“Well, I wish them luck.” And she realized why he’d called. “They want us to go with them.”
“Well, they need one of us. Do you have any interest in going?”
She stopped and sat down on one of the concourse benches. “Sure,” she said. “But they’ve already talked to you, haven’t they?”
He hesitated. “Yes.”
She was the fallback choice again. “And what did you do? Tell them no?”
“Look, Priscilla, I can go or stay. It could be a wild flight. Or maybe not. Who knows? Alicia wouldn’t be very happy if I went. But one of us is going to have to help out.”
“You really want to go, Jake?”
“No. But I will if you want to pass.”
“You’re doing it again, aren’t you?”
“Doing what again?”
“Setting things up for me. Listen, Jake, this is your party. It has been from the start. Go ahead and do it.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
* * *
SHE SETTLED IN front of the HV that evening to watch the news. McGruder had all but clinched the Gold Party’s nomination. And Gregory MacAllister, appearing as one of Rose Beetem’s guests, was asked what he thought about terraforming. He commented that we should do something about the air in Baltimore. So the idiot was making a joke out of it.
And, still, where was Monika Wolf? All that talk about blowing off the roof?
* * *
NEWSDESK
GOLDS COMING STRONG FOR MCGRUDER
Hawkins Says Norman “Out of Touch with Reality”
“Lacks Practical Skills to Get Economy Moving”
AI CHESS TOURNAMENT ALL DRAWS AFTER FIRST ROUND
Organizers Suspect Prank by AIs
MEXICAN INVITATION REAL? OR ELECTION PLOY?
New White House Denies Floating Rumors of Mexican/NAU Merger
Callisto: “No Offense, but We’re Not Interested”
NAU PROPOSES CURB OF PULSE WEAPONS
Attacks in LA, Chicago, South Jersey Shock Nation
Baxter: “No Access for Morons”
MAGLEV GOES INTO MISSISSIPPI RIVER
Seventeen Injured; One Missing
INMATES LOVE DANTE
Oregon Literary Program Meeting with Success
Writing Workshops Also Gain Popularity in Prisons
EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION OLDER THAN WE KNEW
Artifacts Shock Historians
REST IN PEACE COMPLETES FIFTH YEAR ON BROADWAY
Jane Pinkerton Comedy Sold Out Through August
DEAD MAN SHOWS UP AT MEMORIAL SERVICE
Mistaken Identities After Hotel Fire in Atlanta
Fire Department Sued
BASEBALL OWNERS WANT MORE TEAMS IN PLAYOFFS
ALL-OUT EFFORT TO SAVE PANDAS
Numbers Continue Downward Spiral
Estimates Sink Below Four Hundred
Natural Habitat, Bamboo Forests, Gone
EDUCATION STATS LOOK GOOD
Achievement Gains in Latin America, Europe, NAU, Eastern Asia
Science, Math, Language Skills Soaring
Chapter 44
THE BLACKSBURG WILDCATS had regularly rolled over the Hawks for two years, and in fact seldom even had to run hard while doing so. At least that was Alicia’s description of the situation. But on that one night, the Hawks showed up with a withering attack, got fourteen points from Alicia, and withstood a determined fourth-quarter rally to come away with a 67–63 victory. Jake sat behind their bench cheering his head off. Afterward, most of the players—everyone who didn’t already have a prior commitment—trooped over to the Roundhouse and partied until midnight.
When the celebration was over, and almost everyone had left, Alicia put down her drink, looked at him, and asked what was wrong.
“You’re pretty good at reading me,” he said.
“You’re not exactly Voltaire, Jake. What’s going on?”
“They’re sending another mission to Orfano. The Academy wants some questions answered. And there’s a body to recover.”
Her eyes darkened. “You’re going with them, aren’t you?”
“I’m sorry, Alicia. They need me.”
“Why?”
“Because I was there before. I know where the wreckage is.”
“Why don’t they send what’s-her-name? Hutchins?”
“They need somebody more experienced.”
“You going to be gone a week again?”
“I don’t know how long, love. It’ll probably be more than that. Probably a few weeks.”
All the light had gone out of the room. She just sat, watching him, making up her mind how to react. “You told me last time it was a one-time thing. That when the mission ended you wouldn’t be going out anymore.”
“I don’t think I ever said that.”
“It’s what I heard. But let’s get it settled. After this one, will you be doing it again?”
God help him, he didn’t know. He didn’t want to live the rest of his life on that mountaintop. On the ground. “Alicia, I love you.”
“That’s not what I want to hear at the moment, Jake.”
“I know.”
“So what is it going to be?”
“We could make it work. I mean, I wouldn’t be going out very often. Now and then, maybe. When they need me.”
“Great.”
“Alicia, it’s what I do.”
“Okay. And I’ll sit it out here while you go riding around. Have I got that right?” There was steel in her voice.
“You’re making it sound worse than it is.”
“Am I? When we first met, the story was that you used to be a pilot. But that was in the past. You’d come to settle in Radford. The outer-space thing was over. If I’d known you were going to keep going back out, I’d have been a little more careful about letting myself get involved with you.”
“I’m sorry, Alicia. That was the plan. I’m not sure what happened.”
She closed her eyes. Nodded. Bit her lip. “Good night, Jake.”
“You need a ride home.”
“It’s okay.” She looked toward the bar. “Janet’s over there.”
* * *
LIBRARY ENTRY
The only difference between a caprice and a life-long passion is that the caprice lasts a little longer.
—Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Chapter 45
CAL MEANT WELL, but he seemed to have trouble with time zones. When the link sounded at midnight, she was willing to bet it would be him. Inevitably she was right. “How are you doing, love?” he asked.
“Actually, Cal,” she said, “I was doing fine. Sleeping, though.”
“Oh. I did it again, didn’t I? I’m sorry, Priscilla. I keep forgetting.”
In fact, usually she didn’t mention it. “It’s okay,” she said.
He took a deep breath. “I’ll skip the small talk.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“No, no. Look, Priscilla, I’d really like to see you this weekend. Maybe Saturday? Would it be a problem if I came up? To the station?”
“Sure, Cal,” she said. “That would be good.”
* * *
HE ARRIVED CARRYING chocolates. He waved at her from the exit ramp, and she somehow automatically fell into his arms. “I hate not seeing you for long periods of time,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about getting a job up here. I understand Kosmik’s looking for an accountant.”
“You’re not an accountant.”
“I could fake it. They’d never know.” He managed an absolutely charming smile. I’m kidding, but just say the word. He really did look happy. Something more than what you normally saw with a guy on the make. “Did you get some pictures from Orfano?” he asked.
“Yes, we got some.”
“A world in the dark. It sounds like a seriously creepy place.”
“It was pretty cold.”
“I guess. How far away is it?”
<
br /> “We only needed a couple of days to get there.”
He looked good. She’d forgotten how charming he could be. Her leading man. “It’s really nice to see you again, Priscilla.”
“And you too, Cal.”
“Have you eaten yet? How about we go have some breakfast? The food in the shuttle is kind of sparse. What time is it here?”
“We’re still on Greenwich time, Cal.” It was midmorning for him, midafternoon for her. “But sure. Let’s get something to eat.”
* * *
THEY WENT TO the Cockpit. When all the trivial questions about how they were doing and when Cal’s next show would be were out of the way, he asked why on earth “the Academy people” had gone to a world that had to be dead.
“Looking for life isn’t the only thing they’re doing,” she said. “A lot of it has to do with just trying to find out how the universe works.” The account of the inexplicable lights was out in the open and had, for several days, been receiving heavy media coverage.
“Sure. But the aliens are the only thing people are really interested in.”
“You know, Cal,” she said, “when people hear what I do for a living, they always ask the same question: Do I hope to meet some aliens? I wonder what it is about that subject that fascinates us so much.”
“I don’t know,” said Cal. “But you’re right. I think what we’d really like is to find somebody out there that we could talk to, and maybe have some beer with. That’s really what it’s all about, isn’t it?”
“I suppose so. But I don’t think we’ll be drinking any beer with whatever it is that’s on Orfano.”
“I guess not.” He sat staring at her. “It’s a really scary story. You’re lucky they weren’t unfriendly. Or hungry, or something.”
“It got me thinking, Cal. We’re probably better off not having aliens in the area. Think where we’d be if there was a civilization nearby with technology a million years ahead of ours.”
They finished their meals and ordered a couple of drinks. “You know,” he said, “not to change the subject or anything, but you’re absolutely gorgeous. Most beautiful woman on the station.”
She smiled. “How many of the women up here have you been involved with?”
He looked off to his right. “Well, there’s another knockout over near the window.” A tall brunette, stacked, with classic features. “Not in your league, though.”
She wondered what had happened to the shy Cal she’d known earlier. Mark Klaybold, his stage character, had taken over.
The drinks arrived. She tried hers. Rum with a sprinkle of lemon. Cal lifted his glass and looked at her over its rim with those large brown eyes. “You’re going to be a hard catch, aren’t you, Priscilla?”
She looked back with as much puzzled innocence as she could manage. “What do you mean?”
His voice softened: “I’m not sure I’m going to have much of a chance with you. There’s too much distance. And I suspect I’m in the way of what you want to do with your life. Am I right?”
“Let’s just live for the day, Cal. It’s not an easy situation. Right now, I’m still trying to get my career straightened out.”
“Okay. You’re being noncommittal again. But I understand that. I just want you to know that I’ve never known anyone quite like you.” He lifted his glass. “To you, Priscilla. Thanks for the moment.”
* * *
THEY STOPPED BY the Lookout Lounge, to have a drink and watch the Earth turn, or the Moon, or sometimes just sit in the starlight, while pop music played softly in the background. “You still plan to come back to Princeton occasionally, right, Priscilla?”
“Yes, Cal,” she said. “Of course. My mom lives there.”
“Can I get you to agree to let me know in advance when you’re coming?”
“I’ll try, Cal. But I tend to be forgetful sometimes.”
He grinned. This guy was not going to be easy to discourage. “Maybe I need to pop in up here more often.”
Shuttle tickets weren’t cheap. Priscilla got them at a substantial discount. But Cal had a healthy income. It probably didn’t matter much to him. “Look,” she said, “now that you’re here, why don’t you plan on staying the night? You still have time to change your reservation.”
“I’d love to, Priscilla.” Those brown eyes lit up. “Did you mean, with you?”
“I have a sofa.”
* * *
SHE LED HIM back to her apartment, unsure whether she’d done the right thing. The truth was, she’d have liked to give herself to him. The guy looked good, he loved her, and she liked him. That should be enough. But she wasn’t sure that she should encourage him. It was hard to see how any permanent relationship could evolve out of their circumstances. And she didn’t want to hurt him for the sake of her own sexual pleasure.
So, when they arrived in the apartment, she immediately arranged pillows on the sofa so there’d be no misunderstanding. But, a few minutes later, she took him into her bedroom.
* * *
THE SECOND ORFANO mission was getting itself together. They were down working every day prepping the Venture, storing supplies, loading gear that, when assembled, would constitute the shelter. She couldn’t help feeling jealous. The sense of being left out was intensified by the fact that the Venture was the ship she’d used to retrieve Monika Wolf from Selika. It was a Kosmik vehicle, of course, but they had no immediate need of it, and Broderick was undoubtedly happy to lease it to the Academy for a few weeks.
She’d have enjoyed taking her tour groups inside it, but the bombing of the Gremlin, even though it had been the act of one of their own people, had changed all that. Tourists were no longer permitted access to the ships. So the experience wasn’t what it had been, but she took them close enough that they could see the Venture and watch supplies being loaded. She even saw Jake on two occasions, but he appeared not to notice her.
There were rumors that he was coming back permanently, that he’d signed on with Interstellar Transport, but she heard nothing official.
She didn’t get a chance to talk to him, and it seemed best not to call. So she simply took her tour groups down and showed them the Venture and the Baumbachner and the Sydney Thompson, which was in port for several days.
Then, one morning, the Venture was gone.
* * *
NEWSDESK
MCGRUDER CAUGHT ON LIVE MIKE: ENJOYS MAHLER
Gaffe May Undercut Him with Base
ANTITERRAFORM GROUP SEIZED IN OKLAHOMA
Planned to Bomb Space Station
Infiltrated by FBI: “Never a Danger”
TORNADO HITS OTTAWA
Two Dead; 23 Injured
Power Loss Restored within Hours
MEYER’S PROSTITUTE WAS POLITICAL ACTIVIST
Withdraws from Missouri Race
ATTACK ADS GET PERSONAL AS CAMPAIGN INTENSIFIES
“Idiot” vs “Blockhead”
Editorial: Campaign on Issues
Were Politics Really Less Nasty in the Old Days?
INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE PASSES 100,000
Wall Street Celebrates
Bickley: “Affirmation of the President’s Economic Policies”
MY FAIR LADY REVIVAL GOES INTO FOURTH YEAR
Twentieth-Century Musical Boffo at Box Office
RAKOVIC FACES WORLD COURT
Ex-Dictator Charged with Crimes Against Humanity
Demonstrators Demand Death Penalty
MORE TORNADOES HIT MIDWEST
Wind Speed in Three Kansas Storms Reaches 170 mph
BREAKTHROUGH IN EDUCATION
Parental Involvement Critical Factor
* * *
THE WASHINGTON POST COLUMN
by Anika Avery
We had a report a few days ago that invisible aliens have been found on a sunless world. The expedition that discovered them returned last week to the space station. The first question that comes to mind is: How can we be sure the expedition came back alone . . . ?
/> Chapter 46
JAKE BOARDED THE Venture a half hour before the scheduled departure time and got a surprise. Samantha Campbell, the Academy Project director, was seated in the passenger cabin. “Dr. Campbell,” he said, “it’s good of you to come see us off.”
“Not at all, Jake. I’m going with you.”
“You are? Well, welcome aboard.”
“Thank you.” She looked genuinely pleased to see him. “Since we’re going to be together for a while, you probably should call me Samantha.” She started to drift off the chair, grabbed a restraint, laughed, and hauled herself back. “No way I’d miss this one.”
“I’m not sure I’d get my hopes up.”
“We’ll see how it plays out.”
Jake smiled. “Maybe we’ll get lucky.” He went onto the bridge, said hello to Lily, and began his routine check. It included ensuring they had a pallet to retrieve Otto’s body.
The rest of the team trooped in a few minutes later. He could hear them talking, laughing, saying how this was the mission they’d all waited for. Mission of a lifetime. When he’d finished, Jake went back into the cabin, and Samantha introduced them. Tony and Mary Carpenter, she explained, had been with several high-stakes Academy expeditions before. They’d penetrated a library on Nok and made off with as much reading material as they could carry. “One of them—one of the Noks—saw us as we were heading for the lander,” said Tony, smiling at his blond wife. “I guess we scared the devil out of it.”
“He’s not kidding,” said Mary. “It screeched and ran into a wall.”
“They don’t look so good themselves,” said Tony, who realized halfway through what he was saying. “Not that you don’t look good, hon.”
Mary had nothing to worry about. But the Noks, of course, were long, spindly creatures, all eyes and husk and clutching jaws, and the color of dried grass. Not exactly showstoppers. At least not in a positive sense.
Brandon Eliot was the Academy’s hi-tech guy. He’d be responsible for getting the shelter put together when they decided on a site for it. Brandon was chunky, a little less than average height, about fifty years old. Usually, when Jake saw him in the Cockpit or the Pilots’ Club, he had a looker on his arm. And it seemed never to be the same one twice.
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