- When Earth II, an orbiting research space station, is menaced by a Red Chinese nuclear weapon, its 2,000 inhabitants take action to disarm and dispose of the missile without resorting to violence.
- In the near future, a space station dubbed Earth II is built for the purpose of scientific research and world peace. However, that peace is shattered when the Chinese send up a nuclear bomb that is orbiting just a few miles away from the station. Can the crew disarm the bomb before it detonates, not only destroying the station but setting off World War III?—Brian Washington <Sargebri@att.net>
- An Apollo capsule is ready to launch on a Saturn 5 rocket, with launch director Frank Karger looking on, as well as controller Walter Dietrich. As the countdown proceeds, a scuba diver surfaces close to the shore. He steadies a rifle on an inflatable float and takes aim at the rocket in the final seconds of the launch. Just before he can fire, the crew of a patrolling Coast Guard cutter kills him with a machine gun. The diver is later determined to be working for the Red Chinese. The launch goes off, carrying astronauts David Seville, Jim Capa and Dr. Loren Huxley as well as the first component of the Earth II space colony. The President of the United States explains the mission to the country in a TV broadcast. In order for Earth II to be successful, it needs to be independent of all existing countries. Americans can vote on whether Earth II should be allowed to be independent by leaving their lights on overnight while the astronauts in the capsule measure the light levels. Instant results show the vote is a resounding yes.
Years later, Earth II is complete. Frank and his wife and son arrive at the colony to become permanent citizens. Frank does not agree with the goals of Earth II, but he feels he can effect changes as a citizen, to the displeasure of David, who spearheaded Earth II's construction and the development of its peaceful, highly democratic society. Even toy guns are prohibited, as Frank finds out when his family is slightly delayed by his young son, Matt, trying to bring one to the station.
Earth II tracks a missile launched from China and the satellite it leaves in orbit. Further analysis shows that it's a three-warhead nuclear device with an orbit over Moscow and passing close to Earth II. Frank and David return to Earth to attend a meeting in Switzerland with testy Chinese and Soviet officials. The Chinese claim the right to defend itself and threaten to detonate it should anyone try to tamper with the satellite. The Soviets threaten military retaliation if it should detonate over their country.
The leadership of Earth II debate the dangers of the nearby satellite. Frank wants the satellite removed because of the danger it poses while David reiterates the Chinese and Soviet warnings. After a televised D&D (debate and decision) with the colony's citizens electronically voting afterward, Frank barely wins the vote. A two-man crew of pilot Jim Capa and formerly Soviet engineer Anton Kovalefskii heads out in a tug to disarm the warheads under the pretense of checking its condition. Anton does a spacewalk and opens the circuit bay. As he carefully cuts wires, he accidentally bumps the satellite's gyro, alerting the Chinese to their tampering. When he tries to quickly disconnect the detonator, the Chinese activate it as he cuts the last wire, badly injuring him. Jim quickly brings him back to Earth II, with the inert satellite in tow. Anton's prognosis is grim, Dr. Huxley offering his pregnant wife the choice between a potentially fatal operation that is his only hope of normalcy versus a lower risk operation that may leave him brain-damaged. Illyana believes Anton would not want to be less than the man he was and chooses the high risk procedure.
Frank now believes that Earth II should keep the warheads for its own defense. David strongly objects, citing the colony's "weapons-free" policy. Frank demands another D&D, confident that he can win again. During the debate, Frank's wife, Lisa, enters the empty control room for the refueling bay where the satellite is kept. She disagrees with Frank and takes action on her own, jettisoning the hatch and visually launching it at the sun. David, Frank, Walter and Jim are alerted and interrupt their debate to go check out the bay, where they're aghast at what Lisa has done. They know Earth II's rotation and other factors affect the actual course of the satellite, which they quickly calculate will skip three times in Earth's atmosphere before detonating over Illinois or Indiana. Jim and David take a shuttle on a desperate pursuit into the atmosphere. After the satellite makes its first skip off the atmosphere, they pick it up and return it to Earth II. But it has lost most of its ablative heat shielding and its thermal fuses have nearly melted. In the medical section, Anton regains consciousness briefly and smiles at Ilyana, then succumbs to his injuries.
With no launch window to the sun in the near future for them to safely dispose of the warheads, the team has to try to disarm the device. Three spacesuited men including David and Frank work in the bay, with Walter directing from the bay control room. Time is short as the slowed rotation of Earth II is nearly allowing the sun through the hatchless opening, pushing temperatures high enough to melt what's left of the fuses and detonate the warheads. Jim takes a tug out to try to completely stop rotation. After feverish efforts to expose the fuses, they manage to wedge wrenches in during the final seconds, preventing the fuses from closing. Disaster averted, Earth II resumes its rotation.
Frank, chastened by the close call, accedes to David's peaceful philosophy and the warheads are launched on the proper course for the sun. David reminds Lisa that decisions are made collectively in the colony. Earth II welcomes its first native-born citizen, Anton Kovalefskii, Jr.
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