The offices of Kosmos Space Flight Corporation in Moscow are on Sergey Makeev Street in Krasnaya Presnya, in a modern steel-and-glass structure that overlooks the eighteenth-century Vagankovo cemetery. Here Georgi Safronov worked long hours, diligently managing his personnel, his corporation’s logistical resources, and his own intellectual faculties, to prepare for the launch of three Dnepr-1 rockets the following month.
Aleksandr Verbov, KSFC’s Director of Launch Operations, was an affable heavyset man. He was a few years older than Georgi, loyal and hardworking. The two men had been friends since the eighties. Normally Verbov dealt with the day-to-day preparations of upcoming space launches without any help from the president of his company in the minutiae of this complicated endeavor. But Georgi had all but seconded Verbov for the much publicized upcoming triple launch. Aleksandr understood that the triple launch was dear to his president’s heart, and he also knew that Safronov was as technically adept as anyone in the company. Georgi had held the director of launch ops job himself once before, when Verbov was a senior engineer.
If Georgi wanted to push the launch button himself on the ހselthree rockets — hell, if he wanted to work on the pad in the snow to mate the Space Head Modules to the launch vehicles in their silos — well, as far as Alex Verbov was concerned, that was his right.
But Alex was growing suspicious about one aspect of his boss’s focus.
The two men met daily in Georgi’s office. Here they had worked together on nearly every facet of the launch since Safronov returned from his vacation. Verbov had commented repeatedly on his boss’s lean physique after three and a half weeks at a dude ranch somewhere in the western United States. Georgi looked fitter, even if his arms and hands were covered with old cuts and bruises. Cattle roping, Georgi had confided in Aleksandr, was incredibly tough work.
Verbov had asked to see a picture of his boss in a Stetson and chaps, but Georgi had demurred.
This day, like every other, they sat at Georgi’s desk and sipped tea. Both men had high-end laptops open, and they worked both together and independently as they dealt with one aspect or another of the upcoming launches.
Alex said, “Georgi Mikhailovich, I have the last of the confirmations that the tracking stations will be online on the required dates. Two southern launches, one northern launch.”
Georgi did not look up from his laptop. “Very good.”
“We also received the updated spacecraft transit electrical link schematic, so we can troubleshoot any problems with the interface of the American satellite.”
“Okay.”
Alex cocked his head to the side. He hesitated for more than half a minute before he said, “I need to ask you a question.”
“What is it?”
“The truth is, Georgi… Well, I am beginning to have some suspicions.”
Georgi Safronov’s eyes left his laptop and locked on the heavy man across the desk. “Suspicions?”
Alex Verbov shuffled in his chair. “It’s just that… you don’t seem as interested in the actual spacecraft and the orbit of the SC as you do the launch itself. Am I correct in this?”
Safronov closed his computer and leaned forward. “Why do you say that?”
“It just seems this way. Is there something bothering you about the launch vehicles for these flights?”
“No, Alex Petrovich. Of course not. What are you getting at?”
“Honestly, my friend, I am somewhat suspicious that you are less than pleased with my recent work. Specifically, regarding the LVs.”
Georgi relaxed slightly. “I am very happy with your work. You are the finest launch director in the business. I am lucky to have you working on the Dnepr system and not the Protons or Soyuz craft.”
“Thank you. But why are you so disinterested in the spaceflight?”
Safronov smiled. “I confess that I know I could leave this all in your hands. I just prefer working on the launch. The technology for this has not changed so much in the past fifteen years. The satellites and communications and tracking systems have been updated since my time in your job. I have not been keeping up with as much of my technical reading as I should. I am afraid I would not do as good a job as you, and my laziness might show in poor results.”
Alex breathed a dramatic sigh and d n followed it with a belly laugh. “I have been so worried, Georgi. Of course you could handle the newer technology! Probably better than me. If you like I could take you through some of the new steps to—”
Alex watched Safronov open his laptop again. In seconds he was back at work. While typing furiously he said, “I will leave that part to you while I do what I do best. Perhaps after the triple launch I will have time for tutoring.”
Verbov nodded. Happy that his suspicions had proved totally unfounded. In seconds he himself was back to work, and he did not think of the matter again.