“First, I don’t see it as an either-or situation. We can work on the greenhouse problems and explore Mars, too. They’re not mutually exclusive.”
“Everyone else seems to think they are,” said Stavenger.
Shaking his head, Jamie went on, “The greenhouse crisis is being used as an excuse to kill the Mars program.”
“Used as an excuse?” Edith asked, her blue eyes widening. “Who by?”
“The fundamentalists. The New Morality and their people in government. They don’t want us to learn more about the Martians. They want to bury everything we’ve discovered, forget about it forever. They’ve got control of the government, they’re scaring the big money into lining up with them. Everywhere I turn to, there’s this big invisible enemy all around me, stifling me, pushing me down. I feel like I’m drowning.”
Stavenger looked at his wife for a moment, then turned back to Jamie. “So you’re asking Selene to take up the funding burden for you?”
“I don’t think of it as a burden.”
“A poor choice of words. But you need financial help, don’t you?”
Jamie hesitated, then admitted, “Yes. It boils down to funding.”
“Always does,” Edith murmured.
Stavenger reached up and scratched at his dark brown hair. The gesture made him look suddenly boyish.
“Look,” he said. “Selene isn’t prosperous enough to spend billions on something that won’t bring us any return.”
“It won’t cost billions,” Jamie said.
“No?”
“Basically, what we need is help with transportation. I plan to ask the men and women on Mars to stretch out their stays an extra year, so we can cut our transportation costs just about in half.”
“Except for life-support supplies,” Vijay interjected.
Jamie suppressed an urge to scowl at her. “Supplies are a major part of it, yes.”
Stavenger asked, “How much of your life-support requirements do you generate from Mars itself?”
“We take oxygen and nitrogen from the atmosphere to make breathable air,” Jamie replied. “Water from the permafrost. We grow some of our own food hydroponically.”
Nodding, Stavenger said, “But you need protein, medical supplies, that sort of thing.”
Impressed with Stavenger’s understanding, Jamie said, “Right.”
“We’ve been there. We’ve worked damned hard to make Selene as self-sufficient as possible. We use aquaculture to raise protein: fish, shellfish, frogs.”
“Gives us a lot more protein for the energy inputs than a herd of cattle would,” Edith added.
“Or even rabbits and smaller land animals,” said Stavenger.
“You understand what we’re up against, then,” Jamie said.
“Yes,” Stavenger replied, “but the question that needs to be answered is still, what’s in it for Selene? We can’t afford to be philanthropic.”
“We’re talking about exploring a new world!” Jamie said, trying to keep his tone even, reasonable. “A world that once bore intelligent life.”
“I know that. But that exploration costs money. That’s why you’re here.”
“Yes,” Jamie admitted.
“I’m willing to do whatever I can to help you,” Stavenger said. “But I’ve got to bring something reasonable to our governing council.”
“Reasonable,” Jamie muttered darkly.
“If there was some hope of a payback, some kind of return on our investment—”
“Exploring Mars isn’t a profit-making operation,” Jamie snapped. “Science doesn’t give you a payback, not right away.”
“I know that, but still — “
“But still, you’re going to sit on your backside and let them close down the Mars program. The same people who tried to take over Moonbase, the same know-nothings and power brokers who’ve banned nanotechnology, who sat there for fucking decades and let this greenhouse disaster roll over them, you’re going to let them shut down the exploration of a new world without lifting a finger to help us!”
Jamie realized he was on his feet, standing in front of
“Everyone else seems to think they are,” said Stavenger.
Shaking his head, Jamie went on, “The greenhouse crisis is being used as an excuse to kill the Mars program.”
“Used as an excuse?” Edith asked, her blue eyes widening. “Who by?”
“The fundamentalists. The New Morality and their people in government. They don’t want us to learn more about the Martians. They want to bury everything we’ve discovered, forget about it forever. They’ve got control of the government, they’re scaring the big money into lining up with them. Everywhere I turn to, there’s this big invisible enemy all around me, stifling me, pushing me down. I feel like I’m drowning.”
Stavenger looked at his wife for a moment, then turned back to Jamie. “So you’re asking Selene to take up the funding burden for you?”
“I don’t think of it as a burden.”
“A poor choice of words. But you need financial help, don’t you?”
Jamie hesitated, then admitted, “Yes. It boils down to funding.”
“Always does,” Edith murmured.
Stavenger reached up and scratched at his dark brown hair. The gesture made him look suddenly boyish.
“Look,” he said. “Selene isn’t prosperous enough to spend billions on something that won’t bring us any return.”
“It won’t cost billions,” Jamie said.
“No?”
“Basically, what we need is help with transportation. I plan to ask the men and women on Mars to stretch out their stays an extra year, so we can cut our transportation costs just about in half.”
“Except for life-support supplies,” Vijay interjected.
Jamie suppressed an urge to scowl at her. “Supplies are a major part of it, yes.”
Stavenger asked, “How much of your life-support requirements do you generate from Mars itself?”
“We take oxygen and nitrogen from the atmosphere to make breathable air,” Jamie replied. “Water from the permafrost. We grow some of our own food hydroponically.”
Nodding, Stavenger said, “But you need protein, medical supplies, that sort of thing.”
Impressed with Stavenger’s understanding, Jamie said, “Right.”
“We’ve been there. We’ve worked damned hard to make Selene as self-sufficient as possible. We use aquaculture to raise protein: fish, shellfish, frogs.”
“Gives us a lot more protein for the energy inputs than a herd of cattle would,” Edith added.
“Or even rabbits and smaller land animals,” said Stavenger.
“You understand what we’re up against, then,” Jamie said.
“Yes,” Stavenger replied, “but the question that needs to be answered is still, what’s in it for Selene? We can’t afford to be philanthropic.”
“We’re talking about exploring a new world!” Jamie said, trying to keep his tone even, reasonable. “A world that once bore intelligent life.”
“I know that. But that exploration costs money. That’s why you’re here.”
“Yes,” Jamie admitted.
“I’m willing to do whatever I can to help you,” Stavenger said. “But I’ve got to bring something reasonable to our governing council.”
“Reasonable,” Jamie muttered darkly.
“If there was some hope of a payback, some kind of return on our investment—”
“Exploring Mars isn’t a profit-making operation,” Jamie snapped. “Science doesn’t give you a payback, not right away.”
“I know that, but still — “
“But still, you’re going to sit on your backside and let them close down the Mars program. The same people who tried to take over Moonbase, the same know-nothings and power brokers who’ve banned nanotechnology, who sat there for fucking decades and let this greenhouse disaster roll over them, you’re going to let them shut down the exploration of a new world without lifting a finger to help us!”
Jamie realized he was on his feet, standing in front of
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