Destination Moon

-- . ...endless, lifeless waste, vacuum sharp and kiln dry.

Traub broke the silence with an awed whisper. "Gosh, what a place! How long do we stay, Mr. Barnes?"

"Not long, Ma

"Okay, Jim."

Bowles went to the starboard port; one glance through it and he sang out, "Hey-see this."

They joined him. Below was the dark chasm in which they had almost landed. It ran close to the ship; one jack almost touched the edge. Barnes looked -- down into its awesome depths and felt no regret about expending mass to avoid it. -- . --

Bowles stared at it. "I repeat, Jim, -- a fine landing."

"Too close for comfort."

Bowles pushed his face to the quartz and tried to see -- farther 'to right and left. "I'm turned around," he complained. "Which way is Earth?"

"Earth is east, of course," Corley -- answered. --

"Which way is east?"

"Man, you certainly are confused. East is out the other port."

"But it can't be. We looked out there first and Earth wasn't in sight." Bowles crossed back to the other port.

"See?"

Corley joined him. "That's east," he stated. "Look at the stars."

Bowles looked. "But something is screwy. I saw Earth before we landed, in the screen. You saw it, didn't you, Jim?"

"Yes, I saw it."

"You; Doe?"

"I was too busy. How high was it?"

"Just rising. But I saw it."

Corley looked at the sky, then at the mountains. "Sure, you did. And it's there-back of those mountains."

Barnes whistled tonelessly. "That's it. I've landed us a few miles too short."

Bowles looked whipped. "Out of line-of-sight," he said dully. "I could claim it until hell freezes-and I can't get the message back."

Traub looked startled. "We're cut off from Earth? But I saw it, too."

"Sure, you did," agreed Barnes, "you saw it while we had altitude. Now we're down too low."

"Oh." Traub looked out. "But it isn't serious, is it?

Earth is back of those mountains-but it's in the east; it will rise after a bit. How fast does the Moon turn? Twenty-eight days and something?"

Barnes turned to Corley. "You tell him, Doe."

"Ma

"Huh?"

"The Moon keeps the same face to the Earth all the time. From any one spot, the Earth doesn't move; it just hangs."

"Huh?" Traub raised his hands, stared at them; it could be seen that he was visualizing it, using his fists for Earth and Moon. "Oh-I get it." He looked dismayed. "Say, that's bad. That's really bad."

"Snap out of it, Ma

Bowles smashed a fist into a palm. "We've got to contact Earth! It doesn't matter whether we get back; four casualties is cheap. But to get a message through now-this message, that a United States vessel has landed and taken possession-can mean the salvation of the United States." He turned to Corley. "Doctor, we have enough power to -- lift us over those mountains,~ haven't we?"

"Eh? Why, yes."

"Then let's do it-now." He turned toward his couch. "Hold it, Red!" Bowles stopped; Barnes went on, "If we make one lift and drop, to near those mountains, you know what that does to our chances of getting back."

"Of course! It's not important; we owe it to our country."

"Maybe so. Maybe not." Barnes paused. "If it turns out that we don't have enough juice left to break free of -- the Moon, I'll concede your point."

"Jim Barnes, we can't consider ourselves against the safety of our country."

"Speak for yourself, Red. Conceded that a claim to the Moon might help out the State Department this week -- again it might not. It might stimulate Russia into going all out for space travel while the United States stumbles along as before, proud that we claimed it, but unwilling to spend real money to make it stick."

"Jim, that's sophistry."

"So? That's my decision. We'll try everything else first. You don't know you can't get a message through. Why don't you try?"

"When we're not in line-of-sight? Don't be silly."

"Earth is not far down behind those mountains. Find a place that is line-of-sight."

"Oh. Now you make sense." Bowles looked-out at the mountains. "I wonder how far away they are?"

"Tell you in a moment," Traub offered. "Wait till I swing the soup bowl around. -- " He started for his couch.

"Never mind, Ma

"Outside? Let me see -- The transmitter is unpressurized; I guess I could jigger it. How about power?"

Bowles said, "Doe, how much cable can we dig up?" Barnes cut in, "Find your spot, then we'll see what's needed."

"Right! Jim, I'll go out at once. Ma

"Outside?" Traub said blankly. --

"Sure. Don't you want to be the first man to set foot on the Moon?"

"Uh, I guess so." Traub peered out at the blazing unfriendly surface.

Corley got an odd look; Barnes noted it and said, "One moment, Red. Doe is entitled to the honor of being first. After all, the Corley engine made it possible."

"Oh, sure! Doe can be first down the ladder. Let's all go."

"I'll go later," Barnes decided. "I've got work to do."

"As you wish. Come on, Doe."

Corley looked shy. "Oh, I don't have to be first. We all did it, together."

"Don't be modest. Into our suits-let's go!" Thoughts of military policy seemed to have left Bowles' mind; he was for the moment boyishly eager for adventure. He was already undogging the hatch that led down into the 'airlock.

Barnes helped them dress. The suits were modifications of high-altitude pressure suits used by jet pilots-cumbersome, all-enclosing skins not unlike diving suits and topped off with "goldfish bowl" helmets. The helmets were silvered except for the face plates; a walkie-talkie radio, two oxygen bottles, and an instrument belt completed the main features of a suit. When they were dressed but not helmeted, Barnes said, "Stay in sight of the ship and each other. Red, when you shift from tank one to tank two, git for home and don't dawdle."

"Aye aye."

"I'm going now." He gasketed their helmets, leaving Córley to the last. To him he said softly, "Don't stay long.

• I need you."

Corley nodded. Barnes fastened the doctor's helmet,

- then climbed up into the control room and closed the hatch. Corley waited until Barnes was clear, then said, "Check radios. Check instruments."

"Okay, Doctor," Traub's voice sounded in his earphones.

- "Okay here," added Bowles.

"Ready for decompression?" They assented; Corley touched a button near the door; there came a muted whine of impellers. Gradually his suit began to lift and swell. The feeling was not new; he had practiced in their own vacuum chamber back at Mojave. Hç wondered how Traub felt; tbe first experieilce with trusting a Rube Goldberg skin could be frightening. "How are you doing, Ma

"All right."

"The first time seems odd, I know."

"But it's not the first time," Traub answered. "I checked these walkie-talkies in the chamber at the job."

"If yOu gentlemen are through chatting," Bowles cut in, "you'll note that the tell-tale reads 'vacuum."

"Eh?" Corley turned and undogged the outer door.

He stood in the door, gazing north. The aching, sun-drenched plain stretched to a black horizon. On his right, knife sharp in the airless moonscape, was the wall of mountains they had grounded to avoid. He lifted his eyes and made out the Big Dipper, midnight clear above a dazzling, noonday desert. --