Read Online Below Mercury by Mark Anson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Mark Anson
Tags: Science-Fiction
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board.’ Helligan’s gaze swept over Abrams, Elliott, Bergman and Matt in turn, emphasising his point.
‘Now, you gentlemen will be passengers on the voyage, but each of you will have daily work duties to perform. Captain Foster will assign your duties while on board, and you will complete these to the best of your ability, or forfeit certain privileges. You’re going to be in space for over three months, and it’s essential that discipline is maintained. The mission commander has legal powers to remove privileges, restrain, or even sedate you, if in her view any of you become a hazard to the ship or to the success of the mission. Your space pay allowances from your employers will be paid through the Astronautics Corps, and I remind you that we have powers to make deductions from this pay for any breaches of discipline.
‘There’s no turning round once you’re in the transfer orbit; the only way back here is by going to Mercury and returning, so it’s no good having second thoughts once you’re on your way.’
Matt had heard this sort of blunt warning before. There had never been an actual mutiny on a spaceflight before, but it had come close on more than one occasion. Long flight times, and the boredom and isolation of deep space, could cause apparently trivial issues to blow up out of all proportion. There were many similarities with the long ocean voyages of past centuries, and the captain’s word literally had to be law.
‘Mr Abrams, as the representative of the SAIB, is in overall charge of the mission once you are safely delivered to Mercury and your equipment offloaded. The initial mine entry will be led by Mr Bergman, representing the Space Mines Inspectorate, and once he has conducted a thorough safety assessment, Mr Abrams will take over and lead the investigation to a conclusion.
‘In a change to your briefing notes, Mr Bergman is now also representing the interests of the Space Graves Commission. As you will be entering a designated space grave, there are some formalities and procedures that need to be observed while you are in the mine, as well as the exit and sealing procedures.’
Helligan continued to cover the roles of each member of the mission team. He left Matt until last, ensuring that Matt was in no doubt as to where he came in the perceived order of importance.
An hour later, in the first break of the day, Matt found himself facing Clare, who had come up to speak to him.
‘You’ve been to Mercury – to Erebus Mine – several times before.’ She made it sound faintly like an accusation.
‘Yes. I did three trips over about six years, including the last one just before the accident.’ He sipped his coffee.
‘What do you remember of the approach and landing? I’ve studied the charts, and I’ll be starting landings in the simulator next week, but it would help to know what it’s like from someone who’s been there.’
‘Oh, sure.’ Matt gathered his thoughts, and tried to remember. ‘Well, you can’t usually see much from the crew shuttles, but there was one time I was sitting right behind the copilot, and I had a pretty good view. The Sun was lighting up all the craters from the side as we got closer. It looked very dramatic, kind of scary.
‘Meng-fu crater itself is massive, it dominates the horizon as you approach, and when you go down into it, well – it’s just one huge black pit; you can’t see anything inside it. It feels like you’re just falling down into nothingness. When you’re deep down inside the crater, and you get used to the darkness, you can see the mine and the refinery lights from some way off, and then as you get closer you can see the landing pad itself – it was floodlit then, but of course it won’t be for us.’
Clare nodded, and took a drink of her coffee, but Matt sensed he hadn’t told her anything she didn’t know already.
‘So, why do you want to go back?’ she asked suddenly.
Matt was surprised by the directness of her
‘Now, you gentlemen will be passengers on the voyage, but each of you will have daily work duties to perform. Captain Foster will assign your duties while on board, and you will complete these to the best of your ability, or forfeit certain privileges. You’re going to be in space for over three months, and it’s essential that discipline is maintained. The mission commander has legal powers to remove privileges, restrain, or even sedate you, if in her view any of you become a hazard to the ship or to the success of the mission. Your space pay allowances from your employers will be paid through the Astronautics Corps, and I remind you that we have powers to make deductions from this pay for any breaches of discipline.
‘There’s no turning round once you’re in the transfer orbit; the only way back here is by going to Mercury and returning, so it’s no good having second thoughts once you’re on your way.’
Matt had heard this sort of blunt warning before. There had never been an actual mutiny on a spaceflight before, but it had come close on more than one occasion. Long flight times, and the boredom and isolation of deep space, could cause apparently trivial issues to blow up out of all proportion. There were many similarities with the long ocean voyages of past centuries, and the captain’s word literally had to be law.
‘Mr Abrams, as the representative of the SAIB, is in overall charge of the mission once you are safely delivered to Mercury and your equipment offloaded. The initial mine entry will be led by Mr Bergman, representing the Space Mines Inspectorate, and once he has conducted a thorough safety assessment, Mr Abrams will take over and lead the investigation to a conclusion.
‘In a change to your briefing notes, Mr Bergman is now also representing the interests of the Space Graves Commission. As you will be entering a designated space grave, there are some formalities and procedures that need to be observed while you are in the mine, as well as the exit and sealing procedures.’
Helligan continued to cover the roles of each member of the mission team. He left Matt until last, ensuring that Matt was in no doubt as to where he came in the perceived order of importance.
An hour later, in the first break of the day, Matt found himself facing Clare, who had come up to speak to him.
‘You’ve been to Mercury – to Erebus Mine – several times before.’ She made it sound faintly like an accusation.
‘Yes. I did three trips over about six years, including the last one just before the accident.’ He sipped his coffee.
‘What do you remember of the approach and landing? I’ve studied the charts, and I’ll be starting landings in the simulator next week, but it would help to know what it’s like from someone who’s been there.’
‘Oh, sure.’ Matt gathered his thoughts, and tried to remember. ‘Well, you can’t usually see much from the crew shuttles, but there was one time I was sitting right behind the copilot, and I had a pretty good view. The Sun was lighting up all the craters from the side as we got closer. It looked very dramatic, kind of scary.
‘Meng-fu crater itself is massive, it dominates the horizon as you approach, and when you go down into it, well – it’s just one huge black pit; you can’t see anything inside it. It feels like you’re just falling down into nothingness. When you’re deep down inside the crater, and you get used to the darkness, you can see the mine and the refinery lights from some way off, and then as you get closer you can see the landing pad itself – it was floodlit then, but of course it won’t be for us.’
Clare nodded, and took a drink of her coffee, but Matt sensed he hadn’t told her anything she didn’t know already.
‘So, why do you want to go back?’ she asked suddenly.
Matt was surprised by the directness of her
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