Farthest Reef (23 page)
Authors: Karl Kofoed
Tags: #Fiction, #Action & Adventure, #Science Fiction, #space
“Sheesh,” whispered Alex through clenched teeth. He caught his wind fairly quickly and trotted the rest of the way to where Mary had left her coveralls, at the end of a narrow point of land. All around it the water was relatively shallow and the artificial sandy bottom extended about ten meters from shore. At the edge, where the water changed to a darker shade of blue, Mary swam in long sure strokes directly toward the dolphins. And they were all headed toward her.
Alex wanted to call out to her, but he knew it wouldn’t do any good. Mary was in no real danger. He didn’t want to alarm anyone, and he certainly didn’t want a host of spectators leering at his naked bride. As he watched Mary, he recalled Johnny mentioning that the dolphin crew was bio-engineered for oceanic exploration. They could dive deeper, endure great variations in temperature, and most importantly, talk to humans. They were all certified members of the crew, and while they contained human genetics, their nature was still dolphin. Now, staring out at Mary who was about to meet them, Alex wondered what might happen when his naked bride came face to face with them. He knew they were friendly to humans, but he suddenly remembered reading that male dolphins sometimes demonstrate sexual arousal when swimming around human females.
“Mary!” Alex yelled as he ran toward the water. “Get out of there!”
5
Mary was already underwater and didn’t surface for quite a while. Alex felt he had no choice but to go in after her. Stripping down to his shorts, he tried to remember the last time he’d swum. Visiting Earth? he wondered, as he ran to the end of the jetty. At the water’s edge, he paused to get his bearings. The pod of dolphins was circling where Mary had gone under. As he started wading in, Mary surfaced, and he called to her again. “Mary! Are you all right?”
Mary heard him this time and waved, then she ducked under the waves again without answering. Two dolphins leapt in a graceful arc and followed her beneath the waves.
“Sheesh,” said Alex, wading deeper into the lake. He finally lunged forward and began to swim, making decent progress until a wave caught him full in the face and he gulped seawater. He coughed and spat, treading water. He couldn’t see Mary or the dolphins anywhere. From this vantage point, as he surveyed the great cylinder, it looked to him as if he were in a bowl full of water. Everything seemed to be above him, even the edges of the lake.
He felt a pressure wave circle his body and a dolphin broke the surface directly in front of him. It hung there, examining him with one large intelligent eye, then made sharp chirping sounds at him. Clearly the dolphin was speaking to him. Alex heard splashing and turned around to find Mary swimming toward him with long graceful strokes, moving almost effortlessly through the water. As he floundered to stay afloat it almost angered him to see how naturally she took to the water. It wasn’t that she’d grown up swimming. On Mars, water was still a rarity. It didn’t matter what environment surrounded her. Weightless, in high gravity, or in water, Mary was equally comfortable.
“Oh, Alex,” Mary said when she reached him, “aren’t they wonderful?” Before he could answer she dove again. Her perfect rear and then her feet came into view, and then were gone.
Alex looked back at the dolphin. It seemed be eying him suspiciously. “Doo-yoo-speek-dol-phin?” it asked him. The words came out more like chirps, but they were clearly English, or as close to it as the dolphin could manage.
As Alex treaded water, staring at the creature in disbelief and wondering how to respond, a second dolphin appeared next to the first one. “What-ssit-waant?” asked the second. It looked Alex over. “Arrr-yoo-withh-herr?”
Mary came up beside Alex, sliding a hand up his back and over his shoulder. The dolphins mysteriously departed. “I didn’t think you’d jump in … just like that,” Mary said.
“I’m not so sure it’s a good idea … your being …with them.” Alex was still choking from the seawater he’d inhaled.
Mary kissed him. “Johnny said they were team members … intelligent. They’re not dangerous, Alex. Have you talked to them?”
“One just spoke to me … I think. He was just here …”
As if on cue, the water broke in front of them and the two dolphins reappeared. Behind them, perhaps ten meters away, the rest of their pod swam in a wide arc.
“Yoo-di-nn-tan-cer-my-frens-quess-chun,” said the smaller dolphin. As far as Alex could tell, the animal seemed normal enough, except for a small streamlined package attached to its dorsal fin. He saw similar attachments on the other dolphins, as well. He nodded to the larger one and forced a smile. “Sorry,” he said. “I never expected to talk to dolphins … er … you. Do you have a name?”
“Beedee-won,” said the dolphin.
“Mee-bee-dee-foor,” said its companion.
“I’m Alex and she’s Mary. Mary Seventeen.”
The creature rose out of the water for a better look. “Yooo-arrr?” It looked at its companion and chirped unintelligibly. The other dolphin chirped something back, then sank below the surface. Alex felt a strange tingling in his chest and legs, then the animal resurfaced, still facing him. “Alll-exx-erro-zzz yoooo-arrrr?”
“That’s right. Alex Rose, at your service,” he said through chattering teeth. The cold water was beginning to chill him to the bone. He put an arm around Mary’s naked waist and pulled her closer to him, cherishing her warmth.
“Yoo-bet-ter-go-to-laand,” said the dolphin. “Yooo-llllloooz-heeet.”
“Wee-neeed-uuu-well-for –mishh-unnn,” said the other.
“Di-verr-misssh-unnn,” echoed the first, nodding its head approvingly.
“You are cold, Alex,” Mary commented. “We should swim back.”
“Fass-ter-iff-we-ca-ree-yoo,” said the larger dolphin, and both of them dipped below the surface and emerged beneath Alex and Mary, dorsal fins tucked neatly into their armpits as they sped toward shore. In mere moments, Alex was again standing in shallow water with Mary beside him watching the dolphins swim away. Grateful as he was to the dolphins, he felt cold and exposed and wasted little time getting dressed.
Alex put an arm over her shoulder. Her clothes were still damp with lake water. “Are you cold?” he asked.
Mary seemed to wake from a daydream. “I’m sorry, my love,” she said. “I was … No, I’m not cold.” She smiled, her eyes surveying his damp blue coveralls. “I should be asking you that.”
Alex gave her a squeeze. “What were you thinking about?”
“The clicks,” she said. “Short wave.” Mary smiled and shrugged. “What are you thinking about?”
“You, to be honest.” Alex looked at her sympathetically.
“You’re wondering how I talked to the clicks, but you’re afraid to press the issue.” Mary hung her head. “I don’t think I can answer that.”
Alex nodded and smiled. “That’s why I was afraid to ask.” They walked in silence until they reached their house. Sensing their approach, the door opened and the computer’s voice said, “
Welcome home, Alex and Mary. You have several messages waiting.
”
Mary rolled her eyes. “I can’t go through any more interrogations.”
Alex stopped at the entrance and put a finger to her lips. “Shhh,” he said. “All that matters is that you were able to talk to them. How isn’t important. Don’t forget that you may have saved the clicks’ lives. Big points with the Commander on that one.”
Inky came bounding through the open door and began looping between their feet, purring loudly. Mary picked him up and hugged him close. “Oh, Inky,” she said. “No interrogations from you, anyway.” Upside down in her arms, Inky gazed lovingly into her eyes.
Mary began to cry. And Alex pretended he didn’t notice.
Chapter 11
1
During the first week in orbit over Bubba, the innermost gas giant in the Lalande system, the crew of
Goddard
focused principally on the enormous task of setting up shop. The ship was, as Johnny put it, in full blossom. He was referring to the schedule, but to the colonists enjoying life in the great verdant cylinder, the analogy fitted very well. The trees had flowered. In fact, all the vegetation was flowering. Gardens were planted and growing, and the oceanarium workers reported that the sea life was happily breeding in Lake Geneva. Optimism seemed the order of the day.
Alex and Mary, too, were happy with the situation, even with regard to the clicker man, who had been provided rain-like showers and an occasional electrostatic spark inside the enclosure. Under the promise of no cross examinations by any of the staff, Mary had consented to return to the Biolab to certify that the click’s needs were satisfied. Unfortunately, Matt Howarth seemed either unwilling to communicate with her or simply didn’t feel the need. In any case, Mary’s return to the click’s compound was nothing like she expected. Jeanne asked Mary to affirm her approval verbally before she left the Biolab, and that was it. No interrogation. In fact, no questions.
She seemed relieved and happy that her demands had been met and, apparently, respected, but Alex sensed a sadness in Mary. He wondered if the modifications by Earthcorp, said to increase her broadcast range, might have affected her in ways so subtle she might not be able to cope. If that was the case, questioning would do no good.
But Mary wasn’t complaining, and he knew that there were other factors that could account for her melancholy. She had taken to isolating herself when she could manage it. Almost every day she spent hours with the dolphins, saying she did it for exercise and to relax.
Over breakfast one day, Alex’s curiosity got the better of him. Mary had said almost nothing. Now she sat staring out the window at the grand curving landscape, green with burgeoning vegetation.
“Okay,” said Alex. “There’s something eating at you, love. Care to …?”
“Sorry,” she said.
Alex hung his head. “Look, Mary, the last thing I want is to ask. You hate that. But …”
“No,” said Mary, smiling at him sweetly. “I understand. I think I’m just homesick.”
“For the Marys?”
“No, silly. For home … Ganymede. The pet shop. A nice quiet
normal
life.”
“Well, we knew what we were getting into …” Alex began. Mary glared at him and he shut his mouth.
“I think it’s time for another swim,” she said shortly. Without waiting for comment from Alex, she went out the door.
“But …” Alex wanted to run after her, but he’d had been given technical reports about his ship to review. The trip to Jupiter had also been a shakedown cruise to test
Diver
and its new modifications. Everything had worked fine, but there was a crew standing by waiting for his approval before any more modifications could be made. Frustrated and angry, Alex hailed the computer. “Okay you demanding bitch, let’s go over the reports.”
“
Are you referring to me
?”
“The reports, computer,” he said. “Let’s do it.”
“
Very well, Mr Rose. The first item is the thermodynamic reconfiguration of the hull. The dynamic range was well within parameters and the polyceramic remake laminate performed nominally, except with regard to the new hatch seals. They showed a .07% weakening during…
”
An hour later, Alex was dozing on com room sofa with Inky on his lap when his wristband woke him. “
Alex Rose and Mary Seventeen are requested to come immediately to Master Control. Are you available, Mr Rose?
”
“Of course,” mumbled Alex through a yawn. “Mary’s not here, though.”
“
Mary Seventeen is five hundred and forty-seven meters from your domicile and moving this way. She has been notified.”
There was a pause. “
You neglected to endorse modifications to shuttle
Diver
. The refit crew is standing by …
”
“Yes, yes, tell them to go ahead with the modifications.” He didn’t wait for a reply from the computer. “Contact me if there’s a problem.” He was out the door as soon as he found his shoes. At the end of the tulip lined walkway he stopped and shielded his eyes from the glare above, looking for Mary. As the computer had promised, he saw her trotting toward him, like an athlete in training, from the direction of the lake.
She reached him just as the rain alarm sounded. “We better run if we don’t want to get wet,” he said. But Mary breezed by him without answering and ran into the house. Thinking she wanted to shower and change clothes, he waited at the end of their walk. A green tower above the nearby trees began to spray out a fine mist of water. He knew that it would become a full torrent before long.
Just as Mary came out the door a bird flew down and pulled a hair from Alex’s head. He flailed his arms and threw a barrage of curses after it as it dove back into the branches from where it came.
“Are the birds eating you, Alex?” Mary inquired, straight-faced.
“Sheesh!” he muttered. “This must be my lucky day.”
They started to run through the steadily increasing rain, up the lane toward Master Control. Alex looked up at the curving landscape. Normally invisible among the trees, the rain towers were now easy to spot. Each of them had a cloud of atomized water hovering over it. They were working everywhere at once, he noticed, dotting the surface of the cylinder like fuzzy white mushrooms.
“Believe it?” Mary said, breathing hard as they ran. “I’m actually getting tired. I guess it was that swim across the lake. That’s the last time I’ll try to race a dolphin.”
Alex looked at her in disbelief. He caught her eye and she winked at him. “Just kidding,” she said. He wondered if she’d worn a bathing suit this time, but he didn’t ask. Mary laughed. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
The door of the domed building opened automatically to receive them just as the artificial rain came on full force. Two staffers met them with towels and ushered them into the control room. Seated in the center of the room near the holographic display dome were Professor Baltadonis, Jeanne Warren, Connie Tsu, and Tony Sciarra. Captain Wysor was standing off to one side. Alex grinned when they waved to him. “Look, love.
Diver’s
crew, if I’m not mistaken.”
“
Diver’s
crew … now that the pilot is here,” said Johnny. “Take a seat.” He pointed to two empty seats among the group.
“Hi, all,” Mary said cheerfully, toweling her wet hair as she and Alex went to their places.
“Is this a social affair or are we working?” asked Alex.
Johnny switched on the central holographic display. “Always working, Alex.”
The image took a few seconds to form. At first Alex couldn’t understand what he was seeing. “Bubba’s spot,” explained Johnny. “Old Blue, some are calling it. Whatever.” He was fingering a small remote control. “This is a sequence showing what we’ve found down there.”
Captain Wysor walked slowly over to Alex’s chair and patted his shoulder warmly. “The wife wants you two over for dinner,” he whispered. Alex and Mary both nodded approvingly as Johnny continued with his briefing.
“What you’re all wondering is whether Bubba’s spot is worth a dive.” Blue-gray whirlpools of clouds loomed before them in crisp detail. Alex could see individual thunderheads, like those that dotted Jupiter’s spot. But these were all severely flat topped, suggesting the presence of jet streams in the spot’s higher regions. The idea of fighting winds like that in
Diver
didn’t appeal to him.
“The cloud tops are cold,” said Johnny. “Really cold. Almost 400 below.”
Suddenly a red door at the far end of the room opened and Commander Stubbs came wheeling into the room followed by his assistant, Ned Binder.
Johnny paused in his briefing, but Stubbs waved an arm in the air. “No, no, no!” he bellowed. “Don’t stop for me, Johnny.” He rolled his chair to a spot near the group and told his assistant to take a seat. Alex noticed that the Commander was growing a beard, as was his assistant. When Stubbs looked at him Alex smiled. “Growing those things for the mission?” he whispered.
Stubbs grinned. “More distinguished. Exploratory, don’t you think?” Next to him Ned Binder stroked his own beard self consciously. He seemed interested in Alex’s response.
“I guess so,” said Alex with a shrug, then he looked at Johnny, who was waiting to continue his briefing. The Professor smiled courteously.
“I was just starting to discuss our findings with regard to Old Blue,” said Johnny. “You arrived at a perfect time, Commander Stubbs. I haven’t gotten into details.”
Stubbs nodded. “Proceed.”
“As you see from this excellent composite our boys in Imaging have prepared for us, Bubba’s spot is structurally like Jupiter’s. But it’s just … similar.” Johnny switched the view and the cloudy blue whirlpool became transparent. The entire structure looked like an extremely wide mouthed rotating funnel. “This view includes the data assembly by our various disciplines: atmospheric, geophysical, thermodynamics …”
Stubbs put up his hand. “Must you dismantle this thing before you tell us whether it’s worth looking at?”
Johnny looked at Stubbs, puzzled. “What, sir? I don’t …”
“Is there a reef, Johnny? That’s what I’m asking. That’s what these good folks want to know.”
“I was getting to that, sir,” said Professor Baltadonis. “To answer your question adequately requires some understanding of this system. But, yes, there is something there.”
“Really?” said Tony, wide-eyed.
Stubbs looked dubious. “Have you detected the characteristic structure?”
“A structure, sir,” Johnny answered, tersely. He pointed to the projection. “There, in the middle of the vortex. The bright layer.”
Everyone squinted at the screen as Johnny fumbled with his remote control. The entire image vanished for a moment, then it reappeared with the feature colored in red. “Note its torus shape,” Johnny said. “It’s located fairly deep, over a hundred kilometers, but the temperatures at that depth are at least acceptable.”
Tony raised his hand. “Is it a life zone?”
Johnny nodded. “We found it significant that the torus was located where conditions were similar to Jupiter’s reef. But the torus … ”
Stubbs cut Johnny off with a question to Alex. “What do you think of the structure, Alex?”
“Me? Johnny’s the one with the data.” Alex said. He leaned back to get a better look at Stubbs, who was hidden from his view behind a console.
Stubbs nodded when their eyes met. “I’m asking you.”
“I flew into a pancake, not a donut,” Alex answered cryptically. “Whatever’s down there isn’t like anything on Jupiter, at least as far as I can see.”
Johnny waited patiently for the conversation to end. When Stubbs’ eyes returned to him he pointed at the image. “Alex is entirely correct. The extreme cold affects everything. By that I mean all the factors that contribute to that structure. On Jupiter we have ammonia, ammonium hydroxide, complex molecules like that, in the outer atmosphere. On Bubba, we see hydrogen and traces of other gases. We also see that the planet’s belt systems are more stable than Jupiter’s. That goes for the vertical structure as well. Bubba has been condensing far longer than Jupiter. It is an old gas giant. And it’s smaller than Jupiter. This feature is very well defined and it’s much smaller than Jupiter’s reef.
“With a history as long as Bubba’s,” continued Johnny, “we have to conclude that if there is a reef, it’s evolved along with the rest of the planet. So, we’re looking at everything in that light. And this is especially true with our analysis of Old Blue. If that torus is what’s left of a reef, exploring it is important. Even if there’s no life, we may see how Jupiter’s reef will evolve.”
“So you are advocating a dive,” said Stubbs.
“Of course.”
Commander Stubbs piloted his chair down an aisle toward the display, then stopped and studied the projection thoughtfully. All eyes were on him. Finally he looked again at Johnny. “Are the edges of the torus really that well defined?”
Johnny nodded. “Our Imaging group was told to keep the thing as accurate as possible. The feature stood out fairly clearly from the outset.” He magnified the display using his tiny remote. “To our surprise, I may add.”
Alex noticed that enlarging the torus didn’t change its hard-edged appearance. It still looked like an enlarged red blood cell, but he assumed that to be an illusion.
“What about that depression in the middle?” said Stubbs. “There’s no such detail in Jupiter’s reef.”
Johnny nodded again. “Jupiter’s reef spins slower. Once every six Earth days. Bubba’s torus rotates about twice as fast. Of course that doubling seems to apply to the planet’s spin, too.”
“Winds?” asked Alex. “What can you tell us about them?”
“In the belts that circle the planet, we’ve clocked winds at over a thousand kilometers per hour, but the high level currents over Old Blue are more in scale with what we found on Jupiter, except for those in the center. There is a spin zone there. If we go in we’ll have to avoid that area.”
“So we have a tornado there, not a hurricane?” said Mary.
Johnny nodded. “Putting it in the extreme, yes. We think that accounts for the torus … the hole in the middle.”
“I guess so,” said Alex. “How big is Old Blue, Johnny?”
“It’s ten to twelve thousand kilometers wide and perhaps seven or eight thousand from north to south.”
“You’ll have to chart those winds pretty carefully,” said Alex.
“That’s the plan,” answered Johnny.
“Can you tell us anything else?” asked Stubbs, rolling his chair back to where his assistant was sitting.
“Well, I did want to mention that the Lalande system’s other planet has a similar feature.” Johnny fumbled with his remote and the image on the screen changed again, this time showing a different planet. “This is it, Lalande 21185 C. As you can see, a spot exists there, too.”
“Lalande C is twice the size of Bubba,” said Stubbs. “Is that true of its spot?”