“So what do you propose to do?” Jordan repeated.
“I’m supposed to be our fearless leader, right?”
“You are the team’s leader,” Jordan agreed.
“So I’m going to do what a leader’s supposed to do,” Brandon said. “When facing a really tough job, fob it off on somebody else.”
“What do you mean?”
Stepping closer to Jordan, Brandon placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder and said, “Jordy, I’m giving you the task of bringing Meek around. I just don’t get along with the pompous ass, but you get along with everybody. The job is yours … if you’ll accept it.”
Surprised, Jordan actually staggered back a step. “You want me…?”
“To get Meek to see the light. You’re a trained diplomat. If I try to convince him I’ll wind up socking him in the nose.”
“But—”
“No buts, Jordy. I need you to do this. We all need it. If you can bring Meek around, Longyear and the others will fall in line.”
Jordan stared at his brother. His first thought was, Bran’s evading his responsibilities again, just as he’s done since we were children. He wants to be recognized as our leader but he can’t face up to doing the work.
But then he realized, Wait. Maybe Bran’s really taking his job of leadership seriously. Maybe he’s thought this out, after all. A real leader delegates authority. A good leader picks the best people for the tasks that have to be done.
He gazed into his brother’s questioning eyes with new respect. Placing his hand on Brandon’s shoulder, in imitation of his brother’s gesture, Jordan replied, “I’ll do it, Bran. I don’t know if I’ll be successful, but I’ll talk to Harmon, one on one.”
Brandon nodded. “I knew I could count on you, Jordy.”
“I don’t know if I can bring him around,” Jordan warned again.
“If you can’t, nobody can,” Brandon said, with absolute certainty.
One on One
Jordan went to his cubicle, sat on the springy cot, and phoned Aditi. He always felt a little awkward speaking to her from the cubicle; its two-meter-high partitions didn’t allow much privacy. He kept his voice low, but his eyes focused on Aditi’s alert, vivacious features.
He couldn’t tell her about Brandon’s request; he might be overheard. Instead he asked her about her day, and they chatted about inconsequential matters.
Until he said, “I’d really like to get back to the city as soon as I can.”
“Tomorrow?” she chirped.
With an unhappy smile, Jordan answered, “I don’t think so. I have a lot to do here.”
“I’ll come there, then.”
Jordan shook his head. “No. That would be … a problem. Let me work out what I have to do here and then I’ll call you.”
“I miss you, Jordan.”
Almost whispering, he replied, “I miss you, too.”
They said reluctant good-byes, then Jordan clicked his phone shut. Maybe Bran has the right idea, he thought. Maybe stuffing Harmon into a cryosleep capsule is the answer to our problem.
He dreamt that night of Miriam: happy, laughing, in the healthy bloom of youth when he had first met her. And in his dream she morphed into Aditi, happy, laughing, young.
He woke and sat up on the cot, thinking, How lucky you are, Jordan Kell. To find another woman who loves you. You had to travel more than eight light-years to find her, but find her you did.
For long moments he sat there and watched the dawn brightening the dome of the bubble tent. At last he told himself, Now you’ve got to do what’s necessary to keep her.
And that means convincing Harmon to accept Adri and all he had told them.
A pang of memory assailed him as he shaved: Miriam’s last agonized days. But then he realized that the memory was his subconscious mind’s way of showing him a way to solve his problem.
Dressed in slacks and an open-necked shirt, Jordan found Meek in the dining area, his breakfast laid out on the table before him as precisely as a military formation. Longyear was sitting beside him, the two of them leaning their heads together in intense conversation.
Jordan filled a tray with juice, buttered toast, and a steaming mug of coffee, then went to their table and sat down facing the astrobiologist.
“Good morning, all,” Jordan said cheerily. “May I join you?”
“Of course,” said Meek. Longyear nodded.
De Falla came up and started unloading his tray opposite Jordan. “Good morning,” he said as he sat down.
Meek nodded at the geologist, said nothing as he reached for his glass of juice.
“I’m going back to the city this morning,” Jordan said as he lifted his own juice glass. “Anyone want to come along with me?”
“I’m busy with the geological mapping,” said de Falla. “Adri’s people have promised to send me a detailed profile of the planet’s interior.”
“It must be fascinating,” Jordan said, “working out how they constructed this planet.”
De Falla nodded warily. “It’s hard to believe, constructing a whole planet. But it’s true. That’s what they did.”
“That’s what they claim they did,” Longyear objected.
“No, Paul,” said de Falla, “they did it. This planet’s been built around a hollow shell. We’re standing on fourteen kilometers of dirt and rocks. Then there’s the metal shell, and inside it nothing but an energy generator that creates the gravitational field we feel.”
Longyear glanced at Meek, who said nothing, busily slicing the omelet on his plate.
“Thornberry’s working up the specifications of their grav generator,” de Falla went on. “He says it could make a tremendous weapon, handling all that energy.”
“A planet wrecker,” Longyear muttered.
Jordan said, “Perhaps it would be best if we didn’t bring that level of technology back to Earth.”
Meek’s brows rose. “Will they let us return to Earth?”
“Yes, Harmon,” Jordan replied. “I’m sure they will.”
“When?”
“When we’re ready to leave, I should imagine.”
“I thought you said we were their prisoners,” Meek said.
“Adri won’t keep us here against our will. His whole approach to dealing with us has been to answer our questions, honestly and forthrightly.”
“But not completely.”
Patiently, Jordan said, “Harmon, we’re like schoolchildren, compared to Adri’s people. We have a lot to learn, and they’re being very patient with us.”
“But you think they’ll allow us to leave?” Longyear asked.
“When we’re ready to, yes.”
“I wonder.”
“Come into the city with me and ask Adri yourself, Paul.”
Longyear seemed to think it over for a heartbeat, then he said, “All right, I’ll do that.” He hesitated, then added, “I’ve been thinking about taking them up on their offer to teach me what they know about biology.”
Meek looked up from his plate, startled, a forkful of omelet in midair.
“I mean, Mitch has learned a helluva lot about physics from them. I’d like to learn what they know about biology.”
“I wouldn’t if I were you,” said Meek.
“It’s damned tempting,” Longyear said.
“So was the apple that Eve gave to Adam.”
“You think we’re going to damn ourselves?” Longyear challenged.
“I think we’re in over our heads,” said Meek.
Jordan smiled and said, “Harmon, if we are in over our heads, wouldn’t education be a good way to get our heads above water?”
“Education or mind manipulation?”