SELENE
Doug Stavenger was getting into bed next to his wife, who was intently studying a handheld reader.
“Must be pretty interesting,” he said, sliding a hand along her naked thigh.
Edith gave him a sidelong glance. “Must be six thousand requests from Earthside news bureaus for interviews with Professor Uhlrich.”
“Because of the accident?”
“No,” Edith said, finally shutting down the reader and placing it carefully on her night table. “Because of New Earth.”
Stavenger felt his brows hike with surprise. “You mean that report Uhlrich released yesterday…?”
Edith snuggled down under the sheet as she replied, “Yep. Not only is New Earth just about the same size as Earth, it’s also got an Earth-type atmosphere: oxygen and water vapor.”
“And the news media are clamoring for interviews with the professor?”
“They surely are. He’s a famous man, all of a sudden.”
“They’re not asking about the accident?”
“Nope. I guess they figure rockets blow up now and then. That’s not news. New Earth’s atmosphere is news.”
Stavenger said, “Just as well, I suppose.”
“Got a lot of requests to visit Farside, interview the professor face-to-face.”
“Can’t do that,” Stavenger said. “The facility is under quarantine.”
“What? Since when?”
“Since late this afternoon. There’s a possibility that the rocket blowup was caused by nanomachines.”
“Holy spit! Nanos?”
“It’s a remote possibility, but if Farside is infected, we don’t want it to spread here.”
“Hell no,” Edith said with fervor.
“The council’s sending an investigating team over there tomorrow.”
“Will Kris Cardenas go with them?”
“Kris is already there,” Stavenger said. “She just missed being on the lobber that blew up.”
“Lord a-mighty on a bicycle,” Edith muttered. “What a news story that’s going to make.”
“No!” Stavenger snapped. “Not a word to the news media.”
“I knew you’d say that!”
“We don’t want to start a frenzy. Next thing you know the Luddites back Earthside will start trying to tell us how to run Selene again.”
“But we’ve got all these media folks wanting to interview Uhlrich.”
“Let them do it electronically. Nobody’s going to Farside.”
“Except me,” said Edith.
“No, no, no!”
“Yes, yes, yes,” she countered. Turning toward him, laying a hand on his bare chest, Edith said, “You can tell the Earthside folks that I’ll coordinate their requests for interviews. Tell ’em Farside’s too small to accommodate them all, so I’ll manage things from there and they can all pool their interviews, just like we did during the war.”
“I don’t want you going to Farside,” Stavenger insisted.
But he knew she would go anyway.
* * *
Sitting alone in her VIP suite at the Hotel Luna, Anita Halleck debated calling Carter McClintock while she was visiting Selene. She had sensed subtle vibes from Carter when she’d seen him at Farside. He’s interested, she thought. He’s curious to know what his father had.
Chuckling to herself, she thought, It would blow Morgan’s mind if he knew his son went to bed with me. It might give the old man a heart attack. That would be poetic justice.
And stupid, she decided. That part of your life is over and done with. No regrets, no looking back. The only part of your life you can shape is the future.
Still, she thought, Morgan’s thinking of putting money into Professor Uhlrich’s operation. And Carter’s at Farside to help his father make the decision. Morgan wants to use Farside to kill my program; that would leave Dan Randolph high and dry, after all the money he’s already sunk into it.
So she put through a call to Carter McClintock.
McClintock looked decidedly uneasy when his face appeared on the wall screen of Halleck’s sitting room.
“You’re on the Moon?” he asked, his handsome face wearing a patently forced smile.
“At Selene, yes,” she replied. “I came for a conference with Dr. Cardenas, but apparently she’s detained at Farside with you.”
“Not with me,” he blurted. “She … she’s working with Professor Uhlrich, you know. Building the mirrors for his telescopes.”
“Yes. I’m here to see what progress she’s made on the mirrors for my array. If any.”
“I’m sure she’s doing her best,” McClintock said.
“Of course.”
“Er … how long will you be at Selene?”
“Only a day or so.” Halleck hesitated, then plunged, “I thought we might have dinner together while I’m here.”
He blinked at that. “I won’t be able to get away,” he said hurriedly.
“That’s all right. I’ll come over to Farside. Pay my respects to the professor and all that.”
McClintock shook his head. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible, Anita.”
“And why not?”
“Farside is under a lockdown. The accident with the lobber, you know. Selene’s sending an investigation team and no one else is allowed to come in here until they’ve made their report.”
“You’re quarantined?”
“Lockdown,” he quickly corrected. “No one is allowed into the facility … for the time being.”
Halleck considered that information for a few moments. Then, “Does that mean we won’t be able to get together, Carter?”
Squirming, he replied, “I’m afraid it does.”
“Too bad,” she teased. “One of the reasons I came all this way was to see you again.”
Carter McClintock fell speechless. And Anita Halleck thoroughly enjoyed his distress.