“I own 90 percent of the RB Group,” Shostakovich explained. “The remaining 10 percent belongs to the Russian state. Yuri’s company, which I also supported considerably, is part of the RB Group. Thanks to Yuri I learned of your problem, and that’s the reason he is here. But I will tell you more about that later.”
Now the screen showed the image of an asteroid, and Shostakovich aimed a laser pointer at a tiny spaceship located on its rocky surface. This showed them how huge the space object must be.
“I own mining rights for the most important asteroids in the vicinity of Earth. You probably know that, according to current law, it is necessary to land on the object you claim. Instead of looking at faraway goals like Mars—as some competitors do—I concentrated on feasible projects. I believe that exploring the solar system should be left to tax-financed agencies. As a businessman I do not need visions, but rather plans that can be realized.”
The image zoomed out. Now they saw the Earth orbiting the sun. About 30 blinking dots accompanied the planet. Some moved beyond Earth’s orbit, others crossed the path of the home planet.
“I first concentrated on asteroids of the Apollo type, which cross Earth’s orbit during their movement around the sun. About 8,000 such objects are currently known, so one can’t really say that I have a monopoly.”
Shostakovich paused for a moment, then continued. “However, I claimed the asteroids based on how easily they could be reached, picking the low hanging fruit first, so to speak. You have to forgive me for it—it still cost me a ton of cash. My business was close to insolvency. Luckily, the oil prices rose year after year. By now, I am proud to say, I am making a lot of money. I can provide almost any metal and any rare earth at a lower price than mining companies here on Earth.”
“I still don’t see what this has to do with us,” Francesca said. Martin had never seen her appear so obstinate, almost angry.
“Just a moment, Signora Rossi. You will soon understand.”
The image changed again. The 30 dots disappeared and were replaced by five others, the orbits of which were clearly more extreme. One got closer to the sun than Mercury, while another one flew beyond Jupiter into the outer solar system.
“Since I plan far ahead, I invest the majority of my profits. Therefore I do research in various areas neglected by state-sponsored sciences, such as genetics and nanotechnology, as well as artificial intelligence. I would be happy to invite you to my research institution. I have also started to occupy some of the more exotic asteroid paths. These are the five dots you see here. I did not have a specific plan for them—at least not until you returned from Enceladus in ILSE.”
“And what does this plan look like?” asked Amy.
“And particularly, our role in it?” added Francesca.
Another dot appeared on the screen.
“This is the current trajectory of ILSE. The ship is slowly moving toward the sun, and it will take about ten months before it gets close enough to burn up. The reason for this delay is that ILSE is decelerating quite slowly, and it was not considered necessary to speed up the process. This is good, since you know how much the construction of this spaceship cost. The six Direct Fusion Drives, just the remaining tritium fuel—this would mean literally burning up dozens of billions of dollars. This sum would help my balance sheet nicely. As a businessman, I cannot condone such wastefulness.”
“A clever plan,” they heard Marchenko’s voice say from the suitcase.
“Tovarish Marchenko already understands it, of course, despite his currently rather limited hardware. Should I perhaps provide you with an interface for the computers in this room?”
While Shostakovich made this offer, Dushek vigorously shook his head in disapproval.
“Oh, my friend Yuri seems to be against it. He seems to worry you might penetrate his firewalls. An understandable fear, but I know you would never abuse a generously offered guest access this way. I read your file, Dimitri, and I personally know your mentor at Roscosmos.”
“No thank you, Shostakovich. I am fine here and do not need anything from you,” Marchenko said.
“Oh, well. For you, it might appear like that at the moment. Maybe you will change your opinion in the next sixty seconds. My plan, Dimitri, is to take over ILSE with your help.”
“It will not work, because any form of remote control has been deactivated in order to prevent something like this.”
“I know. We will have to fly there.”
“There is currently no spaceship that could catch up with ILSE,” Marchenko said.
“Yes and no. If we start from Earth, we really stand no chance. But among the asteroids I have claimed is 1566 Icarus, which, true to its name, gets rather close to the sun. In order to receive the mining rights for Icarus, I had to land a spaceship on it. The ship is still there and it flies toward the sun—as a hitchhiker, so to speak. We can reactivate it and then I would transfer you, Dimitri, to the on-board computer. The ship would fly toward ILSE, dock with it, and then you go on board and take over control. What do you have to say about that?”
Everyone in the group remained silent. Martin wondered what kind of catch this plan might have. Technically, it could actually work, he thought.
“I am pretty sure I know what you get out of this, Shostakovich,” Francesca said. “For a rather modest investment you receive, albeit illegally, brand new technology and a functioning spaceship. You could distribute the DFDs among your mining ships and would be far ahead of all competitors, but what about our reward?”
“There is a reason I asked the entire group here, not just Dimitri and you, Signora Rossi. I would like to offer ILSE to you for another journey to Enceladus. I think I found a way for you to transfer Dimitri’s consciousness back into his body. For that purpose, you would have to first get his body out of the ice ocean.”
December 27, 2048, Tokyo
Why should she phone Hayato’s mother? Amy wondered for a moment whether she should have Hayato make the call. He was their son, after all. But in the end, his parents would be only half-informed because they did not ask the right questions. She selected the encrypted-transmission mode, even though she did not intend to explain the whole plan in this call.
“Moshi moshi,” Mako answered after the second ring.
“Moshi moshi,” Amy replied. “It’s me, Amy. How are you doing?”
“We are doing fine. Your son has just taken his afternoon nap.”
“That’s good. Unfortunately we have to stay in Tokyo for at least another day.”
“Oh, did something happen?”
“No, we just have to discuss the offer I mentioned to you earlier. We have to make a decision soon, so we all stayed here. We are all going to meet for dinner later to talk things over.”
“I understand. For us, it’s no problem at all. Take all the time you need. I am glad to have Sol here for a few days. I think he already understands a little bit of Japanese. Tetsuyo always takes him on short walks through the neighborhood. Our grandson does not mind the cold weather at all.”
Amy felt an inner glow spread all over her body when she heard her mother-in-law mention Sol. She knew her son was doing fine at his grandparents’ house.
“Give Sol a kiss from me. And one from his father, too.” She looked at Hayato, who was sitting on the bed of their tiny hotel room, researching something on the internet.
“Of course, Amy. I will tell him the two of you are coming back tomorrow.”
“I am sure we will work it all out.”
“I am very curious to hear what you will decide. Sol’s welfare will certainly play an important role in this.”
Yes, it will, Amy thought, but she did not say anything, considering the weighty implications.
“I’ll call you back tomorrow morning.”
“Talk to you then,” Mako said.
Amy pushed the button to end the call.
“Hayato, we should be going.”
Hayato had earlier asked colleagues to recommen
d a restaurant in the Shibuya district, where only Japanese would be spoken. Their suggestion was a Korean-style grill, a cuisine that was, for the time being, very popular in Japan. It was also unlikely that tourists would show up there, so he and Amy reserved a table for 7 p.m.
The punctual Yamanote commuter train line took them to the Shibuya district. They left the train station and went eastward into an area with high-rise buildings. Hayato seemed to know the exact route and walked briskly along. He must have researched the directions thoroughly in advance because he and Amy arrived early. The bar and grill was located in a basement, and the neon sign above the entrance door read ‘Korean Barbecue.’ While entering, they both had to duck to avoid hitting the crossbeam above them. Amy was surprised at this, for the building could not have been more than 20 years old.
Hayato made the necessary arrangements with a waiter and ordered bulgogi and beer to be delivered when everyone had arrived. A waiter guided them into a room closed off by paper-covered, movable screens. Being the first in the group to arrive, they proceeded to take off their jackets and shoes, and sat cross-legged in front of the low table. Amy was glad to feel the warmth generated by the gas burners in the middle of the table. They were covered by a wire mesh on which the marinated meat would be arranged to cook until it was done to their taste.
Francesca arrived, once again carrying her suitcase, and Amy still felt strange about the idea that Marchenko was actually inside it. In some odd way this seemed cruel and hard to even imagine—an entire human being stuffed into this leather container. Looked at from another perspective, she knew some might see it as humorous.
The restaurant owner automatically guided Martin and Jiaying to the table. If there were three tourists here already, the others obviously also belonged to them. Since Hayato was part of the group, no one seemed to wonder how they ended up in a place that was not listed in any known travel guide. Hayato had once explained to Amy that the Japanese preferred to socially interact among their own. In bars meant for locals, no one would speak English with you, he claimed, even if they knew the language.
The waiter did not hesitate for long. He and Hayato nodded at each other, and soon the food and drink arrived. There was meat, meat, meat, and a few vegetables.
Amy was worried. “I didn’t even ask whether we have any vegetarians among us.” On board ILSE no one had been, but now...
However, all of them speared meat with their skewers and her worries seemed unfounded. Martin gave her a big smile, and Amy remembered him being a picky eater during their missions together. This was probably the first time during his stay in Japan he would get to eat his fill. She smiled.
For five minutes, no one said anything. Amy looked at Francesca’s suitcase. How would it feel to be so excluded from their community? What was Marchenko doing right now, while they enjoyed each other’s company? Did he still consider himself part of the group?
Hayato raised a can of beer. “Kanpai!” he said, and they all toasted each other. Francesca was the first to get to the point. Amy could imagine her feeling the strongest urge to speak.
The Italian pilot’s voice was surprisingly soft and hesitant. “What do you think of the offer we received yesterday? It’s... nonsense, isn’t it?”
Amy realized Francesca hoped someone would contradict her. She was about to answer when her husband spoke up.
“No, based upon what I can see now, the plan is realistic—except for the final promise of reuniting Dimitri with his body. We would have to examine that more closely. But taking over ILSE, yes, it could work that way.”
“But... would you go on such a journey again?” Francesca looked at them, one after the other.
“I would agree right away,” Jiaying said. “I definitely want to return to space, and this would be a real challenge.”
“But also completely illegal,” Martin said. “We would be hijacking ILSE, and your country could throw you in jail for that.”
“These people are not stupid, Martin. If we successfully return, with a living Marchenko, they would not dare touch me.”
“If we are successful,” said Martin, pausing to think. “Then, maybe. But if something goes wrong, we are on our own, and no one would help us.”
“Let us look at this pragmatically,” Hayato interjected. “No matter whether we sail under the flag of NASA or become pirates, we are always alone way out there. You saw that during our first trip—because no one can help us, what does it matter if someone wants to?”
“What do you think, Amy? Would you be our commander again?” asked Francesca.
Amy pondered the question—it had come too early for her to consider. If she was on her own, she would have agreed to it right away. But there was Sol to think about, and they would have to decide to leave him behind or bring him along. Both prospects seemed wrong to Amy, and she would have to discuss it with Hayato, away from the others. They were Sol’s parents and might have to make the decision. Therefore she asked in turn, “And what about you, Francesca?”
“Yes, right away!” Amy noticed Francesca was about to burst into tears. She placed a hand on Amy’s lower arm. “There are so many reasons,” Francesca explained, “why I would go on board right away. First reason, of course, because I love Dimitri. It... it is not the same to love a digital consciousness. I imagined it to be different, simpler. But most of all I would come along because I owe it to him. I am alive because of what he did!”
Jiaying looked at Martin. “It is similar with you, right?”
He flinched. “That’s true. I am glad you, of all people, mentioned it. Still, I have the feeling the previous voyage took me to my limits. Couldn’t we just stay here and enjoy life?”
Jiaying shook her head. “I am sorry, honey, but I would regret it all my life if we abandoned Marchenko.”
“What you are saying is all well and good,” Marchenko’s voice said from the suitcase. “How about asking me? Perhaps I do not want you to cram yourself into a narrow metal can for another two years and cruise through infinity.”
“Then we will ask you now,” Amy replied. “Do you want this? Do you want your body back?”
“I do not know,” Marchenko said. “My current state has some advantages—I am immortal! I know everything, and what I do not know I can find out faster than any human could. The only thing unclear to me is whether I could stand being in this state forever and ever. I would have to watch Francesca die, like all the people I know. And would I still be able to preserve my human nature? But even if I decided I would prefer to return to my own body, could I take the responsibility for making you risk your lives?”
“The journey will not be that dangerous,” Hayato said.
“It does not matter. I already notice how this decision is taking all of you to a crossroads in your life. Amy and you would have to leave Sol behind, or one of you would have to stay with him. Jiaying and Martin, your paths might diverge if you both come to different conclusions, and it would all be my fault.”
“Just a moment, Marchenko,” Martin said. “That’s not how this works. If you had not saved Francesca and me, Jiaying and I would not be facing this question right now. So don’t talk to me about guilt. We are all adults who can be responsible for our own decisions. Maybe some of us need to take a little bit longer to decide, and Shostakovich should give us this time. Jiaying and Francesca have already made clear decisions, and during the last part of our previous journey we saw that two people are basically enough. So the rescue mission can happen, no matter what.”
“That is a nice final word to this difficult discussion,” Amy said, “I will relay this to Shostakovich. Then he can initiate the necessary measures. And whoever has doubts still has enough time to come to a final decision. Concerning Sol, I will have a private talk with Hayato. Martin and Jiaying, you should find it easier to reach a compromise just between the two of you. And now let us focus on the tasty food.”
“I am going to order a few more beers,” Hayato said, “or does anyone w
ant sake?”
December 30, 2048, Akademgorodok
Some things never change, Amy thought. The entire group passed through immigration control without too much of an issue—until the official decided to specifically engage her in a long conversation. Judging from his grim expression, he considered the American woman to be a spy, if not an outright terrorist. Amy shook her head. How would she have been treated here, if Shostakovich had not arranged for the special visa? Or was this visa the reason for the treatment she encountered? Whichever it was, she knew too little about Russian attitudes to guess.
At least when Amy finally reached the luggage carousel, her suitcase was already there, and she found the others waiting for her. In front of the exit, a large sign in several languages welcomed them to Siberia. Immediately after expressing their general willingness to travel to Enceladus, the group had received the invitation to Novosibirsk. She would have liked to see her son once more before her trip here, but she had only managed another phone call. Shostakovich obviously wanted to show them the resources he controlled. Would this really help the members of their group who were still undecided? Amy wasn’t sure. She would have readily agreed to the planned mission long ago, if she did not have to leave Sol behind.
A wide, automatic door opened to the outside, and immediately the stinging Siberian air hit her face. Shostakovich had not exaggerated. It really was cold! Luckily, they had gone shopping together in Tokyo for the right outerwear suitable for this severe climate. Amy saw how all the others pulled their caps down and covered their chins with scarves, as if on command.
As expected, a man was waiting for them in front of the terminal building. It must have been easy for him to identify their group. Speaking adequate English, the man identified himself as Vassili, and they in turn introduced themselves. Vassili looked the way Amy imagined a Russian bodyguard would. He was brawny, with a nose that looked like it had been broken more than once, and in spite of the cold, he was clad in a business suit. He greeted each of them in turn, and while carrying the two heaviest suitcases, he led them to a vehicle resembling a jeep. Amy did not recognize the brand of the vehicle. The logo on the radiator grill represented a kind of stylized sailboat.
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