Read Online Asimov's SF, January 2012 by Dell Magazine Authors - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Dell Magazine Authors
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Academy."
"Absolutely."
"How's the weather?” She was referring to flares. The station maintained a satellite in geostationary orbit to monitor Groombridge.
"You're clear. If we see any problems, we'll let you know post haste."
"How reliable are the predictions? You get a reasonable advance warning?"
"Usually. Shouldn't be a problem. We've never lost anybody."
"Glad to hear it."
There was a long pause. She was about to ask if he was still there when he came back: “When you get here, Priscilla, we'll have a surprise for you."
Jake was signaling her, pointing back into the cabin. The meaning was clear enough. Invite Eddington and the others to participate in the conversation.
"Hold on, Ollie.” She activated the allcom. “Guys, we have Acharius on the circuit. Anybody want to say hello?"
Eddington took over and immediately began asking questions about genealogical strains in local amphibians. Hutch shut off the mike and turned down the sound. Jake folded his arms and sighed. “He does like to talk."
Hutch nodded.
Jake was quiet for a minute. Then: “What made you decide to do this for a living, Hutch?"
"I don't know,” she said. “Why do you ask?"
"Idle curiosity."
She considered the question. “My dad's an astronomer."
"Oh,” he said. “ Jason Hutchins. I should have realized. “
"Yes. He's pretty well known."
"He's the guy who heard the artificial signal."
"It's a lot of years ago now."
"And that's what got you interested in piloting interstellars?"
"It helped."
"But nothing ever came of it."
"That wasn't the big thing."
"What was?"
"When I was about six or seven, he took me to the Moon. That was before the signal came in."
"You must have enjoyed that."
"I loved it. Never forgot it. I remember standing out there with him on the rim of a crater. How old's the crater, Daddy? Millions of years, kid, he said. I don't think I knew what a million was, but he described a place that never changed. I still remember his saying that time stood still out there. And I could feel it. A place where clocks didn't run. It was incredible, Jake. When I got home, I kept thinking about it. You know, the other kids, they played ball and sat on swings and never looked above the rooftops. Later, they were all talking about becoming lawyers or getting degrees in business management. Me, I never wanted anything other than what I'm doing right now."
Jake smiled. “I think you're going to find it's not as romantic as it sounds, Hutch."
"How do you mean?"
He shrugged. “You ride for weeks or maybe months inside a sealed container. You take archeologists to Quraqua, or carry supplies out to Palomus and hope you don't get radiated in the process. Then you go home and do it again. Don't misunderstand me. I wouldn't change a thing. But it isn't what it looks like in the movies. No space pirates or green aliens or anything like that."
"You make it sound boring."
"It can be."
"Well, I can live with that part of it."
He was quiet for a minute. Then: “When I get back, I'm going to take a vacation on the Moon. Shaira has been after me to do that for a long time."
Shaira was his girlfriend. “Might as well. You get free transportation."
He frowned. Read something in her tone. “You don't think it's a good idea?"
"You been there recently?"
"Last year, Hutch. The place is perfect. We'll stay at the Liberty. Hang around the pool. Take the tour up to Copernicus and stroll around the rim like you did.” He shook his head. “That's more sightseeing than I get sitting in here."
Hutch's eyes closed momentarily.
"What's wrong, Hutch?"
"Nothing, really."
"Something's bothering you."
She took a deep breath while she considered how to say what was on her mind. “They're ruining the place, Jake."
"In what way?"
"Well, I'm probably going overboard on this. But, hotels. Pipelines. All kinds of construction projects. Copernicus is more than eight hundred million years old. Recent by lunar standards."
"What's your
"Absolutely."
"How's the weather?” She was referring to flares. The station maintained a satellite in geostationary orbit to monitor Groombridge.
"You're clear. If we see any problems, we'll let you know post haste."
"How reliable are the predictions? You get a reasonable advance warning?"
"Usually. Shouldn't be a problem. We've never lost anybody."
"Glad to hear it."
There was a long pause. She was about to ask if he was still there when he came back: “When you get here, Priscilla, we'll have a surprise for you."
Jake was signaling her, pointing back into the cabin. The meaning was clear enough. Invite Eddington and the others to participate in the conversation.
"Hold on, Ollie.” She activated the allcom. “Guys, we have Acharius on the circuit. Anybody want to say hello?"
Eddington took over and immediately began asking questions about genealogical strains in local amphibians. Hutch shut off the mike and turned down the sound. Jake folded his arms and sighed. “He does like to talk."
Hutch nodded.
Jake was quiet for a minute. Then: “What made you decide to do this for a living, Hutch?"
"I don't know,” she said. “Why do you ask?"
"Idle curiosity."
She considered the question. “My dad's an astronomer."
"Oh,” he said. “ Jason Hutchins. I should have realized. “
"Yes. He's pretty well known."
"He's the guy who heard the artificial signal."
"It's a lot of years ago now."
"And that's what got you interested in piloting interstellars?"
"It helped."
"But nothing ever came of it."
"That wasn't the big thing."
"What was?"
"When I was about six or seven, he took me to the Moon. That was before the signal came in."
"You must have enjoyed that."
"I loved it. Never forgot it. I remember standing out there with him on the rim of a crater. How old's the crater, Daddy? Millions of years, kid, he said. I don't think I knew what a million was, but he described a place that never changed. I still remember his saying that time stood still out there. And I could feel it. A place where clocks didn't run. It was incredible, Jake. When I got home, I kept thinking about it. You know, the other kids, they played ball and sat on swings and never looked above the rooftops. Later, they were all talking about becoming lawyers or getting degrees in business management. Me, I never wanted anything other than what I'm doing right now."
Jake smiled. “I think you're going to find it's not as romantic as it sounds, Hutch."
"How do you mean?"
He shrugged. “You ride for weeks or maybe months inside a sealed container. You take archeologists to Quraqua, or carry supplies out to Palomus and hope you don't get radiated in the process. Then you go home and do it again. Don't misunderstand me. I wouldn't change a thing. But it isn't what it looks like in the movies. No space pirates or green aliens or anything like that."
"You make it sound boring."
"It can be."
"Well, I can live with that part of it."
He was quiet for a minute. Then: “When I get back, I'm going to take a vacation on the Moon. Shaira has been after me to do that for a long time."
Shaira was his girlfriend. “Might as well. You get free transportation."
He frowned. Read something in her tone. “You don't think it's a good idea?"
"You been there recently?"
"Last year, Hutch. The place is perfect. We'll stay at the Liberty. Hang around the pool. Take the tour up to Copernicus and stroll around the rim like you did.” He shook his head. “That's more sightseeing than I get sitting in here."
Hutch's eyes closed momentarily.
"What's wrong, Hutch?"
"Nothing, really."
"Something's bothering you."
She took a deep breath while she considered how to say what was on her mind. “They're ruining the place, Jake."
"In what way?"
"Well, I'm probably going overboard on this. But, hotels. Pipelines. All kinds of construction projects. Copernicus is more than eight hundred million years old. Recent by lunar standards."
"What's your
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