Well, and the two remaining briefcases were the smallest and were to be used in the extreme variant as emergency sources of heat and electricity. All the variants of briefcases had additional modules and could produce practically any kind of energy needed for subsistence of the crew both during the flight and while on Mars.
These modules had the largest size and were much more complicated than the mobile nuclear facilities. And they took more time, efforts and money to develop than the briefcases themselves. An independent scientific and research institute worked on each module.
The rocket itself was the product of work of tens of institutes which did not know the ultimate goal or the reason why all that was done. Some of them suspected it was the newest tank, others thought it was a plane, while some others considered it to be a submarine! By the way, the design of the spaceship really reminded of the newest nuclear submarine…
It had a double body. However, unlike real submarines, both bodies were solid; it just did not have a protruding cabin, torpedo launchers or bird roosts. It was harder with the institutes which had been working with space projects for a long time and with fellows from Plesetsk cosmodrome itself…
Andrey flew to the cosmodrome before all the crew members and was responsible for secrecy of preparation of this rocket for launch.
In reality, it was not that difficult. The spaceship practically did not differ from an ordinary carrier rocket of the series “Molnia – М” from the outside…
The rockets of this type were launched from the military cosmodrome at least 10 times a year. However, it was almost 5 meters longer than a standard 8К78M, the diameter was almost the same – 10 meters, it weighed 25 tons less and contained a suspiciously small amount of fuel! There was an official version for the majority of people – it’s an almost standard rocket, with experimental, more economical engines.
In general, even this disguise was not necessary. Missile officers and civil specialists worked for a long time and saw the launches of hundreds of rockets of a dozen different types. Space romanticism and interest were replaced by usual everyday work in hard northern conditions. We have launched many things – this one will be no exception.
Andrey was distracted from earthly recollections and monitoring unit by a trunk into the adjoining section which opened almost noiselessly.
He did not even turn to see who opened it. It surely was not an extraterrestrial or any other humanoid loafing about in space. Even if it was an extraterrestrial, it would be called Sveta anyway…
Andrey turned around and took a look. Svetlana has almost flown half of his 15-meter service compartment. Different thoughts came to his head: what if Svetka had a summer dress on or a blouse with a short skirt? She would probably try to adjust a part of clothes that slipped up improperly high and instead of that would funnily tumble over with even more erotic consequences…
But she was wearing casual light overalls which suited her just as well as any other clothes. Sveta has already flown practically close to Andrey and looked at him smiling slightly and a little too attentively… as if she knew what he was thinking about.
In endless space, with its loneliness, cosmic wind and zero-gravity, all the feelings, sensations and thoughts were perceived somewhat differently…
And Svetka with her grayish blue eyes, short fair braids and dimples in her cheeks whom he has known for a long time, seemed familiar and absolutely different at the same time… in general, not like she was on Earth.
Sveta looked into Andrey’s eyes even more attentively and smiled without a shade of suspicion in her eyes. And how wrong she was! He took her hand carefully and kissed on the right dimple. Svetka laughed and said: A space maniac… so that’s the way you say hello now?
Andrey looked at the upper zip fastener of Svetka’s overalls and followed it to the place it began, on her very attractive waist: Hello, Svetik.
