Amplitude Page 4

  Angela nodded and then pointed into the lens. “You’ll need a couple of things in the chamber before you seal yourselves in. Like I said, you have to be disconnected. You can’t just be standing there when the light hits. Otherwise, you’ll vanish just like everyone else.”

  “Okay,” the director said. “So I imagine those two things are something to jump from and something to land on.”

  “Yes. Ladders, benches, whatever. Anything as long as it's tall enough to give them some free-fall time after they jump. They have to be falling when the wave passes through the chamber. I’ll let you work out how to time that jump.”

  “I’ll handle it.” Again, the director sounded distracted. A series of clicks or taps came through the speaker.

  “What’s that noise?”

  The sound stopped. Then Randy's voice returned, now tight and cracking. “That's me … I'm texting my wife.”

  The lump in Angela's throat seemed to swell to softball size.

  She leaned toward the camera and peered into its lens. Angela swallowed hard as she considered her words. “Randy … I know you’re worried about Betty and the kids, but I’ll tell you the same thing I told Bill. The only way we can help them is if we live to fight for them, to have a chance to bring them back.”

  “I … I know. It’s just …” He faltered.

  “Don’t think right now, Randy. Just get your butt to Chamber A. You’ll be doing more for them that way.”

  An uncomfortable and too long silence poured from the speakers.

  Angela was thankful for the chamber’s recent high-vacuum upgrade. If not for its faster pumps, they wouldn’t be able to pull a deep enough vacuum before the light reached Houston.

  “Come on, Randy,” Angela said softly. “The chamber upgrade bought us some time.” Her gaze had drifted off to the side. She refocused on the camera lens and gave the director a meaningful look. “But still, it’s going to be a near thing. I know this is a lot to take in.” Her forehead furrowed into a peak. “And I know what it means for your family, but if we're going to have any hope of saving them and everyone else, you need to go now, Randy.”

  A moment later, the director’s voice returned now sounding solid, resolved. “Okay, Angela. I’ll do whatever it takes to make this happen.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  She was about to terminate the call when Randy spoke again. “I don’t know where or when you went to, Angela, but … thank you for coming back for us.”

  Chapter 4

  Vaughn felt as if insects were crawling across his chest. He tried to scratch the area, but his gauntlet-covered hand met the unyielding surface of his spacesuit.

  “Shit!”

  From inside his helmet, Mark gave Vaughn a sideward glance. “What's wrong?”

  Lowering his hand, Vaughn shook his head then remembered that Mark couldn’t see his face. “Nothing.”

  The last thing he wanted was another potential interruption to the scheduled lift-off of the module. He'd already thwarted one countdown delay.

  Apparently, the doctor assigned to the test still had a hard-on for Vaughn. The man had already threatened to halt operations because of perceived glitches with Vaughn’s health. Of course, the bastard thought he was still overweight and out of shape, ready to have a coronary at any moment. The doctor might have been right a couple of hours ago, before a half-year-older and significantly skinnier version of himself had replaced the suit’s previous occupant: the chubby Vaughn who had squeezed himself into this suit this morning.

  Was this really the same day?

  Why could he remember everything from that original trip through the chamber even though he was now reliving it all in the first person? His mind now had competing memories of some of the same events.

  And what had happened to fat Vaughn, the one who had climbed into this suit today? Where had that version of himself gone when he—the skinny one—had shown up?

  Was he back in his home dimension, or was this merely a reasonable facsimile of it, a neighboring but slightly different version of home?

  Vaughn gnashed his teeth. He had to stop. The unending loop of repeating questions wasn’t going to keep him alive.

  There was only one question that truly mattered: had Angela’s reset afforded her enough time to stop the Necks’ invasion? Had she been able to get word to her friends at CERN, prevent them from creating the micro black hole that opened the door for the robotic invasion?

  Either she had, or she hadn’t. Regardless, Vaughn had to make sure that the Q-drive module launched on schedule. There wasn’t time to find out one way or another without jeopardizing the timing of the experimental flight. His and Mark’s very lives depended on it.

  Vaughn had agonized every minute since his arrival about whether or not he was doing the right thing. Should he have tried to save more people? Maybe he could have convinced them to load up the vacuum chamber with as many people as they could, have them all jump when the light passed.

  He shook his head.

  No. No one would have bought it.

  This was the government, after all. They would want to start an investigation, find out how an apparent imposter got into his spacesuit.

  The creeping sensation marched across the skin of Vaughn’s chest again.

  The doctor’s nasal voice crackled through the helmet speaker. “Team Sigma, we’re seeing anomalous readings on Captain Singleton’s EKG again.”

  Vaughn shook his head and tapped the chest of his spacesuit. “It's nothing, Sandusky. Feels like some of the leads are peeling up, that's all.”

  “Shouldn’t be possible, Captain. The technician shaved those spots to prevent that from happening.”

  Vaughn frowned. That explained the problem. Those areas were anything but cleanly shaved now. His body hair had filled in those bald patches months ago.

  Mark looked at him and then waved at the video camera that was monitoring them. “He's fine, Sandusky. I'd know if Captain Singleton was in distress.”

  A long pause greeted the astronaut’s proclamation. Finally, the doctor’s annoying voice returned. “Okay, Colonel Hennessy, but if I see anything else, I'm pulling the plug.”

  Mark held up a thumb. “Thanks, Control. We’re all set in here. Let us know when you're ready to continue.”

  After receiving a response, Mark isolated their communications. He spoke to Vaughn without turning toward him. “Please tell me I didn't just lie to Sandusky Control.”

  Like Mark, Vaughn spoke without turning his body. He didn’t want the safety Nazi in Sandusky to ‘pull the plug’ on them. “I’m fine.”

  “Then why is your mirrored visor still down?”

  Vaughn reached up, intending to raise it but then remembered why he’d left the helmet’s reflective visor in place. The last thing he needed now was for either Mark or Sandusky Control to see his bearded and too thin face.

  Diverting his hand, Vaughn tapped the side of his helmet. “Told you, I have a bitch of a headache.” He pointed at the lights that were bathing the chamber’s interior in brilliant shades of white. “This place is bright as hell.”

  Vaughn winced inwardly. Disturbing images and memories flowed through his mind as he thought of the dead land where the Necks deposited unwanted life forms. No, Hell wasn’t bright at all. It was dark and dusty and had a well-earned stench of death.

  Thankfully, Mark’s voice pulled Vaughn out of his dark recollections. “I just hope your headache isn’t related to those errant EKG readings.”

  Chuckling wryly, Vaughn held up the checklist that he was holding in his other hand. “Nothing that dramatic. More likely it’s tied to last night’s cocktails.” He wiggled the booklet. Its thin pages moved oddly fast because of the chamber’s near perfect vacuum. “This checklist ain’t gonna finish itself.”

  Mark waved a dismissive hand. “We have time. Have to wait on Control now.”

  Vaughn tried to keep his voice calm as he looked at the module’s chronograph. “They haven’
t delayed the countdown, have they?”

  Mark’s head shook side-to-side in his helmet. “They have to finish their checks before we move on. No worries, though. It’s all built into the schedule.”

  Closing his eyes, Vaughn breathed a silent sigh.

  Blissfully ignorant of the coming apocalypse, Mark patted Vaughn’s knee and continued. “While we’re sitting here, there’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”

  “I’m all ears, Colonel.”

  Mark opened his mouth to speak but then closed it. Finally, he sighed. “I have to admit, you’re doing better than I thought. Figured this would be more of a struggle.”

  Vaughn furrowed his forehead. “What are you talking about?”

  The shoulders of Mark’s spacesuit rose and fell. “I don’t know. Guess you’ve always been a hard-headed son of a bitch, always had to do things your way. It’s nice to hear a less combative version of you.”

  Vaughn’s eyes flew open as a haunting sense of déjà vu washed over him.

  Mark had said something similar last time they’d been here. The ensuing argument had haunted Vaughn for months afterward. He’d agonized over it, wishing for a chance to take it all back.

  And now he had it.

  Vaughn sat up and slowly turned to face Mark.

  Could he change this conversation without changing the timing, without losing everything?

  He could.

  Mark had already said that they were waiting on Sandusky to finish their scheduled checks.

  Vaughn nodded, a movement his friend couldn’t see through the helmet’s mirrored visor.

  “Mark, before you tell me what’s been on your mind, there’s something I’d like to say.”

  His friend cocked an eyebrow. “Uh-oh. Did I speak too soon?”

  Smiling, Vaughn shook his head. “No, Mark. You were right. I can be a hard-headed son of a bitch.”

  “Can be?”

  “Yes, but that was the old me.”

  “Old, my ass? That was this morning, pal.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Mark pointed at his helmet. “Remember the incident with the sweatband?”

  Vaughn did. When they had suited up on that day … this day, Mark had told him he was putting it on wrong, and because he thought he knew better, Vaughn had spent the rest of the morning with the constant irritation of salty sweat streaming into his eyes. Even now, he could feel the thing bunched up in his hair. If not for the fact that his hair had grown significantly, he’d likely be experiencing the same thing now.

  He chuckled self-consciously. “Okay, I am an asshole, but I’m ready to turn all that around.”

  “Oh, really? Why the sudden change of heart?”

  Vaughn wagged his head side-to-side in his helmet and looked down. If Mark only knew how not sudden the change had been…

  After a moment, he sighed and then continued. “Well, you already know what I went through with my ex.”

  Mark nodded.

  Vaughn pointed at the chest of his own spacesuit. “I know that was my fault. When things went south between us, I didn’t do anything to make it better. I didn’t even try.”

  His friend stared at him wordlessly, evident surprise on his face.

  “And I imagine you saw that I was passed over for promotion again.”

  Mark blinked. “Oh shit! I’m sorry to hear that, man.”

  Vaughn stopped and stared at Mark’s face. “You didn’t know?”

  “Me?” Mark looked off to the side. “No. Didn’t have a clue.”

  Vaughn laughed inwardly in spite of the dire situation that was at that very moment rushing toward them.

  Mark was lying to him.

  The man had told him that day—this day—that he’d seen the results of the promotion board. The fact that Mark had known of it had been one of the things that had set off Vaughn.

  Letting it go, he bobbed his helmet up and down. “Okay. It is what it is. My military career is over, and I know that was my fault as well. I never applied myself.”

  Having intentionally used Mark’s words from that long-ago conversation, Vaughn watched surprise march across his friend’s face. While it felt good to get a small payback for Mark’s lie about seeing the promotion board results, it in no way diluted his belief that his friend had been right. It had been all Vaughn’s fault. He had never truly tried his hardest at anything, had never applied himself. Everything had always come too easily for him, so he’d gotten lazy.

  Vaughn placed a gloved hand on Mark’s arm. “That stops today. I’m ready to turn over a new leaf, start a new life.” He paused and pointed a finger at Mark. “And I have you to thank for that. It was your example and your words that got me through …” Vaughn paused and swallowed down the lump in his throat. “It was your words that got me through the darkest hours and days.”

  Mark stared at him for long moments. Finally, he cocked an eyebrow. “Not sure what I said, but I’m glad it helped.” The astronaut leaned back in his seat and faced forward.

  Behind his mirrored visor, Vaughn tried to blow away the tear that was rolling down his cheek. “What was it you wanted to talk to me about?”

  Raising a hand, Mark held up a thumb. “Nothing … nothing at all.” He patted Vaughn’s knee again. “Oh, and don’t worry about that career thing. I think we can find you something.”

  Vaughn knew the man was speaking of his desire to help him get a job at Lockheed. Pressing his lips together, he shook his head. Unfortunately, he was becoming more and more certain that the light was on its way, coming to erase all of them along with their hopes and dreams.

  The radio crackled back to life. “Okay, Team Sigma. We’re ready on this end.”

  Vaughn felt his pulse quicken.

  The time for the light’s passage was near.

  Swallowing hard, he looked at Mark and raised the checklist. “I believe we have some work to do.”

  Smiling, Mark nodded and switched the communications selector to external. “Roger, Sandusky. We’re ready on this end.”

  “All systems are a go,” the controller said. “You’re cleared for the first hover test.”

  Sitting in the capsule’s right seat, Mark pointed to Vaughn. “Next checklist item, Captain.”

  Vaughn’s respiratory rate doubled. His raspy breath sounded loud and harsh in his helmet.

  His heart pounded in his ears.

  He swallowed again and then read the next item on the checklist. “Gear … Gear locks.”

  Mark flipped a switch.

  Just as he had last time, Vaughn felt a soundless, metallic clunk radiate through the module’s seat.

  “Unlatched.”

  The module rested on the scaffolding. Only gravity held it in place. Overhead, the previously disconnected hoist hook finished retracting. Now a hundred feet of vacuum was all that separated the top of the skinless module’s frame from the domed ceiling.

  The controller’s voice returned. “Stand by for launch.”

  Another EKG lead slipped from its mooring point. Vaughn felt its insect-like movement as it danced across the skin of his abdomen.

  The doctor’s annoying voice burst from the speakers. “That’s it, Team Sigma. I’m pulling the plug. Captain Singleton’s vitals are all over the board, and we just lost another signal on his health monitor.”

  Vaughn’s eyes went wide. “No. No. No!” He sat up and held a hand toward the video camera. “Wait! I’m fine. Don’t stop the countdown!”

  Mark placed a hand on his arm. “Calm down, Vaughn. It’s no big deal. This kind of thing happens all the time.”

  The nasal voice broke through the speaker again. “This is exactly what I was talking about, Colonel Hennessy. Now the captain’s heart rate is through the roof. I told you he wasn’t in good enough shape to take part in this experiment.”

  Mark gave him an embarrassed glance, but Vaughn couldn’t give two shits less about his own pride at the moment.

  Suddenly
, several indicator lights on the console shifted to red.

  “Crap!” Vaughn looked at Mark. “We don’t have time for this!” He paused and stared at the console, shaking his head. “We have to take off now!”

  Mark changed the communications selector back to internal. “Calm the hell down, Vaughn! Come on, man, I vouched for you!”

  Ignoring Mark, Vaughn looked from the collective control stick that sat between them to the red lights on the module’s instrument panel.

  “Shit!”

  He leaned forward and reached across his friend with his right arm.

  As Vaughn started to toggle switches, Mark suddenly batted his hand away. “What in the hell are you doing?!”

  “I don’t have time to explain it right now, but if we don’t take off right this goddamn minute, we’re both going to die.”

  Vaughn reached for the control panel again.

  Mission Control was squawking on the radio.

  Mark grabbed his hand. “Stop this, buddy. You’re losing it.”

  “You don’t know how much I wish you were right.” Vaughn shook his head.

  He pulled his hand free from Mark’s. Reaching up to his helmet, he unlatched the mirrored visor. “Hopefully, all of this is for nothing, but I promise you there’s more going on here than you know.”

  Turning to face his friend, Vaughn retracted his visor, exposing his now bearded and too-skinny face.

  Mark frowned as he turned in his seat. “You’re not making any—!” Surprise and confusion suddenly contorted his face. “What …? … Who …?” He started to shake his head slowly.

  Seeing his friend stunned into inaction, Vaughn reached across him. “Sorry about this, Mark, but we’re taking off right freaking now!” He toggled several switches and then entered a series of commands on the panel’s touchscreen.

  All the while, the voices of the controller and the doctor in Sandusky raged on.

  After Vaughn entered a final command, several of the lights on the panel cycled to green.

  Beside him, Mark continued shaking his head. “How are you doing that?”

  “The module was locked out just like this the last time I flew it. Took me a while to figure out the workaround.”