Jupiter's Reef (51 page)

“I haven’t changed clothes,” said Mary, unzipping her flightsuit. Her hand stopped when she reached just below her navel, and had Tony’s full attention diverted from the door. He looked at her, wide-eyed, and stood up.

“Okay, Alex,” said Tony, as his eyes shifted to Alex. “Whatever you say.”

Hearing Tony’s inner voice, Mary wondered if she’d have to show her silver pubes next time he turned foxhound.

Alex punched some code and hurried to beat Tony to the airlock. It unsealed itself with a hiss and flecks of white ash flew away from him. That told him the seal was working fine.

“Great!” roared Alex. “I don’t trust the hatch since poor Tony took his ... uh, EVA. I’m not risking anyone’s life but my own.”

“Noble,” said Tony. His eyes were still on Mary Seventeen.

Alex ducked inside the airlock and deftly closed the two canisters. He took a quick look inside and noticed that one still was half full of charred reef material. But he closed the lid anyway. It was a noiseless operation, but he yelled to mask the sound. “Everything’s hunky,” he shouted, then he left the airlock and closed the door firmly behind himself. Alex paused before the airlock door and wiped his wet brow with the sleeve of his flight suit. “Warm in there. That’s the first time the computer put us through an auto-clean cycle,” he said breathlessly as he shut the lever sealing the airlock. “I forgot that it would do that when it’s exposed to alien gasses ... atmosphere. There’s no part of Jupiter in there now,” he added.

“Except the samples,” said Johnny, emerging from the bathroom. “They are sealed ... right.” The Professor had a flesh colored headache strip pasted to his forehead. Mary stepped quickly past him and closed the bathroom door. She bared two shoulders as she disappeared.

“Excuse me,” she whispered. “I’m in a hurry.”

Alex nabbed the kitten floating nearby and brought it with him to the pilot’s chair. “How about a lesson in piloting for ...for ... Dingers, Mary. Why’d you choose a name like Babies?” Alex managed to buckle in despite his grip on the cat. Alex had rarely handled the animal in that way, but it seemed enjoying the handling. The kitten began to purr loudly.

“I suggest you guys prepare for docking,” said Alex.

The Ganny ship was still the better part of an hour away. Alex knew Johnny would question his urgency. Right on cue, Johnny broke the silence. “Um Alex, DSR says the
Cornwall
’s still over a half hour away. What’s the rush?”

“No rush,” replied Alex trying to sound casual. “We’re docking soon. Are you ready to disembark? As for me, and Mary, the mission is over.”

“I guess so, Alex,” replied Johnny. “Soon load the samples on the Ganny ship.”

Alex grinned at Mary. But she turned away, saying nothing. She could sense his complete confidence, but couldn’t imagine the reason for it.

Tony noticed Mary’s expression. “You guys are ...” he said. “What’s going on?” Tony’s head was tilted and he was staring intently at both of them.

The radio crackled, warning of an incoming signal.

“I make that one tired crew headin’ for home,” said the voice of Matt Howarth over the cabin speakers. “Welcome back, guys.”

“We can see ya on th’ long range. Yer signal’s hot,” added the Ganny Captain.

“How’s ’bout a download?” asked Matt, sounding a bit Ganny.

“What’s the last data transmission you received from us?” asked Johnny.

“We were leaving,” answered the feminine voice of Connie Tsu. “Most of it was us sending to you. We downloaded mail. Stubbs’ speech. You sent some telemetry but a lot of it was garbled. Most of it was Stubbs.”

Alex had nearly forgotten what Stubbs had said. He’d called them heroes. Said that the worlds were watching.

“We’ve gone over that stuff ’til we’re ... uh ... well, we’d appreciate some more.” said Tsu, her silky voice cracked with exasperation. “What we had is great. Well, what I’m trying to say is we’re all ... we’ve been worried about you. After Tony’s accident.”

“There’s so much to tell. Patience, my dear,” continued Johnny, smiling. “All’s well. Everyone is sounding like they’re enjoying their stay with our friends the Gannys. Am I right?” Johnny looked over at Alex, still smiling. “As Alex so accurately says, ‘There’s time enough’. Besides, I want to be on hand when you first review it ... to fill you in.”

Alex stifled a laugh. “While you fill ’em in. We’ll be outa here.”

They could hear Captain Wysor laughed loudly on the cabin speaker. “Well, we’ve ta’ salute th’ returnin’ heroes, ya?”

“Heroes?” said Tony. “Survivors, I’d say.”

“Heroes, absolutely! You were gone thirteen days,” said Matt. “That’s a long time, believe me,” he added. “Tsu is right. I’m ... well ...” Howarth’s voice trailed off.

“Sounds ready for Earth,” snickered Sciarra.

“Ready for anywhere but Gannyland,” said Tsu. She giggled mischievously. “It’s a strange world. They keep it really cold. But they do make a great beer for some reason. They say it’s the ice and the temperatures.”

“A commercial,” said Howarth.

Alex listened to the banter and couldn’t help but smile. But guilt swept over him. He’d made a grave decision. But he’d had no choice. The music of the reef still clung to his consciousness. Ode to Joy. It filled his mind and his soul with affirmation that he’d done the right thing.

“Johnny,” said Alex. “See if you can play back the music.”

“It was a reef sound, Alex. There were plenty of weird sounds. We can listen to it later.”

“I’d like them to hear it now. I’d like to hear it now. Can you find it?”

“Yes. I suppose so.” Johnny retired to his black bubble.

“What are you talking about?” asked Matt. “Music?” His voice sounded eager.

No one answered him. There was a moment’s silence as the Professor searched.

“Hello?” said Matt.

Johnny answered him. “I have it, guys,” he said. “I made a note of it on the log. But while I’m here I may as well begin the download. Are your datpacs ready? I see about 500tB’s.”

“How long will that take?” asked Alex.

“Over ten hours,” said Matt.

“Can’t we just change the pacs? Mary and I don’t need them,” said Alex. “They’re full of your data anyway. We don’t need them. Our navcom only needs the log. And we need the navcom authorization number. As promised, Johnny. Our reward is this ship.”

“Got it days ago. Stubbs hisse’f put ’er through.”

“Actually it came in with his transmitted message, the one you got.”

Alex fell silent. And Mary knew why. He’d destroyed the samples to prevent, or at least delay the exploitation of Jupiter’s Reef. The samples were more than just objects of study, though. Alex knew they’d be regarded as trophies. As long as Alex didn’t confess to destroying them, it was doubtful anyone would directly blame him. Alex knew, though, that the finger of blame would ultimately point to him.

The “Ode To Joy” recording of the reef burst onto the speakers.

“Hear that, Matt?” asked Tony, yelling above the music.

Everyone listened.

Hearing the reef singing again at that moment sent chills coursing through Alex’s body and tears welling in his eyes. It was clearly ‘Ode To Joy‘, not just a random assembling of sounds. And the duration of it was enough to prove that it was intentionally radioed to
Diver
from the reef.

When the music blended into static Johnny cut the sound.

“Cripes,” said Matt, sounding awestruck. “What was that?”

“We met them,” said Alex. “They’re intelligent. They know who we are,”

“Who or what they are to the reef is a mystery,” said Johnny “Alex is probably right. We know only that the clicker men represent a large scale intelligent presence in the reef.”

“Dingers, Professor,” said Alex. “They have cities. And they know about Earth.”

Connie Tsu and Jeanne Warren were cheering.

“The samples are destroyed,” said Alex. He looked at Mary.

Mary hung her head, but she was also smiling.

“I brought you to the reef, you have seen it for yourself. That’s enough. I discovered the reef and then sold them out.”

“You’re not serious, are you Alex?” asked Johnny. His voice sounded flat and lifeless.

There was a long moment of silence. Jupiter’s radio voice crackled and whistled on the intercom. “Do you hear that?” asked Alex. “That radio static. Just static, right? But you don’t know that. Now you know what’s behind that mask of sound. That deep down inside it are voices of clicker men.”

“You destroyed the samples?” Tony almost whimpered. “After I ...?”

“We have the logs, the records and the info Johnny’s been gathering.” replied Alex. “I went out there too, to get samples.”

“You weren’t blown out of the ship,” said Matt. He sounded angry.

“I know the samples were a prize. But once they get to the materials people, the exploitation can begin.”

“And you thought that destroying the samples would prevent that from happening?” Johnny laughed derisively. Anger was building in him as well. “Jeez, Alex. I thought you were a little smarter than that.”

“I knew this would piss everyone off. But I had to do it. Do something. Maybe it’s just to make a statement.”

“What is that statement?” asked Connie Tsu.

“Leave them alone,” said Alex, without any hesitation. “We don’t belong there.”

Everyone spoke at once. And emotions ran rampant. Matt, usually calm, was actually shouting at Alex. “Just ’cause it’s your damned ship ...”

Johnny cut the transmission. “Enough,” he said. Then he climbed out of his seat and pushed himself toward the airlock door.

Alex thought of the pinger, still stuffed near his right hip. His hand found it and he pulled it out. Mary saw him looking at it. But she could tell he was only thinking defensively.

Alex deftly switched on the gun. Its chemical chargers made a barely audible high pitched whine.

“You won’t need that,” whispered Mary.

“The canisters are secure,” said Johnny.

“There’s charred debris in the bottom of the top one,” said Alex. “The one below was cleaned out. I opened them using the emergency toggles, then closed them manually when I checked the airlock after the burn. You can check if you want, but I wouldn’t open it until we dock with the
Cornwall
.” Alex smiled and raised an eyebrow and a finger. “Don’t over-use a machine your life depends upon.”

Johnny straightened and fixed his gaze on Alex. On impulse Alex tossed the pinger toward the Professor. It floated through the weightless air with its ready light flashing ominously.

Johnny snatched it handily and looked at the gun.

“Landon Bradshaw’s pinger,” said Alex.

“The man you saved.”

“And his wife, Lisa,” said Mary. “And their two cats, as well,” she added, looking around for her own cat.

Johnny held the pinger in his hand, like it was a poisonous creature. “I’ve never even held one of these.” Johnny looked at Tony.

Sciarra was watching the exchange with his mouth open, staring over the top of his spectacles. “Where’d that come from?”

“It’s ready to fire, Johnny,” advised Alex, pointing at the gun. “Blaze away if you must. You’d get away with it.”

“Shitfire,” said Tony. “What is going on? Why did everything just go to hell?”

“Maybe I should have taken a vote,” said Alex, looking out the window at Jupiter. “The fact is, I did it on impulse. There was no warning, even for me.”

Mary stared at Alex wide-eyed. She knew he’d been planning secretly to find a way to cut and run, like Mars. But the music had changed that. Alex had tears in his eyes.

“Mary knows that this is about truth,” said Alex. “It is just that.”

Alex drew a deep breath. Out in the darkness the Ganny ship executed a final approach maneuver. A signal sounded in the cabin that
Diver
was responding to it with an orientation maneuver of its own. The ship shifted slightly under their feet.

“I had to do it,” said Alex. “It’s as simple as that. I had to make a stand. But I had to own up, too. The gun made me realize that. I’m not in the business of war or being a criminal. I only want to help. And since I opened up their world to people I had to ...”

“I understand,” said Johnny. “The whole solar system knows, you damned fool.”

Johnny laughed. “They’re only samples,” he said. Outside the ship Jupiter’s red spot was coming into view. It was still veiled in cloud, but now seen from farther in space, its shape and color showed clearly. “Maybe there are folks who’ll want your balls on their desert menu, Alex, and maybe Tony is among them.”

Johnny took a deep breath. He looked at the pinger in his hand, then tossed it to Tony. “You should have a vote in this, I guess, Mr Sciarra,” said the Professor. “You worked hardest for those samples. Maybe you should be the one to kill Alex for what he did.”

“Careful,” shouted Mary, watching the pinger spin as it flew toward Tony. “That thing can go off.”

“Make it a clean shot,” said Alex, rising from his seat and holding his arms out from his sides. “I don’t want you missing and hitting any innocent bystanders.”

Tony caught the gun by the handle and looked at it for a moment. Then he touched the safety switch and the pinger’s whine trailed off. Sciarra tossed the gun to Mary. “I’ve seen all the reef I want to. Bugger the samples,” he said. Tony adjusted his glasses and leaned back in his seat. Alex noted that Tony’s eyes stayed fixed on Mary’s. Clearly he meant what he said.

Mary snatched the gun handily from the air and stowed it in a locker beside her seat. There was a loud snap and when she raised her hand where everyone else could see, she was holding a piece of a plastic latch. She twirled the shard in the air in front of her nose, staring at it bemusedly. “It’s locked away now. I broke the latch. You boys’ll have to work hard to get it.” Mary Seventeen’s eyes went to Tony. “I hope that’s the end of that discussion.”

Tony’s eyes were no longer on Mary. They were now on Alex. “I can’t forget that Alex figured out a way to rescue me from the reef. I was lost in a disgusting alien world ... had things pushing at me,” he said, shuddering slightly. “I see no reason for any human to ever go there. I don’t care if it’s full of diamonds.”