and check them. For Chrissakes—!”
“Why is that? Was that your idea? It’s stupid to not combine the entire system. I—”
“Look.” I said rapidly, “the Cat sometimes carries other gasses, for mining or farming. If the computer control automatically switched from A to B to C, you could end up breathing carbon dioxide, or whatever else you were carrying.”
“Oh.”
“I showed you that a couple days back.”
“I suppose I forgot. Still—”
“Quiet.” I did a quick calculation. With only a third of our oxy capacity filled—correction, we’d used some already—and on our present course—
“We won’t make it to our next station,” I announced.
Yuri kept his eyes on his driving. He scowled. “What about our suits?” he asked slowly. “They might have some air left.”
“Did you recharge yours when you came back in?”
“Ah…no.”
“I didn’t either.” Another screw-up.
I checked them anyway. Not much help, but some. I juggled figures around on the clipboard, but you can’t sidestep simple arithmetic. We were in deep trouble.
Yuri stepped up the Cat’s pace. It clanked and bounced over slabs of jutting purple ice. “I conclude,” he said, “that we should call the base and ask for assistance.”
I frowned. “I don’t like to do it.”
“Why? We must.”
“Somebody will have to fly out here and drop air packs. There’s always some risk, because even Ganymede’s thin air has winds in it. We don’t understand those winds yet.”
“I see.” Yuri gave me a guarded look. “An extra mission. It would not sit well with Commander Aarons, would it?”
“Probably not.” I could tell Yuri was thinking that when the report came to be written, he’d get the blame. “But look, the real point is that somebody back at base would have to risk his neck, and all because of a dumb mistake.”
Yuri was silent. The Walker rocked on over the broken ground. A thin pink ammonia stream flowed in the distance.
“You may not like it,” he said, “but I do not intend to die out here.” He reached for the radio, turned it on, and picked up the microphone.
“Wait,” I said. “I may…”
“Yah?”
“Let’s see that map.” I studied it for several minutes. I pointed out a spot to Yuri and said, “There, see that gully that runs off this valley?”
“Yes. So what?”
I drew a straight line from the gully through the hills to the next broad plain. The line ran through a red dot on the other side of the hills. “That’s a way station, that dot. I’ve been there before. We’re slated to check it in two days, on our way back. But I can reach it by foot from that gully, by hiking over the hills. It’s only seven kilometers.”
“You couldn’t make it.”
I worried over the map some more. A few minutes later I said, “I can do it. There’s a series of streambeds I can follow most of the distance; that’ll cut out a lot of climbing.” I worked the calculator. “Even allowing for the extra exertion, our oxy will last.”
Yuri shrugged. “Okay, boy scout. Just so you leave me enough to cover the time you’re gone, plus some extra so a rocket from the base can reach me if you crap out.”
“Why don’t you walk yourself?”
“I’m in favor of calling the base right now. But I’ll wait out your scheme if you want, right here, without budging an inch. I don’t like risks.”
“There’s a chance that rocket plane might foul up and crash, too. At least my way we can do something to help ourselves and not sit around on our hands waiting for assistance.”
“Those are my terms, Bohles. If you go, you go alone.”
I grimaced. It was a lousy, stinking mess with no good solutions. “Look, Yuri…” I began.
“Stuff it, Bohles. I will not try a crazy scheme for the sake of your pride.”
“ Pride? ” I said between clenched teeth.
Yuri leaned back casually in the pilot’s chair. “You have absolutely got to be in first place. You’re Matt Bohles,
“Why is that? Was that your idea? It’s stupid to not combine the entire system. I—”
“Look.” I said rapidly, “the Cat sometimes carries other gasses, for mining or farming. If the computer control automatically switched from A to B to C, you could end up breathing carbon dioxide, or whatever else you were carrying.”
“Oh.”
“I showed you that a couple days back.”
“I suppose I forgot. Still—”
“Quiet.” I did a quick calculation. With only a third of our oxy capacity filled—correction, we’d used some already—and on our present course—
“We won’t make it to our next station,” I announced.
Yuri kept his eyes on his driving. He scowled. “What about our suits?” he asked slowly. “They might have some air left.”
“Did you recharge yours when you came back in?”
“Ah…no.”
“I didn’t either.” Another screw-up.
I checked them anyway. Not much help, but some. I juggled figures around on the clipboard, but you can’t sidestep simple arithmetic. We were in deep trouble.
Yuri stepped up the Cat’s pace. It clanked and bounced over slabs of jutting purple ice. “I conclude,” he said, “that we should call the base and ask for assistance.”
I frowned. “I don’t like to do it.”
“Why? We must.”
“Somebody will have to fly out here and drop air packs. There’s always some risk, because even Ganymede’s thin air has winds in it. We don’t understand those winds yet.”
“I see.” Yuri gave me a guarded look. “An extra mission. It would not sit well with Commander Aarons, would it?”
“Probably not.” I could tell Yuri was thinking that when the report came to be written, he’d get the blame. “But look, the real point is that somebody back at base would have to risk his neck, and all because of a dumb mistake.”
Yuri was silent. The Walker rocked on over the broken ground. A thin pink ammonia stream flowed in the distance.
“You may not like it,” he said, “but I do not intend to die out here.” He reached for the radio, turned it on, and picked up the microphone.
“Wait,” I said. “I may…”
“Yah?”
“Let’s see that map.” I studied it for several minutes. I pointed out a spot to Yuri and said, “There, see that gully that runs off this valley?”
“Yes. So what?”
I drew a straight line from the gully through the hills to the next broad plain. The line ran through a red dot on the other side of the hills. “That’s a way station, that dot. I’ve been there before. We’re slated to check it in two days, on our way back. But I can reach it by foot from that gully, by hiking over the hills. It’s only seven kilometers.”
“You couldn’t make it.”
I worried over the map some more. A few minutes later I said, “I can do it. There’s a series of streambeds I can follow most of the distance; that’ll cut out a lot of climbing.” I worked the calculator. “Even allowing for the extra exertion, our oxy will last.”
Yuri shrugged. “Okay, boy scout. Just so you leave me enough to cover the time you’re gone, plus some extra so a rocket from the base can reach me if you crap out.”
“Why don’t you walk yourself?”
“I’m in favor of calling the base right now. But I’ll wait out your scheme if you want, right here, without budging an inch. I don’t like risks.”
“There’s a chance that rocket plane might foul up and crash, too. At least my way we can do something to help ourselves and not sit around on our hands waiting for assistance.”
“Those are my terms, Bohles. If you go, you go alone.”
I grimaced. It was a lousy, stinking mess with no good solutions. “Look, Yuri…” I began.
“Stuff it, Bohles. I will not try a crazy scheme for the sake of your pride.”
“ Pride? ” I said between clenched teeth.
Yuri leaned back casually in the pilot’s chair. “You have absolutely got to be in first place. You’re Matt Bohles,
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