abstract
| - Steve Austin visits old friend Jay Rodgers at Edwards AFB, and Jay convinces Steve to fly the HL-10 again. The HL-10 was the experimental lifting body he was piloting when he had his accident two years ago (The Six Million Dollar Man). Oscar Goldman tries to talk him out of it, suggesting there may have been foul play in Steve's accident, and not to tempt fate. Steve is undeterred and begins preparation while getting reacquainted with some old NASA friends. He soon discovers he must prove himself in the simulator before making the flight. Was the accident a malfunction or pilot error? A man is heard giving orders to stop Steve and the mission, but neither he nor the person he is addressing are revealed. Steve's prior romance with Ted Collins' wife, Andrea, creates tension between the men, which flares into violence in the parking lot. Steve handles Ted easily while keeping a low profile. The next day is the simulator, where Steve will be monitored while he simulates his last mission - the one that almost killed him. Steve becomes erratic while in the simulator and passes out. Suspecting he was drugged, Austin convinces Goldman to permit him another attempt, but secretly, in case he is being targeted. He passes the simulator and the mission is a "go." Though the colonel correctly suspects sabotage, he decides to go forward. During the flight, as he begins his descent from max altitude, the stick slams forward as Steve activates the altitude control. He must fight thousands of pounds of pressure to pull the stick back and keep the nose up for landing. Victorious, Steve lands to the news that one of their own team, Carl Amison, had been working against them. In addition, they know now that sabotage had also caused the accident two years previously. Realizing that the HL-10 bore no blame for his troubles, Steve takes a moment with the HL-10, alone.
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