“Just because they’re immune doesn’t mean they can’t be carriers,” Linbarger said. “I know that much.”
“There is no correlation—“Saul began, and then realized no scientific discussion was going to reach the man. “Look. We need to learn more, and that means cooperating with every.”
“Pretty soon they’ll be giving us orders! If—”
“Shut,” Saul said precisely. “Up.”
Linbarger frowned, puzzled, plainly feeling betrayed. “You’re a biologist, you know three of us get these diseases for every one of them.”
“Then thaw out more Orthos,” Virginia said cuttingly. “Swell your ranks.”
“And see most of them die?” Linbarger whirled toward her, fists clenched. “You know a man fresh out of the slots is more vulnerable to these bugs!” Linbarger glared at her, but was obviously playing to Ould-Harrad.
“We must use all those available hands,” the African spacer said at last. “Especially if we are to save the Newburn.”
“You’re approving the mission?” Saul asked, helping the apparent effort to change subjects. Bethany Oakes had ruled out the effort to seek and recover the long-lost slot tug.
“Yes. Carl Osborn’s case is convincing. It may distract us from our… disputes.” Ould-Harrad glanced pointedly at Linbarger. “They are our comrades, aboard the Newburn, and if it is God’s will, Inshallah, we shall rescue them.”
“Who goes?” Virginia asked.
“I shall decide later. First we must refine more tritium from the ice—”
“Jeffers is already doing that,” Saul put in. “He says he can get us enough in a week or so.”
Ould-Harrad pursed his lips. “You people have been continuing work even though Bethany vetoed it?”
“Well, Yes,” Saul admitted with a small smile. “The refining uses big surface mechs which weren’t doing anything else.”
“Ah. So be it. Then the hydroponics pods must be arranged, the majority brought into Halley.”
“I’ll do that,” Linbarger said. “Some of my buddies will pitch in, too.”
Anything to get away from Percells, Saul thought. He’ll have plenty of Ortho volunteers.
“Very good,” Ould-Harrad said warmly. “As for the rescue crew, I will decide after careful—”
“I’ll go,” Linbarger said. “if Osborn isn’t in charge.”
Virginia smiled dryly. “You want an all-Ortho crew?”
“Why not?”
“You’re more likely to have sick people going, then,” she said.
Saul frowned. Soon he would have to break it to her that he was going as ship’s doctor.
Ould-Harrad said soothingly, “We all are taking risks.”
“You have no idea if Lintz and van Zoon and the others will find cures,” Linbarger’s mouth knotted up into a sour, disgusted sketch of impatience. “If they don’t, and I get sick, they’ll never bring me out of the slots.”
Ould-Harrad spread his hands, open and uplifted, showing his good will. “Then you will finally wake up on Earth.”
“Nobody intended us to sleep seventy years sick! Metabolism is slow in the slots, but it’s not zero. All the experience has been with people who’re well, right? We could all die.”
Linbarger had a point, but Saul was damned if he would admit it. “There is ample reason to expect that.”
“Ha! ‘Ample reason.’ That’s not enough for me and my friends.”
“Which friends?” Virginia asked. “More dumb Arcists?”
Linbarger bristled. His voice came out thin and reedy, as if from a tight place inside him. “Yeah, some of us. Got kicked out of Indonesia for being against land rape and poisons and experimental animals like you.”
Virginia muttered, “And made up for it by shooting people in Pan-Africa.”
Saul tried to cut in. “Just a.”
“No, let him babble,” Virginia said evenly, her arms held ready, a concentrated energy in her stance. “I’ve heard it before. His kind took over Hawaii. Governor Ikeda’s dead, Keoki Anuenue’s uncle is in prison. I want to see what kind of creature does things like that.”
Linbarger did not seem to notice her rigid restraint.
“I’m an Arcist, sure, but I’m talking for all the normal people. We aren’t going to take orders from Percell pigs.”
Saul said, “You watch your.”
“Sure, we’re herding you Percells into camps in Hawaii—and we’d be better off doing the same thing here!” He shook a fist in her face.
Virginia caught him full in the stomach with a quick, savage kick. Linbarger flew backward with a heavy grunt and smacked into the wall. Ould-Harrad moved to block Virginia but she compensated neatly for the low gravity and slipped past him. She clipped Linbarger neatly on the chin with the heel of her hand, putting the full force of her shoulder behind her chop. Linbarger made a gurgling noise and spun away, still conscious but limp.
“Stop!” Ould-Harrad cried severely and unnecessarily—Virginia had already come back to an automatic zero-G defensive stance, floating, eyes gleaming like ice.
“Sorry,” she said. “It was a reflex.” Obviously she regretted nothing.
Ould-Harrad and Saul checked Linbarger, who waved them away feebly.
Virginia said, “I’ve been hearing Arcist bullshit for days now, holding my tongue. No more. He’s endangering the whole expedition.”
“Do not overstate your case, Dr. Herbert. Dr. Linbarger has a right to his opinions,” Ould-Harrad said judiciously.
What does it take to stir him up? Saul thought. Or has he witnessed scenes this bad already? An unsettling suspicion. Saul hadn’t been socializing himself for a week.
“In any case,” Ould-Harrad said, shaking his head gravely, “nothing excuses such conduct as yours. If we were not desperate, I would confine you to quarters.”
“Oh, please do,” she said sarcastically. “I need the sleep.”
Linbarger opened his mouth to say something, but then the prep-room door opened to admit Bethany Oakes. They all fell silent as the official commander slowly entered with her escorts.
Said was shocked at the sudden change—at her red-rimmed eyes, bone-white face, and shambling walk. Her palsied hands trembled and her mouth sagged vacantly.
“Betty, you shouldn’t be walking,” Saul said.
Then he saw Akio Matsudo and Marguerite von Zoon following respectfully, their eyes beseeching him not to interfere. She way making a brave show, the commanding officer committing herself gallantly. Even Linbarger saw it, and though his face was still compressed with anger and resentment, he kept quiet.
Matsudo did not look very well, either. His eyes were glazed and his face had a hard, sweaty sheen. If he goes, that will leave only Marguerite and myself to run the hospital. That’ll keep me off the Newborn rescue for sure.
Bethany Oakes met his eyes briefly. “Saul…” Her smile was wan, sad. “Persevere…”
She passed slowly into the chilly inner chamber and the waiting techs.
Damn. Saul was uncomfortably aware that Oakes might well never revive from the slot-sleep process. If the disease could continue to do its dreadful work as she floated through the dreamy years, she might well be going to her grave. The accompanying party had probably guessed this, and there came upon them a reverential silence as Oakes insisted on struggling up onto the slab herself. She gave a fluttering wave of farewell and then sank down into the pink nutrient web. It was a release for her, Saul saw, amid the chill promise of salvation, to lie down gratefully into the embrace of fog-shrouded, gleaming steel and glass.