Charles Sheffield - Starfire

“We would appear to be faced with an insoluble problem. That, however, is an illusion. The fragile shield cannot be moved in time. But why not, as Star suggests, invert the problem? We do not care about absolute position, we care only about relative position. Rather than moving the shield thirty thousand kilometers toward Alpha Centauri, Cusp Station must move thirty thousand kilometers away from Alpha Centauri — closer to Earth .” Wilmer turned to John. “One question remains, which I regard as an engineering detail: Is Cusp Station strong enough to withstand the necessary acceleration?”

“If a group of you physicists wanted to land on the surface of the Sun and do experiments, you’d say the design of the ship that takes you there and back was engineering details.” John was cursing — at himself. He was sure that the rest of his team was feeling the same way. To miss an obvious possible solution, and have it pointed out by a pair of physicists, who sat with their heads in the clouds . . . He went on, “Cusp Station has to be strong enough. We fly it inward even if it falls apart on the way. And we must change the trajectory of this place, too, so Sky City finishes next to Cusp Station’s new location and we can fast-link the computers. Amanda?”

“A few hours’ calculation.” She rolled her head from side to side, as though she was attempting the calculation mentally. “If thirty thousand is a good working number for the move toward Earth, I’ll have you a flight profile for Cusp Station and a modified one for Sky City by this evening.”

“Will?”

“Cusp Station was built rugged. I’ll be out there anyway, installing the field loop generators. Say, one day to decide where the mirror-matter thrustors go, two days to attach. Three days from now we’ll be ready to move.”

“Torrance? How about Sky City?”

“We’re running close to maximum stresses in some places already. What are you looking for?”

“Too soon to tell. Aim for a factor of two.”

“Christ. We may fall apart.”

“If this works, we’ll have plenty of time for repairs. If not, we won’t need ’em. Lauren, you know the interior structure of Sky City better than anyone. I rely on you to pick out the weakest spots and be ready to strengthen them.” John glanced again around the group. He saw new energy on every face. “Anything else? I know there are a thousand details to be discussed and worked through, but I don’t want to take the time of the whole group on every one.”

Lauren Stansfield said, “A question that’s not engineering. When do we tell other people about this?”

“As soon as anyone asks. Just don’t waste time on long explanations. From the point of view of most people, nothing has changed. The old shield can’t handle the particle bundles, we’re building a new particle defense system, and it’s touch and go. That’s all still true — the job just became more difficult.”

“No.” Will Davis stood up. “An hour ago it was impossible. Now there’s hope, so it must be easier. Good one, Star.”

He left, and the others wandered out after him. Star Vjansander went reluctantly, saying, “It was my idea. I oughter stay and help.”

“It was your idea.” Wilmer shepherded her out. “And you ought to go. Anything you touch, you smash.”

Finally it was just John and Maddy Wheatstone. She came right up to him. “You know I’m not a trained engineer. But I’ll do anything I can to help.”

John asked the question he had been putting off for over a week. “Don’t you have to go back to Earth? I’m sure the Argos Group has other assignments for you now.”

“I don’t work for the Argos Group anymore. I quit.”

“You resigned? Why?” He saw the tormented expression in her eyes. “I’m sorry, I know that’s none of my business.”

“It’s all right. I resigned because of — personal reasons.”

“I see.” But he didn’t.

She seemed wilted, as though someone had sucked all the life out of her, as she said, “If you don’t mind, I don’t want to talk about it now.”

“I see.” John had no idea what to do next. He was tired, worried, and his head buzzed with a million technical problems. There was no way on earth that Maddy Wheatstone could possibly solve any of them. The logical thing to do was to let her leave.

Then he stopped thinking and said, “If you’re not going back to Earth right away, would you have dinner with me?” He counted his racing pulse through a long and awful pause, then added, “I didn’t mean tonight; I’m sure you have other plans. Anytime. I’m free anytime.”

She stood a foot away from him, breathing heavily. At last she said, “You’re not free ever. Not until the particle storm has been and gone.”

“I’ll make time. When?”

“Tonight’s as good as any. Where?”

“I’ll pick you up at your rooms.”

“You know where that is?”

“Yes, I know. Remember?”

“I do. When I saw you standing there in the middle of the night it scared me half to death.” Maddy smiled — at last. “I’ll do better this time; I won’t be scared. Let’s eat early. All right?”

She stared at him, waiting, while he did and said nothing. At last she turned and left.

John collapsed back into his chair. His thoughts skipped all over the place. The old shield was no good. The new defense system did not exist. Earth was in terrible danger. The next few weeks were going to be filled with enormous amounts of labor and dreadful risks. And he was doing — what?

He wasn’t quite sure, but whatever it was, he suspected that he had chosen the worst moment in history to do it.

Maddy left the engineering center with her mind in turmoil. They had been alone together, John showed real interest in her, and even then she had not been able to tell him what the Argos Group was doing on Sky City. She couldn’t make sense of her own feelings. She hated what Gordy Rolfe had said to her, but he had taught her everything she knew about business. Gordy was the reason that she was here. He was also a crook and a lunatic. And if the Argos Group was delivering inferior products and sabotaging shield development, nothing could be more important than that.

Celine Tanaka, when Maddy finally got through to her, had been skeptical. “ Slowing shield development? And delivering defective materials? That’s quite an accusation, against your own employer.”

“I don’t work for the Argos Group anymore.”

“Ah. I see.”

Maddy knew what Celine must be thinking. “Look, it’s not that I’m vindictive and trying to get back at Gordy Rolfe. This is really happening.”

“You have proof? And others will back you up?”

“Not real proof.”

It sounded weak, and it was. After an uncomfortably long silence, Celine said, “I’ll look into this. But I have to move carefully. You’re making a very serious charge.”

“I know.”

“Until I get back to you, don’t say another word to anyone.”

That order from Celine Tanaka was the hardest part. Maddy had wanted to tell John everything that she knew. But what did she know? Gordy himself had told her that it was all hearsay.

Was she helping to save Earth from destruction, or was she utterly deluded? There seemed nothing in between.

Maddy slowed her steps as she approached the elevator shaft leading down toward the perimeter. Should she go back?

The decision was made for her. There, waiting by the elevator, was one source of her problems. But for him she wouldn’t be agonizing over her actions.

Seth Parsigian nodded. “Got a second?”

“If it’s Argos business, I don’t.” Maddy needed to say it to somebody who understood, even if it was only to the unshaven thug lounging in front of her. “I’m out of there. I did it. I called Gordy and resigned.”