Is the Russian Moon landing a hoax?
“Luna-13, this is Control.”
The voice crackled in the headsets of the four cosmonauts strapped into the descent module. Major Viktor Orlov glanced at the faces around him, each one lit by the glow of their helmet displays. His team. His responsibility.
“Luna-13, do you copy?”
Viktor pressed the comm button. “Control, this is Luna-13. We copy. Preparing for final descent.”
There was a pause, then the voice returned, tense, expectant. “Confirmed, Luna-13. Proceed as planned. Good luck, comrades.”
The module shuddered as the descent thrusters fired. Through the tiny porthole, the barren surface of the Moon grew closer. Viktor felt his pulse quicken. They’d trained for years for this. To be the first Soviet team to establish a base on the Moon. A beacon of their nation’s strength and vision. And there was more. Something unsanctioned, something personal.
Viktor looked over at Sergei Kuznetsov, his second-in-command. Sergei gave a curt nod, his eyes flicking briefly to the hidden compartment beneath his seat. Viktor’s jaw tightened.
“Engage landing gear,” he ordered.
“Landing gear engaged,” reported Irina Petrova, the engineer. Her voice was steady, but Viktor could see the tension in her eyes. She’d been the most nervous about the plan. Irina believed in protocol, in order. But she’d agreed, in the end.
They all had.
“Altitude?” Viktor asked.
“Five hundred meters,” said Alexei Volkov, the navigator. He had the best eyes in the program, able to read a map or a star chart in seconds. “Four hundred. Three hundred.”
“Adjusting pitch,” Irina called out. The module tilted ever so slightly. A slight bump, then a long silence. Viktor held his breath.
“Two hundred meters,” Alexei continued, his voice calm. “One hundred. Seventy-five.”
Viktor’s hand tightened on the controls. “Prepare for contact.”
The module jolted as it touched down, then settled. For a moment, no one spoke. Then Irina let out a long breath.
“We did it,” she whispered.
“We’re on the Moon,” Sergei said, his voice tinged with awe. “We’re actually on the Moon.”
Viktor felt a surge of pride, but he kept his voice level. “Luna-13 to Control. We have landed. Commencing survey.”
“Confirmed, Luna-13.” The voice from Control was flat, businesslike. “Proceed with the mission.”
Viktor glanced at his team. “All right, everyone knows their roles. Irina, Alexei, you’re with me. Sergei, monitor the systems.”
Sergei nodded, though his eyes lingered on the compartment again. “Yes, sir.”
Viktor unclipped his harness and pushed himself toward the hatch. His movements were slow, precise. No room for error. “Let’s go.”
One by one, they descended the ladder, their boots crunching into the gray dust. Viktor felt the familiar weightlessness, the odd resistance underfoot. He took a moment, looking around, taking it all in. The endless gray plains, the black sky, the Earth hanging like a jewel in the distance.
He keyed his mic. “Team, status.”
“Ready, sir,” Alexei said, checking his instruments.
“All systems nominal,” Irina added.
“Sergei?”
“Monitoring from the module. All clear.”
“Good.” Viktor took a deep breath. “Let’s get to work.”
They moved carefully, setting up the instruments, testing the soil, measuring radiation levels. It was a routine they knew well, drilled into them over countless simulations. Viktor watched them, his mind split between the mission and the other task.
The unsanctioned one.
The hidden compartment under Sergei’s seat held a small, metal plaque. Inscribed with the names of the lost cosmonauts. Those who’d gone before them and never returned. Their deaths buried in secrecy, their families given medals and silence.
Viktor had known one of them. Yuri Ivanov. His friend. He’d promised Yuri’s wife he’d remember him, that he’d make sure others remembered too. Even if it meant disobeying orders.
“Viktor,” Irina’s voice cut through his thoughts. “We’ve got a problem.”
He turned to see her standing by the perimeter of their planned base. “What is it?”
She pointed to the ground, her hand trembling slightly. “Radiation levels. They’re higher than expected.”
Viktor frowned, checked his own monitor. She was right. “Could be a hotspot. Let’s test further out.”
They moved, careful to keep within visual contact of each other and the module. The readings fluctuated, then stabilized. The area was clear.
“False alarm,” Alexei said, but Viktor could hear the doubt in his voice.
“Keep monitoring,” Viktor ordered. “We need to make sure the site is safe before we proceed.”
“Understood.”
As they worked, Viktor’s thoughts drifted back to the plaque. They’d planned to place it near the base’s foundation, hidden beneath a layer of dust and rock. Something that would remain even if they were ordered to remove it.
“Sergei,” he said, keeping his voice low. “Status?”
“All systems green. How’s it out there?”
“Radiation spike. But it’s under control.”
“Good.” A pause. “And the other thing?”
Viktor hesitated. “We’ll do it after the survey.”
“Understood.”
They worked in silence for the next hour, setting up equipment, collecting samples. Viktor kept an eye on the monitors, watching for any signs of trouble. But his mind was on the plaque, on Yuri, on the promises made in darkened rooms.
Finally, the survey was complete. The area was safe. The base could proceed.
“Good work, everyone,” Viktor said, trying to keep the relief out of his voice. “Let’s get the last of the equipment set up.”
They moved to the final task, setting up the perimeter markers for the base’s foundation. As they worked, Viktor felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Irina, her eyes wide.
“Now?” she mouthed, her face tight with anxiety.
He glanced at Alexei, who nodded. Then he keyed his mic.
“Sergei, we’re ready.”
A moment of silence, then Sergei’s voice, low and steady. “Copy that. I’m coming out.”
Viktor’s heart pounded as Sergei emerged from the module, a small, sealed case in his hands. He moved quickly, but with care, glancing around as if expecting someone to stop him.
“Here,” he said, holding out the case. Viktor took it, feeling the weight of it in his hands. He looked at his team.
“Are you sure?” he asked quietly.
Alexei nodded. “They deserve it.”
Irina’s voice was firm. “It’s the right thing to do.”
Sergei’s eyes were wet. “For Yuri. For all of them.”
Viktor swallowed, his throat tight. He knelt down, set the case on the ground. He opened it, revealing the plaque. It was simple, just names and dates. But it felt like the heaviest thing in the universe.
“Let’s do this,” he said, his voice steady.
They moved quickly, digging a small hole in the dust and rock. Viktor placed the plaque inside, covering it with a thin layer of moon dust. He pressed down, feeling the cold metal beneath his gloved hand.
“May they rest in peace,” he whispered.
He stood, stepping back, his heart heavy. He looked at his team, their faces hidden behind their helmets, but he could see the emotion in their eyes.
“They’ll find it someday,” Irina said softly. “Someone will.”
“I hope so,” Alexei said, his voice choked.
“They will,” Sergei said, his hand on Viktor’s shoulder. “We did the right thing.”
Viktor nodded, his eyes on the hidden plaque. “Yes,” he said quietly. “We did.”
They stood there for a moment, four figures on an alien landscape, paying tribute to those who had come before. Then Viktor straightened.
“Let’s finish this mission,” he said, his voice firm.
They moved back to the module, their movements precise, professional. They still had work to do. Still had a base to establish.
As they ascended the ladder, Viktor glanced back at the spot where the plaque lay hidden. He felt a strange sense of peace. They’d done what they could. They’d honored the fallen.
“Luna-13 to Control,” he said into his mic, his voice steady. “Base site is confirmed. We’re proceeding with phase two.”
“Understood, Luna-13,” the voice from Control crackled back. “Proceed as planned.”
Viktor looked at his team, the pride in their eyes, the strength in their stance.
“We’ll build this base,” he said quietly, for their ears only. “For the future. For our comrades. For Russia.”
“For Russia,” they echoed.
And they turned their backs on the hidden monument, their hearts lighter, their resolve stronger, as they stepped forward into history.
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