Chapter 3
Lee stood up from his seat and remained there for a moment as he inhaled deeply and he schooled his expression hiding the deep concern he had for Kendal's well-being. He walked quickly to the door and opened it finding Nelson, Morton, and Jamieson talking quietly in the outer office. As they heard the door they turned and regarded Lee.
"So, how's she really doing?" Harri asked.
"She's scared, but is keeping it together and has a great deal of confidence in us and our ability to get them all safely home," Lee replied.
"How are you doing?" Harri inquired further.
"I'm fine," he answered then chuckled. "I'm worried about her and about being able to get up there and back safely. Pretty much like you're all feeling. What's first on our to-do list?"
The other men nodded in agreement. They all thought highly of Kendal and were equally worried.
"While you were finishing up with Kendal, I got a call from the Engineering Department. They have a status report for us and asked that we come down to the lab," Nelson responded.
"Good news?" Lee asked hopefully.
"Janet didn't say, but her voice sounded upbeat so I'm hoping the news is good. We were just waiting for you before we headed down there."
"Let's get moving," Lee said. "Time is at a premium on this mission."
Harri nodded in full agreement. "Angie, if you need to reach me I'll be down in Engineering," he instructed then turned, opened the door and headed down the hallway with his staff in tow. They set a fast pace heading out of the building and across the grounds.
"Do you think it necessary for you to go along on the mission, Jamie?" Chip asked as they walked.
"At this point in time probably not given what Kendal has said. Both injured personnel sounded like they were in stable condition. If, however the captain's condition begins to deteriorate I'm still going to push to go along," Jamie answered.
"Understood," Harri chimed in. "But first things first, we need to find out if this is even a possibility before we start ticketing this flight."
They finished the walk to the Engineering building in silence. As they climbed the steps, Chip hurried forward and grabbed the door opening it for his superiors. They quickly filed in and headed down the hallway to the main lab.
Harri pushed open the door and entered followed by the others. He immediately spied the entire engineering department staff huddled around the conference table poring over mountains of documents and intently staring at laptops reviewing the various specifications for FS-1, the Space Station, and other modules used to return from space. The whiteboards lining the walls were covered in complex calculations addressing the various parameters of the trip to outer space.
Nelson walked over to Janet King, head of the Engineering Department, to get her report. They were all so deeply engrossed with their work, no one noticed his entry. "Janet, what have you got for me?"
King jumped a bit startled at the sound of Nelson's voice. "Admiral, I didn't hear you come in, sorry."
"Don't worry about that, your attention was necessarily focused on the issues at hand. You said you had news for us, what is it?"
"I have no idea what you were smoking when you designed that heat shield for FS-1, but based on our calculations you could almost land it on the sun and remain there indefinitely. From our review of your work, and a quick bench scale test, getting FS-1 back through the atmosphere looks to be a relative cinch," Janet replied with a smile.
Wide grins spread quickly across the faces of Nelson and his party. "That is outstanding news indeed. I knew I had added an extra measure of protection, but didn't know it was that significant. So, with that question answered, what else do we need to know?"
"We're running the stress calculations now, but because FS-1 is designed to operate under extreme pressures in the ocean depths, and to operate as a supersonic aircraft, we're almost 100% certain that she'll be able to handle the other stresses associated with reentry. Once she punches through the atmosphere, she'll be travelling at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour or Mach 25, based on what we're seeing, the pilot should be able to control her flight and make a safe landing either on the ocean surface or landing strip." King reported.
Lee and Chip whistled in amazement at the speeds they would be traveling. Moving that fast would require a very light touch on the controls so they didn't wind up cartwheeling into the ocean or earth below.
"No pressure, Captain," Chip remarked and clapped Lee on the back.
"Thanks a lot," Lee replied as he rolled his eyes. "When will you have that verified?" Lee inquired.
"I would say within the next 20 minutes. There is a lot of data and the computer needs time to crunch through all that."
"What else?" Nelson inquired.
"The two big issues we're working on right now is figuring out a way for FS-1 to dock with the Space Station, and coming up with a spacesuit that will work inside our vessel."
"Interesting, what are the issues?" Lee asked.
"The hatches aren't compatible, so I've got the team working on designing something that can be easily deployed from FS-1 once you arrive. We're looking at something deployed from inside FS-1 attaching to the Space Station, and also something external to FS-1 that Kendal would have to deploy before the hatch could be opened. The other issue is spacesuits, the NASA version is just too big and bulky to work inside FS-1. If we had to go with them, we would have to pull out the existing seats and engineer something larger that would permit the pilots to move and manipulate the controls. I honestly don't think we have the time for that. I've got a team looking at our existing deep-water dry suits to see if we can modify them to allow the captain and XO to safely pilot the sub and still have a high degree of protection from the hazards of space."
"I would have thought we could just use one of the dry suits as is," Chip interjected.
"I thought so too until we started researching what a spacesuit has to do. The basics of providing an uninterrupted air supply, thermal protection, and visibility are pretty much the same, but it's the other hazards we don't normally encounter at the ocean depths," Janet explained.
"Such as?" Jamieson inquired.
"If they have to conduct any extra vehicular activities (EVA) like going on a spacewalk, then we need to look at protecting them from radiation hazards, extreme heat or cold, and the one that surprised me most is impacts from space dust and debris."
"Space dust? That's really a hazard?" Nelson asked.
"Yes, and it can be instantly fatal. Think of it this way, even a small rock or bit of dust in motion will be traveling at several times faster than a bullet on Earth because there is no gravity working to slow it down. Therefore, should they encounter and be hit by that, and the suit they're in is not reinforced to resist that, it could have the same effect as being hit by a bullet fired from a high-powered rifle and equally lethal." The men exchanged startled looks as they considered Dr. King's explanation.
"That's one of the reasons we're considering an external connection system to be used for joining the two ships. The occupants of the Space Station each have their own spacesuit and the dangers to them would be much lower. Because there's zero gravity, it would be easy enough for Kendal to deploy the gantry from FS-1 and attach it to the Space Station. Once in place, the hatch to FS-1 could then be opened and there would be minimal loss of the internal environment from either craft. Once everyone is aboard, they seal FS-1 back up, then remotely disengage the gantry and move off."
"I can understand that, but what if for some reason that won't work or our team has to exit FS-1 into space? Is there some way we can protect them? I'm not inclined to send them up there without as many safety backups as we can give them," Nelson stated.
"There are options that we have at our disposal. If we restrict rendezvous with the Space Station to times when the sun is hidden, we can eliminate problems with too much heat and extreme radiation. We just need to coordinate those requirements with the Astrophysics department to establish docking times and how long we have to carry out the transfer between ships to keep exposure to a minimum. For the dust hazard, we can give them a Kevlar body suit worn over our spacesuit which should greatly reduce the danger of space dust collisions and impacts if they have to get out of FS-1 for any reason; it will still sting but it shouldn't tear into flesh," King replied.
"That sounds pleasant," Chip deadpanned, garnering a snort and small smile from Lee.
Janet smiled as well and shrugged. "Using our deep-water dive suits with the collared helmet that should adequately protect their heads. We can modify the suit allowing us to pressurize it and also provide heat, the nice thing is we don't have to worry about excess buoyancy in space. We give up some visibility, but I think it's an acceptable trade off. We can rig a redundant life support system that provides oxygen from tanks located in the dive well of the moon pool for take-off. Then when they hook up and need to help bring passengers aboard they can pull on dive tanks to give them the mobility necessary to assist with those tasks. They can then dump those tanks if they need to."
"I've also been in contact with NASA and we can get Crew Altitude Protection Suits or CAPS to deal with the vacuum of space which eliminates problems with embolisms and other nasty effects of zero pressure. They are a fitted elastic garment that should easily fit underneath the dive suit just like the thermal underwear they use."
"How long will all this take?" Nelson inquired.
"I estimate about 18 to 24 hours to get the suits refitted and tested, I just need to give NASA the body measurements for our astronauts and they will have the suits delivered in less than four hours. Then we need to decide on and fabricate a gantry to connect the two ships. We also need to rig up a tether system so they don't go floating off if they need to conduct an EVA since they won't have a jet pack with them."
"Sounds like an acceptable solution, go for that," Nelson directed. "Lee, Chip, are you comfortable with this?"
Lee and Chip looked at each other and nodded their concurrence with the plans so far. "I think they've come up with a workable solution for everything, sir." Lee stated.
"All right, Janet, get your teams moving. Let me know immediately if you run into any snags."
"We're on it. I'll update you every 8 hours if that is satisfactory," Janet replied. "Oh, Lee, Chip, we're going to need to get your measurements for the CAPS, and then have you come down once we've modified the suits to make sure they fit and you're comfortable wearing them and operating the systems."
"We're at your beck and call. Just call my cell and we'll be here as quickly as possible," Lee answered. "Admiral, do we need another suit on the contingency Will's services might be required?"
Nelson turned and looked at Jamieson. "Do you still want to make the trip if immediate medical attention is required, Will?"
Will nodded. "If I can save a life, I'm up for it."
"Thank you, Doctor. In that case, make it three suits just on the outside chance we need to send Jamieson along for the ride," Harri responded.
"Yes, Admiral. Since you're all here now, let's get you measured so we don't need you to make another trip."
Lee, Chip and Jamie nodded. One by one they were measured from head to toe so that the suits could be custom fit to the greatest extent possible given their limited time.
"Now that that's done, let's get out of their hair so they can get back to work," Nelson said and smiled at his team. They all turned and exited the lab, leaving the engineering staff to make things happen.
"Where to now, sir?" Chip asked as he pulled the door shut.
"I'm going to head back to the office and make some calls to see if they've got any more information on that spacecraft Kendal saw, and get an idea on how much space their 'cargo' will require if we're asked to bring it along. Why don't you two head down to FS-1, conduct a complete inspection and get her on the dock so the engineers can work on her as they get their equipment constructed. We don't need any delays in getting anything installed and tested."
"Yes, sir," Lee answered. "One thing, sir. What about armaments? If that spacecraft is taking potshots at the Space Station and quite possibly at us when we arrive, should we consider adding anything more than lasers to FS-1? I don't want to end up going into a gun fight with just harsh words."
Harri, Chip, and Jamie looked startled at Lee's question. Harri almost immediately started nodding as he considered the validity of the query. "Excellent question, Lee. I don't think that we have sufficient time to add any exterior weapons capabilities because it could significantly change FS-1's profile and how she flies. I do think; however, I can enhance the power of the existing lasers. It's not going to be like a phaser," he said with a wink and small smile, "but it should be more than sufficient to burn a hole through any metal surface and compromise their life support or engine systems, and let them know you mean business."
"That should do the trick nicely," Lee replied, chuckling. "I would think that with our detection systems and hopefully greater maneuverability, we can avoid and overcome any projectile weapons they're using."
"That's all set then. Once I get off the phone I'll start working on giving you bigger teeth. Jamie, you need to pull together what medical supplies you think they'll need. I'm hoping you won't be one of them, but I very much appreciate that you're up for this little adventure," Nelson continued.
Jamie nodded and smiled slightly acknowledging Nelson's thanks. "I hope I'm not needed either," he answered. They all dispersed to carry out their specific tasks.
(00l00)
It had been nearly three hours since Kendal had signed off with NIMR. She had tried desperately to control her apprehension and worry by monitoring the various systems on the Space Station, and checking on her two patients. As she floated over to look them over one more time, Katarina started to shake uncontrollably as she began having a seizure.
She moved quickly to her side and lightly grabbed her by the shoulders bracing herself against the bulkhead to keep the captain from bashing into the hard surface. Kendal ensured her airway was open and was ready to react should she vomit. The seizure went on for nearly a minute, worrying Kendal more as each second passed.
Once it was over, she rapidly assessed Katarina's condition and collected her vitals. She was concerned to find that Katarina's left pupil was dilated more than before. When she was certain the captain was no longer in danger, she moved back to the Control Room and contacted Mission Control to report what had happened.
"Damn! What's her condition now?" asked the Flight Surgeon.
"She's quiet now and seems to be resting comfortably," Kendal responded. "I haven't administered any medication, I wanted to check in to see if there was anything we have aboard that would help."
"I was afraid this could happen," Dr. Marla Gibbs responded. "There's an increase in intracranial pressure to begin with in zero gravity, and the head injury is only compounding it. Can you get her into her spacesuit? If we can get the internal pressure up it may help in reducing the collection of fluid in her brain."
"I'll give it a shot, but couldn't that be dangerous if she has another seizure? It would be a race to keep her from aspirating anything if she vomited or even excess saliva."
"I think the risk will be worth it. We need to get the swelling down, you'll just need to monitor her closely, and if she begins to show signs of a seizure be prepared to get the helmet off as quickly as possible," Gibbs answered. "I'm going to check with the other flight surgeons from the other nations and see if they have any other recommendations, there haven't been any issues like this that I know of, so we're kind of flying blind here. Once you get her in the suit, let me know if it's having any impact on her condition one way or the other."
"Will do Doc," Kendal replied. "I'll call you back as quickly as I can."
"Thanks. So how are the rest of you doing?"
"Agneta is still out, but seems to be doing fine. I checked her arm and although there's swelling, there doesn't appear to be problems with circulation. I'm… hanging in there."
"Once Agneta wakes up, you need to get some sack time too. Also make sure you eat, you need to keep your energy up. Got it?" Gibbs instructed.
"Yes, Doctor," Kendal answered rolling her eyes. She then chuckled quietly to herself as she realized how much she sounded like Lee dealing with Jamieson. The man was definitely rubbing off on her, and probably not in a good way.
"All right," Gibbs replied with a smile. "If there's anything you need don't hesitate to call. Hang in there, Kendal."
"Will do Marla. Hope to see you soon. Kendal out."
Kendal let loose a deep sigh. She thought about what needed to be done, then decided it would be easier to move Katarina back to the suit than to attempt dressing her in the confines of the sleeping area. She made her way back to the captain's side and gently untethered her sleeping bag and towed her into the suit storage area.
"Kind of glad you're unconscious for this Kat, hopefully you'll be spared any pain."
It was going to be a bit of a struggle getting her into the suit by herself, but she didn't want to disturb Agneta if she could avoid it. It would most likely be painful trying to assist with a broken arm.
(00l00)