Before I left, I used the lights at several angles and intensities to capture as many images as I could. Images of an indentation in an alien floor—was that what I was being reduced to depicting?
I stepped back through the opening in the doorway. “We might as well explore some more outside.”
“Yes, sir.”
From Nuovyl’s tone, I could tell he was relieved that we were leaving.
Once outside, I could only hope that I’d be able to capture some images of the megaplex that might provide inspiration and interpretation.
But then, there wasn’t much else I could do.
39
Chang
While I was sitting standby in the ready room on threeday after making a supply run to the Alwyn—mostly raw materials of the rare stuff for their fonnulators—I got to thinking about Fitzhugh. Had put it off ever since lunch on oneday. Had avoided Fitzhugh as well. Couldn’t quite figure him out. Certain I’d seen him somewhere, besides in the mess, but couldn’t recall where. Still couldn’t see him as a professor. He was taller than average, well muscled, too. Moved like a cat, a well-behaved big cat, always on edge. He’d been the one to approach me. Men looked at me. Some women, too.
Fitzhugh certainly looked at me more than once. Didn’t see him look below the neck. Even Morgan had appraised me there once or twice. Also thought the professor heard every word I’d said. He was interested in what I’d had to say. I wasn’t sure I could have said that about many men. Wished I knew why. Was he just after information?
Thing was, he wasn’t gay, wasn’t a neuter. Could have been he was just well-mannered. Hard to say, because pilots don’t see that side of people too often. For all his big words, he had manners. Still wanted to know what he wanted. Wouldn’t find out unless I talked to him, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to. Tepper suspected something about him. That phrase about studying war academically and otherwise—meant to prod him. He’d ignored it like she’d never said it.
Lieutenant Chang, start the prelaunch on two. Jumped for a moment when Major Tepper’s links hit me. She came through harder on link than Morgan did. You’ll be headed planetside with some special equipment as soon as shuttle one is inbound on the final return leg. They’ll start loading as soon as they can. No more than a few minutes.
Yes, sir. What’s the problem? What equipment?
Commander Morgan’s coming over to explain. Tepper broke the link.
Sounded like Lerrys and shuttle one were all right, but “special equipment” loaded in a hurry suggested trouble. Headed for the locker bay. I was deliberate in getting into armor.
Morgan arrived when I was unracking my helmet.
“What’s the problem?”
He grimaced. “The lake they put the temporaries on is heating up. No one knows why, except there are heat sources registering all across the bottom. There’s actually liquid underneath, and there are a few cracks in the ice. Some of the water is coming up as steam jets that freeze straight to snow and fall.”
“Danann’s too old for volcanic activity that close to the surface.” Even I knew that.
“The science types think it’s some sort of automatic mechanism. They want to study it, but they’re afraid the whole base will collapse through the ice if the heating continues. You’ll be landing in a new zone and taking down a second tractor and some big sbder pallets. That way they can move everything before the melting gets out of hand.”
How much power was there under that lake? How could it possibly be active after billions of years? Or had the science types been wrong about that, too?
Morgan went on. “You’re to unload the sliders and the tractor as quickly as possible, then get shuttle two out of there.” He didn’t want any of the Magellan’s equipment caught on the ground if anything happened. Couldn’t say I blamed him.
“You want me to bring back some reaction mass? Or any returnees?”
He laughed. The sound wasn’t quite harsh. “All the science types are excited. No one wants to leave.” He looked worried, more worried than from melting lakes.
“What else is going on? Graviton traces? Atrousan tracks?”
Morgan looked hard at me. Real hard.
“Melting water doesn’t bother you. We already had one attempt at sabotage and two Sunni ships attacked. All of a sudden, you’re nervous. Tells me you’re worried about company.”
“There’s a possibility.” He shook his head. “We’ll talk about it later. Your job is to get the tractor and sliders down there.” He ran his fingers over the armor, checking it. Then he gave me a last look and hurried off.
It wasn’t more than ten minutes before I was strapped into shuttle two, starting the prelaunch checklist. Ysario was crew chief this time. She was wiry and old enough to be my mother and then some. Didn’t miss much, either.
“I double-braced the ramp, sir. They’re backing the tractor in. Wouldn’t let ‘em use sliders. It took a while for them to get the message.”
“Thanks, chief.” That much mass on a slider, and one mistake could blow out the shuttle’s hull.
“What I’m here for, sir.”
I finished the prelaunch. After the tractor was secured, the empty sliders didn’t take long, and Chief Ysario reported “all secure.” Shuttle two carried one crewman besides the chief.
I went link. Navigator Control, this is Sherpa Tigress. I almost said “Porter Tigress” because I usually piloted shuttle one, rather than shuttle two.
Sherpa Tigress, Navigator Control, bay doors open, null grav in bay. You are cleared for departure and descent to landing zone beta—blue-white beacon.
Control, understand cleared for departure and descent to landing zone beta.
I eased shuttle two clear of the Magellan. I was more deliberate, because shuttle two was close to max mass with the tractor and the other stuff that they’d piled in.
Descent was smooth. I’d programmed the scanners to make readouts on alpha area as we neared the zone. Morgan had been right—all sorts of temperature plumes there. We made the alternative landing zone without using full power. Didn’t want to use any more power than necessary. Not if water might be building up under the ice. They’d said beta area was still solid, but I had my doubts how long that would last. Like every time before, the unfrozen gases rose around the shuttle like steam, then came back down like hail on the hull.
Sherpa Tigress, interrogative status. Morgan didn’t even let me finish the set-down check-off.
Navigator Control, Sherpa Tigress at zone beta. Situation green.
Stet, Tigress. Proceed soonest to unload. Report ready to liftoff.
I ran through the postlanding checklist, but left everything hot for liftoff, monitoring everything as Ysario took care of the off-load. I watched the mass indicators, ready for any instability, but the shuttle only wobbled slightly. Still… took a deep breath when the big tractor was off the ramp. The sliders and the extra formulator provisions took another quarter stan.
“Cargo’s clear, sir,” reported Ysario. “They’ve got the ice pallets coming up the ramp. Looks like half what we usually take.”
“Commander said not to wait. We’ll take what they have.” The ice was dirty and sealed in plastrene. Once we got back to the Magellan, the mech crew would off-load it, strip the plastrene, cut it, and tube feed it to the purifier. Never hurt to keep your reaction mass tanks full.