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"As you can see on the data display, the Houston Ground Control Center has ordered the Gettysburg to postpone its scheduled departure for tomorrow morning."
"I don't like the look of that."
"I see nothing suspicious. The President probably wants time to mount a massive propaganda campaign to announce another American space triumph."
"Or they may be wise to our intentions." Maisky then became quiet, lost in thought. His eyes had a worried look, and he clasped and unclasped his hands nervously.
Velikov looked at him with amusement. "If this in any way upsets your plans, I could break in on Houston Control's frequency and issue a false command."
"You can do that?"
"I can."
"Simulate an order for the shuttle to depart the space station for reentry?"
"Yes."
"And deceive the commanders of the station and the shuttle into believing they're hearing a familiar voice?"
"They'll never detect the difference. Our computerized synthesizers have more than enough taped transmissions to perfectly imitate voice, accent, and verbal mannerisms of at least twenty different officials of NASA."
"What's to stop Houston Control from countermanding the order?"
"I can scramble their transmissions until it's too late for them to stop the shuttle. Then, if the instructions you gave us from our space scientists are correct, we'll override the craft's flight systems and bring her down at Santa Clara."
Maisky looked at Velikov long and steadily. Then he said, "Do it."
The President was dead asleep when the phone beside his bed softly chimed. He rolled over and read the luminous dial on his wristwatch. Ten minutes after one in the morning. Then he answered. "Go ahead."
The voice that replied was Dan Fawcett's. "Sorry to wake you, Mr. President, but something has come up that I thought you'd want to know about."
"I'm listening. What is it?"
"I've just received a call from Irwin Mitchell at NASA. He said the Gettysburg has cast off from Columbus and is orbiting in preparation for reentry."
The President sat bolt upright, waking his wife beside him. "Who gave the order?" he demanded.
"Mitchell can't say. All communication between Houston and the space station is down because of some strange interference."
"Then how has he confirmed the shuttle's departure?"
"General Fisher has been tracking and monitoring Columbus at the Space Operations Center in Colorado Springs since Steinmetz left Jersey Colony. The sensitive cameras at the center caught the movement when Gettysburg left the station's dock. He called me as soon as he was informed."
The President pounded the mattress in dismay. "Damn!"
"I took the liberty of alerting Jess Simmons. He's already scrambled two Air Force tactical squadrons into the air to fly escort and protect the shuttle as soon as she drops through the atmosphere."
"How much time do we have before the Gettysburg lands?"
"From initial descent preparation to touchdown, about two hours."
"The Russians are behind this."
"The general consensus," acknowledged Fawcett. "We can't be sure yet, but all indications point to Cuba as the source of Houston's radio interference problem."
"When does Brogan's special team hit Cayo Santa Maria?"
"0200 hours."
