Free Vessel by Andrew J. Morgan Page A

involvement completely.'
    'And y ou don't believe them?'
    'Hell, no. Why send a communications expert — from SETI no less — to look at some space weather?'
    'Why indeed. '
    'And not only that, but guess who they've got going up with her?'
    ' I give up. Who?'
    'Robert Gardner.'
    'Of TMA Eight?' the satellite phone said, after a pause.
    'The very same.'
     
    * * *
     
    Sally attempted to shuffle in her seat, but the harnesses restricted even the slightest movement.
    'Are you uncomfortable?' Gardner asked.
    'I'm fine. I just need to … go.'
    'Then go. You've got your MAG on. They don't call it maximum absorbency for nothing.'
    Sally wrinkled her nose at the thought. She may have been wearing a diaper, but she sure as hell wasn't going to use it.
    'If it's any help,' Gardner said, 'I've been in mine.'
    'That 's disgusting. How long until we reach the ISS?'
    'About three-quarters of an hour.'
    'I'll wait, thanks.'
    She curled her toes , trying to think of anything but the need to urinate. The feeling passed, and before she knew it Aleks' voice came crackling over the radio.
    ' Progress M Eighteen M, TsUP. First stage of docking approach underway, range, three zero zero zero metres. How are you doing?'
    'Copy Ts UP. We're both doing great,' Gardner responded. 'Switching to docking camera.'
    Gardner reached with his metal rod and pushed a button on the instrument panel. A small screen illuminated. In the middle was the ISS, a white smear against the blackness of space.
    'Viewfinder looking good. Approach is nominal.'
    T he white smear grew bigger, consuming the screen a pixel at a time.
    'R ange, one thousand metres, one zero zero zero. Engaging Kurs automated rendezvous sequence.'
    'Copy.'
    The smear, which had been drifting down, veered back to centre. As it did, a flash of white enveloped the screen, falling back to nothing but grinding static.
    'TsUP, TsUP, loss of visual, repeat , loss of visual.'
    A trace of nerves strained Gardner's voice.
    'Copy, loss of visual. Standby.'
    Sally realised that the pulsing noise coming through the headset wasn't coming through the headset at all; it was coming from her head, as blood flushed through at an ever-rising rate. The seconds ticked by as minutes, each one further from home.
    ' Progress M Eighteen M, we've lost all visual down here too. Kurs downlink failed. Proceed to manual rendezvous sequence.'
    Gardner's response was slow.
    'Copy.'
    Sally watched from the corner of her eye as Gardner stretched out to reach two small nipple-like joysticks. He craned his head down as far as the harness would let him.
    'Visual on the periscope good. Range looks to be about five hundred metres, five zero zero. I — wait …'
    He paused, straining hard against the harness to see into the optical viewfinder. 'I can see it …'
    His voice had taken a flat tone, emotionless and dry.
    'Confirm visual — what can you see, Gardner?'
    'I'm not — I don't know. It's hard to describe.'
    He shook his head, as if breaking himself from a trance.
    'TsUP,' he said, his voice somewhat closer to normal, 'can you give me the docking location of TMA Ten M?'
    'Copy. Standby.'
    'What is it?' Sally asked, the words coming from her mouth without her realising. When they crackled in her own headset, it startled her.
    'I'm not sure .'
    'Progress M Eighteen M, TsUP. TMA Ten M is docked at MRM Two. You should have a visual.'
    'I — I don't. It's not there.'
    'Please repeat.'
    'TMA Ten M … it's not there, repeat, not there.'
    The urgency in Gardner's voice elicited a pause from Moscow.
    'Proceed with rendezvous. Dock with MRM One.'
    Gardner took a breath loud enough to be heard on the radio. 'Permission to abort,' he said, his voice wavering.
    A new voice came on the radio. Bales '.
    'Negative. Permission denied. Proceed with rendezvous.'
    'But —'
    'Gardner — proceed with rendezvous. That's an order.'
    Gardner sunk back into his seat.
    'Copy.'
    'You'll be fine.'
    A crackle, and Aleks returned to the