Let them get acclimated,” she said.
“Yeah, wish they would allow them to bring vodka. Some good Russian vodka sounds good about now.” He laughed. “Remember that night on our honeymoon?”
She smiled and nodded, but it seemed to be a forced smile.
“Are you sure you’re okay? Look, I’m sorry for the things I said –”
But she interrupted him.
“I’m not mad at you, Ryder. It was a stupid fight.”
“Then what’s wrong,” he asked. “Are you feeling well?”
“Yeah, I’m okay,” she then leaned in closer to the screen, as if she was about to share a secret.
The gesture didn’t make sense, since she was home alone, but it seemed to be one of those innate human traits. Sharing a secret involved not only words but a gesture that invited confidence.
“They told me not to say anything, to not worry you or any of you guys up there until they figure out what’s going on.”
“What do you mean? What’s going on?”
“No one’s sure exactly, but something terrible is happening. It’s not just here. It seems to be happening all over,” she said, her voice trembling.
“What is it? What’s wrong, honey? You can tell me.”
“There seems to be—”
The video connection started freezing. Ryder could only make out a few words.
“—Attack—”
“—Dead—”
“—Careful—”
Ryder banged on the computer. Being an engineer, he knew that hitting the computer wouldn’t solve the connection problem, but he couldn’t help himself.
“Honey? Veronica? Are you there?”
A distorted image of her froze on the screen for a few seconds until it all went black and the connection died. Avery dialed her number again, but the line was completely dead. He tried two more times, but to no avail.
He headed to Node 2, where he knew that Commander Willmore would be. His wife’s last words were still ringing in his hears. Dead . Attack . Careful . What was she trying to say? Why was she told not to warn him about whatever was going on? Was she in danger?
If anyone on board knew what was going on, then it had to be the commander.
Willmore was sitting on his desk, going over the results of an experiment when Avery interrupted.
“Commander, sir,” Avery said, getting his attention. He tried to compose himself, but his anxiety was evident.
“Avery, are you alright?”
“Sir, when was your last communication with Houston?”
“About an hour ago. We just went over last minute details about the Russian ship docking. Why?”
“Did they mention anything unusual?”
“Unusual? What do you mean?”
“Did they mention a terrorist attack?”
Willmore stood up.
“Avery, what the hell are you talking about?
Avery didn’t want to betray his wife’s confidence. She was told not to say anything, but if her life was at risk, then nothing else mattered.
“I just spoke to my wife and she sounded terrified. She said she was told not to say anything, but it sounded like there was some sort of attack.”
“It sounded like? What did your wife say, exactly?”
“The connection started to freeze up, sir. I couldn’t make out exactly what she said, but it sounded like there was an attack and people died,” he said.
“Avery, I spoke to Houston not long ago and they did not mention anything of an attack,” Willmore said. “Communication has been spotty, but that’s not unusual.”
“Sir, my wife would not make something like this up.”
Samantha Rogers came into the room. She had been working out by the Japanese module. Part of staying healthy in space required at least two hours of physical exercise daily.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“Avery says that his wife told him that there’s some sort of terrorist attack,” Willmore said. “Did your husband mention anything about this?”
“No,” Samantha said,
“Yeah, wish they would allow them to bring vodka. Some good Russian vodka sounds good about now.” He laughed. “Remember that night on our honeymoon?”
She smiled and nodded, but it seemed to be a forced smile.
“Are you sure you’re okay? Look, I’m sorry for the things I said –”
But she interrupted him.
“I’m not mad at you, Ryder. It was a stupid fight.”
“Then what’s wrong,” he asked. “Are you feeling well?”
“Yeah, I’m okay,” she then leaned in closer to the screen, as if she was about to share a secret.
The gesture didn’t make sense, since she was home alone, but it seemed to be one of those innate human traits. Sharing a secret involved not only words but a gesture that invited confidence.
“They told me not to say anything, to not worry you or any of you guys up there until they figure out what’s going on.”
“What do you mean? What’s going on?”
“No one’s sure exactly, but something terrible is happening. It’s not just here. It seems to be happening all over,” she said, her voice trembling.
“What is it? What’s wrong, honey? You can tell me.”
“There seems to be—”
The video connection started freezing. Ryder could only make out a few words.
“—Attack—”
“—Dead—”
“—Careful—”
Ryder banged on the computer. Being an engineer, he knew that hitting the computer wouldn’t solve the connection problem, but he couldn’t help himself.
“Honey? Veronica? Are you there?”
A distorted image of her froze on the screen for a few seconds until it all went black and the connection died. Avery dialed her number again, but the line was completely dead. He tried two more times, but to no avail.
He headed to Node 2, where he knew that Commander Willmore would be. His wife’s last words were still ringing in his hears. Dead . Attack . Careful . What was she trying to say? Why was she told not to warn him about whatever was going on? Was she in danger?
If anyone on board knew what was going on, then it had to be the commander.
Willmore was sitting on his desk, going over the results of an experiment when Avery interrupted.
“Commander, sir,” Avery said, getting his attention. He tried to compose himself, but his anxiety was evident.
“Avery, are you alright?”
“Sir, when was your last communication with Houston?”
“About an hour ago. We just went over last minute details about the Russian ship docking. Why?”
“Did they mention anything unusual?”
“Unusual? What do you mean?”
“Did they mention a terrorist attack?”
Willmore stood up.
“Avery, what the hell are you talking about?
Avery didn’t want to betray his wife’s confidence. She was told not to say anything, but if her life was at risk, then nothing else mattered.
“I just spoke to my wife and she sounded terrified. She said she was told not to say anything, but it sounded like there was some sort of attack.”
“It sounded like? What did your wife say, exactly?”
“The connection started to freeze up, sir. I couldn’t make out exactly what she said, but it sounded like there was an attack and people died,” he said.
“Avery, I spoke to Houston not long ago and they did not mention anything of an attack,” Willmore said. “Communication has been spotty, but that’s not unusual.”
“Sir, my wife would not make something like this up.”
Samantha Rogers came into the room. She had been working out by the Japanese module. Part of staying healthy in space required at least two hours of physical exercise daily.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“Avery says that his wife told him that there’s some sort of terrorist attack,” Willmore said. “Did your husband mention anything about this?”
“No,” Samantha said,
Similar Books
