don’t know exactly where we are,”
Perri said. She was ensconced in the copilot’s chair while Rolli
provided her with continuing instructions on how to handle the Space Dragon.
“Which is one more reason why we need to set
down as soon as possible,” Rolli said. “If we stray toward the edge
of the galaxy or into the Empty Sector, we could find ourselves in
serious trouble. In its present condition, the Space Dragon will not be capable of withstanding renewed physical stress.”
“All of which means,” Halvo said, “that we
are going to have to settle for something less than our ideal. I
have just found a planet orbiting a small yellow star.” Halvo
worked the buttons on the navigator’s panel, bringing the image of
a rocky, barren-looking world onto the small screen in front of
him.
“Turn your circuitry loose on this image,
Rolli, and tell us what your conclusions are. I have seen places
like that one before, and I have even walked on a few of them. That
little world will be blazing hot during the daylight hours and
unbearably cold at night. I mean that literally. Such planets are
intolerable to humans except for a short time after sunrise and
again after sunset.”
“Then, this planet you have just discovered
cannot be of any use to us.” Perri pointed at the navigator’s
screen. “What do those symbols mean?”
Rolli answered her, responding as her finger
moved from symbol to symbol, explaining patiently as always. “A
thin atmosphere. On the uppermost hillsides a human could not
breathe. At lower levels, where the air pressure increases, the
atmosphere is marginally acceptable, but a space suit will be
necessary for outside work. In deep ravines or caves, it should be
possible to remove a space suit and still survive.”
“This symbol indicates the presence of water
molecules,” Halvo said, taking up the explanation. “The ship’s
computer doesn’t tell us whether it is in frozen or liquid state,
but from the other data I would say that on the planet’s surface it
would have to be frozen and confined to places where the sun never
shines. Otherwise, it would melt and boil away during the hot
daytimes.”
“I concur,” Rolli said, and went on to
explain the other symbols displayed on the navigator’s screen.
Perri stared at the small screen, attempting
to combine the image and the symbols in her mind so she could make
sense of what she beheld. In the last 18 hours she had learned a
lot about the Space Dragon and the way its various systems
functioned. Rolli and Halvo had answered every one of her
questions. Neither the man nor the robot had so much as hinted that
a mere woman had no right to know how a spaceship operated.
As a result of their tutoring Perri
understood why the food processor had once again stopped
functioning, though understanding did not make her less hungry. She
also knew she was cold because the air in the ship which,
fortunately, was still safe to breathe, was no longer being heated
adequately. Halvo and Rolli had explained a series of system
breakdowns to her. Taken individually, the problems were minor.
Added together, they were making the Space Dragon an
increasingly unpleasant place to be. Ultimately, Halvo had warned
her, the ship would become a dangerous environment. Still, to one
who was not experienced in space travel, the familiar ship
represented security, while everything in the vast blackness
outside it was threatening.
“That planet doesn’t look like a very
hospitable place,” Perri said. “Can’t we explore a little farther?
Is our situation really so desperate?”
“At the moment, we are not in dire straits,”
Halvo answered, “but in another day or two we will be, and we have
no guarantee of finding a better spot. If Rolli agrees, I vote for
a landing on that planet.” He paused, looking toward Rolli, but the
robot was taking longer than usual to process the data on the
screen.
“Rolli?” Halvo said. “Do you have any
reservations about
Perri said. She was ensconced in the copilot’s chair while Rolli
provided her with continuing instructions on how to handle the Space Dragon.
“Which is one more reason why we need to set
down as soon as possible,” Rolli said. “If we stray toward the edge
of the galaxy or into the Empty Sector, we could find ourselves in
serious trouble. In its present condition, the Space Dragon will not be capable of withstanding renewed physical stress.”
“All of which means,” Halvo said, “that we
are going to have to settle for something less than our ideal. I
have just found a planet orbiting a small yellow star.” Halvo
worked the buttons on the navigator’s panel, bringing the image of
a rocky, barren-looking world onto the small screen in front of
him.
“Turn your circuitry loose on this image,
Rolli, and tell us what your conclusions are. I have seen places
like that one before, and I have even walked on a few of them. That
little world will be blazing hot during the daylight hours and
unbearably cold at night. I mean that literally. Such planets are
intolerable to humans except for a short time after sunrise and
again after sunset.”
“Then, this planet you have just discovered
cannot be of any use to us.” Perri pointed at the navigator’s
screen. “What do those symbols mean?”
Rolli answered her, responding as her finger
moved from symbol to symbol, explaining patiently as always. “A
thin atmosphere. On the uppermost hillsides a human could not
breathe. At lower levels, where the air pressure increases, the
atmosphere is marginally acceptable, but a space suit will be
necessary for outside work. In deep ravines or caves, it should be
possible to remove a space suit and still survive.”
“This symbol indicates the presence of water
molecules,” Halvo said, taking up the explanation. “The ship’s
computer doesn’t tell us whether it is in frozen or liquid state,
but from the other data I would say that on the planet’s surface it
would have to be frozen and confined to places where the sun never
shines. Otherwise, it would melt and boil away during the hot
daytimes.”
“I concur,” Rolli said, and went on to
explain the other symbols displayed on the navigator’s screen.
Perri stared at the small screen, attempting
to combine the image and the symbols in her mind so she could make
sense of what she beheld. In the last 18 hours she had learned a
lot about the Space Dragon and the way its various systems
functioned. Rolli and Halvo had answered every one of her
questions. Neither the man nor the robot had so much as hinted that
a mere woman had no right to know how a spaceship operated.
As a result of their tutoring Perri
understood why the food processor had once again stopped
functioning, though understanding did not make her less hungry. She
also knew she was cold because the air in the ship which,
fortunately, was still safe to breathe, was no longer being heated
adequately. Halvo and Rolli had explained a series of system
breakdowns to her. Taken individually, the problems were minor.
Added together, they were making the Space Dragon an
increasingly unpleasant place to be. Ultimately, Halvo had warned
her, the ship would become a dangerous environment. Still, to one
who was not experienced in space travel, the familiar ship
represented security, while everything in the vast blackness
outside it was threatening.
“That planet doesn’t look like a very
hospitable place,” Perri said. “Can’t we explore a little farther?
Is our situation really so desperate?”
“At the moment, we are not in dire straits,”
Halvo answered, “but in another day or two we will be, and we have
no guarantee of finding a better spot. If Rolli agrees, I vote for
a landing on that planet.” He paused, looking toward Rolli, but the
robot was taking longer than usual to process the data on the
screen.
“Rolli?” Halvo said. “Do you have any
reservations about
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