Read Online Saturn by Ben Bova - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ben Bova
Tags: Science-Fiction, Fantasy
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"What is important enough to intrude in my discussion?"
"Dr. Cardenas wants to join us!"
"Cardenas?" asked Morgenthau.
"Kristin Cardenas," Holly said, grinning enthusiastically. "The nanotech expert. She won the Nobel Prize! And she wants to come with us!"
Eberly seemed less than pleased. "Do we need an expert in nanotechnology?"
"That's a dangerous area," said the black man. His scalp was shaved bald, Holly saw, although there was a fringe of a beard outlining his jawline.
"It's outlawed on Earth," Morgenthau agreed, adding a muttered, "Unholy."
Holly was surprised at their obtuseness. "Nanotech could be really helpful to us. We could use nanomachines to do most of the habitat's maintenance work. And healthwise, nanomachines could — "
Eberly stopped her with an upraised finger. "Nanomachines are outlawed on Earth because they could run wild and devour everything in their path."
"Turn everything into gray goo," Morgenthau muttered.
"Only if somebody programs 'em to do that," Holly countered. "Those flatlanders back Earthside are scared of terrorists or nutcases going wild with nanomachines."
Morgenthau glared at her but said nothing.
"Shouldn't we be concerned about that, as well?" Eberly asked mildly.
"We've screened everybody aboard," Holly said. "We don't have any violent types here. No fanatics."
"How can we be sure of that?" Morgenthau was obviously unconvinced.
Looking at Eberly, the black man said slowly, "Properly used, nanomachines could be of great help to us."
Eberly stared back at him for a long moment. "You believe so?"
"I do."
"Would Dr. Cardenas agree to work under our terms, I wonder?" Eberly mused.
"We could ask her and find out," Holly prompted. "She's on Ceres now. We could pick her up when we go through the Belt. I checked the flight plan; we'll be within a day's flight of Ceres. She could buzz out to us on a torch ship, no prob. I could get my sister to set up a flight for her, betcha."
Eberly stroked his chin. "Even though we have a full compliment now, I suppose we could make room for one person of Dr. Cardenas's caliber."
"If Wilmot approves of it," said Morgenthau.
"Wilmot." Eberly almost sneered. "I'm in charge of human resources decisions, not Wilmot."
"But something like this — "
"I'll take care of it," he insisted. Turning to Holly, he said, "Inform Dr. Cardenas that I would like to discuss this with her personally."
"Cosmic!" Holly blurted.
She was about to turn and head back to the human resources office when Eberly grasped her wrist.
"You haven't met Colonel Kananga, have you?"
The black man got to his feet like a jointed scaffolding unfolding. He was almost two meters tall, a full head taller than Holly.
"Our director of security, Colonel Leo Kananga, from Rwanda," said Eberly. "Holly Lane, from Selene."
Kananga extended his hand. Holly took it in hers. His long fingers felt cold and dry. His grip was strong, almost painful.
Kananga smiled at her, but there was no warmth in it. Just the opposite. Holly felt an icy shudder run down her spine. It was like looking at a skull, a death's head.
DEPARTURE Plus 145 Days
As she climbed the stairs to the roof of the administration building, Holly wondered why Eberly had summoned her to the rooftop. She stepped through the metal door and looked for him. No one else was there. She walked to within two steps of the roof's edge and turned full circle. She was alone.
He's always so prompt, she thought. Why isn't he here?
Then she realized that she was more than a minute early, and she relaxed somewhat. He'll be here, she told herself, right on the tick.
Gazing out from the three story-high roof, Holly could see the other buildings of the village, low and gleaming white in the sunlight. The long slash of the solar window overhead was too bright to look at for more than a momentary glimpse. Even so, the after image of its glare burned in her eyes.
Everything is going well, Holly thought. The habitat is functioning
"Dr. Cardenas wants to join us!"
"Cardenas?" asked Morgenthau.
"Kristin Cardenas," Holly said, grinning enthusiastically. "The nanotech expert. She won the Nobel Prize! And she wants to come with us!"
Eberly seemed less than pleased. "Do we need an expert in nanotechnology?"
"That's a dangerous area," said the black man. His scalp was shaved bald, Holly saw, although there was a fringe of a beard outlining his jawline.
"It's outlawed on Earth," Morgenthau agreed, adding a muttered, "Unholy."
Holly was surprised at their obtuseness. "Nanotech could be really helpful to us. We could use nanomachines to do most of the habitat's maintenance work. And healthwise, nanomachines could — "
Eberly stopped her with an upraised finger. "Nanomachines are outlawed on Earth because they could run wild and devour everything in their path."
"Turn everything into gray goo," Morgenthau muttered.
"Only if somebody programs 'em to do that," Holly countered. "Those flatlanders back Earthside are scared of terrorists or nutcases going wild with nanomachines."
Morgenthau glared at her but said nothing.
"Shouldn't we be concerned about that, as well?" Eberly asked mildly.
"We've screened everybody aboard," Holly said. "We don't have any violent types here. No fanatics."
"How can we be sure of that?" Morgenthau was obviously unconvinced.
Looking at Eberly, the black man said slowly, "Properly used, nanomachines could be of great help to us."
Eberly stared back at him for a long moment. "You believe so?"
"I do."
"Would Dr. Cardenas agree to work under our terms, I wonder?" Eberly mused.
"We could ask her and find out," Holly prompted. "She's on Ceres now. We could pick her up when we go through the Belt. I checked the flight plan; we'll be within a day's flight of Ceres. She could buzz out to us on a torch ship, no prob. I could get my sister to set up a flight for her, betcha."
Eberly stroked his chin. "Even though we have a full compliment now, I suppose we could make room for one person of Dr. Cardenas's caliber."
"If Wilmot approves of it," said Morgenthau.
"Wilmot." Eberly almost sneered. "I'm in charge of human resources decisions, not Wilmot."
"But something like this — "
"I'll take care of it," he insisted. Turning to Holly, he said, "Inform Dr. Cardenas that I would like to discuss this with her personally."
"Cosmic!" Holly blurted.
She was about to turn and head back to the human resources office when Eberly grasped her wrist.
"You haven't met Colonel Kananga, have you?"
The black man got to his feet like a jointed scaffolding unfolding. He was almost two meters tall, a full head taller than Holly.
"Our director of security, Colonel Leo Kananga, from Rwanda," said Eberly. "Holly Lane, from Selene."
Kananga extended his hand. Holly took it in hers. His long fingers felt cold and dry. His grip was strong, almost painful.
Kananga smiled at her, but there was no warmth in it. Just the opposite. Holly felt an icy shudder run down her spine. It was like looking at a skull, a death's head.
DEPARTURE Plus 145 Days
As she climbed the stairs to the roof of the administration building, Holly wondered why Eberly had summoned her to the rooftop. She stepped through the metal door and looked for him. No one else was there. She walked to within two steps of the roof's edge and turned full circle. She was alone.
He's always so prompt, she thought. Why isn't he here?
Then she realized that she was more than a minute early, and she relaxed somewhat. He'll be here, she told herself, right on the tick.
Gazing out from the three story-high roof, Holly could see the other buildings of the village, low and gleaming white in the sunlight. The long slash of the solar window overhead was too bright to look at for more than a momentary glimpse. Even so, the after image of its glare burned in her eyes.
Everything is going well, Holly thought. The habitat is functioning
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