Suddenly the sky was filled with birds. They were all of one species, black with white wing tips, big, graceful, wings spread to catch the wind. Their flight was erratic, disorganized. To a degree, they were being blown across the sky. But they fought to maintain formation. The wind died, they regrouped, and then, like a single animal, they turned north. They know, she thought. They all know.
When the bombardment had stopped, Scolari and the other Outsiders went back onto the hull and finished the welding assignment. They laid the shaft directly down the length of the ship, as they had before. The same procedure was being followed by the Evening Star team. On the other two vessels, the crews were reattaching the shaft at twenty-seven- and thirty-one-degree angles. That would allow Wendy and Wildside, who'd be up front during extraction, to begin the process of inserting the shaft into orbit.
Shortly after they'd begun they heard about the death of the shuttle pilot who had warned them.
Scolari and his team finished in two and a half hours and came back into the airlock. All four vessels were again locked onto Alpha, except that they now faced the opposite direction.
Although he was new to TransGalactic, Klaus Bomar had been the oldest member of the Star's crew, save for the captain himself. Because he was a contemporary, Nicholson had occasionally invited him to his cabin for a drink, and had ended by becoming quite fond of him. Marcel had been wrong about Nicholson: He did have an onboard friend.
The news hit Nicholson hard.
One of Wendy's three shuttles pulled alongside Drummond's vehicle. The airlock opened, and Drummond took on a physician: Embry Desjardain.
Drummond's assignment was to stay near the sack, and pick up the ground team after they'd been hauled clear of the atmosphere. Embry was a precaution, in case a doctor was needed.
They introduced themselves and shook hands. Then Drummond turned to Janet. "I guess you're relieved," he said. "If you'd like to go back to the Star, your transportation's waiting."
She declined. "If you've no objection, I'd like to stay around for the rescue. You might be able to use some help."
Drummond glanced at Frank, who thumbed a switch. "Okay, Karen," he told the other pilot, "that's it."
Karen blinked her lights and moved away.
"Time to go," said Hutch. "Let's cut ourselves loose."
Marcel, Beekman, and Nicholson posted themselves on the Star bridge. They watched with satisfaction the various status reports coming in. Everything secure. Everyone on station.
All that remained now was to wait while the momentum of the new assembly, the alpha shaft and the four superluminals attached to it, carried the net into the atmosphere above the Misty Sea.
Nicholson had been uncustomarily quiet. Finally, he turned to Marcel and shook his hand. "Good luck," he said. And, repeating the gesture, "Good luck, Gunther."
"Marcel." Lori blinked onto his screen. 7 had momentary contact with the lander, but I have lost it again."
"Okay. Were you able to talk to them at all?"
"They're in the air. On their way to the rendezvous."
The three men nodded encouragement to each other. "Thank God. Was Hutch with them? Who did you talk to?"
"I talked with Captain Hutchins."
Marcel's eyes closed, and he breathed a prayer of thanks.
They flew through a sea of dark clouds, lightning strikes, roiling skies, and glowing red eruptions.
When finally they rose above the worst of the turmoil, Kellie succeeded in opening a channel to the Star.
"Let us trust we can maintain it this time," said Lori. "It's quite good to know everything is well. We've been worried. Are you on course?"
"We are indeed," Hutch said.
"Just a moment, please. I'll notify Captain Clairveau."
Marcel showed up within seconds. "Hutch," he said, "it's good to see you."
"And you, Marcel."
"How'd you get down off the elevator? What happened?"
"Tell you when we get there. Everything's in order here. We are approximately one hour ten minutes from rendezvous."
"Good."
"How are things at your end?"
She got more interference.
"… on schedule." He refined the previous data, giving them the exact position where the scoop would arrive. And he transmitted some visuals. "As you can see, the whole thing looks like a sack made out of chain-link netting. Here's the opening. A nice circular front entrance. More than wide enough for you to fly through. It'll be facing east, and it's near the bottom of the sack. Once you're inside, there'll be fifty meters of empty net below you. The collar will close. Just nestle in, set' down the best way you can, and leave the rest to us."
"We will."
"We may have some more very minor adjustments to the coordinates, depending on how the atmosphere affects the net, but don't worry about them because we'll take you every step of the way."
"Do we have a precise time yet?" she asked.
"It'll reach its lowest point of descent in exactly seventy-four minutes and…" He paused."… thirty seconds. Immediately after that, it'll start back up again." Another hesitation. "Can you make the altitude?"
"Probably. If we can't, don't wait for us." MacAllister paled. He needed reassuring, and she nodded confidently. "Just kidding, Mac. We'll do this with ease.
"Keep in mind," she added, "I have no easy way to navigate this thing. I'm not even sure which way is west anymore."
"You're doing fine. Although I'd like you to cut your speed by about thirty klicks and come left another eight degrees."
Hutch complied.
"That's good. I'll stay with you. How's the weather?"
"A trifle overcast."
Hutch quietly pulled back on the yoke, relying only on the lander's aeronautical capabilities to get to ten thousand meters. She would conserve her spike until she needed it.
Marcel transmitted more images of the lower section of the net. It would be hanging almost straight down out of the sky. Facing in her direction. "When you see it," he explained, "it'll be moving southwest at 180 kph. Its course will be 228 degrees-228.7. We'll bring you in close. When I tell you, engage the spike, and just float in."
"Marcel," she said, "I would not have believed this was possible."
"With a Frenchman"-he grinned-"everything is possible. Gravity will have hold of it by the time you get there, but we'll already be in braking mode."
"Okay."
"We're going to take you in just before we begin to move the shaft back out again."
"And you say the opening's fifty-three meters across?"
"That's correct. Half a football field."
"Can't miss," said Hutch.
"That's what we thought."
She said quietly, almost not wanting anybody to hear, "I do believe we're going to pull this off."
Nightingale looked down at the storms smeared across the sky. They were daubed with fire. Eerily lit black clouds boiled up into the higher altitudes.
He was having trouble controlling his breathing. Whatever happened, they would not be able to go back down there. God help him, he did not want to die out here. And he did not want the others to know how he felt. They were all scared; he realized that. But they seemed better equipped to deal with it.
Please, God, don't let me go to pieces.
Marcel's voice crackled in over the receiver, instructing Hutch to cut back speed or adjust course or go a bit higher. The voice was level and cool. Unemotional. Confident.
Easy enough for him to be confident. Nightingale would have given anything to be with Marcel at this moment, safely tucked away on one of the superluminals.
Hutch had said nothing about his behavior in the elevator, as far as he knew, to the others. Nor had she mentioned the incident to him, except to reply to his expressed regret. Yet he could read the disappointment in her eyes. The contempt. Years before, when MacAllister had held him up to worldwide ridicule, he'd been able to rationalize his behavior. Anybody could pass out under stress. He'd been injured. He'd not had much sleep during that period. He'd-