Chapter 4- unlucky 4

The day had started out tough and gone downhill rapidly until it reached life threatening. His first problem had been the number of pilots who were listed as being 'sick'. Not one of them had been to the medbay to receive assistance, so should not be taking the time off. He should go and see each of them personally and demand an explanation. However he could guess the problem. It was fear ,anxiety and fatigue keeping them away from their jobs. Looking down at his own shaking hands Alan reflected that he should also be off duty. However he decided the best way to solve the issue of not having enough pilots, was to serve a double shift himself. If he reported the problem to the Commander or Doctor Russell, they would have to intervene. His colleagues would know he'd reported them, and he'd lose their respect . The best response was to show everyone there was nothing to fear.

He had visited the 4 cocooned Eagles in isolation. The white mass had not gained in density, but it had not thinned out at all either. It looked like none of them would return to duty. He had crossed them off the roster with his big black pen.

By Eagle five were the damning words 'lost'. There were 7 more Eagles about to go out there. Eagle One would launch first, as the lead Eagle. They were reliant on its scanners to navigate through the less dense patches of what he called white mist. The other eagles would fan out, and begin their search for resources while still remaining within the range of the scanners. That would limit their search.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes. There was no time to really think about this mission. He just needed to act. If he added himself to the roster then there were enough pilots to launch. Only Eagle one needed a co pilot. The others could make do. Assigning himself Eagle 8 for the mission Alan set off .

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"Let us find some resources today", he said to the other pilots. It was essential that they remembered why they were out here. He was hopeful that today would be a lucky day. Unfortunately that was not the case. The first issue of the mission started at 2 hours and thirty three minutes after launch. "Sir, the white mist is moving", Bill Loggins, Eagle ones pilot told him. "What do you mean", Alan asked. "Well sir, I was heading for one of those areas of light mist, when suddenly that region became more dense. So I changed course. Then it did as well".

This had never happened before. Was the mist now targeting the Eagles, it seemed so. Now he had to decide what to do next. He should abort the mission and return to base. But he considered that defeatist. He should try several options before retreating. "All Eagles hold position", Alan ordered. "Bill tell me what the white mists response is to that".

"The mist has stopped moving sir", Bill reported. "So it's not targeting us then, otherwise it'd come closer", Alan theorized. "Yes I suppose so but it's still ahead of us, in the flight path", Bill reported. " Hmm I wonder how fast it is". "Bill, give Eagle ones engines a burst of power and move away from the mass, see if you can out run the mist".

Bill found the answer to that question quickly. The mass seemed to blur around him, following him through space. when he stopped the engines again the mist was still there, and it was even denser than before. He managed to report in a steady voice, "it did not work sir. I am surrounded". "The scanners cannot detect any clear flight path ahead".

Alan took only 2. 1 seconds to consider his next move. That was too long unfortunately.

"Sir, engine power in one engine has dropped significantly", Bill reported.

"Dammit", Alan swore to himself. "Alright all other Eagles return to base. I'll stay here to assist Eagle one".

"Sir I am not sure if that is wise", the pilot of Eagle 12 told him. "If you suffer difficulties as well, then both of you could be stranded out here".

"I am aware of that Jerry. Two Eagles in trouble is preferable to all of us". So the rest of you follow my orders and return to base." Alan added one final word to that sentence just to make sure they knew he was serious. ""Now".

"Acknowledged", he heard the other pilots say. Alan let out a relieved sigh, at least the others would be safe.

That relief only lasted 10 minutes. That was all it took for each Eagle to encounter problems.

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John hurried to Mission control as soon as the Emergency klaxon began to sound. He had barely managed to don his jacket, it hung open , flapping as he ran. He did not stop to do it up.

Almost skidding into Mission Control, he shouted, "report". "All 7 Eagles are experiencing engine abnormalities", Paul Morrow reported. "Two Eagles experienced sudden acceleration , which almost tripled their engine speed. They are fortunate in the fact, they are headed toward us, instead of away. The pilots will cut the power to the engines as they get within range. They should be able to land normally."

"That leaves the other 5 Eagles", Koenig remarked. His hands were getting sweaty as his mind conjured up all sorts of dire situations.

"Yes sir, four Eagles have experienced the malfunction of one engine. This of course increases the amount of time it'd take for them to return to base. The computer has estimated that only one of the five can be rescued by remote control, the others are out of range. Unfortunately, because of their irregular flight patterns those Eagles will run out of fuel and oxygen before they make it back. " Paul took a breath. He was looking at John's increasingly pale face. This news was dire and he had not finished. The worst was yet to come. There was no easy way to say it, so he just forged ahead rapidly. "Eagle one has lost functionality in both engines. It is currently adrift. The computer estimates the likelihood of its successful retrieval to be less than 10 percent".

Paul had to take a long cool drink after finishing his report. Anxiety kept his mouth dry. He wanted to offer the Commander some solutions to the emergencies the Eagles were facing , but so far nothing came into his mind.

John let the news wash over him. He could feel panic threatening to overcome him. There were many crisis here, and each one would need a solution. He'd start with the easiest first. "Alright use the remote to retrieve the closest Eagle, as for the others, has Alan got any ideas". He guessed Alan had also been awoken and was working on the problem from his office.

Paul, looked at Sandra, who looked at David who looked at Victor Bergman. Guessing that he'd been given the job of relay this piece of news, Victor told John, "Alan is up there in Eagle 8 John. His Eagle has only got one functioning engine." Victor paused a little too long. He was aware of the silence around him. The tortured expression on John's face told him he knew exactly what fate awaited Alan Carter.

Although he felt intense sorrow, John found it was an angry rant that emerged from his mouth. "What the heck is Alan doing up there. He should have been rostered off flight duty".

"He must have changed the roster", Sandra stated sadly. Her eyes were already red from rubbing away the tears that threatened to spill forth. Everybody needed to be at there best and not an emotional mess. Pushing the grief away she checked on the flight status of the Eagle pilots. "There are a few absences on the flight roster. Alan must have decided to fill the gap himself".

Koenig ground his teeth. Alan had not reported any issues. Dammit how was he supposed to deal with that. Alan was of course the head of his department and as such he could make his own decisions. But he had failed to report important information. Now he was likely to die because of that fact. He really wanted to scream. No, no don't do that, he told himself firmly.

"Alright", John muttered. He was aware his voice sounded a bit snappy. " We need workable solutions for the rescue of the 4 Eagles currently experiencing engine difficulties. The other ones have a very high chance of being able to return to base". He looked at all of them. Of course the obvious solution was staring him in the face. But he just could not take the risk. He growled out " We cannot send the rescue Eagles out there. If they also face engine problems then they themselves will need rescuing. Which will just increase our problems". I need other solutions".

Silence fell over the room then. The temperature seemed to drop several degrees. It was just the chilling response to the lack of a response. "Saying nothing is not an option", he told them sternly. "Give me anything, even if it's totally crazy".

One solitary tear made it's way down his face. He forced the others away. There was still hope.

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"Dammit ", Alan swore. His Eagle lurched downward, shunting him forward again . If the restraints had not been holding him in place he would be currently lying on the Eagle's viewscreen. He tried to think of himself as luckier than Eagle one. But the hard fact remained that neither of them were going to make it back to base. His hand's shook violently at that thought. Don't give up, he told himself sternly.

He'd had been working through options. The easiest option would have been to redirect power from other systems to the engines. However the probable cause of the engine malfunction was that it was clogged with white mist. Extra power would not change that. The other engine was still at full capacity. But how long that would last, he did not know.
Calculating the amount of fuel left, Alan could think of one option. He could make it to Eagle one. Then at least they'd all be together when their oxygen ran out. It'd be a risky journey with just one engine because it'd be difficult to maintain stable flight. The Eagle would most likely make it in one piece. However he would not.

He wiggled within the restraints, it was uncomfortable hanging in place. The pain would only increase the longer he stayed like this. Feeling anger rise up Alan kicked out his feet and managed to connect to the Eagle. "Damn you, it bloody hurts. We can't keep flying like this. I need the other engine functional". Alan let out a little sob. He had to force down outright panic. That would only deplete his oxygen levels even faster.

Eagle 8 lurched forward again , throwing him hard against the restraints, then back even harder. He felt the straps dig hard into his skin and grunted in pain. "Stop that, you piece of junk", Alan swore. He would not normally refer to any of the Eagles as 'junk'. But he was terrified of dying slowly out here.

The Commander informed him that they'd bring in Eagle 13 by remote control. Eagles 12, and 9 were currently speeding rapidly back to base. Which was at least one piece of good news.

His friends voice had been flat and emotion less as he told him they were working on options. He knew John well enough to not be offended by his seeming lack of empathy. Command meant you had to have an iron control over your emotions. Inside John would be screaming.

"Don't just sit here Alan Carter", he told himself. "Think dammit". "What is the problem, lack of engine power. Were would we get another engine from". He knew the Commander would not send rescue Eagles, so had to look from within the Eagles currently available for solutions. Requesting a status report from those Eagles still in range gave him an idea. He could increase their engine power by combining the ships. "One plus one equals two and two plus one equals three", he said. "Jerry , Dale, head for my location, we are going to interlink our three Eagles so that we can move as a unit". He could at least stabilize the flight that way. Two Eagles had lost their left engines, one their right.

It was a risky move to try and move three Eagles with only half the power. He checked the statistics. If they used their engines at full capacity and suffered no further malfunctions, they would have just enough fuel to make it close enough to base to be rescued. As for oxygen, they'd be alright, just. Okay so that would mean he could save three Eagles. He was not going to even consider that Eagle One was an acceptable loss. Tap, tap, his fingers danced over his chair. "Okay so can three eagles on half power tow Eagle one", he wondered out loud.

Alan relayed that idea through to Moonbase Alpha. "Both Victor and the Computer have worked through many different scenarios Alan. That was one of them. It however failed. You might be successful in using the combined power of three eagle, but you can't bring Eagle one as well." You don't have the power".

"Yeah power is always the bloody problem", Alan groaned. He groaned louder when he was thrown into his restraints again. The Eagle spun around wildly, reminding him of an angry kangaroo. He was always attuned to changes in the Eagle, so knew immediately what had just happened. "Moonbase Alpha, I just lost power to my other engine. I am going to order Jerry and Dale to continue with the plan. Two Eagles will still have enough combined power to make it back". He said that with an obvious tremor in his voice.

Koenig felt another tear slip out and run down his face. He could tell by Alan's voice that he was expecting the worst. He pushed that away. "I am not accepting any losses", he growled at the others. They had this look in their eyes, that he did not want to acknowledge. It spoke of facing continued overwhelming grief. Their minds were freezing, as flight mode took over from fight. "Keep working", he demanded.

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At least he was no longer being thrown about. Drifting was a lot more peaceful. However it was more deadly. The moon was moving away from his location. Alan manged to move himself forward enough to reach the controls. There really was no point in trying to reactivate the engines. "Why'd you do that Eagle 8, he cried. "Now I am going to die alone". Alan began to sob uncontrollably. His fingers were shaking so hard they were hitting the switches.

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"Unacceptable", Koenig threw done the piece of paper from the computer that told him that saving 5 Eagles was a good outcome. He'd have to consider Eagle One and eight as "lost'. Three more pilots would die. One of them was his best friend.

Of course computer thought with a machines mind, logically deciding the best course of action. He'd never stop trying to save the others. They'd all had enough of death. But they were fast running out of options.

"Commander I am heading for Eagle ones location, will be there in 60 minutes", came the rather incredible announcement that blindsided his misery. "What ,how'd you do that", Koenig asked Alan.

"I actually managed to restart both of the engines", Alan reported. "It should not of worked Commander. But I'm not complaining. With two functioning engines I am now capable of towing Eagle one back to base."

John noted that Alan had not cleared his rescue mission with him. Had he been afraid that he'd be told no. The risks were very high. Because they did not know why the engines of Eagle 8 has suddenly decided to return to life. They could easily fail again. Alan knew that.

Alan also knew that he could still tell him to abort. What would Alan's response be. He knew exactly what he'd do, tell him to shove his order. Which would mean Alan would face a court martial for disobeying a direct order . Of course he did not want that to happen. Alan knew him very well. Effectively Alan had manoeuvred him into the position of having to give this mission the go ahead. He ground his teeth together. When Alan got back he was still going to get yelled at, for quite awhile. "Very well Alan , keep me updated", he said.

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"I'm still going to get in trouble. But that's alright ", Alan said to himself. He winced as he shifted his position slightly. His body was probably peppered with bruising and abrasions. He tried to ignore the discomfort. It was at least a reminder that he was still alive.

It had been such a stunning moment when his shaking fingers had hit the switches that reactivated the engines. He'd expected nothing, as clogged engines could not just magically come right. But they had.

"What the heck just happened", he wondered out loud . Sudden calm had overcome him now. Though inwardly he could still feel himself shaking. "Just keeping going please", he begged.

Eagle One was becoming more than just a small dot in the distance. Alan had his fingers crossed on both hands because he was sure it was just luck that was keeping this craft moving.

That was the only thing that made any sense.

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John felt like chewing his fingernails. The old saying no news is good news might seem helpful right now. But the fact remained that no news in a situation like this is most likely bad not good. One hour had past and Alan should have reached Eagle one.

"Come on" ,John muttered to himself. His body was tense. Tired muscles protested loudly.

"Commander, I have docked with Eagle one. Both the pilot and Co pilot are in good spirits, I will transfer them to my Eagle then return to base", Alan reported.

A cheer went up then. All of the 7 Eagles were now safe. But questions remained. "Why did a procedure that should not have worked, restore functionality to Alan's eagle", Victor mused. "This is a crucial question John." Indeed ", David agreed. "Computer says a scenario like that is implausible".

"Only if it was actually the white mist that caused the engine difficulty", Sandra stated. "If it was a fault of some type then it could have just corrected itself".

"Hmm, trouble is, if that happened, then there is a new question. Why was Eagle 8 not affected by the white mist", Paul added. "Because of the fault", Sandra guessed. "No, I don't think even an engine fault would not save the Eagle", John stated. "We will know more when the Eagles return.

"That will be several long hours away", David reminded them. "Let's hope nothing changes in that time".

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Several hours later...

"We have emergency craft ready and waiting Alan", John reported. They were watching the slow descent of the two Eagles. Alan was doing a superb job of getting both craft down smoothly.

When the had finally touched down, John let out a whooshing breath. 'Have medical check out all the pilots. Then once he's cleared have Captain Carter report to my office".

He shut his doors firmly and relished the sudden silence. Leaning back in his chair he ran through in his mind what he was going to say to Alan.

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Alan slid slowly into the seat facing John Koenig. There was a very serious look upon his friend's face that told him this was not going to be an easy debrief.

"There are a few things we need to talk about Alan", John said slowly. He could tell Alan was in some pain, as he was sitting in an unnatural position. "Firstly I should have been informed about the status of your pilots".

Alan let out a breath. He would start with the admission first. 'It is your right to be told, I know this. But there is a problem Commander", Alan stated.

John had expected Alan to start off disagreeing. By not doing that, he was moving the conversation into a different position. John could feel his anger subsiding a little. "What problem", he insisted. "That everyone knows we are friends John. It makes things so much harder. My pilots feel that I might actually be inclined to share many personal issues with you. They do not trust me as much as they should." Especially since Simmons did his best to undermine my authority. He was going to get rid of me and replace me if someone else. He told me I was too close to you".

"I felt that if I set an example and took the extra shift, It would send a message that they can trust me. As well as the fact that they have nothing to fear. Though I don't think that mission was the best example of an problem free flight", Alan mused.

"All the ships made it back Alan, so perhaps it was". John looked at him. Only now did he realize what effect his friendship had upon Alan. "I never realized how difficult it was for you Alan", Koenig apologized." But I'm not going to stop being your friend". "As for Simmons. He was an idiot. I want the best people in every department. That is you Alan". Though I forget sometimes how young you actually are".

He had not considered how much Simmons actions had impacted upon Alan. If he now proceeded with the next talk, he may effectively be telling his friend Simmons was right.

Alan took not of his friends silence. John was wrestling with something. What else had he done. When he thought about his actions he could only come up with one other thing. "Would you have told me not to risk saving Eagle One", he asked carefully.

"I wanted to. Probably because I wanted you to be safe". Naturally I did not want to lose any more life Alan. There had to be other ways to rescue Eagle one. But you were there, and it was your call to make". I do trust you Alan", Koenig thought he needed to add that last bit.

He finally got a small smile out of his friend. Though he still looked exhausted.

"Now I have the reports from all the pilots. The computer is going to analyse all the readings and data gathered. We need to uncover the reasons why Eagle 8s engines restarted. Also why neither Eagle one or 8 are currently undergoing the cocooning process. All the other returned Eagles are entering the first phase of cocooning." John saw Alan's surprised expression.

"I think we are close to finding some answers Alan". Now my friend, go and get some rest". He looked sternly into his friends face. "That is an order".

"Yes sir", Alan acknowledged.

He walked stiffly from the room.

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3.1 hours later.

"Sir, the computer has found a commonality ",David informed him. He handed over a piece of paper.

John felt excitement fill him. Now they were finally getting somewhere. Perhaps they could save the Eagle fleet after all.

He opened the paper and looked at the two words that were written down.

"Alan Carter", they said.