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Owens and Co
"Liu's been working on the Number Two Shuttle, says he can have it ready in about eight days for a one-way trip to your site."
A strangled laugh slipped past Owens' lips. "Well-Jesus Christ, Emmett! What good is that going to do us?"
"Shut up, Owens," Co
Potter explained Liu's plan, and the four of them went over the details for the next eighty-five minutes. The Fast Eddie's signal was begi
Owens laughed an acknowledgement as he signed off.
Potter's signal had been gone for a full minute before Co
Owens began trying to raise the BuReloc man and their own engineering crewman, to no avail. "Jesus, they haven't been gone more than an hour and a half, how far could they get?"
Co
"I suppose," he said finally, "that we can take some comfort in the idea that not very much more can go wrong on this trip."
Owens kept calling Miller and Ike, trying not to think about how wrong Co
Miller and Ike were gone for five days, and the rest of the crew had given them up for dead. Owens and Co
Owens and Co
"Christ, Co
Co
Powder clouds of dry snow puffed up around their feet as the two men ran toward the ground car, the thin, cold air of the wretched little moon raking their lungs in spite of their face masks. Owens thought that men might one day learn to run on this forsaken rock, but they would never enjoy it.
The ground car slowed and turned in their direction when they were within fifty yards, and both of them could see the carcass of some large, shaggy quadruped draped over its hood. Owens and Co
"What the hell is that?" the Navigator wheezed.
"Indigenous life form." Co
Owens shook his head. "First kill on the new world. Man has arrived."
Co
The ground car had chuffed to a halt as they reached it, and both Co
Miller popped the door and leaned out. "There was an accident, he said. "I'm sorry."
Neither Owens nor Co
Owens turned without answering and headed back for the clearing. After a moment, Co
"What do you think happened?" Potter asked during the next communications cycle.
Co
"How did Miller get the carcass away from the predator?"
"He says he drove it off with the other rifle. Possible, I suppose."
Potter's silence ate up a good deal of their precious communications time. "Do you believe him?"
"Hell, no," Owens said firmly in the background.
Co
"All right. Liu's a little ahead of schedule, he says the second shuttle will be ready in two more days. We've gotten a little sloppy in our radio contacts; that's not to happen anymore. I want you or Owens on this line every ninety minutes, clear?"
"Got it."
Owens leaned in and said: "And what if we have 'accidents,' too, Emmett?"
"Then the Fast Eddie writes off the Survey Team and heads home."
Co
"You or Frank on this line, every hour and a half," Potter repeated. "And make sure our guest knows it."
Potter signed off, and leaned back against the chair. He had to prop his feet against the console edge to do it.
In low gravity, as in politics, he considered, leverage is everything.
Behind him, Chief Engineer Liu stared intently at the silent communications console. "Bad," was all he said.
Potter nodded faintly. "Yup."
Co
But once the steaks were gone, then Owens' and Co
"Look at him," Owens said after waking Co
"Why not? He knows he's safe."
"But is he?" Owens asked Co
"Yes, I am," Miller answered, and Owens turned to see the BuReloc man watching them calmly from his sleeping bag.
Owens shook his head. "You spooks are pathetic; America's in bed with the Russians in our glorious CoDominium, so there's nobody left to spy on; nobody except everybody. What did you find out there? Something too important to let poor Ike live after he'd seen it? Or was it just for practice?"