Tag: 2008

Posted on

THE ANTARES SECRET – CHAPTER 15: Pregame Jitters

Margarita cocktail for the pregame jitters related to the letter

Vega met her father at their favorite Mexican restaurant right after work. The letter was definitely an astonishing development and just holding it in her hands was spellbinding.

“You said you went to a client’s office and checked the handwriting using one of their computers?”

“That’s right,” said Lucas, “if my computer is being monitored, then using it for that would have compromised the whole thing. I’m no expert and, like everybody else’s, his handwriting evolves through the years, but this letter looks like it was written by the same person who wrote these other notes.”

Vega looked at the printouts of about a dozen different handwritten notes and nodded in agreement.

“So what’re you going to do?”

“My first reaction is to go,” said Lucas, “but I wanted to know what your gut tells you after reading the letter.”

“My mind tells me to be very careful,” said Vega, “but, oddly, my gut feels the man’s legit. It’s hard to explain, it’s like the letter itself has some kind of positive energy.”

“I know, I felt it too. So, it’s settled then, I’m going to Cincinnati.”

“We… are going to Cincinnati,” said Vega emphasizing the word we. “I’m not gonna let you go alone. My mind is still telling me to be careful.”

“Ok, so we are going… Shit I’m nervous. You know pregame jitters. I mean we’re gonna meet a historical figure. What if I screw it up?”

“Dad, you know more about the subject you’ll be discussing with him than the average person. Besides, he wouldn’t have invited you if he hadn’t noticed something special about you in the conversations. Plus I’m sure that after more than 40 years he must be used to people stuttering or going gaga when meeting him. Just do your homework and prepare well for the meeting. As for your current jitters, your lawyer advises a large Margarita.”

“Whatever you say counselor,” said Lucas while signaling for the waiter.

Two hours later at Lucas place…

Ok, showtime, thought Lucas as he sat on his computer.

He signed into the fantasy league chat room and wrote a message to the manager of the Kitty Hawks.

“Hey Ed, hope you’re well. I’ve been out for a few days and haven’t been checking my messages here. Listen, regarding the job you talked to me about, something has come up that will make it impossible for me to travel. Sorry for any inconvenience this might cause. Anyway, Godspeed in your venture.”

He had discussed the content of this message with Vega over Swiss enchiladas and they agreed that using the can’t travel excuse would help mask their real intentions later on when they did buy air tickets.

Over in Ohio, the old man read the message and smiled. He still had to wait a couple of days to get a confirmation by regular mail, but he was confident that the electronic message was part of the ruse he had proposed. He answered promptly:

“Don’t worry about it. Maybe some other time. By the way, it looks like we are leading our league. Would you be interested in a trade?” And just like that their conversations turned to pure baseball.    

 

 

Please help keep the stories flowing…

Posted on

THE ANTARES SECRET – CHAPTER 16: Plans, Planes and Playball!

Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati

Time passed excruciatingly slow for Lucas during the following month. First he had to wait a couple of weeks before buying the plane tickets to avoid raising red flags to the people monitoring his moves.

During that time Vega came to the conclusion that, for those same reasons, it was better for both of them if she didn’t accompany him to Cincinnati. She wasn’t absolutely sure whether David or Mr. Martin at the office were in on it or not, but thought it was better to play it safe to avoid arising suspicions from them.

Lucas had a lot of time to ponder his travel options and finally settled for Chicago. He had been there for business before so he knew the city well and most importantly, had a history to back up his new trip there in the eyes of those tracking his moves. Also, he thought it would mask his true destination better than Detroit because, although the distances were quite similar, Chicago was in a different time zone and had the whole state of Indiana between itself and Cincinnati.

Before the self-imposed two-week waiting period had expired, Lucas got another letter from Edwin Moon acknowledging receipt of his response and confirming their meeting at the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati on May 18. A few days later he went online and bought himself a round-trip ticket to the Windy City.  He also booked a car rental for two days with return to the same location.

Finding a hotel took a bit longer. Since, in all probability, his every move was being monitored, he needed something that would signal he was going to stay in town while providing him easy access to I-94, the route he had to take out of Chicago towards Indiana on his way to Cincinnati. He didn’t want to add any unnecessary time to the 4½ hour drive. After some patient search, he found what he, and his budget, were looking for at the Crowne Plaza in the West Loop area and made reservations for two nights.

For the next two weeks Lucas and Vega went through all the possible scenarios and planned for each one of them. Lucas felt very confident when he boarded the flight to Chicago that Saturday, May 17, 2008. He was already in his seat when a woman in her mid twenties and an athletic build placed a weekender type bag on the overhead compartment and sat in the seat next to his. He was prepared to face the possibility of him being followed the whole trip and immediately tagged her as an agent of whatever government agency was tracking his actions.

“Business or pleasure?” he asked her.

“Business,” she said courtly.

“Same here, business on a Saturday. I’m in advertising. Clients don’t know the meaning of the word weekend,” said Lucas trying to get her to spill whatever cover she was using.

“I do most of my work during weekends,” she said with a small smile that lighted up her stern face.

“Really, what is it that you do? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“I’m a professional soccer player. I’m on my way to Chicago to join the Red Stars.”

“The Red Stars? I’m not familiar with them.”

“It’s the city’s entry in the new Women’s Professional Soccer League.”

“Wow, I didn’t know about it. Good luck…” Lucas extended his hand to shake hers, “my name is Lucas Adrich, consider me a Red Stars fan from now on.”

“Thanks, but be aware that the first season starts next year. I’m Megan…  Megan Rapinoe by the way.”

If this was a cover it was a pretty risky one; too easy to corroborate whether her information was false, thought Lucas. She must be the real thing. He wondered if she would end up being one of the league stars. He considered asking for her autograph just in case but desisted from the idea.

The flight was uneventful and he arrived at O’Hare Airport in Chicago right on time. He followed the signs to the car rental companies, and 45 minutes later left for the Crowne Plaza Hotel on a silver Toyota Camry.

He was too excited about the next day’s adventure so he hardly slept that night. It seemed like he had just closed his eyes when the alarm clock went off at 5:00 in the morning. After showering he had a hotel bedroom coffee that tasted like dirty water and got on his way. He had to leave no later than 6:30 to make it to the game before the 1:15 start time. There was a one hour difference between Chicago and Cincinnati and leaving at that time would give him an hour to spare for any unforeseen events.

Driving through Indiana got to be extremely boring with flatlands as far as the eye could see, but it was a beautiful day for baseball with clear skies and gorgeous 66° weather. He was already on I-65 heading south when he realized it was already mid-morning and he hadn’t had breakfast. He stopped at the next rest area near Lafayette and got himself an egg and bacon sandwich with some more coffee. After a quick restroom pit stop he was back on the rented Camry approaching Indianapolis at 65 miles per hour.

Two hours later he pulled into one of Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark parking areas, never noticing the car tailing him, a nondescript gray sedan with a middle-aged couple inside that looked like anybody’s next-door neighbors. They watched him step out of the car before following him inside the park.

Once inside the ballpark, Lucas had to ask directions to the suite 110. When he finally got there, the old man was waiting for him outside. To Lucas he resembled the actor that played Batman in the 60’s TV series.

“Ed?” asked Lucas as he approached the man.

“Lucas I presume,” answered the man extending his hand to shake Lucas’.

“Yes Ed, thanks for the invitation. This ballpark is absolutely gorgeous. Like a temple for baseball.”

“Please call me Neil, there’s no need for subterfuge anymore,” said the old man with a smile. “Let’s go in. Would you like a beer?”

Ha! I knew it! You’re Neil Armstrong, thought Lucas but instead said “Love one Neil, thanks.”

“Two Hudys Al”, the old man told the suite attendant as they entered.

“Hudys?” asked Lucas.

“Hudy Delight, Cincinnati’s very own light beer,” said Neil. “Would you prefer something else?”

“No, a Hudy would be perfect.”

“Let’s seat outdoors. The day is too nice to stay inside,” said Neil leading the way.

“We’ll have more privacy out here; don’t wish to be overhead by the suite attendant,” he said once outside. “By the way, great pitching matchup today Volquez versus Lee, the two teams’ aces.”

Once they took their seats the game  started and with it the most fascinating three hours Lucas had ever experienced in his lifetime.

 

 

Please help keep the stories flowing…

Posted on

THE ANTARES SECRET – CHAPTER 17: First Inning – The Beginning

Suite at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati

Lucas sat with Neil Armstrong on the suite’s outdoor seats and looked around taking in the grandiosity of the situation while sipping his Hudy Delight.

“Only one loss between the two pitchers… and 12 wins. Both early Cy Young candidates in their leagues. Definitely a pitching banquet ahead of us”, said the old man.

“Ah, oh, yeah,” sputtered Lucas.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, yes, I’m okay, it’s just that I’m a little overwhelmed by this whole… surreal experience,” said Lucas feeling a bit embarrassed.

“It’s only regular season,” said the old man with a smirk.

“Yeah, well, for you maybe, ‘cus you’re not sitting next to a historical figure watching the game.”

“Oh, that. Well, after today, maybe you’ll make history too. And on that note, thanks for accepting the invitation. It took me many years to finally decide on this course of action. Something that I’m sure you’ll understand once you hear what I have to say.”

The man took a long sip of his beer before continuing.

“On your response to my initial letter you asked me several things. Where would you like to start?”

“Why me? What are you looking for?” asked Lucas.

“Well, first things first. You’re a communications professional. I visited your website and liked what I saw. You’re also a knowledgeable person in the topic of the Space Race of the sixties, so you’re better suited to understand the context of what I’m going to tell you. As for what I’m I looking for? I want people to know the truth and I can’t tell them myself.”

“So you want me to tell people? I thought this conversation was supposed to be kept confidential.”

“This conversation never took place. What you do with the information you get is entirely up to you,” said the old man. “But don’t tell that to the people who accompanied you.”

“Who? What people?”

“The two agents following you. I spotted them when you approached me outside the suite. They were walking like 50 feet behind you. A middle-aged couple who looked like John and Jane Midwest. I’m sure they will be talking to you after the game.”

Instinctively, Lucas looked over his shoulder after hearing this, but all he could see through the glass window was Al, the suite attendant who immediately approached them to ask if they needed anything.

Neil Armstrong politely dismissed the courteous attendant who went back inside to wait upon a group of six that had just entered the suite.

“Relax Lucas.”

“It’s just that I had been on the lookout for a tail , and finding out that they fooled me pisses me off.”

“Let’s take one step at a time, they will not cause a scene. That’s why I chose this public venue for our little chat. Al and the six friends I had on standby in case something like this happened are our insurance that the agents won’t come inside the suite.”

Lucas looked back into the suite and a few of the guys waved at him smiling.

“This is so surreal,” said Lucas mostly to himself.

“Well, with that out of the way, what do you think we start at the beginning?” said the old man. “As you know there are a lot of conspiracy theories regarding the Moon landings of the late sixties and early seventies. Some going as far as to state that it was all a fake. Well, the truth, as it usually does, lies somewhere in the middle between what the conspiracy theorists say and NASA’s official version of the events.

“Let’s be clear about one thing Lucas, man did land on the Moon. Whoever claims otherwise is a fool. Where NASA’s official story starts to deviate from the truth is with regards to when the landings took place. On the other hand, conspiracy theorists are closer to the truth when it comes to the tools used by NASA to achieve such deviation.

“You must remember that in the sixties the Cold War was at its peak and beating the Soviets to the Moon was a political endeavor more than a scientific one. So, after the tragedy of Apollo 1 and the calendar setbacks that it entailed, officials at NASA and the government began to seriously worry that Kennedy’s promise would not be fulfilled and that the Soviet Union would beat the U.S. to the Moon. An occurrence that would have dealt a crushing political blow to America’s world leader image and role.

“That’s why shortly after the conclusion of the 1967 congressional hearings on the Apollo 1 accident, a handful of government and NASA top brass got together and laid out the main components of a secondary protocol for all Apollo missions that required it. The operation’s objective was to convey the idea that the U.S. had landed a man on the Moon even if they hadn’t. It was a monumental misinformation endeavor and, as with many other Space Race era plans, it had to go through several stages in order for it to be successful.”

“When was this protocol added to the Apollo program?” asked Lucas.

“After the assassination of Bobby Kennedy in June 6, 1968. While the media attention was centered on that story, President Lyndon B. Johnson gave the order to put the secondary protocol in motion.”

Meanwhile on the playing field…

The Indians started the first inning well, putting men on first and second with no outs but ended in disappointment with a strikeout followed by a double play to end the top half of the frame. The Reds drew first blood by scoring a run in their bottom half of the inning.

 

 

Please help keep the stories flowing…

Posted on

THE ANTARES SECRET – CHAPTER 21: Fifth Inning – Heads and Tales

NASA Administrator Thomas Paine in 1969

While on the playing field Reds pitcher Edison Volquez manhandled the Indians lineup on the top half of the fifth inning, Armstrong continued his tale.

“In October 1968, NASA Administrator James Webb who had been informed about the secondary protocol plan by the big four, Gilruth, Low, Kraft and Slayton, stepped down from his post,” said the old astronaut. “Although the official version for his resignation was that he wanted to give the next President space to name his own director, some say the decision was prompted by his strong opposition to the deception.

“He was succeeded by Dr. Thomas Paine who oversaw the Apollo 8 to 13 missions. It was rumored among the astronauts in the secondary protocol loop that Dr. Paine was not made aware of the plan when he took over. It became obvious later that, being an engineer, he had figured out the deception somewhere along the line and that was why he quit after the Apollo 13’s opera of a mission. I think something else was at play too.

“Dr. Paine had been in charge of acquiring the sentiments of world leaders for the Apollo 11 Goodwill Messages which were meant to rest on the lunar surface. He personally corresponded with the heads of what became seventy-three participating nations, and coordinated the efforts to enshrine their messages on a tiny silicon disc. By the way, it’s interesting to note that Lyndon B. Johnson’s message was written as if the Moon landing was a future event and not an accomplished feat. Something along the lines of: ‘We expect to explore the Moon… The purpose of the American people remains unchanged… and so on.’

“To this day I can’t figure out why he did that. It was too risky, but time proved him right I guess; nobody noticed anything fishy about that. Anyway, I digress. Going back to Paine, I think that, once he figured out the deception, he got really upset with NASA. It must have been frustrating to spend so much time in a purely cosmetic endeavor. One that amounted to nothing in the end. I’m sure he felt used. He resigned and left NASA a couple of months after the conclusion of the congressional review on the Apollo 13 mission.

“Then came Dr. George Low,” said Armstrong.

“The man historians deem responsible for saving the space program. Instrumental in the development of a safe Apollo spaceship after the Apollo 1 fire. And originator of the idea to turn Apollo 8’s mission into a circumlunar one,” said Lucas.

“Again, right on the money with your NASA history. The timing of his appointment and tenure are very revealing because he only oversaw the Apollo 14 mission. The chief savior of Kennedy’s dream was in fact the one in charge during the mission that accomplished the feat, albeit not within JFK’s timeframe. I don’t think that was a coincidence. Remember he had been one of the architects of the secondary protocol, a shady but program-saving initiative as well. So, his appointment at the time seemed like NASA’s way of showing him the appreciation he deserved. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. There were seven other missions before Apollo 14.

“As I mentioned earlier, Apollo 7 had no secondary protocol. Their mission was to test the command module on Earth orbit. Apollo 8’s mission, on the other hand, was critical. Besides the political statement regarding the U.S. leadership position in the Space Race, it was meant to test whether communications from Moon orbit could be distinguished from the ones coming from its surface. Something that the Soviet Lund-5 prank had already proved  impossible. Regardless, NASA believed they had a game-changer for that approach.

“They tested the ability to use the Surveyors’ communication equipment as relay stations between the Apollo command module and mission control on Earth. They also tested the already obsolete “Moon bounce” technique which was developed in the late 40’s and which entailed reflecting a radio signal from the surface of the Moon. It turned out these were not their only options.

“The game-changer was the unified S-band transponder General Dynamics had been developing for the Apollo spacecraft. One of its functions was to provide the link for the surface of the Moon broadcast. But the most interesting aspect of this was that this piece of equipment served as a communication relay station between the astronauts and mission control. After all the tests performed by Apollo 8, the unified S-band transponder approach became plan A for the secondary protocol deceptive communication with Earth. They kept using the Surveyors’ communication systems as back-up plan which is why the Apollo landing sites matched the Surveyors’ locations.

But before that, Apollo 9 had to render a verdict.

On the field…

Things got worse for the Indians on the bottom half of the fifth inning. The Reds increased their lead to 4-1 thanks to RBi singles by Ken Griffey Jr. and Brandon Phillips.        

 

 

 

Please help keep the stories flowing…

Posted on

THE ANTARES SECRET – CHAPTER 23: Seventh Inning – Two Strikes

Official NASA picture of Armstrong and Aldrin training session

“After Apollo 10’s successful mission, the stage was set for us in Apollo 11 to take… a giant leap for mankind”, said Armstrong with sarcastic pomposity. “Something that had to happen regardless of anything. So, we trained for two scenarios. In the first one, everything works fine, the landing radar functions properly, and we get to walk on the Moon. On the second scenario, some sort of malfunction forces us to abort the primary mission and we activate the secondary protocol.”  

“You asked me earlier about the video from the surface of the Moon and I told you it was a piece created on Earth as part of the deception. But that was not the only piece created for this. We also recorded a simulated communication with Mission Control to take over the actual communication once we switched to the secondary protocol.”  

“Like the trick the cosmonauts pulled with Zond 5?” asked Lucas.  

“Similar in content, but in their case they were transmitting live from Earth through the spacecraft’s communication system, while our stuff was prerecorded”, said Armstrong. “The landing audio was a three-minute segment in which Buzz was reciting altitude and speed information with very few interventions from me. It ended with me saying ‘Tranquility base here, the Eagle has landed.’ You can look up this segment in the mission transcript of the 4th day starting at the 6 hour, 43 minute mark.”  

“For a long time I suspected that the whole Apollo 11 Moon landing had been part of a ruse”, said Lucas. “But for some reason, my mind, very probably steered by emotions, never made the connection that ‘The Eagle has landed’ phrase was a recording.”  

“I know what you mean. If it’s any consolation, that was exactly what I was going to say if we had actually landed.”  

“I’m sure. But I’d bet it must’ve been a lot harder living with such a historic quote attributed to you knowing what you knew. Quotes. Plural. Gotta add the ‘one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind’ one. Anyway, what prompted your activation of the secondary protocol?” 

“As it turned out we had problems with the landing computer overloading during descent. Mission rules called for an immediate abort in such an event. So after the second 1202, 1201 alarm went off regarding the overload, we switched to the secondary protocol and started transmitting the recording which had been mixed with the corresponding telemetry data needed to satisfy mission control.  

“Once the three-minute recording was over and we were on our way back to dock with the command module we reestablished real voice communication with Houston. Our telemetry data feed remained within the secondary protocol to make them think we were on the surface of the Moon.  

“The rest of our supposed stay on the Moon followed the same pattern. While I was ‘walking’ on the Moon, I was really in the command module. But, for all practical purposes on Earth, the historic event had taken place. Kennedy’s dream had been fulfilled. America had beaten the Soviets to the Moon. Mankind had taken its giant leap. The public pressure was off, but the feat wasn’t accomplished.  

“Unbeknownst to everybody but a few people at NASA, the challenge of landing a man on the Moon continued secretly. And Mike, Buzz and me had the cruelest part of that mission. From the moment we switched to the secondary protocol while flying the Eagle we knew what laid ahead for us. A life of telling people that we had actually accomplished what we did not.

“As soon as I could I took a giant leap of my own and walked away from the limelight . A scenario I never enjoyed to begin with, and one of the main reasons they chose me for that  role. It was tougher for Buzz. His bout with alcoholism through the years has been secretly associated with his orders to remain silent about the truth.”  

 Seventh inning stretch…  

Fortunately for the Tribe, Pitcher Edinson Volquez, who had already thrown over a hundred pitches, was out of the game for the Reds. The Indians seized the opportunity to rack-up a couple of runs in their half of the seventh inning.  

“When we left Earth,” said Armstrong, “we were ready to land on the Moon. We were all looking forward to a smooth mission in order to avoid the deception. Unfortunately, such a scenario was not on the cards for us.  

“It was then Apollo 12’s turn at bat. Their official mission objective was to achieve a precise landing. Not surprisingly, a spot near the Surveyor 3 landing site was selected for it. Remember that Apollo 8 had proven the Surveyor probe could relay all the communication and telemetry data to carry on the secondary protocol if needed.  

“They too were ready to truly land on the Moon, but as destiny would have it, as soon as they had cleared the tower during takeoff their Saturn 5 rocket was struck by lightning twice creating havoc in their electrical systems. Five days later when Pete Conrad and Al Bean attempted their Moon landing the LM started experiencing electrical failures. They had no choice but to activate the secondary protocol. Immediately after that, the Apollo 12’s ‘Moon surface data’ was transmitted through Surveyor 3’s communication system. That’s why their video camera supposedly got damaged and there’s no video from the surface of the Moon. That’s also why there’s no retroreflector on their official landing site.  

After seven…

The Reds opened the bottom half of the seventh inning with a single, but new Indians pitcher Jensen Lewis took care of the next three batters in easy fashion. After seven, the reds lead the Indians by a score of 6 to 4.          

 

 

Please help keep the stories flowing…

Posted on

THE ANTARES SECRET – CHAPTER 24: Eighth Inning – Perfect Setup

Headlines of the Apollo 13 situation over a picture of mission control

“After Apollo 12’s mission in November 1969, with the decade coming to an end and Kennedy’s dream believed to be fulfilled, Americans were fast losing interest in the space program. Amazingly, they would rather watch the TV show Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In than a live broadcast from outer space,” said Armstrong.  

“I never understood how that level of disinterest could be possible with such an amazing human endeavor,” commented Lucas.  

“Well, today it’s even worse. What do you think people would rather watch tonight, a live broadcast from the surface of Mars by one of the rovers there right now, or Desperate Housewives?”  

“Touché. It’s embarrassing… it’s gotten worse.”  

“Anyway, that apathy from the American public was what motivated the Apollo 13 successful-failure type mission,” said Armstrong. “The heads behind the secondary protocol were 99.9% certain that the next mission would be able to finally land on the Moon.  And they believed such an accomplishment deserved a big audience. So, to rekindle public interest in the Moon missions, they came up with a plan for a dramatic preamble. A story that would set up the truly historic event.  

“Enter Apollo 13’s Odyssey. Just like the setup man in baseball who comes to pitch in the eighth inning with the mission to keep the opposition in check and set the stage for the closer in the ninth.  It was pretty clever really. After all, why not take advantage of the number 13. Use its bad luck reputation to put some excitement back in the space program. Especially when, by happenstance, the lunar module assigned to that mission was number 7; lucky number 7 for unlucky number 13!  A fortuitous circumstance that, in their view, was not to be wasted.  

“It was the simulation of all simulations. The astronauts’ secondary protocol mission called for them to activate an alternate telemetry feed to mission control which would show the catastrophic events that are now in the history books. Everybody at mission control thought they were dealing with a real situation, and the astronauts played their parts brilliantly.  

“The plan banked on the media to mount a huge show around the potential catastrophe, and they didn’t disappoint. They hyped it all the way up in their endless pursuit of higher ratings. The whole world got wrapped up in the event.”  

The Reds setup man gets the job done

The Indians started the eighth inning with a hard hit to deep left field by pinch hitter Ryan Garko who tried unsuccessfully to stretch it into a double for the first out. This was followed by a fly out to right and a ground out to third and the Reds’ setup man Jared Burton got out of the inning with his mission accomplished.

“What about the names of the command and lunar modules? I have a theory about them,” said Lucas.  

“Oh yes, those. Jim Lovell chose the name Odyssey because he liked the word and its definition: a long voyage with many changes of fortune. Coincidence? Of course not. That was Jim’s way of telling the world as much of the truth as he could get away with. And the name Aquarius for the LEM… Well, that came about because of a generalized peeve within the astronaut core. The lyrics of the song Aquarius tell us that ‘The Moon is in the seventh house’. Alan Shepard was one of the original seven astronauts. Deke Slayton wanted a Mercury 7 astronaut to make the first Moon landing.

“Landing on the Moon had always been in the house of the Seven. Does this conform with your theory?”  

“It’s compatible,” said Lucas, “I missed the house of seven reference though.”  

“The Apollo 13 mission was intentionally structured to be the official media preamble for the real first landing of man on the Moon,” said Armstrong. “And it was so obvious that to this day I can’t believe people didn’t see right through the deception. I mean, they named the command module Odyssey and kept the number 13 instead of just skipping it like they do in buildings.  

“The media craved stories that boosted their ratings and NASA gave them a hell of a good one. Whereas unbeknownst to them, the mission was a huge success!  Apollo 13 recaptured the imagination of the American people and brought their attention back to the space program. So, after such an emotional roller coaster, everyone was once again glued to their TV sets when the time came for the Apollo 14 historic voyage.  

“In the meantime, there was some house cleaning to take care of.  What happened had to be investigated and I was assigned to serve on the investigation panel. As part of it, and being aware of the secondary protocol, I opposed the investigation report’s recommendation to re-design the service module’s oxygen tanks, which were the source of the explosion. I knew it had all been a simulation and couldn’t just sit there and watch them spend unnecessary tax dollars on such a pointless endeavor.  

The bottom of the eighth

The Reds made the Indians pitchers work in their half of the inning with a couple of walks, but they also came out empty. After 8 innings the Reds still lead 6-4.      

 

 

Please help keep the stories flowing…

Posted on

THE ANTARES SECRET – CHAPTER 25: Ninth Inning – We’re here

Illustration of Alan Shepard celebrating after hitting a golf ball on the Moon

“There are things that people just don’t see, even though the information is out there for anybody to access,” said Armstrong.  

“Officially, Apollo 13 was supposed to land on the Fra Mauro area of the Moon, and the members of its original crew were Shepard, Mitchell and Roosa. That crew was switched with the original Apollo 14 one. Allegedly, NASA wanted to give Shepard, who had been grounded since being diagnosed with Ménière’s disease in 1964, and his rookie crew more time to train. But the truth is that they were switched because the Apollo 13 mission had been redefined and Apollo 14 was to be, secretly, the real first landing on the Moon.  

“Think about it!  Shepard’s crew is bumped from Apollo 13 to Apollo 14, but their landing site stays the same. Apollo 14’s original landing site in the Littrow region of the Sea of Serenity was not switched to Apollo 13 together with the crew that had been training for it. Obviously, Apollo 13 was never meant to land on the Moon.”  

“That was reserved for the Kitty Hawk mission,” said Lucas.  

The old astronaut smiled at the Kitty Hawk reference. The name he had chosen for his fantasy baseball league team. The very thing that had started all this adventure.  

“The Kitty Hawk mission, that’s right,” said Armstrong. “The name of the command module tells you that it was meant to be the first to accomplish something very special. Just like the Wright Brothers flyer was the first airplane to fly in the United States.  

“It’s always been a burden to be recognized as the first man on the Moon when that honor belongs to someone else. Alan Shepard, the first American in space was also the first one to accomplish such an epic feat. That’s why I chose the name for my fantasy league team. Using the Kitty Hawk moniker wherever and whenever it fits, is my very personal way of tipping my hat to him and his memory.  

“But Kitty Hawk wasn’t the only name with hidden symbolism in Apollo 14. Lunar module number 8, the one assigned to the mission, was christened Antares for a very interesting reason. NASA wants everyone to believe that the name referred to the star on which the LM oriented itself for lunar landings but that’s just misdirection. No pun intended.  

“I never spoke to Alan about it, but I see something else in that name. The term Antares comes from anti Ares. Since Ares was the Greek god of war then anti Ares means antiwar. Remember the Apollo 11 patch design featuring an eagle carrying an olive branch to convey the idea that ‘we come in peace’? Well, Antares is just another illustration of the same message.  

“Beyond that, Apollo 14’s LM hides an overlooked and curious fact. Antares’ number was LM-8. It’s interesting that the first humans to fly to the Moon did so on Apollo 8 and the first humans to land on the Moon did so on another number 8 craft. Did you know that in numerology, 8 is the number of Apollo?”  

“No I did not,” said Lucas enthralled by the old astronaut’s tale.  

“A fun fact, that I believe was just a coincidence,” said Armstrong. “A happy consequence of using ‘lucky’ LM-7 on unlucky Apollo 13.”  

“What about Shepard’s words when he landed on the Moon? That, to me, have always been sort of a smoking gun”, said Lucas.  

“Oh yes,” said Armstrong while proceeding to quote Shepard, “It’s been a long way, but we’re here.  The official NASA story is that he was referring to his personal struggle with Ménière’s disease but I can tell you he was not. He was making a statement for the history books, not for his personal scrapbook. Why people never picked up on that is beyond me.”  

“Maybe because by that time, landing on the Moon was a fait accompli. Nobody picked up on it because nobody was searching.”  

“You’re probably right. You know, Shepard was a smart-aleck and I’m sure he said those words truly believing  he would get away with it, that nobody would see through it. Same with the Coyote mission patch. You know about that, right?”  

“The one done by the backup crew?”  

Apollo 14 backup crew patch“The one and only”, said Armstrong. “My instinct tells me that Shepard himself probably commissioned its design. Remember that he was Chief of the Astronaut Office for 8 years before the Apollo 14 mission. The other astronauts still saw him as a figure of authority. So it wouldn’t surprise me if he had used that reputation to ask a secret favor from his backup crew. The no questions asked type. The alternate mission patch featured the Roadrunner cartoon character already on the Moon as the Coyote arrives. Shepard wore it on his PLSS – his personal life support system – during Moon walks. The symbolism was straightforward; someone else would be forever credited for being first on the Moon.  

“I’m sure that not being recognized as the first man on the Moon was probably behind Shepard’s idea of hitting a golf ball on the surface of the Moon. An act that positioned himself as the only man to play golf on the surface of the Moon and as time has proven, ensured that people would remember his walk up there.”  

“I never thought of that. That was pretty clever of him”, said Lucas.  

“Alan Shepard was a very cunning man”, said the old astronaut while looking towards the stadium’s scoreboard.  

The closer closes

The Reds closer Francisco Cordero needed 23 pitches and faced four batters but managed to keep the Indians from scoring, and just like that, the game was over. Final score: Reds 6, Indians 4      

 

Please help keep the stories flowing…

Posted on

THE ANTARES SECRET – CHAPTER 26: The Final Boxscore

Full Moon over Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati

The stadium crowd started heading for the exits, but the old astronaut remained seated with an expression in his face which denoted the cogs in his brilliant mind were turning like crazy. “You must be wondering why I’ve told you all this,” he said.  

“I was about to ask you what is it that you want from me?” said Lucas. “I’m an advertising man not a historian.”  

“Precisely. You’re an experienced advertising professional, but are not employed by the big-time media players. That makes it easier for you to sound honest and not like a hired gun or a PR person. See, what I want you to do is come up with an off-the-record way to let people know the truth.”  

“You want me to become another conspiracy loon?”  

“Now you know the truth. It’s up to you to do whatever you feel is right with such information. Whether you come out sounding like a loony will depend on your approach to the facts I’ve revealed to you. I chose you because I trust you have the mind to create a communication strategy that would minimize the possibility of this becoming another crazy conspiracy theory. Although I must warn you that the forces who want to keep this secret will do anything in their power to discredit the story.”  

“I figured that much already.”  

“Listen, why don’t you think about it on your way back home and we’ll talk in a couple of days. While you’re considering your options give some thought too to how much the endeavor will cost and prepare me an estimate.”  

“Further conversations can be problematic with the authorities already on our case. Who knows what’s waiting for me with the agents outside.”  

“We’ll figure something out,” said the old man with a smile on his face. “Come on, let’s go.  It’ll be better if we don’t give the agents an opportunity to be alone with either one of us. The crowd of departing fans will give us cover.”  

The two men left the stadium suite and joined the still sizeable throng of fans heading for the parking lot. Neither one was able to identify an agent in the crowd. Lucas felt relieved when he finally reached his rental car and was on his way back to Chicago.  

The four-and-a-half-hour drive was uneventful. Once back in the hotel, he got a message from the concierge that his daughter was waiting for him in the bar. Lucas approached the hotel’s lounge cautiously since he knew that his daughter Vega was back home.  

It was around 9:30 PM on a Sunday night so the bar was relatively deserted. A woman in a business suit waved at him and Lucas assumed her to be his phony “daughter”. An agent for sure. He scanned the place and saw what seemed like two other agents in the bar pretending not to notice him.

He walked slowly towards the woman, and she stood up to meet him.  

“You’re not my daughter,” said Lucas.  

“And you’re definitely not my father Mr. Aldrich,” said the woman. “Sorry for the weak ass story with the concierge, I’m agent Rittenhouse of the NSA, please have a seat.”  

“What for?”  

“Relax, we just want to have a nice chat about your little day trip to Cincinnati.”  

Lucas noticed that the other two agent-looking fellows had moved from the bar to a table near the entrance.  

“Is it now illegal to watch a baseball game in this country?”  

“Mr. Aldrich, the NSA wants to talk to you about the Antares Secret,” said agent Rittenhouse while gesturing with her hand for Lucas to sit.  

Lucas took a seat facing the lounge’s entrance so he could keep watch on the other two agents.  

“I’m not alone Mr. Aldrich but those two clowns are not with me. Now let’s get down to business.”  

In front of the hotel a black car opened its doors and a woman with three men stepped out. They hurried to the concierge desk at the lobby and the attendant directed them to the hotel’s lounge.  

Lucas was listening to agent Rittenhouse when he saw Vega enter the bar with three men he couldn’t recognize. He stood up and started to go to her when agent Rittenhouse pulled out her gun and ordered him to stay put.  

“Agent Whitaker please escort these people out of the premises,” said Rittenhouse.   The bartender, who was the second agent on site, left his position and approached the group.  

“You can holster back your gun agent, we have a message from your boss,” said Vega handing the bartending agent an official looking envelope.  

Agent Whitaker took the envelope to Rittenhouse who read its contents and proceeded to make a phone call.  

“Lion Tamer,” Lucas heard her say to whoever was on the other end of the line.

Rittenhouse listened silently for a few seconds and signed off with a curt “Yes, sir.”  

“We’re out of here agent Whitaker,” she told her partner and then looked fiercely into Lucas eyes. “We’ll be watching Mr. Aldrich.”  

The NSA agents stormed out of the bar, and Lucas went over to embrace Vega.  

“What are you doing here? What was that all about?”  

“That was Oliver, Martin & Simon Law Firm in action. Please meet David Roman, my boss and one of the firm’s junior partners. He helped engineer this little operation,” said Vega. “Before anything else, what did you say to the agent?”  

“Nothing, she was just in the initial process of advising me about being a patriot and protecting the legacy of those who gave so much of them in the pursuit of something of utmost importance for the nation. Of course, there was the expected veiled threat of destroying my reputation if I went public… plus enhanced interest in my affairs by the IRS,” said Lucas.  

“Mr. Aldrich you’ve been in the NSA radar for some time now regarding your contact with an important asset for them,” said David. “We became aware of the situation because our firm has done some work for their branch of government in the past and they approached us to interfere with your endeavor. Vega here told me about your trip to meet this asset and I got worried our friends at the NSA might get really antsy about you. I talked to our senior partner Mr. Martin and he worked the phones to avoid a troublesome situation.”  

“There’s a catch Dad,” interjected Vega. “You must sign a legal binding document that states you won’t reveal a single thing you found out from the asset. The firm is working on the final draft for you to sign it ASAP. The NSA gave us 48 hours to comply.”  

“That’s it?” asked Lucas. “It’s funny because on the drive back from Cincinnati I had already decided that I wasn’t going to tell anybody. Too many people gave their lives to make a dream come true. To achieve what was once deemed impossible. No way I’m going to throw dirt on that.”  

“I’m glad you think that way. What do you think we go home now Rocketman?”

“Sure. By the way, who are the other two guys in your little entourage?”  

“Oh, they are part of the firm’s security detail. David and I thought we should show a little muscle when crashing the party the NSA had planned for you.”  

“Nice touch. Let’s go home Moonbeam.”    

 

THE END    

 

EPILOGUE  

Neil Armstrong died in 2012 due to complications following a cardiovascular procedure. Two years later, the hospital secretly paid his family $6 million as a part of a wrongful-death-and-survivor claim. His remains were cremated and buried at sea making an autopsy impossible. Furthermore, the burial location has been kept secret.   

 

 

Please help keep the stories flowing…