Mars

The order in which the reporters asked their questions had been picked at random by the mission control mainframe computer in Kaliningrad. Everyone thought that was a fittingly scientific way to handle the problem of priority. The reporter selected to be first was Hong Kong’s foremost media personality, a strikingly beautiful woman with skin like porcelain and almond eyes that had inspired poetry.

"First, I wish to congratulate you on the most significant discovery in the history of the space age," she said in flawless British English. Her voice was a silvery soprano; she almost sang out the words. "My question is: Which of you actually made the discovery, and how did you feel when you first realized that you had found life on Mars?"

Joa

"I can answer that," Ilona said, forcing a smile. "Dr. Brumado was the first to realize that the forms she was examining in the microscope were alive. She is our biologist, and it is she who actually made the discovery."

Joa

Ilona took over again, her husky voice more than an octave lower than Joa

Pale as she was, Joa

"Which is very unusual for me," Ilona blurted.

"We realized that this was one of the most momentous discoveries in the history of science. I felt… what is the word in English? Awed. Yes, that is right. It was an awesome moment. Truly awesome."

"I felt like dancing," Ilona said.

Jamie added silently, But you were too tired and weak to try.

"We must all remember," Joa

Jamie said to himself, She’s her father’s daughter, all right. There’s a future for her in the politics of science.

The questions were mainly superficial. Co

When Jamie’s turn came he was asked by an American reporter how it felt to be vindicated in his battle to change the mission plan and make the traverse to the Grand Canyon.

Wishing that Edith had possessed the clout to make it to the news conference, suddenly lonely for the sight of her blonde cheerful smile, Jamie replied to the pinch-faced man: "There was never a battle. We had a mission plan, but it had been made up on Earth long before we got here. Fortunately, the mission controllers and the expedition commander, Dr. Li — as well as Cosmonaut Vosnesensky and my fellow scientists — all saw the wisdom of altering the plan so we could take advantage of what we found here on the ground. We had the flexibility to change the plan, to take advantage of new discoveries."

Jamie realized that there was another tremendous advantage to being on Mars: the interviewers could not interrupt you. Nor could they stop you from going on at length and giving the complete answer that you wanted to give.

"Another thing," he said, forgetting his tiredness for a moment. "It’s more than just simple lichen that we’ve discovered. Life doesn’t exist in one species alone; we know that from Earth. There’s got to be a Martian ecology here, a chain of living organisms. Certainly there must be organisms that are lower down on the chain of life than the lichen we’ve found. But the interesting question is, are there organisms higher on the chain? Or were there such higher organisms at one time in the past?"

He glanced down at Joa

"Here in this Grand Canyon we discovered a rock formation that might not be natural. It’s a long shot, of course, but there may have once been intelligent Martians. We have the opportunity — the responsibility, really — to come back to Mars with expeditions that are equipped to stay for much longer so they can tackle some of these questions."

Jamie enjoyed seeing Brumado’s eyes sparkle when his little speech finally reached Earth.

The next reporter threw away his prepared question and asked, "Do you mean that there might have been intelligent creatures on Mars?" His eyes were wide with incredulity.

"Yes," answered Jamie firmly. "Might have been. We don’t know if there actually were. The chances against seem very high, but— we just don’t know enough about Mars to say, one way or the other."

The display screen picture broke up momentarily as every one of the reporters tried to get in a question about intelligent Martians. Brumado restored calm only by shouting over their voices the name of the next reporter picked by the computer.

All of the following questions were about "real, live Martians." Most of them were directed at Jamie, who felt that their questions were generally trivial and terribly repetitious. He remembered a friend of his, a lawyer, who always replied to questions he felt to be redundant with a curt, "Asked and answered."

Joa

Jamie nodded agreement. "That’s right. My speculations about intelligent Martians are nothing more than speculations, based on a rock formation that we’ve seen from a distance."

At last Brumado a

The screen flickered, then showed the President smiling from a deep leather-covered wing chair by a marble fireplace and mantle. A portrait of Thomas Jefferson was visible behind him.

"I want to add my congratulations and best wishes to you on Mars," said the President in his warmest ma

The view on the screen widened to show the Vice-President, wearing a kelly green pants suit that offset her blonde coiffure nicely, sitting in a smaller armchair across the empty fireplace from the President. A bronze bust of Jefferson stood on the table to the right of her chair.