Authors: Ben Bova
Venus (17 page)
If I had thought about it for half a millisecond I would have been so terrified I’d have frozen up, paralyzed with fear. But there wasn’t any time for that. I grabbed the tether with both gloved hands.
“The servomotors will hold you,” Rodriguez said. “Loop your boots in the line to take some of the load off your arms. Like circus acrobats.”
I made a clumsy try at it, but only managed to tangle the tether around one ankle. The servomotors on the backs of the gloves clamped my fingers on the line, sure enough. All I had to worry about was making a mistake and letting go of the blasted line with both hands at the same time.
Down I went, hand over hand.
I
t was hard work, clambering down that swaying, slithering line of connected tethers. Drenched in cold sweat, my heart hammering in my ears, I tried to clamp my boots around the line to take some of the strain off my arms but that was a clumsy failure. I inched down the line, my powered gloves clamping and unclamping slowly, like an arthritic old man’s hands.
t was hard work, clambering down that swaying, slithering line of connected tethers. Drenched in cold sweat, my heart hammering in my ears, I tried to clamp my boots around the line to take some of the strain off my arms but that was a clumsy failure. I inched down the line, my powered gloves clamping and unclamping slowly, like an arthritic old man’s hands.
Lucifer
seemed to be a thousand kilometers below me. I could see the end of the connected tethers dangling a good ten meters or more above the catwalk that ran the length of the ship’s gas envelope. It looked like a hundred meters, to me. A thousand. When I got to the end of the line I’d have to jump for it.
seemed to be a thousand kilometers below me. I could see the end of the connected tethers dangling a good ten meters or more above the catwalk that ran the length of the ship’s gas envelope. It looked like a hundred meters, to me. A thousand. When I got to the end of the line I’d have to jump for it.
If I made it to the end of the line.
And all the while I crawled down the length of tethers I kept hearing the terrified, agonized screams of the crewmen who fell to their deaths. My mind kept replaying that long, wailing, “Save meee!” over and over again. What would I
scream if I missed the ship and plunged down into the fiery depths of inescapable death?
scream if I missed the ship and plunged down into the fiery depths of inescapable death?
“Send the others down.” It was Fuchs’s heavy, harsh voice in my earphones. “Don’t wait. Get started
now.”
now.”
“No,” Marguerite said. I could sense her struggling, hear her breathing hard. “Wait ..”
But Rodriguez said firmly, “No time for waiting. Now!”
I looked up and saw another figure start down the tethers. In the spacesuit it was impossible to tell who it was, but I figured it had to be Marguerite.
She was coming down the line a lot faster than I was, her boots gripping the tether expertly. Had she told me she’d done mountain climbing? I couldn’t remember. Foolish thought, at that particular moment.
I tried to go faster and damned near killed myself. Let go of the line with one hand, then missed my next grab for it while my other hand was opening. There’s a delay built into the servomotors that control the gloves’ exoskeletons; you move your fingers and the motors resist a little, then kick in. My glove’s fingers were opening, loosening my grip on the tether, when I desperately wanted them to tighten again.
There I was, one hand flailing free and the other letting go of my grip on the tether. If I hadn’t been so scared I would’ve thrown up.
I lunged for the line with my free hand, caught it, and closed my fingers as fast and hard as I could. I thought I heard the servomotors whining furiously, although that must have been my imagination, since I’d never heard them before through the suit and helmet.
I hung there by one hand, all my weight on that arm and shoulder, for what seemed like an hour or two. Then I clasped the tether with my other hand, took the deepest breath I’d ever made in my life, and started down the tether again.
“Where’s my mother?” I heard Marguerite’s fear-filled voice in my earphones.
“She’s on her way,” Rodriguez answered.
But when I looked up I saw only their two figures clambering
down the tether.
Hesperos
was a wreck, jouncing and shuddering above us, falling apart. The gas envelope was cracked like an overcooked egg. The gondola was half gone, its front end torn away, new cracks zigzagging along its length even as I watched. The bugs from the clouds must have made a home for themselves in the ship’s metal structure.
down the tether.
Hesperos
was a wreck, jouncing and shuddering above us, falling apart. The gas envelope was cracked like an overcooked egg. The gondola was half gone, its front end torn away, new cracks zigzagging along its length even as I watched. The bugs from the clouds must have made a home for themselves in the ship’s metal structure.
Well, I thought grimly, they’ll all roast to death when she loses her last bit of buoyancy and plunges into the broiling heat below.
Then I caught a vision of
Hesperos
crashing into
Lucifer
, and wondered how long Fuchs would keep his ship hovering below us.
Hesperos
crashing into
Lucifer
, and wondered how long Fuchs would keep his ship hovering below us.
“Hurry it up!” he called, as if he could read my thoughts.
Marguerite was sobbing openly; I could hear her over the suit radio. Rodriguez had gone silent except for his hard panting as he worked his way down the tether. They were both getting close to me.
And Duchamp was still in the ship. On the bridge, I realized, working to hold the shattered
Hesperos
in place long enough for us to make it to safety. But what about her safety?
Hesperos
in place long enough for us to make it to safety. But what about her safety?
“Captain Duchamp,” I called, surprised that my voice worked at all. “Leave the bridge and come down the safety tether. That’s an order.”
No response.
“Mother!” Marguerite sobbed. “Mama!”
She wasn’t coming. I knew it with the certainty of religious revelation. Duchamp was staying on the bridge, fighting to hold the battered wreck of
Hesperos
in place long enough for us to make it to safety. Giving her life to save us. To save her daughter, really. I doubt that she cared a rat’s hiccup for the rest of us. Maybe she had some feelings for Rodriguez. Certainly not for me.
Hesperos
in place long enough for us to make it to safety. Giving her life to save us. To save her daughter, really. I doubt that she cared a rat’s hiccup for the rest of us. Maybe she had some feelings for Rodriguez. Certainly not for me.
And then I was at the end of the tether line. I dangled there, swaying giddily, my boots swinging in empty air. The broad expanse of
Lucifer’s
gas envelope still seemed an awfully long way off. A long drop.
Lucifer’s
gas envelope still seemed an awfully long way off. A long drop.
All my weight, including the weight of my spacesuit and backpack, was hanging from my hands. I could feel the bones of my upper arms being pulled slowly, agonizingly, out of my shoulder sockets, like a man on a rack. I couldn’t hang on for long.
Then I saw three spacesuited figures climbing slowly up the curving flank of the massive shell. They looked like toys, like tiny dolls, and I realized just how much bigger
Lucifer
was than
Hesperos
. Enormously bigger.
Lucifer
was than
Hesperos
. Enormously bigger.
Which meant that it was also much farther away than I had first guessed. It wasn’t ten meters below me; it must have been more like a hundred meters. I couldn’t survive a jump that long. No one could.
I looked up. Through my bubble helmet I saw Marguerite and Rodriguez coming down the line toward me, almost on top of me.
“What now?” I asked Rodriguez. “It’s too far to jump.”
Before he could answer, Fuchs’s voice grated in my earphones. “I’m bringing
Lucifer
up close enough for you to reach. I can’t keep her in position for long, so when I say jump, you either jump or be damned. Understand me?”
Lucifer
up close enough for you to reach. I can’t keep her in position for long, so when I say jump, you either jump or be damned. Understand me?”
“Understood,” Rodriguez said.
“Okay.”
The broad back of
Lucifer
rose toward us, slowly moving closer. The three spacesuited figures were on the catwalk now, laying out long coils of tethers between them.
Lucifer
rose toward us, slowly moving closer. The three spacesuited figures were on the catwalk now, laying out long coils of tethers between them.
We were getting tantalizingly close, but each time I thought we were within a safe jumping distance
Hesperos
bobbed up or sideways and we were jerked away from
Lucifer.
My arms were blazing with pain. I could hear Rodriguez mumbling in Spanish, perhaps a prayer. More likely some choice curses.
Hesperos
bobbed up or sideways and we were jerked away from
Lucifer.
My arms were blazing with pain. I could hear Rodriguez mumbling in Spanish, perhaps a prayer. More likely some choice curses.
I looked up again and saw that
Hesperos
was barely holding together. The gondola was cracked in a hundred places, the gas shell above it was missing pieces like an uncompleted jigsaw puzzle.
Hesperos
was barely holding together. The gondola was cracked in a hundred places, the gas shell above it was missing pieces like an uncompleted jigsaw puzzle.
The only thing in our favor was that the air was thick enough down at this level to be relatively calm. Relatively.
Hesperos
was still jouncing and fluttering like a leaf in a strong breeze.
Hesperos
was still jouncing and fluttering like a leaf in a strong breeze.
Marguerite’s sobbing seemed to have stopped. I supposed that she finally understood her mother was not coming and there was nothing she could do about it. There would be plenty of time to mourn after we had saved our own necks, I thought. When your own life is on the line, as ours were, you worry about your own skin and save your sentiment for everyone else for later.
“Now!” Fuchs’s command shattered my pointless musings.
I was still dangling a tremendous distance from
Lucifer’s
catwalk, my shoulders and arms screaming in agony from the strain.
Lucifer’s
catwalk, my shoulders and arms screaming in agony from the strain.
“Now, dammit!” he roared. “
Jump!”
Jump!”
I let go. For a dizzying instant it felt as if I hung in midair, not moving at all. By the time I realized I was falling I thudded down onto the curving hull of
Lucifer’
s envelope with a bang that knocked the breath out of my lungs.
Lucifer’
s envelope with a bang that knocked the breath out of my lungs.
I had missed the catwalk and the men waiting to help me by several meters. I felt myself sliding along the curve of the shell, my arms and legs scrabbling to find a grip, a handhold, anything to stop me from sliding off into the oblivion below. Nothing. The shell’s skin was smooth as polished marble.
In my earphones I heard a sort of howling noise, a strangled wail that yowled in my ears like some primitive animal’s shriek. It went on and on without letup. I couldn’t hear anything else, nothing except that agonized howl.
If
Lucifer
had been as small as
Hesperos
I would have slid off the shell and plunged into the thick hot clouds kilometers beneath me. I sometimes wonder if I would have been roasted to death as I fell deeper into the blistering hot atmosphere, or crushed like an eggshell by the tremendous pressure.
Lucifer
had been as small as
Hesperos
I would have slid off the shell and plunged into the thick hot clouds kilometers beneath me. I sometimes wonder if I would have been roasted to death as I fell deeper into the blistering hot atmosphere, or crushed like an eggshell by the tremendous pressure.
Instead, Fuchs’s crewmen saved me. One of them jumped off the catwalk and slid on the rump of his suit to
my side and grabbed me firmly. Even through the yowling noise in my earphones I could hear him grunt painfully when his tether stopped us both. Then he looped the extra tether he carried with him around my shoulders.
my side and grabbed me firmly. Even through the yowling noise in my earphones I could hear him grunt painfully when his tether stopped us both. Then he looped the extra tether he carried with him around my shoulders.
I was shaking so hard inside my suit that it took me three tries before I could control my legs well enough to follow Fuchs’s crewman back up to the catwalk, where his companion already had his arms wrapped around Marguerite. I found out later that she had dropped neatly onto the catwalk and not even lost her balance.
I was on my hands and knees, gasping from the efforts of the last few minutes. My shoulders felt as if someone had ripped my arms out of them. I was beyond pain; I was numb, wooden.
The catwalk seemed to shift beneath me, tossing me onto my side. I looked up and saw
Hesperos
breaking apart, big chunks of the envelope tearing away, the gondola splitting along its length.
Hesperos
breaking apart, big chunks of the envelope tearing away, the gondola splitting along its length.
Marguerite screamed. I saw the line of tethers flapping wildly, empty.
Raising myself painfully to my knees, I looked for Rodriguez. He was nowhere in sight.
“Where’s Rodriguez?” I demanded.
No one answered.
I looked directly at Marguerite, who had disengaged herself from the crewmen who’d held her.
“Where’s Tom?” I screamed.
I couldn’t see her face inside the helmet, but sensed her shaking her head. “He jumped after me …”
“What happened to him?” I climbed to my feet shakily.
Fuchs’s voice answered in my earphones. “The third person in your party jumped too late. I had to jink the ship sideways to avoid the debris falling from
Hesperos.
He missed us and fell into the clouds.”
Hesperos.
He missed us and fell into the clouds.”
T
hat was the long, terrified scream I heard in my earphones: Rodriguez falling, falling all that long way down to his death.
hat was the long, terrified scream I heard in my earphones: Rodriguez falling, falling all that long way down to his death.
I stayed there on my knees until two of the crewmen yanked me up roughly by the armpits of my suit. I could hardly breathe. Every muscle and tendon in my body was in agony. And Rodriguez was dead.
Marguerite said softly, “My mother …” She sounded exhausted, as drained physically and emotionally as I felt.
I looked up.
Hesperos
was gone. No sign of the ship. Nothing above us but swirling sickly yellow-gray clouds. Nothing below us but more of the same. Duchamp, Rodriguez, Waller, and the three technicians—all dead. Venus had killed them. But then I realized that was not true. It was my fault. I had brought them to this hellish world. I had made them intrude into this place where humans were never meant to be. I had killed them.
Hesperos
was gone. No sign of the ship. Nothing above us but swirling sickly yellow-gray clouds. Nothing below us but more of the same. Duchamp, Rodriguez, Waller, and the three technicians—all dead. Venus had killed them. But then I realized that was not true. It was my fault. I had brought them to this hellish world. I had made them intrude into this place where humans were never meant to be. I had killed them.
And myself as well, I thought. Without my medication I’d be dead soon enough.
Tethered together like mountain climbers, we slowly, painfully, climbed down the ladder rungs set into the curving hull of
Lucifer
’s gas envelope to an airlock hatch set into its side. My heart lurched in my chest: I saw dark streaks smearing the length of the envelope, just as they had stained
Hesperos
’s shell.
Lucifer
’s gas envelope to an airlock hatch set into its side. My heart lurched in my chest: I saw dark streaks smearing the length of the envelope, just as they had stained
Hesperos
’s shell.
The bugs were chewing on
Lucifer’s
hull, too. It was only a matter of time before this ship would break up just as
Hesperos
did. We were all going to die. There was no way around it.
Lucifer’s
hull, too. It was only a matter of time before this ship would break up just as
Hesperos
did. We were all going to die. There was no way around it.
“Move it!” Fuchs’s voiced snarled in my earphones. “Stop your dawdling.”
What difference did it make, I thought as I ducked through the airlock hatch.
My eyes widened with surprise when I saw that the inner hatch of the airlock was wide open. I hesitated a fraction of a second, only to be shoved unceremoniously by the crewman behind me through the inner hatch and into the compartment beyond it.
“I’m sealing the lock in ten seconds,” Fuchs snapped. “Whoever’s still outside will stay outside, understand me?”
As I stumbled into the compartment beyond the airlock chamber I half turned and saw, beyond the crewman’s shoulder, Marguerite’s spacesuited figure. The crewmen’s suits were different from our own; their fabric was a dirty grayish silver, the suits looked bulkier, stiffer, and their helmets were the old-fashioned kind, mostly opaque with a faceplate visor, instead of the fishbowl bubbles that we wore.
The crewman behind Marguerite turned and pulled the airlock hatch shut.
“Stand by for emergency dive,” Fuchs commanded. “Prepare to fill forward buoyancy tanks.” Then he lapsed into a guttural foreign tongue; it sounded oriental to me, not Japanese but something like it. He was talking to someone on his bridge, obviously. Or perhaps to a voice-activated computer. Not to us.
One of the crewmen dogged the airlock’s inner hatch
shut while the other clomped in his heavy boots to what looked like a pump. I heard it start chugging, but then its noise faded. And my spacesuit stiffened and ballooned noticeably. Finally it clicked into place. They had used this compartment as an adjunct to their airlock, so we could all get into the ship quickly rather than squeezing through the regular airlock chamber one at a time. Clever.
shut while the other clomped in his heavy boots to what looked like a pump. I heard it start chugging, but then its noise faded. And my spacesuit stiffened and ballooned noticeably. Finally it clicked into place. They had used this compartment as an adjunct to their airlock, so we could all get into the ship quickly rather than squeezing through the regular airlock chamber one at a time. Clever.
But as we waited for the compartment to fill with normal, breathable air, I realized that there were only two crewmen with us. I had seen three when we were descending toward
Lucifer.
Did they deliberately leave the other one outside? Even if Fuchs was ruthless enough to give such a command, what kind of men were these to obey it?
Lucifer.
Did they deliberately leave the other one outside? Even if Fuchs was ruthless enough to give such a command, what kind of men were these to obey it?
The pump’s chugging grew louder again, which meant the compartment was filling to normal air pressure. At last the crewman near it checked a readout on the wrist of his suit, then bent awkwardly and shut off the pump. He and his partner raised the visors of their helmets. They were both Asians, I saw.
I unsealed my helmet and lifted it off my head. Marguerite just stood there, unmoving, so I went to her and took off her helmet. Her eyes were dry now, but they were staring, unfocused, seeing into the past, sorrowful beyond telling.
I almost told her not to regret her mother’s death because we would be dead ourselves soon enough. But I didn’t have the guts; actually I didn’t even have the strength to open my mouth.
“Get your suits off,” Fuchs’s voice commanded, “and toss them out the airlock. They’re contaminated. Get rid of ’em, quick.”
I blinked with surprise. Apparently Fuchs was not resigned to dying.
With the crewmen helping, Marguerite and I slipped out of the backpacks and peeled off our spacesuits. The crew-men were silent, blank-faced, and quite efficient. They got rid of our suits quickly.
“Follow the crewmen up to the bridge,” Fuchs said, as soon as our suits went out the airlock. I realized he must be watching us, although I couldn’t see a camera anywhere in the blank-walled compartment.
One of the crewmen opened the hatch and gestured us through into a long passageway. We were still inside
Lucifer’
s gas envelope, I knew. Apparently the vessel had no gondola dangling below; the living and working quarters were built inside the envelope.
Lucifer’
s gas envelope, I knew. Apparently the vessel had no gondola dangling below; the living and working quarters were built inside the envelope.
The vessel was at least double the size of
Hesperos
, that was easy to see. Marguerite and I, escorted by the two silent, impassive crewmen, walked down the long passageway to a ladder. Peering up and down its well, I saw that it went two decks down and two more up.
Hesperos
, that was easy to see. Marguerite and I, escorted by the two silent, impassive crewmen, walked down the long passageway to a ladder. Peering up and down its well, I saw that it went two decks down and two more up.
We climbed up. One of the crewmen went before me, the other stayed behind Marguerite. I got the unpleasant feeling that they were behaving like guards escorting a pair of prisoners.
The bridge was spacious, with four crew stations and a commodious command chair. Which was empty when we arrived there. All four of the personnel present were Asians, three of them women. No one said a word.
“Can any of you speak English?” I asked.
“When they have to,” came Fuchs’s voice, from behind me.
I turned. He was standing in an open hatch off to one side of the bridge, framed by its metal edges.
Lars Fuchs had a thick, wide physique, built low to the ground. A barrel chest, short heavy arms and legs, but those arms looked as strong as a gorilla’s. He seemed powerful, ferocious, like a black bear or some other wild animal with strong, sharp claws and a short temper. His face was set in an unpleasant, sardonic scowl, almost a sneer.
“So you’re Martin Humphries’s son, are you?”
I nodded as he stepped closer to me. Surprisingly, he was slightly shorter than I, only a hair or so, but definitely shorter. Yet he seemed enormous to me. He was wearing a black collarless shirt with short sleeves, and black baggy trousers
tucked into calf-length black boots that hadn’t been polished in a long time.
tucked into calf-length black boots that hadn’t been polished in a long time.
He came up to me, looked me up and down as if I were a specimen in a zoo, his wide thin lips turned down in an expression of pure loathing. I tried to meet his gaze, but what I saw in his eyes made me shudder inwardly. His eyes were like ice, cold and Arctic blue. This man would kill me if it suited him. Or anyone else.
He looked past me, toward Marguerite, and for just the flash of a second his expression changed completely. I saw surprise on his face, shock, really. His jaw dropped open, his eyes went wide.
But only for a fraction of a second. He closed his mouth with a click of his teeth and let out a long, snorting breath. But his eyes remained fixed on her.
“Marguerite Duchamp, is it?”
“Yes,” she said in a voice barely strong enough to be heard.
“You look just like your mother did, twenty years ago.” Fuchs’s own voice was lower, softer.
“You knew her then?” Marguerite asked, trembling.
He nodded wordlessly.
“She … she’s dead,” Marguerite said.
“I know.” He turned back toward me. “This idiot killed her.”
Neither Marguerite nor I said a word of objection.
Fuchs clasped his hands behind his back. “Or rather, his father did.” He stepped closer to me again, like an inquisitor examining his prisoner. “This was all your father’s idea, wasn’t it?”
Anger flared through me. “You jumped at the chance to take his prize money quickly enough,” I said.
Fuchs grinned at me mirthlessly. “True enough. I certainly did.”
For a long moment we stood almost touching noses while Marguerite and the silent crew members watched us.
Fuchs pulled away. “Very well,” he said, pointing a finger
at Marguerite. “You’ll be my guest aboard this vessel. Welcome, Ms. Duchamp.”
at Marguerite. “You’ll be my guest aboard this vessel. Welcome, Ms. Duchamp.”
He made a ludicrous little bow, with a smile that—on his heavy, fleshy face—was little less than grisly.
Then he turned back to me again. “And you, Mr. Humphries, can replace the man I lost rescuing you.”
“Lost?” I blurted. “You lost a man?”
With a disgusted look, Fuchs explained, “My first mate was overcome by an unexpected burst of courage. When your vessel began to break up and the third man on your line started to fall away, my heroic first mate tried to reach him.”
“What happened?” Marguerite asked.
“What do you think? He jumped off the catwalk and grabbed the falling man’s ankles, trusting that his own tether would keep him safely anchored to my ship.”
“Those tethers are supposed to be able to take tons of stress,” I heard myself say.
“And so they do,” Fuchs said, sarcastically. “But the railing it was clipped to doesn’t. It ripped away and the two of them fell out of sight. Damned fool!”
That was Rodriguez that the first mate tried to save. The two of them plunged screaming to their deaths.
Fuchs jabbed a stubby finger at the technician sitting to the right of his command chair. She was a large, bulky woman with a round, flat face that looked to me almost like an Eskimo’s.
“So you, Amarjagal, are now first mate.”
He pointed again, this time at the wiry young man sitting next to her. “Nodon, you take over as propulsion engineer.”
Both of them nodded. Don’t they ever say anything? I wondered. Has Fuchs hired a crew of mutes?
He turned back to me. “I have a vacancy now for the position of communications technician,” he said, almost politely. “You are now my comm tech, Mr. Humphries. That’s an undemanding job, just right for someone with your lack of skills.”
“Now just a minute, Fuchs, I’m not—”
He kicked me in my left shin, so hard that my leg exploded with pain. As I howled and bent over to clutch my leg I saw his right fist swinging at me. There was nothing I could do. He punched me in the kidney, my body spasmed upright and his left fist smashed into the side of my face. I crashed onto the deck so hard my vision went double.
Fuchs towered over me, fists on his hips, a leering smile on his jowly face. “Hurts, doesn’t it?”
I couldn’t speak. All I could do was writhe and groan from the pain.
“That’s your first lesson in ship’s discipline,” he said, his voice flat and hard. “You will address me as
sir
or
Captain Fuchs
. And you will follow my orders quickly and correctly. Understand me?”
sir
or
Captain Fuchs
. And you will follow my orders quickly and correctly. Understand me?”
I was seeing flares of pain flashing before my eyes. I couldn’t talk, couldn’t even breathe.
Fuchs kicked me in the ribs. “Understand me?”
I nodded. Weakly.
He grunted, satisfied, and strode away. “Find a berth for our new comm tech,” he ordered the crewmen.
I was awash with pain. But what hurt most was that Marguerite had just stood there, immobile as a statue. Even as I lay there on the deck she made no move to come to my aid.
I was losing consciousness. I could hardly breathe. As the world faded, the last thing I saw was Fuchs crooking a finger at Marguerite.
“You come with me,” he said to her.
She followed him.
Everything went dark.
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