Neptune Crossing
Page 65
*
Napoleon had no difficulty changing the placement of the stone. Bandicut watched in the monitor as the robot emerged from one exhaust bell, glowing ball in its grip, and disappeared into another. It came back out empty-handed, and a moment later, Bandicut felt a momentary dizziness, which he assumed was the stone expanding its field to encompass the ship again. As soon as Napoleon was back aboard ship, Charlie suggested that they resume threading flight at once.
/I want to wait and see if we get a reply from Triton,/ Bandicut insisted. He was feeling morose, but also stubborn. The quarx reluctantly agreed to wait another hour.
Fifty-one minutes later, the comm picked up a signal. Bandicut strained to hear. It was a voice signal, but faint with static, as though improperly aimed. “. . . EXPLORER . . . CANNOT CONFIRM YOUR POSITION. PLEASE SAY AGAIN. IF YOU CANNOT RETURN . . . STABILIZE YOUR ORBIT . . . ATTEMPT TO ASSIST. WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND, BUT . . . GAME . . . OVER . . .”
Bandicut stared at the comm panel in disbelief. The message continued, repeating itself over and over. Was it possible they didn’t believe him—even after the way he’d departed? He swallowed, knowing that it was all too possible. Even if Julie and exoarch believed him . . . he could just imagine the rulers of MINEXFO trying to wrap their small minds around something like this.
/// I’m sorry.
But I’m honestly not surprised.
Shall we continue? ///
He shook his head, his vision blurred. /Just a minute./ He cleared his throat to transmit, and squeezed the switch. “Triton Orbital, Neptune Explorer. This might be the last transmission I can make. I’m about to accelerate again—threading space, they call it. So listen to me, and listen good. Are you listening?” He took a breath, then shouted, “YOU DUMB MOKIN’ GOAKS! PUT A MOKIN’ TELESCOPE ON THE MOKIN’ COORDINATES I JUST GAVE YOU! IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE ME, BELIEVE YOUR MOKIN’ EYES! BANDICUT OUT!” He gasped with anger as he punched the comm off.
/// Well said, John . . . I think. ///
/Charlie, punch it. Let’s get moving,/ he said wearily. /And give ’em a good light show, okay?/
As the fusion chamber ignited, he felt a gentle push of returning gravity. And in the rear monitor, he saw an eruption of concentric rings of light and color behind them, as Neptune Explorer threaded space inward toward the sun.
Chapter 29
Lonely Crossing
BANDICUT’S ANGER DID not diminish, and it was only a matter of time before he turned it inward, upon the quarx. /You weren’t exactly honest with me, were you, you bastard?/ he said, after stewing in silence for a while.
/// What . . . do you mean? ///
The quarx’s voice sounded weak. Defensive?
/You said there was a fifty-fifty chance we’d come out of this alive. Now, you tell me we’re goners. You care to explain that?/ It had taken a little while for it to sink in, that the quarx was changing his tune, now that they were under way and it was too late to turn back.
/// No, I said . . . well, I mean . . . ///
/You just said—/
/// —that we won’t return to Triton.
But I . . . ///
Charlie’s voice was quivering. He seemed to be straining for words.
/// I never said we would return, John. ///
/Fifty-percent chance! That’s what you said./
/// I didn’t mean, to return!
I meant . . . to survive, in some form. ///
Bandicut squinted out the window, imagining a great orrery of planets encircling the sun. /In some form?/ His mood was not improving. /You implied that we might be rescued. Now you’re saying, what? We’ll survive, but we won’t be rescued?/
/// Not by . . . your people . . . no. ///
His heart skipped a beat. /What the hell are we talking about, then—the goddamn afterlife? Is this some kind of goddamn theological prediction?/
/// No, no!
I meant survival.
But I have to admit, the chances might be
less than I predicted before. ///
The quarx’s voice was definitely trembling.
/// I think I was . . . optimistic, before. ///
Bandicut caught a glimpse of his reflection in the window. His face was contorted with fear. /Charlie? Where the hell will we be—if we’re not dead?/
Charlie’s voice dropped to near-inaudibility.
/// I can’t . . . say for sure.
But it will be a journey.
Possibly a most magnificent journey . . . ///
Bandicut’s breath caught, and he sat staring at his own terrified reflection in the maneuvering window, thinking about Charlie’s journey of millions of years that had brought him here to the solar system. And he suddenly knew that the quarx was not talking about a journey to the other side of the sun. The quarx came from beyond the stars, and that was where he intended to return.
Charlie was quiet for a few moments.
/// Not home, if that’s what you’re thinking.
That I cannot do.
But . . . beyond the stars . . . yes. ///
Bandicut swallowed. /Then where—?/
/// Well, that’s the thing.
I really can’t say.
But, John—?
Looking at our present situation,
the chances are probably more like ninety percent
that we’ll die,
and that will be the end of it. ///
Bandicut stared blankly for a moment. /WHY THE MOKIN’ HELL DIDN’T YOU TELL ME THAT BEFORE?/ he thundered.
/// I was . . . afraid you wouldn’t agree. ///
/You were afraid—/ Bandicut felt his breath go out. /You mean, you . . . lied to me? You flat-out lied?/
/// Well, I . . . weighted some uncertain odds.
I guess, in that, I misled you.
I’m sorry. ///
/Thanks, asshole./
/// I said, I’m sorry.
It really would be better, John,
if you just went into the final phase of our mission
expecting to die. ///
Bandicut bit back a sarcastic reply. /Well, you haven’t answered my question. If we don’t die, where do we go? Alpha Centauri? Sirius? Where? Don’t I have a right to know that much?/
/// John, I really don’t know. ///
/How can you NOT KNOW?/ Bandicut yelled, his emotions sliding completely out of control.
There was no answer.
/CHARLIE?/
After a moment, the trembling quarx whispered,
/// John, didn’t you understand from the beginning
that you were giving your life to this?
That nothing would ever be the same again? ///
/Are you crazy?/ Bandicut pounded the console savagely. Maybe the quarx had made it clear enough then, but that didn’t help him accept it now.
From the quarx, there was silence. Charlie had shut himself off, and retreated into some private purgatory of his own.