TO THE MOON
By Lark6019


Note:  The beginning of this story is found in the Caroline Everson joint story.


Chapter 1

The airplane set down on the runway and taxied to a stop.  Four alighted, but
not in the usual manner; instead of using a stairway, two took the others on
their right shoulders and the luggage on their left shoulders and jumped down
the twenty feet to the ground.

“What a soft landing!” GeekNerd proclaimed to Sharon.  “You constantly amaze
me!”

“Of course I landed softly.  I wouldn’t want to hurt the man I love,” Sharon
replied as she set him down and gave him a kiss.

“So this is Cape Kennedy,” Paul stated as he looked around.

“That’s right,” GeekNerd replied.  “The launching pad is over there and that
large building is the Space Shuttle preparation area.  Our offices are in that
building.”

“Tell me again why we’re here,” Caroline asked.  “Why couldn’t we do this in
England?”

“You know the answer.  The General won’t allow me on the base.”

“And you know that with me accompanying you, he can’t stop you,” Sharon
reminded.

“That’s true.  But if he doesn’t want me there, I won’t force myself on him. 
Besides, this base has the Astronaut training facilities.”

“I still can’t believe it,” Paul proclaimed.  “I’m going to pilot the Space
Shuttle to the Moon!”

“And I’m going along for the ride!” Caroline rejoined.

“More than just for the ride,” GeekNerd chided.  “You and Sharon are vital for
the mission to succeed.  Ah, here’s our car now.”

The four entered the NASA car and soon arrived at their offices.
***************************************************************
“So, what’s the first order of business?” Sharon asked.

“First, we take down the ‘No Smoking’ sign,” GeekNerd said as he ripped the sign
off the wall, wadded it, and tossed it into the trash can.  Sharon was
astonished as she heard it clank into the can.  She had thought that it was
cardboard, but evidently it was metal.

“How did you do that?”  She asked.  “Are you super too?”

“Heavens no,” GeekNerd laughed.  “It’s aluminum.”

“Second, I light up a cigarette.”  He took a puff.  “Third, I’d like you to set
up a staff meeting, say in an hour.  I need to get to know the team.”

“Certainly, boss,” Sharon averred.  But as she looked at the wadded sign, she
thought she saw rust on it.  Aluminum didn’t rust, did it?

“Hey, we’re a team.  You may be listed as my assistant, but you know you’re much
more than my equal,” he said as he gave her a kiss.

“Only in the strength department,” she replied as she returned his kiss. 
“You’re the one with the brains here.”

“You’re no dummy either.  Keep that in mind.  That’s why I love you so.”

“Oh really!  And I thought these had something to do with it!” Sharon said as
she flexed her biceps.

“I love the whole package,” he replied.
********************************************************************
GeekNerd arose and spoke.  “I called you all together today to introduce myself
and to ensure we’re all on the same page here.  Some of you may not be aware of
the plan.  To put it simply, we’re going to the Moon in the Space Shuttle, and
once there we’re going to place scientific instruments such as seismometers and
we’re also going to try to stabilize the Moon on its axis.”

“Now as you know, the Space Shuttle was not designed to go to the Moon.  It was
designed only as a near-Earth orbital device.  We’ve been to the Moon before,
but the rockets and landers used are out of production.  We’re on a severe time
constraint here and don’t have the time needed to restart production. 
Therefore, we’re using the only space vehicle available.”

“To get the Space Shuttle to the Moon, the plan is for Caroline to toss it into
the air as far as possible, then to use the Shuttle’s engines and External
Booster Rockets to propel it the rest of the way.  So one team will be
responsible for the final design of a protective shroud which will the placed
over the Shuttle at launch and will protect the Shuttle against the force of
Caroline’s throw.  Another team will be responsible for the design of an extra
fuel tank which will be carried in the Shuttle cargo hold.  I will coordinate
efforts and will be responsible for the final sign-off of all plans.”

“You all have your assignments.  I cannot emphasize enough that time is of the
essence here.  We do not know how much longer the Moon can continue wobbling
until it flies apart.”

Question from the group:  “Why not just have Caroline throw the Shuttle all the
way to the Moon?  Is that beyond her capabilities?”

GeekNerd:  “Nothing seems to be beyond Caroline’s capabilities.  She has more
than enough strength to easily throw it to the Moon, but one of two things would
happen along the way:  either the Shuttle would implode due to the force of her
throw, or the Shuttle would burn up before leaving Earth’s atmosphere due to the
extreme speed involved.  You have to remember that the Shuttle will be traveling
at maximum speed when it leaves her arms.”

Question from the group:  “How will you stabilize the Moon?”

GeekNerd:  “Another group is working on the final details of that.  The basic
idea is that of balancing things such as tires on Earth.  We’ll move weight from
one area of the Moon to another to bring it back into balance.  Caroline and
Sharon will handle the actual movements themselves.”

Question from the group:  “Why are you and Paul going?  Wouldn’t it be better to
send professional Astronauts?”

GeekNerd:  “The military denies responsibility for destabilizing the Moon and
therefore we cannot use a military Shuttle.  So we must use a civilian NASA
Shuttle.  But NASA has always been voluntary.  As you know, Astronauts train for
months or years before flying.  Their training covers all aspects of the
Shuttle, its capabilities and its limitations.  They have been told all along
that a flight to the Moon on the Shuttle is impossible; it’s been ingrained in
them.  That and the lack of preparation time for this mission, and there were no
volunteers.  Paul and I love to see our women in action, showing off their
strength, and therefore we volunteered.”

Question from the group:  “Are needed materials and manpower available to us?”

GeekNerd:  “Yes, I can get you any materials you need, just tell my assistant
Sharon what you need.  Caroline and Sharon will be available for any heavy
lifting or construction work required.  Speaking of which, don’t worry about
specifying heat treating or other special weld procedures; they have their own
ways of melding metals together.  They can even join aluminum to cast iron!”
*****************************************************************
Sharon entered the office.  “This is a requisition for a lathe; I’ll need you to
sign for it.”

“A lathe?” GeekNerd asked.  “Who requested it?”

“Manfred.”

“Have him come in here.”

“Certainly.  I’ll bring him up.”

A bit later, Sharon re-entered the office with Manfred in tow.

“I see you requested a lathe,” GeekNerd stated.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Why?”

“To make parts for testing, of course.”

“Let me see that bar stock.”

Manfred produced the stainless steel bar.

“What do you need to have done with it?”

“It needs to be threaded on one end, to mate with this nut.”

“Sharon?”

Sharon took the bar stock in her hand.  She examined the nut, then ran her
fingernail over the bar stock as she turned it in her hand, forming perfect
threads in the solid metal.  Manfred looked on slack-jawed; GeekNerd looked on
and smiled.

“Is that good for you?” GeekNerd asked.

“Can she bend it into an ell?”

“Certainly,” Sharon replied.

“Hold on!” GeekNerd reprimanded.  “What’s going on here, Manfred?  You can’t use
a lathe to form an ell!  You just want to see her show off her strength, don’t
you?”

“You…you’ve got me there,” Manfred stammered.  “I’ve never seen such a display!”

“Yes, she is truly amazing,” GeekNerd agreed.  “But as I said in the meeting,
we’re under a severe time constraint here.  We don’t have time to fool around. 
So get back to work!”
*******************************************************************
“You were a bit harsh on him,” Sharon intoned after Manfred left.

“Yes, but for a reason.  You and Caroline will be extremely busy doing
mission-related work; we just don’t have time for strength displays for
entertainment purposes.”

“Oh?  But I want to entertain you,” Sharon whispered as she flexed an enormous
bicep.

“And I certainly enjoy the entertainment,” he said as he ran his hand over it,
feeling its incredible hardness.  No matter how hard he grasped it, he could not
dent it in at all!

“Don’t forget the other one,” she whispered as she also flexed it.

“Never,” he said as he planted a kiss on it.  “God, you’re sexy!”

“Oh yes, that’s what I like to hear!”

“I would love to continue this, but we’re due to report to training now.”

“Can’t we be late?”

“Not after what I just told Manfred!  We have to show up on time,
unfortunately.”
******************************************************************
GeekNerd and Sharon arrived at the training center at the same time as Caroline
and Paul.

“Ready to start?” Paul asked.

“Sure,” GeekNerd replied as he flicked his cigarette butt.

“With the way you smoke, you’ll never pass the physical,” Paul reprimanded.

“I told you this was accelerated training,” GeekNerd replied.  “We won’t receive
any physical training or testing.  It wouldn’t make any difference anyway; if
Caroline and Sharon can’t perform any needed physical feat, neither of us would
stand a chance!”

“True,” Caroline agreed.  “But if it’s so accelerated, why are Sharon and myself
here?  We won’t be flying the Shuttle.”

“This day is just familiarization with the Shuttle general layout and controls,”
GeekNerd replied.  “There are also some modifications that I’ve made that you
need to be aware of; I’ll point them out as we get to them.”
*******************************************************************
“Wow, that’s a lot to remember!” Paul exclaimed as he left the training
building.

“That’s why they gave you the book to study tonight,” GeekNerd rejoined as he
lit a cigarette.

“You said Sharon and I would get additional training,” Caroline stated.  “When
does that start?”

“I still have to set it up,” GeekNerd replied.  “We should be able to start it
this weekend, but most of it will have to wait until designs are approved.  In
the meantime, I expect the two of you will be busy with construction.”

“But how can we construct if there are no designs?” Caroline asked.

“You can do certain work.  I already know, for example, that the runway area
where the Shuttle will be launched needs to be reinforced.  That will entail
melding together thick steel plates and laying them over the area.”

“Shall I start on it now?”

“No, the steel plates aren’t due to arrive until tomorrow.  For now, just enjoy
your evening.”

“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Sharon agreed.

“No, I need to return to the office.  I’d like you to come with me to assist.”


Chapter 2

As the plane took off, Caroline was the first to speak.  “OK, where are we
going?”

“We’re going to start your training,” GeekNerd smiled.  “We’re on our way to a
national park known for its rocky spires, each hundreds of feet tall.”

“Exactly what training is this?” Paul asked.  “And I’m familiar with that area;
it’s so remote there are barely even trails into it.  It takes days to even
reach the middle, in
4-wheel drive Jeeps.  How can we afford that much time?”

“We won’t be going by Jeep,” GeekNerd replied.  “We’ll jump out of this airplane
when we’re over the area.”

“But I’m not qualified as a parachutist!” Paul protested.

“Don’t worry.  We won’t be using a parachute.”

“Huh!?!”

“You’ll see,” GeekNerd smiled.

 An hour later, the pilot gave the word.

“Time to go,” GeekNerd said as he unbuckled his seat belt and stood up.

Sharon and Caroline also got up.  “Aren’t you coming?” Caroline asked Paul.

“Uh…sure,” Paul replied uncertainly.

GeekNerd opened the fuselage door and looked out.  “This looks about right. 
Ready, Sharon?”

“Ready,” Sharon replied as she took him in her arms and jumped from the plane. 
Sharon was careful to keep her back to the wind.

“We’re next,” Caroline informed Paul.  “Be careful to keep your body curled up
so that I take all the wind force,” she said as she took him in her arms and
jumped.

The wind force was tremendous; the plane had been traveling at over Mach 1 when
they jumped.  They heard the sonic boom as they slowed during their fall.  The
men were both quite comfortable in their lady’s arms, being protected from the
wind shear.  The descent was rapid, but the starting point at 30,000 ft made the
fall last longer than one would have thought.  At 20 ft above the ground, Sharon
threw GeekNerd upwards and then landed by herself.  She was there to catch him
when he fell back moments later. Paul was watching and experienced the same
seconds later.

“What was that!?!” Paul exclaimed.

“Welcome to training,” GeekNerd smiled as he lit a cigarette.  “That is part of
the contingency plan I’m writing.”

“And you made me your guinea pig?” Paul snarled.

“Hey, I left the plane first,” GeekNerd responded.  “I will never ask you to do
something that I would be unwilling to do myself.”

“Besides,” Caroline added, “it’s not as if we hadn’t tried it before.”

“What do you mean?” Paul asked.

“We practiced this with test dummies a few days ago.”

“I didn’t hear about that.”

“You were in your own training,” GeekNerd replied.  “I didn’t want to break your
concentration.  I also wanted you to be aware that there are parts of this
mission to which you will not be privy, either because you do not have the
background necessary to understand their technical nature, or because I feel
your time could be better spent on other areas.  But be assured that you will be
kept informed as much as possible and also, of course, I regard your safety as
paramount.”

“Sorry I snapped at you.”

“That’s all right.  We caught you by surprise.  I wanted to see how you would
react.”

“What, is that part of the training also?”

“Actually, yes it is.  And it will be part of the contingency plan also.”

“You keep talking about a contingency plan.  What is it?”

“It is for reference in case something goes wrong.  One scenario is that the
Shuttle runs out of fuel before it can be positioned properly for re-entry.  In
that case, it would not land at the usual place and could instead crash into a
populated area such as a city.  To prevent death and destruction on the ground,
the military of several different nations will scramble fighter jets to shoot
down the Shuttle with air-to-air missiles.  Before they do this, they will
notify you so that you can jump from the Shuttle.  To give the military time to
shoot it down, and to try again if their first missiles miss, the first attempt
will be made when the Shuttle is at high altitude and high speed.  Today’s jump
is training to give you a feel for how you could exit the Shuttle while
airborne.”

“So this is actually training for all four of us then?”

“That’s right.  For Caroline and Sharon, they practice protecting us from the
wind shear and the landing.  For example, when we were close to the ground, they
threw us back up in the air; that way, they could land hard without us and also
our descent speed would be greatly reduced, allowing them to gently catch us. 
For us, we practice remaining sheltered by them and trusting them to protect
us.”

“I understand now,” Paul said.  “But why come all the way out here to practice
that?”

“We’re killing two birds with one stone,” GeekNerd replied.  “We practiced that,
and now the women will conduct further training.”

“What training?”

“See all these spires?  They will practice knocking down and transporting them
over rough terrain.  This is something they will also do on the Moon.”

“What makes you think there are spires on the Moon?  Every photo I’ve seen shows
a flat landscape.”

“That’s because those photos were taken from landers on the surface, and the
area was chosen for landing because it was flat. There may or may not be actual
spires in other areas.  But the procedure they will be using also applies to any
mountain peak.  You’ll see.”

“Where do you want us to start?” Caroline asked.

“First, let me give you the procedure,” GeekNerd replied.  “I want the two of
you to stand with your right hand in Sharon’s left hand and your arms stretched
out.  Sharon will extend her right arm straight out to her side and you will
extend your left arm straight out to your side.  Then I want the two of you to
run at a spire.  Once you’ve broken through, release your hands, then Sharon
will run ahead while you stop and catch the falling spire at the bottom.  Sharon
will catch the top and help you balance it.  Once you have it balanced, Sharon
will run ahead and you will toss her the spire, then you will run ahead and
Sharon will toss you the spire.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Sharon said as she took Caroline’s hand.

“Why don’t you try that spire first?” GeekNerd suggested as he pointed to one at
least 150 ft tall in the distance.

“Sure,” Caroline agreed as she and Sharon began running towards it.

“Wait!” GeekNerd called out.  “Let Paul and me go over to it first.  I want to
observe it close up.”

Once the men were in position, Caroline and Sharon began running.  They changed
their course so that the spire was centered between them.  Dust and rocks
scattered as they made contact, cleanly splitting the top from the base! 
Caroline stopped and caught the bottom of the spire as Sharon ran ahead and
caught the top.  Caroline then stepped forward to the balance point.  Once she
was holding it by herself, she gave the word to Sharon, who then ran forward.

“How far should I run?” Sharon asked.

“As far as you are comfortable,” GeekNerd replied.  “Caroline can throw it any
distance.”

Sharon ran about 500 yards and stopped.  “Any time you’re ready.”

“Here comes,” Caroline replied as she easily tossed the spire.

“Oops!” Sharon squealed as she caught the spire, but not at the proper place, as
the top hit the ground and broke off.

“That’s all right,” GeekNerd consoled.  “That’s why we’re doing training.  If
this happens on the Moon, you may decide to transport both pieces, or you may
decide to leave these pieces and go after another spire.  For now, let’s try
another one.”

Again the women joined hands and ran at a spire, splitting the top from the
base.  Again Caroline caught the bottom of the spire and Sharon caught the top. 
Again Caroline balanced the spire.

“Okay, Sharon, notice where Caroline is in relation to the top of the spire,”
GeekNerd advised.  “You’ll want to be in the same relative position when you
catch it.”

“Thanks,” Sharon replied.  “Now let me try again.”

Sharon again ran about 500 yards and stopped.  “Any time you’re ready.”

“Here comes,” Caroline replied as she easily tossed the spire.

This time Sharon was in position and easily caught the spire.

“Bravo!” GeekNerd exclaimed. 

Sharon held the spire overhead with one hand as she did an exaggerated curtsy. 
GeekNerd clapped in approval.

In the meantime, Caroline had run ahead.  “Any time you’re ready.”

Sharon tossed the spire to Caroline, who caught it easily.

“Why don’t you two keep practicing up that hill?” GeekNerd suggested as he and
Paul ran to keep up with the women.

“Why…did…you…have…to pick…UP…hill?” Paul panted.

“Sorry, I didn’t know you were so out of shape.  Why don’t we rest here a bit?”
GeekNerd said as he lit a cigarette.

“Yeah…occupational…hazard, I guess. 
When...your...girl…friend...is…super…powered, she...does...all...the...lifting.”

The two men looked on as the women continued to relay the spire.  The women soon
noticed that the men were no longer with them and looked about.  Spotting them,
the women set down the spire and ran up to them.

“We’re the ones doing the work and yet you’re the ones taking the break,” Sharon
pouted.

“Paul needed to rest a bit,” GeekNerd said.  “The jaunt up the hill was a bit
much for him.”

“But I still love him,” Caroline said as she took Paul in her arms and gave him
a kiss.  “Besides, he has plenty of energy for other things.”

“I’m sure he does,” GeekNerd agreed.  “I wanted to come up here because there is
a spire in this area that I want you two to try next.  Let’s see, that one.”

Caroline and Sharon looked at the spire he was pointing to.  “Why does it have a
marking on it?” Caroline asked.

“Because it’s special,” GeekNerd smiled.  “I want to see how you will handle
it.”

“What’s special about it?” Caroline asked.

“You’ll have to find that out yourselves,” GeekNerd replied.

“Hmm, it doesn’t look any different,” Caroline mused.

“Not from here at least,” Sharon agreed.  “But maybe from above.”  She jumped
straight up in the air to the top of the spire, more than 100 ft above the
ground, and looked at it closely.

“Well?” Caroline asked as Sharon landed back on the ground.

“If you saw something from up there, don’t tell her,” GeekNerd said.  “Remember,
this is training for the Moon and you won’t know if a spire on the Moon is
special or not.  So you must be prepared for the unexpected.”

“I could always jump up there myself and have a look around,” Caroline pointed
out.

“Yes, you could,” GeekNerd agreed.  “But would you do that on the Moon if you
didn’t know it was special?”

“I see your point.  How do you want us to handle it?”

“Just like the others,” GeekNerd replied.  “Paul and I will stay here.”

Caroline and Sharon joined hands and ran towards the spire.  Once again, the
spire sheared off on impact and Caroline caught the base.  But this time, a
large chunk fell off the top and crashed to the ground, upsetting the balance of
the remainder and causing Caroline to nearly lose control.  Sharon quickly ran
over in time to catch the top of the spire and Caroline regained her balance.

“You knew that top stone was loose!” Caroline shouted.

“That’s right,” GeekNerd replied.  “On the Moon, some spires may have loose tops
or internal fractures and may come apart when they are sheared off.  Just be
aware of it.  Now, why don’t you ladies join us again?”

Sharon and Caroline came over to the men.  “There’s another special spire here,”
GeekNerd said.  “That’s it over there.”

Caroline and Sharon looked at the spire he was pointing to.  “It has a different
marking on it,” Caroline noted.

“That’s right,” GeekNerd averred.  “The top of it is special too.”

“Maybe I’ll just jump up there and take a look,” Sharon said.

“I was hoping you’d say that,” GeekNerd smiled.  “Take me along for the ride and
land on top.”

“Sure,” Sharon agreed as she took him in her arms and made a perfect vertical
leap nearly 200 ft to the top.  After a soft landing, she squealed with delight
as she saw a large picnic basket in the center.

“Hey you two,” Sharon yelled to Caroline and Paul as she leaned over the edge. 
“Lunch!”

Caroline immediately took Paul in her arms and jumped to the top of the spire. 
“Great, I’m starving!”

GeekNerd opened the basket and spread out the goodies within.  The four all dug
in.  Afterwards, GeekNerd lit a cigarette and took a look around.

“Wow, what a view!” Sharon exclaimed as she stood beside him.

“Yes indeed.”  GeekNerd put his arm around Sharon and looked into her eyes. 
“But it can’t compare to this view.”  Sharon wrapped her arms around him and
kissed him deeply.

“Thanks for lunch,” Caroline called out.

“You’re welcome,” GeekNerd replied.

“I don’t understand,” Paul mused.  “How did you get this basket up here?”

“A helicopter crew dropped it off just before we arrived.”

“But why put it here?”

“So it wouldn’t be eaten.  There are wolves in this area.  Besides, the view is
spectacular and it gave us a chance to experience our ladies’s strength.”

“With you, there’s always something on the surface and something below the
surface,” Paul remarked.

“And here, I wanted to show you that I think about your needs and wants,”
GeekNerd agreed.  “Hopefully, you’ll think about the fact that I had lunch
delivered and waiting for you, when we start our Moon mission.  I want you to
know that if you need something during the mission, it will be there for you,
just like the lunch was here for you when you were hungry.”

Just then, an airplane flew overhead, dangling a rope behind it.

“What’s that?” Paul asked.

“Our ticket out of here,” GeekNerd replied.  “This is more training.  When we’re
on the surface of the Moon, the Shuttle will be orbiting overhead.  Rather than
land to pick us up, it will continue in orbit and we will jump up to it.  This
plane will circle back to give the women a feel for timing their jump to catch
the rope.”

Paul looked over the edge of the spire, then up into the sky.  “Rather risky
doing it here, don’t you think?”

“Not if you trust your woman.  And I trust Sharon completely,” GeekNerd said as
he gave her a kiss.

“And I thought that you trusted me,” Caroline pouted.

“Believe me, I do,” Paul averred as he gave Caroline a kiss.  “Let’s do it.”

As the plane came around again, GeekNerd climbed onto Sharon’s back and she
leaped into the sky.  Unfortunately, her leap was a bit strong; they sailed past
the rope.  Sharon began flailing her arms.  “Just grab the tail fin of the
plane,” GeekNerd advised.  “We can drop down to the rope later.”  Sharon took
his advice and grabbed on.

Meanwhile, Paul climbed onto Caroline’s back and she leaped skyward.  Her leap
was better, and she grabbed the rope.  Noticing Sharon had overshot, she called
out to her, “Hey, are you two alright?  Can I help?”

“We’re fine,” GeekNerd answered.  “I want Sharon to work this out, we should be
joining you in a bit.  In the meantime, go ahead and climb up the rope into the
plane.”

“You’re doing better with this than I am!” Sharon exclaimed.  “How do we get
from here into the plane?”

“There are at least two options.  You can just let go and fall back to the
ground, then try again.  Or, and this is what I would like you to try, you can
slide down to the bottom of this tail fin, then work your way along the outside
of the plane to put yourself in position, then let go of the plane and grab the
rope.”

“You would really trust me that much with your safety?”

“As I said down below, I trust you completely.”  And he sealed it with a kiss. 
But he held on extra tightly as Sharon made her maneuvers, and as she released
her hold on the plane.  Sharon was careful, and managed to catch the rope. 
Finally, she pulled herself up the rope into the plane.  GeekNerd closed the
door and signaled the pilot.

“This has been quite a trip!” Paul exclaimed.  “I don’t know whether to be
fascinated or petrified!”

“This is just the beginning,” GeekNerd stated.  “If you think the Moon mission
will be too much for you, you can still back out; I’ll understand.”

“No, I gave you my word and I will carry through with it.”

“Great!  Now, there’s one final training item to do.  This plane will not land;
we’ll jump out of it as before, but this time, the plane will be traveling at
Mach 3.  At that speed, we will not be able to breathe, so the women will have
to give us some of their breath as we descend.  I’d really like to try that with
Sharon now.”

Sharon took the hint and took GeekNerd in her arms, then pressed her lips over
his.  As long as this kiss was, he needed air!

The pilot gave the signal.  GeekNerd got up and went to the door.  “When this
door is opened, there will be tremendous turbulence in here.  Therefore, I
suggest we get in position now, and the women must brace themselves.”

Sharon got up and took GeekNerd in her arms.  Caroline got up and took Paul in
her arms.  “Caroline, place your lips over Paul’s and then open the door and
jump when you are ready.  We’ll follow you out.”

Sharon put her lips over GeekNerd’s.  Seeing this, Caroline opened the door. 
Immediately, clothing began to shred in the buffeting!  Caroline jumped out of
the plane, followed closely by Sharon.

The women’s clothing ripped to shreds due to the wind force, but the men’s
clothing remained intact, being shielded by the women’s bodies.  Sonic boom
followed sonic boom as their speed dropped, then all was silent as they
continued falling, the ground finally coming into view.  Just before hitting,
Caroline and Sharon tossed their men into the air, slowing their fall.  After
touchdown, each woman caught their man in their arms.

“Where are we?” Paul asked.

“Let’s see,” GeekNerd answered as he retrieved a GPS unit from his pocket. 
“We’re about 5 miles west of the base.  It’s in that direction.”

“Are they sending a car for us?”

“No, we’ll have to walk.”  Lighting a cigarette, he added, “But first, let’s
give our shirts to the ladies.  Modesty and all that, you know.”


Chapter 3

Sharon entered the office carrying a tray of food.  Although it was late, she
hadn’t seen GeekNerd in the dining room, and suspected that he hadn’t eaten.  He
was certainly putting in long hours lately.

“There you are!” she said as she spotted him behind his desk.  “Working late
again?”

“You know it,” he replied.  “What’s that?  Did you bring me supper?”

“Yeah, I didn’t see you in the dining room earlier.”

“Thanks, I hadn’t noticed the time.  It smells delicious.”

“Someone needs to take care of you, and I guess I’m the one stuck with the job,”
Sharon stated.

“Stuck?” GeekNerd said as he took a bite.  “Is that the way you really feel?”

Sharon could see that she had struck a nerve.  “Of course not, I’m just
kidding!”

“Are you?”

“Well, not totally.  I mean, here it is, nearly 10 o’clock in the evening, and
you’re still here working, skipping supper.”

“I have a lot to do,” he protested.  “Until I smelled this food, I hadn’t
realized how hungry I am.  Thanks again for bringing it.”

“That’s what I meant when I said someone needs to take care of you.”

“It is nice to have someone take care of me, especially if that someone is you. 
But it’s not as nice if they feel it’s something they are stuck with doing.”

“Believe me, I want to take care of you.  Besides,” she giggled, “how could a
superwoman like me be stuck?  There isn’t a glue made that could hold me!”

GeekNerd laughed out loud and was joined by Sharon as they enjoyed the humor.

He finished his meal and lit a cigarette.  Sharon sat down at the desk and lit a
cigar.

“That meal really hit the spot,” he said as he gave her a kiss.

“Thank you,” she replied as she returned the kiss.  “Now, what is keeping you
here?  Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Maybe.  The shroud is turning out to be far more difficult to design than I had
envisioned.  But actually, the whole mission has problems.  It is going to use
more fuel than I expected, and I’m not sure what to do about it.”

“Well, I’m not an engineer.”

“True, but maybe we can brainstorm together.”

“Sure.  Where do we start?”

“How about the launch?  The more force Caroline puts into the throw, the more
difficult it is to cushion the Shuttle with the shroud.  Yet she pretty much has
to throw the Shuttle all the way to the Moon; if we use the Shuttle engines for
most of the trip as I had envisioned, there won’t be enough fuel to make it back
to Earth.”

“Well, how about if Caroline first jumps into the air with the Shuttle in hand,
then tosses it?  That would minimize the force of the throw, wouldn’t it?”

“The problem with that idea is leverage; if she’s on the ground, the Earth gives
her resistance downward, so that all the energy of her throw goes into the
Shuttle.  If she’s in the air, however, then she has no brace and if she tries
to throw the Shuttle, the energy of the throw will just send her downward.”

“Hmmm.  What happens to the shroud after launch?”

“That’s another unknown.  Originally, I had thought that the shroud would be
destroyed during ascent.  But as I’ve had to add more and more sturdy hardware,
it has necessarily become heavier and heavier.”

“So it might survive the launch?”

“Yes, definitely.  It has to protect the Shuttle while in the Earth’s
atmosphere.  It may begin to fall apart, but it must remain sufficiently intact
to perform its mission.”

“Why don’t we use the shroud as a leverage point then?”

“What do you mean?”

“Like a multi-stage rocket.  The main rocket fires at launch, then another
rocket fires later.  In our case, Caroline performs two throws; the first at
launch, and then another once in space, using the shroud, or what’s left of it,
as a leverage point.”

GeekNerd gave Sharon a kiss.  “That’s brilliant!  It also provides a means of
disposing of the shroud; her throw would send the shroud hurtling back to Earth
so fast it will burn up in the atmosphere.”

“Now, while I’m on a roll, what about the return trip?  You said that the
Shuttle would orbit the Moon, rather than landing on it.  But how about if we
deliberately landed it on the Moon instead?  Then Caroline would throw it back
to Earth.  Wouldn’t this use less fuel?”

“The Moon’s surface is heavily cratered, making it extremely difficult to land
the Shuttle on the Moon.  Unless…How would you feel about making a runway on the
Moon?”

“I could certainly do it, although it might take a while.  Perhaps there’s a
different way of landing the Shuttle?”

“The Shuttle is designed to land like an airplane; it would be incredibly
difficult to try to use the retro rockets to make it land vertically.”

“No, what I’m saying is that during training with the spires, you had us jump up
to a plane with a rope tied to it, and you said that was training for Shuttle
operations on the Moon.  Does that mean the Shuttle will have a rope hanging
from it?  And if it does, maybe I can grab the rope as the Shuttle is coming in
for a landing, and use the rope to try to brake the Shuttle?”

“Interesting idea.  I can put an entry/exit rope on the Shuttle or not,
whichever you and Caroline prefer.  If you want to use the rope to brake the
Shuttle, however, that’s a different animal altogether.  To do that, the rope
would have to be attached to the main frame of the Shuttle; I would need to have
an engineering analysis performed to ensure stresses would not exceed design
margins.  The effect for you would probably be some sort of minimum stopping
distance for the Shuttle, based on its initial speed.”

“My goodness!  I’m trying to help, but instead I’m making even more work for
you!”

“No, no indeed!  I’ll assign one of the engineers to work on it.  Your idea is
terrific; it may be exactly what we need if we have to land on the Moon.”

“Right now, you need to land in bed.  Why don’t you join me; you can get a fresh
start in the morning.”

“Now that’s the best offer I’ve had all day.  I can take care of you, and
believe me, it won’t be a job and I won’t feel stuck with it,” he said as he
kissed her.

“Maybe I’ll hug you tight enough that you’ll feel stuck,” she whispered.

“Please do,” he replied as they embraced.


Chapter 4


“Where are we going?” Paul asked.  “I really needed to stay at the base and
study.”

“I thought you and Caroline could use a break,” GeekNerd replied.  “Today will
be fun for us but training for the ladies.”

“Hey, how come we don’t get a break?” Sharon pouted.

“Time constraints.  You have to be ready for the mission, and it is extremely
important that you practice.”

“You still haven’t said where we are going,” Paul pointed out.

“Sorry.  It’s not a secret, we’re just going a short distance to a closed naval
base.  That’s why we’re in a car instead of in a plane.”

“A naval base?  But we’re preparing to go into space!” Paul protested.

“Just be patient.  You’ll understand once we get there.”

GeekNerd stopped the car at a locked gate.  “Phooey!  I forgot the key.  Sharon,
would you open the gate for us?”

“Sure,” she replied as she got out of the car.  She walked up to the gate and
took the lock in her hand.  Smiling at GeekNerd, she then bent down and took it
in her mouth.  Making sure he had a clear view, she wrapped her tongue around
the case-hardened steel shackle of the lock and licked, cleanly shearing it in
two.  She appreciated the look of awe on his face.

GeekNerd drove the car through the gate and Sharon got back in.

“Thank you for doing it that way,” GeekNerd said.

“I know you like tongue demonstrations,” Sharon smiled.

“You know me better than anyone else ever has.”

Sharon smiled at that remark and gave him a peck on the cheek.  He smiled back.

GeekNerd stopped the car at the dry dock area and the four got out.  A destroyer
was in one dock and a battleship in another.  One railroad flat car loaded with
steel plates and another loaded with steel I-beams were spotted on the pier.

“If we have to land the Shuttle on the Moon, then Caroline will need to upright
it and toss it back into orbit,” GeekNerd stated.  “That is the only way we
would retain enough fuel to make it back to Earth.  We’re here today so that she
can practice that throw, to see how much force she should use.  If she doesn’t
use enough strength, the Shuttle will not make it into orbit and will crash back
down onto the Moon.  If she uses too much strength, the Shuttle will fall apart
due to the excessive forces.”

“This destroyer is in dry dock for dismantling.  It weighs more than the Shuttle
will when it is on the Moon, but by tossing it a shorter distance than she will
toss the Shuttle, we can make the force of the throw similar to that which is
required for the Shuttle.”

“The dry dock floor is not designed to handle the pressure of the weight of the
entire destroyer on the area of the soles of her feet, therefore we will use
those steel plates as a base for her to stand on.  Caroline, go ahead and jump
down to the floor of the dry dock.  Sharon, toss those steel plates down to her
one at a time.  Caroline, place the steel plates on the floor in a staggered
pattern, like a pyramid.  That will ensure the weight of the ship is transferred
to more than one plate.”

“Now Caroline, do you see two marks on the bottom of the ship?”

“Yes I do.”

“Those marks were put there by marine engineers to indicate the ship’s keel.  If
you put your hands on the marks, the ship can be tossed without breaking apart.”

“Okay, I’m ready.”

“Try to toss the ship 10 ft in the air.  There’s a marker up here I will use to
measure your toss.  I would suggest first just hefting the ship to get a feel
for its weight.”

The three watched as the ship rose up in the air as Caroline felt its weight,
then they observed the toss.

“That’s not bad,” GeekNerd shouted.  “It measured 15 ft.  Use a bit less
strength this time.”

Caroline again tossed the ship.

“That’s great!  Eleven feet.  If you were tossing the Shuttle, it would enter
orbit successfully.  Practice again as you need to be able to duplicate that
amount of strength.”

After several more tosses, Caroline called out,” All right, I’m confident I can
make the toss.  What’s next?”

“Toss the steel plates back up to Sharon.”

“Okay, that’s the last of them,” Caroline said.

“Jump up here and join us.”

“That was interesting,” Caroline said.  “Whenever I’ve tried lifting ships
before, they have always broken in two.”

“This ship is special,” GeekNerd smiled.  “I had it internally reinforced so you
could practice on it.  That battleship has also been reinforced,” he continued
as he pointed to the other dry dock.

“Oh?  So will I be practicing on it also?” Caroline asked.

“Yes, you will.  It will stand in for the Shuttle launch from Earth.  But first,
why don’t we have lunch?  I have a basket for us in the trunk of the car.”

“Finally!  I’m starving!” Paul exclaimed.

“You?” Sharon asked.  “We’re the ones who have been doing the work!”

“And you’re the ones who deserve the treats,” GeekNerd agreed as he opened the
trunk and took out the basket.  “So here you are,” he said as he tossed a candy
bar to Caroline and another to Sharon.

“I was hoping for a different kind of treat,” Caroline pouted.

“I’ll give you your ‘treat’ later, after we eat,” Paul smiled.

“Goody!  I love your ‘treats’ darling,” Caroline smiled back.

After lunch, Sharon lit a cigar and GeekNerd lit a cigarette.  As the two smoked
together, Paul and Caroline walked away.

“I guess they’ll be gone for a while,” GeekNerd mused.

“Yes,” Sharon agreed as she moved closer to him.

“I love being with you,” he said as he snuggled against her.

“I love it too,” she whispered as she put her arm around him and hugged him to
her.

“A little tighter.  I love feeling your strength.”

“How’s that?”

“A little too tight,” he winced.

“Sorry,” she whispered as she loosened her grip a bit.

“Can you flex your other arm?  I love feeling your bicep.”

He watched as her arm exploded with muscle.  Her bicep was so big!  And so hard
too, as he felt its incredible density.

Sharon smiled at him as she saw the look of pure pleasure on his face.  She
loved flexing for him!  And he loved it too!

“Showing off again?” Caroline asked as she and Paul returned.

“You know it,” Sharon replied.

“Paul always likes it when I show off for him, too,” Caroline said as she flexed
her incredible arm.  Paul smiled in pleasure as he felt its unbelievable size.

“Let’s put that to use,” GeekNerd said as he arose.  “It’s time to continue your
training.”

The four walked over to the dry dock.  “There’s a bit of preparation required
before you can lift that battleship,” GeekNerd said.

“Sure, what do you need us to do?” Caroline asked.

“The ship has been internally braced, but we need to add more bracing to the
outside.  But first, just as before, we need to place steel plates on the floor
of the dry dock.  Caroline, go ahead and jump down; Sharon will toss the plates
down to you.”

Caroline jumped to the floor of the dry dock.  “Do you see a marker on the
floor?” GeekNerd asked.

Caroline looked around before replying, “Yes I do.”

“Great!  Center the steel plates over that marker.  That will be where you
should grip the ship to lift it.  Here comes the first plate!”

After Caroline had positioned the steel plates on the floor of the dry dock,
GeekNerd again spoke.  “Sharon, come with me onto the ship.”  The two boarded. 
“This is the anchor chain capstan.  Go ahead and tear off the steel top.”

Sharon looked at the capstan for a moment, then decided to give GeekNerd a show. 
Unbuttoning her blouse, she exposed her luscious melons and tweaked her nipples
to a full state of arousal.  Looking at him, she observed that her nipples were
not the only things fully aroused.  Smiling, she licked her lips and then bent
over the capstan.  Her nipples began grazing the thick steel.  Increasing the
force, they began cutting into the helpless metal, until her nipples were fully
inserted.  But the metal was thicker than her nipples were long.  Noticing this,
she increased the force still further; now her breasts were pushing against the
hard steel, causing it to dent inwards and her nipples to resume their cutting. 
Finally, the top of the capstan was sheared off, and she easily lifted it up and
tossed it away.  She then turned to GeekNerd and smiled.

GeekNerd was standing slack-jawed, his cigarette dangling from his lips.  How
could she cut metal and yet be so sexy?  How could those nipples that were so
full of milk and so wonderful to suck be so hard that cold steel had no chance
against them?  Why was she smiling at him?  Why was she buttoning her blouse?

“What next?” she asked.

“Huh?”  GeekNerd snapped back to consciousness.  Noticing that his cigarette had
burned down to the filter, he tossed it and lit another.  After taking a puff,
he looked at Sharon and then at the capstan.  Oh, she had finished, he thought
as he replied, “Let me take a look at it.”

“This is the chain brake,” he said as he pointed at the solid steel piece. 
“I’ll need you to tear it off to release the anchor and chain.  But first, we
need to tell Caroline.”

“Caroline!” GeekNerd shouted as he leaned over the ship.  “We’ll be releasing
the anchor.  You need to catch it as it falls to prevent it from hitting the
floor of the dry dock.”

“Okay, Sharon, tear off the chain brake.”

As Sharon tore the metal, the silence was broken by the clanging of the anchor
chain as it rapidly unreeled.  Caroline caught the 20-ton anchor easily in one
hand and gently set it down, oblivious to the heavy chain raining down on her,
each link weighing over 200 lb.

“See that rail flat car over there loaded with steel I-beams?” GeekNerd asked. 
“Sharon, toss half of the beams down to Caroline.  Bring the rest on to the
ship.”

“Okay, Sharon, lay out the beams on the deck of the ship.  We’ll be wrapping the
anchor chain around the ship, and these beams will make it tight top-side.”

“Caroline, take the steel beams you have and place them around the hull of the
ship.  You can tack weld them to temporarily hold them in place.  Then wrap the
anchor chain around them and toss the anchor back up to Sharon.”

“I don’t understand the term tack weld,” Caroline protested.

“Just meld them at one point, not along their entire length,” GeekNerd replied. 
“You only need to hold them in place long enough to get the anchor chain around
them; that is what will really keep them from moving.  We’re doing it this way
because to meld the entire beam to the hull would create too much heat for the
hull to withstand.”

“Anchor coming up!” Caroline shouted.

Sharon deftly caught the 20-ton anchor in one hand.  “Just walk to the other
side of the deck and drop it back down to Caroline,” GeekNerd instructed.

“Gosh that looks weird!” Paul shouted.  And indeed it did, a battleship with its
anchor chain wrapped around itself, steel I-beams lining its deck and its hull.

“Weird but effective, I hope,” GeekNerd replied as he and Sharon joined Paul on
the pier.

“I still don’t understand what you’re doing,” Paul stated.  “I mean, the ship is
not at all aerodynamic like the Shuttle is, so how can it stand in for it?”

“I’m only trying to get an equivalent force on Caroline’s toss.  She’ll only be
throwing the ship about 60 ft in the air and therefore the aerodynamics of the
ship don’t matter.”

“But wouldn’t it be better to practice on the actual Shuttle or at least on a
mock-up?”

“Of course it would.  But we don’t have the time to do that.”

“All right, Caroline, anytime you’re ready.  You need to toss this ship 60 ft in
the air.  I’ve got a measuring device here and will let you know how close you
are.  As before, go ahead and heft the ship first to judge its weight.”

The three watched as the ship rose from its supports and then rocketed skywards. 
“That’s 85 ft,” GeekNerd advised.  “A little less force this time.”

“What would happen during the Shuttle launch if her force was that much greater
than required?” Paul asked.

“The Shuttle would be destroyed by the g-force,” GeekNerd answered.  “That throw
is too much for the shroud to handle.”

“The shroud?”

“Yes, the Shuttle will be launched inside a protective shroud.  I’m still
working out the final design details but I have a good enough idea of the weight
and general aerodynamics to have her practice today.”

“65 ft, that’s about right,” GeekNerd shouted.

“All right, I’m satisfied,” Caroline said after a dozen more perfect tosses.

“Before you jump up,” GeekNerd shouted, “snap the anchor chain so we can recover
it in sections.”

GeekNerd and Sharon reboarded the ship.  “Caroline, toss up the anchor chain
sections.  Sharon will catch them.”

“You shouldn’t be standing here,” Sharon warned.  “This chain may whip when it
comes up.”

“You’re right,” GeekNerd agreed.  “Thanks for looking out for me.”

“Of course I will,” Sharon whispered as she gave him a kiss.

GeekNerd joined Paul on the pier.  “You were testing her again, weren’t you?”
Paul asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You knew it was dangerous for you to be on the ship when Caroline was throwing
the chain.  And you didn’t need to be there.  You just wanted to see Sharon’s
reaction.”

“If, and I repeat, IF, I were testing her, she certainly passed, didn’t she?”

“What if she had failed?”

“But she didn’t fail.  On this mission, we have to trust our women; it’s the
only possible chance we have.”

“Chains up!” Sharon shouted.

“Want to see your woman show off some more?” GeekNerd asked Paul.

“What do you have in mind?”

“How about if we have the women remove the 16-inch gun emplacements?”

The smile on Paul’s face was answer enough.  But then, he turned pensive and
asked, “Wait a minute!  What will the Navy say if we dismantle their
battleship?”

“It’s in dry dock for dismantling anyway.  Besides, I’ve already spoken to them
and they agreed to let us use this area if we agreed to remove the guns.  We
also need to remove thirty 2000 lb shells; the loader is jammed.”

“You’re really something else!  You know we have to do this, and you make me
believe it is my idea, to have Caroline show off for me!”  Paul’s tone was
anger, but his smile betrayed him.  How could he be angry with the guy?

“That’s right,” GeekNerd laughed.  “I knew you couldn’t resist seeing Caroline
in a display like that.”

“But you were saying something about removing shells?  Isn’t that dangerous?”

“No, the shells are just solid steel.  The gunpowder is separate and has already
been removed.”

“Caroline, toss the steel plates up to Sharon.  Then come on up and join us,”
GeekNerd shouted.

Caroline and Sharon soon joined the men.  “How would you like to remove those
16-inch guns?” GeekNerd asked Caroline.

“Sure,” she replied as she licked her lips, thinking of the heavy metal.

“What about me?” Sharon asked.

“While Caroline shows off for Paul, there’s another job for you.  Let’s go on
the ship together and I’ll give you instructions.  Caroline, make sure you start
with the forward gun.”

GeekNerd and Sharon boarded the ship and went to the aft gun area.  “Let’s start
here,” GeekNerd said.  “Tear up the main deck in this area.”

Sharon drove her fingers through the half-inch-thick steel and pulled back,
tearing the metal as easily as if it were tissue paper.  GeekNerd looked down
into the hole she had formed, to the lower deck, then jumped in.

“Ah yes, this is the problem,” he said.  “Why don’t you join me down here?”

Sharon jumped down.  “This loader is jammed here,” he pointed.  “You see, the
bearing seized and the axle on this idler pulley broke.”

“So do you want me to weld the axle back together?”

“No, with the bearing seized, the axle won’t turn anyhow.  Why don’t you use
your finger to make a new axle for the pulley; just push the broken axle out of
the way.”

He watched as Sharon easily removed the old axle, even though it was keyed
solidly to the pulley.  Her finger through the pulley formed a new axle.

“Hold your hand steady to keep tension on the chain.  Now, curl another finger
up and turn the pulley.”

“Why don’t I use my other hand to turn it?”

“You’ll need your other hand free,” he replied.  “You’ll see why in a minute.”

As Sharon turned the pulley, a shell came into view.  “That shell weighs 2000
lb.  Grab it with your free hand and toss it onto the deck above.”

“Is it safe for you here?”

“Thank you.  Yes, it’s only metal.  The gunpowder has been removed.”

Soon, all 30 shells were on deck.  “Okay, we’re done here.  You can just drop
the pulley.”

GeekNerd and Sharon jumped back up onto the main deck.  Caroline was waiting for
them, having dismantled the forward gun.

“Great!” GeekNerd proclaimed.  “Now I can see you take apart the aft gun!”

“Hey!” Sharon exclaimed.  “I thought you liked to see ME work!”

“I do, I do.  But this demonstration is for Paul.”

“Really?  It didn’t sound that way!”

Now he was in trouble!  What to say?  “I like to see you work, but I would
rather see you do things other than work.”

“Like what?”

“Like in bed.  Unless you consider that to be work?”

“That’s hardly work!”

“And that’s what I mean,” he smiled.  “Let’s join Paul on the pier.”

The three watched as Caroline approached the aft gun.  “Is there any special way
you want to see her dismantle the gun?” Paul asked GeekNerd.

“She’s your woman, and it’s your show.  Anyway she wants is fine with me.”

Paul rubbed his hands in anticipation.  “Make me proud!” he shouted to Caroline.

Caroline licked her lips as she walked to the end of the barrel, and then
continued walking as the metal contacted her stomach, easily crushing the thick
steel against her abs.  But maybe not so easily; her toes dug into the steel
deck to provide her with the needed traction.  Finally, she reached the end of
the barrel and extended her arms as far as she could around the gun itself.  Her
arms weren’t nearly long enough to reach completely around it, so she simply
brought her arms together, crushing the gun against her breasts, her nipples
fully penetrating the steel.  As the gun metal collapsed, she again extended her
arms, bringing more of the gun against her, until she held the entire remains of
the gun in her hand.  The weight was enough that her feet began sinking through
the steel deck!

Seeing this, GeekNerd called out to her, “Just throw the gun to Sharon.”

“Catch!” Caroline called out as she tossed the now basketball-sized lump.

Sharon reached out one hand and easily caught the metal.  She gave no indication
at all that what she was holding weighted dozens of tons.  Indeed, she began
gently tossing it into the air as if it were just a regular basketball!

“How much do you trust me?” Sharon asked.

“You know I trust you completely,” GeekNerd responded.

“Come here then.”

GeekNerd walked over to Sharon.  She reached out with her free hand and took him
into her arm, hugging him against her as she continued tossing the metal.  He
put his arms around her neck and kissed her on the cheek and then on the lips. 
Her other arm went around him.  Their kiss continued.   Finally, their lips
parted.

“Where’s the ball?” he asked.

“Look up.”

He looked.  The ball was resting on the top of Sharon’s head!

Sharon laughed as she saw the look of wonder on his face.  “If you insist on
continuing to test me, then I will return the favor by testing you.  And you
passed the test!”

“Fair enough,” he replied as he kissed her again.


Chapter 5


 “This is the final design for the shroud,” GeekNerd said.

“Sorry, it’s Greek to me,” Sharon replied.

“Same here, I can’t make heads or tails of it,” Caroline agreed.

“Don’t worry, I’ll supervise you two.  Put on these fireproof suits and then
we’ll go down to the preparation area.”

The three walked onto the Shuttle roadway area and approached the steel plates
the women had previously placed on the roadway.

“Let’s start with those steel slabs,” GeekNerd stated as he pointed to two
railroad flat cars, each with two large steel slabs attached.  “Lay out steel
plates on the ground to form a path to the cars, then bring the slabs over
here.”

Caroline and Sharon each picked up steel plates and laid them on the ground as
they walked over to the flat cars.  Caroline took the heavy tie-down chain
between her fingers and squeezed.  Instantly, the chain snapped in two!  Then
she reached up and easily lifted the steel slab in one hand.  She repeated the
process for the other slab and started walking back towards GeekNerd holding a
slab in each hand.  She gave absolutely no indication that each slab she was
carrying weighed dozens of tons!  Sharon followed Caroline’s lead and also
carried two slabs back.

“Now, bring the 16 I-beams over from that other flat car and stack them on the
ground here.”  Caroline and Sharon each carried 8 of the 1-ton pieces and also
several pieces of flat iron.

“Normally, a forging process would be used, but due to time constraints, we’re
doing it like this today.  You’ll be making one part using the four slabs.  Due
to their extremely large size and thickness, you’ll first need to heat the slabs
before starting to meld them.  Go ahead and meld the slabs together.”

Caroline took one slab and placed it between her breasts.  She then squeezed her
breasts together until the slab began to melt.  GeekNerd looked on in awe as
Sharon did likewise with another slab.  Sharon noticed him and said what he was
thinking:  “Just think, your penis was in here last night!”

GeekNerd turned as bright a shade of red as the slab.  Caroline and Sharon both
laughed as Caroline said, “And Paul’s was in here last night.”

Caroline then pressed the two slabs together.  After heating the remaining two
slabs, Caroline pressed them into the first two.

“Now, while the metal is still hot, form it into a circular shape, like a
pulley.”

Caroline and Sharon ran their hands over the hot steel, easily forming it. 
GeekNerd looked on, amazed that their hands could withstand the hot metal, and
yet Sharon’s hands felt so good against him!  How was this possible?

“How’s this?” Caroline asked.

GeekNerd approached the glowing metal, but stopped as the heat became too great. 
And yet, they were holding it!  “That’s fine.  Now, the next step is to attach
steel I-beams to this piece, radiating out from around it.  There will be 16
I-beams total.”

Sharon held each I-beam in place as Caroline melded them to the pulley.

“Now, take the flat iron pieces and bend them into a circular shape.  Those
pieces will fit onto the outside ends of the I-beams.”

Sharon bent each piece and handed it to Caroline, who melded it to the outside
of the I-beams.  When completed, it looked like a giant spoked wheel.

“Just lay the piece down on the concrete pavement to allow it to cool.  Then, we
need to open that box car to retrieve some more parts,” GeekNerd said, pointing.

“What is this piece?” Caroline asked.  “Is it a wheel for something?”

“No, it’s the base of the shroud.  It just looks like a wheel.  You’ll see,” he
smiled as they walked towards the box car.

“Shall I tear open the door with my nipple?” Sharon purred.

“No,” GeekNerd responded.  “As much as I would like the show, we shouldn’t
damage the car.  I’ve got the key to the lock right here.”

GeekNerd unlocked and opened the door and the three entered the box car.  “We’ll
need these two crates,” he pointed, “both the one marked ‘feet’ and the one
marked ‘shoes’.”

“That sounds rather morbid,” Sharon stated.

“Don’t worry,” GeekNerd laughed.  “That’s engineering terminology for two metal
parts.   The foot fits inside the shoe and can slide back and forth.”

Caroline took the foot crate and Sharon took the shoe crate and the three
returned to the base section.

“Meld a foot on the outer ring at the end of each of the I-beams,” GeekNerd
ordered.

Caroline melded each foot.

“Now, slide a shoe over each foot.”

“Now bend the remaining flat iron into a circle and meld it to the shoes.  We’ll
end up with two concentric rings.”

“What are we making here?” Caroline asked.

“I think the outer ring is part of the shroud proper.  Doing it this way ensures
the main part of the shroud will fit onto the base,” Sharon smiled.

“That’s right!” GeekNerd exclaimed.  “Your intelligence amazes me as much as
your muscles!”

“Oh really?” Sharon smiled as she flexed her bicep.

“No wonder you like this guy,” Caroline noted.  “Very few men can see beyond my
muscles.”

“The next part will be easy,” GeekNerd stated.  “That flat car is loaded with
steel plates, each formed and numbered.  Piece 1 is the top of the shroud. 
Pieces numbered 2 will form the next row, and so forth to the end.  You’ll need
to meld all the pieces together.  I’ll leave you two to do that; I’ll need to
make some phone calls to line up a construction crew to work the inside of the
shroud.”

“A construction crew?  I thought we were building this by ourselves,” Sharon
said.

“The construction crew will install electrical and hydraulic systems.  You two
can assist them in installing the snubbers and in melding.”

“What are snubbers?” Caroline asked.

“They’re located in that other box car.  They are similar to the shock absorbers
on your car, but are much heavier-duty.  These have separate hydraulic systems
which can be electrically controlled to adjust jounce, rebound, and lockup. 
Also, some of the snubbers will have their hydraulic systems interconnected so
that the snubbers operate together.”

“What orientation should the shroud have?” Sharon asked.

“The shroud will be extremely tall when finished.  For ease of construction,
build it on its side; we’ll upright it later.  Since it is symmetrical, it won’t
matter which side is up.”


Chapter 6

“This is a big day for us,” GeekNerd began the briefing.  “The shroud is
finished, the Shuttle has been prepared, and now it is time for final assembly
before launch.  That’s why you’re all here today.”

“We’ve come this far, and there’s no turning back.  The Moon wobble is
definitely getting worse, and I fear time is running out.”

“This means that today’s operation must go smoothly.  If the Shuttle or shroud
is damaged, there may not be enough time for repairs.  Therefore, take your
time.  If there are any questions, if you experience any problems, by all means,
STOP what you are doing and we will discuss it.”

“Okay, let’s get started.”

Sharon and Caroline followed GeekNerd out of the office and over to a railroad
flat car loaded with steel plates.  “We’ll need to lay down those plates on the
roadway from the Shuttle preparation building to the launch site,” he said. 
“Otherwise, you’ll sink into the pavement when you are carrying the Shuttle.”

GeekNerd verified that the shroud base piece was in proper position on the
pyramid of steel plates at the launch area.  The women unloaded and laid down
the steel plates on the pathway into the Shuttle preparation building.

“Both of you should carry the Shuttle,” GeekNerd advised.  “That way, if either
of you should trip, the other can catch the Shuttle before it hits the ground.”

“I don’t trip,” Caroline pointed out.  “If I catch my toe on something, that
something gets torn apart and my toe keeps moving.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply that you are clumsy.  And I see your point, it
would be difficult to trip you up.  But humor me on this one; let Sharon assist
you in carrying the Shuttle.”

Caroline relented and she and Sharon carried the Shuttle together to the launch
site, with each holding onto one of the Booster Rockets.

“Place the Shuttle down on the shroud base piece,” GeekNerd instructed.  The
base piece had been further modified earlier to add suspension pieces for the
Shuttle.  The women placed the Shuttle down and stepped away. 

“I’d like you two to unload those I-beams and bring them over here,” GeekNerd
pointed to a flat car.  “Make two stacks, one on each side of the shroud. 
Meanwhile, I’ll be supervising the construction crew on making snubber
adjustments.”

“All right guys, give the women space to work,” GeekNerd cautioned.

“Now, Caroline and Sharon, next you need to upright the shroud, then lift it
over the Shuttle and meld it to the outer ring on the base piece.”

“How can we lift it that high?” Sharon asked.  “Unless we jump in the air with
it, and you wanted us to be careful?”

“That would work,” GeekNerd replied.  “But you’re right, I wanted to be more
careful.  Also, we’ll need to inspect the shroud to ensure the snubbers and
brace struts are contacting the Shuttle in the proper areas.  So we’ll need to
slowly lower the shroud.  The first step is to upright the shroud.  Ladies?”

Sharon walked to the top of the shroud and lifted it up.  Caroline positioned
herself at the bottom of the shroud and braced herself, then gave Sharon the
signal.  Sharon heaved the top of the shroud upwards.  Caroline kept the bottom
from sliding and stabilized the shroud.

“Excellent work!”  GeekNerd exclaimed.  “Now we’ll raise the shroud using those
I-beams.  Grab an I-beam in one hand and raise the shroud with the other.  Place
the I-beam against the side of the shroud and meld it in place.  Then you can
raise the shroud higher using the I-beam and meld another I-beam to the bottom
of the first one, and so forth until the shroud clears the Shuttle.  Just take
your time and work in unison so that the shroud is raised evenly on both sides.”

GeekNerd looked on as the women worked.  They quickly determined that the best
way to work was to flip an I-beam up with their toe, then grab it with their
hand and meld it to the previous I-beam.  Meanwhile, they held the shroud steady
with their other hand.  The work went quickly, and soon the shroud had been
raised high enough.

“All right, next we’ll move the shroud over the top of the Shuttle,” GeekNerd
instructed.

The women obliged.  GeekNerd and the crew positioned themselves in the shroud
base piece to confirm the shroud was centered over the Shuttle.

“Break off one I-beam at a time to slowly lower the shroud,” GeekNerd called
out.  “I’ll tell you to stop if something starts going awry.”

The women began slowly lowering the shroud.  “Stop!” GeekNerd yelled out.

“What’s wrong?” Caroline asked.

“Caroline, hold the shroud stable by yourself,” GeekNerd ordered.  “I’ll need
Sharon to assist me in here.”

Sharon entered the shroud.  “What is it?”

“Look up.  See that one snubber?  It can rotate, but it is out of position and
will scrape the side of the Shuttle if the shroud is lowered further.  We need
to rotate it to the proper position.”

“How do you propose to do that?  It must be 400 ft in the air!”

“Grab an I-beam.  Then take me in your arms and jump up to the top of the
Shuttle.  By using the I-beam, we should be able to reach the snubber and
reposition it.”

Sharon picked up an I-beam in one hand and GeekNerd in the other and jumped. 
Her jump was good, and she landed on the Shuttle nose.  She used the I-beam to
rotate the snubber.

“While we’re up here, let’s verify the other snubbers,” GeekNerd advised.  The
other snubbers were all good.

“Looks like we are done here,” he said.  “Wait!”  He shouted.  “That snubber has
rotated again!”

“What’s wrong with it?” Sharon asked.  “Why won’t it maintain position?”

“It uses a ball-and-socket joint,” GeekNerd answered.  “Evidently, the socket is
a bit too large or the ball is a bit too small.”

“What can we do?”

GeekNerd lit a cigarette and thought for a moment. 

“First, use the I-beam to move one of the other snubbers,” he said.  “Then move
it back into position.  That will give you a feel for the force that should be
required to move a snubber.”

Sharon moved a snubber in one direction and then returned it to its initial
position.  “Okay, what next?”

“Leave the I-beam with me.  Jump to that snubber.  Take the socket in your hand
and squeeze just until you feel the metal begin to deform.”

Sharon jumped onto the snubber.  “Squeeze here?”

“Yes, but just a bit, just until it starts to bend.”

“All right, it’s starting to give.”

“While you’re there, can you still rotate the snubber?”

“Yes, it still moves.”

“Move it out of position.  Then we’ll see if it moves on its own again.”

“It’s still holding,” GeekNerd said.  “Jump back over here.”

Sharon jumped. 

“Use the I-beam to move it into proper position.”  Sharon took the I-beam from
him and held it out.  As she started to move the snubber, it hit her.  The
I-beam weighed one ton, how was he able to hold it by himself when she was on
the snubber?

“How did it compare with the other snubbers?” GeekNerd asked.

“It was about the same, maybe a bit stiffer,” Sharon replied.

“Great!  The critical thing is that it can rotate, not the force required to
rotate it.  Now we need to figure out how to get down from here.”

“I’ll just jump down,” Sharon stated.

“What about me?  Are you going to leave me up here?”

“You can jump too.  I’ll catch you.”

“This drop is too much.  Tell you what, why don’t you go ahead and jump.  Take
the I-beam with you.”  Sharon jumped.

“Now, when I jump, you also jump.  Meet me about 100 ft up.  That will minimize
the drop.”

Sharon met him in mid-air.  The landing was quite soft for him.

“You can put me down now,” he noted.

“I’d rather keep holding you,” she whispered as she kissed him.

“This is where I want to be as well,” he whispered as he returned her kiss. 
“But we can’t just leave Caroline holding the shroud up by herself.”

Sharon gave him a final kiss before putting him down.  “She probably wouldn’t
mind if we took some time.”

“Later.  Let’s finish up here first.”

“Promise?” She purred.

“Promise.”


Chapter 7


“General,” Lt Mitchell spoke into the intercom, “It’s time.”

“Thank you.  I’ll be right out.”

General Horshac joined Lt Mitchell in front of the screen.

“It’s just starting now, Sir,” Lt Mitchell said as he turned on the TV.

“She looks familiar,” General Horshac mused as the reporter appeared on the
screen.

“Yes Sir, that’s Rebecca Parks.  She was the one who got an exclusive covering
Caroline Everson when she destroyed that asteroid that was about to crash on the
Earth.  The network rewarded her; now she’s the lead anchor for space news.”

“Ah yes, I knew I’d seen her before.”
***********************************************************************
“This is Rebecca Parks.  I’m at our main studio, and we’ve got extraordinary
team coverage for you today, for the launch of the Space Shuttle on its mission
to the Moon.  We’re looking now at a live shot from our sky cam helicopter above
Cape Kennedy.  Ron, are you there?”

“Yes, Rebecca.  We’re looking at the External Fuel Tank on the roadway to the
launch pad.  It’s not a problem with our camera, that’s fog surrounding it.”

“No Ron, that’s not the External Fuel Tank, that’s the shroud for the Space
Shuttle.  The External Fuel Tank, the Space Shuttle, and its Booster Rockets are
all inside the shroud.  And the fog you’re seeing is because ground crews have
been spraying the outside of the shroud with liquid helium.”

“Why would they do that?”

“I had a background briefing with GeekNerd.  He is extremely concerned about the
shroud and the Shuttle overheating upon launch due to air friction.  He decided
that it would be best if the shroud were cooled as much as possible before
launch.”

“Now, Rebecca, if the launch is scheduled soon, shouldn’t the Shuttle already be
in position at the launch pad, instead of being on the roadway?  And it doesn’t
appear to be moving.”

“We’re calling it a ‘launch’ because that’s what is done to spacecraft normally,
but this isn’t at all normal.  It’s actually a ‘throw’; Caroline Everson will
throw the Shuttle into orbit.  If you look closely, the roadway has been
reinforced with steel plates in a pyramid shape under the shroud.  GeekNerd also
said that the shroud is too large to fit at the normal launch pad.”

“Yes, I see the steel plates now.  Also I see a car approaching, yes, it’s a
NASA car.”

“There’s a roaring noise, what is that?”

“That’s coming from above, Rebecca.  There they are, four jet fighters flying
overhead.”

“Those fighters are equipped with air-to-air missiles.  According to GeekNerd,
if Caroline’s throw is too weak, the Shuttle will crash back down to Earth, and
if it is headed for a populated area, those fighters will use their missiles to
destroy it.”

“Wow!  That would make this a suicide mission!”

“According to GeekNerd, they’ve actually done some training at leaving the
Shuttle while airborne, and they may be able to survive this.  It appears the
NASA car is stopping; can you see who is getting out?”

“There are four, two are definitely women.  They are really filling out their
flight suits!”

“Calm down, Ron.  The blonde is Caroline Everson, the brunette is Sharon.”

“So that is the Caroline who will throw the Shuttle into orbit?”

“That’s right.”

“The other two are men.  Wait a minute, one of them is smoking a cigarette!”

“That would be GeekNerd.  He chain smoked during the entire background briefing. 
The other man is Paul Smith.  He will be piloting the Shuttle.”

“Paul Smith?  I don’t recall any astronaut by that name.”

“The regular NASA astronauts refused to go on this mission.  Paul Smith is
Caroline’s boyfriend.”

“Really?  Lucky guy!”

“Now Ron, just a few minutes ago you were saying this was a suicide mission, now
you’re saying what a lucky guy Paul Smith is?”

(Laughs) “You’ve got me there, Rebecca.”

“What’s happening now, Ron?”

“The NASA car is driving away.  At the Shuttle, something is happening, let’s
get a close-up…Sharon is attaching a cable to Caroline’s ankle it appears.”

“Yes, that’s part of the plan.  When Caroline throws the Shuttle, she will be
pulled along behind it.  The cable attaches to the top of the shroud.”

“OK, GeekNerd has tossed his butt.  Oh my, Sharon has picked up GeekNerd in one
arm and Paul Smith in the other.  She’s holding them as if they were
weightless!”

“Yes, she’s also superhumanly strong.”

“I don’t see her anymore.  I don’t know where she went.”

“Sharon is jumping up to the Shuttle door with the men.  They will strap
themselves in and then Sharon will give Caroline a signal that they are ready.”

“Jumping up?  That has to be at least 200 feet!”

“With the shroud, closer to 300 feet!  Like I said, Ron, she is superhumanly
strong.  That jump is easy for her!”

“Sorry, Rebecca, I’m having trouble grasping how anyone can be that strong.”

“I know what you mean.  No one else on Earth is that strong!  Except Caroline,
of course, she is even stronger!”

“Even stronger?  Oh my God!  Caroline is lifting the shroud!  Holy Cow!  Look at
those arms!  It’s a good thing those flight suits are made from stretch
material!”

“Get ready, Ron.  If she’s lifting the shroud, she must have gotten the signal
from Sharon.  Prepare for launch!”

“Wow!  There it goes!  It’s gone!”

“Boom!”

“Oh my God, the Shuttle exploded!”

“No, Ron, it’s still in view.  That was a sonic boom as it went supersonic.”

“Supersonic!?!  How could Caroline have put that much force into her throw?”

“The same way she was able to lift that much weight off the ground in the first
place!  We can follow the path of the shuttle by the vapor trail; the frost and
ice on the outside of the shroud will rapidly turn to steam.”

“The vapor trail has stopped.  I guess the ice all melted.  Wait a minute, the
shroud has started glowing!”

“Yes, that’s expected.  It’s heating up due to air friction.  GeekNerd expects
the shroud to mostly destroy itself.”

“Boom!”

“All right, Ron, that was another sonic boom as the Shuttle went subsonic.  And
judging by the elapsed time between the two sonic booms, Caroline’s throw was
very good; she used just the right amount of force.”

“Rebecca, explain it to me.  I’m used to seeing the Shuttle slowly accelerate
past the cherry picker and gradually pick up speed.  But this time, it was as if
it were shot from a gun!”

“The normal launch uses the rocket engines; they give a constant acceleration,
so the Shuttle starts out slowly and builds up speed.  This launch was a throw,
and your analogy was quite accurate; when a bullet leaves a gun, it is traveling
at maximum velocity and begins to slow as soon as it leaves the barrel. 
Likewise, the Shuttle was at maximum speed when it left Caroline’s arms and now
it is starting to slow down.”

“The Shuttle has disappeared from sight.”

“So it has.  That’s all the footage we will have until it approaches the
International Space Station.  We’ll resume our program then; Caroline will toss
the Shuttle a second time to send it to the Moon.  Until then, this is Rebecca
Parks.  We now rejoin our normal program, already in progress.”
**********************************************************
“Godspeed, daughter,” General Horshac whispered.


Chapter 8

GeekNerd opened his eyes to see Sharon looking at him.  “How long was I out?”

“Just a little while; under a minute.”

“I see Paul’s still out.”

“Does that surprise you?”

“No,” he replied as he lit a cigarette, “He blacked out in the g-force chamber
at the base earlier than I did.  He should be coming around soon.”

“Already smoking again?” Caroline asked as she entered the shuttle cockpit.

“Yes indeed.  Judging from the amount of time I was blacked out, I’d say you did
an excellent job of tossing the shuttle.  Congratulations!”

“Why thank you.  Your training really paid off; I used the same force as with
the battle ship.  By the way, is Paul all right?”

“Yes, he should be coming around soon,” Sharon replied.  “I’ve been keeping an
eye on both of them.”

“I’ll watch him now,” Caroline offered.  “At least until I need to toss the
shuttle again.  Do you know how long it will be?”

“Well,” GeekNerd said, “there’s no view out of the windshield with the shroud in
place; the shroud was already so difficult to engineer that placing a window in
it was out of the question.  Also, the shuttle air speed indicator doesn’t work
in the shroud.  So the best way to tell is to monitor the radio; the
International Space Station will radio us when we are in view, and you can make
the toss then.  My best estimate is at least another two hours.”

“So Paul should be revived by then…Oh wait, I think he may be coming to now.”

“Why don’t we go down to the galley to give them some alone time?” GeekNerd
suggested to Sharon.  She readily agreed and the two of them left the cockpit.
*****************************************************************
Sharon and GeekNerd arrived in the galley and sat at the table.  Sharon lit a
cigar and the two of them smoked together and enjoyed each other’s company.

“Excited?” GeekNerd asked.

“Sure.  Not so much at flying in space as I am at the prospect of really showing
you what I can do once we reach the Moon.”

“Yes, you’ve been in space before.  Not only that, but you actually piloted a
spacecraft!  Yet, you let Paul pilot this one.”

“You’re giving me a lot of credit, too much I think.”

“Hey, I read the report on the Heavy Planet!  I’m giving credit where credit is
due!”

“If you read the report, then you know I just followed the directions on the
photos then.”

“You did a lot more than that!  You were the one who figured out how to control
the spacecraft, after all.”

“With help from grandfather and the others.”

“Don’t sell yourself short.  There aren’t many people who could have done what
you did.  And you helped me out when I was stuck planning this mission.  I’m so
happy to have you here!”

“And I’m happy to be here with you,” she replied as she kissed him.

“Is there room for two more?” Caroline asked.

“Sure, you and Paul pull up a seat.  I’ve got fresh coffee ready,” GeekNerd
replied.

Sharon poured coffee for each of the four.

“Are you yourself again?” GeekNerd asked.

“Yes, I’m fine now,” Paul answered.  “You are just better at handling g-forces
than I am.”

“Great!  I’m glad you two joined us here.  There are a few things I wanted to
say to you.”

“Go ahead.  We’re listening.”

“You know I’ve been busy planning this mission.  But I haven’t forgotten about
trying to ensure Paul’s safety; keeping him safe from someone trying to control
Caroline.  I’ve been in touch with a doctor who you two can see when we return
to Earth; he can implant a transmitter and battery into Paul.  It will be
enclosed in a capsule.  If Paul is in danger, his body will produce adrenaline,
which will dissolve the capsule and expose the transmitter to his bloodstream. 
His blood will conduct electricity from the battery to the transmitter, causing
it to activate and send out a signal.  This signal will be received by something
Caroline wears, such as a wristwatch, a bracelet, or a necklace.  The signal
will cause an alarm to alert her, and will display a direction arrow pointing
out Paul’s location.  Caroline can then come to his aid.  After she rescues him,
the transmitter will be surgically removed and a new one installed.”

“As an alternative, I have been thinking of somewhere you two could live that
would be safe, and I think I’ve come up with something.  How about if you open a
business on the top of Mount Everest?”

“What!?!” Paul stammered.  “The transmitter idea, maybe I can do that.  But
Mount Everest?”

“I agree, it sounds crazy, but hear me out.  The business would be a hotel and
restaurant.  It would serve climbers who reached the summit; you would provide a
hot shower, a warm bed, and a good meal.  Business wise, you could buy rotgut
champagne at the base for say $5 a bottle, and sell it on the summit for $150 a
bottle; every climber would want to celebrate reaching the top!  For food, you
could serve Yetta; Yetta burgers, Yetta chili, Yetta soup.”

“Wait a minute!” Caroline exclaimed.  “Yettas aren’t real; they’re fictitious,
like Nessie, the Loch Ness monster!”

“The area has been so poorly explored, who knows for sure?” GeekNerd replied. 
“If, once you’re there and have had a chance to look around, you can’t find any,
well, that’s okay.  You can just buy Moose meat and sell it as Yetta.  Probably
no one would know the difference, and if anyone had eaten Moose before, well,
you could just tell them that you believe the Yetta to be related to the Moose!”

Paul burst into laughter.  “What kind of sleazy clip joint are you suggesting
here?  Who would dare enter?”

“Are you kidding?  Your place would be THE place to go at the top of Mount
Everest!”

“My place would be the ONLY place to go at the top of Mount Everest.”

“Well, yes, that too,” GeekNerd laughed.   “Of course, you should be able to get
a contract with a government or maybe the United Nations, to set up a weather
and atmospheric monitoring station there.  That would give you a year-round
income.”

“My God, you’re actually serious about this, aren’t you?” Paul asked.

“Yes indeed.  Considering how difficult Mount Everest is to climb, it is
inconceivable that an army would attempt to reach you.  They could send lone
single agents, but you should be able to handle them easily enough.  The only
other way of reaching you would be by air; but once again, it would not be easy. 
You would be above the maximum altitude reachable by most helicopters, and an
air drop from an airplane would be extremely tricky.”

“What sort of building would it be?  And how could it be constructed?” Paul
asked.

“That’s where Caroline comes in.  It should be relatively easy for her to climb
Mount Everest, even carrying thousands of pounds on her back.  So the building
could be as simple or as fancy as you wish.  She could easily remove snow and
flatten rocks for a foundation.  Now the building would not be on the actual
summit, but rather a few dozen feet below, so that the actual view from the
summit would be unchanged.”

“What would we use for power?”

“There should be near constant wind at the summit, since there’s nothing to
block it.  Therefore, a wind-powered generator would seem to fit the bill.  Of
course, the generator would also have a hand crank that Caroline could operate,
as well.”

“But it’s always so cold up there!” Paul protested.

“I’m sure Caroline would be willing to keep you warm.”

“Not just willing, eager!” Caroline added.

“Well, it’s something to consider,” Paul admitted.  “But for now, I need to
concentrate on the mission.”

“Sure, that’s all I’m asking.  We should be getting close to the Space Station
now; perhaps we should go back to the cockpit.”


Chapter 9

“Ahoy Space Shuttle!  International Space Station here.  We have you in view.”

“Space Shuttle here.  Thank you,” Paul replied on the radio.

“Sharon and I will get dressed,” GeekNerd said.  “After we do our spacewalk to
check out the Shuttle and the shroud, then Caroline can do her second toss.”

GeekNerd and Sharon appeared outside the Shuttle windshield and waved to Paul
and Caroline before beginning their inspection.  Paul set GeekNerd’s radio to
transmit to ground control and also turned off the cockpit radio microphone.

“Crackle.  Beginning Shuttle inspection.”  GeekNerd said.  His radio obviously
had some static.

“Crackle.  The Shuttle is in excellent condition.  Beginning shroud inspection.”

“If you’re going to destroy the shroud, why is he inspecting it?”  Paul asked.

“He is verifying the design in case I decide to take a job tossing Space
Shuttles into orbit,” Caroline replied.

“Crackle.  Snubber A-16 locked in retracted position, the power line to its
control solenoid valve is melted.  Suggest thermally insulating the power line.”

“Tossing Shuttles?  When did this come up?”

“It’s just one possible job for me, in case you didn’t like the Mt. Everest
suggestion.”

“Crackle.  Snubber A-5 hydraulic reservoir burst.  Suggest increasing vent
size.”

“How could I possibly like that suggestion?  It’s ridiculous, it’s atrocious,
it’s…”

“It’s clear you don’t like it,” Caroline finished.  “Enough said.”

“Crackle.  Strut B-8, twisted and sheared.  Suggest rotating mount for snubber
B-4.”

“I don’t know that I would like you tossing Space Shuttles either.  I want to
stay in the UK.”

“If I’m tossing Shuttles, that could be done anywhere.  It doesn’t have to be at
Cape Kennedy.”

“Crackle.  Snubber B-7, stuck in extended position, apparent mechanical
failure.”

“True, but the preparation area for the Shuttle is here.  It wouldn’t make much
sense to prepare it here and then take it to the UK for launch.”

“Crackle.  Strut B-6 bent.  Suggest strengthening strut.”

“Right.  So if I tossed them from the UK, it should result in the creation of
Shuttle preparation jobs over there.  Of course, there is another alternative
location for Shuttle tossing,” Caroline smiled.

“Crackle.  Snubber C-5 hydraulic hose ruptured, also partially melted.  Suggest
insulated hose.”

“Go ahead,” Paul encouraged.

“Well, I could toss them from the top of Mt. Everest!”

“Oh no!”  Paul recoiled in horror.

Caroline laughed and kissed him.  “Relax, I’m joking!”

“Crackle.  Strut D-2, outboard mounting broken.  Suggest enlarging mounting.”

Paul returned the kiss and joined in the laughter.  “You had me going there!”

“I know.  Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”

“Crackle.  Shroud inspection completed.  Returning to Shuttle.  Paul, did you
leave me any coffee?”

Paul turned on the cockpit radio microphone.  “Sure, we’ve got a fresh pot.”

GeekNerd and Sharon entered the Shuttle as Caroline was preparing to leave,
still dressed only in her flight suit.  “How much force should I put on this
throw?”

“It’s not critical, just throw it as hard as you did from the ground.”



Chapter 10

Caroline made her way to the top of the shroud.  GeekNerd had already briefed
her on what she needed to do.  She took the tow cable in hand and easily snapped
it in two.  She then carried the cable to the bottom of the Shuttle and used the
steel attachment hook she had brought with her from the Shuttle to attach the
cable to the Shuttle.

In the cockpit, Paul and the others watched as Caroline snapped the tow cable. 
“Hey, I hadn’t noticed before, but there’s something on that cable,” Paul said.

“Yes, that’s a spring-loaded spool,” GeekNerd replied.  “Just like the ones you
are familiar with, like those used on retractable seat belts in your car or
retractable cords on vacuum cleaners.”

“What’s its purpose?”

“The springs in it were chosen such that it allows the cable to unwind to avoid
exceeding the load limit on the Shuttle attachment point.”

“Oh, so that way I won’t damage the Shuttle while braking it?”  Sharon asked.

“That’s right,” GeekNerd answered.  “It was the simplest way to ensure a
successful landing without burdening you with calculations.”

“That’s brilliant!”  She exclaimed as she gave him a kiss.  “But where is it
being attached?”

“To the same point as the Shuttle drag chute.  This was already a strong point
on the Shuttle frame, and it gave me a load limit with which to work.”

“What’s this about braking the Shuttle?”  Paul asked.

“If you have to land on the Moon, the women can jump out first and then grab the
cable attached to the rear of the Shuttle.  The cable will unwind against spring
force, slowing the Shuttle rapidly and minimizing the length of runway required. 
You weren’t informed because hopefully we won’t have to land on the Moon, and
even if we do, it should be similar to a landing on Earth.”

“Still, I would like to be kept in the loop.”

“I know.  Sorry about that, this was somewhat of a last-minute thing.”

“There’s Caroline again,” Paul noted as he looked through the windshield.

“Yes, she’ll be cutting the top of the shroud off in preparation for her toss.”

The three watched as Caroline used her fingernail to easily slice through the
heavy metal.  She made good progress, and soon had worked her way all around the
shroud back almost to her starting point.  She stopped about one foot from the
finish point.

“Why’s she stopping?” Paul asked.

“It’s like opening a tin can,” GeekNerd explained.  “If you don’t want the lid
to fall into the food, you don’t cut the lid all the way around; rather, you
stop just before and bend the lid back.  Likewise here, and also, this ensures
the top will remain attached to the shroud and both will burn up in Earth’s
atmosphere after the toss.”

Caroline bent back the top of the shroud and then started making her way back
down to the base of the shroud for her toss.

“Your airspeed indicator should be working now,” GeekNerd advised.

“Yes it is,” Paul replied.  “Jeez, we’re only going 15 mph!”

“Can you see the International Space Station?”  GeekNerd asked.

“Yes,” Sharon replied, “that’s it dead ahead.”

“Dead ahead?”

“Yes, I can see it, but you’ll need binoculars.”

GeekNerd grabbed the binoculars and looked.  “Quick!  Go out and stop Caroline! 
She must not make the toss!”

Sharon ran from the cockpit.  “What’s the problem?” Paul asked.  “We wanted to
be near it, didn’t we?”

“Near it, yes.  But if it is dead ahead, and Caroline tosses the Shuttle, then
we will become a missile on track to destroy the Space Station!”

“Oh my God!  What do we do?”

“I’m going down to the galley to consider our options.  You and the women join
me when they come back in.”

“The galley?”

“Yes, I need a cigarette, and I know you don’t like me smoking up here.”


Chapter 11

GeekNerd was smoking a cigarette when the others entered the galley.  Judging
from the amount of smoke, he was deep in thought.

“Has Paul explained the problem?” He asked as the others sat down.

“Yes,” Caroline responded.  “I saw the Space Station when I opened the top of
the shroud, but didn’t think anything about it.  Sorry.”

“That’s all right.  We stopped you before you made the toss; that’s the main
thing.  We need to reorient the shroud and Shuttle, does anyone have any
suggestions?”

“Perhaps we could use the retro rockets on the nose of the Shuttle?”  Paul
suggested.

“Their exhaust would hit the shroud and deflect.  The effect of this is unknown;
the Shuttle might go in either direction, or it might not move at all.”

“How about if I cut a hole in the shroud near the retro rocket?” Caroline asked.

“The shroud was designed for you to cut it only in one area.  If you cut it near
the retro rocket, that will weaken that area and will result in the struts and
snubbers in that area losing support and coming out of position.  It will be
extremely difficult for you to make a successful toss; something will almost
certainly scrape the side of the Shuttle.”

“How about if we fire just one of the Booster Rockets?”  Sharon asked.  “Since
they are mounted to the side of the Shuttle, wouldn’t that result in the Shuttle
and shroud turning?”

“Excellent idea!  Unfortunately, their exhaust would strike the bottom of the
shroud and be deflected; Paul couldn’t control the Shuttle.”

“If there are no other ideas, then we’re stuck with mine,” GeekNerd continued. 
“Sharon, do you remember how you climbed the Empire State Building?”

“Sure.”

“Could you climb the shroud the same way, carrying the Shuttle along with you?”

“Sure, that would be no problem.”

“What are you getting at?”  Paul asked.

“Let’s have the women carry the Shuttle part way out of the shroud, far enough
to expose the retro rockets.  Then Paul can fire the retro rockets to reposition
the Shuttle and shroud.  Once that is done, the women will return the Shuttle to
the base of the shroud and Caroline can make her toss as planned.”

“Why return the Shuttle to the base of the shroud?  Why not just toss it from
the top of the shroud?”  Paul asked.

“We need the shroud to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, to avoid having something
so large and heavy become space debris.  If the Shuttle is on the base of the
shroud, then Caroline can position herself in the center of the base and have a
straight toss of the Shuttle, and the shroud will be expelled straight down.  If
Caroline stands on the top of the shroud, however, she cannot be centered, and
the shroud would tumble as it fell, possibly just bouncing off the outer layer
of the atmosphere.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Sharon said.

“All right.  I’ll get dressed and go out with you two,” GeekNerd said.  “I’ll go
to the base of the shroud and direct the two of you, to ensure the Shuttle is
raised and lowered evenly.  Both of you need to take off your shoes and put on
headsets for communication.”

“So you’ll be out there when Paul fires the retro rockets?” Sharon asked.

“Yes, that way I can direct you two while you are lowering the Shuttle.”

“Then I want to attach the tow cable to you.  I don’t want to lose you,” Sharon
added as she gave him a kiss.

“How long do I fire the retro rocket?”  Paul asked.  “And how will I know when I
can fire it?”

“You’ll be in communication with us; the women will let you know when the retro
rocket clears the shroud.  The women will maintain the position of the Shuttle
in relation to the shroud during the firing.  Fire the rocket as long as
necessary; due to the extra weight of the shroud, the Booster Rockets, and the
External Fuel Tank, it will take a longer firing than you will expect.”

Chapter 12


GeekNerd in his space suit, Caroline and Sharon in their flight suits but
barefoot, and Paul in his flight suit, all met at the Shuttle door.

“All right,” GeekNerd said, “we’re about ready to go.  We each have our
assignments.  Since you women will not be wearing air tanks, you should take a
deep breath now.”

“I don’t really need the air,” Caroline pointed out.

“This time you may, since you’ll be in communication with Paul and me,” GeekNerd
replied.  “But before you women take in air, let Paul and me don breathing
apparatus.  You two will deplete all the air in the Shuttle.  That’s all right,
the system will replenish the air by the time we come back in.”

Paul and GeekNerd donned air masks, then the women took in air.  Alarm bells
sounded as cabin pressure plummeted.  GeekNerd opened the Shuttle airlock door
and the three entered.

Once outside the three made their way down to the base of the shroud.  Sharon
took the tow cable in hand and secured it to GeekNerd’s space suit.

“All right, ladies,” GeekNerd stated, “each of you should take a Booster Rocket
in hand and start climbing the shroud.  I’ll give cadence to ensure the Shuttle
rises evenly.”

The women moved into position.  GeekNerd began, “On my mark, three, two, one,
MARK….three, two, one, MARK…”

He watched as the Shuttle began moving upwards, continuing his cadence.  “Stop! 
Caroline, your steps are a bit longer than Sharon’s.  To get things balanced,
I’ll have you hold position.  Now, Sharon, on my mark, take one step up.   On my
mark, three, two, one, MARK.  Excellent, the Shuttle is now even.  Now we’ll
continue, with both of you together, on my mark, three, two, one, MARK…three,
two, one, MARK…”

“Caroline, has the Shuttle door cleared the shroud?” GeekNerd asked.

“Yes, it just cleared.”

“All right, that’s far enough.  Paul, are you ready to fire the retro rocket?”

“Yes, any time you are.”

“All right.  Sharon, the base of the Shuttle will move towards the shroud on
your side when the retro rocket is fired, so you’ll need to brace yourself to
keep it aligned.   Caroline, the top of the Shuttle will move towards the shroud
on your side when the retro rocket is fired, so you’ll need to brace yourself to
keep it aligned.   Let me know when you are ready.”

“I’m ready,” Sharon called out.

“Me too,” Caroline said.

“Paul, fire the starboard retro rocket.”

“Firing retro rocket.”

“Caroline, let me know when the Space Station is no longer in view,” GeekNerd
ordered.

Thirty seconds later, Caroline responded, “I can’t see it any more.”

“Thank you.  Paul, you can shut off the retro rocket.”

“Retro rocket secured.”

“All right, ladies, you can start lowering the Shuttle on my mark, three, two,
one, MARK…three, two, one, MARK…” 

The cadence continued until the Shuttle was resting on the base of the shroud. 
Sharon cut the tow cable with her fingernail, freeing GeekNerd.  She then
attached the tow cable to Caroline’s ankle.

“We’ll leave you here to toss the Shuttle when Sharon gives you the signal,”
GeekNerd said to Caroline.  “Do you have enough air left?”

“I’ll be fine,” Caroline replied.  “Lifting and lowering the Shuttle was nothing
for me.”

“Great!  See you inside then.”

Sharon picked up GeekNerd and jumped to the Shuttle door.  Once inside, GeekNerd
took off his space suit and joined Paul in the cockpit.  Both strapped
themselves in and Sharon gave Caroline the signal. 

Caroline moved into position at the center of the base of the shroud.  She
reached down and began to lift the Shuttle.  She felt the weight of it; they
were not far enough away from the Earth to be in zero gravity yet.  She lifted
it above her head, then crouched down.  She jumped up to full height and threw
the Shuttle with incredible force.

The Shuttle rocketed out of the shroud with Caroline being pulled along behind
it by the tow cable.  The relative motion between the shroud and the Shuttle was
so great that Caroline saw the shroud going by in a blur.  Once past the shroud,
the speed seemed to immediately peel off;  the Shuttle was still not past the
Space Station, although she could see it nearing.   She climbed the outside of
the Shuttle to the door, cut the cable, and entered.


Chapter 13


Caroline was surprised to see that both Paul and GeekNerd were awake at the
Shuttle controls.  “What, wasn’t my throw hard enough?”  She asked.  “I tossed
it with as much force as I did on launch!”

“Yes, but on launch, you were standing on the ground, against the entire Earth. 
Here, you were only braced against the shroud.  The shroud took the brunt of
your force,” GeekNerd replied.

“Oh, so that’s why you weren’t too concerned about the force of my throw?”

“That’s right.  Most of the force went to the shroud.  That’s good; it ensures
the shroud will burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.”

“But now, we won’t be able to reach the Moon with my toss,” Caroline protested.

“I didn’t expect us to.  Paul will fire the Shuttle engines when we begin to
slow, to take us the rest of the way.”

“Why don’t we have a smoke?”  Sharon suggested.

“Good idea!”  GeekNerd agreed.  “We’ll be in the galley if you need us,” he said
to Paul as he got up.

Caroline sat down beside Paul.  “Wow, that’s quite a view!”  She observed.

“Yes it is,” Paul agreed.  “They were saying in training that you can see much
better out here in space due to being outside Earth’s atmosphere and pollution. 
But this isn’t new to you, is it?  I mean, you were on a spaceship before!”

“True, but I didn’t get to see much.  I spent most of my time in the engine
room.  Sharon and Amazon Girl were the ones with the view; they were piloting
the ship from the bridge.”

“That trip was really hard on me,” Paul noted.  “I hated being away from you for
so long!”

“I know the feeling!  I couldn’t wait to get back home to you!”  She replied as
she kissed him.

Paul returned the kiss.  “That’s why I’m glad we are together on this trip.”

“Me too.  You seem to be relaxed now; I was worried that you would think
GeekNerd and Sharon are plotting against us now.”

Paul laughed.  “No, this is no trap.  And now that we’re out of the shroud, I
can start to apply my training to actually fly the Shuttle.”

“You’re starting to enjoy this, aren’t you?”

“Yes, actually I am.  This is wonderful!”

“Well, perhaps when we get back, you can continue flying Shuttles.  Just think,
I could toss them and you could fly them!”

“Perhaps.  As long as you don’t toss them from the top of Mt. Everest!”  He
smiled.

Caroline laughed and kissed him again.

“Hey you two!”  The speaker boomed to life.  “We’ve got supper ready for you in
the galley.  Why don’t you lock the Shuttle controls and join us?”


Chapter 14

Caroline entered the galley.  “Paul wants to remain in the cockpit,” she noted. 
“He’s worried about meteorites and space debris.”

“We should be all right,” GeekNerd responded.  “We’re not going that fast now,
so he should have time for dinner.  But I understand his concern.  Perhaps you
can take something up to him?”

“Sure.  Wow, this food looks and smells far better than I thought it would!”

“This isn’t standard space fare,” GeekNerd replied.  “I wanted to bring along
food that you and Paul like.”

“That’s so considerate of you!”  Caroline replied as she gave him a quick peck
on the cheek.

“That makes it worth it to me!”  GeekNerd smiled.

Sharon gave him a kiss.  “I don’t want to be left out!”

GeekNerd returned the kiss.  “Never.”

“I’ll be on my way,” Caroline said as she picked up two trays.

“Let Paul know we’ll take over for him later,” GeekNerd said.  “He’s right about
someone needing to keep an eye out while we’re flying.  Just wake us when he
needs to call it a night.”

“I’ll let him know,” Caroline replied as she left the galley.

GeekNerd and Sharon ate their dinner and then smoked together.  They felt the
Shuttle accelerate as Paul began firing the engines.

“Want to try weightless sex?”  Sharon asked.

“I would love to,” GeekNerd responded.  “However, I don’t want to inadvertently
damage the Shuttle, so we should probably just get some shut eye.”

“All right for now,” Sharon said dejectedly.  “But I still want to try it
later.”

“As do I,” GeekNerd agreed as they made their way out of the galley.

“Well, these bunk beds aren’t very conducive anyway,” Sharon noted as they
entered the berthing area.  “There isn’t much space.”

“Not for the way you like to move around!”

“You’re pretty active too!”

“What can I say?  I love to explore you!”  GeekNerd laughed.

“And I like being explored,” she purred.  “Sure you don’t want to try now?”

“Not tonight.  We need to get some rest so we can relieve Paul.”


Chapter 15

Caroline awoke GeekNerd and Sharon.  The three went to the cockpit and joined
Paul.

“I’ve got us on course for the Moon,” Paul explained.  “I fired the Booster
Rockets earlier; their fuel supply is now depleted.  They’re still attached; you
said earlier to leave them in place rather than jettison them.”

“Right now, all engines are off and we are drifting in space, but we’re
maintaining speed because we’re totally outside the atmosphere and nothing is
slowing us down.  We should be approaching the Moon in about 14 hours.”

“Thanks Paul, we’ll take over now,” GeekNerd said.  “Go ahead and get some
sleep.”

After Paul and Caroline left, Sharon asked, “Did he say we would be reaching the
Moon in 14 hours?”

“Yes, that’s right.  I haven’t confirmed it yet, though.”

“Wow!  That’s really fast!  The first Moon trips took nearly 3 days!”

“True, but we’re saving time in two ways.  First, Caroline’s toss launched us
much faster than an engine could.  And second, since we didn’t use the engines
on take-off, we could use them outside the atmosphere, to bring the Shuttle to
tremendous speed.  Normally, the engines and most of the fuel for them are used
up during launch, and are not available to speed a spacecraft to its
destination.”

“Interesting.”

“Of course, for you it must seem forever,” GeekNerd continued.  “After all, it
took less than an hour when you were in the alien shuttle craft!”

“No, not at all.  This time I’ve got you with me,” she noted as she kissed him.

“Maybe I should have made the journey last longer,” he mused as he returned the
kiss.

Their kiss ended, GeekNerd lit up a cigarette.

“Hey, you said Paul didn’t want you to smoke up here,” Sharon chided.

“True, but he’s not here now and we’ll be up here all night.  Speaking of which,
could you make a pot of coffee?”

“Sure,” she replied as she left the cockpit.

Sharon returned a few minutes later with two cups.

“I’m sorry, but being in space reminds me of your Heavy Planet adventure,”
GeekNerd noted as he took a sip.

“Well, both involve space travel,” she concurred.

“Yes, but I think it’s more than that.  Tell me more about your decision to
return to Earth rather than remaining there with your grandfather.”

“Well, I had only just met him, but I really liked him and I felt a strong bond
with him, stronger even than the bond I felt with the General, even though the
General had raised me.  It was a tough decision, but I felt I had to return for
the other women.  They had elected me their leader and it wouldn’t have been
right for me to abandon them.”

“Wasn’t there also a sexual problem with the aliens?”

“How did you find out about that?  That wasn’t in the report!”

“I’ve talked to Caroline about the Heavy Planet also,” GeekNerd admitted.  “She
also said that she talked to you about becoming something equivalent to a
planetary protector.”

“Yes, we talked about that.  But I’m not sure I could be one; I don’t have the
super strength experience that Caroline has, and I’m not as strong as she is.”

“You seem plenty strong to me!  And you’ll gain experience over time.”

“True, but I couldn’t live with myself if I screwed up and caused destruction,
or worse, death, to those I was supposed to be protecting.”

“You’re too hard on yourself.  I think your problem is that you lack
self-confidence.”

“Perhaps.  I’m just not a cocky person.”

“No, you certainly aren’t!  But there’s a difference between self-confidence and
cockiness.”

“Go  ahead.”

“If you’re self-confident, you know you can do it.  You’re assured, but you
don’t broadcast it.  On the other hand, if you’re cocky, then you proclaim to
everyone who will listen that you can do it, even if you really can’t.”

“But how do you get self-confidence?”

“That’s a tricky one.  If you do something once, you should be able to do it
again, and that will give you confidence.  But if you haven’t done it before,
then it becomes a matter of faith, trusting in your own abilities.  I’m not the
best one to discuss this; with me, I have no confidence at all around women.”

“You should have; I mean, with me, you are terrific!”

“Really?”

“Really,” she replied as she kissed him.  Then she pulled back.  “Can’t you
tell?”

“I…I…I was afraid that you were faking it,” he stammered.

“Faking it!?!  Didn’t you see my pussy gushing?”

“Well…well…well who knows what an Xtreme Strength woman is capable of?  Besides,
maybe you were thinking of something, or someone, else when you came.”

“I can’t believe you!”  She shouted.  “If you were that bad in bed, why would I
continue to have sex with you?  We wouldn’t need this Shuttle, I would kick you
to the Moon!”

“Think about how you are feeling now,” GeekNerd calmly said.  “That’s how
Caroline felt when she was telling you that you could be a protector for the
Heavy Planet.”

“What!?!  Oh my God, you were setting me up!”

“No, not at all,” he replied as he kissed her.  “It just came to me.  I love you
so much that I can’t believe you would love me in return.  I mean, a woman like
you, loving a man like me?  I still can’t believe it!”

“I know what you mean.  I never imagined I could love a man the way I love you,”
she whispered as she kissed him.

“We were made for each other,” he said.  “I never want to be away from you!”

“I feel the same way.  Let’s get married!”

“Great idea!  But let’s finish the mission first.”


Chapter 16

“Hey you two!”  The speaker boomed to life.  “We’ve got breakfast ready for you
in the galley.  Why don’t you join us?”

“Sounds good to me,” GeekNerd exclaimed.  “Let me lock the controls and then we
can join them.”

“Great!  I can’t wait to tell them we’re getting married!”  Sharon agreed.
****************************************************
After breakfast, GeekNerd and Sharon remained in the galley as Paul and Caroline
left for the cockpit.

“Caroline brought up some good points,” GeekNerd noted.  “Like for example,
would the General be willing to give you away to me?”

“No he wouldn’t, at least not willingly.  Maybe I could force him?”

“Probably not a good idea.  Besides, it’s supposed to be a happy time for all
involved.  A life together should start out on the right foot.”

“True.  Perhaps it would be better to elope?”

“We may have to.  It’s too bad your grandfather couldn’t attend.”

“Now he would be glad to give me away!”

“Exactly!  And he would be happy for you!”

“GeekNerd, can you come up to the cockpit?”  Paul asked over the speaker.
***********************************************************
GeekNerd and Sharon entered the cockpit.

“That’s the Moon up ahead,” Paul said.

“Wow!  You can actually see it vibrating from here!”  GeekNerd exclaimed.

“Yes you can,” Paul agreed.  “What sort of orbit do you want?  Is there any
particular area you want to see first?”

“We’re playing it by ear now,” GeekNerd advised.  “Let’s go near the area where
the chunk broke off; we may need to stabilize the ground first.”

“I’ll also need instructions for slowing down; we’re going far too fast right
now.”

“Sure.  Just use the retro rockets to turn the Shuttle around, then fire the
main engines as needed to reduce speed.  Once you’re at the speed you want,
return the Shuttle to normal orientation using the retro rockets.”

Paul slowed the Shuttle and steered it for the breakage area.  All looked
intently out the windshield as the Shuttle approached.

“What are we looking for?”  Caroline asked.

“We’re looking to see if the area is cleanly sheared or is jagged,” GeekNerd
answered.  “A clean shear would indicate a laser cut, whereas a jagged edge
would indicate breakoff possibly by natural causes.”

“The area is cleanly sheared,” Caroline said.

“Yes it is,” Sharon agreed.

GeekNerd was looking through binoculars to see what the women saw with their
naked eyes.  “Wait!  What’s that dark area, and is there a light inside it?”

Sharon observed where he was pointing and then looked.  “It looks like a cave! 
And yes, it appears to be internally illuminated!”

Caroline looked also and agreed with the others.  “What is it?”

“I don’t know,” GeekNerd said.  “But we need to investigate it right away.”

“How do you want to do that?”  Paul asked.  “Do you want me to land?”

“No, don’t land.  The vibration is too severe, and the Shuttle is not prepared
for landing; we need to jettison the Booster Rockets and External Fuel Tank
first.  Just establish an orbit for now.  We can jump out of the Shuttle and
explore on foot.”

Paul began placing the Shuttle in orbit.  GeekNerd left the cockpit to don a
space suit.


Chapter 17


“Gosh, I’m nervous!”  Sharon exclaimed as the three prepared to enter the
airlock.  GeekNerd was in a space suit, but Sharon and Caroline were just
wearing flight suits.

“Don’t be,” GeekNerd encouraged.  “We’ve practiced this before when we jumped
out of airplanes.  Just be aware that the Moon only has 1/6 the gravity of the
Earth, so don’t toss me upwards with much force.”

“I’ve got the extra cable here,” Caroline stated.

“Good.  Just attach it to the Shuttle door when we leave,” GeekNerd advised. 
“Ready?”

“Sure,” Caroline said as she opened the airlock inner door.

“Wait!”  GeekNerd shouted.  “You two need to take in air first!”

“I knew I was forgetting something,” Sharon apologized as she opened her mouth.

“Let’s tell Paul first so he can don a breathing mask,” GeekNerd cautioned as he
spoke to him through the microphone in the space suit helmet.

“All right, he’s ready.  Go ahead and take a deep breath.”

Alarms sounded as cabin pressure dropped.  GeekNerd closed the airlock door.

Caroline opened the outer door and stepped out.  She attached the cable to the
door and then jumped to the surface of the Moon.  Sharon took GeekNerd in her
arms and jumped directly after her.

Near the surface, Sharon tossed GeekNerd in the air.  After landing, she then
caught him as he fell back down.  “Excellent toss,” GeekNerd said.

“I would kiss you,” Sharon replied, “but I can’t since you are in the space
suit.  This is the best I can do,” she continued as she kissed his visor.

“It’s the thought that counts,” he replied.  “But now we need to get moving; the
cave is in that direction.”

Sharon set him down on the ground.  He hadn’t realized how steady she had been
holding him; once on his own, he found it difficult to remain standing, much
less walk.  It was like being in the middle of an earthquake!

Sharon saw him struggling and picked him up in her arms.  “Here, let me carry
you.  I have superhuman balance also.”

He didn’t protest as she carried him.  Both women began running toward the cave
at a far faster pace than a normal person could, but then again, a normal person
could run quite fast on the Moon.  They soon arrived at the edge.

“Transfer me to your back,” GeekNerd advised.  “That will free both of your arms
for climbing down the cliff to the cave.”

Caroline and Sharon began climbing down the shear slope, embedding their hands
and feet into the solid rock for balance.  Soon the cave came into view, and the
three entered.

“What now?”  Caroline asked.  “Do you want to continue into here, and how far?”

“To the end,” GeekNerd replied as he looked at the walls.  “This isn’t a cave,
it’s an excavated structure.  Look how even the walls and floor are.”

“Excavated by whom?”  Sharon asked.

“That’s what we’ll find out.”

Sharon carried GeekNerd as she and Caroline walked deeper into the cave.  Soon,
they spotted the source of the light they had observed; ceiling lights!  They
continued walking and soon reached an airlock door.

“We’ll need to open that door,” GeekNerd advised.  “But be careful; it may be
pressurized on the other side.  Also, as soon as we enter, we need to reclose
the door.”

“How does it open?”  Caroline asked.  “I don’t see any kind of handle or
control.”

“It may be automatic, closing when pressure in this area drops.  Looking at it,
it seems to close on tracks from this side.  Just put your finger through the
metal and push in this direction.”

Caroline stepped up to the door.  She placed her little finger on the door and
began applying pressure on the metal.  Evidently, the metal didn’t like this,
and screamed in protest.   It was to no avail, as Caroline’s finger easily
penetrated the metal.  She then began pushing, and the door moved on its tracks
and opened.

The three quickly went inside.  Caroline released her finger from the door, and
it slammed shut.

“Meld the metal to seal the hole you made,” GeekNerd advised.  Caroline ran her
fingers over the metal surrounding the hole, it quickly softened and she filled
in the hole.

“Can you try breathing in here a bit?”  GeekNerd asked. 

Sharon exhaled a bit and then breathed in.  “The air is fine, you can take off
your helmet.”

GeekNerd had no sooner taken off his helmet, when a group of armed beings ran
up. 

“Browns!”  Sharon shouted.  “Shall we take them out?”

“No, let them take us into custody,” GeekNerd advised.  “I want to see where
they will take us.”

NOTE:  The letter combination “xzzx” is explained in Chapter 1 of the “Heavy
Planet” story.

“xzzx,” the browns said.

“They’re ordering us to come with them,” Sharon translated.

“Tell them we will go without resistance,” GeekNerd said.

“xzzx,” Sharon said.

“xzzx.”

“They want us to go this way.”


Chapter 18

The browns escorted the three through another airlock door and into an area
which seemed like a combination office and monitoring station.  Alarms were
sounding in the room.  Several grays were on duty; the senior one met the group
and directed them into a small inner office.

“xzzx,” the gray said.

“He’s asking who we are,” Sharon translated.  “He also said we picked a bad time
to come here.  Those alarms we heard are for high radiation level in the nuclear
fuel storage room.”

“To avoid having to translate, can you ask him if he can speak English?” 
GeekNerd asked.

“There’s no need to ask her,” the gray responded.  “I can understand your
language.  My question remains, however:  who are you?”

“We’re from Earth,” GeekNerd replied.  “We’re here to try to stabilize the Moon
before it vibrates itself apart.  We noticed your area when we were surveying
damage and came in to investigate.”

“You’re going to stabilize the Moon?”  The gray was incredulous.

“Yes, that’s why we are here.  But first, you say you have a radiation problem? 
Perhaps we can help with that.”

“We use this area of the Moon to mine Uranium and Helium-3 for use in our
nuclear fuel, and to manufacture the fuel assemblies themselves.  The fuel
assemblies are stored in a nearby room in racks in a storage pit area.  Shortly
after the Moon began quaking, the radiation level in the room began increasing,
at first slowly, but over time it has increased more and more rapidly.  It is
now extremely high; no one can enter the area for any amount of time and
survive.”

“Do you have any monitoring cameras installed in the area?”

“Yes, but the camera has failed.  It appears to have come loose and smashed to
the floor during the quaking.”

“Do you have a portable camera we can use?”

“Yes, but as I said, no one can enter the area; the radiation level is far too
high.”

“These are not ordinary women,” GeekNerd pointed to Sharon and Caroline, “they
are superwomen who are totally invulnerable.  The radiation will not bother
them.  Give them a camera, they will go into the area.”

“Hey, thanks for asking!”  Sharon pouted.

“Sorry, I just assumed…”

Caroline broke off GeekNerd.  “Now Sharon, you came along on this mission to do
a job.  If he says this is part of it, then he shouldn’t have to ask.  He’s
right, of course, we’ll be fine in there.  So let’s go!”

“Of course I’ll go,” Sharon agreed as she gave him a kiss.

The gray produced a camera and the women set off in the indicated direction.

“Now, do you have any pictures or drawings of the area I can see?”  GeekNerd
asked.  “I need to compare what the area was like before, to what it is now.”

“Sure,” the gray responded as he opened a drawer.  “I don’t understand, though. 
Why are you helping us?”

“Don’t you understand what’s going on here?  The radiation level is increasing
at an increasing rate, because the stored fuel has gone critical; the nuclear
chain reaction is self-sustaining.  Actually, it’s supercritical; the reaction
is becoming more and more intense.  At some point, it may become prompt
critical!”

“Prompt critical?  So?”

“So BOOM!”

The gray turned ashen.

“Now do you understand?  If your fuel explodes, your base will be destroyed, to
say nothing of you and your crew.  Also, we’re trying to stabilize the Moon; if
it loses another chunk, we’re out of luck.  Now let’s have a look at those
drawings,” GeekNerd said as he lit a cigarette.

GeekNerd looked at the blueprints.  “Your setup is similar to what we have on
Earth.  The fuel racks containing the assemblies are designed to keep the fuel
assemblies a sufficient distance apart that they do not interact with each other
on a nuclear level.  Since it requires multiple assemblies to create a critical
mass, they remain shutdown.  I suspect that the racks have been damaged,
allowing the assemblies to come into contact with each other.”

“xzzx,” one of the on-duty grays noted.

“We’re getting a picture from the camera,” the senior gray said.  “The women are
now in the area.”

GeekNerd looked at the monitor.  “Oh my, the fuel handling bridge crane has
jumped its tracks and landed in the pit!  And look at the fuel racks, they have
jumped out of position.  See how close the fuel assemblies are to one another?”

“Yes, your initial assessment was correct,” the gray agreed.  “What do we do
now?”

“Is that a phone on the wall of the storage area?”

“Yes it is.”

“Dial it to see if it works.”

The monitor screen began showing the phone.  Sharon picked up the receiver.

“Sharon, can you hear me?”  GeekNerd spoke into the phone the gray handed him.

“Yes, I can hear you fine.  We’re in the area now.”

“Yes, I can see the picture from the camera on the screen.  I notice the crane
has jumped the tracks; can you put it back into position?”

“Sure, we’ll start right on that.”

GeekNerd and the grays watched as Sharon and Caroline went over to the crane. 
Sharon attempted to right it, but was unable to get leverage from the floor. 
Caroline jumped down into the storage pit and stood on top of the fuel
assemblies.  From that area, she lifted the crane easily, as if it weighed 10 lb
rather than its actual 10 tons, and handed it up to Sharon.  Sharon guided the
crane back onto its tracks.  It seemed like a simple job for the women, but it
would have been instant death to any man!  The gray looked on in astonishment. 
GeekNerd smiled.

“Sharon, you’ll need to meld the crane wheels to the track to prevent it from
falling back into the pit,” GeekNerd said into the phone.

Sharon nodded in acknowledgement as Caroline climbed out of the pit.  She could
not say anything, as the phone was many feet away!  GeekNerd marveled again,
even her hearing was super!

The crane secured in position, Sharon walked over to the phone and picked it up. 
“What next?”

“Pan the camera over the entire storage pit area again,” GeekNerd instructed.

“What are you looking for?”  The gray asked.

“I want to see the exact loading pattern for the pit.  Ah yes,” he continued as
the camera panned, “you have started filling the pit from one end, the other end
is empty.”

Sharon returned to the phone.  “That’s the entire pit.”

“Why don’t you stay on the phone and direct Caroline?”  GeekNerd asked.  “She
needs to start moving fuel assemblies.  Have her start with the center assembly,
and have her move it to the opposite end of the storage pit.  Have her do it
gently, we don’t want to damage the assembly.”

Sharon gave directions to Caroline and then followed her with the camera. 
Caroline jumped into the pit and grasped the fuel assembly.  She carefully
raised it to clear the storage rack and then carried it along the tops of the
racks to the end of the pit, then carefully lowered it into an undamaged storage
rack.

“Now we’ll have her move the other assemblies.  Tell her to leave at least one
empty storage slot between fuel assemblies.”

Caroline had moved half of the assemblies when the radiation alarm cleared. 
“Congratulations!” the gray said.  “You have impressed me; you really know what
you’re doing here!”

“It’s not me, it’s the women,” GeekNerd replied.  “I certainly couldn’t have
moved those assemblies; like you said, the radiation level was far too intense.”

“Yes, but you directed them.  You knew what was going on, and what to do about
it.”

“Caroline has repositioned all of the fuel assemblies,” Sharon said into the
phone.

“Good work!  You two can come on back and join me,” GeekNerd replied.


Chapter 19

Sharon and Caroline re-entered the room and joined GeekNerd.  He was smoking a
cigarette, and the senior gray was smoking a cigar.

“Great work, you two!”  GeekNerd exclaimed as he gave Sharon a kiss.  “Why don’t
you join us; the gray was about to tell me what happened here.  Oh, he has
something for you.”

The gray took another cigar from his pocket and gave it to Sharon.  Sharon put
it to her lips and he gave her a light.  She took a puff.  “This is a good
cigar!”

The gray offered one to Caroline, but she declined.  He then offered a drink;
all three accepted.  Then he began his story:

“The day started out as any other here.  Everything was routine.  Then it
happened.  There was a huge jolt, with the sound of breaking rock and tearing
metal.  Then everything seemed to happen at once.  We had alarms all over the
place.  Low air pressure, then airlock doors closed, then we lost power.  We
picked ourselves up off the floor as emergency backup power kicked in and lights
were restored.”

“I sent out a party to walk down the base to check for damage.  Never would I
have thought that they would tell me what they did, that half the base was gone! 
Gone!  They could see it just drifting away!  Two hundred workers, gone!  I was
devastated!”

“Then the quaking began, just a little at first, but it steadily increased until
reaching a maximum the next day.  And after the quaking, things began breaking
down.  First, security cameras began failing, falling from their mounts.  Then
light bulbs, loosening and falling.  Then the radiation in the storage pit area
began rising.”

“I thought this base was doomed, and radioed for help.  Headquarters responded,
but they didn’t grasp the sense of urgency that I have, and only agreed to send
a ship on its normal schedule.  They said it would evacuate us when it arrived
if we still wanted to leave.  They can’t imagine what has happened here!”

“When is this ship due to arrive?”  GeekNerd asked.

“It should be here tomorrow.  I thought we would need to evacuate, but now that
you have reduced the radiation level, I’m not so sure.”

“You said there were two hundred workers on the part of the base that broke off. 
Did they survive?”

“We lost about a dozen, but the rest are still alive.  They have food and water
and air.”

“How large a chunk of the Moon was the base on?”

“It’s very large.  Smaller pieces also broke off, but the base is on the largest
piece.”

“How about if we bring the base back together?”  GeekNerd mulled.

“What!?!  These are superwomen, but even for them…,” the gray sputtered.

“Just a thought.  Do you know if the arriving ship has a gravitation enhancement
energy drive system?”

“Yes, all of our large ships do.”

“When the ship arrives, let me use it.  I should be able to make use of its
drive system to recover the chunk to the Moon.”

“But how?”  The gray protested.

“I’ve got a plan.  But first, do you have construction materials on this base? 
I’m particularly interested in I-beams.”

“You’re in luck.  We were going to expand this base and have a large number
stored here.  I’ll show you where they are, after we finish our drinks.”

“What do you have in mind here?”  Sharon asked.

“I’m just thinking ahead.  If we can bring the chunk back to the Moon, perhaps
we can staple it in position to keep it from drifting away again.”

“Staple it!?!”

“Sure,” GeekNerd replied as he finished his drink.  “Now let’s move those
I-beams near the entrance.”


Chapter 20

“The I-beams are in here,” the gray said.

“Oh they’re great!”  GeekNerd responded.  “Nice and long, just what we need. 
Sharon, why don’t you and Caroline carry them to the airlock door we came
through?”

“Sure,” Sharon replied.  “But I’m still not sure what you have in mind.”

“It’ll become obvious later,” GeekNerd smiled.

There were hundreds of I-beams in the room, strapped to dozens of pallets.  The
women each picked up a pallet in each arm to carry them.  Soon, all the I-beams
had been moved.

“We’ll need to open this door and leave it open until we carry all the beams
through,” GeekNerd told the gray.  “So if you have another door further in, I
suggest you close it.”

“Will do, there’s another door just over there.  And I’ve got your radio
frequency, I’ll notify you when our space ship arrives.”

“Thank you.  Until then, goodbye.”

The gray left, closing the inner door.  GeekNerd donned his space suit helmet. 
Sharon and Caroline then took in a deep breath.  The gray opened the outer door.

“All right, what we need to do is to move these I-beams up to the surface of the
Moon.  One of you can toss them up to the other.”

“I’ll go up to the surface,” Sharon suggested.  “Like a lift?”

“Sure, you know I want to be with you.”

Sharon easily climbed the shear face, sinking her toes into the solid rock. 
“This reminds me of the way you climbed the Empire State Building,” GeekNerd
remarked.

“Well, that seemed to work well, so why not use that method again?”

Soon, they were on the surface.  Caroline tossed up the first pallet of I-beams.

“Have her stop for now,” GeekNerd said.

“What’s up?”  Sharon asked.

“In order to keep them from vibrating away, let’s make a pen for them.”

“Sure.  But how do we do that?”

“Take one of the I-beams and bend it into a U-shape.”

Sharon picked up the I-beam and easily bent it.

“Now make a pilot hole in the ground.  Form your hand into a fist, then drive
your arm into the ground up to the elbow.”

Sharon made a fist and drove her hand onto the ground.  But rather than her arm
driving into the ground, she instead found herself bouncing up into the air!

“The gravity’s too low to keep you on the ground,” GeekNerd advised.  “Sink your
toes into the ground to keep yourself planted.”

“Thanks,” Sharon said as she first drove her toes into the ground, and then
drove her arm into the ground.

“That worked!  What would I do without you?”

“Thanks accepted.  Now, position the I-beam on the ground so that one end is at
the hole.  You’ll be seeing where the next hole needs to be made.”

Sharon placed the I-beam in position.  A smile came over her face.  “Oh, so each
end of the I-beam will be in a different hole, just like a staple!”

“That’s right!  You’re actually testing the stapling method right now. 
Tomorrow, one end of the I-beam will be embedded in the Moon, and the other end
in the chunk.”

The second hole made, Sharon picked up the I-beam.  “Hey, these holes are too
small for it to fit!”

“That’s why I called them pilot holes.  They’re made deliberately too small, so
the I-beam will be press-fitted into them, to ensure a tight fit.”

“So that’s why you had me make a fist first, to minimize the size of my hand.”

“Right!  Now, since you’ll have to drive the I-beam in, sink your toes into the
ground first.  Drive the I-beam in until resistance increases; that will be when
the I-beam reaches the bottom of the pilot hole.”

Sharon sank her toes into the ground and then drove the I-beam into the holes. 
She squealed in delight as the I-beam went into the ground and was held firmly
in place.

“Now that you have the method, go ahead and make the pen with the other I-beams. 
Then Caroline can toss the other ones up to you.”

Caroline soon jumped to the surface.  “That’s all of them.  Hey, what do we have
here?”

“It’s a pen to keep them in place,” GeekNerd replied.  “Sharon can show you how
we turned an I-beam into a staple.”

“The Shuttle’s coming around again,” GeekNerd pointed out.  “Ready to go back?”

“Sure,” Sharon replied as she took him into her arms and jumped.  The jump was
good, and she caught the cable near the Shuttle.  Caroline was right behind, and
also caught the cable.  The women climbed the cable to the Shuttle door and
opened it.  The three went through the airlock into the Shuttle.  GeekNerd took
off his helmet.

Paul heard the door open and came down from the cockpit.  He gave Caroline a
kiss.

“Have we got a story for you!”  Caroline exclaimed.

“I can’t wait to hear it!”

“Perhaps we can tell it over dinner?”  GeekNerd asked.

“Sure, I’ll get it started,” Sharon agreed.


Chapter 21

After dinner, GeekNerd and Sharon went to the cockpit.

“Why are we up here?”  Sharon asked.

“Paul needed a break.  He had been up here all day.  Besides, I want to take a
closer look at the chunk.”

“There it is over there,” Sharon pointed.  “Wow!  It’s huge!”

“Gosh!  It certainly is!  It’s far bigger than we thought.  No wonder the Moon
went out of balance!”

“I don’t understand.  Why didn’t we know it was this big?”  Sharon asked as she
looked at the chunk, over a mile long in one direction.

“We’re at a different vantage point now.  When we’re looking at it from the
Earth through a telescope, it’s like being in a helicopter above a city, looking
down at the roof of a building.  You can easily determine the length and width
of the building, but not its height.”

“Oh yes, I see now.  And since it is not rotating, the long side is never
visible to a telescope.”

“It’s really rather odd.  The land must neck down at the break point, and then
expand back out again on the chunk.  That’s why, when looking at the break
point, we couldn’t determine the size of the chunk.”

“Now that you know how big it really is, does that change your plan about
re-attaching it?”

“No indeed.  In fact, I’m more determined than ever.  If we can get it
re-attached, that may be enough to stabilize the Moon, without moving anything
else.”

“So no knocking off mountain peaks?”

“That’s right.  Just move the chunk and we’ll be done,” he mused as he became
buried in thought.

“A penny for your thoughts,” Sharon encouraged.

GeekNerd lit a cigarette before responding.  “I’m just thinking, if we move the
chunk and get the base back into operation, the grays will owe us big time.”

“Right, but they don’t impress me as ones who worry about returning a favor.”

“I don’t know.  That senior one seemed like a nice enough guy.”

“Yes, but he’s an exception.”

“You know them better than me, of course.  But we only need one.”

“One for what?”

“One to give the order.”

“What order?”

He looked into her eyes.  “You’re the only thing for me on Earth.  If it weren’t
for you, I wouldn’t care if I never went back.”

Sharon gave him a kiss.  “And you’re the only thing for me.  Especially
considering the way things are between the General and me.”

“Then why go back at all?  Why not go to the Heavy Planet instead?  Why not
start our life together on a new planet?  I would love to meet your
grandfather.”

“And he would love to meet you.  I’m game!”

“God I love you so much!”  They kissed each other deeply.

Their kiss ended, Sharon spoke.  “We need to have a plan to get you on the
surface, assuming the grays will transport us to the Heavy Planet.”

“Sure.  It would seem rather simple.  The gray’s ship would go into orbit, you
would jump down to the surface and make contact.  You would get an anti-gravity
suit for me and jump back up to the gray’s ship.  I would don the suit, then we
would jump out of the ship together.  You would catch me on the surface just
like we practiced on Earth.  Once on the surface, we would simply join up with
the others.”

“Sounds like a plan to me!”  Sharon squealed in delight.  “But wait, what about
Paul and Caroline?”

“Paul is the pilot.  He could easily fly the Shuttle back to Earth with
Caroline.  Or, they could join us if they choose.  We’ll speak to them later.”

“Later?  Why not now?”  Caroline asked as she and Paul entered the cockpit.

“I didn’t know you were up yet,” GeekNerd exclaimed.
*********************************************************
“I don’t want to go to the Heavy Planet,” Paul stated.  “I miss England, and
want to go back!”

“I’m with Paul, wherever he is,” Caroline said.

“That’s fine,” GeekNerd said.  You two should have no difficulty returning to
Earth, Paul is a good pilot.  For now, Sharon and I will get some sleep.  Wake
us if the gray’s ship arrives.”


Chapter 22

“Hey you two,” the speaker boomed to life, “we’ve got breakfast ready for you.”

“We’re on our way,” Caroline responded.

She and Paul joined GeekNerd and Sharon in the galley.

“No ship yet,” Paul stated as he dug in, “but the grays say it is close and
should be here shortly.”

“Great!”  GeekNerd replied.  “I had a good night’s sleep, and now we can enjoy
breakfast together.”

“Do you have a plan?”  Sharon asked.

“Sure, two in fact, in case the first one doesn’t work.”

“Care to fill us in?”  Paul encouraged.

“All right.  Basically, the preferred option is to use the gray’s ship to move
the chunk.  It will position itself between the Moon and the chunk and use its
engines to cause the chunk to move.”

“I don’t understand,” Paul pleaded.

“The gray’s ship has gravitational enhancement energy engines,” GeekNerd
explained.  “These engines cause attraction between the ship and whatever their
associated dishes are focused on.  If one dish is focused on the Moon and the
other is focused on the chunk, then the chunk should begin to move towards the
Moon.”

“I see.  And you have another plan if that doesn’t work?”

“Right.  It’s considerably more complicated, so rather than try to explain it,
I’ll just give step-by-step directions as needed.”

“But you do have another plan?”  Paul challenged.

“Of course.  I always try to have a backup.  Or do you still not trust me?”

“Well, you were right about the Moon vibrating,” Paul conceded.  “So that part
was not a trap.”

“What, do you think Sharon and me are leaving for the Heavy Planet as a trap for
you?”

“The thought had crossed my mind.”

“Don’t you think you can get back to Earth?  Don’t you have enough fuel left? 
Aren’t you trained to fly the Shuttle?  Isn’t Caroline here to assist you? 
Don’t I have a contingency plan for you?”

“Come on, darling, I have faith in you,” Caroline said as she gave Paul a kiss. 
“I won’t let anything happen to you!”

“Yes, I’m glad you’re here,” Paul agreed as he returned the kiss.

“Good!  Now that that’s settled, we can get on with things,” GeekNerd stated.

“What do you mean?”  Paul asked.

“Now that breakfast is finished, you can maneuver the Shuttle for me.  I’d like
to use it as an observation post.”

“Sure,” Paul said as he got up.  “Come with me to explain just what you want.”

The four entered the cockpit.

“What I’d like is for you to come out of orbit and just hover near the chunk,”
GeekNerd said.

“How do you propose I do that?”  Paul asked.

“Why not fire the retro rockets to slow us down first?”

Paul began firing the rockets, and the Shuttle began slowing.

“I don’t understand,” Sharon protested.  “Shouldn’t we be going into a
geosynchronous orbit?”

“No.  Normally I would say yes, but the chunk is stationary, and therefore I
want the Shuttle to be stationary as well.”

GeekNerd noted that the Shuttle was nearly stopped.  “Now fire just one to turn
the ship; I want the nose to point downwards at the Moon.”

Paul had a quizzical look, but fired the rocket to change ship’s attitude.

“Now that we are stopped,” GeekNerd pointed out, “our speed, our centrifugal
force, is no longer holding us at a steady distance from the Moon, so the
Shuttle will begin descending, due to the Moon’s gravity.  Start firing the
retro rockets as needed to hold us at altitude.”

“So that’s why we are nose down?”  Paul asked.

“That’s right.  The retro rockets can hold us in position.”

“What next?”

“Now we wait,” GeekNerd said as he lit a cigarette.

“Please,” Paul implored.

“Sorry.  I’ll wait in the galley,” GeekNerd apologized as he and Sharon left the
cockpit.


Chapter 23

“The gray’s ship is in sight,” Paul said over the speaker.  “Gosh, it’s huge!”

“We’ll be right up,” GeekNerd answered.

GeekNerd and Sharon entered the cockpit just as a message was received.  “Our
ship is yours,” the senior gray said.  “What do you want it to do?”

“Have it position itself between the Moon and the chunk,” GeekNerd responded. 
“And can you set it up so I can communicate directly with the ship?”

“Sure, I’ll have them go to the same frequency.”

The alien ship began moving into position.

“Time for you two to go to the Moon’s surface,” GeekNerd said to Sharon and
Caroline.  “Make sure each of you takes a headset with you.”

“What are our instructions?”  Caroline asked.

“I’ll give them to you once you’re on the surface.  Basically, they are to guide
the chunk into proper position, and then to staple it in place using the
I-beams.”

“We’re on our way,” Sharon said as she and Caroline left the cockpit.

“All right you two, time to don breathing masks.  We’re at the airlock door,”
Sharon said.

Paul and GeekNerd put on masks.  Their ears popped as cabin air pressure rapidly
fell as the women took in air.  The low pressure alarm quickly sounded.

“So this is what it’s like?”  GeekNerd asked.

“Yes, it’s uncomfortable, but it only lasts a short time,” Paul responded.

“We’re on the surface,” Sharon reported.

“I hear you loud and clear,” GeekNerd acknowledged as he removed the air mask. 
Cabin pressure had been restored.

“Ahoy Shuttle, ship’s commander here.  Do you have instructions for me?”

GeekNerd looked out the windshield to verify the ship was in position between
the Moon and the chunk.  “Direct one dish to the Moon and the other to the
chunk, then bring both engines to full power.”

“We’re at full power,” the ship’s commander reported.

“The chunk is not moving,” GeekNerd noted.  “Evidently, the ship’s engines do
not have enough power to move it.  Looks like we will need to use the alternate
plan.”

“And you do have an alternate plan?”  Paul questioned.

“I said I did, and I do!”  GeekNerd exclaimed.  “And just for that,” he
continued as he lit a cigarette.

“Sorry for questioning you,” Paul grimaced.

“Ship’s commander, move your ship to the other side of the chunk.  Caroline, can
you jump onto the chunk?”

“Reducing power and moving.”

“Sure, no problem,” Caroline responded as she made her leap.  “Okay, I’m on the
chunk.”

“Caroline, go to the other side of the chunk, away from the Moon.”

“Ship in position.”

“Commander, can you direct both dishes to the Moon?”

“No, we’re too close to the chunk.  It is blocking us from the Moon.”

“Do you have additional wave guides on board?”  GeekNerd remembered from
Sharon’s report that the ship’s energy converter was connected to the dish with
guides.

“We call them energy guides, and yes we do have backups.  We have a problem with
them burning through over time.”

“Collect them together, both the good ones and the burned-through ones. 
Caroline will position them on the chunk.”

“Wait a minute!”  Caroline protested.  “I don’t know anything about them!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll direct you,” GeekNerd replied.

“What’s with these energy guides?”  Paul asked.  “I mean, instead of directing
the dishes to the Moon, why not just direct them to the chunk instead?”

“You must remember that the propulsion is gravitational enhancement; the larger
a body, in general, the higher the gravity.  Directing the energy to the Moon
thus gives higher power than directing to the chunk,” GeekNerd replied.

“The guides are collected.  How do we give them to Caroline?”  The commander
asked.

“Open the door where they are,” GeekNerd replied.  “Caroline will jump from the
chunk to your ship to retrieve them.”

“Caroline, do you see a door open on the ship?”  GeekNerd asked.

“Yes I do,” she replied.

“Jump onto the ship.  The guides are just inside the doorway.”

“I’ve got them,” Caroline said.

“Now jump back onto the chunk with them,” GeekNerd stated.  “Just be careful
handling them, I don’t want them to be dented.”

“I’m back on the chunk,” Caroline stated.  “What next?”

“Can you see the ship’s dishes?”

“Yes I can.”

“Great!  Now I’ll have the ship move the dish.”

“Commander here.  Move the dish where?”

“Center both dishes onto the chunk.  Maintain as low a power level as possible.”

“Dishes in position.”

“Caroline, can you still see the dishes?”

“Yes, both are in view.”

“Great!  Now, can you see where they appear to be directed on the chunk?  Assume
a straight line from the dishes to the chunk.”

“Yes.”

“All right, now start laying out the good energy guides, from the point on the
chunk where the dishes are directed, to the end of the chunk.  I want the energy
from the dish to be directed at the Moon instead of the chunk.  If you run out
of good guides, then use the burned-out ones, but the burned-out ones should be
at the end of the chunk, to minimize energy loss.”

“The guides are in position,” Caroline reported.

“Commander, slowly increase power to move to the chunk.”

“Caroline, position yourself  between the chunk and the ship.”

Paul looked on in fascination.  “You really did have a plan, didn’t you?  No one
could come up with all this on the fly!”

“So you finally believe me?”  GeekNerd smiled.

“The ship is against me,” Caroline reported.

“Have the people on the chunk brace themselves,” GeekNerd told the senior gray. 
“They will soon feel a lurch as they move, followed by a rapid stop.”

“Commander, have your crew brace themselves for sudden motion,” GeekNerd said. 
“Then bring both engines to full power.”

“We’re at full power.”

“Caroline, sink your toes into the ground to anchor yourself, then give the
chunk a short strong push.”

“How strong of a push?”

“Start out gently, then stronger.  When your push is strong enough, the ship
will bound backwards away from you.”

Paul and GeekNerd watched as Caroline began pushing the chunk.  Soon, they saw
the ship hurtling backwards out of view.

“It’s working!”  Paul exclaimed.  “The chunk is moving!”

“What, you doubted me?”  GeekNerd smiled as he lit another cigarette.

“Commander, maintain full power until your ship stops and begins moving towards
the Moon, then reduce power to hold position.”

“Caroline, run to the other side of the chunk.  I’d like you to jump back onto
the Moon to assist Sharon in catching the chunk.”

“I’m back on the Moon,” Caroline reported.

“Great!  You and Sharon position yourselves away from one another.  To give the
chunk as soft a stop as possible, you should catch the chunk with your arms over
your head.  Once the chunk makes contact, immediately start lowering your arms
and then go into a crouch position, slowly stopping the chunk.”

“Senior gray, I’ll need you to get people into position.  When the chunk makes
contact with the Moon, you’ll need to verify it is in proper position.  When we
attach it, the floors of both halves of your base should be in alignment.  I
don’t want the floor to suddenly change into the ceiling!”

“The chunk is on the ground,” Sharon reported.

“You and Caroline both dig your toes into the ground for anchorage.  We need to
check proper alignment before continuing.”

“The chunk is out of alignment,” the gray reported.  “It needs to move 1/8th of
a revolution in the positive direction.”

“What direction is that?”  Caroline asked.

“I don’t know,” GeekNerd responded.  “Just start moving it clockwise.”

“Senior gray, is the chunk moving in the proper direction?”  GeekNerd asked.

“No, it’s going the wrong way.”

“Caroline, you and Sharon need to move the chunk counter-clockwise.”

“Ship in position, reducing power,” the commander reported.  “Awaiting further
instructions.”

“The chunk is in position,” the senior gray reported.

“Sharon, Caroline, the chunk is in position,” GeekNerd said.  “Go ahead and
staple it.”

“The chunk is stapled,” Sharon reported.  “I guess we’re done here for now?”

“Not quite,” GeekNerd responded.  “We still need to recover the energy guides. 
Why don’t you and Caroline start collecting them?”

“Ship’s commander, bring your ship close to the Moon to receive the energy
guides.”

“Senior gray, how is your crew?”

“They’re fine,” the gray responded.  “Just a few bruises.  We’re sealing the
break point now to restore air pressure.  Thank you again so much for your
assistance.”

“You’re welcome.  By the way, has the quaking subsided?”

“Yes, it’s stopped!”

Paul and GeekNerd confirmed the Moon was stable by looking at it through the
windshield.

“Looks like congratulations are in order,” Paul exclaimed.

“Not yet.  The women haven’t returned; they are the ones who did the job!”


Chapter 24

“Ahoy Shuttle.  Ship’s commander here.  The senior gray is here with me and
requests you join us for a celebratory drink and cigar.  Shall I send a vessel
to get you?”

“Have the women returned the energy guides to you yet?”  GeekNerd asked.

“They’re on board now.”

“Have them join you; they’re the ones who did the work.  And yes, send your
vessel, I would love to join you.”

“I’m not sure about this,” Paul cautioned.  “Those grays are not nice people.”

“You can remain here if you wish.  I’m not worried; Sharon and Caroline are both
there.  Besides, a celebration will be a good time to bring up the subject of
taking Sharon and me to the Heavy Planet.”

“Before I go, connect me with ground control.”

Paul established communications.  “They’re ready for your transmission.”

“GeekNerd here.  The Moon has been stabilized by the re-attachment of the
broken-off chunk.  The story to the press should indicate that the chunk was
moved by Caroline and that it was re-attached using materials that we found on
the Moon.”

“Sharon and I will not be returning to Earth.  The story to the press can say
that we were killed or lost in space.  General Horshac should be told the truth;
that we are going to the Heavy Planet.  Sharon regrets the personal situation
between herself and the General and feels this is the best.”

“Examination of the break area on the Moon shows that the laser cut through
about 50 ft of rock.  This was considered beyond the capability of the laser,
but prior investigation determined that the laser had been fired during a period
of electrical transmission instability and a high voltage spike.  This was
confirmed by examination of the laser crystal, which showed internal cracking
due to the excessive voltage.”

“The chunk broke off not only due to the cut, but also because the grays had
excavated a cave-like hallway in the area.  This combination, plus the unusual
necked-down shape of the chunk, surpassed the ability of the remaining rock to
hold it in place, and the rock sheared.  The air pressure within the hallway
area escaped during the break-off, causing the chunk to accelerate away from the
rest of the Moon and go into a pseudo orbit.  GeekNerd out.”

The vessel soon arrived and GeekNerd boarded.
************************************************************
Paul heard the airlock door open and then moments later saw Caroline enter the
cockpit.  After a kiss, he asked, “So how did it go?”

“The drinks were excellent!  It’s just too bad you weren’t there.”

“Did Sharon and GeekNerd return with you?”

“No.  They’re going to stay on the ship.  It will be leaving shortly for the
Heavy Planet.”

“So they were able to convince the grays to take them there?”

“Yes.  Evidently, this base is far more important to them than we realized, and
getting it back together and functioning was a big deal for them.  Also, they
were impressed that we helped immediately, without asking for anything first.”

“So maybe they do have some sort of code of honor then?  They feel they owe us
something?”

“It certainly seemed that way.  It’s still hard to trust them, though.  Sharon
agreed to monitor their journey, and to ensure they pass near ‘landmarks’ along
the way, just to check that they are headed in the right direction.”

“So that’s the last we’ll see of them then?”

Tears began to well up in Caroline’s eyes.  “Yes, I’ll never see Sharon again. 
She was a good friend.  She even gave me the key to her apartment, so I can get
her mattress and the wave director!  I’m going to miss those two!”

“I’m sure you will,” Paul consoled.  “Did GeekNerd give any final instructions?”

Caroline regained her composure.  “Yes, he did.  He said to ensure I remove the
brake cable and the cable attached to the door.  He also said that you need to
jettison the Booster Rockets and the External Fuel Tank when we are close to
entering Earth’s atmosphere, so that they will burn up before reaching Earth and
so that they do not become space junk.  He said that he has great confidence in
your ability to pilot the Shuttle back to Earth.”

“Why don’t you go ahead and remove the cables then.  I’ll get us back in
position to return to Earth.  England, here we come!”


Chapter 25

“We’re about to enter Earth’s atmosphere,” Paul noted.

“Time to jettison the External Fuel Tank and Booster Rockets, then,” Caroline
noted.

Paul jettisoned the tank and both rockets using the switches in the cockpit. 
Adding the switches was one of GeekNerd’s modifications.  “All right, they’re
gone.  Entering Earth’s atmosphere.”

“Wait, I think there’s something in GeekNerd’s contingency plan about this,”
Caroline stated as she looked for the notebook.  “Ah yes, here it is,” she
continued as she leafed through the pages, “under ‘Abnormal Re-entry Situations’
it says that the Shuttle cargo bay should be empty except for seismometers, and
that if the fuel tank is still there, it should be jettisoned before starting
re-entry maneuvers.”

“I want the tank in there to provide additional fuel in case we need it,” Paul
protested.  “Besides, GeekNerd isn’t here.  I’m in control now!”

“Do you think maybe he knew he wouldn’t be coming back with us, and that is why
he wrote this plan?”  Caroline mused.

“What are you going on about?  How could he have known that?  That plan was
written before we left Earth!”

“Maybe he thought it was a suicide mission.”

“Then why would he agree to go on it?  Unless, maybe he thought you would also
die?”

“No, he knew I am totally invulnerable.”

“Well, whatever, I want the tank on board as emergency backup,” Paul ordered. 
“And don’t distract me, this is a tricky maneuver!”

“Fine,” Caroline pouted.

The shuttle began tossing as it contacted the outer fringes of the atmosphere,
but then stabilized into a rough ride as it began descending.  Suddenly, an
alarm sounded indicating high pressure in the cargo hold, followed quickly by
another alarm indicating the cargo hatch doors were not fully closed.

“What’s going on here?” Caroline asked.

“I don’t know,” Paul admitted.  “Go back there and find out!”

Just then yet another alarm sounded indicating low cabin air pressure.  Paul
immediately donned breathing apparatus.  Caroline ensured that Paul was
breathing well; she didn’t need an air mask.  Then she left the cockpit.

“Paul,” the speaker boomed to life, “the fuel tank is overheating and expanding. 
It has bulged so much that it is starting to force the cargo hatch doors open. 
It looks like it is ready to explode!”

“Bloody Hell!” Paul exclaimed.  “Here, let me fully open the cargo hatch doors,
then you throw the tank away from the Shuttle as far as you can!”

Caroline watched as the doors fully opened.  She easily picked up the fuel tank,
but the metal had softened so much that it was like picking up a water balloon. 
And the metal was quickly becoming softer; in fact, with the doors open the
entire cargo area was rapidly heating.  Caroline’s feet began sinking into the
softening floor!  She threw the tank as hard as she could, but with the soft
floor and the deformed and soft tank, she was unable to put as much into her
throw as she wanted.  She watched as the tank exploded seconds later, violently
upsetting the Shuttle and tossing her against the wall!

Paul saw the explosion of the tank.  He felt it milliseconds later as the
Shuttle was violently tossed.  He lost control for a bit, but with extreme
difficulty was able to regain ship’s attitude and heading.  With the tank gone,
he tried to close the cargo bay doors, but was unable to secure them. 

“Caroline, can you pull the doors shut?  They won’t close all the way from
here.”

Caroline had regained her footing.  “I’ll try.  I think the hinges bent earlier,
I should be able to reform them.”

She climbed up the cargo bay wall to the door hinge.  She was right, the hinge
had deformed when the fuel tank had expanded against it.  She put her hand over
the hinge and easily brought it back to its original shape.  The hinge was hot
not only from her hand, but also because it was exposed to the atmosphere
outside.  Luckily, she was able to contain the hot metal and ensure it remained
on the hinge and did not drip to the floor.  With the hinge restored, the door
closed fully.

The doors not fully closed had impacted the Shuttle aerodynamics.  Now, with the
doors closed, aerodynamics was impacted again, to Paul’s dismay as he again lost
control.  This time, however, it was easier to regain control of the flight
path.

By the time Caroline returned to the cockpit, Paul thought he had the situation
under control.  Alarms were clearing; the cargo bay doors not closed, and the
cargo bay high pressure.  Cabin air pressure was being restored and its alarm
would soon clear.  The Shuttle was on the proper glide path for re-entry.  Paul
took off his breathing mask.

“That was a close one!”  He exclaimed.

“Yes, indeed it was,” Caroline agreed.  “I guess now we know why the contingency
plan called for jettisoning the fuel tank before re-entry.”

“What, do you think he knew the tank would expand and explode?”

“Yes, he probably did.  Remember, he was the one who put it in here in the first
place.  He probably just designed it for space use and therefore made it
lightweight.”

“You may be right.  But at least we handled it, and now we’re on the way home.”

“Where are you going to land?” Caroline asked.

“The normal landing site is Edwards Air Force base.”

“Isn’t that on the west coast of the United States, in California?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Are we going to make it?  We seem awfully low, and that’s Egypt down below, see
the pyramids?”

“What?  On my God, you’re right!  We’ll probably land in the Pacific Ocean; the
fuel tank explosion knocked us off course!”

“Watch out!” Caroline shouted.  “Mountain dead ahead!”

“That’s Mt Everest!  We’re not going to clear it!”

Caroline saw that Paul was frozen at the controls!  She knew there was no time
to exit the Shuttle through the normal door, so she thrust her hand through the
fuselage of the Shuttle, making a hole large enough to jump through.  Just
before impact, she grabbed Paul and jumped, being careful to keep her back to
the wind to protect him.

Her jump was powerful; she quickly passed the Shuttle and continued onwards in a
somewhat vertical as well as lateral direction.  The problem with her jump was
that she could not see where she was going.  When she sensed the mountain
approaching, she threw Paul backwards to cushion his landing.  She expected to
hit the peak in seconds. 

She heard and saw the Shuttle impact the mountain and explode.  She cried out in
fear, not for herself but for Paul.  Was he all right, or was he injured by the
exploding Shuttle and its debris?

Throwing Paul backwards had been the thing to do during her training for the
mission.  But this training consisted of vertical leaps from airplanes.  From
the Shuttle, however, she had not jumped straight vertically, but rather mostly
horizontally and laterally.  She could see Paul through the smoke cloud from the
destroyed Shuttle as she looked down, but he was not coming towards her. 
Rather, gravity was having its effect, and he was falling out of her view! 
“What have I done?” She screamed in horror.

Then she thought, “Why haven’t I hit yet?” as she continued traveling backwards. 
She soon found out, as she sailed past the peak and continued, before falling
downwards.  Oh no, she had completely sailed past Mt Everest and was now coming
down on the side opposite Paul!  As she looked up, she could clearly see the
summit, only a few hundred feet above.  Looking down, she could see she had a
long ways to fall, still at least 30,000 ft.  She could do nothing for Paul
until she finally hit the ground!  She was falling…falling.

Caroline was horrified that she had tossed Paul to the other side of Mt.
Everest.  She couldn’t wait to finally hit the ground, so that she could begin
to look for him!  She rotated her body to go into a dive, to speed her descent.

In the dive, she could see downwards, and it was not a pretty sight.  The area
was filled with sharp pointed rocks.  She brushed against an overhanging cliff
on her way down, upsetting a massive boulder atop and causing it to follow her
the rest of the way down.

Close to the ground, she again rotated her body in order to hit on her back. 
This would avoid having her huge tits burrow into the soil and would otherwise
minimize damage to the area.  She finally hit the ground, smashing rocks
underneath her invulnerable body.  Since she was on her back, she was looking
upwards as the massive boulder smashed into her stomach and split in two on her
abs.  She quickly brushed aside the pieces and jumped to her feet.

She had to find Paul!  She began running as fast as she could to the other side
of the mountain.  As she ran, she considered her search method.  She could
always listen for him, but if he were unconscious, he would be making no sound. 
She decided that she would have to try to find him visually.

When she reached her destination, she looked up in an effort to spot Paul.  Not
seeing him, she then tried jumping into the air, first a 5000 ft vertical jump,
then a 10,000 ft vertical jump, then 15,000 ft, then 20,000 ft.  At 25,000 ft,
she spotted him!  She couldn’t reach him, of course, since she had jumped
straight up and was falling straight down.  But now, knowing his elevation, she
could modify her jump once she was back on the ground.

She jumped again, 25,000 ft but not straight up; she jumped at a slight angle. 
The jump was perfect, as she landed on the mountain.  Now to get to Paul!  She
quickly jumped over a boulder and ran up the side of the mountain 200 ft before
jumping into a small ravine.

She could see the leg of Paul’s flight suit sticking out of the snow.  She
quickly took it in her hand and gently pulled.  She had hoped Paul would be in
the flight suit, and he was!  She took him in her arms and gently hugged him. 
Paul coughed.  At this sign of life, tears of joy flowed down her cheeks.  She
had never been so happy!  She began kissing him.

“Are you all right?”  She managed to finally ask him.  “I was so worried about
you!”

“I think I’m fine,” Paul chattered.  “But I’m so cold.”

“Let me warm you up,” Caroline said as she took off her flight suit and placed
it on him.  But the garment was in tatters, having been sliced to bits by the
rocks she had hit.  “Oh, that’s no good.”

She looked around for something to give off heat, then it hit her.  She carried
Paul over to a large boulder and placed him on the ground.  Then she put her
arms around the rock and began slowly squeezing it.  Her pressure caused the
boulder to begin heating up; soon, she could feel the heat it gave off.

Paul felt the heat too.  “Oh, that feels good,” he remarked as he moved closer
to it.  “My hands feel like they’re frozen,” as he placed his palms on the
boulder but then quickly removed them as the boulder continued to get hotter. 
“That’s hot enough for now.”

Caroline released the boulder.  “Feeling better now?”

“Yes, much.”

Caroline could see his color returning.  She was so glad to have found him! 
Yet, thinking of that also caused her to think of how she had lost him, of her
utter stupidity!  She began crying uncontrollably.

“What is it?”  He asked as he hugged her.

“I was so stupid!”  She sobbed.  “I nearly killed you!”

“What!?!  You saved my life!”

“I tossed you backwards because I thought I was going to hit the mountain, and
instead of slowing your fall, I sent you to this side of the mountain, away from
me!”

“You did slow my fall.  That allowed me to hit gently and fall into that snow
bank.  If you hadn’t, I would have been crushed by the cliff.”

“But if I hadn’t tossed you, you would have been with me.”

“What happened to your flight suit?  Did it rip apart when you hit the ground?”

“It tore as I was falling.”  Caroline looked around and then continued, “The
other side of the mountain is much more jagged than this side.  Also, I upset a
boulder on the way down and it hit me in the stomach after I landed on the
ground.”

“Well then, I guess it was a good thing that you tossed me onto this side; that
boulder would have crushed me!”

Her tears finally stopped.  “Yes, I guess it was!  Although I didn’t know it at
the time.”

Paul hugged her and gave her a kiss.  “All that muscle, and you have luck too? 
That’s totally unfair!”

Caroline laughed and kissed him.  “Ready to get out of here?”

“Sure,” Paul replied.  “I’ve warmed up enough.  Here, perhaps you should put
this on first,” he added as he handed over her flight suit.

“By the way, did you spot any Yettas here?”

“What!?!”

“Well, I thought that the Shuttle explosion would have frightened them and made
them scatter.”

“No,” Paul laughed.   “I guess they really are just fantasy.”

“Just checking,” Caroline said as she donned the garment and then took Paul in
her arms.  She jumped off the mountain.  Near the ground, she tossed him back
up, then landed on her own and caught him as he fell back down.  She then placed
him on the ground.

“I think I saw a store as I was falling,” Paul said.  “It probably supplies
climbing teams.  They should have a phone we can use to summon a way out of
here.”

“So it’s back to civilization then?  Are you sure you don’t want a holiday while
we’re here?”

“No,” Paul laughed, “I still don’t fancy Mt. Everest!”


THE END