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Alien Storm
Alien Storm
Alien Storm
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Alien Storm

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The Sun is at Solar Maximum. A large solar flare erupts on the surface of the Sun and races towards Earth. The International Space Station is about to be hit by massive solar radiation event. Commander Bonario is working outside on an EVA and is caught in the storm. A UFO suddenly appears and tries to shield the astronaut from the harmful X-rays. The solar panels overload and an explosion occurs, which cripples the alien spacecraft. It crashes on Earth, killing the four occupants. A Top Secret military crash investigation ensues. The bodies are recovered along with strange looking disk devices with special alien powers, but one disk is missing. A TV reporter finds out about the crash and threatens to expose the cover-up. Meanwhile, the massive magnetic storm hits the Earth with devastating consequences. The world is threatened. The alien mothership appears searching for the lost occupants and memory disks. Only the aliens can help the world protect itself from future solar events. Surprisingly, the Sun’s energy holds the key to the alien’s final journey.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherDon Viecelli
Release dateMar 5, 2016
ISBN9781310146220
Alien Storm
Author

Don Viecelli

The author lives in Arlington Heights, IL with his family. He attended Michigan State University and earned his MBA at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management in Illinois. He recently retired as a product marketing professional in the high tech industry and is now pursuing a writing career. He has always enjoyed science fiction and plans to continue writing imaginative novels that explore the future boundaries of real science. He writes science fiction book reviews on popular authors and lists them on Goodreads.com. He can be found on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and he has his own Website for science fiction readers. He is also a Member of the Writers of SciFi, a group of Indie Science Fiction writers and authors associated with BooksGoSocial. Drop him a line when you find a story you like.

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    Alien Storm - Don Viecelli

    Description

    The Sun is at Solar Maximum. A large solar flare erupts on the surface of the Sun and races towards Earth. The International Space Station is about to be hit by massive solar radiation event. Commander Bonario is working outside on an EVA and is caught in the storm. A UFO suddenly appears and tries to shield the astronaut from the harmful X-rays. The solar panels overload and an explosion occurs, which cripples the alien spacecraft. It crashes on Earth, killing all four occupants. A Top Secret military crash investigation ensues. The bodies are recovered along with strange looking disk devices with special alien powers, but one disk is missing. A TV reporter finds out about the crash and threatens to expose the cover-up. Meanwhile, the massive magnetic storm hits the Earth with devastating consequences. The world is threatened. The alien mothership appears searching for the lost occupants and memory disks. Only the aliens can help the world protect itself from future solar events. Surprisingly, the Sun’s energy holds the key to the alien’s final journey.

    Copyright Page

    Alien Storm

    By Don Viecelli

    Copyright © 2002 Donald E. Viecelli. Registration Number TX 8-699-847.

    All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

    Ebook cover page image and design is provided by Kerman Rodriquez.

    This is a work of science fiction. All the characters, names, incidents, places and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any errors in editing, formatting or plot will be corrected in the next revision.

    Smashwords Edition, License Notes

    This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

    Positive reviews on various book sites are always welcome. It helps independent authors like me to reach a broader audience.

    ISBN: 9781310146220

    For Smashwords Readers.

    Published by Don Viecelli at Smashwords.

    Word length, approximately 147,477.

    First Release in April 2002.

    Revision 4b Released September 2019.

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    Dedication

    This novel is dedicated to the memory of David Allen Pendell, a good friend, who also dreamed of writing science fiction.

    Table of Contents

    Description

    Copyright Page

    Dedication

    Chapter 1

    Chapter 2

    Chapter 3

    Chapter 4

    Chapter 5

    Chapter 6

    Chapter 7

    Chapter 8

    Chapter 9

    Chapter 10

    Chapter 11

    Chapter 12

    Chapter 13

    Chapter 14

    Chapter 15

    Chapter 16

    Chapter 17

    Chapter 18

    Chapter 19

    Chapter 20

    Chapter 21

    Chapter 22

    Chapter 23

    Chapter 24

    Chapter 25

    Chapter 26

    Chapter 27

    Chapter 28

    Chapter 29

    Chapter 30

    Chapter 31

    Chapter 32

    Chapter 33

    Chapter 34

    Chapter 35

    Chapter 36

    Chapter 37

    Chapter 38

    Chapter 39

    Chapter 40

    Chapter 41

    Chapter 42

    Chapter 43

    Chapter 44

    Chapter 45

    Chapter 46

    Chapter 47

    Chapter 48

    Chapter 49

    Chapter 50

    Author’s Note

    Profile Page

    Chapter 1

    International Space Station

    It had been a long, busy day on board the International Space Station or ISS. Major Jean Helms, Chief Medical officer from the United Kingdom Air Force in London, was tired, and slightly worried. Ground control at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston had issued word on Saturday, two days ago, that the sun was acting up. The number of sunspots was multiplying rapidly. Houston wanted to make sure the crew was watching out for solar flares. It would be extremely dangerous for anyone working outside the space station if a solar flare suddenly erupted and blasted radiation their way. However, there was still more work to be done on the Remote Manipulator System outside the space station before the crew could relax for the day.

    It was 7:00 p.m. Central Daylight Saving Time on Monday, June 1. The space station was orbiting 244 miles above the North America continent traveling at 17,157 miles (27,628 kilometers) per hour. It was light outside with a clear view of planet Earth below. Major Helms could make out the entire North America coastline from the port window of the control module. The station was fast approaching twilight and full darkness would appear in less than an hour. This routine occurrence between daylight and darkness occurred every 90 minutes, the time it took the space station to orbit the Earth.

    There were six crewmembers on board the ISS. Three crewmembers rotated home every three months and were replaced by new crewmembers or previous crewmembers that requested another tour of duty. Some of the current crew was on their second or third tour of duty. It was not unusual to request another trip rotation on the ISS. The work was demanding and dangerous, but it was also unbelievably interesting.

    The space station has been in orbit since the first Russian Proton rocket lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in November 1998. Over 136 space flights had been made since then, delivering much needed supplies and building materials. The last major habitable module was connected in 2011. It did not take long for the global partnership of sixteen nations to decide that more flights were necessary and they continued to build out the space station to its current size. It was now more than twice the size of the original structure, at 357 feet or 109 meters long with the solar array at 239 feet or 73 meters in length. The living and working space includes six sleeping quarters, two bathrooms, a gym and a 360-degree view bay window. It is made up of sixteen pressurized modules. The ISS had become a prized home away from home in space for the crew that lived and worked aboard her. And the work never seemed to end.

    How’s he doing out there, Kim? Major Helms asked referring to the commander. She had been monitoring the crew on EVA (extravehicular activity) for the last four hours. The commander was still outside working on the Remote Manipulator System getting ready for the next payload set to arrive in one week.

    He’s fine, Major Kim Parker replied. She was the Chief Communications Officer from the South Korea Air Force who was working the monitoring and communications systems in the main command module. He’s almost done fixing the manipulator arm. Should be done in an hour, Major Parker added. The arm had been malfunctioning for the past two days and the commander decided to replace the primary communications unit in the mobile base system. It was nothing to worry about; just a routine maintenance procedure.

    Okay. Is the rest of the crew inside yet? Major Helms asked. Two other astronauts were working on the new storage unit bought up last month trying to attach the communication cables on the outside of the module.

    Yes, Major Parker replied. They returned 30 minutes ago. Commander Bonario is still outside working on the arm. It was not functioning properly and he wanted to fix it. Do you want to talk to him?

    No, not yet. I think we still have time to let him finish before the next shift goes out, Major Helms said. She checked the monitoring board for Commander Bonario’s medical signs, saw everything was normal and began pushing herself weightlessly over to the research module to see what the science officer had to report.

    Alex Vladamir was the Chief Science Specialist on board. He was a solar physicist from Moscow brought up to the ISS on the last shuttle mission to study solar dynamics. Alex was taking readings. The sun had been acting up lately with more sunspot activity than usual. NASA had decided it was time to closely monitor solar activity on the space station in an attempt to more accurately predict solar flares and other events. Solar flares are caused by sunspots which are intense, twisted magnetic fields that break through the sun’s surface and, for some reason, always appear in pairs. They can produce powerful magnetic storms that reach well beyond Earth’s orbit. These storms are the source of the solar winds, which can travel well over 1,000,000 miles per hour and can cause vivid auroras, radio and television static, power blackouts and navigation problems for ships and airplanes on earth and in space. It was not unusual to temporarily lose one or two satellite communication systems when the solar storms blew. The sun was nearing the top of its eleven-year sunspot cycle. The last high cycle had occurred ten years ago and the number of sunspots has been increasing ever since the low point five years ago.

    Large solar flares had erupted recently near the sun’s surface and sent powerful solar winds toward Earth and the ISS. Normally, there wasn’t anything to worry about, but some of the solar flares cause geomagnetic disturbances, radio blackouts and produce enough solar radiation to harm humans in space who did not have adequate protection to shield them from the x-rays. Usually, the solar winds just produce beautiful aurora borealis in the Northern Hemisphere and aurora australis in the Southern Hemisphere. You could see the lights from space occasionally and Alex was waiting for the next burst of magnetic energy from the sun to light up the North or South poles with beautiful, dancing curtains of blue, green, red or yellow borealis.

    Alex Vladamir was solidly built, of average height and weight with dark brown hair and eyes and a friendly, extroverted personality. He was very intelligent and spoke his mind whenever he had a chance. He had pulled every string he could to get a tour of duty on the space station during the last rotation. As far as he was concerned, he was in space heaven and was not about to let anyone interfere with his work, which he took very seriously. Major Helms, it’s so nice to see you again, Alex quipped with an obvious Russian accent as he saw Major Helms floating his way. Are you ready for your next science lesson? He smiled at Major Helms and typed a few keys into the PC laptop sitting on the rack in front of him.

    No, Major Helms replied smiling back, amused at the thought. Alex had been trying to get her interested in his studies of the sun ever since he came on board and she was trying to educate him on the medical effects of weightlessness, which he found boring to say the least. The light conversations kept them both entertained during the long work shifts each endured aboard ship.

    I just wanted to know the latest Space Weather Advisory from NOAA, Major Helms asked. Are there any disturbances? NOAA stood for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and NOAA’s Space Environment Center (SEC) in Boulder, Colorado issued space weather warnings and alerts on a routine basis that NASA passed on to the space station via the high-speed satellite Internet connection.

    I’ve been monitoring that all day, Alex replied. He picked up the wireless mouse that controlled the laptop and clicked on the SEC weather icon. The ‘Space Weather Now’ homepage popped up on the overhead monitor for both to see. Several pictures of the sun appeared on the page and more detail could be analyzed by clicking on any picture. The current eleven year Solar Cycle was ending. The sun was nearing Solar Maximum. There was a very active sunspot region clearly visible as black spots on the sun’s surface near the equator. Solar flares usually increased during this period of the cycle and NOAA made every effort to try and predict when a storm was about to erupt. It was a lot like trying to predict tornadoes in Texas. The best they could do at the moment was fire off the latest warnings and alerts. It kept you on or off your toes depending on your elevation at the moment.

    NOAA introduced Space Weather Scales many years ago in order to communicate current space weather conditions to the public, government and private sectors. There were three categories and five scales. The three categories are geomagnetic storms, solar radiation storms and radio blackouts. The scales ranged from 1 (Minor), 2 (Moderate), 3 (Strong), 4 (Severe), to 5 (Extreme). The scales listed each category, the effects, physical measures used and the average frequency per eleven-year cycle. It was a very useful measurement for Space Weather Advisories.

    Alex pointed to the NOAA Scales on the monitor. So far there haven’t been any new advisories from NOAA or ground control, he said to Major Helms. But I’m getting plenty worried, he added. My observations show major sunspot activity occurring in Region 9393. The last S3 solar flare was a week ago. It’s building up for a blow. We usually get up to three S4 storms and one S5 storm per cycle. We’ve only had one S4 storm to date and we’re approaching solar maximum. Look at this sunspot activity, he said pointing at a particular pair of large, black dots on the monitor with his finger. I don’t like the look of these two. Alex’s concern showed on his face and Major Helms could sense what he was thinking.

    The last Space Weather Advisory Warning was issued two days ago. It indicated major flare activity possible. The flares could result in Severe or Extreme solar radiation storms and equivalent radio blackouts. The solar radiation storms could cause biological radiation hazard to the astronauts on EVA, affect satellite operations and degrade solar panel operation. Strong radio blackout flares disturb the ionosphere and cause wide area blackouts of high frequency radio communications and low frequency navigation signals for hours at a time. None of these events would be pleasant for the crewmembers on the ISS and precautions were necessary.

    All of this crossed Alex’s mind as he studied the monitor screen. So far, there were no new SEC Space Weather Advisories. The NOAA Scales on the screen showed no storms for the past 24 hours and the Solar Wind was holding constant at an average speed of 450 kilometers per second, a perfectly normal workday in space. Still, Alex was concerned. I think we should hold off sending out the next work crew until I check with the EVA Officer in Houston. My readings from the solar observatory camera show some new sunspot activity and I want NOAA to look at them first.

    Good idea, Alex, Major Helms responded. What about Commander Bonario? Should we bring him in?

    He should be okay. Let me check with flight control in Houston and see what they think. It should only take a few minutes.

    All right. I’ll advise Commander Bonario and see how he’s doing out there. With that she pushed herself away from Alex’s workstation and began her return trip to the main command module.

    Chapter 2

    Unknown Object

    Outside the space station it was getting considerably colder as the sunlight became dimmer with each passing minute. In another 15 minutes, the station would be in complete darkness and the temperature would drop to –250 degrees Fahrenheit. USAF Colonel Julian Bonario, the Commander and Chief Flight Engineer aboard ship, retracted the sun visor on his helmet and turned on the small floodlights attached to the top of his suit called the extravehicular mobility unit or EMU for short. It was getting dark very quickly, and colder, but the spacesuit was composed of several layers of lightweight thermal super-insulation material that keep the body heat in and added protection from the elements. He checked the display and control module mounted on the suit chest for temperature and oxygen levels. All seemed normal. He had enough pure oxygen for another four hours, but he wasn’t planning to be out here that long. The display module also controlled the primary life support system (PLSS) on his back and the manned maneuvering unit (MMU) he was attached too.

    Commander Julian Bonario was 42 years old. He was the youngest of seven siblings in a mixed Italian and Irish family raised in Detroit, Michigan. Being naturally bright and athletic, he sailed through Bloomfield High School and attended Michigan State University for his undergraduate degree in engineering. He continued on to graduate school where he received a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering from M.I.T. His dream was to become an astronaut and he joined the air force soon after graduation. He eventually qualified for NASA’s astronaut training program and quickly rose up through the ranks. This was his third and probably last work rotation on the space station. NASA and the air force had bigger plans for his next assignment, which had to do with a planned spaced flight to Mars in 2030.

    In between learning to fly fighter planes for the U.S. Air Force and joining NASA, Commander Bonario married his college sweetheart and they had two boys, both now in high school in Florida. His wife, Mary, was an elementary school teacher. He could picture her right now grading papers in their living room 250 miles below him as he passed along side of the Central American coastline. He could just make out the Florida peninsula thorough the haze below. He wondered what she was thinking about and if the boys were playing any games in high school that night. He never missed a baseball or soccer game when he was home. He reminded himself to send his family a video-message when he got out of the airlock module and back to his cabin.

    It was a beautiful sight below. The sky was blue and there were light cloud swirls all over the North American region scattered by the winds. The Pacific Ocean turned from emerald green to dark blue as the sun began to fade in the Western Hemisphere. He would not see this side of the planet for another 90 minutes as the space station sped along its orbit over the southern tip of South America, continued on its easterly course over the Atlantic ocean to the bottom tip of Africa, over parts of China and Russia and then back over the Pacific near the North America coast line. He would enter darkness for approximately 45 minutes and then sunlight for another 45 minutes as the station circled the globe. This would happen 16 times in a 24-hour period. He had less than 10 minutes left before the sun disappeared behind the planet.

    Commander Bonario has been working outside the space station for over two hours. He needed another 15 minutes or so to complete the removal and replacement of the primary computer unit on the Mobile Servicing System called the MSS. This was a massive robotic arm over 57 feet long and weighing 3,968 pounds. The MSS plays a key role in the assembly and maintenance of the space station, moving equipment and supplies along a truss system that connected the main structural elements. The Remote Manipulator System arm has seven motorized joints and is capable of handling large payloads and construction duties. The Mobile Base System moves along rails on the 360-foot truss segments covering the middle length of the space station. The Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator hand at the end of the arm was capable of handling small assembly work. The MSS was currently located between the Thermal Control Panels on the S0 Truss Segment that was directly above the U.S. Lab module near the middle of the space station. Commander Bonario had a clear view of the Earth below him as he worked. There was little sunlight visible now and he had to use his floodlights on the EMU unit to see what he was doing.

    As Commander Bonario opened the computer unit service panel on the Mobile Base Station, he heard a soft crackle on his headset from the UHF backpack radio. Hello, Commander. This is Major Helms. How’s it going out there? the major asked from the command module as she adjusted her radio headset and flipped on the remote camera monitor and zoomed in to see Commander Bonario working on the MSS.

    I’m fine, Major, Commander Bonario replied. I’m almost ready to replace the computer unit in the service rack. I’ll need Kim to test the MSS unit in a few minutes.

    Good news. I’ll advise Kim after I hang up. Alex and I wanted to let you know that he is checking with ground control and NOAA to see what the status is on flare activity. We don’t want you out there if an alert comes in, Major Helms said.

    Not a problem, Major. I should be back in the airlock in 30 minutes or so. What did the last report say? Commander Bonario asked.

    NOAA hasn’t issued any Alerts yet, Major Helms replied, but Alex is concerned. He spotted some new sunspot activity on his cameras and he’s passing the information to ground control and NOAA. We should hear something in a few minutes.

    OK, Major. I’ll test this unit as quickly as I can and return to the airlock. Tell Kim to load the MSS test program and wait for my call. I’m almost ready to test the replacement unit. Thanks for the heads up, Major, Commander Bonario added. He and Major Helms had worked together on his last rotation. He respected her judgment and he knew how insistent Alex could be at times. He didn’t want to be outside if a strong solar flare was imminent. His spacesuit offered some protection from solar radiation, but not enough to shield him from the worst of the flares. The best place to be was inside the space station, not outside, if an Alert came.

    Commander Bonario adjusted his fingertip heaters against the cold and checked his atmospheric pressure. The dial showed 8.3 pounds per square inch (psi). The gas inside his suit was pure oxygen instead of 20 percent oxygen and 80 percent nitrogen at 14.7 psi, which was normal Earth atmosphere from sea level to about 75 miles up where space began. The astronauts have to breathe pure oxygen for a short period of time in the airlock before venturing out for a space walk. The nitrogen must be removed from the body to prevent the release of gas bubbles when the pressure is reduced, which would result in a condition called the bends, similar to what divers experience if they decompress too quickly from deep dives.

    Colonel Bonario took a sip of water from the in-suit drink bag and continued to work on replacing the computer unit. The unit had been malfunctioning for some time and they had been using the backup unit to run the Remote Manipulator System. He decided to replace the main computer unit and bring the old unit in for repair before the next shuttle flight arrived.

    Commander Bonario unscrewed the panel door, opened it and flipped up the locking tabs on the rack-mounted unit. He pulled the unit out of the cabinet, disconnected the cable and power connectors from the back of the old unit and attached the unit to the side of his manned maneuvering unit. He then replaced the unit with the new computer module reversing the previous steps. Once the unit was installed, he spoke into his radio transmitter and called Major Parker in the command module.

    Kim, I’m ready for you to test the primary computer unit. Are you ready? he asked.

    Major Parker was waiting for Commander Bonario’s call. Major Helms was working nearby monitoring the biomedical instrumentation panel. It collected electrocardiographic (EKG) information from the primary life support system on the back of the astronaut’s spacesuit and relayed the information to flight surgeons in the Mission Control Center at Houston, Texas.

    I hear you fine, Commander, Kim replied. I’m turning on the MSS computer unit test program now. Give me a minute to run the diagnostic tests. The test icons are popping up on the screen now. It looks good. The unit is functioning properly. Let me know when you’re ready to test the arm.

    Copy that, Kim, Commander Bonario responded. Let me close the panel and screw it down. He quickly finished tightening down the panel door and put away his tools. He was completely in the dark now, but he could see the sunlight below and behind him on the planet’s surface as he sped further away from this side of the planet. Using his hand controllers on the MMU, he slowing released the nitrogen propellant and backed away from the MSS unit. When he was approximately 20 feet away from the MSS and had a clear view of the whole robotic arm system, he called Kim back on the radio. I’m clear of the MSS, Kim. You can run the tests now.

    Okay, Commander, Kim said. I’m running the test program. Let me know if the manipulator hand opens and rotates. I’ll focus the remote cameras on the arm as well. Major Parker quickly focused the camera lens on the arm and hand section and waited for the test program to show results. The hand began to move.

    It’s moving now, Commander Bonario said as the hand began to rotate counterclockwise. He turned his attention to the arm section above his head. All around him he could see the stars, millions of them shining in various degrees of brightness in the universe. It was so clear. Nothing could compare to the view of the stars from this height in space. It continued to amaze him in its beauty and overwhelming vastness.

    I see the hand moving on the camera, Kim responded. The manipulator system is functioning properly. Let me test the robotic arm now. Major Parker moved her mouse and clicked on another test icon that initiated the second test program for the robotic arm. As Kim watched the computer monitor, everything appeared to be normal.

    *****

    Off in the distance towards the retreating sun, slightly below and behind the space station, a speck of light was moving silently towards the station. It was too far away to be seen by the crew yet. It almost looked like another star in the night sky, but its reflection came from the sun and it was moving too quickly on a direct path to the space station.

    NASA’s ISS flight control center in Houston spotted the object first using military satellites high up in Earth orbit. The Trajectory Operations Officer (TOPO) on duty received an automated computer message on his screen and a brief audible alert tone sounded on his wireless headset, which caused him to look at the monitor screen at his console. He noted the time and position of an object that seemed to be approaching the space station from outside the space station’s orbit. It was unidentified and should not be there according to the computer. As the computer displayed the flight path and positioning data of the object, the most unusual data was the speed and its direction of travel. The unidentified object was traveling way too fast, over 100,000 miles per hour, and it was coming towards the Earth from the direction of the sun. Then, as abruptly as it appeared on the computer screen, it disappeared. It could be a computer glitch, the officer thought. He re-checked his computer system and decided to notify the Flight Director and pass the information along to the Communication and Tracking Officer (CATO) two seats down from his console to see what he thinks.

    *****

    On board the ISS, Major Parker was watching the robotic arm on the camera monitor when the first message from flight control in Houston arrived on his computer screen with a brief email alert tone. It was a message from CATO asking him to check the radar screens to see if he was picking up any unknown objects heading his way from behind the ISS. It may be a computer problem on the ground, but they wanted him to check it out anyway. This type of thing happens occasionally and Major Parker was not alarmed at all by the message. She turned her attention away from the camera monitor for a minute to look at the radar screen monitors. They looked normal. There were no blips or recordings of any unknown objects heading in their direction from any angle. He sent a quick reply to CATO and turned his attention back to the robotic arm test status.

    From outside the station, Commander Bonario watched the robotic arm move above him. It moved slowly up and then down while the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator hand rotated in both directions during the test. It seemed to be functioning fine now. No jerky movements like before. He was ready to see if the Mobile Servicer Base System that was attached to the truss rail system was able to move. The arm looks fine, Kim, Commander Bonario said into his radio. How about moving the base system a few feet towards the front section?

    Okay, I’m clicking on the command button now, Major Parker replied.

    As the Mobile Servicing System started to inch its way along the rails on the truss system, Commander Bonario slowly propelled his manned maneuvering unit a few feet further from the MSS. He wanted to take some pictures with his digital camera that was attached to the MMU. It would make an interesting photo he could send to his kids back home after he finished the EVA.

    As he was focusing the camera, he thought he saw a reflection of light off to his right in the distance. At first he thought it was a star, but it was moving across the heavens and appeared to be traveling towards the space station. He watched it for a few seconds and then spoke into his headset. Kim, turn on the AERCam and take a look behind the ISS, at an angle about 45 degrees. I see a moving light reflection, but I can’t make out any details.

    Major Parker looked puzzled for a moment, then responded. Let me activate the camera system, Commander. I just received a message from flight control a few minutes ago about an unidentified object in our vicinity, but nothing appeared on radar. Let me check again.

    As Major Parker re-checked her radar screens, turned on the free-flying robotic camera system called AERCam and maneuvered it above the starboard solar panels, Commander Bonario’s curiosity was beginning to peak. He could definitely make out an object off in the distance, but it was too far away to tell how big it is or what it was. It’s probably a satellite, he thought, and waited for Major Kim to respond. As Commander Bonario was looking at the faint object in the distance, it suddenly darted to the left and disappeared. He blinked and looked again, but the object was gone.

    Did you see that, Kim? Commander Bonario questioned over his radio. The object just disappeared.

    I’m looking at the camera monitor, Commander, Major Parker said. I don’t see anything. The radar screens don’t show anything either. What do you think it was?

    I’m not sure, Kim. Maybe it was a UFO, Commander Bonario joked. We haven’t seen one of those in years. Although he spoke lightly, the commander did not have a closed mind. There were several incidents in the history of space flight where unidentified objects were seen and even photographed, but nothing ever resulted from the event. They were just entered into the space log as part of the daily records. It usually ended there. Commander Bonario looked one more time for the object, didn’t see anything, and refocused on the task at hand.

    Chapter 3

    Solar Storm

    On the sun’s surface, 93 million miles away from Earth, the temperature is a cool 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit compared to 1,800,000 degrees Fahrenheit in the sun’s outer atmosphere called the corona. To those scientists monitoring the situation, the reasons why it is cooler on the sun’s surface than in the corona are still a great solar mystery. The intense gravitational and magnetic fields probably have something to do with it. Another mystery is what causes solar flares to produce large, erupting solar prominences and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that send massive amounts of energy in many forms towards the planets. Certainly, no one on Earth could predict exactly when solar flares or CMEs would occur or how big they would be.

    At 7:45 p.m. Central Daylight Saving Time in Houston, the sun produced a massive solar prominence in the region of the greatest sunspot activity that reached up thousands of miles from the sun’s surface in a matter of minutes and quickly produced a coronal mass ejection. It was a ‘two-ribbon’ flare sometimes called a ‘seahorse flare’. The last one was recorded on a hydrogen H-alpha telescope at the Marshall Space Flight Center in 2001. That flare produced radiation levels that would have been harmful to astronauts on the moon. This flare was even more powerful than the X28 Class Flare that erupted in 2003, more powerful than any solar flare ever recorded to date. This was an X-Class flare that was about to spew forth more than 10 billion tons of electrified gas, light and X-rays towards the Earth. Normally, CMEs produced solar storms that traveled outward into space at around 600 miles per second. This one was traveling towards Earth at a rate of 1100 miles per second. The full brunt of the storm would reach Earth in 2 days. However, the first energetic proton particles from this flare would reach Earth within 15 minutes. Not much time for NOAA to sound an Alert.

    NOAA has several satellites in orbit around the sun observing and monitoring solar events. The extreme-ultraviolet imaging telescope aboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite picked up the first proton beams bouncing off its electronic detectors like tiny fireflies. It immediately started sending data to the ground stations and observatories on Earth. NOAA picked up the first signals at 7:53 p.m. CDST and quickly transmitted its first Space Weather Alert to every possible recipient on its distribution list.

    The CATO officer at NASA’s flight control center in Houston was among the first persons to receive NOAA’s Space Weather Alert. Alarms started to ring on several consoles in the flight control room. Heads turned immediately to several monitor screens scattered around the room. The Flight Director quickly walked over to the CATO officer, saw what was happening on the monitor screens and instructed him to notify the ISS communications officer.

    Meanwhile, on board the ISS, Alex Vladamir heard the same alert tones on his wireless headset. A loud tune began to blare out over his laptop speakers. It was a Russian marching song in a shortened digital version that repeated itself very three seconds. Everyone in the command and control module could hear it echoing off the walls in the research module. For a second, Major Parker and Major Helms thought Alex was up to his usual mischief, but that gave way to alarm when they heard the computer alarms start to sound all over the room. Then the NOAA Space Weather Alert message popped up on most of the monitor screens. It read: Space Weather Bulletin #11-8, June 1 at 7:00 p.m. MDST *** MAJOR SOLAR FLARE ERUPTS, EXTREME SOLAR RADIATION STORM EXPECTED ***, followed by a brief description of the solar flare eruption with an alert of possible S5 (Extreme) solar radiation storm and R5 (Extreme) radio blackout conditions.

    Alex looked at the monitors and immediately realized what was happening. In one sense—for a split-second—he was very excited about the event and couldn’t wait to analyze all the data he was receiving. Then he remembered what this could mean to the ISS crew on board and especially to anyone on an EVA outside the station. He immediately turned on his wireless headset and microphone intercom system and called Major Helms. Major Helms! he yelled into the microphone. Can you hear me?

    Major Helms was in the command module at the command and control center with Major Parker who was busy trying to activate the two-way radio system to notify Commander Bonario outside the space station. Yes, I can hear you, Alex, she replied. What’s happening?

    NOAA just sent a Space Weather Advisory, Alex responded. It’s an Alert. A large solar flare just erupted and it’s heading our way. You’ve got to get the commander inside the space station immediately.

    What’s the radiation level on this storm, Alex? Major Helms asked, trying to read the Alert at the same time.

    It’s a S5 radiation hazard Alert, Major, Alex responded through his headset microphone. Enough to fry your insides if you’re outside too long. The commander’s space suit isn’t designed to protect against this level of radiation.

    How much time do we have? Major Helms asked beginning to sound a little anxious.

    I’m not sure, Major, Alex said. Maybe just a few minutes. I need to check with flight control and check my instruments. You need to alert the crew and prepare for electric power interference and radio blackouts. Anything can happen with this type of storm.

    Okay, Alex. We’re working on it. Keep us informed, Major Helms said and turned to speak to Major Parker who just finished talking with the CATO officer in mission control. She looked worried.

    Kim, we need to get Commander Bonario inside immediately. Where is he now? Major Helms asked.

    He’s hovering near the MSS robotic arm, Major Parker explained. We’re running diagnostic tests and he’s observing. You can see him on the remote camera monitor. I’m calling him now. What do you want me to tell him?

    He needs to return to the airlock immediately. There’s an extreme solar flare alert and radiation levels will be too high for safety. Let me know how long it will take to get him inside, Kim. I’m going to check his biomedical readings. With that comment, Major Helms pushed herself towards the instrument panel at the far end of the command module and added one more request. Patch me through to Commander Bonario on the radio channel when you get through to him.

    Outside, Commander Bonario was patiently watching the Mobile Base System move along its tracks when all of a sudden it stopped and Major Parker’s voice came over the speakers in his helmet. Commander Bonario, you need to return to the airlock immediately. There’s a solar flare alert and hazardous radiation levels are expected to hit us very soon. Do you hear this message, Commander? Major Parker asked.

    Yes, I hear you loud and clear, Major, Commander Bonario replied. He was familiar with the risks involved in being caught out in a sudden magnetic storm. How much time do I have before the storm hits us? he asked.

    Not much time, Colonel, Major Helms chimed in on the radio channel. Alex is checking his instruments. He says it’s a big solar flare with potential S5 Extreme radiation levels. You need to get inside immediately.

    Okay, Major. I’m coming in. It will take me about 10 minutes to cover the distance to the airlock. I’m turning the MMU around now.

    As Commander Bonario began to rotate around towards the Joint Airlock Module, he noticed the first signs of the solar storm approaching. The space station was beginning to surface-charge. The ends of the port side solar panels began to glow with an eerie blue-green color from the first energized proton beams from the flare. It quickly spread over the whole space station. Alarms started to sound off in his suit. He knew Major Helms was going to have a fit when her biomedical panel started to ring. He looked down at the display and control module on his chest and looked at the radiation level indicator. It was slowly moving to the red zone. He didn’t have much time before it would be too high for his suit to protect him from the X-rays. He started to consider his options when Major Helm’s voice filled his helmet.

    Commander, you need to get inside as quickly as you can. The radiation levels are climbing fast. Do you read me? Major Helms sounded worried. The radio channel started to crackle from electrical noise interference.

    She should be worried, thought Commander Bonario. I hear you, Major, but the radio channel is breaking up. I’m aware of the radiation levels. I’m returning to the airlock as quickly as I can. Suddenly the MMU stopped moving. He pressed on the translational hand controls, but no nitrogen-propellant was coming out. This is not a good time to have problems with the MMU, he thought. He tried the second propellant system. Each MMU had a dual parallel system for redundancy purposes, but it would not work either. Something was wrong with the controls. Maybe the magnetic storm was interfering with the computer chips. This is no time for panic, Commander Bonario said to himself. He could still use his manually operated jetpack to fly back to the airlock. It would just take a few moments to locate it under his MMU and point the nozzle in the right direction.

    Commander Bonario’s radiation alarm in his helmet sounded every five seconds and it was rising in intensity. He knew things were getting pretty bad outside. He needed at least ten minutes to reach the airlock on the other side of the command module. He didn’t know if he had that much time before the X-ray radiation levels reached critical limits. Exposure to massive amounts of X-rays would begin to burn up his insides in a matter of minutes and there wasn’t much anyone could do about it after the damage was done. It would be a painful death. He decided not to think about it now and concentrated on the jetpack.

    Inside, the crew was moving quickly to prepare for any damage. The space station was designed to protect the crew from extreme radiation storms, but the electrical and power systems usually took a hit and some systems had to be turned off. One major concern was the solar panels and how they would react to a massive magnetic storm.

    Major Parker was watching the commander on the remote camera monitor when it started to flicker. Ah-oh, she said to herself. Major Helms heard her over her headset. What’s the matter, Kim? she asked.

    The commander has stopped moving. It looks like he is having trouble with his maneuvering unit. He was trying to get out his jetpack when the camera monitor started to fade. I can barely make him out. We’re losing the camera signal, she said.

    Try to call him on the radio, Major Helms said. Find out if he needs any help.

    I’m trying, Jean, Major Parker replied. The radio is full of static. We’re losing communications from the storm. I lost radio contact with ground control two minutes ago. We’re in radio blackout conditions until the storm clears.

    Commander Bonario heard nothing but static on his com-link. He turned down the volume. Things were looking a little dim and not because it was pitch black outside. All of a sudden a strange light appeared all around him. It was bluish in color and it caused him to squint as his eyes tried to adjust. He instinctively reached up and pulled down his helmet visor. It reduced the glare and he turned around to see where the light was coming from.

    At first he thought one of the crewmembers turned on an outdoor floodlight, but this light was different. It seemed to be a perfect beam and it was only shining on him. As he followed the beam to its source, he could make out a shape in the

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