2 days after the Apollo 22nd mission launched, ROSCOSMOS assembles their N1 rocket to send Cosmonauts to the Moon via LK-LOK Module. Currently, the LK is no longer used but the LOK is used for manned spaceflight Союз (Soyuz). The three Cosmonauts are sent to the launchpad and it was intended for mission "посадка на Луну" (Pronounced 'posadka na Lunu' (Moon landing)).
"Все готово, сэр," (Everything is ready, sir,) said the launchpad guard via walkie-talkie.
"Хороший. Теперь приступим к последовательности запуска," (Good. Now let's begin the launch sequence,) the launch commander replies.
Meet the three Cosmonauts:
1. Yefrem Morozov (эфрем Морозов)
2. Goga Nikolaev (Гога Николаев)
3. Lazar Morozov (Лазар Морозов)
Launch Control for the N1 rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 110. All systems are optimal. Power transfer is complete. Fuel transfer is complete. Passing the T-min 15 seconds mark.
"Т-минус двенадцать, одинадцать, десять, девять, начало последовательности зажигания!" (T-minus twelve, eleven, ten, nine, ignition sequence start!)
Main engines of the N1 Rocket starts to blastoff, launch clamps retract
"пять, четыре, три, два, один, отрыв!" (five, four, three, two, one, lift-off!)
The LK-LOK module safely reached the Karman line along with the N1 Block V (The third stage of the N1 rocket, to be clear). As always, the rocket must enter Terran orbit to fire up and set course for Lunar Transmission. At one point the third stage fires up, ascending the Apoapsis to the moon.
The LOK fairing and the N1 payload fairing separate, exposing the LK-LOK module. The LOK module separates from the N1 block V and LK module, and rotates 180 degrees, pointing its docking port to LK's docking port. Both modules dock, then separate from Block V. The docked modules begins their transmission to the Moon. As they approach the moon, they slow down at the Apoapsis of the Earth, Periapsis of the Moon. But as they slow down, an unmanned Apollo Service Module appears and almost damages the LK-LOK module.
"О мой Сталин, что это было?" (Oh my Stalin, what was that?) Yefrem asks
"Что ж, это было странно. Кто бы ни покинул этот служебный модуль Аполлона на орбите Луны, возможно, он спит," (Well, that was strange. Whoever left this Apollo Service Module orbit the Moon might be asleep,) Goga says. Also, if the crew were awake, he must've noticed the LK-LOK module. But it's not what they think...
"Мы проверим этот служебный модуль после завершения нашей Лунной миссии," (We'll check on that Service Module after we finished our Lunar Mission,) Lazar Stated. Lazar and Goga moved to the LK module preparing for landing, while Yefrem stays alone at the LOK module orbiting the Moon. Especially the Service Module might be a danger for the LOK module.
The two modules undock from each other and wait 'till the right time for the LK module to slow down the module, while Yefrem keeps an eye on the Service module, in case the Service Module approaches the LOK module. The LK module reaches the safe point to slow and descend, so they fire up and slow down the LK module. As the module slows down, the surface of the Moon begins to get closer, so they rotate with the main engine facing the surface of the Moon, with an inclination of about 45 degrees, to slow down the rocket. Main engines fire up, slowing down the module again, until they touchdown.
Meanwhile, in the LOK module, the Apolo Service Module flies by the module again, increasing the curiosity of Yefrem, so he asked permission to dock with the Service module. Both Lunar Astronauts approve, so Yefrem descends a bit until its speed with the Service Module is almost equal, then the LOK module slowly approaches the Service Module, and docks with it. Making sure everything was safe to open the hatch, then he opened the hatch.
What he found was very shocking.
"Ефрем? Ефрем? LK to LOK модуль, вы копируете?" (Yefrem? Yefrem? LK to LOK module, do you copy?) Goga asked, and started to worry about Yefrem. Yefrem walks back into the LOK module and starts to communicate with the LK module.
"Это Ефрем, я в порядке. Как луна?" (This is Yefrem, I am fine. How's the Moon?)
"Мы благополучно приземлились," (We have safely landed,) Goga stated.
"Копировать. Но здесь что-то странное." (Copy. But something odd is here.)
"Что это было?" (What was that?)
"Беспилотный служебный модуль, вращающийся сам по себе. Внутри никого не было." (An Unmanned Service Module orbiting by itself. No one was inside.)
"Хм? Это странно..." (Huh? That's odd...)
"Я знаю. Но это хорошо. У меня есть дополнительный кислородный баллон. Не беспокойтесь о кислороде здесь!" (I know. But this is good. I have extra oxygen tank to use. Worry less about the oxygen up here!)
"Очень хорошо." (Very well.) *chhk*, a Soviet flag has been planted on the moon. The thing is... nobody hears that. "Еще мы установили флаг СССР, который привезли с космодрома 110." (Very well. Also we've planted the USSR flag we brought from Cosmodrome Site 110.)
"Для Родины!" (For the motherland!) Lazar shouted as he successfully planted the Soviet flag on the Moon. The two astronauts laugh, and Goga steps out of the LK module.
As the Lunar Cosmonauts walk further from LK module they noticed something even very odd. A stand-alone LM complete with both Ascend and Descend stage.
"Ugh what NASA had done..." Goga mumbled. Lazar however, inspected the LM and found out nothing was there. He tried to contact the Kennedy Space Center Mission Control but nothing works because the rocket sent from Canada, not United States.
Lazar contacts ROSCOSMOS, saying:
"LK Роскосмосу мы заметили автономный американский лунный модуль. Он пуст, но все припасы в полном порядке." (LK to ROSCOSMOS, we noticed a stand-alone American lunar module. It's empty, but all the supplies are perfectly fine.)
"Американский лунный модуль? Что ты имеешь в виду?" (American Lunar Module? What do you mean?)
"Здесь сказано, что это часть ракеты Сатурн V." (It says here this is a part of a Saturn V rocket.)
"Сатурн V... звучит по-американски. Но ты уверен, что рядом никого не было?" (Saturn V... sounds American. But you sure nobody was near?)
"Да." (Yes.)
"Следите за этим модулем. Мы можем попытаться выяснить, что, черт возьми, только что произошло." (Keep an eye on that module. We may can try to figure out what the hell just happened.)
"Копия." (Copy.)
Lazar finished inspecting the LM and returned to Goga, while ROSCOSMOS broadcasts this as a news to the whole Soviet Union. But for better or worse, the news crossed the borders.
Soon enough the news reached NASA, so they began a mission to track and bring back the lost astronaut. Working together with ROSCOSMOS they assemble a rocket capable of rescuing 3 astronauts while the rocket has capacity of 7 astronauts (2 seats shared by 2 astronauts and the other 2 shared by 2 cosmonauts.)