Space Stations Part 25

Eriksen's good intentions were sidetracked again by his dauntless Cajun pilot.

After two months together on their voyage out, plus several months spent on Earth getting ready for the mission, it was well known to all that Eriksen wasa happily married man with a loving wife and two small kids, who were anxiously waiting for his return. It was also no secret that Linde h.o.e.rter had a fianci, whom she planned to marry on her return.

And, n.o.buo Okita had an ailing mother at home.

For those reasons neither h.o.e.rter nor Okita volunteered to stay behind but they made it clear that they would be willing to do so if called upon by the captain. Ivanov had gotten married only a few months before Ares' departure and his wife had not seen him for almost a year; besides, his leg had not yet healed completely.

The Cajun pointed out those undeniable facts about the four and then declared that he had n.o.body in particular he had to go back to and he was therefore the logical person to stay behind. He carefully avoided saying anything at all personal about Jeanne Monier.

Instead, Boutillier looked at Monier-with his eyes eloquently saying the unspoken words. She looked straight back, answering his unvoiced question.

She volunteered immediately.

Eriksen clearly saw the inevitable. "All right, if you two think you can manage to survive by yourselves for the next six to nine months, so be it."

Silently, Boutillier said to himself, To be really alone with Jeanne for six months! From where he sat now, even nine months would not seem long. Besides, this would give him plenty of time to explore Phobosfor any sign that it might have been used as a s.p.a.ce station a long time before.

Eriksen had to caution him not to use Valkyrie to go back to Mars except in the event of utter emergency, aware that he had no way of enforcing his injunctions once he was gone. Still, Jeanne would probably be a moderating influence on the audacious Cajun.

Well, he didn't tell me not to go to Deimos. That's another place where I could look for information about the origin of the Martian moons. Boutillier smiled to himself as he thought of all the explorations that Jeanne and he could be doing together.

Upon his return to Earth, Captain Eriksen was going to recommend that s.p.a.ce Station Phobos (Fear) be renamed Orbital Base Hope in view of the bright future he foresaw now.

History records that the first person to walk on Mars was from Trailblazer, and the first people to land on Mars alive were from Ares. And, the first two residents of Phobos were from both s.h.i.+ps.

This story is dedicated to the memory of Professor Juergen Rahe, who capably directed the Planetary Exploration Program at the NASA Headquarters until his tragic death in 1997. He was a good friend and colleague for more than three decades. A Martian Crater was recently named after him.

Black Hole Station

by Jack Williamson

Magellan Magellan Magellan Magellan, but four hundred years pa.s.sed here on Earth while we were away." , but four hundred years pa.s.sed here on Earth while we were away." , but four hundred years pa.s.sed here on Earth while we were away." , but four hundred years pa.s.sed here on Earth while we were away."

When I wondered how that could be, he said something I didn't understand When I wondered how that could be, he said something I didn't understand When I wondered how that could be, he said something I didn't understand When I wondered how that could be, he said something I didn't understand about Einstein and the relativity of s.p.a.ce and time. about Einstein and the relativity of s.p.a.ce and time. about Einstein and the relativity of s.p.a.ce and time. about Einstein and the relativity of s.p.a.ce and time.

"No need to vex your little head about it." He laughed at my fears. "Or about "No need to vex your little head about it." He laughed at my fears. "Or about "No need to vex your little head about it." He laughed at my fears. "Or about "No need to vex your little head about it." He laughed at my fears. "Or about any danger from NBH itself. It's too far off to touch us, and I got away any danger from NBH itself. It's too far off to touch us, and I got away any danger from NBH itself. It's too far off to touch us, and I got away any danger from NBH itself. It's too far off to touch us, and I got away without a scar. It was coming home that nearly killed me. The Arkwood without a scar. It was coming home that nearly killed me. The Arkwood without a scar. It was coming home that nearly killed me. The Arkwood without a scar. It was coming home that nearly killed me. The Arkwood expedition had been forgotten. n.o.body wanted to believe a black hole could expedition had been forgotten. n.o.body wanted to believe a black hole could expedition had been forgotten. n.o.body wanted to believe a black hole could expedition had been forgotten. n.o.body wanted to believe a black hole could be so near. People called me crazy, and I did feel driven half out of my mind. be so near. People called me crazy, and I did feel driven half out of my mind. be so near. People called me crazy, and I did feel driven half out of my mind. be so near. People called me crazy, and I did feel driven half out of my mind.

Your mother saved me." Your mother saved me." Your mother saved me." Your mother saved me."

I heard more about that from her. A journalist a.s.signed to do the story, she I heard more about that from her. A journalist a.s.signed to do the story, she I heard more about that from her. A journalist a.s.signed to do the story, she I heard more about that from her. A journalist a.s.signed to do the story, she found him in a bar, overwhelmed by an Earth that seemed stranger than NBH found him in a bar, overwhelmed by an Earth that seemed stranger than NBH found him in a bar, overwhelmed by an Earth that seemed stranger than NBH found him in a bar, overwhelmed by an Earth that seemed stranger than NBH and drinking to escape more questions than he had answers for. With her at and drinking to escape more questions than he had answers for. With her at and drinking to escape more questions than he had answers for. With her at and drinking to escape more questions than he had answers for. With her at his side, he made the best of his moment. his side, he made the best of his moment. his side, he made the best of his moment. his side, he made the best of his moment.

She helped him set up the Arkwood Foundation and find funds to build She helped him set up the Arkwood Foundation and find funds to build She helped him set up the Arkwood Foundation and find funds to build She helped him set up the Arkwood Foundation and find funds to build Black Hole Station. Every other year through my childhood and youth, a Black Hole Station. Every other year through my childhood and youth, a Black Hole Station. Every other year through my childhood and youth, a Black Hole Station. Every other year through my childhood and youth, a new new new new Magellan Magellan Magellan Magellan took off to carry supplies for it and relieve half the six-man took off to carry supplies for it and relieve half the six-man took off to carry supplies for it and relieve half the six-man took off to carry supplies for it and relieve half the six-man staff. staff. staff. staff.

Of course n.o.body returned to report anything. n.o.body could, not for another Of course n.o.body returned to report anything. n.o.body could, not for another Of course n.o.body returned to report anything. n.o.body could, not for another Of course n.o.body returned to report anything. n.o.body could, not for another four hundred years. I remember sitting at the dinners my mother used to give four hundred years. I remember sitting at the dinners my mother used to give four hundred years. I remember sitting at the dinners my mother used to give four hundred years. I remember sitting at the dinners my mother used to give for the foundation staff and my father's scientific friends. Listening to their for the foundation staff and my father's scientific friends. Listening to their for the foundation staff and my father's scientific friends. Listening to their for the foundation staff and my father's scientific friends. Listening to their talk, I felt baffled by the riddles of NBH and haunted with dread of its talk, I felt baffled by the riddles of NBH and haunted with dread of its talk, I felt baffled by the riddles of NBH and haunted with dread of its talk, I felt baffled by the riddles of NBH and haunted with dread of its invisible power. invisible power. invisible power. invisible power.

Schwarchild bubbles? Event horizons? Anti-horizons? Singularies? Quantum Schwarchild bubbles? Event horizons? Anti-horizons? Singularies? Quantum Schwarchild bubbles? Event horizons? Anti-horizons? Singularies? Quantum Schwarchild bubbles? Event horizons? Anti-horizons? Singularies? Quantum geometries? Negative matter? Negative time? Black holes, white holes, geometries? Negative matter? Negative time? Black holes, white holes, geometries? Negative matter? Negative time? Black holes, white holes, geometries? Negative matter? Negative time? Black holes, white holes, wormholes? What did the words mean? What dark magic let the black hole wormholes? What did the words mean? What dark magic let the black hole wormholes? What did the words mean? What dark magic let the black hole wormholes? What did the words mean? What dark magic let the black hole pull men off the Earth, not to return till all they had known was gone? pull men off the Earth, not to return till all they had known was gone? pull men off the Earth, not to return till all they had known was gone? pull men off the Earth, not to return till all they had known was gone?

"Wormholes?" I asked my father once. "Are they really tunnels through s.p.a.ce "Wormholes?" I asked my father once. "Are they really tunnels through s.p.a.ce "Wormholes?" I asked my father once. "Are they really tunnels through s.p.a.ce "Wormholes?" I asked my father once. "Are they really tunnels through s.p.a.ce and time to other worlds?" and time to other worlds?" and time to other worlds?" and time to other worlds?"

"Flying carpets?" He laughed at the question. "Not for s.p.a.cecraft. Not even if "Flying carpets?" He laughed at the question. "Not for s.p.a.cecraft. Not even if "Flying carpets?" He laughed at the question. "Not for s.p.a.cecraft. Not even if "Flying carpets?" He laughed at the question. "Not for s.p.a.cecraft. Not even if they do exist. Tidal forces would tear your unlucky astronaut into superhot they do exist. Tidal forces would tear your unlucky astronaut into superhot they do exist. Tidal forces would tear your unlucky astronaut into superhot they do exist. Tidal forces would tear your unlucky astronaut into superhot plasma, and matter that falls into the Schwarzchild bubble stays there. plasma, and matter that falls into the Schwarzchild bubble stays there. plasma, and matter that falls into the Schwarzchild bubble stays there. plasma, and matter that falls into the Schwarzchild bubble stays there.

Nothing gets out except the Hawking hot-body radiation. And not much of Nothing gets out except the Hawking hot-body radiation. And not much of Nothing gets out except the Hawking hot-body radiation. And not much of Nothing gets out except the Hawking hot-body radiation. And not much ofthat." that." that." that."

"So what good is the station?" "So what good is the station?" "So what good is the station?" "So what good is the station?"

"No way to know." He shrugged, his bright blue eyes looking off beyond me. "No way to know." He shrugged, his bright blue eyes looking off beyond me. "No way to know." He shrugged, his bright blue eyes looking off beyond me. "No way to know." He shrugged, his bright blue eyes looking off beyond me.

"No way for us, here and now. But I want to know what's waiting for us, "No way for us, here and now. But I want to know what's waiting for us, "No way for us, here and now. But I want to know what's waiting for us, "No way for us, here and now. But I want to know what's waiting for us, there inside the bubble. NBH is a natural lab with a trillion times more there inside the bubble. NBH is a natural lab with a trillion times more there inside the bubble. NBH is a natural lab with a trillion times more there inside the bubble. NBH is a natural lab with a trillion times more power than anything we can build here on Earth." power than anything we can build here on Earth." power than anything we can build here on Earth." power than anything we can build here on Earth."

My mother may have known how impatient he was for that knowledge, but I My mother may have known how impatient he was for that knowledge, but I My mother may have known how impatient he was for that knowledge, but I My mother may have known how impatient he was for that knowledge, but I was stunned on the morning at breakfast, the year I was twelve, when he was stunned on the morning at breakfast, the year I was twelve, when he was stunned on the morning at breakfast, the year I was twelve, when he was stunned on the morning at breakfast, the year I was twelve, when he pushed his plate aside and looked across the table at my mother. He told her pushed his plate aside and looked across the table at my mother. He told her pushed his plate aside and looked across the table at my mother. He told her pushed his plate aside and looked across the table at my mother. He told her he was taking the next relief s.h.i.+p out to the station. he was taking the next relief s.h.i.+p out to the station. he was taking the next relief s.h.i.+p out to the station. he was taking the next relief s.h.i.+p out to the station.

Her face gone pale, she sank back in her chair. Her face gone pale, she sank back in her chair. Her face gone pale, she sank back in her chair. Her face gone pale, she sank back in her chair.

"If you have to go." Her lips were quivering when she finally gathered herself "If you have to go." Her lips were quivering when she finally gathered herself "If you have to go." Her lips were quivering when she finally gathered herself "If you have to go." Her lips were quivering when she finally gathered herself to speak. "If you have to." to speak. "If you have to." to speak. "If you have to." to speak. "If you have to."

Bravely, she helped him pack what he wanted to take and invited his friends Bravely, she helped him pack what he wanted to take and invited his friends Bravely, she helped him pack what he wanted to take and invited his friends Bravely, she helped him pack what he wanted to take and invited his friends to a farewell dinner. She had to wipe at her tears before she could kiss him to a farewell dinner. She had to wipe at her tears before she could kiss him to a farewell dinner. She had to wipe at her tears before she could kiss him to a farewell dinner. She had to wipe at her tears before she could kiss him farewell. My throat was aching when he gripped my hand and turned to farewell. My throat was aching when he gripped my hand and turned to farewell. My throat was aching when he gripped my hand and turned to farewell. My throat was aching when he gripped my hand and turned to leave, and my own eyes blurred at the eager spring in his step as he walked up leave, and my own eyes blurred at the eager spring in his step as he walked up leave, and my own eyes blurred at the eager spring in his step as he walked up leave, and my own eyes blurred at the eager spring in his step as he walked up the ramp to board the ramp to board the ramp to board the ramp to board Magellan Five Magellan Five Magellan Five Magellan Five . . . .

"He loves us," she whispered to me. "But NBH has caught him. It will never "He loves us," she whispered to me. "But NBH has caught him. It will never "He loves us," she whispered to me. "But NBH has caught him. It will never "He loves us," she whispered to me. "But NBH has caught him. It will never let him go." let him go." let him go." let him go."

She took his place at the head of the foundation and kept the relief s.h.i.+ps She took his place at the head of the foundation and kept the relief s.h.i.+ps She took his place at the head of the foundation and kept the relief s.h.i.+ps She took his place at the head of the foundation and kept the relief s.h.i.+ps flying out. Over the years I met most of the volunteers when they came for flying out. Over the years I met most of the volunteers when they came for flying out. Over the years I met most of the volunteers when they came for flying out. Over the years I met most of the volunteers when they came for training. All of them were men. She insisted very firmly that black holes were training. All of them were men. She insisted very firmly that black holes were training. All of them were men. She insisted very firmly that black holes were training. All of them were men. She insisted very firmly that black holes were not for women. not for women. not for women. not for women.

Those men were a bright and lively lot. I admired them for many things: their Those men were a bright and lively lot. I admired them for many things: their Those men were a bright and lively lot. I admired them for many things: their Those men were a bright and lively lot. I admired them for many things: their abilities, their courage, their dedication to science. Yet I felt a sort of pity for abilities, their courage, their dedication to science. Yet I felt a sort of pity for abilities, their courage, their dedication to science. Yet I felt a sort of pity for abilities, their courage, their dedication to science. Yet I felt a sort of pity for them. Every one, in his own way, had suffered some painful loss. them. Every one, in his own way, had suffered some painful loss. them. Every one, in his own way, had suffered some painful loss. them. Every one, in his own way, had suffered some painful loss.

Disappointment in love, disaster in business, defeat of some driving ambition, Disappointment in love, disaster in business, defeat of some driving ambition, Disappointment in love, disaster in business, defeat of some driving ambition, Disappointment in love, disaster in business, defeat of some driving ambition, failure of a dream. failure of a dream. failure of a dream. failure of a dream.

"We're all of us unhappy," one of them confessed when I had bought him a "We're all of us unhappy," one of them confessed when I had bought him a "We're all of us unhappy," one of them confessed when I had bought him a "We're all of us unhappy," one of them confessed when I had bought him a farewell drink. "If we'd been content with Earth here and now, we wouldn't farewell drink. "If we'd been content with Earth here and now, we wouldn't farewell drink. "If we'd been content with Earth here and now, we wouldn't farewell drink. "If we'd been content with Earth here and now, we wouldn't be gambling our lives for the uncertain secrets of NBH. Or the chance we'll be gambling our lives for the uncertain secrets of NBH. Or the chance we'll be gambling our lives for the uncertain secrets of NBH. Or the chance we'll be gambling our lives for the uncertain secrets of NBH. Or the chance we'll get back to some fabulous Utopia four hundred years from now." He made a get back to some fabulous Utopia four hundred years from now." He made a get back to some fabulous Utopia four hundred years from now." He made a get back to some fabulous Utopia four hundred years from now." He made abitter face. "The fact is, we're diving into our own black holes." bitter face. "The fact is, we're diving into our own black holes." bitter face. "The fact is, we're diving into our own black holes." bitter face. "The fact is, we're diving into our own black holes."

Wis.h.i.+ng them well, I'd never wanted to follow. Yet I had never outgrown my longing to see my father again, or escaped my childhood fascination with the ominous riddles of NBH. Out of college, I came home with a degree in cosmogony, planning to join my mother at the foundation. She told me she was shutting it down.

"We can't." I felt dismayed. "Think of my father."

"I do. Every day." Her lips quivered. "But he's had ten years at the station, if he stayed there. We'll never know what he's done or failed to do, but Magellan Ten has drained the last of our funding.

This last mission will evacuate and abandon the station."

"My father-" The decision seized me in an instant, "I'm going out on Ten."

"I thought you might." I saw her tears again, but she didn't try to keep me. "Wherever you find him, still at the station or back on some future Earth, he may need you more than I do."

There were just two of us on Ten; she had found no other volunteers. We met the pilot in the same bar where she had found my father. He was Colin McKane, a rawboned, hardbitten Scot who had abandoned his native heaths to scout a hundred planets and found none he cared to see again.

"My home, my family, all I ever loved-" Moodily, he sloshed another shot into his gla.s.s. "All thrownaway in a crazy l.u.s.t for new worlds and strange adventure. There's nothing left I really care about.

Matsu and LeBlanc were my last friends, fellow exiles from long ago. They went out on Nine. I promised to go out and bring them home."

He shrugged, with a twisted grimace.

"If we can expect this wasted Earth to make a better future for us."

Hiro Matsu and Jean LeBlanc. I'd known them in training. Both of them scientists of some distinction, they were both devoted to ideas science rejected. I'd helped Matsu load crates of equipment designed to test a conviction that he could reverse gravity by reversing the spin of cosmic anti-strings. LeBlanc's project was to look for a way though the singularity, and backward in time.

"Crackpots, maybe," McKane said. "But we can't leave them there to die."

We found NBH truly black, lost in the vast gulf created as it consumed the nearby stars. All we could see was the brighter patch of magnified stars beyond it. Nodding at them on the monitor, McKane turned uneasily in his seat to shake his head at me.

"Feel it?"

Even there, trapped deep in its unforgiving grasp, there was really no force I could feel. Spinning around the lowest safe orbit, we were still in free fall, the enormous gravity precisely balanced by the centrifugal force that held us there. Yet suddenly Iwas chilled by the recollection of a moment of terror in my childhood, when my father was tossing me high above his head and catching me as I fell. My mother heard my screams, sensed my fright, and made him stop.

That left me with a dread of high places. Now, even in the stable-seeming s.h.i.+p, I felt that was falling past the stars into an infinite and bottomless pit, with no support and no escape. A wave of sickness left me weak and cold with sweat. I had to grip the seat restraints and look away.

McKane grinned at me, and bent again to his flight computer. The asteroid was harder to find than the black hole. It had strayed away from the galactic coordinates Arkwood and my father recorded for it, and the starlight was far too faint to reveal it.

"A wild black cat," McKane called it, "hiding from us in a big black cellar."

Searching the spectrum for its locator beacon, he heard nothing. He made a dozen skips, with stops for radar searches. Earth was two long days behind us before a final jump brought it into searchlight range.

A ma.s.s of dark iron a mile or so thick, ripped from the heart of some shattered planet, it was all jagged points and knife-sharp edges. We watched its slow spin till the dock came into view, a squat little tower jutting from a flat black fracture plane.

It showed no light. McKane called and got noreply.

"It looks dead. If you want my hunch, LeBlanc and Matsu found it already abandoned or dead. The safest thing for us is to get out now."

"I came for my father."

"There can't be anybody here."

"I've got to know."

"If anybody's alive, why don't they have the radio beacon going? And a light flas.h.i.+ng to show us in?"

"I want to dock and see."

"A risk I was never paid to take." Stubbornly, he shook his head at the telescreen, where a bright red star beyond NBH stared at us like a baleful eye. "If they're gone, we'll find 'em gone. If they're dead, we'd likely join 'em."

I persisted till he nudged us with the thrusters to overtake the tower and ease us to the dock. The station was tunneled deep into the asteroid, for whatever shelter it might offer. The dock was on the spin axis, where we were weightless.

When we were coupled to it, he turned to scowl at me.

"Are you sure you want to take the risk?"

Nervously, I said I did.

He slid a sleek little handgun out of a shoulder holster and wanted me to take it. I refused it; I had never fired a gun. He found a flashlight for me and opened the air lock.

"Watch every step." He looked at his watch andwaved an ironic farewell. "Whatever you find, make it quick. I'll give you three hours."

The door thudded shut. Air hissed. My ears popped to a pressure change. The inner door opened into darkness. Listening, I heard no sound at all.

The air was cold and still. The flashlight found a switch, and light came on in a narrow pa.s.sage ahead.

I caught a guideline to pull myself into the station.

A bleak and cheerless pit, it had been crudely carved with laser blades into the rock's iron heart. I dived along the guideline and stopped again to listen.

Somewhere a ventilator fan whispered faintly. I shouted and got no answer. I saw no motion, saw nothing green. Sniffing for the odor of death, all I caught was dusty staleness.

The lines led me on to a radial shaft and out to a level were rotation simulated gravity. On my feet again, I explored an empty workshop, a silent kitchen, a vacant rec room, a long chamber filled with laboratory equipment, most of it mysterious to me, all idle and abandoned now.

On a big wall monitor, I found that magnified star, dimming now as it crept away from the focal point where the black hole hung, invisible, intangible, an eternal devourer of all creation. I stared and shuddered and went on down the tunnel. Doorways off it opened into what had been living s.p.a.ce.

One by one, I looked into empty rooms.Abandoned perhaps in haste, they were cluttered with discarded boots and clothing, books and papers, bits of electronic gear, worn playing cards, a violin with broken strings, empty ration packs and dirty dishes, empty brandy bottles. I saw a bag lettered with Matsu's name, a cap LeBlanc had worn, and cringed from a dread of whatever had driven them away.

Near the end of the tunnel, with only two or three more rooms to search, I heard faint sounds ahead.

Squeals? Squeaks? Screams? I listened and crept nearer. Animal sounds, I thought, but not from any animal I knew.

They ceased. I heard a human voice, somehow familiar, yet aping those alien sounds. I tiptoed to the doorway and peered into the room. A gray-headed stranger with a wild white beard sat behind a long desk, looking up at a wall monitor and intoning that unearthly gibberish into a microphone.

Chessmen before him on the desk were set up in an unfinished game. Chessmen I remembered! They were carved of pale green jade and some jet-black stone. My mother had found them somewhere in Asia as a gift for my father. He had used them to teach me the game the year I was five. Swept by a tide of confused emotion, I had to catch my breath before I turned and spoke to the wild-bearded stranger.

"Sir?"Jolted, he sprang to his feet, backed away, and stood for a long moment staring at me with deep-sunk eyes.

"Who the h.e.l.l-" He blinked and shook his head and limped around the desk to meet me. "Sandy! It's you!"

He looked far older than I recalled him, bent and shriveled but alert. He seized my hand, moved as if to hug me, but checked himself to stand back and stare again. "Your mother? How did you leave her?"

"Well," I said. "She's tried to keep the foundation alive, but she's had to shut it down. We came to evacuate the station."

"A little late." He grinned through the beard.

"The crew bugged out on Nine, two years ago."

"And left you alone? How could they?"

A wry shrug.

"They tried to take me. Called me crazy. I had to hide in an old s.p.a.ce suit till they were gone."

I looked at him again. Haggard, unkempt, something bright in his hollowed eyes. I wondered what NBH had done to him.

"Your last chance to leave," I told him. "The pilot's waiting, not very patiently. He gave me three hours to find you." I looked at my watch. "Half of it already gone. Let's get moving."