Luke Marusiak - Lifeboat Moon

“Because we have a small circle of trust,” Mark answered. “And he’s not part of it yet.”

“My mind’s been racing around and around on this,” Thad said. “Who knew enough about beacons to rig this remote, knew about the timing of the pod descent, and had access to the director’s quarters?”

“Not many.”

“Wait — back up,” Sally said. “How did you guys find this remote beacon assembly?”

“The back of the crater has supply containers strewn everywhere. We found those first,” Mark said. “Then we noticed the depressions of Habitation Tube One, the director’s quarters, med bay, and University Pod.”

“They all depressurized and collapsed,” Thad said.

“Then we went down into the depression of the director’s quarters,” Zeke said. “We found the supply pod’s recorder first.” He pulled a fist-sized box from his pocket. “We thought this would give us the answers we need. But then we noticed a blown out hole in the wall of the director’s quarters that looked like an artillery shell went through it from inside out. That must’ve been from explosive depressurization. We pried the hole open and went inside.”

“I noticed a green flashing light under rubble that covered the director’s desk,” Mark continued. “I removed a few rocks and found that.” He pointed to the battery powered remote controlled beacon in Thad’s hands. “It was still flashing green.” Mark’s contactor beeped. He looked at the incoming call. “It’s Brexton.”

“You should answer,” Sally said.

“Brexton’s a good one to bring into this,” Zeke said. “He may know who wanted to kill the director and ArmCon.”

“If his anger doesn’t get the best of him,” Thad added.

Mark answered the call. “Brexton, this is Major Martelli.”

“Major,” Brexton’s voice came over the speaker of Mark’s contactor, “I heard you guys returned from the back of the crater. I thought you may want help going over the pod’s recorder data. We need to find out what happened and calm the crew down.”

“Brexton, please come to Shift Manager Henderson’s quarters,” Mark replied. “There’s something we need to show you.”

Brexton was agog. “Someone killed my dad on purpose? Someone sabotaged the supply pod guidance and intentionally crashed it into the director’s quarters?”

“That’s the only conclusion,” Zeke answered.

“We need an inquisition to find out who did this,” Brexton said. “Waterboarding should be on the table. Chuck’s the first person we should start with.”

“Hold on a second,” Sally said. “Chuck was in the control room the whole time during the pod descent.”

“Someone put the beacon there beforehand,” Mark said, “and that someone remotely turned it on as the pod began its landing sequence. The control room is the perfect place for someone to trigger the sabotage.”

“He’s right,” Thad said. “If the beacon under the director’s desk would have come on twenty seconds later the pod would’ve already soft landed.”

“The only way to do the sabotage was to be in the control room or have access to its systems,” Mark said.

“Who was in the control room during that time?” Zeke asked.

“Doug and Chuck,” Thad replied.

“And then Art Sledge came in later so Chuck could go out and get Thad.” Sally said.

“I didn’t need getting,” Thad answered. “I knew enough to come back to the hangar hatch. All Chuck did was open the door when I got there.”

“We think Chuck did the sabotage?” Zeke asked.

“He did it before,” Mark said. “I don’t care if he was consumed by despair, he damn near got me killed by messing with the offset on my air tank gauge. He certainly could’ve done this after his jaw healed.”

“I don’t think it’s Chuck,” Sally said.

Thad examined the remote controlled battery-beacon assembly. “It has to be Chuck or Doug.”

“Chuck, Doug, or Art,” Zeke added. “They’re the most likely.”

“They’re the only ones who could’ve done this,” Mark answered. His contactor beeped again. “Doug, what’s up?”

“Japan Station Director Katsumi Hayashi and Captain Yumi Kaneko are hailing you major.” Doug used the formality of titles with unveiled sarcasm.

“I’ll contact them in an hour,” Mark answered.

“I think they would like to talk to you now Major.”

“Tell them I’ll contact them in an hour.”

“Yes sir.”

Mark looked at the group who regarded him with lidded eyes. “Japan Station’s leaders, Katsumi and Yumi, don’t believe we have correct discipline. They believed the crash was due to sabotage the moment it happened.”

“We may have a bad apple,” Thad replied, “but the overall discipline of our crew is exemplary.”

“I agree,” said Sally.

“Don’t forget — discipline is more important for Japan Station,” Zeke said.

“Why’s that, culture?” Thad asked.

“It’s part of their culture but it’s critical for oxygen,” Zeke answered.

“Oxygen?”

“JAXA didn’t send nitrogen up here like NASA and the ESA insisted we do for Moon Base Armstrong. Japan Station is pressurized with pure oxygen. They have very disciplined procedures for grounding and static electricity avoidance.”

“Pure oxygen?” Sally asked. “Don’t they know about Apollo 1 and the Soviet Union space program deaths from incineration in pure oxygen environments?”

“They do. That’s why they have ironclad discipline. The only nitrogen we have up here is what we brought with us. Long term, we’re going to have to deal with the same thing.”

“So in the future of a pure oxygen pressurized station, a rogue crewmember who has a bad day could light the whole thing up with a spark?” Thad lowered the beacon.

“That’s the fear,” Mark answered. “That’s why Japan Station’s leadership is paranoid. They believe NASA and ESA were more concerned with social engineering than with ensuring a disciplined crew. When they find out about the sabotage, they’ll know they were right.”

“Our survival’s at risk because of one bastard that killed my dad,” Brexton said. “Even if we waterboard them and get a confession, Japan Station will never believe we have the right discipline.”

“Would you?”

Mark shook his head. “We need to face this. There’s nothing to be gained by taking counsel of our fears.”

“Really?” Sally asked. “You think now is the time for a George Patton quote?”

“Actually the ‘never take counsel of your fears’ was first said by President Andrew Jackson,” Zeke said. “And it’s good advice. We need to take this one step at a time.”

Mark nodded. “We need to find the culprit, let everyone know we found him, and get everyone on the task of making the cave livable.”

“Now we’re talking,” Brexton said. “Is waterboarding on the table?”

“No,” Mark answered. “We’re not going to resort to torture. We must lead with hope, not fear.”

“I agree,” Zeke said. “We must conquer despair as well as its causes… like hopelessness.”

Sally’s contactor beeped. She answered by pushing the speaker button and all were stunned by what they heard. “Sally, this is Doug. There’s a signal of a vacuum breach in the quarters of Shift Supervisor Art Sledge.”

In the scramble to find out about Art Sledge, Mark forgot he promised to update Katsumi and Yumi at Japan Station. The signal of Art’s quarters venting to vacuum was met with the discovery that all quarters had remote controlled venting check valves and that there were plans to use those check valves to cull the crew down to size.