As if suddenly realizing he should stand, Zilash began to rise. Orlov motioned with his fingers for him to sit back down. Without meaning to, Zilash had always managed to test the boundaries of military protocol. But he was a radio genius and, more important, a trusted aide from Orlov's Cosmodrome days. The General wished he had more men like Zilash on his staff.

"It's all right," Orlov said.

"Thank you, sir."

"What did the Gulfstream have to say?"

Zilash turned on a digital audiotape recorder. "I've unscrambled it and cleaned it up a bit," he said. "The transmission had a great deal of static-- the weather is terrible over the sea right now."

The voice on the tape was faint but clear. "Vladivostok: we have lost power in our port engine. We do not know how serious the damage is, but some electrical systems are out. We expect to land a half hour late, but can go no further. Will await instructions."

Zilash's big, hound-dog eyes peered up through the smoke. "Any reply, sir?"

Orlov thought for a moment. "Not yet. Get me Rear Admiral Pasenko at Pacific Fleet headquarters."

Zilash glanced at his computer clock. "It's four in the morning there, sir--"

"I know," Orlov said patiently. "Just do it."

"Yes, sir," Zilash said as he typed the name into his computer keyboard, accessed and input the scramble code, then radioed the base. When the Rear Admiral came on, Zilash handed the headset to Orlov.

"Sergei Orlov?" said Pasenko. "Cosmonaut, fighter pilot, and reclusive homebody? One of the few men I would get out of bed to talk to."

"I'm sorry about the hour, Ilya," Orlov said. "How have you been?"

"I've been well!" said Pasenko. "Where have you been hiding these past two years? I haven't seen you since the all-service senior officers' retreat in Odessa."

"I've been well--"

"Of course," Pasenko said. "You cosmonauts exude well-being. And Masha? How is your long-suffering wife?"

"Also well," Orlov said. "Perhaps we can catch up later. I have a favor to ask, Ilya."

"Anything," said Pasenko. "The man who kept Brezhnev waiting to sign my daughter's autograph book has my undying friendship."

"Thanks," Orlov said as he thought back to how irate the leader of the Soviet Union had been. But children are the future, the dreamers, and there was never any hesitation on Orlov's part. "Ilya, there's a crippled aircraft that will be landing at the airport in Vladivostok--"

"The Gulfstream? I see it here on the computer."

"That's right," said Orlov. "I've got to get the cargo to Moscow. Can you give me a plane?"

"I may have spoken too soon," Pasenko said. "Every plane I can spare is being used to transport matériel to the west."

Orlov was caught off guard. What can be happening in the west?