John Karr - Detonation Event

Another analyst pointed to a new image above the main hologram. “Director, the drone in the cargo hold of ES-140 has located the package containing the vial. It’s a small box labeled ‘office.’ It is not on the roster. Infrared magnification does show traces of bio-heat from within.”

“Armandy, that’s—” Shakuri started.

“I damn well know what it is! It’s verification that the shuttle has been compromised. Schiflet, you son of a bitch! You’re not going to win this.”

For several moments there was no reply.

“We are ejecting the entire cargo inventory into space,” Armandy said, with a note of satisfaction.

Satellite images on the monitors showed the cargo hold door open, and the drone pushing suitcases and boxed material outside, leaving a trail behind the descending shuttle.

“Visual verification from the drone, all cargo material is now in orbit,” a security analyst said.

“High orbit,” another said. “The items will burn upon reentry.”

“Yes, but that is no guarantee someone is not already infected,” Schiflet said.

Everyone watched Shakuri.

“Insufficient response, Director Armandy,” he said. “Return to Lunar. You’re already in Earth’s outer atmosphere and closing fast on the lower reaches.”

“That is enough!” Armandy protested.

“No,” Schiflet said. “The passengers and shuttle air must be analyzed to determine if they’ve been compromised.”

Armandy scoffed at the sound of his voice. “Nobody’s listening to you, weasel. Shakuri, we can do ground quarantine. There is no need for histrionics. We are linking to the Air Force for them to stand down.”

Shakuri appeared animated for the first time. “Negative! You have hijacked the shuttle with alien life on board. They will destroy it to protect the Earth. Destroy it, and you!”

The other passengers shouted for her to turn the vessel around. There were scuffling sounds. Cross-mixes of heated conversations.

“Back to your seats! I’m NIH, damn it!”

“…hell with that!”

“Release the shuttle to the ground control or you will be shot down!” Shakuri said.

“All right, damn it… we’re turning around and releasing control!” Armandy said, apparently realizing her entourage was not enough to keep the rest of the passengers at bay.

“Open all communication ports,” Shakuri ordered.

On the holo, the shuttle reversed direction once again.

Schiflet counted silently to ten, then almost smiled when the shuttle turned again, this time back toward Earth. It was inelegant code, really, his virus. All it did was hard-code the destination of Washington, DC, in an infinite loop.

Thus the destination was locked. Thus the navigation system was locked.

“What’s going on, Armandy?” Shakuri said. “Turn it back toward Lunar One!”

“It isn’t me! I’ve released to ground control!”

“Val?”

“I don’t have it, Dan.”

“Director Shakuri, three Air Force jets have the shuttle locked on target,” one of the security analysts said.

“Who has Air Force command?”

“Linking.”

“Armandy, hold for now.”

“Call off the jets!” she said. “We can’t help that the shuttle navigation is destination-locked on Earth!”

“Trying now,” Shakuri said. “Val, what about cutting the engine? Can you do that from ground?”

“Hang on… let me check with the engineer supe. What about it, Rojek?”

The temporary command center fell quiet. Shakuri’s gaze went from the stars through the window and back again to the holo.

“Engineering can’t shut it down, Dan. Even if they could, the shuttle would tumble back to Earth.”

“But we might be able to reach it with rescue drones first.”

One of the analysts stood, nodding. She raised her arm for quiet. “We have General Onslow of Air Space Command. General, you are linked to Lunar One Security Command.”

“Stellar!” the new voice said. “I am here to receive and relay advisory information. You realize all United States military at my level report to the chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff in the Pentagon, not some private colony structure up on the damn moon?”

“General, Daniel Shakuri, Lunar One Security.”

“Hell of a show you’re putting on with this alien microbe leak, Shakuri.”

“We need more time, General.”

“Don’t we all. That shuttle is comin’ in hot into Earth air with a possible alien life form on board. How much time do you think we have?”

“Not much.”

“Lethality of the bug?”

“Unknown. It may not be lethal at all.”

“So’s kicking a bear in the ass. But the bear doesn’t have the potential to mow down an entire population.”

“We have to assume the worst, yes,” Shakuri said.

Time’s running out! Schiflet would have enjoyed saying it aloud, but he didn’t need to draw attention to the obvious. And more so, to himself.

“General Onslow, would you link the pilots through to us directly? So we can keep them apprised of the situation real-time.”

“Negative, our pilots strictly follow the chain of command. I’m sorry to report that missile guidance is locked on target. Everyone is aware that the longer we wait, the greater the potential for harm. If that shuttle doesn’t turn and head back to the moon, it will be destroyed and lives lost.”

Schiflet felt his excitement rise, did his best to control it and merely shifted his weight as he stood before the holograms. Karen Wagner chewed her lip beside him.

“God save them,” she said.

Schiflet glanced at her with disdain before looking away again.

“Director Armandy,” Shakuri said. “You took control before, do it again!”

“Navigation is not responding! We are locked out!”

“It’s not us at ground, Dan,” Valcino said. “Navigation is locked.”

“Five minutes until the shuttle reaches entry point to liveable air space,” Onslow said. “I’m sorry… but unknowns with this microbe are too great and the chairman has given me the call. We must act.”

The passenger hold of ES-140 fell silent, then a burst of vocal chaos came over the speakers.

“HOLD YOUR FIRE!” Armandy shouted, over the frantic pleas of other passengers who joined in. “DO NOT FIRE ON US! SHAKURI, LISTEN! WE WILL GO INTO VOLUNTARY QUARANTINE ON EARTH. IT WILL BE SAFE, ASK KAREN WAGNER!”

Schiflet and the others turned to Wagner, whose face had gone pale.

Shakuri’s own visage could have been set in granite, but his eyes gave away concern. “What is your opinion, Dr. Wagner?”

“Karen!” Armandy pleaded.

“I-I… we don’t know enough… yes, put them in quarantine on Earth, just don’t kill them!”

Shakuri looked down.

Karen Wagner stepped forward. “The pods!”

Shakuri’s brows rose.

“The life pods aboard the shuttle!” Wagner said.

Schiflet could have stabbed her.

Shakuri appeared dubious. “But what if one of the passengers is a bio-carrier of the virus? We have the same problem, but with multiple points of failure instead of one.”

“The immediate threat is to Earth,” Wagner said. “Pod rockets are strong enough to get them back into space. They won’t make it all the way back to Lunar One, but we can power them back with the drones!”

“The Air Force jets will have to fire on the pods as well,” Schiflet said.

“Reason?” Shakuri said.

“Risk of exposure,” Schiflet said.

“Not if they return to space. We check blood samples for the microbe as we did you and your lab workers already.”

Schiflet paused. “I suppose, in theory—”

“Doctors, time is nearly spent!” Shakuri said. “Is it viable to maintain quarantine on Lunar One?”