Paul Gillebaard - USSR Hoax

Surprisingly, Gerald spoke up. “Senator, follow me. I’ll take you over to where the phone is.”

The senator looked peeved. As he turned to follow Gerald, he said, “Damn it. Sorry about this, gentlemen.”

As the men left, Tom looked over to the doctor and Walter, both standing in awkward silence, staring right back at Tom. He did his best to flash a relaxed smile even though his heart was practically pounding out of his chest. With the clock started, his ride to the moon hung in the balance. He needed to make a move, but he couldn’t with two men in the room.

Finally, Dr. Brooks broke the stillness as he rubbed his gloved finger along one of the white counter tops. “Walter, are there any sterile gloves in here?”

Walter pointed toward the entrance. “I think there are some in the other room.”

Tom darted his gaze nervously back and forth between the two men, trying to figure out who was working with him.

Without saying another word, Dr. Brooks turned and exited.

Was Walter his man? He was the last one Tom would have suspected. With the senator returning soon, Tom had to know. He wiggled his eyebrows in Walter’s direction hoping for some kind of a signal. The man looked amused as he simply smiled before wheeling around on the heels of his shoes, positioning his back toward Tom.

Wow, he turned around. Maybe he is in on the plan. Tom shifted nervously on the balls of his feet. It was now or never if he wanted to walk on the moon. I’m doing this. As he turned toward the safe, Dr. Brooks called out from the other room.

“Walter, can you come in here a second?”

Tom abruptly halted. Is it Dr. Brooks? He was now totally confused.

Walter answered, “Sure.” He left the room, never looking back.

It didn’t matter who was in on the plan, the room was empty and this was Tom’s only shot. He leaped to the floor in front of the safe and clutched the handle, yanking down hard. The damn thing didn’t budge.

Shit! Not this. If the safe didn’t open, his moon mission was lost.

Tom held his breath as he rotated the lever in the other direction. A deep sigh of relief escaped him when the handle easily turned, unlocking the safe. He hurriedly opened the metal door, frantically searching through the various shelves for the small, silver metal cylinder. Within seconds he located the one labeled RD and snatched it. The senator’s voice in the other room indicated the men would soon be returning. He hastily pushed the heavy door closed and sprang back to his feet. He took a few steps away, turning his back toward the entrance. He bent over, and ripped open the Velcro flap of a large pocket on his left leg and quickly slipped in the canister before sealing the pouch. As he straightened up, he heard footsteps entering. Not having enough time to button his coat, he instead coolly slipped his hands into the pockets and moved his hands together, covering up the unbuttoned portion of the coat. He turned casually as Dr. Brooks led the group back into the room.

The doctor said excitedly, “Senator, let me show you where we store the rocks.”

Tom smiled in their direction, realizing they were coming over to inspect the safe. When he looked over to the black box, he went into a sudden state of shock seeing the small door was slightly ajar.

Damn it! I didn’t close it all the way!

The open safe was a security breech. The standard procedure for such an incident was to put the whole building into lockdown mode, requiring everyone, no matter who they were, to be physically searched. Somehow he had to close that door before it was noticed, or he was doomed—but how?

He looked back over to see the men less than eight feet away trucking right at him. He fought the impulse to panic as his mind began spinning, trying to figure out what to do. Suddenly it hit him. As Dr. Brooks approached, Tom shuffled his feet backward to get out of their way then purposely tripped over his own feet, appearing to fall awkwardly backward toward the safe. He intentionally extended his arm behind him to make it look like he was trying to soften the blow. But instead, as his body hit the ground hard, his arm slammed onto the vault door, closing it shut tight. He brushed the handle with his arm as he fell past, re-latching it.

Dr. Brooks and Gerald rushed around the corner to help Tom up. “Are you okay?”

Though Tom felt a little dazed, he couldn’t have been happier. “I’m fine, just a little embarrassed, I guess.”

As Gerald helped Tom up, he overheard the senator saying in a patronizing voice. “That’s one of our astronauts?”

Tom just smiled.

TOM LET OUT a deep sigh as he reached his desk, relieved to have the lunar sample safely in his pocket and to be free of the senator. He looked at his watch. It was 5:10. Taking David to the tire shop was the perfect excuse to leave the office and put the stolen container securely in his home safe. He figured he would return later to meet with Dick and inform his boss of the successful heist.

Tom’s best shot at sneaking the metal canister off the grounds was putting it in his briefcase, but he first had to get it in there without being seen. He scanned the other desks to check if anyone was looking in his direction. Satisfied the coast was clear, he set his briefcase on his desk and lifted the lid. He then opened his desk drawer and grabbed some paperwork to help cover up the container when he removed it from his pocket. He took a final look around before bending down and pulling open his pants pocket flap. He slowly pulled out the canister, ensuring it stayed hidden behind the paper. As he slowly rose, he was startled by David’s voice from behind.

“What’s ya doing, Tom?”

Without thinking, Tom set the container in his desk drawer with the paperwork on top and quickly closed the drawer. He spun around with a determined look. “Getting ready to go. Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten I’ve got to get you to the tire shop.”

David appeared irritated. “Where have you been?”

Tom didn’t blink as he looked David squarely in the eyes. “I told you this morning, I had to show a senator around. But I’ll be ready to leave in a second.”

“Stu has a quick question for you about his spacewalk. Do you have a moment?”

Stu Bailey was the CMP on the same backup crew as David. Since their crew was probably rotating into an “I” mission, Stu would be required to do a deep space EVA to retrieve the scientific cameras on the outside of their spacecraft. Since Tom was one of the few astronauts to have done a spacewalk, Stu probably felt Tom could answer his question. Frustrated, Tom had to close his briefcase without the canister in it. He took a quick glance down at his desk drawer ensuring it was shut tight. “Sure.” He would try transferring the canister again when he finished with Stu. Tom followed David down the hallway.

When Tom returned to his desk ten minutes later, he was anxious to get the container into his briefcase and get the stolen property off NASA grounds. David had walked over to his own desk to retrieve his belongings so the two could leave together. Tom whisked through the exercise again. He opened his briefcase and took a quick glimpse around to verify it was safe to transfer the container. Certain no one was looking, he opened his drawer.

Tom’s heart stopped as he froze in shock. No lump lay under the paperwork.

Frantically he lifted the paper, which only substantiated his fears. The canister was gone. What! Where the hell is it?

Damn it, where are you? Tom’s stomach churned as he started rummaging desperately through his desk drawer in a mad search for the canister, hoping for a small miracle; that it might appear.