Jupiter's Reef (52 page)

“I’ve never had a crew. For what it’s worth, I had to be straight to everybody. I had to say what I thought. Some will say I’m just too close to the reef. Guilty because I felt responsible. Well, of course that’s true. But it was by following my feelings, my instincts about the reef, that I discovered it. It’s the same instincts that made me destroy the samples.”

“It was the music,” said Mary.

“The cherry on the controversy,” said Johnny. “What could be better?” He picked up the cat and moved to the window. They seemed very comfortable together. Johnny looked at the reef for a long while.

“Computer,” said Alex. “Play Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. Level five.”

Alex had barely finished speaking when it began playing on the speakers. The version was a common and popular selection in ship’s libraries; an older recording made by Earth Symphony. Alex had heard it countless times over the years.

There was a loud pop, three seconds into the music. Perhaps it was in the mastering, but everyone realized that it had also been present in the music that was played to them by the reef. The entire crew of
Diver
recognized it and looked at each other wide-eyed.

“That pop at the beginning. It happened when the reef played that recording,” said Tony. “What does that mean?”

“That they are aware of us,” said Johnny, staring out at the planet. Jupiter was presenting its spot proudly. As he watched the feature reddened slightly. Perhaps it was the angle of the sun, but it seemed to be blushing. Many of its secrets had been stolen.

“It means that they listen to the radio,” said Alex.

“It means they’ve heard our radio. They were parroting our transmissions,” said Johnny. He held a rail near the window to steady his weightless body. Still, his eyes were firmly fixed on Jupiter. “It is their world.”

“Explorers are also invaders,” said Alex.

“When they encounter someone who asserts a claim,” said Johnny.

“Not everyone can do that,” said Alex. “I’ve read that the Native Americans were hobbled in their dealings with the Europeans because they didn’t have the concept of property.”

“It is expecting a lot to expect aliens to share our value system,” offered Tony.

Alex shook his head angrily. “This is the first time we’ve done it. The first time we’ve met an alien intelligence.”

Mary understood Alex, but she couldn’t offer any help in the conversation. At the heart of the discussion was Alex’s reef. He enjoyed being a discoverer. Now he found himself the protector of the reef, and it frustrated him that he couldn’t reverse the process he’d put into motion. Mary understood that Alex was doing all he could do to mend his mistake, and she saw that he had acted the minute he was sure of his mistake. Despite her own perfection she knew that humans are full of imperfections. What mattered to her was how their hearts dealt with what occurred along life’s path; what they did about their folly. Mary thought that perfection, or the expectation of perfection, was reserved only for clones like herself. She accepted that she would never understand the normals. Since they were full of imperfections, they felt that they had to pass laws and write rules and make speeches about perfection that were full of import and resolve. Normals were never off the hook.

Alex sat staring at the image of the approaching
Cornwall
, now large on the monitor. Mary could feel the agony of his uncertainty. As long as she’d been with him, Alex had breathlessly pursued his star. She knew almost everything about him but the location of that star. After two years he was still at it. Even now, in spite of the fact that he’d realized his dream.

“What will you two do?” asked Tony.

Alex was lost in thought and Mary seemed unable to answer, so Tony repeated his question. “After this, Alex, where will you and Mary go?”

Alex looked at Sciarra and laughed. “Will there be a tomorrow for a criminal?”

“What?”

“The crew of
Diver
has just met,” said Alex. “My future, my judgment, begins now. I offered you the gun. If there’s bullets in my future I want you to do it. I blew the samples. Fact is there’s still some of the goop Tony scooped from the reef. They should be able to analyze the crap out of it.” Alex floated towards the food panel and ordered a coffee.

“And then there’s the downloads,” he continued. “I thought of erasing the records. But that would be hard. Serve no purpose. We sent downloads showing clicker-men and reef material. I know that. No, this is more than that. To erase the record would be lying. Erasing reality.”

“Or more simply, futile,” said Sciarra.

The ship shifted position and an alarm sounded. “TWO MINUTES,” said the computer.

“He’s offered us his sword, Tony,” said the Professor. “He wants to know what we think of his futile act.”

“What will be, will be?” said Mary.

Everyone looked at her and she smiled. “Lily,” she said. “Leslie Caron, Mel Ferrer?”

Judging from everyone’s expression, none of the men including Alex had ever seen the movie. Mary shrugged and smiled. “Never mind.”

“What will be, will be,” repeated Alex. “Well, what will it be?”

“Are you calling for a vote of some kind?” The Professor squinted through the window. A shaft of sunlight reflecting off the Ganny ship’s hull was getting in his eyes. He turned away and moved smoothly over to his seat. As he floated over Mary, Johnny looked down at her.

“I’ll never take gravity for granted again,” he said. “Not ever.”

“A vote?” asked Johnny, grunting as he slammed into the hood over his seat. “Captain Alex Rose, of the planetary gasser cruiser, seeks a vote, for the record.”

“And the log,” said Alex.

“And the log,” continued Johnny, nodding to Alex politely.

“Not guilty,” said Tony.

“Abstain,” said Mary. Her vote elicited a surprised look from Alex.

“I don’t vote in this one,” said Alex. “What is it to be, Johnny?”

Though the music had ended long ago it still echoed in everyone’s mind. It seemed to possess everyone, except perhaps Johnny. He still seemed unpredictable. Even Mary had trouble reading his attitude.

“We’ve fought each other, haven’t we, Alex?” said Johnny.

“At times. You might say we sparred.”

“To me it will always be Alex’s Reef,” said Johnny. “You found it. You and only you should have the right to try and protect it. What harm is there in protecting a world? I’m a biologist, fer god’s sake. I would have to cast my vote to ... well, let me put it another way.” Johnny eased himself under his seat. “It’s not a good idea to vote against heroes,” he said, winking at Mary.

4
“How will history play this, Alex?” asked Johnny.

Before Alex could conjure an answer, the Ganny ship’s docking probe clamped onto
Diver
’s hull, startling them all.

“Any way it wants to,” said Alex. But Johnny didn’t hear Alex’s response. Like a race horse bursting from the gate, when he heard the outer latches to the airlock open he ran to the airlock and turned the latch.

When the door hissed open, Tsu, Warren, and Matt from the
Cornwall
, and Tony and the Professor from
Diver
pushed violently into the tiny airlock. Grouping tightly as possible around the containers, they examined the lids closely. After some discussion and a final okay by Professor Baltadonis, the chrome cylinders were removed from
Diver
’s airlock wall and taken away by members of the Ganny crew. Alex couldn’t see how many people were actually gathered there, but once the samples were gone everyone became old friends and floated aboard. With them came the vague scent of stale beer. Alex sniffed the air and smiled at Mary. “I forgot the way the Ganny ship smelled,” he said. Alex stood up and found his hand grabbed by everyone at once. Tsu went to Tony and began examining him for damage. Despite Sciarra’s insistence that he was fine, Tsu and Warren offered to carry him to the Ganny ship. In less than a minute he’d agreed and they all disappeared into the airlock.

At Johnny’s suggestion, the memory packs were removed from the ship’s inboard computers and blank ones were installed.

When the dust cleared and congratulations were passed around, there remained only Matt, the Professor, Alex and Mary.

Alex had seated himself to see if the computer’s new memory packs were functioning. And Mary was seated beside him holding her kitten.

A hollow metallic clank at the airlock was the knock of Captain John Wysor as he stepped aboard. “Permis’ to cumma?” he asked Alex.

Wysor wrapped a welcoming arm around Alex and squeezed him with sincerity. “Whatever ya needs, mate,” he whispered quickly in Alex’s ear. Then Wysor nearly deafened Alex when he roared. “Go’, we’a’prouda’yo’ guys!” Then he began shaking hands all around. Mary’s hand, however, he bent and kissed. “Miz’eventeen,” he said.

Until she’d met the Gannys only Alex had kissed her hand. When he did it the night they’d also first kissed on the lips, he had to explain its meaning. Mary recalled that he did so with great difficulty. She still didn’t understand. But it wasn’t a bad thing.

Mary pulled her hand away politely and smiled at Wysor. “Can you tell us what is being said about the mission on Earth and Mars?”

“Earth is distracted by war,” said Matt. “The Atlantians have begun fighting.”

“EarthCorp sees every ocean wave as a conspiracy,” said Matt, looking at Mary. His eyes looked happier than when Mary last saw him. She sensed that Matt had enjoyed life with the Gannys, but was anxious to rejoin Earth.

The discussion soon became an impromptu briefing on the events of the last thirteen days.

Matt rattled off the details, gleaned from hours of passing time watching tv-news from Earth.

Howarth detailed a sea war that was petty and revolting. Surface cruisers dragged under. Air attacks of commercial liners. And recently, over two thousand undersea colonists had perished when their capsule-dome collapsed. It happened during a sporting event. A Lubbers bomb was responsible, the newswoman had said.

Matt said that interest in the Reef Mission was still strong, but overshadowed by war.

“You mean the world isn’t watching us?” asked Alex. Mary saw that he looked almost relieved.

“No’so much,” said Wysor. “Don’ be dis’ppointed, Alex. Ye’v done yer spike.”

Alex laughed. “Disappointed? Not me.”

Johnny had been listening to Matt. When Alex laughed he raised an eyebrow.

“I thought you were the one who wanted fame,” he said. “Are you telling me you don’t care?”

“I have nothing to tell, Professor.” Alex smiled at the Ganny Captain. “Any of that beer around?”

“Ya need’ta’ ask?”

The Captain told them that he had called for a celebration that very night aboard the
Cornwall
with Alex and Mary as guests of honor. “We forget the Earther troubles, okay?”

5
That night
Diver
tracked a broadening orbit, linked to the belly of the larger
Cornwall
. The two ships were docked in what Wysor laughingly called the missionary position. He offered to take
Diver
into its hold. But Alex and Mary had waited a long time to be alone,

Still there was much to celebrate. They had all returned from the reef in one piece and they had fulfilled an obligation.

That evening, notification was received from Mars that Alex Rose and Mary Seventeen were officially registered to
Diver
as their common residence.

Dovetailed with that message was another that notified Alex and Mary of their “rightful compensation for duties performed in cooperation with EarthCorp aboard a commissioned EarthCorp registry ship.” That one was notarized by the Outer Rim Council. The money was substantial and tax free, deposited for them in the Corporate Bank of the Outer Colonies.

“Funny that a bandit like me isn’t blown away by all that duty pay,” said Alex. “All that really matters, all that ever mattered was you, Mary my love. Now we’re alone, except for the kitten.”

Diver
’s cabin was darkened so that only the glow of Jupiter illuminated their nakedness. Alex and Mary were entwined in
Diver
’s pilot seat.

They didn’t really need to talk. and Mary refused to read Alex’s mind. She didn’t have to. Unlike any man she’d ever met, Mary understood Alex. If she’d ever feared his outlaw side, she’d lost it somewhere down in the reef. They knew each other, body and soul.

But there was something she didn’t know.

Mary pulled out one of Alex’s chest hairs with her teeth.

“What was that for?” he growled, stroking her short white hair.

“What secret did you hatch with the Ganny Captain?”

“To marry us when we get settled on Ganymede.”

Mary was silent for a long time. In the darkness of the ship Alex couldn’t see her reaction to his proposal, but he saw the spheroid of one of her tears float past his eyes. It wobbled down the length of
Diver
’s cabin until Mary’s kitten intercepted it with a well aimed paw.

“When do we get to Ganymede?”

“Whenever,” said Alex. “Right now, for the first time, we’re free.”

“Is that all you and the Ganny were hatching?” asked Mary, nibbling on Alex’s ear.

Alex scratched his head. “Well ...”

The Ganny ship had pushed them far away from Jupiter, and now, seen through
Diver
’s forward windows, it might have been taken for a moon. It was even in crescent.

“What have we done, Alex?” asked Mary as she squeezed him close to her.

“I know,” he said.

“You were right to have tried to stop them,” she said. “Eventually someone, like you, maybe, would have noticed. They would have guessed the reef was there. Don’t forget that it called to you.”

“What does that mean?”

“That you aren’t the one who cursed the reef.”

“But I helped,” said Alex. “Before I knew what I was doing I helped them sack the place. Nothing I can do now will stop them from eventually exploiting it.”

“Eventually. Eventually they’d have human visitors anyway. After all, Alex, there are colonies on three of Jupiter’s moons.”

Alex brushed his lips against Mary Seventeen’s soft breasts. “You’re right.”