Free Operation Moon Rocket by Nick Carter

"The guy's all right in my book. If his friendship places a strain on our integrity, that's our problem, not his."
    Nick stared out the window, listening to the argument heat up once again. It had sizzled on and off all the way from Houston. Simian, and General Kinetics in general, seemed to be a sore, much discussed point among the four of them.
    Ray Finney chimed in once again. "How many houses, boats, cars and TV sets have each of us had to turn down during the last year? I'd hate to have to add their total value up."
    "Purely good will," grinned McAlester. "How did Simian put it to that Senate Investigating Committee?"
    "That any disclosure of gift offers might destroy the intimate and confidential nature of NASA's relationships with its contractors," Finney recited with mock solemnity.
    Major Sollitz leaned forward and slid the glass paneling shut. McAlester chuckled. "Wasted effort, Duane. I'm sure the whole limousine is bugged, not just our chauffeur. Simian is even more security conscious than you are."
    "I just feel we shouldn't go on record as talking about the man this way," Sollitz snapped. "Simian is no different from any other contractor. Aerospace is a roller-coaster business. And with government orders growing bigger, but fewer, the competition is getting really vicious. If we were in his shoes we'd be doing exactly the same..."
    "Now, Duane, I don't think that's quite fair," said McAlester. "There's more to this Simian business than that."
    "Undue influence? Then why doesn't NASA drop GKI completely?"
    "Because they make the best life support system that can be made," Gordon Nash broke in heatedly. "Because they've made submarines for thirty-five years and know all there is to know about life support whether it's under the ocean or out in space. My life, and Glenn's life here — " he pointed at Nick, " — depend on them. I don't think we should downgrade them."
    "No one's downgrading their technical knowhow. It's GKI's financial side that could use some investigating. At least the Cooper Committee seems to think so."
    "Look, I'm the first to admit that Alex Simian's reputation is unsavory. He's a wheeler and dealer, there's no denying that. And it's part of the public record that he was once a speculator in commodities. But General Kinetics was a company with no future five years ago. Then Simian took it over — and look at it now."
    Nick looked out the window. They had arrived at the outer edges of GKI's sprawling Texas City plant. A tangle of boxlike brick offices, glass-roofed research laboratories and steel-walled hangars went fanning past. Overhead, jet contrails laced the sky, and above the quiet hiss of the Eldorado's air conditioning, Nick could hear the wail of GK-111's taking off to fly directly to U.S. bases in the Far East with the help of in-flight refueling.
    The limousine slowed as it approached the main gate. Green-uniformed Security Police with eyes like steel marbles waved them down and leaned in the windows, checking their credentials. Finally they were allowed to move on — but only to a white-and-black barrier manned by more GKI police. A couple of them got down on their hands and knees and peered under the Caddy's suspension. "I only wish we were as thorough at NASA," Sollitz said grimly.
    "You forget why we're here," McAlester shot back. "Apparently there's been a breach in all this security."
    The barrier was raised and the limousine moved out across a huge concrete apron past the white blocky shapes of workshops, skeletal missile launchers and cavernous machine shops.
    Near the center of this open expanse, the Eldorado slowed to a stop. The chauffeur's voice said over the intercom : "Gentlemen, this is as far as I have authorization to go." He pointed through the windshield to a small building set apart from the others. "Mr. Simian is waiting for you at the Spacecraft Simulator."
    "Whew!" gasped McAlester at the blast-oven wind that buffeted them as they got out of the car. Major