Reversion - A Novel Part 27

But Kelliam spoke first. aUh, Mr. Maple, Maryanne is back.a aWhat does she say?a aThat the factory is full of fog.a aDoes she report anything else out of the ordinary.a The man hesitated, saying at last, aShe says a" course theyare hard to see anyhow, but a she says it looks like the a.s.ses are gone. Both of them.a aIndeed they are, Jerome. Turn up the fans to remove that fog, then tell me what she sees.a aBut how could a" Yes, sir.a aClara,a I said hopefully, unconsciously and uselessly strengthening my voice for distance, aare you receiving this?a Her sweet voice sounded almost instantly. aYes, Tim, Iam here. Oh, Tim, this is so wonderful! It means youare airborne, doesnat it?a aSteam born,a I corrected. aEverything is going perfectly so far. Weave been aloft for two minutes. Weare 4.4 miles up according to the infrared ranging laser. Do you have TV and radio turned on?a aOh, yes. Iall relay if anything is reported, though Iam sure youall know it before I do. And Tim aa aGo ahead, Clara.a aI love all four of you, you know.a aAnd we all love you.a My voice was hardly silent before the other three with earphone-mikes chimed in similarly.

She concluded with a catch in her voice, aDonat stay too long on the moon. I expect to see all four of you very soon in my kitchen.a aWeall all be there,a I said with determination before returning to the task at hand. aKarl, have you heard anything from the airports about noticing us?a aNot the airports.a aWhat do you mean?a aPiedmont Flight 79 just reported two nearly vertical vapor trails north of Asheville.a I considered that for a moment before responding, aGuess we ought to conform to airline schedules in the future.a aTo the degree we can discover them.a aWho did he report to?a aCharlotte, of course.a aWhat did the airport say?a aTheyave seen nothing on radar.a I heard a click. A strange male voice, made hollow by the narrow audio response of the distant pilotas AM transmitter, sounded in midsentence. aa" is Piedmont 79 again. Whatever is making those vapor trails is accelerating well above my 18,000. I couldnat investigate them even if I had time, but somebody ought to.a His transmission terminated with the flatulent burst of a noise squelcher. Karl was repeating the standard aircraft control frequency into our spread spectrum channel.

Another, weaker male voice said, aProbably something to do with the military.a aI tell you, those guys are going, um, about 30 degrees south of straight up! And the trails start nearly on the ground.a aIall admit itas odd nothing shows on radar. Piedmont 79, continue on course.a With another click the radio fell silent until Karl said, aWe need to find a propellant that doesnat leave a trail of ice crystals, at least for operations near Earth. I have an idea. How about liquid a"a His voice ended in a curious sound: a painful grunt, followed a heartbeat later by a feminine squeal and Rosalindas cry, aYou b.a.s.t.a.r.ds! What do you think youare a"a Then silence.

What the h.e.l.l? I looked around at Alice, who returned my stare with round eyes. She murmured, aWho could it possibly be?a aAt this alt.i.tude?a I asked. My retina reported 16 miles.

Her eyes narrowed. aI can think of only one possibility.a aYes,a I agreed with a grimace as the same idea occurred to me. I cleared the glowing display from my vision and hit the quick-disconnect on my seat harness. Alice released her own as I slipped past her to the suit locker hatchway.

aYou stay back,a I ordered and s.n.a.t.c.hed the door open.

Bertie knelt just beyond it, his back against Aliceas hanging suit. The pistol in his hand was raised to point at my face.

Chapter 21: The Landing.

aBack off!a he commanded, rising to his feet.

He was just out of reach, and the pistol barrel was aligned with my vulnerable face. The best time for decisive action is early in a confrontation a" if you dare. I didnat, not yet. So I backed up enough for him to exit the suit locker.

aYou canat be alone!a I declared.

He stepped out, eyes scanning rapidly, settling momentarily on Alice, who was crouched beside her flight seat. But the pistol didnat waver.

A too-familiar voice behind him noted, aAstute as ever!a and Harrison Cleaver made his appearance in the hatchway. He stepped around the hulking Bertie and smiled at me, a dapper figure in tie and tailored suit. Bertie wore a green jacket, but if Cleaver had donned green to enter the plant, he had since cast it aside.

I said dryly, aNow I see the reason for the riot in the parking lot.a aQuite so,a he smirked. aTim, your hillbilly defenders are a joke. You didnat hire enough professional guards, which is evidence of your amateurism, something Iall help you fix. For now, shouldnat you sit down in the pilotas seat and fly this thing? We are airborne, are we not?a aWeare higher already than youave ever been before. I presume you have another team in Karlas s.h.i.+p?a He only smiled. aTim, first off letas get clear on the issue of control. Just now I have the upper hand. If you donat behave accordingly, Bertie might have to harm your pretty a.s.sistant.a His smile widened, directed across the mostly empty, 30-foot compartment, intended ultimately for pa.s.senger seats or inanimate cargo, to Alice. aI regret, dear, that I have forgotten your name, if I ever knew it. Please enlighten me.a She produced the distinct sniff that I have heard so often, her general reaction to lesser mortals. aPerhaps you recall painted b.o.o.bs.a aAh, yes, indeed! Of course! You are Miss Alice Edgeworth, Timas half-sister. I am most pleased to renew your acquaintance.a His voice hardened. aBertie, keep a close watch on her. This is a daring and resourceful female.a aI know that,a said Bertie ironically.

aThank you both,a she responded gravely.

Bertie added in a strained voice, aShe was with Rosalind this morning.a Cleaver chuckled admiringly. aHow interesting that both host and hostess have the special knowledge!a His attention returned to me. aOnce we have negotiated an acceptable arrangement, Tim, I shall of course delegate control to you, but for now a fly this thing!a His finger pointed imperiously to the pilotas chair.

Bertie stood ten feet away, such that I was in his line of fire to Alice, meaning that he might shoot either of us with comparable ease. She had, unfortunately in these circ.u.mstances, disdained a diamondoid sh.e.l.l for her tender body. So I turned and strolled as nonchalantly as I could back to my seat. Apparently Bertie had learned his lesson from this morning; he kept well away from her. She might be safer also in her seat, especially if I used the att.i.tude controls against our captors, so I motioned for her to sit as I pa.s.sed.

I buckled my own harness immediately. From the corner of my eye I saw her do the same, indeed a smart girl!

Cleaver leaned over the back of my chair, studying the mechanical instruments. aWhatas wrong with that altimeter?a he asked. aItas off scale!a aThat shouldnat surprise you,a I answered. aIt only indicates to 25,000 feet.a aHow high do you suppose we are?a I restored the display on my retinas and answered, aJust about 96 miles.a a96a"a He shook his head reproachfully. aTim, wh.o.a.re you trying to kid?a I looked at the projected curve. aAsk me again in ten minutes and itall be 540 miles.a He slipped sideways around the chair and studied my face. aYou canat be serious!a aAn hour after that weall be 24,000 miles up.a He stared at me and took a deep breath.

I asked, aWhat do you want, Cleaver?a He straightened his shoulders and crossed his arms. aMona told you a" though the deal she offered is no longer on the table, of course.a aWhy not? You can still go to the feds.a aAnd discover a billion dollar NSA operation unknown even to Eisenhower?a He laughed confidently. aYou can sling horse manure with the best of them, Tim.a aThank you.a aOf course my threat was also a bluff. I know the feds. They would no more give me a piece of this than of the White House. But important as a s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p may be, I think itas the least of your discoveries.a aDo you!a aNot that I mean,a a" he gestured around him a" ato disparage this remarkable, ah, vehicle. Whatever our alt.i.tude may be, from the elevator effect and slight buffeting we felt earlier, one may conclude that we no longer occupy your factory in Baylor. I have a lot of questions about this s.h.i.+p, you may be sure, not excluding the reason for its angularity and mirror finish a" was all that extravagance necessary? But I think we should first discuss the full scope of your endeavors, Tim.a I grunted. aYou couldnat understand them.a aYou might be surprised. But one discovery interests me in particular.a aI know: biological control.a aYes, exactly. I am 58 years old, Tim. I have pains, intermittent but most disabling, that the doctors think derive from incipient prostate cancer. I believe you can fix them.a He probably strove for a poker face, but the desperate hope was evident in his eyes. I began to understand why he would risk his own wealthy a.s.s to stow away on something so wildly improbable as a purported s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p in 1954. Nevertheless I asked, aWhy should I fix them, Cleaver?a aOut of your strong sense of altruism?a aAt least as strong as your own, you mean?a He grimaced. aBecause Iall give you half my fortune, make you my heir.a I smiled slightly. aI already control more money than you do.a His grimace became a snarl. aBecause unless you promise to deliver, Bertie will shoot the arms off your pretty sister one at the time.a I nodded slowly. aAt last the real Harrison Cleaver makes his appearance.a aWait until you have prostate cancer! A man with that disease is better off dead.a I shook my head and said softly, aIt will never bother me, Harrison.a aNo, I suppose not,a he grated. aAnyone who can do to his body as you have done can probably avoid death itself.a aIndeed!a I smiled contemptuously. aAnd now you want my promise under duress to furnish you the same advantages, is that it?a He took a deep breath. aWe do have a problem there.a aYou do. I can remove your apparent control of this s.h.i.+p any time I wish.a His eyes widened. aThen take your hand off that stick!a He turned to call Bertie but desisted when my hand dropped to my knee. Instead he grasped the back of my chair over my shoulder as if expecting turbulence. Having braced himself, he studied me and the unmoving att.i.tude control stick for a moment before asking, aHow do you control this thing?a aThe method is very personal, Cleaver. Neither you nor Bertie can learn it.a aOh, yeah? Show me.a What a remarkable request! I felt an irresistible urge to show off, however irresponsibly. I tapped 47, the preset code for STOP THRUST. Below us the hissing died. The familiar acceleration, indistinguishable from gravity according to Einstein, faded away. It felt exactly as if the bottom had fallen out of the s.h.i.+p. Sudden weightlessness may be the most appalling experience of all, even though few ancestors who encountered it lived to pa.s.s along their terror. Cleaver made a strangling sound and his knuckles whitened as he took a death grip on my chair frame. I found it strikingly uncomfortable myself!

At least I was strapped into my seat. I managed a superior smile. aHow do you like zero G?a aGak, gak a"a he stuttered, huge eyes staring. I would have laughed if my own belly hadnat seemed to float above my head. Behind us I heard a masculine moan of horror.

Forcing hand to knee, I keyed 74, preset for RESUME THRUST. The hissing recovered almost immediately, along with our weight. Something heavy and metallic clattered on the floor. Cleaver fell to his knees with a painful grimace. An instant later, judging by the sound, a bag of potatoes thudded behind us.

I released my straps and rotated enough to look around. Bertie sprawled, limbs spread awkwardly, ten feet behind us, peering up with a stunned scowl. I had last seen him standing in a combat crouch. Presumably when his weight departed, he had straightened up, thereby imparting just enough upward velocity for him to drift toward the ceiling, while inadvertently releasing his pistol. Iall give him credit for a fast recovery. Despite having dropped flat when I restored weight, probably on a shoulder or even his head, he managed while I watched to scramble across the floor, retrieve the fallen weapon and rise on his knees to cover me.

Cleaver got to his feet, absently rubbing his knees with one hand while the other maintained its grip on my chair. aWhat did you do?a aCut thrust. Can you imagine the effect of varying its direction?a He stared.

I added, aOr of cutting it, then reapplying it at twice the magnitude?a He gulped. After a moment he shook his head, aBut Tim, I truly am desperate.a I nodded. aEnough to steal a s.h.i.+p, I see. But are you desperate enough to give it back?a His eyes narrowed as he considered the implications. He took a deep breath. aYes, I am.a He looked up behind me, aBertie, give Tim your gun.a aNot on your life!a I turned to see Bertie once again in a combat crouch, except that now his feet were restless, shuffling slightly as if feeling out the floor, reminding me of childhood strolls atop railroad rails. The pistol still centered on me. The manas face was twisted in some strong emotion.

aWhat?a asked Cleaver, dumbfounded as if a chair had refused his request to sit.

Bertie demanded, aWhat just happened? Where are we?a The weapon never wavered despite restless feet.

Cleaver was willing to pacify the chair. aCan you tell him, Tim?a a140 miles above Earth in that direction.a I pointed to the moon centered in the viewport above us.

aa140a"a Bulls.h.i.+t! I want to know where weare going.a aTo the moon, Bertie. Weall be there in a about four hours.a aNot me, you crazy sons of b.i.t.c.hes,a he said between clenched teeth a" and he shot me.

I registered three instant effects: a burst of flame from his hand, a blow in the side like a prizefighteras punch and indescribable violence to ears in the enclosed s.p.a.ce. It was a large caliber pistol. I was knocked sideways against the control panel a" but used it immediately to recover. I had one glimpse of Cleaveras staring eyes before I could straighten up.

Bertieas aim had s.h.i.+fted, presumably toward Alice, but his second shot was premature. I saw the second flash and from the corner of my eye a spark where his bullet struck the wall to my left. Its likely effect upon our pressure integrity would have immediately concerned me except that Bertie had unaccountably already covered his face with one hand. The pistol flew away as he brought the other hand to his face also. He sagged forward onto his knees, from there to the floor.

I looked at Cleaver, who stared with open mouth at his fallen minion. When I finally turned to Alice, I found her returning my glance with a slight smile and wet lips. But her eye lowered to my torso. Her mouth formed words of distress that I could hear only by virtue of the instrument in my ear. aTim, youave been shot!a A hand to my side came away with a spot of blood. So I had, but I knew it was only superficial, thanks to the diamondoid sh.e.l.l just beneath the skin. I asked, aWhat happened to Bertie?a aI spat in his stupid face.a She released her straps and was immediately at my side, pulling up my s.h.i.+rttails. aHow bad is it?a aJust a scratch,a I reported impatiently. Bertie, now red faced, had flopped over on his back, hands thrown wide. I asked, aAre we losing pressure?a Momentarily her eyes were introspective. Her retinal display was set to reflect life support. aMaybe. Itall take a minute or two to know for sure.a aWhat happened to Bertie?a aFull strength DISINHIBITOR. Heas dead, Tim.a aYou spat in his face from six feet away?a Her eyes sparkled. aItas a pretty good close range weapon, wouldnat you say?a aMy G.o.d, yes!a I took a breath. aBut how fast can you weaken it? I donat want to kill Cleaver.a aWhy not?a She asked the question seriously. I shook my head. aLetas try to minimize irrevocable acts, please. I think we can likely make him our man. But first we have something more important. Let me hold you up to that puncture.a I decreased thrust to a quarter G, enough for good traction while reducing her weight to 30 pounds or so, easily born atop my shoulders.

aOne d.i.c.k was smashed through the side of the s.h.i.+p,a she soon reported in my ear. Her actual voice was lost in the apparent silence of a shocked aural nerve. aIt must have exploded out there. Iron filings and your finis.h.i.+ng compound have closed the exit hole tight enough to hold against the internal pressure. I doubt itas leaking at all, and the d.i.c.k field has enough overlap to cover the gap. We were lucky, but what about the other one?a I blinked, turning our bodies to look around. aWhat other one?a aThe first bullet ricocheted off your side and struck just above the control panel. Your s.h.i.+rt and skin may not have slowed it much.a I put her down and checked on this one myself. The bullet had left a deep gash in a socket, apparently with the trivial result of misaligning the supported d.i.c.k. I stooped and picked up a deformed lump of lead and copper. This one might have killed me were it not for Clara. I had to chuckle, recalling that I would never have reached this lofty predicament in the first place without Clara! Which reminded me: I restored full thrust.

The silence was beginning to weaken. I straightened up to meet Cleaveras eyes. He asked, his voice a distant sound, aWhat a what happened to Bertie?a aHeas dead.a aB-but a she only spat on him!a aNot so only, Harrison.a To Alice I said, aHad enough time?a aYes.a Her mouth began to work.

I told him, aYouall have to kiss her.a aI a I aa He stared at her as she approached him. aSheall kill me!a aThatas all a pirate can expect, Cleaver. But no, she wonat kill you. I prefer you alive and able to manage your affairs. Kiss her.a aI know about her kisses!a I leered. aDid you ever hear anyone complain?a aWh-what will it do to me?a aI said I preferred you alive, but believe me, disposal of a body is not a problem here!a He s.h.i.+vered and allowed Alice to plant one on his mouth. His lips glistened when she withdrew.

She sighed. aI think thatas the first time I ever failed to enjoy kissing a man.a aCome on, Cleaver, give me hand.a Together we dragged Bertieas very limp body to the airlock door.

aWh-what aa Cleaver began, then subsided.

aFinish your question.a He shrugged impa.s.sively. His face had relaxed.

aDid you want to ask what I mean to do with him?a aIt doesnat matter.a He seemed mildly surprised. aLittle seems to matter any more.a aNo.a I smiled. aNothing saps ambition like DISINHIBITOR. At this moment we are driving toward the moonas trailing edge at a speed of more than 2000 miles per hour. What I mean to do with Bertie is to s.p.a.ce him.a The manas face showed mild interest. aYou mean aa aRight. Cast him adrift in s.p.a.ce. Youall note that this is less than Earthas escape velocity. Heall arc out into s.p.a.ce and burn up in the atmosphere when he returns.a aHe may have about seven grand in his wallet.a aSo what? I donat think either of us needs it.a I opened the door. We pushed him into the little room beyond and sealed it. I keyed the outer hatch open with a huff of escaping air. Through the porthole in the door I could see that Bertie remained crumpled on the airlock floor. Lesson learned: you need zero-G to expel airlock contents merely by releasing the air.

aSit down over there against the wall,a I told Cleaver, aand hold on to that cleat.a As he obeyed I returned to my own seat. En route I picked up Bertieas pistol, a .45 automatic. No wonder it had knocked me over!

aBetter buckle up,a I told Alice, pointing to her chair and snapping my own clasps. When she was secure, I rotated the att.i.tude stick counterclockwise. A different hiss sounded and the s.h.i.+p began to spin with increasing speed about its vertical axis. In a moment Bertieas body flashed across the viewport, thrown out by centrifugal force. Opposite rotation of the stick soon rendered the remote stars stationary again.

My chemical captive sat Indian-style against the wall, one hand still on the cleat, staring ahead at nothing. I called, aTake a nap, Cleaver.a He immediately closed his eyes.

aThatas powerful stuff,a I commented to Alice.

aIt wonat work on me,a she retorted with a twinkle.

aI donat need it for you.a Another voice interrupted at that moment: Claraas in an anxious tone. aTim, may I ask if you are again in control of your s.h.i.+p?a Of course all this time the radio link had been open! I wondered for a millisecond what Jerome Kelliam and Maryanne had made of the recent fracas.

aYes, I am, Clara. That is, we are.a aWere you actually shot?a aNicked, I should saya a" for consumption by the people of Fernworks. Then I thought of a better solution.

aClara, excuse me a moment. Are you there, Jerome?a aOh, yes, sir!a was the fervent and immediate response. We were not yet far enough apart for speed-of-light to delay transmissions appreciably.

aDid Maryanne report on the condition of the factory?a aYes, sir. And Wilbur has finished his search. Maryanne says the place looks the same, except the two mirror a.s.semblies a" s.h.i.+ps? I guess they have to be, donat they! Anyway, theyare gone. Wilbur didnat find any intruders.a aHave you inspected the parking lot recently?a aYeah. Some of my neighbors are camping in it. Wouldave been more but the Crutchmoor boys picked a fight and got run off.a aVery good. I donat expect any more trouble with strangers, Jerome.a aHow about you, sir? Uh, ah, can I ask where you are?a I thought back over the conversation with my pirates. Iad told Bertie we were going to the moon, hadnat I!

aYou heard enough to know, Jerome.a aYes, sir. Can I ask you one question?a aGo ahead.a aWhat does the world look like?a His voice was charged with emotion. Another Heinlein reader, perhaps?

I chuckled. aWe put the best viewports on top of the s.h.i.+ps, Jerome. Iall take pictures on the way home.a aI sure want to see them!a aYou shall. For now Iam going to shut down the radio link. Go home and get some sleep, but monitor it again tomorrow morning, if you donat mind.a aYes, sir. Iall be here, you bet!a aGood night, then.a With that I keyed the remote-control command to disable the loudspeaker in my office.

When the sensors reported execution, I said, aClara?a aHere, Tim, breathlessly waiting.a I chuckled. aPlease keep breathing. Have you heard anything from Karl and Rosalind?a a" hardly likely without me hearing too.

aI heard Rosalind complain about attackers about a minute before you discovered your own. Where did they hide, Tim?a aBut nothing since?a aNot a peep.a So I tendered her a complete report on recent s.h.i.+p One events, concluding with, aAlice and I are pressing on. Weall reach midpoint turnover in 105 minutes. In the meantime please listen closely for any reports of odd sightings or crashes.a aI shall, Tim,a Clara promised. I heard her sigh, but when she spoke again her tone was teasing. aAlice, do you still want to try zero-G s.e.x at midpoint?a I perked up. Alice had wanted to do what?

aNo,a answered my companion, aI donat think so. The taste Tim furnished a few minutes ago was about as far from s.e.xy as you can get.a Clara laughed deep in her throat. aYou will try it sooner or later, as I know very well. You only need acclimatization.a aMaybe so, but we wonat get much of that climate on this voyage.a I contributed, aOne-sixth G, now, may be different.a Clara sniffed. aThereas very little novelty in one-sixth G.a aThe first people to f.u.c.k on the moon? My dear, whereas your historical appreciation?a * * *

We accelerated at a steady thrust of 1.1G until half way to the moon. The point where acceleration must change to deceleration was the turnover midpoint of the trip, about 120,000 miles from Earth. When I keyed REVERSE, my display indicated a speed of over 140,000 miles per hour toward the moon, now definitely larger. Cleaver was asleep but still holding his cleat. If he didnat twitch he should be all right.

REVERSE was a preset list of commands that shut down the main steam supply, used the att.i.tude jets to turn the s.h.i.+p exactly upside down around its roll axis, then resumed the same thrust, now directed toward the moon instead of Earth. The maneuver executed quickly and played havoc with my inner ears, although shaking my head soon dispelled the disorientation. My display revealed success. We were now on course to arrive a thousand miles above the moonas dark eastern limb, retaining a residual velocity of 3,600 mph, enough to enter a circular orbit at that lunar alt.i.tude.

I turned to Alice. aAre you all right?a She was looking over her shoulder at Cleaver. He had fallen away from the wall but risen on all fours, eyes bulging, quacking curiously like a duck. Though the maneuvers upcoming in 100 minutes should be much less violent, I nevertheless needed to strap him down in his corner.

Our precipitate departure had precluded the installation of extra seating, not that we had expected a use for it so soon! The discomfort Cleaver faced was richly deserved, I thought. Even so I departed my chair, helped him settle again between his cleats, secured him with cargo webbing and left him with a bottle of c.o.ke and a pack of Nabs, chewing contentedly.

aWhy donat you s.p.a.ce him?a asked Alice when I returned to my seat.

aDo you offer that as a serious proposal?a aHe could obviously ruin our plans, Tim. Tell me why that doesnat concern you.a I shook my head. aHe desperately needs something from me, and heas a businessman who endorses the morality of trading. Iall give him a cure for his cancer and even slow his aging. In exchange he can be very useful to us.a She sneered. aFor s.e.x parties?a aNo doubt. But I was thinking ahead to what weall need when Fernworks expands and puts ever-increasing numbers of people in s.p.a.ce. None of us has experience with large unspecialized organizations. Cleaver has it in spades. And sooner or later, probably sooner with our weak security awareness, weall come to the attention of the government again. One of Cleaveras strengths is clever manipulation of bureaucrats; he made a fortune that way during World War Two.a She studied me ironically. aHow well do you think heall serve us when he no longer has pains in the groin?a I grinned evilly. aLook up Remote Control under DISINHIBITOR.a She gasped and her eyes widened. aTim, I hate to believe youad do something like that.a aYouave already run across it, have you?a I chuckled at her nod but snarled, aCleaver would do it to me in a minute, if he could! If he had a set of codes that would inflict agony, unconsciousness or death upon me by sound or radio, head be delighted.a Her lip curled. aYou want such a slave?a aOf course not. If I have to exercise it, my understanding of his character will have been proven invalid. Iad use it only as necessary to protect us.a She shook her head. aThatas what they said about nuclear bombs. Youave seen how that turned out!a She sighed. aAt least youare not a government. Not yet.a I finally realized what had been bothering me. The lighting in our compartment was bluer and much stronger. I looked up and my mouth fell open. The spherical blue half Earth, streaked with blinding clouds, hung huge over us, many times larger than the moon when last seen.

Looking at it, I felt something of the emotion the Apollo astronauts had reported in my time. There, encompa.s.sed in a single glance, hung the entirety of manas long existence, the results of all his battles, all his loves and all his works. Until now.

We entered orbit at one lunar radius, 1080 miles, above the eastern limb. The moon would have seemed overpowering, covering 60 degrees of sky, except that we were in the center of its shadow. Even so its Earthward half was lit by ghostly Earths.h.i.+ne while the pitch-black Farside occulted a mult.i.tude of stars behind it. What a sight!

Crater Daedalus, our destination, was 90 degrees farther around the curving surface, presently on the terminator, so called, which is the edge of sunlight. Programs were already in place to deorbit us smoothly and set us at rest five miles above the center of Daedalus, where I was expected finally to guide the s.h.i.+p manually to the chosen spot of touchdown between the crateras central peaks and an easily distinguished minor crater to the west of them within Daedalus.

Daedalus is some 93 miles in diameter, a very old crater with inner walls terraced by the shakedowns of later meteor impacts around it, distinguished by being the large crater most nearly centered on the far side of the moon. It has eight rebound peaks clumped near its center. The ambitious lunar denizens of the early 22nd Century would remove them and use the material to fill in the myriad of smaller craters contained within Daedalus. In the resulting flat circle 80 miles in diameter they would install the solar systemas largest phased-array radio telescope, built there to take advantage of the moonas bulk as s.h.i.+elding against the incredible radio noise produced by the denizens of Earth. With the irony that history so enjoys visiting upon grandiosity, this telescope would hardly become operational before its usefulness would be totally eclipsed by one of a thousand milesa diameter spun in solar orbit beyond Jupiter.

In 1954, I didnat have to land on Farside to avoid detection from Earth; no Earth-based telescope was good enough to see a 90-foot object on the lunar surface, even if it had been painted orange. But I wanted to be first with a claim on Daedalus. I had a use for it that would not be so readily eclipsed.

The approach program was running, having transitioned smoothly from the deceleration phase, evidenced mainly by a slight reduction in the steam hiss below us and pressure on our b.u.t.ts, now only one G. Intermittent hisses sounded around us as the att.i.tude jets curved us down.

aClara,a I said quietly, aare you listening, dear one?a aAlways, Tim.a aWeare on the approach and rounding the limb. Weall soon be in radio shadow. I know you wouldave told me already, but guess Iad better ask anyway. Have you heard or seen anything on the national news that could in any way be related to us?a The round-trip speed-of-light delay, 2.9 seconds, was unmistakable. She finally responded, aNo, Tim, not even a report on your nearly vertical vapor trails.a aOkay. Once again I have to ask: have you learned anything that could shed some light on a whatever happened to Karl and Rosalind?a aNo, Tim. No reports of explosions or strange things in the sky.a I had to sigh. aAll right. Thanks for everything, my love.a aTim! That sounds like good-bye!a aIt is for a while. Weall land, push a claim out the airlock and grab some dust, then lift again. Alice and I might have to a celebrate, though we probably wonat do it justice without Karl and Rosalind. Listen for us. Iall call you soon as we round the western limb on the way back.a aIall be here, Tim. I love you both.a Alice responded for me, aAs we do you.a aTake care, my darlings. Alazar and Melita send their love.a aDo they?a aOh yes, particularly Alazar.a Alice made a cooing sound but my attention was distracted. The sunlit far limb of the moon had popped into visibility, initially a brilliant arc of separated jewels because of the very mountainous surface on Farside. The arc swiftly became contiguous while growing longer and wider as we watched. My display showed a steadily unrolling infrared altimeter. I extended my hands and flexed the fingers. The approach program had twelve minutes left to run. Then it would be my turn.

aNervous, Tim?a asked Alice.

I took a deep breath. aYes. Iad be a fool to claim otherwise. We a" I screwed up. By leaving half a day early weall arrive with the center of Daedalus still in shadow.a She c.o.c.ked an eyebrow toward me. aDonat you think the floods will be bright enough?a aMaybe. But itas hard to see irregularities when the light is so close to your eye that it casts no shadows. d.a.m.n it! If we had stayed on schedule we wouldnat need the floods. The moon would have rolled another six degrees and the central peaks would be lit up, reflecting all the light we need to land.a She shrugged. aDonat cry over spilt milk. If you canat pick a good place to land, return to orbit and wait half a day. We have plenty of water and charge. As Karl said, we could almost visit Mars.a I considered it a" and rejected it again. aI want to land now.a My eyes locked with hers. I saw her lips form the word, aWhy,a but she held her peace. She had guessed my reason, Iam sure. Karl and Rosalind had agreed on this rendezvous time and place. If any chance remained that they were alive, in s.p.a.ce and in control of their s.h.i.+p, I wanted to be where they expected to find me.

My computer warned me unnecessarily at the end of approach as the thrust decreased to one lunar gravity, just under one-sixth G. I was too engrossed to remark on the obviously reduced lift under my b.u.t.t, except to note how Earth-centered are our interpretations of such phenomena a" it felt like the sudden downward lurch of an Empire State Building elevator, only more so, even though I knew our velocity hadnat changed yet.

I had already slid open the viewports in the floor beside the pilotas seat. With interior lights shut off, including the useless mechanical instruments, and taking care that the blinding peaks to sunward stayed out of the view, our exterior floodlights could barely show the blotchy gray expanse below me, even to dark-adjusted eyes. Iad have to get closer. I let the infrared altimeter and the vertical velocity sampler glow dimly in the upper left extent of my vision. The altimeter showed about 26,000 feet with a negative velocity of four feet per second: very close to stationary. With the steam countering the moonas pull I had plenty of time.

aYouare centered on Daedalus,a announced Alice, aas far as I can tell.a She based her judgment on the glowing half rim seen through the regular viewports while referencing a 21st Century large-scale map overlayed on her retinas.

From five miles up the entire rim was beyond the edges of my down-looking port. aShouldnat I be able to see that three-mile marker crater just west of Daedalus center?a Curiously none of us had been able to find a name for it in all our 24th Century records, perhaps because it had vanished under the radio telescope early in the 22nd.

aYouare facing north,a she advised. aLook to your left about 40 degrees off the vertical.a After a moment I said with disgust, aNothing has a shadow. Iam going to start the default lander.a aWell, do keep a close watch. You can probably see more detail as we get lower.a The default lander program consulted only alt.i.tude and velocity. Its job was to bring both to zero at once by iteratively solving the Newtonian equations, not much of a task when youare fast at square roots. Unfortunately it took no account of surface irregularities. If the touchdown point happened to fall on the edge of a vertical cliff, it was equally capable of landing with one strut hanging off the edge or of cras.h.i.+ng half the s.h.i.+p on top of the cliff if it had chosen to land at the foot. My job was to antic.i.p.ate and prevent such awkwardness by slipping sideways as we descended.

So I stared through the bottom port, hardly daring to blink, as the altimeter unrolled in the corner of my vision. I began finally to notice circular formations with centers slightly lighter than their surroundings, probably because the flat floors reflected more floodlight back to me than the broken rims. Gradually the reflections became bright enough for their brownish gray color to register. Unfortunately everything was brownish gray!

At a thousand feet, well below the 15,000-foot rebound peaks, I picked a light area, speckled with few markings, that seemed relatively flat, and pitched toward it with the att.i.tude thrusters. The altimeter continued to shrink, though slower and slower.

At 100 feet I lowered the landing struts and said to Alice, aCross your fingers.a She laughed. aRemember when you confused Karl with that advice?a Bless her! The memory of his face, worried that he had forgotten some obscure control sequence, was the momentary distraction I needed. I consciously relaxed my tense arms and shoulders, even taking a deep breath. A moment later alt.i.tude and velocity reached zero with only a slight jar and a few creaks from the s.h.i.+pas frame.

I held tight to the att.i.tude stick, waiting for a tilt caused by uneven ground beneath us. Nothing happened. The s.h.i.+p sat there, still thrusting at about 95 per-cent of a lunar gravity. Hastily I ordered STOP THRUST before our steam could turn the desiccated lunar soil into mud. More creaks sounded as the hissing died away.

I looked at Alice. She looked at me. aWeare down,a I said unnecessarily into the uncanny silence.

aOn the moon,a she added and licked her lips.

aI can hardly believe it,a I said.

She sniffed. aI know that a man has to say something at such a moment, but do you really think it compares with aThe Eagle has landed?aa I cleared my throat. aLet me start over. s.h.i.+p One is down in one piece in Daedalus Crater.a aWell, that does compare.a She and I laughed together. Suddenly I felt an explosion of joy. aMy G.o.d, Alice, we did it!a aYou did it,a she averred, paused, then added, aagain!a aAlmost 15 years before a" What do you mean, aagain?aa aYou know what I mean. Once again you have beaten the whole world.a aI guess so.a I had a whimsical thought. aDo you suppose, when we get back, I should look up Neil Armstrong and apologize?a aYes. Look him up and give him a job.a * * *

Looking out the viewports to the east, we could see the broken ramparts of Daedalus rim, 40-some miles away, as a narrow band of irregular bright blotches lit by sun rays parallel to the ground, their five-mile height enough to peek over the Lunar horizon less than three miles distant. The sun itself was behind them, hidden from us for another ten hours or so because of the moonas very slow rotation. They stretched all the way from north to south. The rest of our new world was pitch black below, detectable to the down-sweeping eye only because of the sudden end of stars.

I ordered our beacon turned on, a bright red incandescent bulb in the apex of the s.h.i.+p. The capacitive discharge strobe lamp had not yet been invented, but our beacon flashed at two-second intervals and the current flow indicated that the bulb was not burned out.

A check of the s.h.i.+pas status returned normal readings. We retained 46 hours of charge and 39 per-cent of water capacity, having started at 54 and 50 each. Inside air pressure held at one atmosphere. The CO2 percentage was up only a notch to 0.2; apparently the exchanger was working adequately. The airlock was in vacuum. I said to Alice, aRemind me to let air back into the airlock before we return. Iam not confident it can handle outside pressure.a aIall do that.a She looked over her shoulder. aWhat are you planning for him?a aI see no reason to keep him drugged. Would you minda a" I smiled engagingly a" akissing him again?a aWith the ANTI, I presume.a aPlease.a She made a face but unbuckled her straps and followed me to Cleaveras corner.

Apparently he had slept through our recent momentous event. I removed the webbing and helped him sit up. aWhat a what aa he mumbled, blinking at us. Alice knelt, took his head and chin in her hands and kissed him briefly before standing back.

I waited a moment and said, aCome on, Harrison. On your feet. Letas take a few steps.a He stood up shakily, requiring little help from me in the weak lunar gravity, which may have contributed to his puzzled look. But he firmed up after a turn around the cabin. aThat was the antidote?a he asked.

aYes,a I answered. aThe drug would have worn off in another hour anyway, but I wanted to talk to you.a aI see. I feel a incredibly light. A side effect?a aNo.a I had to chuckle. aA direct effect. Of standing on the moon.a aThe a the moon?a His eyes popped.

I gestured forward. aLook out the viewports.a He leaned on the back of my chair and scanned around. aThat band of lights a looks something like Chicago seen from far out on the lake. Except aa I indulged him. aExcept what?a aNo colors but white and maybe brown. No reflections in the water. Even when the lake freezes there are reflections. What am I seeing?a aRocky projections on the eastern rim of Daedalus crater, fringed by a very oblique sun that will rise above them in 12 hours.a aDaedalus? Iave heard that name.a aYes, in Greek mythology. He made wings for himself and his son, Icarus, to escape imprisonment. Youave never heard it applied to this crater before. Weare on Farside, Harrison. Youare the third person in all history to see that sight.a aFarside.a He blinked. aWhy did you come here?a aTo the moon? If you mean to Daedalus, I came here because itas in the middle of Farside, where I intend to build a huge industrial city.a He blinked madly, reminding me of Karlas first weeks. He shook his head and grinned wryly. aI hope the next sight looks more spectacular.a aIf you wish, Iall let you watch from the bottom ports when we lift off. Are you hungry?a He tasted his lips. aYou fed me something a while back, didnat you?a aA c.o.ke and a pack of Nabs. Alice and I supped but I doubt you did, hiding in that suit locker. We have sandwiches if you want more.a He took a breath. aIam all right for now. You wanted to talk to me?a aYes, I do.a I sat in my chair and indicated the top of the control panel. aWhy donat you perch up there, Harrison?a He glanced at it. aIam not so athletic as you, Tim.a aRemember where you are. You can jump ten feet into the air.a aItas a lot easier to stand. But if you want me to sit aa He easily pulled himself up to the narrow shelf above the instruments and turned around with his heels dangling. His face showed surprise. aBy G.o.d, youare right!a His face was a bit higher than mine. I asked, aWhat is your net worth?a He chuckled slightly. aBra.s.s tacks already? Yesterday on Earth it was 312 million dollars. Here and now Iam broke.a aBut youall return to Earth in a few hours. Whereas your money invested?a aA few blue chips, aside from Gerrymander Inc.a aYour holding company. What does it hold?a aWhat I began with: three meat-packing outfits and a chunk of the Chicago stockyards. You and I have talked about this before. When I saw what Chicago U graduates were achieving, I put a few of them in charge of new businesses. Theyare doing things with real potential, Tim.a He smiled confidently. aA word that youall be hearing a lot in years to come: computer. My boys are building one for the feds that will solve math problems faster than you can think them up.a aNo doubt. What if I asked you for divest.i.ture of all that except your food operations?a aAnd do what with the money.a aInvest in Fernworks. Do you know what fern means in German?a I was careful to p.r.o.nounce it fayrn.

aNo.a aIt means far, Harrison. And thatas where Iam going. We made it here in just under four hours. The drive I invented for this s.h.i.+p can reach even to the outer planets in mere days. I intend to fill the solar system with people.a He took a deeper breath. aYou donat think small, do you!a aNo. And thatas where you come in.a aThinking small?a aHow does Solar System Manager sound to you?a He smiled cynically with c.o.c.ked eyebrows and chuckled. aYouave certainly led me atop a high mountain! That job is hardly small.a aManaging day-to-day operations can get terribly small, as Iave had occasion to notice only too well the last couple of years.a aOkay, I think I understand. But, Tim aa He hesitated, again with desperate hope on his face. aYou know what I want.a aGood health? The next time Alice kisses you, that problem will be solved. Youad live a long time working for me, Harrison, and I think youad enjoy it.a aMaybe I would.a He grimaced. aBut just now it feels like a hot ice pick stuck up between b.a.l.l.s and a.s.shole. Even heroin doesnat dull it. Itas killing me. Literally. Iall agree to anything you say if youall fix that.a I frowned. aNow youare making it my problem.a aEh?a aI donat want you to agree under coercion, Cleaver, even if Iam not the one torturing you.a His head drooped. When he looked up, his mouth was twisted. aDo you want me to beg, Tim? I donat even have a designated heir.a aAfter all those orgies?a aI had the mumps as a teenager.a aWeall fix that too. Give Alice a few minutes to tailor your medicine.a His eyes lit up and his whole demeanor changed. aWhat does she need from me?a he asked eagerly.

She drew closer to us. aNothing except your cooperation.a He opened his hands. aJust tell me!a aDrop your pants.a aWh-what?a aSome of my closest friends think Iam a cold-hearted b.i.t.c.h, and I guess sometimes I am, but Iam not indifferent to suffering, even to a fox with his foot in a trap or a man with his prostate in one. Lower your britches, Harrison, and Iall relieve your pain by the most direct route.a aY-you aa He fumbled with his belt. Wide-eyed, he forced trousers over hips without bothering to loosen buckle or zipper. His shorts followed. He s.n.a.t.c.hed s.h.i.+rttails aside.

She dropped to her knees, took the flaccid manhood in hand and paused to look up at him with the organ just inches from her mouth. aThis will take a minute or two. Hold very still, Harrison, or it will hurt.a aYes a maaam,a he intoned, rolling his eyes at me.

Her lips closed over the k.n.o.b. She froze, breathing gently through her nostrils, continuing to hold the limp shaft. Only her larynx bobbed. After a moment Cleaver trembled.

aDoes it hurt?a I asked curiously, wondering myself exactly what she was doing to him.

aN-no, not anything like the other. It a feels like sheas blowing something up me!a aShe probably is,a I said thoughtfully.