Executive Intent

Thankfully, with the EEAS space suit it was far easier to get in, almost like a terrestrial fighter jet, and in moments he was strapped in and ready. “Spacecraft commander strapped in and ready to push,” he reported.

“Boomer, I don’t think we can make it,” Kai said. “I don’t want to rush this. C’mon back in. We’ll off-load the cargo bay and wait for the next transfer orbit-entry opportunity.”

“I’m ready to go, General,” Boomer said. “Power’s coming on.” He activated the ship’s battery, linked the spaceplane with the mission data computer on the space station, and started the data transfer and connection with the procedural computers that would prepare the spaceplane for launch. “Countdown’s under way, three minutes to go. We’ll make it.”

“Let’s not waste the fuel, Boomer. Bring it on in.”

“I can do this, General,” Boomer argued. He heard no response, which he took to mean approval, so he continued his departure checklists. At exactly three minutes, with less than two minutes to go, he radioed, “Checklists complete, data transfer complete and entered. Retract the transfer tunnel, Armstrong, Stud One is ready. Clear the canopy, Jeff.” As he watched the transfer tunnel retract back toward the station’s docking beam, he motored both cockpit canopies closed. “Ready to undock, Armstrong…”

“We’re showing canopies not latched, Stud One,” the docking module technician reported. “Check the aft canopy.”

“Jeff?”

“I’m clear back here,” he said. “No foreign objects in the way.”

“Clear the canopy,” Boomer said. “I’ll try to reclose it.” He motored the canopy open a few inches, then motored it closed once more.

“Still not showing latched, Stud One.”

“Disregard it,” Boomer said. “It’s probably just a bad contact. We’re going to open it again in a couple hours when we reach Kingfisher-Eight anyway.”

“Bag it, Boomer,” Kai said. “Let’s get it looked at while we off-load the cargo.”

“General, I’ll check it when I rendezvous with Kingfisher-Eight and Jeff is doing his EVA. We’ll be cool. It’s probably something simple. Request detaching the fuel lines and permission to push.”

“Boomer, if you have to do an emergency reentry, and the canopy’s not locked, you’ll both be crispy critters.”

“Then we just won’t do an emergency reentry, General-at least, not with us inside,” Boomer said. “We’ll wait outside for you to pick us up.”

“It’s not funny, Noble.” There was a brief pause; then, “Retract fuel lines, permission to push granted,” he said finally. Boomer released the locks connecting the spaceplane to the docking beam and touched the thrusters, pushing the Black Stallion away from the station.

Following the computer’s guidance, Boomer steered the spaceplane to the new orbital inclination, then activated the Laser Pulse Detonation Rocket System engines to accelerate into the transfer orbit. The Hohmann transfer orbit was a new elliptical orbit that touched both of the circular orbits of Armstrong Space Station and the Kingfisher-8 weapon garage. In order to minimize fuel burn and save time, the timing had to be perfect so the garage would be nearby when the second burn was over-that was the reason why the spaceplane had to either be on its way on time or wait almost another day for the right moment.

The first burn lasted two minutes and pushed the spaceplane into a higher three-hundred-mile orbit. Forty-five minutes later, Boomer turned the spaceplane again to the proper heading and fired the engines again to enter Kingfisher-8’s orbit. “Transfer complete, and Kingfisher-Eight is in sight,” Boomer reported. As planned, the weapon garage was dead ahead and less than three miles away. He patted the top of his instrument panel. “Good show, Stud. How are you doing back there, Jeff?”

“In the green, Boomer,” McCallum replied.

It took just a few minutes to close the distance with Kingfisher-8, and soon they were orbiting within a few yards. The Kingfisher garages were cylindrical devices about the size of a Chevrolet Suburban. They had radar, electro-optical, and infrared sensor domes that allowed them to look in all directions; datalink antennas that connected them to Armstrong Space Station, to ground stations, and to other satellites and weapon garages; solar panels for power; and thrusters to point it in any direction. The business end revealed the six Trinity interceptors and Mjollnir attack reentry devices snug in their launch tubes, pointing Earthward.

“Station check, Jeff.”

“Roger.” A few moments later: “Station check complete, Boomer, clear to open the canopy.”