Starborne (33 page)

Oh, the oceans. A
bit of a puzzle there, Hesper has to concede. His long-distance proxy-equivalent hocus-pocus has, at least so far, failed to turn up evidence that there
are
any oceans on Planet B. That doesn
’
t make a lot of sense, considering the apparent prevalence of w
ater mol
e
cules in the atmosphere and the generally high global mean temper
a
tures, which might reasonably have been expected to induce a lot of rainfall. But Planet B
’
s surface, as manifested in the surrogate form of Hesper
’
s long-range data, seems to have
the same even texture ever
y
where, no inequalities of albedo or temperature or anything else signif
i
cant, so either there is a single vast planetary ocean or none at all. The latter is by far the more probable hypothesis. So a little mystery exists in that
quarter
—
one that will have to await resolution for a while, until they are much closer and can carry out some direct optical inspection of the place itself.

And then, one would assume, once there has been a good look-see from low orbit and the place is fou
nd worthy of further checking out, there will be the whole thing of sending down a drone probe again, fo
l
lowed, if everything looks good, by a manned ship, an exploratory party. Everyone has started to assume that things
will
look good down there, in fact
that things will be downright ideal, and therefore that an exploratory party is ultimately in the cards. Which brings up some questions that have already arisen once before in the course of the voyage
—
the makeup of the landing party that will go down to c
o
nfirm the usefulness and beauty of Planet B, and the concomitant issue of the expiration of the year-captain
’
s second year in office.

That second year is almost up, now. And he will want to be part of any exploration team that goes down to visit Planet B,
of course. So they have the troublesome business of an election to deal with, once again.

It is dealt with, quietly and quickly, in a caucus consisting of the dozen members of the expedition who care most about these matters.

“
He is essential and indispensable,”
Heinz says. “
There
’
s no other plausible possibility for the job, is there? Is there?”

“
Well, is there?”
Paco asks. “
You tell us.”

“
Obviously there
’
s no one,”
says Elizabeth. “
He
’
ll have to be re-elected.”

“
You three have
it very neatly worked out, don
’
t you?”
Julia says.

Heinz gives her a quick look. “
You don
’
t like it? Does that mean you
’
re volunteering to run again yourself?”

“
You know I would, if I thought it would do any good. But I have to agree with you that if we t
ook another vote, I wouldn
’
t be elected. He would.”

“
And he will be,”
says Heinz. “
Just as he was last year.”

Huw says, “
He
’
ll erupt. He
’
ll absolutely explode.”

“
If we hand him a
fait accompli
?”
Sylvia says. “
Simply tell him that he
’
s been re-elected again
by acclamation, and appeal to his sense of duty?”

“
His sense of duty,”
says Huw, “
is directed entirely toward the e
x
ploration of the planets we discover. He didn
’
t sign on to be captain for life. It
’
s a job that
’
s supposed to rotate from year to year, isn
’
t it? So why would he let himself be stuck with it forever if it permanently di
s
qualifies him from doing the one thing that he signed on to do?”

They consider that for a while. It
’
s a valid enough point; but in the end they agree that there
’
s no one else
on board who can rally the ne
c
essary support. The year-captain has established himself in everyone
’
s mind as the captain-for-life; replacing him now with somebody else would have something of the quality of an insurrection. And who would they choose, anywa
y? Roy, Giovanna, Julia, Huw, Leon? Those who are qualified, even remotely, for the captaincy are either unwilling to take the job or else unsuitable by virtue of their existing responsibilities.

In the end, they decide quietly to canvas the ship
’
s entire
compl
e
ment and present the year-captain with the results of the tally. This is done; and the vote confirming his re-election is unanimous. Huw, Heinz, Julia, and Leon agree to be the members of the delegation that will bring this news to the year-captain.
At the last moment Noelle, who has been present in the gaming lounge while this part of the operation is under discussion, asks to be included in the group.

“
No,”
says the year-captain instantly, when he is apprised of what has been going on. “
Forget it. D
on
’
t waste your time even thinking about it. My term is coming to its end, thank God, and you have to start finding somebody else to be captain.”

“
The vote, you know, was unanim
—”
Leon begins.

“
So? What of it?”
the year-captain demands, speaking over him.
“
Did anyone consult me? Did anyone take the trouble to ask me whether I was going to be a candidate for re-election? Which I most emphatically do not intend to be. I took this second term with the greatest reluctance and I
’
m not going to take a third term
under any circumstances whatsoever. Is that clear?”

Of course it
’
s clear; it
’
s been clear to everybody for a long time. But they can
’
t accept his refusal, because the ship must have a captain, and no other satisfactory and electable prospect for that job i
s on the hor
i
zon. They tell him this, and he tells them once again how adamant he intends to be about his desire to give up his office, and for a time ev
e
ryone is speaking at once. A great deal of heat is generated, but not much light.

In a moment of sudden stillness that pops with almost comic pr
e
dictability into the general hubbub Noelle
’
s quiet voice abruptly is heard for the first time: “
Is the rule about not being able to be part of the lan
d
ing expedition the thing that makes you no
t want to go on being ca
p
tain?”

“
Of course it is.”

“
And that
’
s the only reason? There
’
s nothing else?”

He considers that for a moment. “
Nothing of any real significance, I suppose.”

“
Then why don
’
t we change the rule?”
Noelle asks.

They all look thunderstr
uck by the sheer simplicity of her suggestion, even the year-captain. Leon is the first to speak, finally. “
The rule isn
’
t just an arbitrary nuisance. Planetary landings are risky things, and we are under orders not to risk the life of the year-captain in
adventures of that sort.”

“
But if there isn
’
t going to be any year-captain at all unless we allow the one we have to take that risk,”
Julia says, “
then what good is the
—”

“
Besides,”
Leon continues implacably, “
we have all agreed
a priori
to abide by the te
rms of the Articles of the Voyage. We have no right to abrogate or modify any of those terms unilaterally. Without consultation with Earth, and the permission of
—”

Now it is Noelle who cuts in. “
There
’
s no way we can consult with Earth,”
she points out. “
T
he contact has been severed. You know that.”

“
Even so,”
says Leon. “
We have an obligation to maintain and u
p
hold
—”

“
What obligation? To whom?”
Heinz says. And Huw calls out boomingly, “
Hear, hear! Hear, hear!”

There is another round of hubbub. This time th
e year-captain restores order by rapping on the cabin wall with the flat of his hand until they are all silent.

Then he says, in a chilly take-no-prisoners voice, “
We have here the seeds of a compromise, I think. I
’
ll agree to accept the captaincy for a
n
ot
her year provided we amend the Articles of the Voyage to permit me to take part, at my sole discretion, in any future missions of planetary exploration that may occur during my term in office.”

“
It can
’
t be done,”
Leon cries. “
Earth will have a fit!”

“
Earth won
’
t ever know a thing,”
says Heinz. “
We
’
re permanently out of touch with Earth. Isn
’
t that so, Noelle? No contact with your si
s
ter any more, and no hope of restoring it?”

“
That
’
s so,”
Noelle says, in a tone that barely rises above a whisper.

“
Well,
then. We
’
re on our own from now on, right?”
declares Heinz triumphantly. “
Sorry, Leon. We can
’
t let ourselves worry about what positions Earth may take about decisions that we choose to make. We just have to make the best possible decisions for ourselves
in the light of changing circumstances that Earth couldn
’
t begin to understand an
y
way.”
He turns toward the year-captain. “
Let
’
s hear it once more, ca
p
tain, just to be sure that we have it right. You
’
ll take the job for another year, under the condition th
at we change the rules so that you can go off for a look at Planet B, is that it?”

“
Yes.”

“
And if we don
’
t change the present rules about planetary landings, there
’
s nothing else that could induce you to stay on in office?”

“
Nothing.”

Now Heinz faces the o
thers again. “
So it
’
s a take-it-or-leave-it situ
a
tion, friends. We can have the year-captain on his terms or not at all. Under the circumstances, considering that Earth
’
s wishes in this matter are not only unknown but are unknowable and irrelevant as a res
ult of the unfortunate breakdown in communications with Earth, I propose that we regard ourselves as free agents from this point onward, and that we call a general assembly and put the matter of amending the Articles to a vote.”

“
Seconded,”
Huw and Julia s
ay at the same time.

Leon sputters, but says nothing.

So there is an agreement, of sorts. The delegates leave, and later in the day the proposal is put to a vote of the entire voyage, and it is passed handily, with Leon the only voice in opposition. The ye
ar-captain a
c
cepts the outcome with reasonably good grace. Despite it all, he is a
l
most as uneasy as Leon about amending the Articles; there is something disturbingly nihilistic about doing that, a kind of blithe lawless willfu
l
ness that offends his sense
of the proper order of things. They
have
, after all, promised most solemnly to govern themselves by the terms of the Articles, and here they are tinkering with those terms behind Earth
’
s back, so to speak, without the slightest sort of by-your-leave.