Authors: Ben Bova
Titan (27 page)
Wanamaker sat there in silence, thinking, This will be the best thing for Pancho. She can fly the mission. I’ll be her backup and help with recovering Manny after he gets the samples.
The ex-admiral’s gaze turned to Tavalera, sitting there looking relieved. Besides, Wanamaker told himself, this way I won’t have to take the kid out behind the woodshed and beat the crap out of him.
S
everal times over dinner Gaeta tried to tell Kris Cardenas that he had decided to fly the mission himself. As they ate at the tiny foldout table in their kitchen he tried to force the words out of his mouth. Each time he couldn’t think of how to get started. Cardenas chattered on about her day at the nanolab.
everal times over dinner Gaeta tried to tell Kris Cardenas that he had decided to fly the mission himself. As they ate at the tiny foldout table in their kitchen he tried to force the words out of his mouth. Each time he couldn’t think of how to get started. Cardenas chattered on about her day at the nanolab.
Did Tavalera tell her? he wondered. I’ll break that kid’s ass if he blabbed.
But Cardenas talked on as if nothing unusual had happened. Gaeta ate mechanically, his head bowed over his plate.
I can surf across the clouds of Jupiter, he said to himself, but I can’t tell this woman that I’m going to do something she doesn’t want me to do. Courage comes in funny packages.
At last Cardenas said, “Let me guess.”
He looked up at her. “Huh?”
Her expression had become serious. “You’re going out to the rings, aren’t you?”
“I was going to tell you,” he said. “I just didn’t know how.”
“I figured.”
“Raoul told you?”
Cardenas shook her head. “He was more cheerful than usual when he came back from lunch, but no, he didn’t say anything about the ring mission.”
“You scoped it out.”
“It didn’t take Sherlock Holmes, the way you’ve moped around all through dinner.”
“There’s no other way,” he said.
“Yes there is.” Cardenas’s blue eyes snapped at him. “You can tell Nadia that the whole thing’s off. Nobody takes any risks, nobody gets hurt.”
“Except Nadia.”
“She’ll live through it.”
“And if there really are things living in the rings?” Gaeta asked her. “If we start mining the rings we could kill them, wipe them out.”
“Has it occurred to you that if we start mining the rings, Nadia could get her samples then? And if she finds organisms in the ice particles she can raise a stink and the mining will be stopped.”
Gaeta sat in silence for long moments, digesting the idea. Then, “You think Eberly’ll stop the mining operation once he gets it started? You think the people in this bucket will agree to turn off the money spigot because we’re harming some microscopic ice creatures?”
“They’ll have to,” Cardenas said. “The IAA will force them to.”
“Not without a fight. And it could get real nasty, Kris.
Goddard
against the IAA. The rock rats’ll come in on our side. Maybe Selene, too. All of us, fighting against Earth.”
Goddard
against the IAA. The rock rats’ll come in on our side. Maybe Selene, too. All of us, fighting against Earth.”
She stared at him. “You mean really fighting? Like a war? Bloodshed?”
“Like a war. With bloodshed.”
That silenced Cardenas for several moments. Gaeta could see the emotions conflicting across her face.
“Better to get out to the rings now and find out what’s what before they start mining,” he said.
Cardenas still sat in silence, her thoughts churning.
“Otherwise there could be real fighting. People could get killed,” Gaeta went on.
At last she looked up at him. “So you’re going to risk your life.”
He smiled at her. “That’s what I do for a living. Remember?”
“You retired.”
“I’m making a comeback.” He tried to make it sound light, almost funny. But Cardenas did not smile back at him.
“You want to go, don’t you?”
He hesitated, but then, “No, I don’t. I’m not some macho shithead. This thing scares me. It really does. But I’ve got to do it. There’s nobody else: not Pancho or Jake or Raoul or Wunderly
herself. I’m the guy who can do it. The only guy. I love you,
guapa,
but it’s come down to this.”
herself. I’m the guy who can do it. The only guy. I love you,
guapa,
but it’s come down to this.”
Cardenas said, her voice low, “I love you, too.” She added silently, But right now I wish I didn’t.
They made love fiercely that night, as if it were the last time they’d ever be together.
Afterward, lying on his back and staring up into the shadows of their bedroom, Gaeta said to himself, Fool! Goddamn
piojoso
idiot. To risk all this: this woman who loves you, this life she’s given you. For what? Why? But he knew the answer: because nobody else can do it. At least I’ve got a chance of getting through this alive. I’d be killing Pancho and Jake if I let them try it. This way at least the only one who’ll get killed will be me.
piojoso
idiot. To risk all this: this woman who loves you, this life she’s given you. For what? Why? But he knew the answer: because nobody else can do it. At least I’ve got a chance of getting through this alive. I’d be killing Pancho and Jake if I let them try it. This way at least the only one who’ll get killed will be me.
Lying beside him, Cardenas was thinking, If Manny dies on this damned mission I’ll kill Nadia. I’ll tear her apart with my bare hands.
Wanamaker told Pancho and Pancho, of course, told her sister. Holly was in her apartment trying to write a speech when Pancho phoned. Holly had put in a grueling day that culminated with meeting the committee that Estela Yañez was setting up to get the required number of signatures for the repeal of the ZPG protocol. Mrs. Yañez had proudly shown the women that her husband’s signature led all the others.
Feeling slightly annoyed at the interruption, Holly was about to let the automated answering chip take the message when she saw that it was her sister calling.
Pancho’s face replaced the words of her unfinished speech on the wall screen.
“Got news for you,” Pancho said, grinning like a canary-stuffed cat.
“Hope it’s good news,” said Holly, stifling a yawn.
“Manny’s gonna go into the rings. I’ll fly the bird with Jake as my number two.”
Holly blinked once, twice.
“The guys were gonna strong-arm Tavalera into flying with Jake, but now they don’t have to.”
“Oh,” said Holly. “I didn’t realize they wanted to drag Raoul into this.”
“He’ll run mission control. From here in the habitat.”
“Oh,” Holly said again, feeling dense, foggy.
Pancho’s grin widened. “If I were you, sis, I’d give your boyfriend a call, congratulate him. Mission control’s an important assignment.”
Holly shook her head. “He’d see through me.”
“So what?”
“I couldn’t, Panch. It’d just make things worse.”
Pancho put on a mock frown. “Listen, little sister. You come down offa that high horse and call the guy. You want him, don’tcha? Then let him know it!”
“Thanks for the advice, Panch.”
Her sister knew when she was being dismissed. “Getting advice is easy, kid. Taking advice is smart.”
The screen went dark.
Holly returned to her speech. Jeeps, she said to herself, if I’d known that running for office was this tough I would never have done it. She had asked Zeke Berkowitz to help her with the speech writing, but Berkowitz had declined as graciously as he could manage. “I’m running the news coverage, Holly,” he explained. “I’ve got to be impartial.”
Holly decided to look through the personnel files and see if there were any writers or journalists in the habitat who might help her. The names blurred as she studied them on the smart wall screen. I oughtta go to bed, Holly told herself, before I fall asleep here at my desk. Then the phone chirped again.
Raoul Tavalera, she saw printed on the screen’s info bar. Suddenly she wasn’t sleepy or groggy at all.
“Raoul!” she exclaimed, as his glum face appeared on the screen.
“Hi,” he said. “What do you want to talk to me about?”
Surprised, Holly replied, “You called me.”
“Yeah. Your sister said you needed to talk to me about something important.”
Pancho! Holly’s first reaction was a flash of anger. But then she saw Raoul looking at her, his dark eyes focused on her. Pancho told him to call me and he did, even at this hour of the night.
Recovering her poise, Holly said evenly, “I wanted to congratulate
you on taking the job as mission controller for the ring mission. It’s a very important position.”
you on taking the job as mission controller for the ring mission. It’s a very important position.”
Tavalera almost smiled. “Gaeta’s going to go into the rings. Your sister and her boyfriend are going to fly the spacecraft.”
Nodding, Holly said, “Yes, Pancho told me.”
Neither of them spoke for several heartbeats. Then Tavalera asked, “Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?”
She started to nod, then caught herself. “No, Raoul. There’s something more.”
“What?”
Gathering her courage, Holly sat up straighter and said to him, “Raoul, I’m sorry that I made you think I was only interested in you because I wanted you to fly the ring mission. I fell in love with you before the silly mission ever came up.”
There! she thought. I’ve said it. I’ve used the L word. She held her breath, waiting for his response.
Tavalera’s stony expression melted. His eyes seemed to glow. “Jesus, Holly, I love you, too.”
She felt like dancing across the room. “Come on over here, Raoul. And bring a bottle of wine.”
“Champagne!” he said, grinning a mile wide.
This entire habitat is reverberating with campaign politics. I never expected these apathetic, disaffected rejects from Earthly society to become so excited about a political campaign. But they are organizing petition drives, setting up parades, filling the news broadcasts with speeches and speculations about who will be our next chief administrator.
There, even I have fallen into the spirit of things. I said “our,” didn’t I? Let me go back and check. Yes, “our.” Fine attitude for an anthropologist who’s supposed to be studying these people dispassionately.
Eberly has everyone excited about the prospects of getting rich from mining Saturn’s rings for their water ice. He’s already getting bids for water deliveries from the miners’ habitat at Ceres, in the Asteroid Belt, and there are rumors that Selene is willing to enter into a long-term contract for purchasing water.
Holly Lane, on the other hand, has most of the women energized over the zero-growth protocol. It looks as if she’ll easily get enough signatures to force its repeal. Plenty of men are signing the petition, probably because their women are denying them sex unless they do. It’s
Lysistrata
come true. Old Aristophanes would be splitting his sides with laughter.
Lysistrata
come true. Old Aristophanes would be splitting his sides with laughter.
There’s only one small voice objecting to Eberly’s plan for mining the rings: the woman who claims there are organisms living in the ice. There are rumors that she’s trying to send a mission to the rings and collect samples to prove her point despite Eberly’s opposition.
Meanwhile, poor old Urbain is still trying to reestablish contact with his vehicle on Titan’s surface. The machine has not sent up any data since it landed, four months ago.
I
think I know why you asked for this meeting,” said Eberly, with a trace of smugness in his expression.
think I know why you asked for this meeting,” said Eberly, with a trace of smugness in his expression.
Jake Wanamaker and Manuel Gaeta sat on the two leather and chrome chairs before Eberly’s desk. Neither man looked cowed or subservient in the slightest. On the contrary, Gaeta seemed determined, Wanamaker downright belligerent.
“We’ve come to inform you that we’re going to use one of the transfer craft,” said Wanamaker.
“For another ride out to the rings,” Eberly said. “I found out about your little mission. It’s for Dr. Wunderly, isn’t it?”
“That’s right,” Wanamaker replied.
“And why should I help you to conduct a mission that might confirm that there are living creatures in the rings? That wouldn’t be in the best interests of this habitat.”
“It wouldn’t be in
your
best interest, perhaps,” Wanamaker said evenly.
your
best interest, perhaps,” Wanamaker said evenly.
Smiling at them, Eberly said, “My only interest is the welfare of this habitat. As chief administrator, I am responsible—”
“Never mind the
mierditas
,” Gaeta muttered. “We’re not gonna vote for you anyway.”
mierditas
,” Gaeta muttered. “We’re not gonna vote for you anyway.”
Eberly broke into a bitter laugh. “So why should I help you?”
“As you said,” replied Wanamaker, “for the good of the habitat.”
“And how would finding living creatures in the rings benefit this habitat? Except to bring another horde of scientists here? We’re going to mine those rings for their water content; we don’t want any interference from scientific do-gooders who think every little bug in the solar system is too sacred to touch.” Looking at Gaeta, he added, “You wanted to go to the surface of Titan and Urbain wouldn’t let you, remember? Why should you help the scientists?”
Before Gaeta could reply, Wanamaker leaned his broad-shouldered body toward the desk; Eberly reflexively tipped his chair back away from him.
“Let me draw a picture for you,” Wanamaker said, raising his big-knuckled right fist. Extending his index finger, “First, let’s say we don’t go to the rings and you start mining operations. The scientists will examine some of the ring particles your miners bring back. They find organisms in the ice. They call the ICU. The ICU asks the International Astronautical Authority to put a halt to the mining.”
Eberly’s chiseled jaw went up a notch, “Just because those Earthbound bureaucrats—”
Wanamaker silenced him by raising his next finger. “Okay, you tell the IAA to stick it where the sun don’t shine. They send a ship full of Peacekeepers to enforce their ban on mining. What do you do then?”
Frowning, stalling for time to think, Eberly temporized, “They wouldn’t send troops. Not right away.”
“Maybe not right away, but sooner or later. The whole scientific community, from Mercury to this habitat, would be raising a howl about killing off the ring creatures.”
“We’d fight them in the Worlds Court.”
“And lose.”
“We’d declare ourselves an independent nation, not subject to the IAA’s regulations.”
Nodding, Wanamaker said, “You could do that. The rock rats over at Ceres would probably support you: they need the water. Maybe even Selene would come in on your side. And what would you have?”
“A war,” Gaeta answered. “An interplanetary war.”
“Which you couldn’t win,” Wanamaker said grimly. “This eggshell could be blown away before you could blink an eye.”
Eberly’s voice went hollow. “They wouldn’t do that.”
“Are you sure? Are you willing to take the risk?”
For a long, long moment the office was absolutely silent except for the whisper of the air hissing through the ventilation ducts.
Wanamaker raised a third finger. “On the other hand, suppose we go out to the rings and find that Wunderly’s wrong, there aren’t any bugs living in the ice particles. Then you’re free and clear.”
“But if there really are ice creatures out there …”
“If the rings harbor living creatures it’s going to come out sooner or later,” Wanamaker insisted. “You can’t keep it a secret forever. Isn’t it better to know now, before you start making promises that you can’t keep?”
“Before you start a fuckin’ war,” Gaeta threw in.
Eberly was thinking as fast as he could. A war. This habitat could be destroyed, just like the rock rats’ habitat at Ceres was wiped out. We could all get killed.
I
could get killed!
I
could get killed!
“We need your approval to use one of the transfer craft,” Wanamaker said. “The form is in your mail. It needs your signature.”
If they find living creatures in the rings, Eberly was thinking, I can blame the scientists for not letting us mine the rings. I can
blame the ICU and the IAA. The people will see that it’s not my fault. They won’t blame me. They’ll still vote for me.
blame the ICU and the IAA. The people will see that it’s not my fault. They won’t blame me. They’ll still vote for me.
“Well?” Wanamaker demanded. “What’s it going to be?”
I’m trapped. No matter what I do I’m trapped.
“What’s it gonna be?” Gaeta repeated.
I can show the voters that I’ve been forced to give up on the ring mining idea, Eberly thought. Or maybe ask them if they want to fight for their rights. Yes! That’s it! I’ll lead them in a battle for our independence. I’ll appeal to the people of Earth not to destroy us, not to kill ten thousand men and women over some microscopic bugs. That could work. It doesn’t have to come to a war. And if it does, I can negotiate a peace agreement, become the peacemaker. The man who saved the habitat from destruction.
Wanamaker cleared his throat.
Eberly called out, “Computer!”
The smart wall to the left of his desk began to glow. Eberly asked for the permission document that Wanamaker had sent. It appeared on the wall. He picked up the stylus on his desk and signed his name on the desktop touchpad. His signature appeared on the document displayed by the wall screen, bold and flowing.
Wanamaker got to his feet, satisfied. “Thank you, sir. You’ve done the right thing.”
“Yes,” said Eberly. “We’ll see.”
Gaeta rose, too. “Now all we gotta do is fly out to the
fregado
rings.”
fregado
rings.”
Eberly nodded, thinking to himself, I hope you get yourself killed out there. You and your whole crew. Including Pancho Lane.
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