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state: notes
last update: 2000 January 20

Eddie Hive: First Man in Space

Notes

By Kevin Kelleher



NOTES FOR CHAPTER SIX

Eddie subjected to all kinds of strange tests

shepherd would have gone up in march if vB hadnt insisted on another test launch.

shepherd announced jan 19
ham flies jan 31
problems
test flight mar 24
gagarin apr 12

shepherd cuts off hive
ham ahead of shepherd
no one goes (test flight)
gagarin cuts off shepherd
photo with eddie (still ahead of all)

glenn beats everyone
everyone expected glenn to be the first:
his early morning roadwork
the marine
bachelor officers' quarters

5 - redstone
6 - cutoffs
7 - glenn (maybe part of cutoff chapter)
8 - gemini-nerva-fire
9 - secret moon launch
11 moon walk
12 armstrong

§

GENERAL NOTES

Map out all problems of the space program.

Remember that connection with instruments of war must be maintained to make F death make sense. Also no WHY is asked for technical development. the possibility is enough of an excuse.

NASA's plan is to keep EH so busy he has no time to think about publicity.

They always take a picture of astronaut with eddie

THM is self i want to be; eddie hive personifies most of my flaws.

is it possible to have 9 chapters in each part? (9x9x9 = 27 -- plus interval chapters)

soviets had all info on us flights and failures, but us intelligence was pretty poor. GAGARIN'S FLIGHT WAS A SURPRISE.

man from the cannon

fears for man in space: radiation (an allen belts just discoverd: high concentrations of radiation trapped by earth's gravity), cosmic rays from outside solar system, meteoroids (speeds up to thousands of miles/hour), noise and vibrations, weightlessness, acceleration, vacuum, psyche

A METHOD OF REACHING EXTREME ALTITUDES (paper by Goddard)

§

concentration camp blown up after Flesshessen's death. Hive thinks it was the THM.

THM tells others that Hive wants to go to venus because he's afraid of being forgotten. He tells Hive that he wants to party till the end of the world. "I'm a destroyer, an intriguer; I'll go crazy up there. I'm going to party until it all comes apart."

100 rockets to venus. cut motors and drift so destruction can't follow the jet stream.

Someone asks Hive what F's principle was --what is the binding force? Hive says he doesn't know and some things are better unknown. Other insists and Hive replies that Newton believed that Love held it all together. He says it must be something like that; it can't be knowledge, because look where that led.

THM: "In an ideal world F would explore the mysteries of the universe, and practical types would see what of that could help people. But now, practical types sift through for the ideas that can do the most damage, and that perverts the way that F thinks, too.

"So what is he to do? Quit thinking? No. He needs to develo a critical part to do his own sifting and keep back the bad parts. But he uses so much time and energy inventing and exploring that he doesn't have time for that.

"So who's responsible? The guys who pervert what's essentially a neutral talent, or the one who isn't clever enough to see where his own ideas will lead?"

I don't know.

I don't know either, but i'd like to kick the asses of the ones that are doing that to your friend.

You keep calling him my friend, but he's your friend, too.

No, Eddie, the THM doesn't have any friends.

§

MARS TRIP:::

big cylinder -- flesshessen has suspicion that health of bones depends on gravity load. "It's possible that long-term weightlessness could kill you, or at least render it impossible for you to live on earth again."

Plants aid co2-o2 exchange--also mechanical systems. must be window. steering by tv and radar.

after return converted to space station. Earth re-entry ship launched into orbit before return (by the people waiting for him).

Hive and three ethanesians go--2 couples. Other couple dies, one at a time on Mars. As the woman dies, hive's woman and he look at each other, not having to say they wonder who will be next. Hive stuffs bodies in other ship and seals it. Third dies while he is on 2nd martian moon. It's creepy to come back. He has to stuff her out into space in permanent orbit around Demos (panic). Has to make return trip alone. Goes a little buggy and hypochondriac.

Big discussion on earth about whether should be allowed to come back at all. Permanent quarantine? Some scientists assert "no problem". Blasted by NASA. 90 days deemed sufficient. Concomitant quarantine/prison discussed.

During quarantine debriefings, gives line about "red planet". Complains about how NASA treated him. Ridicules Armstrong's line about "small step" saying, "This was a big step for me."

Playing catch in big tunnel. Impossible to throw directly across center.

§

Flesshessen says creativity means taking seriously all the alternatives. Think, why does man have to ride on top? why not in the tail, or somewhere in between? Obviously it's a stupid idea, but if you think--what if it HAD to be that way? Then you work out what would have to right to make it work. whole idea of how the space inside is used gets all turned around, because for instance the idea of stages gets thrown out right away. But it was thinking about that that led me to solve the problem of using Redstone to put you in orbit.

§

At the beginning of part 3, we find that she has gone to Olympia, that the offical in question permitted himself an indiscretion when speaking to her, and she and Chandler sharing the byline broke the story. In this way, she almost immediately became one of the powers to be reckoned with in Olympia.

She is in Joel's office, says she likes work in Olympia. he says he knew she had it in her when she wrote hive article. she wonders if he would talk to her now. he says he's been wondering the same. tells her he is in seattle. says pressingham is sure she can make him talk, no block this time? no block this time.

when she goes to see hive she is convinced of her persuasive power. but by the end of the first try (she goes to his house), she is sure he won't talk. at this time, everyone knows that he has been to mars, but no one knows that he has been to the moon. when he finally talks, he tells her everything; the moon, the tan hat man, how fleiss shot in sewer...

paper finds out that he is jogging every morningat 6. she starts flying up on free days to jog with him.

but she can't use any of it. has day-long talk with pressingham and joel, and they end with a boring little item that eddie hive has started talking again. amelia jogging with hive:

morality of spandex
catcalls from newsroom
she could see his memories eating him
always hit with a different question, always at different point in jog sometimes she asked no question -- just jogged
one of the first times she talked a lot. he put his finger to his lips, and she never did it again.

once asked about fleiss. he stopped and looked at her with eyes full of pain, shook head no, took her by shoulders, turned her and pushed her away. was a week before she had the nerve to go back, but when she did he smiled and waved hello.

she says, why not a third world? then thinks oh, no I meant to say planet, but he stops dead, what? he softly says (voice very soft, vocal cords damaged by underuse).

on hive's return, ethanesia launches navigation satellite and reentry vehicle. satellite guides both reentry vehicles to pinpoint landings. icbm application obvious.

dragon is the name of the launch site in ethanesia.

opten: where is ethanesia?
answer: between togo and benin.
opten (sarcastic): thanks. that helps a lot. god damn it! just when you get your grip on the world, some little country goes off and ruins everything.

§

TAN HAT MAN has "talent" office in ethanesia. swedenborg on desk. "some nutty american left it here. you can have it." eddie takes it. thm says he found out today that offices above, below and on both sides of him are all empty. "it probably doesn't mean anything, but it bugs me." likes office, but "i feel like a target. like i'm sitting on a bull's eye." eddie: don't you feel safe? "safe? no one is safe.

§

Eddie has dream while on the moon: dreams he is walking on the lunar surface and cannot hear, but sees the flame from behind him of the module ascending-- he is left behind, he jumps three times but cannot reach it. feels very alone. knows he will die. sees indian walking toward him without suit. indian talks -- he can hear him. indian says that hive will not die on earth (or does he say don't die on earth?). when eddie wakes, he hears amelia's voice asking, "what if they're only using you?" he is quite disturbed, and so is nasa, who would abort mission if it wasn't already too late.

when training for publicized moon landing, there is an extra backup, but eddie doesn't realize why until it's too late.

eddie dreams (on earth, before going to moon) that spacesuit of other astronaut breaks and other man goes flying off like a balloon losing its air.

during moon landing hive decides by self to manually land. while houston discusses, eddie says, "guess who's in charge," and just does it. collins says, "that was a big mistake."

cold-launched rockets. MARS OR BUST. No testflights. everything has to work. but if you die... but hive was ready to kill self before they found him.

hive skipped as choice for astronaut because not grad of test- pilot school. continues, however, to receive same training. passes all tests.

fleiss: the technology exists! we could go to mars!

use shuttle to boost tanks into sky, crews assemble big can.

possibility of death--sitting atop a roman candle.

redstone -- early american rocket that shot nonpiloting humans into space. werhner von braun says 98% reliable. 100 miles up- -suborbital arc--15 minutes in space.

atlas -- next generation

with fleiss' device you need to use new sextant he devised

fleiss' epitaph: my every thought was used to murder men.

rainy day when they landed on the moon

THM is selling info to nasa.

flies to mars for ethanesia (ethanesian flag looks remarkably like chinese flag), but plants american flag on both moons.

lands in atlantic, american ship picks him up. THM has already made deal, delivering fleiss, pinpoint reentry device and advanced rocket technology in exchange for amnesty for hive and fleiss. americans give out that they picked him up by accident, and can't decide to try him as traitor or never let out of quarantine.

fleiss: are you sure they'll take deal? THM: of course. haven't you heard of icbm's? fleiss tired of his inventions being used for destruction, but hive points out that needs manual adjustment, fleiss' new sextant.

did he plant red chinese flag on mars? asked during quarantine. well it is a red planet, he jokes, but no one laughs.

after quarantine can't find fleiss. goes by chance into bar, sees tan hat, sits by it. how did you know i'd end up here? thm: didn't. I've been waiting in places you might go by chance. had been already in many places. "You're being watched so closely--damn! they're already here.' car pulls up outside. gives hive envelope. hide this. burn it after you read it. go into mens room. wait a bit, come out order something eat it and go. i'll be gone.

letter gives offer to go see fleiss in one of old internment camps north of seattle. in accord with letter, shakes off tail, goes into sewer, meets thm. will you tell me your name? no way.

they driver to atlanta, fly to spokane (check flights in and out of spokane). you know they'll be expecting us, eddie. don't give a damn. well you better. you haven't done anything wrong yet, but don't think they won't slap down hard and throw you in jail if they have the chance, breaking and entering is bad enough, but thwn its a high security federal installation you're talking big time in the big house. you've got to get a grip on yourself, because if you blow this, you won't be able to help your friend fleiss.

get in as telephone men. go to fleiss' office. find it by checking directory; all security outside, thm neutralizes bugs, installs phone. gives coveralls to fleiss, who won't put them on. depressed. gives hive letter 'to explain everything'. fleiss describes device to take apart fabric of universe.

§

THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT

hive insists (against interpreter's protest) on driving into the center of Dragon. thm says it's a good idea, and comes along.

man runs up, thin thin thin with eyes bugging out, grabs hive's arm and jabbers away until interpreter pulls the guy off. thm just watches (if he was going to hurt you i would have done something)

hive asks what the man was saying. interpreter won't say. thm says, tell him. interpr says, the man said he could fee his family for a week on what you eat in a day.

is it true?

probably. you realize that if we sold this car we could make permanent changes for the better in the village?

later gives the quote about cross of iron. Hive asks why. thm: you don't always have to do what your conscience says, but it's good to know what it has to say.

§

nasa specs: if computer trouble during descent, abort. see mailer, pp 363-4 for details. computer trouble occurs -- told to abort. eddie says okay, but shuts off primary guidance and abort system computer. lands manually. collins has no choice but to cooperate by reading dials.

while hive returning from mars, talks only to fleiss at the point that he is most crazy. this makes a permanent bond between them.

§

jungle and desert survival training

claustrophobia of pressure suit (not of capsule)

the space scientists make eddie into a guinea pig for ex., how long can he stay in the capsule.

"Apollo Applications" - skylab, shuttle, etc. -- at one point it looked like the space program was going to be wide open. Vie the three launch pads at kennedy

easier to spacewalk w/o a tether

eddie after fleiss funeral asked by reporter how he feels.
he runs scene -- at one point he has mike in hand is alternating between asking and shoving te mike into the reporter's face:
who asked the question? come here
are you a human being? answer me. yes.
then how could you ask a question like that?
i think the people at home--all around the world--want to know
you do? don't you think that any of them have ever lost someone who was ner the them?
yeah, sure, but--
and what about you? have you ever lost someone close to you?
yeah, b--
who was it?
my brother
what was his name?
pete
did you call him by any nicknames?
no, just pete
how long ago did he die?
about a year
and how did you feel then? huh? could we get a closeup of this guy's face? tell all the people at home, all around the world, how you felt when pete died.
reporter is crying. could we get a closeup of this? this man is crying. I think the people at home will want to see that. ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO KNOW HOW IT FEELS?

somebody behind him says, Eddie, to bring him back to himself, and he pushes through the crowd like a quarterback.

maybe first time (for second nine) eddie passed over because he didn't apply.

§

eddie listening to heavy blues version of Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child while alone on way back from mars. Fleiss put it in because one night in bar they heard the group doing it, and eddie liked it. Part of the stuff they were only to open on the way back: different foods, books, movies, music, etc. Eddie had a hard time resisting opening the section, but the woman with him restrained him.

also reads swedenborg planet book. very depressed, alone, etc. has experience of cosmic consciousness, and after that he is okay. On navy vessel after pickup has the foresight to ask for a couple pairs of earplugs, which are good to avoid the harrassing debriefings the govt wants afterward. he says, quoting amelia, "I took all the risks; I'll tell YOU what your rights are."

Fleiss develops Supercar -- a nonmilitary version of the Sanger bomber. can reach a martian escape velocity -- has vtol. named after supermarionation series "It would be easy to add balast tanks and an underwater propulsion system; already has jet propulsion, reactive propulsion" . has tenative landing system which automatically blasts off if ground unstable. eddie does landing tests. they shoot him inside a hull into orbit. he flies around, comes in guided by satellite. hits atmosphere at wrong angle, no aerodynamics, reactive system doesn't work. flat spin. tries nose dive, pinned against seat. gets hands on controls, can't budge them. hit water, go under pretty far, come floating up slowly, take off from water and land in ethanesia.

fleiss figures out sanger bomber design. uses re-entry shipping heat. yeager makes test flight. af keeps it secret. fleiss passed over, kept secret because he was a communist

nuclear rocket for heavy payloads

1950 - korean war starts

Eugen Sanger's antipodal bomber, a piloted, winged rocket to reach an altitude of 160 miles and "skip on the top of the atmosphere halfway round the world.

Korolev responsible for most of russia's breakthroughs. His rocket was a cluster of 20 separate engines and four great skirts. This escaped the problem of heat melting the nozzle, a short thick rocket.

putting a satellite in orbit is not as difficult as pinpoint targetting an ICBM or positioning a communications satellite.


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