admiration as the team members each forced themselves to stare at the disorienting image.  Extra trash
cans were brought in to accommodate the volume of people losing their lunch while they worked.  Mark still didn’t care for the people’s personalities, but he had a new found respect for the dedication to their work.  They put it above everything else, even their physical well being.

“That’s it,” Alfred exclaimed.  Feeling the excitement, Mark walked over to the workstation where twenty people gathered around.  “Run that simulation one more time just to make sure, but I think you’ve done it.”

Mark saw the monitor displayed a set of three dimensional line drawings of the probe and reactor sections.  The probe was spinning out of control relative to the immobile reactor vehicle.  Julie hit enter on the keyboard which fired a set of thrusters on the image, causing the craft to orbit around the probe.  Another thruster fired and the reactor section began twirling in time with the probe.  One final thruster burst and the reactor was in perfect sync with the probe’s movements.  Then it was just a simple matter of thrusting forward to make contact between the docking rings.

“We’ve done it with our toys in here; now let’s do it for real,” Dr. Kranz ordered.  “Deploy the laser range finders on the reactor section, upload the maneuver program, and give the computer control of the countdown.”

Several times now Mark observed the flight control process get turned over to a computer.  Intuitively it made sense since a machine could react quicker and more precisely, but he still couldn’t get comfortable losing control of events like that.  Mark had a hard enough time trusting people to do things right, let alone a brainless machine.  He was starting to see the benefits though.

The countdown struck zero.  Instantly, the probe on screen seemed to only move on two axes, then one, then it’s motion perfectly matched the reactor section so it looked like both space craft were standing perfectly still.  In reality both craft were now twirling and tumbling through space at the blazing speed of 30,000 miles per hour, but relative to each other they were not moving at all.  Next the docking collar grew closer until it took up the entire view screen.  The sound of the locking mechanisms snapping into position sent the room into a frenzy of cheers, high fives and hugs.

“You see, now was that so hard?” Alfred shouted triumphantly over the noise.

Mark clapped and cheered along with the rest though his may have lacked a little enthusiasm.

“
Sunrise is only
a few hours away, captain.  Shouldn’t we make our move on the control room while it’s still dark?”  Valnor asked impatiently as he swept his pile of sand away from the pyramid.

“You have the right idea, ensign, but we also need to allow ourselves as much time as possible to observe the guards and their time tables.”  Hastelloy instructed. 

Most commanders would be annoyed at constantly having their methods questioned by such an inexperienced subordinate, but Hastelloy genuinely enjoyed the mentoring role.  The young man obviously felt he could learn something from his commanding officer and Hastelloy commended him for seizing the opportunity.  Valnor reminded Hastelloy of himself a few thousand years earlier, and he aimed to help him achieve his full potential.

“By holding off our attack a few hours I’ve been able to observe there are eight guards inside the structure, and four more guarding the outer doors,” Hastelloy continued.  “Most importantly, I now know they are on a four hour rotation.  We are coming up on the third hour of a very uneventful shift that is in the early morning.  By now the guards should be nice and groggy, much easier for us to overcome.”

“Okay.  The timing is right, how are we going to overcome the guard assigned to watch us?” Valnor asked.  “He still looks very alert to me, and we’re in a well lit, wide open space right now.  What are you going to do, bribe him?”

Hastelloy licked his lower lip as he turned and saw a woman coming with a pail of water and said to Valnor over his shoulder, “Exactly, with an irresistible piece of candy.”

The fair maiden first stopped in front of Gallono to quench his thirst.  When he finished she knelt down to pick up the vase of water, which allowed her skirt to open at the seam along her left thigh to reveal a well-toned and completely naked profile of the woman.  Hastelloy observed with great satisfaction that the guard was now transfixed on her movements. Gallono’s movement into the darkness beyond the torch lighting however was not noticed at all.

As the woman approached Valnor and Hastelloy, the captain gave Hathor an appreciative smile and then proceeded to demean her in every way possible.  As she served the water Hastelloy made it a point to always have his hands on Hathor: her shoulders, then her waist, then her back, then her cheek.  Every movement made as amorously as possible and capped off by him trying to wrap his arms around her waist from behind as she attempted to walk away.  With that Hathor turned and delivered a sharp slap to his face.

In response Hastelloy angrily grabbed her by the arm and raised his other hand to strike when the point of the guard’s sword snapped into position an inch away from his nose.  Recognizing the moment was lost he released his grip on Hathor, casually stepped back, picked up his broom, and continued sweeping away his designated sand pile.

The guard didn’t press the issue with Hastelloy as he had other pursuits in mind.  Hathor served the guard a ladle full of water.  Next she moved towards a tent a short distance away that was only illuminated by the moonlight.  Before passing out of the torch light she stopped to deliver a smile over her shoulder toward the guard and continued on her trajectory.

With the guard thoroughly distracted, Hastelloy rejoined Valnor to continue the ensign’s education.  “Under normal circumstances a dedicated guard such as him would not leave his post, but this circumstance is anything but normal.”

As Hastelloy spoke, the guard faded away into the darkness following Hathor to the tent.

“This guard, who is used to raping slave girls several times a day, has not had a woman in weeks due to fear over the death of that food server,” Hastelloy continued in an amused and knowing tone.  “Then along comes a lovely woman, who is a friend of mine by the way.  She  walks toward him, and he thinks it’s better than watching four men sweep away sand.

“Next, by the grace of t
he gods, her dress accidentally opens to display the goods for him to admire.  He just can’t believe his luck that such a show is put on for him, and his primal blood starts pumping a bit faster.”

In the distance Hastelloy could just barely make out Hathor rounding the corner of the tent and stepping out of sight.  “Then another male fondles the goods he covets right before his eyes and attempts to claim the lovely woman.  At this point the guard’s primal instincts take over.  He no longer thinks, he just acts.  The guard intervenes and casts the inferior male to the side and claims his prize.  The fact that the prize shows him due appreciation is all the better.”

Hastelloy watched with satisfaction as the guard rounded the corner following Hathor and stepped out of sight as well.  “The guard is so overcome with his sex drive that, even though he is armed and skilled, he is completely unprepared to handle an attack committed by one of the slaves he was supposed to guard.”

Just then the upper half of the guard’s body, stiff as a board, rotated backwards out from behind the tent.  As the body landed flat on the ground it was immediately dragged back behind the tent.  Shortly thereafter, Gallono stepped out and gestured for the other three men to join him.

“I am going to be very wary of any gifts you hand out from now on, sir,” Valnor joked as they, along with Tonwen, ran over to Gallono’s position.

“Never underestimate the distracting power of eye candy, young man,” Hastelloy responded as he observed Hathor leaving the scene of the crime and returning to her watering duties.  He noted her leaving with an extra hop in her step; satisfied with a job well done.

Chapter 39:  Blitz!

Hastelloy rounded the
tent with the rest of his crew in tow and was well pleased with what he saw.  Gallono had already loaded the guard’s body into a four-wheeled wagon that must have been sitting unused next to the tent.

“Good work, commander, this should come in handy.” Hastelloy commended as he calmly knelt down to pick up the dead guard’s sword off the ground.  The blade shimmered in the silver light from the full moon until darkness suddenly washed over the landscape.  Hastelloy looked up and saw the sky was littered with small but fast moving clouds   Moments later the light level returned as the moon emerged from the opposite side of a cloud.  He counted his blessings that such a useful tool was made available to him for this operation.

“Tonwen, and Valnor, you’ll haul the wagon while Gallono hides underneath.”  Hastelloy paused to throw a blanket over himself to conceal the long, sharp blade he now carried.  “You three approach the main entrance from the left side.   I’ll go separately and come at it from the right.  Let’s roll.”

Contrary to all logic, a wagon pulled by slaves around the pyramid was not a concern for the guards.  It was assumed they were on a specific assignment.  Hastelloy walking all alone, however, was a big concern and would draw immediate attention.  With this in mind, the captain made his way to the pyramid entrance using tents, and the periodic darkness provided by the intermittent cloud cover.

Without incident, Hastelloy found himself 100 feet away from the four guards standing watch at the pyramid’s grand entryway.  Exactly as he’d planned, Mosa was there waiting for him.  Both of them spotted the cart pulled by the other crewmen drawing near the entrance.  Without hesitation, Mosa stepped out into the open and walked toward the sentries.

Moments later, Hastelloy  heard quite a commotion coming from the guards – the new visitor had their full attention.  Mosa came to a stop directly in front of them.

“I command you to let me in the chamber,” Mosa shouted.

“Your commands don’t carry much weight anymore.  By Pharaoh’s decree, you are a princess no longer.  You’re just a slave like all the other cattle out there.” 
One of the guards replied.

Another looked Mosa up and down and said with a sly smirk,
“I’ve never had a princess before.  Maybe we can restore her crown for tonight so we can all give her the royal treatment.”

“My command comes not from Pharaoh or his lap dog.  It comes from the one true God,”
Mosa boldly replied.

Clearly the guards were not impressed as two of them took a few steps toward Mosa, causing her to turn and walk quickly in Hastelloy’s direction.  The two advancing guards exchanged glances with their fellow sentries and an unspoken accord was reached.  The first two guards could have their fun then they’d swap out so the other two could partake in the festivities.  With a consensus reached, the two were off in hot pursuit
.

Mosa looked over her shoulder to make sure the guards were still coming and accelerated her pace to reach Hastelloy.  Hastelloy, for his part, was in no hurry as he watched the cart slowly settle into position in front of the gate and the two guards still in their proper position moved to investigate the new arrival.

As Mosa rushed past Hastelloy on his left side, the two exchanged grateful looks.  Hastelloy was happy for the distraction and bait while Mosa was most definitely thankful for someone on hand to take care of her pursuers.

When the guards drew near, the silver glow of the landscape faded to darkness as the moon hid behind another cloud. Hastelloy gripped tight the handle of the sword beneath his blanket wrap.  Under cover of d
arkness he bent his elbow back to bring the point of the blade up to chest level.  Even in the dark Hastelloy’s proximity and movement would have drawn notice from an observant guard.  These men were anything but observant at the moment though with something else on their minds. 

At the last moment, Hastelloy stepped to his left causing one of the men to run headlong into him.  As contact was made, Hastelloy buried the blade straight through the guard’s left lung; piercing the man’s heart in the process.

In one fluid motion, Hastelloy let go of the blade’s handle with his right hand, grabbed hold of the guard’s sword in its scabbard with his left.  As the guard’s body collapsed to the ground without a sound, Hastelloy drew the blade and made a high arch with it over his head and grabbed hold with both hands.  Hastelloy turned his body to face the other sentry and brought the blade down with all his might.

The second guard stood no chance.  When he turned to investigate the commotion behind him, his head, right shoulder and arm were severed from the rest of his body.  Without a sound, Hastelloy dispatched his two targets in less than a second.  Considering the attack a success, he turned to see if the wagon team had done as well.

As the small cloud moved past the moon, its silver lighting returned to the land.  Much to his dismay, the guards in front of the pyramid entrance were still upright.  Fortunately, their attention was focused on the cart and not the carnage lying at Hastelloy’s feet.

Both guards stood along side the wagon’s cargo box.  One was about to inspect the contents while the other stood watch over the cart pullers.  Without warning Gallono rolled out from under the wagon.  In one
beautifully smooth motion, he delivered a sharp kick to the back of the guard’s legs, which swept him clean off his feet; landing flat on his back.  Gallono then brought himself up to one knee over the downed guard and deliver a crisp chop to the throat.

The second guard was no slouch in his duties and immediately drew his sword. He assumed a threatening stance with the blade held over his head.  Feeling overconfident facing an unarmed assailant, the guard immediately made a two-handed slice downward in an attempt to cut his opponent in half right down the middle. 

Rather than backing up, Gallono stepped into the blow.  By doing so he cut the distance enough to grab hold of the guard’s arms mid swing.  He bent at the knees, turned to bury his right shoulder under the guard’s armpit and explode up with his legs causing the guard’s body to flip over Gallono’s back.  The guard came crashing to the ground right at Gallono’s feet.   Gallono calmly delivered an open handed chop to the man’s throat rendering him quite dead.

Tonwen wasted no time racing over to help Hastelloy strip and drag the two bodies onto the cart.  Then they went back and swept the sand around to cover any spilled blood.  At the same time, Gallono and Valnor each undressed their targets and made a deposit into the wagon.  Soon after, all four men stripped down and put on their respective guard uniforms.  All the garments were a surprisingly good fit with the exception of Gallono’s, which was comically small.

Hastelloy gave his friend a cursory review and said with a Cheshire grin, “Close enough for government work anyway. Maybe one of the guards inside will be a better fit.  Besides, all we have to do is look the part until our relief watch shows up.  Then we can walk out of here with the wagon in tow along with any evidence of our attack.”

The captain pointed to Tonwen and Valnor, “You two stand watch while we take care of business inside.”

Gallono took lead and ascended the flight of stairs and snuck up to the thick bronze doors of the pyramid entrance.  He dropped to his stomach and inched his head around the corner to have a look down the descending corridor.  Moments later he crawled back out of view and gave his assessment.

“I saw four guards staggered down the corridor.  The others are probably protecting the corridor going up to the main chamber.  The really good news is there are torches lit every couple feet all the way down the corridor.  It looks like they’ve got a miniature sun down there.”

Hastelloy gave his commanding officer a wry grin, “Say that is good news isn’t it?  Stay right here and follow my lead.”

Hastelloy crept back down the steps until he was out of view from the corridor guards, crossed to the other side of the door and came back up to
face Gallono from the other side.  Hastelloy grabbed hold of the bronze door and pushed with all his might to close it.  Gallono got the idea and followed suit.

Hastelloy was thankful for the forced labors his crew endured over the past year.  The doors were immensely heavy, but eventually gave way to the strength of bodies that hauled massive stone blocks and large logs all day, every day. 

The doors moved with a faint groan of metal rotating on metal, and abruptly stopped with a hollow thud to close off the pyramid entrance.  Hastelloy casually leaned against his door and looked over at Gallono with a satisfied air about him.

“So tell me, Captain, what does this accomplish for us other than let the guards inside know we’re out here?”

Hastelloy heard a faint thump as one of the guards threw his body against the door in an attempt to force it open.  “A lit torch consumes oxygen, a lot of torches consume a whole lot of oxygen, which these bodies need to remain conscious.”

Hastelloy paused as he heard a few more thumps hitting the doors.  Over the next ten minutes the sounds gradually became more sporadic, and soon stopped completely.  Waiting another minute in silence, Hastelloy finally spoke up, “That should do nicely.  Shall we see what condition our adversaries are in now?”