Volume XIX, Issue XV: Special Book Section
Apollonius
By Bob Kirchman
Copyright © 2020, The Kirchman Studio, all rights reserved
Chapter 12: Failure to Launch
A warning light and buzzer sounded ominously on the bridge of Great Northern. The warning was from sensors installed as a part of the Iron Dome defense system for SS/AC006 but though the sensors indeed detected and were tracking a launch of a missile who’s trajectory would lead it to Great Northern and though ‘Katherine,’ the computer was plotting an intercept course, there was no Iron dome countermeasure in place. That was part of the agreement for space colonization. The ship was to carry no weapons. But scanners detected a warhead on top of what was supposed to be a signal rocket for use in distress… and the sensors said it was headed right for them! “How could that be?” Wondered Captain Ben-Gurion, as he watched the unusual event unfolding before him. “Evasive maneuvers!” he crisply ordered but the big ship had such a slow response rate to controls he knew that was likely futile. Still, his instincts moved him rapidly as he sought to defend his ship. Changing orbit and velocity he winced as ‘Katherine’ confirmed that the missile was adjusting trajectory to intercept them. “Trapped!” He thought to himself. Apollonius had likely pulled some sleight of hand during loading and this was the result! He could destroy the ship but he still had the landing craft… each of which had a range that could bring it to Earth! “So, what could he gain by destroying Great Northern?” the captain wondered… “Only the ability to bargain with Earth! He likely had more than one warhead and the landing craft could be employed to use them to threaten Earth.”
Ben-Gurion did not have time to engage in any deep emotion, however. Even as he continued to attempt evasive maneuvers, he knew he had twenty minutes at best.
The rocket was visible now, having cleared the launch area at the colony and ascended above the settlement. Then, a most remarkable thing happened. The rocket sputtered and began to succumb to gravity, spiraling back to the red planet and picking up momentum as it fell. It had only risen enough for ‘Katherine’ to track its trajectory but now it fell wildly to the Martian surface. There was a flash of light as the warhead exploded. It appeared to have dropped back almost on top of the colony having lost power and control functions all at once. A vast cloud of dust rose from the Martian surface as Ben-Gurion tried to raise a colony frequency. Nothing! The Great Northern rapidly orbited out of direct line with the colony and there was a long silence before they came in range and Ben Gurion began calling again.
On the surface of Mars, about a half-hour before, #437 and #787 suspected something was happening as they monitored the return craft bays and launch stations. They were supposed to have left duty an hour prior to this time but the two were among the more conscientious members of the team and noticed some calibration issues that they wanted to go ahead and fix if they could. They entered the bunker that contained the trajectory computers and began noting the readings of the various monitoring devices that oversaw the general health of Mars Colony launch systems.“Why is the distress signal being launched?” #437 asked his colleague. #787 replied that she did not know. They stepped quickly to a screen and saw the trajectory information they were not supposed to have noticed. “That shouldn’t be,” said #787. “Likely an error but it’s going to hit the Great Northern! Abort Procedures NOW!!!” And so the two launch operations personnel found themselves inside a shielded bunker running a shutdown sequence on the ascending rocket. The rocket’s engine sputtered. “It should drop slightly clear from the colony. I hate to lose the signal capacity but we had to take it down.”
The rocket sputtered and fell initiating an automatic retro/return to pad sequence that #437 and #439 had neglected to override. They dismissed this, momentarily thankful that they might save the rocket. #437 and #787 felt the dull thud of touchdown, as expected, but were totally surprised by the loud explosion that followed. In the bunker they could not see the bright flash of light, but the ceiling crumbled above them, pelting the two technicians with debris. They fell to the floor among the rubble as the entire room went dark. Power was totally gone. In the darkness, Josiah called out to Allison (for those were the Christian names of #437 and #787). He heard her groan and everything went black.
(to be continued)
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Copyright © 2020, The Kirchman Studio, all rights reserved
