Paul Gillebaard - USSR Hoax

“That was a propaganda statement. We can’t trust the Americans. That’s why I called you in here.” The agent opened his briefcase and pulled out a pair of dark-rimmed reading glasses, sliding them over to Viktor. “You will be the man to receive the lunar material from the Americans. A neutral site for the transaction will be determined later. These KGB-issued glasses have a micro camera in them. I want you to learn how to use these without looking obvious. You will be taking pictures of the American astronaut as he passes the material over.”

Viktor took the glasses. He figured any cosmonaut wearing them would look suspicious, but he kept this to himself. “Why am I taking pictures?”

“We want proof the Americans handed over the material in case they claim we stole it.”

“When will this take place?”

“We haven’t been given a firm date yet, probably within the next couple of months. Part of the holdup was due to the Americans being upset we sent the Luna spacecraft while the Apollo 11 mission was going on. The agreement was for the robotic mission to fly after we secretly received the lunar material. Of course they had no idea a weapon was on board the spacecraft. They assumed we were just trying to retrieve a sample. We informed them a mix-up took place between the agencies. They finally accepted it as an honest mistake and agreed to secretly pass over the lunar material. Luna 16 will be the mission we will use to pull off the hoax.”

Viktor was disappointed the agency even had to go through with the plan. He was sure the engineers would eventually figure out how to return lunar soil samples. “What will my official reason be for meeting with an astronaut?”

“We will say the two countries are working on a future joint space mission. The meeting is to promote the idea.”

Considering the Soviets weren’t going to the moon anytime soon, this could be Viktor’s chance to get into space. “Will there be such a mission?”

“Good question. Possibly. If so, I would recommend you for the prime crew if you are successful with the transfer.”

Viktor stoically nodded, suppressing his joy at the possibility.

WITH THE THREE-WEEK mandatory quarantine completed by the Apollo 11 crew and the lunar material passing the initial testing for any contamination, Tom assumed his private meeting with Dick was to discuss the top-secret details on how he was going to steal lunar material. After entering the well-lit office, Tom took the initiative to close and lock the door.

“Have a seat, Tom.”

Tom walked over to the chair across from his boss. He understood, once the specifics of the operation were laid out, he would be considered an accessory to a crime, regardless whether he carried it out or not. He did his best to keep his cool as he took a seat. “So what did you want to see me about?”

Even with his door shut, Dick lowered his voice to barely an audible level. “I want to discuss the operation, which is now being called Red Drop. It was officially approved, and I’ve been given the final details on how you’re going to get the lunar sample.”

Tom was all ears.

Dick never wavered from his serious expression. “You should know Red Drop was almost canceled after the Soviets launched Luna 15 shortly after we launched Apollo 11. The Russians were supposed to hold off until our men returned. Apparently they tried to land the craft on the moon, but instead it crashed. Because only a few here at NASA are in the know about Red Drop, there was confusion whether we should still proceed with the operation. But we were finally given the Go.”

Tom figured the Soviets were trying a last-ditch effort to use their unmanned spacecraft to bring back samples of their own, maybe even beating Apollo 11 back to Earth. He was relieved the Luna mission failed, keeping his chances alive of walking on the moon. “Good.”

Dick opened up a file on his desk, studying the contents in silence for a moment. He cleared his throat, then brought his eyes up slowly. In a soft, yet direct tone, he said, “Senator Olson will be arriving next Tuesday for the day. You will be the one to show him around the facility in the late afternoon, with your last stop at the LRL building. The two of you are scheduled to be in the building’s lobby at four o’clock. For security reasons, there will be two men giving you the tour. One of those men will be in on the plan.”

Curious who that was, Tom started to ask.

Dick raised his hand as if to stop Tom. “Don’t ask me who it is. I don’t even know. He wants his identity kept secret.”

That could make things tricky.

Dick looked back down at the file and continued, “After touring most of the building, you and the senator will put on clean room attire over your clothes before being taken into the Sample Area, where most of the lunar material is stored. While in this vault, Senator Olson will be told he has an important phone call from Washington and will be escorted out. The man left with you should be our guy and will look the other way. Since the Senator will be told the call was lost, we figure you’ll have probably thirty seconds to a minute to nab the sample before they return. The sample will be in the black safe. The combination will already be dialed in, so all you have to do is turn the handle and open it. There will be a small Bolt-Top Container labeled RD that has the lunar soil. That is the one you snag. Then close the safe. It will self-lock. Because the container will be noticeable in the pocket of a pair of pants, you’ll need to wear your flight suit and slip it in one of the larger pockets.”

Tom shrugged in accord as he repositioned himself on the wooden seat. The BTC steel containers were the primary transport device for lunar material when leaving the building for examination or testing, always under tight security. The container held an atmosphere of pure nitrogen gas that protected the material from contamination. “Got it, but you know the senator will be in a coat and tie. How am I going to explain being in a flight suit?”

“Hey, you’re a NASA astronaut.” Dick looked out the window for a second. “But you’re probably right. It might draw suspicion. I’ll schedule you for some T-38 flight time that Tuesday.”

Tom nodded. “That should explain it. What about the technicians in the area?”

“That’s why this is happening in the late afternoon. It’s my understanding the laboratory will be cleared out for the senator.” Dick leaned back in his chair. “You will need to get the sample off the grounds and keep it in your possession. Do you have a secure place to store it at home?”

“I have a private safe I can put it in.”

“Perfect. Once you have successfully pulled this off, we will be given the specifics on how the sample will be passed on to the Soviets.” An anxious look of uncertainty filled his boss’s eyes, making Tom nervous. “Again, this is serious shit, especially with a senator there. So if anything seems out of place or is not going as planned, I want you calling it off. We can’t afford you getting caught. If you do, you will be on your own, and your career will certainly be over.”

Tom realized the risks involved. He also knew this was his only shot at the moon. “Understood.”

Even though no music played over the car radio, Tom tapped his fingers nervously on the steering wheel during his early morning drive to the Manned Spacecraft Center. Later that afternoon he would be attempting to pull off one of the greatest heists in America’s history, stealing some of the most sought-after treasures in the world. He barely slept through the night, tossing and turning as he replayed the plan in his head, trying to prepare for the unexpected. If he should be caught, this could be his last time driving to work as a NASA astronaut. He did his best to push that thought from his mind.