FEARS
Doug Stavenger was in the sitting room of his quarters at Selene, talking to his wife at Farside.
“You’re okay?” he asked, for the twelfth time in as many minutes.
“I’m fine, honey,” said Edith, smiling brightly. “The nanobugs haven’t attacked any people.”
“Not directly.”
“Nope.” Edith’s normally cheerful expression sobered into a puzzled frown. “It’s kinda funny, really. The bugs have hit here and there, sort of at random.”
“And killed several people,” Stavenger said.
“Yeah, but it’s not like the gray goo thing, y’know, where they eat everything in sight.”
“But you’re all right?” he asked again.
“So far.”
“I can’t get you out of there,” Stavenger said, hating himself for letting her go in the first place. “Farside’s quarantined.”
“I know. Don’t worry about it. It’s kinda exciting, y’know. I’m getting to be a news reporter again, digging into the story.”
Suddenly alarmed, Stavenger blurted, “No news reports, Edith! This whole thing is under a news blackout.”
“Yessir, Mr. Dictator,” she said, with a grin and a mock military salute. “But once the blackout is lifted I’ll have a firsthand account. I’m interviewing Professor Uhlrich and Kris Cardenas, scientists and ordinary workers—”
The phone screen blinked and the data bar showed an incoming call from Professor Uhlrich.
Stavenger sat up straighter in his chair, a recliner that had been salvaged from a retired Clipper rocket.
“Speak of the devil: it’s Professor Uhlrich. Duty calls, darling.”
“He’s kinda weird,” said Edith.
“Yes, but I’ve got to take his call.”
“Sure. I’m goin’ to see Kris Cardenas, find out what she can tell me about all this.”
“Take care of yourself.” Stavenger knew it was lame, but he couldn’t think of anything else to say.
“I’ll be back soon, Doug honey. With a terrific story!”
He forced a smile and switched to Uhlrich’s call.
The professor looked tired, stressed. “Mr. Stavenger,” he began, “thank you for taking my call.”
“What can I do for you, Professor?”
With an unhappy pout, Uhlrich said, “It’s Mrs. Halleck. She’s upset about being quarantined here at Farside. She’s demanding that we let her fly to Selene.”
“That’s not possible, Professor. I’m sure you understand why.”
“I understand,” said Uhlrich. “But she doesn’t. She insists that Selene allow her to return there. And from Selene, I suppose, she’ll want to transfer back to Earth.”
Stavenger shook his head. “If we allowed that, she might contaminate Selene with rogue nanos, and even spread them Earthside. We can’t have that.”
Uhlrich pleaded, “Will you talk to her, please? She won’t pay any attention to me. Perhaps you can make her see the necessity.”
Stavenger saw that the professor was close to his wits’ end. “Certainly,” he said. “I’ll call her right away.”
“Oh, thank you!”
“Think nothing of it,” said Stavenger. To himself he said, I’ll call Anita Halleck. But that won’t change anything.
* * *
Edith Elgin saw her husband’s image wink off in her phone screen. After a moment’s hesitation she told the phone to connect her with Kris Cardenas.
Almost immediately, Cardenas’s face appeared on the screen.
“Edith,” she said, looking surprised. “You’re here at Farside?”
“I surely am,” said Edith. “I need to talk to you, get your take on what’s goin’ on around here.”
Cardenas looked suddenly wary. “I’m pretty sure there’s a news blackout on what’s happening here.”
“I know that. But once the blackout is lifted, I want to be able to tell the story and for that I need to interview the world’s leading expert on nanotechnology.”
For a moment Cardenas hesitated. Then she allowed herself a tired smile and said, “Sure, Edith, why not? I’m on my way to Professor Uhlrich’s office. Why don’t you meet me there?”
“Great!” said Edith. “See you there.”
* * *
Anita Halleck was furious. She glared at the image of Douglas Stavenger on the wall screen of her quarters.
“So you see,” Stavenger was repeating, “we simply can’t allow any flights in here from Farside.”
“You mean you won’t allow any flights,” Halleck growled.
Stavenger spread his hands. “Can’t, won’t, it comes to the same thing, doesn’t it? Farside is quarantined until the nanomachine problem is solved.”
“But I can’t stay here!”
“I know it’s scary,” Stavenger said, trying to sound reasonable. “My own wife is at Farside, and I’m very nervous about that, believe me.”
“But you’ll let her die here?”
Stavenger’s youthful face went grim. “Mrs. Halleck, let me tell you something. My father chose to let rogue nanomachines kill him rather than infect all of Moonbase, back before this community was called Selene.”
“That’s got nothing to do with it,” she insisted.
“It does to me,” Stavenger countered. “I’m very sorry. I know this is frightening. But no one leaves Farside until the nanobug problem is solved. That’s it.”
Halleck’s wall screen went blank. She stared at it for long seconds, desperately rummaging in her mind for some solution to this idiotic problem, some way out, some way to save herself.
The phone chimed again. The data bar said it was Dr. Trudy Yost calling.
Uhlrich’s assistant, Halleck thought. What on Earth does she want? Then a new idea dawned in her mind. Of course! Halleck said to herself. This young pup might be my ticket out of here.