Page 19 - Unlikely Stories 5

On His Own Petard

maintenance protocols and mechanisms. Or had doctored the data.
Either way, Minsk was going to expose the unsuitability and
foolhardiness of the elevator in very dramatic fashion.
His instructions to Hoffman meant that the Corsair 3’s telemetry
transmissions would inexplicably cease post-launch, its self-
destruction circuitry fail and its guidance system alter the rocket’s
trajectory away from its intended orbit and directly toward an
abandoned space station a thousand kilometers from Tetsubashi’s
way station. When it collided, the resultant explosion would send
huge chunks of jagged metal directly into the path of the elevator’s
Low Earth Orbit station. A terrible accident, to be sure, but one
whose probability should not have been discounted when Tetsubashi
sought permission to build its elevator and the Japanese government
gave its approval to begin operation.
Minsk finished straightening up his papers and sat back in his
chair. No inquiry could find him or his company culpable for the
impending disaster. Once the elevator was out of the way, it wouldn’t
matter what he charged to enable mankind to pursue its off-world
destiny. For now, he had to act as if nothing extraordinary was about
to happen. No problem.

. . . . .

Five days later his cellphone again announced Hoffman was
calling. This time it was three a.m., and Minsk had fewer
impediments to finding the device—but more to focusing on the
conversation.
“Eh? What is it?”
Hoffman hesitated. “I have some bad news.”
Minsk looked at his bedside clock. It could only be about the
Corsair 3.
“All right. I’m sure you’re reporting what is common knowledge.”
A warning to his henchman that this call would not be deleted. “Is
something wrong at the factory?”
“No, no, it’s not that. Our Corsair 3 satellite launch failed.”
“Didn’t get off the ground?”
“Oh, it did that all right. But it went off course right away.”

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