Read Online Casserine by Bernard Lee DeLeo - Free Book Online Page A

leaning into Jake.
    “Love in the cave, huh?” Jake whispered as he enfolded her in his arms. “The last time we spent any time here together, you were in no shape for fooling around. We almost didn’t have a chance to have our first fight.”
    “I have an idea Jake. Why not wait until we get the vehicle, and then I will ride out with you. I can drop you off.”
    “Gee, that sounds inviting.”
    “Good Lord, you two,” Colonel Risling groaned. “How do you put up with this?” He sat immobile on their porch, holding a teacup with two shaking hands.
    “Colonel, you’re doing great,” Adrian said. “I couldn’t even crawl out here for two days.”
    “Yes Sir,” Jake added, “and we appreciate you dropping off the tracked rover yourself, but why?”
    Risling took another gulp of tea, as he watched the sunset with Jake and Adrian sitting on either side of him. “Although I see your sunset may be awe inspiring, why go through this gravity torture? Anyway, I just wanted to see what the hell makes a couple of young people maroon themselves out here on this torture planet.”
    “Wow, thanks Colonel,” Adrian replied. “We’re glad you’re having such a good time.”
    “What Adrian means, Sir, in her own obtuse manner,” Jake countered, leaning back and staring daggers at Adrian from behind Risling’s chair, which Adrian answered with a smile and finger wave. “.Is we’re sorry you don’t like it much here. At least you don’t have to stay longer. We really do appreciate you coming personally.”
    Risling grinned. “Jake, you must be nuts staying here all this time, and I believe the disease may be infectious, because Byers here has begun sounding just like you. In any case, I think from now on, I’ll just say hello to you at the base.”
    “How durable do you think our land craft will be?” Jake asked, changing the subject.
    “All the tests we did in the gravity chamber, incorporating the surface readings Adrian sent us, proved you could probably make it all the way around the planet with only one fuel cell. We have panels for two others, as either back up for the main drive, or to use as power supplies for whatever you need on your excursions.”
    “Can you make us a trailer to drag on the back so we… “ Adrian stopped, seeing Jake slap his hands over his face. “I was just kidding Jake, loosen up.”
    “You two are beginning to exhibit signs of an honest to goodness married couple,” Risling laughed. “I had my doubts about this setup, but with the way you turned back a major threat together, and your ideas about exploration, I believe this may have been for the best.”
    “What kind of speed will the rover do, Colonel?” Jake asked, ignoring the facial distortions Adrian performed behind Risling’s back. She made the universal sign language expressions, labeling Jake a suck-up, whenever Risling looked away.
    “It only has a top speed of about twenty kilometers an hour, but you will not want to go faster than that anyway on this planet’s surface. The tread setup on the tracks will overcome anything. Only tipping the vehicle over will put them out of action. You would have to use a MAG50 to destroy them. The cab, we’ve armored against radiation, incorporates a self-contained life support system when closed up. The relays on the instrument panel will pick up any unauthorized approach to Casserine, and warn you well in advance. News concerning the last attack you foiled traveled fast. I believe it would be all right to go ahead and take off for longer periods of time. Let’s say a week to ten days. File a report of when you go, and we will patrol closer to Casserine until your return. You’ll be able to alert us from the rover.”
    “It really sounds as if you foresaw pretty much any eventuality, Colonel,” Jake said as he endured another insulting facial barrage from Adrian. “Why all the support for this now?”
    “We want all the information you can gather, Jake. We know the