Salvador Mercer - Lunar Discovery

“Jesus, Gloria,” the vice president said to the president, whispering as he leaned over so he wouldn’t be overheard. “We’re halfway there.”

“I know, John. That’s why we’re taking precautions.”

“Removing the U.S. emblem from the drone isn’t exactly reassuring,” the vice president said. “If they have optical surveillance on their own satellites, they can easily see where the attack originated from. They’re in geo orbit, Gloria, and that makes us exposed,” Vice President John Lee said, his entire brow furrowed in anxiety.

The president looked him in the eye, assessing her point man’s resolve. “Peace through strength, John. We’re weaker if we do nothing.”

“We’re talking about launching our drone near geosynchronous orbit. That’s like over twenty-five thousand miles away. I’m no scientist, but the Hunter will be observable that high up, to more than just one device.”

“I know, I read the report, and you’ll remember the response time? That’s why it’s rigged with a self-destruct device. Hopefully, by the time they register the strike, there will be no drone to observe,” she said.

“Hopefully?” He arched his brows, bringing a hand to his forehead.

“Take some aspirin and trust me on this.”

“We’ve been through a lot, Gloria, but if you’re wrong on this, we’ll be at DEFCON one by tomorrow morning.”

President Powers sighed. “I’m afraid you’re correct, so let’s hope I’m right.”

“Lord have mercy,” he said.

Vandenburg Air Force Base

Southern California

In the near future, Day 20

The Atlas Vb had a maximum fuel load and an extra pair of side-mounted fuel tanks as it was carrying the X47B Hunter drone into space and not the usual suborbital launch it was accustomed to performing. The drone itself was specially modified with an extra fuel pack as well as an explosives detail that would trigger automatically once the missile was launched. The missile was specially built to burn in a vacuum with a solid propellant that left little to no visual light once ignited. The fuel burned a dull red and, while highly noticeable in the infrared, it had a very low detection threshold in the visual spectrum.

Once the sun was about to set, obscuring the casual spectator, the Atlas Vb leaped into the sky from its California Vandenburg Air Force base on a very unusual trajectory over the continental United States instead of over the Pacific Ocean as was usual for safety reasons. After seven minutes, the rocket depleted its fuel load over the Caribbean Ocean and started its long decent for its return, eventually landing in the South Atlantic near the equator. The X47B’s motors took over upon separation, propelling the drone to nearly twenty-five thousand miles per hour, while its trajectory flattened to bring it looping around the African Continent.

The drone had small lateral thrusters that fired in order to swing the drone on a highly inclined vector. This new heading resulted in the craft passing over the Indian Ocean, moving up and out, away from the earth, in a very unusual launch profile. The radar on the drone’s head lit up, searching the sky, immediately identifying three large satellites orbiting the earth in geosynchronous orbit within its targeting arc. Two satellites were immediately identified as friendly and discarded, but the third met the profile for the target programmed into its computer sensor. A Chinese multimodal satellite array.

The drone never stopped, making minute changes to its flight path as it burned the last of its fuel. Its speed started to slow immediately as the pull of the earth’s gravity well beckoned the drone to return. The drone launched its only missile, which was three times the size of a normal air-to-air missile. Once the drone’s radar indicated the weapon was over one hundred miles away, the explosive charges were set off and the X47B Hunter ceased to exist.

The missile, already carrying substantial delta-v, continued to accelerate, making the slightest of course corrections, much as its mother drone had done. It reached a top speed of nearly fifty thousand miles per hour and in less than twenty minutes had reached its target. The one hundred pounds of high explosive Semtex-D did not require oxygen as part of its chemical composition change.

The explosion was, contrary to its engine exhaust, highly visible as the explosives, missile, and satellite were transformed into microscopic space debris. Seventy percent of transcontinental communications in and through China were instantly interrupted. The second act of aggression in space had just been recorded in modern human history.

Vostochny Cosmodrome

Siberia, Russia

In the near future, Day 21

The Energia X was being prepped for fueling on the launch pad as Vlad and Dmitry watched from the observation deck. The launch of the heaviest rocket in Russian history was finally going to happen this week, and Vlad was glad to see the mission safely accomplished.

“So we’re sure the lunar orbiter will be properly shielded?” Vlad asked Dmitry as the two men enjoyed a cup of tea as the sun began to set. The Russians liked to launch after dusk.

Dmitry knew that while Vlad was the program administrator, he was limited in knowing what some of the payloads actually did and how they were configured. Sure, he was given weight and size data and overall basic purposing of each manifest, but this did not mean he knew all the details. There had been no time to update the report and send it to him. He’d inform the man in person, having spent all week at the Cosmodrome staying in the VIP guest quarters on base.

“Yes, Vlad. The Glaz in geo orbit is still picking up gamma, x-ray, and other high wavelength pulses from the alien device. We’ve constructed a combination of shielding around the orbiter as well as its instrument arrays. We aren’t sure how close we can get to the device, but we’ll have measurements in real time as the mission progresses.”

Vlad knew the Glaz was a scientific satellite collecting data over Europe, but now its multi-phased antenna array was pointed at the moon and monitoring the various waves emanating from its far side. “Good, we may actually be the first to observe the dynamic device.”

Dmitry put his teacup down. “The Chinese actually have photographs of the device, so we’ll be second.” A frown appeared on the man’s face.

“No, Dima, I meant dynamic, not static. Whatever is up there, it was inert when they arrived, but now it’s active. Whatever it’s doing, we’ll be the first to know.”

“Perhaps,” Dmitry responded, a look of contemplation on his face. “There is no knowing what we will find up there. This is uncharted history, my old friend, and it feels good to be taking point on it.”

Vlad smiled. His old boss and friend had become more sentimental and fond of the old Soviet days when the empire ruled supreme and their armed military might had the west cowering. Those days had long ago passed, and the Federation found itself struggling to keep pace with the US-China GDP race that had been going on for most of the last few decades.

“Dangerous moves we make. If they find out about our little game, there could be serious consequences,” Vlad said.

“Maybe the designers of that device up there,” Dmitry said, nodding toward the faint outline of the crescent moon as it rose in the eastern sky, “wanted to test our planet’s resolve in such matters. We are all nuclear powers, armed to the teeth with global destruction. Maybe this is only our first test as a species, a way to see if we’re worthy of say… greater enlightenment.”

“Are we?” Vlad asked.

“We are, but I’m not sure about the Chinese or Americans.” Dmitry chuckled and resumed drinking his tea.