Transitions by Mike Hormek - HTML preview

Chapter 6

To whom it may concern.

"If you are reading this letter, it must mean something has happened to me; else, I would have put this in a conspicuous place where someone could find it upon my death. The providers of the two robots contracted to SpaceZ, Craig and Jenifer, because they were the programmers and had something to do with instructing the robots to commit covert acts on the Chinese camp.

I have no direct evidence, but Craig and Jenifer used a computer for programming, and the computer suddenly disappeared. When I asked them where the laptop was, they became very defensive. So, in the event of my demise, look at them.

Mark Mitchell

"Do you think they had my husband killed?"

"I don't know," Marsh said. But we will certainly check it out. In the meantime, is there someone you and Emily can stay with for your protection?"

"Yes, my mother lives out of town."

"How far is it.?"

"Two and a half hours."

"Okay, we will stay until an officer comes, and then he will drive you there."

"Call your mother, but there are no details, please. I assume she knows about your husband's death?"

"Yes, she would come and stay, but her health is not good."

"Okay, let's keep in touch Jenifer said."

"Please catch the killers."

It was a balmy day, almost the kind where it would be better to stay inside with a good book and a glass of wine, when Craig and Jenifer sat at the FBI Headquarters Interrogation Room. In attendance were FBI Agents Glen and Elsie, Local Detective Marsh, and Craig and Jenifer. Sansaver was ill and could not attend.

Glen, standing with his arms crossed, spoke first.

"Craig, Jenifer. We appreciate you both coming in today. You know the issue with the Chinese is a serious matter, and we need to get to the bottom of it."

"Jenifer spoke nervously, "Of course. We are here to help in any way we can."

Elsie, leaning forward, responded, "Let's cut to the chase. We have strong evidence suggesting that you both embedded a virus in the robots sent to the Moon, which led to the destruction of a Chinese scientific camp. What have you got to say about that?"

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Craig said very defensively, "That's absurd. Where's the proof? Our robots are programmed for scientific purposes only. We would not risk everything by doing something so reckless."

Marsh, from the back of the room, spoke with a stern look, "We also have a case of Mark's murder to discuss. Mark was murdered by an unknown assailant the night after he tried to blackmail you. Coincidence?"

"Blackmail? Jenifer yelled."You have no proof of that. We had nothing to do with any blackmail nor his murder."

"Then how do you explain the letter Mark sent to himself implicating you?" Glen said.

"Maybe he intended to blackmail us, and that was his security if something went south," Craig said.

"Well, something did go south," Marsh said. "You killed him. Oh, and he mentioned a missing computer that he confronted you about."

"That's a lie," Jenifer said. "That letter means nothing! Mark was paranoid. He may have been the perpetrator and was trying to cover his tracks by framing us."

"We don't think he had motive and may not even be capable of installing the virus," Glen said.

"But you guys had motives because of your major investments in the space program. And you would lose money in stock if the Chinese were to be in the lead. So the destruction of the camp may be a setback."

Jenifer, with desperation in her voice, said, "We didn't do it! Yes, we have investments, but that doesn't mean we would resort to espionage and murder. We're scientists, not criminals."

Slamming his fist on the table, Marsh said,"The evidence says otherwise. We found your fingerprints on Mark's flash drive—the same drive he claimed had proof against you."

Craig, sweating profusely, responded. "Someone planted that drive."

"Craig Larsen, Jenifer Armitage,"Glen said. We're placing you under arrest for suspicion of murder and espionage. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law", Glen said.

Jenifer cried out, teary-eyed. "This is a mistake. We are innocent. Please, you have to believe us."

"We will let the courts decide," Elsie said. "For now, you are coming with us."

"Take them into custody.", Marsh said.

"We want a lawyer," Craig said."

"That's your right,"Glen said."Take them away."

The uniforms led them away, and then Glen asked Marsh, "Where was the evidence that Mark had evidence against them? Am I missing something?"

"I just assumed that was true. I made it up as I went to get Craig and Jenifer's reaction. I'm sure the prosecution won't bring it up in court."

Glen turned to Elsie and said."We need to find the missing computer."

"You are right. It was a stroke of luck that Craig and Jenifer worked with the team going to the Moon to disable the robots, or the downloading and subsequent investigation of the software may have been an issue."

Engineers debriefed the Chinese on the mission to disable Amos and Arnold, and the mission was underway.

Day 1-2: Planning Phase: (2 Days) Both countries establish a task force comprising NASA, SpaceX, the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA), and China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation(CASC)

Day 3-7 Launch Preparation Phase (5 Days) NASA and CNSA prepare two sets of equipment.

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* A U.S. lunar lander equipped with advanced robotics and AI deactivating tools.

*A Chinese lunar rover with EMP (electromagnetic pulse) devices and precision targeting systems.

*The teams conduct joint simulations and finalize mission details. Both spacecraft are equipped with real-time communication links to ensure seamless coordination.

Day 8-10 Launch Phase (3 Days) Day 8 The U.S. launches its spacecraft from Kennedy Space Center, Florida

Day 11-13 Travel Phase (3 days) Continuous communication between spacecraft and mission control.

Day 14: Interception Phase (2 days): The Spacecraft lands near Amos and Arnold. The lunar lander deploys its advanced robotics team; the astronauts strategically position the rover to greet the robots when they become visible and deploy EMP devices if necessary. Mission Control conducts an initial survey using onboard cameras and sensors to locate the rogue robots without alerting them of the joint mission's presence.

Day 15 Once Amos and Arnold are located by the field team, the U.S. robotics team moves in to intercept the robots physically. Chinese support ensures the area is secure and ready to deploy EMP if the robots attempt to resist or flee.

*The robots are successfully intercepted and temporarily disabled by the U.S. team using specialized deactivation tools. Chinese personnel confirm

the deactivation with additional EMP pulses to ensure no residual activity from the AI systems.

Day 16-17: The team then transports the disabled robots to a secure location on the Moon.

Here, U.S. and Chinese engineers conduct a thorough analysis to understand the breach and secure sensitive data.

Joint statements are prepared for international media, highlighting the mission's cooperation and success. They help de-escalate political tensions and demonstrate a commitment to transparency and collaboration.

Day 18-20: Both teams prepare for the return trip. The rover remains on the Moon for future missions. The craft returns with the deactivated robots for further investigation. Upon return, a joint press conference will disclose the findings, and both countries emphasize the importance of international cooperation in space security and ethics.

The team was in place a day before the robots entered the vicinity of their craft.

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