The Aftermath by Ben Bova Page A

said.
    Madagascar nodded. “He’s got the clout to make ’em do what he wants.”
    â€œThem?”
    â€œThe IAA. Selene. The university consortium that runs the research stations orbiting Jupiter and Venus. The big-ass corporations.”
    â€œThe powers that be,” Victor muttered.
    â€œIf they don’t do what Big George wants, the rock rats won’t supply resources.”
    â€œWhat’s left of the rock rats.”
    â€œThere’s plenty of ’em left. The people on Chrysalis were mainly storekeepers and clerks. The miners and smeltery workers were on their own ships, scattered all across the Belt.”
    â€œMy family’s out there somewhere,” Victor said.
    Madagascar took a healthy slug of wine. Putting the stemmed glass down on the tabletop, she said, “Face it, Zacharias: Your family’s most likely dead.”
    â€œNo,” he said.
    â€œYou know better than that,” she insisted. “If they’re not dead already they’re as good as dead, drifting out there in the Belt somewhere. Nobody’s going to find them.”
    â€œI will.”
    â€œYou will? How?”
    â€œI’ll need a ship.”
    â€œDamned right you will.”
    And then it hit him. “And I’ll need Big George’s clout.”
    Captain Madagascar smiled like a lynx. “I could help you with Big George. And with this ship.”
    Victor nodded. He knew what she wanted in return.

ORE SHIP SYRACUSE : BACKUP COMMAND POD
    The command pod was crowded with all three of them in there. Theo felt the body heat of his mother and sister, the tension of their anxieties, their expectations, their fears.
    â€œThree minutes to go,” he said, trying to keep his voice firm and clear.
    He was sitting in the command chair. Theo had configured the electronic keyboard to control the propulsion system program. Now his eyes were fixed on the main display screen. Almost everything in the green, so far. Angie was standing behind him on one side, his mother on the other.
    Pauline placed her hand on his shoulder. He glanced up at her.
    â€œTheo, I want you to remember that this was a family decision. We all agreed to do it.”
    â€œI know, Mom.”
    â€œIf it doesn’t go right, I don’t want you to blame yourself. We’re all in this together.”
    Angie said, “It’ll go right, Mom. Don’t worry.”
    Theo thought that his sister’s voice sounded high and brittle. Angie’s worried too, he thought, but she doesn’t want to show it.
    Theo focused his attention on the control board. He and Angie had checked the pumps that fed the main engine a dozen times. With their mother helping them, they had inspected every centimeter of the propulsion system’s piping and electrical wiring. The board showed no red lights, only a pair of ambers and they were minor backup circuits, not crucially important; everything else was in the green.
    â€œTwo minutes and counting,” the computer’s synthesized voice said. Theo realized the computer sounded almost exactly like his father’s voice. Naturally, he thought. Dad programmed it himself.
    They heard a thump and a groaning rattle from deep in the bowels of the ship. Before Angie or his mother could say anything, Theo told them, “Main pump powering up.”
    Angie was leaning over his shoulder now, squinting at the countdown checklist displayed on the screen to his right. “Open the hydrogen feed lines at T minus ninety seconds.”
    He nodded and placed his finger on the proper key. It’s programmed to open automatically, but I’ll punch the manual command anyway, he said to himself.
    â€œT minus ninety,” came the synthesized voice. “Hydrogen feed line open.”
    A new green light winked on.
    â€œConfirm feed line open,” Theo said, his own voice sounding slightly shaky in his ears.
    â€œT minus sixty seconds. Automatic sequencer