Jack McDevitt - POLARIS

“Hard to believe,” I said, “someone like that could be part of this.”

“It would take somebody like that,” he said.

We moved slowly through the field of orbiting rocks. They ranged in size from pebbles to moons twice the size of the big moon at home. The planets were recently formed, still in the process of clearing gas and assorted debris out of the neighborhood. Roman Hopkin had not been exaggerating when he described a dusty embrace. Belle did the examinations, of course, while we looked out the windows.

She was far more efficient than we would have been, checking out whole clusters of the things simultaneously. Had it been necessary for Alex and me to do it, we’d still be there.

It took just over a week.

Belle woke me in the middle of the night to say she had a hit. “ Ninety-nine percent probability,” she added. It was a big, misshapen asteroid, craggy, broken, its surface covered with ridges and craters. Communication, sensing, and collection equipment bristled from its higher ground. It had at least six attitude thrusters. We could even see where a section had been cut away to provide easier ingress to docking bays.

“Any sign of another ship?” I asked her.

“Negative, Chase.” She didn’t add, didn’t need to, that this area would be easy to hide in.

“Okay, Belle. I want you to position the ship one kilometer from the outstation.

Match course and speed with it.”

“Complying.”

Outstations are designed so that arriving ships find the docks wide open. You just glide in, tie up, exit through a boarding tube, and you’re inside. That’s all there is to it. The way we did at Meriwether.

But here we were looking at an asteroid that just hung there in the night. No doors had opened on our approach, no transmission informed us of the virtues of the Wong-Ti Restaurant, no lights came on.

It appeared to be in tidal lock, always showing the same face to the big planet.

The surface was a tangle of jagged rock and craters. I could see hatches scattered here and there. Most were designed to provide access to fields of sensors, antennas, telescopes, and/or collectors. That’s what you’d expect, of course. They were service hatches. I found what looked like a main access near the docking area. It would take us right into the concourse.

We’d need extra air tanks. And a laser. In case the airlocks weren’t working.

If Barber were there, she’d probably already been alerted that we’d arrived. So there was no reasonable chance of sneaking up on her at four in the morning. I decided to let Alex sleep, but I didn’t go back to my own cabin. If something happened, I wanted to be on the bridge.

When Alex appeared a few hours later, his first question was whether I’d seen any sign of Barber. No, I said, everything’s quiet.

“Good,” he said. “Maybe we’ll be okay.”

I showed him the hatch I thought we should use.

He frowned. “No.”

“Why not? It’s ideal.”

He indicated a service hatch buried among ridges in a remote antenna field.

“ That one,” he said.

“Alex, that’s a long way from the docks. If we go in there, it’s going to be a major hike into the operating spaces.”

“That’s exactly right.”

“So why are we using it?”

“Because if Barber’s here, she’ll think the same way you do. She’ll expect us to use the hatch by the docks.”

He had a point. “Okay,” I said. “But that’s rough country. I’m not excited about taking the ship in close to those ridges.”

“We’d have to jump, wouldn’t we?”

“Yes, we would.” Maybe twenty meters or so.

Unaccountably, he seemed to think that was good. “We’ll use the lander,” he said. “Or at least, I will.”

“What do you mean? We’re both going over, right?”

He delivered that familiar mischievous grin.

LANDER:

On my way, Chase.

BELLE:

Flight time will be four and a half minutes, Alex.

LANDER:

That checks with onboard data.

BELLE:

Be careful when you get out. Just step across to the airlock. You have the generator, right?

LANDER:

Yes, Chase, I have the generator. And the laser.

BELLE:

When you get inside, we’re going to lose radio contact.

LANDER:

I know.

BELLE:

That means you exercise extreme caution.

LANDER:

Chase, we’ve been over this. I’ll be careful.

BELLE:

Don’t forget you get back to the lander ninety minutes after arrival. If I don’t see you within that time, I’m coming over.

LANDER:

Have no fear, my pretty. I’ll come out and wave to you.

BELLE:

I don’t like this arrangement, Alex.

LANDER:

Just keep cool. Everything’s fine. Did you give the AI her directions?

BELLE:

Yes. Nobody’s going to get on board. If anyone tries, we’ll accelerate, and whoever’s out there will get tossed.

LANDER:

Very good. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about, but…

BELLE: … Better safe than sorry. (Pause.) Target hatch is to starboard.

LANDER:

Pity we can’t open the access doors. Just take Belle right in.

BELLE:

This place has had no power for centuries, Alex.

LANDER:

Okay. Coming up on it now.

BELLE:

Don’t forget the tether.

LANDER:

It’s not really a big deal. All I have to do is lean out the airlock and the hatch is right there.

BELLE:

Do me a favor and let’s do this the way we said we would.

LANDER:

You’ll make somebody a good aunt one day.

BELLE:

I already am somebody’s aunt.

LANDER:

I’m not surprised.

BELLE:

Alex, after you’re on the ground, Belle will pull the lander back a bit.

LANDER:

Okay. I’ve arrived.

BELLE:

Contact.

LANDER:

That’s what I said, Chase. Beginning depressurization.

BELLE:

I read you. Keep in mind there’ll be no artificial gravity on the rock.

LANDER:

I know.

BELLE:

And no maintenance for a long time. Watch what you grab hold of.

LANDER:

I always watch what I grab hold of.

BELLE:

Let’s try to stay serious, Alex. This thing has collectors, and it’s just barely possible it still has power somewhere. Stranger things have happened.

LANDER:

I hear you.

BELLE:

Anything metal is dangerous.

LANDER:

Stop worrying, Beautiful. You’re talking as if I’ve never done anything like this before.

BELLE:

It’s a dreary-looking place.

LANDER:

Hatch is open. I’m tethered and on my way.

BELLE:

You’ve got everything?

LANDER:

Would you please stop?

BELLE:

It’s the price you pay for leaving me behind.

LANDER:

I’m out of the lander. It’s a jump of about fifty centimeters.

BELLE:

Okay.

LANDER:

I think I can make it.

BELLE:

I hope so.

LANDER:

On the ground. Releasing tether.

BELLE:

Standing by to retract tether.

LANDER:

Approaching the entry hatch.

BELLE:

I can see you.

LANDER: (Pause.) Chase, I’ve got the manual release.