Spindrift (33 page)

Larry was designed for atmospheric entry, so its aeroshell was unnecessary. Once the probe was three hundred meters above the ground, it jettisoned its curvilinear outer casing and parachute pack and continued the descent upon liquid-fuel thrusters that brought its payload module to a featherlight touchdown. Once its petal-shaped flanges unfolded, and with Antonia once again guiding the probe via telepresence, Larry crawled out onto Spindrift's dusty surface, an arachnid robot whose antenna-mounted lights prowled the coal black terrain.

Since Larry was incapable of returning to
Galileo
and had a maximum range of only twenty kilometers, its landing site had been selected only after long argument among the members of the science team. In the end, the majority voted in favor of Ramirez's proposal that they investigate one of the CO
₂
“cold spots” surrounding Spindrift's central meridian. Although the massive equatorial crater was just as intriguing, the fact that the meridian features were so equidistant aroused their curiosity. As Cruz had pointed out, it wasn't Spindrift's exterior that was interesting so much as its interior, and the cold spots had greater potential to answer their questions.

In the end, though, Larry told them no more than Jerry had. After scuttling across rough, dusty ground pockmarked by countless micrometeorite strikes, the probe finally made its way to a small crater about thirty meters in diameter. Standing at the edge of its rim, Larry peered down upon an expanse of frozen carbon dioxide that scintillated beneath the probe's lights, eerily resembling a snow-covered pasture on a moonless night.

The infrared sensor picked up a heat source from the center of the crater, so Antonia carefully maneuvered Larry down its slope and sent it in that direction. Yet the dry-ice layer turned out to be deeper than expected; Larry got no farther than seven meters before its six legs disappeared within the fine white powder, and it was all Antonia could do just to keep Larry from being immobilized. Ignoring Rauchle's protests, she backed the probe out of the crater and returned Larry to its earlier position at the top of the rim.

The trip wasn't a total loss, though. Larry's ultraviolet imaging spectrometer picked up a plume of gaseous CO
₂
rising from the heat source at the crater's center, almost as if it was a natural geyser. As the team watched, the carbon-dioxide emission immediately froze out, descending to the ground as a haze of snowlike crystals. No question about it: something deep within Spindrift was venting gas, apparently at regular intervals. And there were at least seven other sites just like this one, equidistantly spaced along Spindrift's central meridian.

Antonia returned Larry to its lander and put it in recharge mode; just as when she'd parked Jerry in orbit near the starbridge, she kept its transponder active so that the probe's cameras and sensor package could be accessed at any time. Then, at Kaufmann's suggestion, the science team went down to the library to discuss their next move. Lawrence showed up as well; so did Harker, although Ramirez wasn't surprised that he kept his distance from the captain.
Galileo
's commander and his first officer had apparently reached an impasse; Ramirez wondered if they'd be able to work together for the rest of the mission.

“We should reposition Larry,” Rauchle began, once everyone had coffee and had found seats near the fireplace. “If we can send it to another vent, we might be able to get it closer so tha t…”

“That won't work.” Harker leaned against the mantel, studying the pewter miniature of the
Galileo
. “Larry's designed for only short-range excursions, and the next vent is too far away. Sure, it might be able to get there, but the cold will kill the batteries. It'll make it to the crater and”—he snapped his fingers—“out go the lights. Dead 'bot.”

“Besides, there's no guarantee that the same thing won't happen again.” Kaufmann nibbled on a slice of dried apple from the snack plate Emily had put together in the galley before returning to the command center. “The snowpack was at least a half meter thick when the probe bogged down the first time…and that was eight meters or so from the vent. No telling how deep it is closer in.”

“But if…” Rauchle began.

“I think we're dodging the main issue here.” Cruz gazed out the window as if quietly contemplating the dark world that lay below them. “We've tried using probes, but they've only given us limited results. Like it or not, we're going to have to get our feet dirty. We need to go down there.”

No one said anything for a moment. Everyone glanced at each other, wary of what Cruz was suggesting. Ramirez knew what was going through their minds. Rauchle, Kaufmann, Cole…they'd spent their careers in labs and lecture halls, analyzing data others had gathered for them, then telling students and colleagues what they'd found. It had been a long time since any of them had done serious fieldwork, and that was when they were quite a few years younger, and even then in the relatively benign conditions of the Moon or Mars. None relished the idea of leaving
Galileo
's safe and warm confines to set foot upon a place where the slightest mistake could be fatal.

“Look,” Kaufmann said, “we're here just to study and report, right? That being the case, I see no reason why we can't continue to survey the rogue from orbit…”

“It's not just a rogue,” Ramirez said, breaking his accustomed silence. “I believe something else is going on down there.”

All eyes turned toward him. “Yes?” Rauchle asked, his sardonic smirk making another appearance. “Do tell, Dr. Ramirez. What do you believe it is?”

He took a deep breath. “I believe…that is, I think…Spindrift may be a starship.”

For a moment, no one spoke. The rest of the science team stared at him as if he'd just suggested that Spindrift was inhabited by elves who rode flying dragons. Sir Peter coughed in his hand. “That's an interesting theory, Jared, but…”

“Look at the evidence. The presence of vents at regular intervals…that suggests some large-scale organic process beneath the surface that would necessitate the discharge of gaseous carbon dioxide. The huge equatorial crater…hasn't that reminded anyone else of the exhaust funnel of a large engine? And the fact that it's on a trajectory that puts it in a direction leading out from the center of the galaxy…”

“An asteroid transformed into a starship?” Rauchle was openly skeptical. “Tell me, Dr. Ramirez…during your sabbatical, did you develop a taste for twentieth-century science fiction?”

A couple of ill-concealed chuckles from around the table. Ramirez chose to ignore them. “The concept predates science fiction. The British physicist J. D. Bernal came up with the idea in a monograph published in 1929. He—”

“I'm familiar with Bernal's work,” Sir Peter said. “
The World, the Flesh & the Devil
. Quite interesting, really…but as I recall, he imagined such ‘globes,' as he called them, carrying their inhabitants on voyages that would last hundreds of years. Even if that were the case here, why would that be necessary, if the builders had the ability to construct faster-than-light starbridges?”

“I don't know,” Ramirez replied. “I'm just as puzzled as you are about this. Nonetheless, the presence of one factor doesn't necessarily rule out the existence of another, does it?”

Cruz and Kaufmann glanced at each other as Rauchle allowed his eyes to roll upward. Before anyone could object, though, Harker cleared his throat. “He has a point. We shouldn't rule out any possibilities, no matter how far-fetched they may seem…and relying on probes hasn't gotten us very far.”

Lawrence glared at him. “Mr. Harker, I don't recall that you're a member of the science team.”

“No, sir, I'm not.” Harker stared back at the captain with ill-disguised contempt. “Nonetheless, our job is to enable the team to conduct their investigation, is it not?” Lawrence looked away, and Harker continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. “I think we should send a party down to Spindrift, have them take a closer look. After all, we have the
Maria Celeste
…”

“And that would distract us from examining the starbridge.” Rauchle shook his head. “No. We shouldn't divide our efforts.”

“Why not? We have more than enough people aboard to do both at once.” Harker turned back to Lawrence. “I'm willing to lead the ground survey, sir. I'm sure Emily is capable of making a successful landing. If Dr. Ramirez would care to join us…”

“So would I,” Cruz said abruptly. “After all, this is my area.” He looked at the others and shrugged. “He has a point, you know…since we're here, we might as well cover all the bases.”

Ramirez was faintly surprised to see Cruz so eager to volunteer. On the other hand, Jorge wasn't as narrow-minded as either Rauchle or Cole; nor, unlike Kaufmann, was he committed to being Rauchle's protégé. He seemed to have a spirit of genuine scientific curiosity. Or perhaps he just wanted to get off the ship for a little while.

“That would leave everyone else free to study the starbridge,” Harker went on. “A ground survey shouldn't take more than twenty, maybe twenty-four hours to complete…thirty-six at most, if we decide to investigate more than one site. And since the shuttle is equipped for sorties of that—”

“All right, yes. Of course. You've made your point.” Lawrence closed his eyes. “If you really think it's that important, then please do so, by all means.” He let out his breath as if in annoyance. “Mr. Harker, if neither Dr. Ramirez nor Dr. Cruz has any objections”—both Ramirez and Cruz shook their heads—“then consider them your landing party…along with Lieutenant Collins, provided that she's willing to do this.”

“I'm sure she is, sir.”

“Of course.” Absently running his fingers through his mustache, Lawrence studied the datapad in his lap for a moment. “Let's go for launch in…say, oh eight hundred tomorrow, shall we? That should give you adequate time to prepare your team, plus enough time to catch up on your sleep. I daresay you'll not have much rest once you get there.”

“That'll be fine, sir. Thank you.” Harker pushed back his chair. “If I may be excused…?”

Lawrence distantly nodded, his eyes still on his pad. Ramirez glanced at Rauchle; he was in whispered conference with Cole, with Kaufmann and Cruz leaning over to listen in. No one paid much attention to him as he quietly followed Harker from the library.

“Mr. Harker…?”

“Ted.” Harker stopped in the corridor to look back at him. “We're going to be together for a while. Might as well dispense with formalities, right?”

“Yes, we should…thank you.” Ramirez relaxed a little. “Thanks for coming to my aid back there. I was getting a bit overwhelmed.”

“Yes, well…” Harker shrugged. “I'm just as curious as you are. And I'm sure Emily wouldn't mind having something to do.”

“Of course.” At a loss for what else to say, Ramirez fell silent. Harker gave him a querying look, then started to head for the access hatch. “Just one more thing…do you believe I'm right about all this?”

Harker paused at the hatch. For a moment, he said nothing, then he looked back at him. “The only difference between me and the captain is that I'm willing to listen.”

“The only difference?” Ramirez felt a trace of amusement. “I think not.”

“Show me the evidence, then I'll believe you.” Harker hesitated, then dropped his voice. “Meet me in the main storage compartment…B4, two decks up…in an hour. We'll talk more then.”

He disappeared through the hatch, leaving Ramirez in the corridor.

 

The ship's stores were located on Deck B, on the opposite side of the access shaft from the hibernation compartment. The room was narrow, its grey walls lined with lockers and cabinets. When Ramirez arrived, he found Harker waiting for him, yet they weren't alone. Much to his surprise, he found Emily with him as well.

“Shut the hatch, will you?” Harker asked Ramirez as he entered the compartment. “No sense in letting in a draft.” Ramirez couldn't tell if he was joking or not, but he turned to shut the hatch anyway. “Thanks. Did you tell anyone where you were going?”

“Oh, Ted…” Emily shook her head, a wry expression on her face. “We've a perfectly sound reason to be here…you said it yourself. We need to collect the EVA equipment.”

“And that we do.” Harker raised the pad in his right hand. “Have the list right here. But it's also the one place aboard, besides the shuttle, where I can guarantee that we won't be overheard.”

Emily's smile disappeared. “You don't trust our cabins anymore?”

“Not after that little scene with the captain, no.” Turning away from them, Harker slowly walked down the line of cabinets, one eye on his pad's screen. “He knows now that he can't trust either of us…and since Jared here suggested this trip, he probably doesn't trust him very much either.” He glanced at Ramirez. “No offense.”

“None taken. I've become used to it.” Ramirez glanced at the hatch behind him. “But if we're supposed to be gathering equipment, shouldn't Jorge be here, too?”