Jupiter (2 page)

As his senior year approached, Grant was offered a full scholarship in return for a four-year commitment to Public Service. The service was inescapable: every high-school graduate was required to do at least two years, and then another two at age fifty. The New Morality advisor in his high school told Grant that by accepting a four-year term now, he could get a full scholarship to the university of his choice, with the understanding that his Public Service would be in the field for which he was trained: astrophysics.

Grant accepted the scholarship and the commitment, his eyes still on Farside. He went to Harvard and, much to his delighted surprise, fell in love with a raven-haired biochemist named Marjorie Gold. She made him feel important, for the first time in his life. When he was with her, the quiet, steady, sandy-haired young astronomy student felt he could conquer the universe.

They married during their senior year even though he knew he'd be off to the Farside Observatory for four years while Marjorie would be doing her Public Service with the International Peacekeeping Force, tracking down clandestine biological warfare factories in the jungles of South-East Asia and Latin America.

But they were young and their love could not wait. So they married, despite their parents' misgivings.

'I'll come down from Farside at least every few months,' Grant told her as they lay together in bed, contemplating the next four years.

'I'll get leave when you're here,' Marjorie agreed.

'By the time I've finished my four years I'll have my doctorate,' he said.

'Then you can get on a tenure track at any university you like.'

'And after the four years is over we can apply to have a child,' Grant said.

'A boy,' said Marjorie.

'Don't you want a daughter?'

'Afterward. After I learn how to be a mother. Then we can have a daughter.'

He smiled in the darkness of their bedroom and kissed her and they made love. It was a safe time of Marjorie's cycle.

They both graduated with high honors; Grant was actually first in his class. Marjorie received her Public Service commission with the Peacekeepers, as expected. Grant, though, was shocked when his orders sent him not to the Farside Observatory on the Moon, but to research station
Thomas Gold
in orbit around Jupiter, more than seven hundred million kilometers from Marjorie at its closest approach to Earth.

Grant's father counselled patience.

'If that's where they want to send you, they must have their reasons. You'll simply have to accept it, son.'

Grant found that he could not accept it. There was no patience in him, despite earnest prayers. His father had been a meek and accepting man all his life, and what had it gotten him? Obscurity, genteel poverty, and condescending smiles behind his back. That's not for me, Grant told himself.

Despite his father's conciliatory advice, Grant fought his assignment all the way up to the regional director of the New Morality's North-eastern office.

'I can't spend four years at Jupiter,' he insisted. 'I'm a married man! I can't be that far away for four years! Besides, I'm an astrophysicist and there's no need for my specialty at Jupiter. I'll be wasting four years! How can I work on my doctorate when there's no astrophysics being done there?'

The regional director sat behind a massive oak desk strewn with papers, tensely upright in his high-backed chair, his lean, long-fingered hands steepled before him as Grant babbled on. His name was Ellis Beech. He was a serious-looking African-American with dark skin the color of sooty smoke. His face was thin, long with a pointed chin; his eyes were tawny, somber, focused intently on Grant without wavering all through his urgent, pleading tirade.

At last Grant ran out of words. He didn't know what more he could say. He had tried to control his anger, but he was certain he'd raised his voice unconscionably and betrayed the resentment and aggravation he felt. Never show anger, his father had counseled him. Be calm, be reasonable. Anger begets anger; you want to sway the regional director to your point of view, not antagonize him.

Grant slumped back in his chair, waiting for some reaction from the regional director. The man didn't look antagonized. To Grant's eyes, he didn't look as if he'd heard half of what Grant had said. Beech's desk was cluttered with paper, from flimsy single sheets to thick volumes bound in red covers; his computer screen flickered annoyingly; he was obviously a very important and very busy person, yet his phone had not beeped once since Grant had been ushered into the warmly panelled, carpeted office.

'I was supposed to go to Farside,' Grant muttered, trying to get some response out of the brooding man behind the desk.

'I'm fully aware of that,' Beech said at last. Then he added, 'But unfortunately you are needed at Jupiter.'

'How could I be needed—'

'Let me explain the situation to you, young man.'

Grant nodded.

'The scientists have had their research station in Jupiter orbit for nearly twenty years,' Beech said, stressing the word
scientists
ever so slightly. 'They have been poking around with the life-forms that exist on two of the planet's moons.'

'Three,' Grant corrected without thinking. 'Plus they've found life-forms in Jupiter's atmosphere, as well.'

Beech continued, unfazed. 'The work these scientists do is enormously expensive. They are spending money that could be much better used to help the poor and disadvantaged here on Earth.'

Before Grant could respond, Beech raised a silencing hand, 'Yet, we of the New Morality do not object to their work. Even though many of those scientists are doing everything they can to try to disprove the truth of Scripture, we allow them to continue their godless pursuits.'

Grant didn't think that studying the highly adapted algae and microbes living in the ice-covered seas of the Jovian moons was a godless pursuit. How could
any
attempt to understand the fullness of God's creation be considered godless?

'Why do we not object to this enormously expensive waste of funds and effort?' Beech asked rhetorically. 'Because we of the New Morality and similar god-fearing organizations in other nations have seen fit to establish a compromise with the International Astronautical Authority — and the global financial power structure, as well, I might add.'

'Compromise?' Grant wondered aloud.

'Fusion,' said Beech. 'Thermonuclear fusion. The world's economic well-being depends on fusion power plants. Without the energy from fusion, our world would sink back into the poverty and chaos and corruption that spawned wars and. terrorism in earlier years. With fusion, we are lifting the standards of living for even the poorest of the poor, bringing hope and salvation to the darkest corners of the Earth.'

Grant thought he understood. 'And the fuels for fusion - the isotopes of hydrogen and helium - they come from Jupiter.'

'That is correct,' Beech said, nodding gravely. 'The first fusion power plants ran on isotopes dug up on the Moon, but that was too expensive. Jupiter's atmosphere is thick with fusion fuels. Automated scoopships bring us those isotopes by the ton.'

Grant asked, 'But what's that got to do with the scientific research being done at Jupiter?'

Beech spread his hands in a
don't blame me
gesture. 'When we of the New Morality pointed out that the money spent on those scientists could be better spent here on Earth, the humanists of the IAA and the major money brokers of our global economy demanded that the research be allowed to continue. They absolutely refused to shut down their research activities.'

Good, thought Grant.

'So the compromise was struck: the scientists could continue their work, as long as it was paid for out of the profits from the scoopship operations.'

'The fusion fuels pay for the research operations,' Grant said.

'Yes, that's the way it's been for the past ten years.'

'But what does all this have to do with me? Why are you sending me to Jupiter?'

'We know what the scientists are doing on the moons of Jupiter. But last year they sent a probe into the planet itself

'They send lots of probes to Jupiter,' Grant pointed out.

'This one was manned,' said Beech.

Grant gasped with surprise. 'A manned probe? Are you certain? I never heard anything about that.'

'Neither did we. They did it in secret.'

'No! How could—'

'That is why you are being sent to Jupiter. To find out what those godless humanists are trying to achieve,' Beech said flatly.

'Me? You want me to spy on them?'

'We need to know what they are doing — and why they are not reporting their activities, not even to the IAA.'

'But I'm no spy. I'm a scientist myself!'

Beech's solemn expression deepend into a scowl. 'Mr Archer, I'm sure that you assume that you can be both a scientist and a Believer at the same time.'

'Yes! There's no fundamental conflict between science and faith.'

'Perhaps. But out there at the research station in Jupiter orbit, scientists are doing
something
that they don't want us to know about. And we must find out what they're up to!'

'But… why me?'

'God works in mysterious ways, my boy. You have been chosen. Accept that fact.'

'It's going to ruin my life,' Grant argued. 'Four years away from my wife, four years wasted out there doing God knows what. I'll never get my doctorate!'

Beech nodded again. 'It's a sacrifice, I realize that. But it's a sacrifice you should be glad to offer up to heaven.'

'That's easy for you to say. I'm the one whose life is being turned upside-down.'

'Let me explain something to you,' Beech said, tapping the paper-strewn desk with a fingertip. 'Do you have any idea of what the world was like before the New Morality and similar organizations gained political power across most of the world?'

Grant squirmed slightly in his chair. 'There were lots of problems…'

Beech spat out a single, sharp 'Hah!' His eyes were the color of a lion's, Grant realized. He was staring at Grant the way a lion watches a gazelle.

'I mean, economically, socially—'

'The world was a cesspool!' Beech snapped. 'Corruption everywhere. No moral leadership at all. The politicians gave in to every whim that any pressure group expressed. They took polls and strove for popularity, while the peoples' real problems festered.'

'The gap between the rich and poor got wider,' Grant recited, recalling his high-school lessons.

'And that led to terrorism, wars, crime,' Beech agreed, his voice rising slightly. 'Civil wars all over the world. Terrorists with biological weapons.'

'The Calcutta Disaster,' said Grant.

'Three million people killed.'

'And Sao Paolo.'

'Another two million.'

Grant had seen the videos in school: piles of dead bodies in the streets, emergency workers in spacesuits to protect them from the lethal biological agents in the air.

'Governments were paralyzed, unable to act,' Beech said firmly. 'Until the spirit of God was returned to the corridors of power.'

'It was something of a miracle, wasn't it?' Grant muttered.

Beech shook his head. 'No miracle. Hard work by honest, God-fearing people. We took control of governments all around the world, the New Morality, the Light of Allah, the Holy Disciples in Europe.'

'The New Dao movement in Asia,' Grant added.

'Yes, yes,' said Beech. 'And why were we successful in bringing moral strength and wisdom into the political arena? Because religion is a
digital
system.'

'Digital?'

'Digital. Religious precepts are based on moral principles. There is right and there is wrong. Nothing in between. Nothing! No wiggle room for the politicians to sneak through. Right or wrong, black or white, on or off. Digital.'

'That's why the New Morality succeeded where other reform movements failed,' Grant said, with new understanding.

'Exactly. That's why we were able to clean up the crime-ridden streets of our cities. That's why we were able to put an end to all these self-styled civil rights groups that actually wanted nothing less than a license to commit any sinful acts they wanted to. That's why we could bring order and stability to the nation — and to the whole world.'

Grant had to admit that from what he'd learned of history the world was far better off with God-fearing, morally straight governments in power than it had been in the old, corrupt, licentious days.

'We are doing God's work,' Beech went on, sitting even straighter than before, his hands splayed on the desktop, his eyes burning. 'We are feeding the poor, bringing education and enlightenment to all, even in the worst parts of Asia and Africa and South America. We have stabilized world population growth, without murdering the unborn. We are raising the standard of living for the poorest of the poor.'

His mind spinning, Grant heard himself ask, 'But what does this have to do with Jupiter… and me?'

Beech eyed him sternly. 'Young man, there comes a point in everyone's life when he must make the choice between good and evil. You've got to decide which side you're on: God or Mammon.'

'I don't understand.'

'The scientists out at Jupiter are up to something, something that they want to keep secret. We
must
find out what they are doing, and why they are trying to hide their actions from us.'

'Shouldn't that be a task for the IAA?' Grant asked. 'I mean, they're the organization that directs the scientific research.'

'We have representatives on the International Astronautical Authority.'

'Then shouldn't you leave it to the IAA?'

With an almost pitying expression, Beech said, 'The price of great power is great responsibility. In order to maintain stability, to make certain that no one — no scientist or revolutionary or terrorist madman — can threaten all that we've worked so hard to achieve, we must
control
everyone, everywhere.'

'Control everyone?'

'Yes. Those scientists at Jupiter think they are beyond our control. We must teach them otherwise. You are our chosen agent to begin this process. You will help us to learn what they are doing, and why they are doing it.'