Luke Marusiak - Lifeboat Moon

The red light indicating communications from Japan Station flashed on the control panel. Sally stared at the light for a moment before registering its meaning. She picked up the orange handset. “Japan Station, this is Moon Base Armstrong, go ahead.”

Zeke reached across Sally and turned on the speaker. They both heard perfectly annunciated English. “This is Captain Yumi Kaneko and with me is Director Katsumi Hayashi of Japan Station. We wish to review the results of your investigation.”

Sally frowned. It was Zeke who answered. “We are still conducting that investigation.”

“We can provide some missing pieces but the information is sensitive and we will only do so in person.”

Sally muted the speaker. “No one from Japan Station visited before — even though they’re only twenty-one kilometers away, just opposite us on the Shackleton Crater.”

“Right,” Zeke responded. “But they can’t fly across.”

“We mapped it out. It would take a one way trip of thirty-six kilometers to drive around the crater.”

“A seventy-two kilometer round trip. They must feel it’s darn important if they’re planning that journey.”

“Please open the hangar air lock,” came the voice from the speaker.

Zeke and Sally exchanged a glance. “They’re here?” Zeke was amazed.

Sally bounded down to the loading dock and looked at the monitor. “They’re right outside the hangar.”

“Let them in,” Zeke answered. “I’ll get a hold of Mark.”

Director Katsumi Hayashi and Captain Yumi Kaneko entered the loading dock of Moon Base Armstrong for the first time. Major Mark Martelli, Doctor Ezekiel Ben-Ami, and Shift Manager Sally Ride Henderson greeted them. Katsumi and Yumi accepted the greetings and then raised their hand indicating that the Americans would have to wait. Mark, Zeke, and Sally waited and watched as the Japanese stowed their recently shed spacesuits into knapsack-looking polymer bags, checked in with Japan Station on their contactors, and conversed briefly in Japanese. Only then did Director Hayashi walk up to Mark and extend a hand. Mark shook hands and gave a slight bow mimicking Katsumi’s show of respect. Captain Kaneko then approached and again Mark shook her hand and both bowed in respect. Mark formally presented Sally and Zeke who followed Mark’s example in the greetings.

“This is the first lunar meeting of people from our two stations,” Katsumi said. “I wish it were under different circumstances. Our condolences at the loss of Director Collier and Armstrong Controller Little. We held them in the highest regard.”

“Thank you,” Mark answered.

“We don’t know you,” Yumi said. “But we must work together for our future.” She pointed around the hangar. “This is an impressive station.”

Mark didn’t know what to make of that comment. He attempted a smile. “We look forward to working with Japan Station.”

Director Katsumi Hayashi nodded. “Thank you. We now ask about the progress of your investigation into the supply pod crash.”

Mark looked at Zeke and nodded. Zeke motioned to the upper platform. “Let’s go to the control panel and I’ll show you what we’ve found.

The group huddled around a monitor and Zeke walked them through the video, the logs, and the changing light colors of the beacons. “That’s as much as we know.”

Katsumi nodded, extracted a storage device, and extended it to Mark. “We want you to view the video we took of the tragic pod crash.”

Mark handed the storage device to Zeke who plugged it in and played the video. The Japan Station video was a zoomed image of the pod descent from a different angle. It played all the way through the crash. The view of the pod yawing, the thrusters lighting, and the acceleration into the crash prompted groans from the group.

“Now, open the slow motion video file of the crash. We edited the descent video to highlight our discovery.” Yumi indicated the file for Zeke to open.

There was a slow motion version of the video and this time the image froze just before the yawing started. The pod was suspended in the video, its three landing spotlights glimmering. A yellow circle was imposed on the side of the pod that faced Japan Station. “Please note this signal,” Yumi said pointing at the screen.

There was a momentary green-purple flicker that could be seen in the highlighted circle. Then the pod yawed. The video backed up to the flicker.

“What does that mean?” Mark asked.

“It means something communicated with the pod just before it yawed,” Zeke answered. “That’s an amazing view. It shows the pod controller so we can see visual signals during descent.”

“Was there some reason you recorded this descent in so much detail?” Mark asked.

“Yes,” Katsumi answered. “Japan Station had a pod that was improperly signaled and it was low on fuel. So we aborted the control and it landed fifty kilometers off target.”

“What was improper about the signal?” Sally asked.

“Our operator tried to maneuver it to a spot closer to Japan Station,” Yumi answered. “He used too much fuel.” She pointed to the video. “NASA and JAXA aligned on the pod designs. They were designed for simplicity and maximum cargo carrying, not maneuverability. That’s why beacons are used.”

“But what do you think happened to our pod?”

“Your beacon color change and the pod controller lights show the same thing. A signal from the moon caused this crash.”

Mark shook his head. “What would cause this signal?”

“We believe it was sent from this station.” Katsumi was direct.

“But nobody would do that.” Mark was irritated at the accusation.

“Our data and your data indicate the pod crash was due to it being signaled.”

“And you think someone here sent that signal?”

“That is what the data suggests,” Katsumi said. “I understand your need for caution. The stakes are very high.”

“That we know,” Mark replied.

Mark invited Katsumi and Yumi for a tour of Moon Base Armstrong. He wondered, upon entering the Nexus, if that was a mistake. Stares from the crew indicated they weren’t ready to be viewed by the commanders of Japan Station. As Sally remained in the control room, Mark had Doug and Zeke accompany them.

Katsumi remained impressed with the size of everything. Katsumi and Yumi viewed the seal to the depressurized Habitation Tube One. Both were aghast at how close the destroyer, the vacuum of space, got to the Nexus due to the pod crash. Katsumi enjoyed Tina’s presentation on the progress of the hydroponic farms. But the real highlight, the thing that gave Mark the most hope, was the Manufacturing Pod.

Jerry, Jim, and Gitty gave a demonstration of their solar powered model prototype. As it zipped across the floor Yumi smiled. She turned to Jerry. “What about the fuel cell?”

“We haven’t got that far,” Jerry replied. “Our first model is designed for use only in the sunlight.”

“We also have our first Japan Station constructed moon buggy,” Yumi said.

“Really?” Jim asked. “Did you bring the model?”

Katsumi and Yumi laughed. “We drove it here,” Yumi replied. “It’s right outside the hangar. We designed it as a simple aluminum frame with silica magnesium tires. It has both an aluminum wound electric engine like yours and a hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell.”

“You’ve got a full sized buggy?” Mark asked. It was his turn to be impressed.

“Yes,” Katsumi answered, “and we see you have the tools to make one as well. We can show you how to compress the processed oxygen and hydrogen and store it for use.”

Jerry’s jaw unhinged. “If you’ve used your solar generated electricity to make hydrogen and oxygen that means…”