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Back The Singularity Trap Save as PDF
Chapters (90)
  1. Glossary of Acronyms
  2. Cast of Characters
  3. 1.Emissary
  4. 2.Launch
  5. 3.Financial Concerns
  6. 4.Departure
  7. 5.Being an Asteroid Miner
  8. 6.Trying Another Location
  9. 7.Tallying Results
  10. 8.Paydirt
  11. 9.Checking it Out
  12. 10.Infection
  13. 11.Recovery
  14. 12.Investigation
  15. 13.Situation Analysis
  16. 14.Adverse Reaction
  17. 15.Deja Vu
  18. 16.We’ll Handle It
  19. 17.Continuing Infection
  20. 18.Strategy Meeting
  21. 19.Writing Home
  22. 20.ICDC
  23. 21.A Difficult Conversation
  24. 22.Consternation
  25. 23.The Chrome Man
  26. 24.The Way Things Must Be
  27. 25.Crew Reaction
  28. 26.In the Common Room
  29. 27.Most Paranoid Wins
  30. 28.Taking Courses
  31. 29.Arrival
  32. 30.Quarantine
  33. 31.First Looks
  34. 32.Status
  35. 33.Looking Over His Shoulder
  36. 34.Unrest
  37. 35.Screaming
  38. 36.Discussion
  39. 37.Enemy Threats
  40. 38.Investigations and Discoveries
  41. 39.The Continued Threat
  42. 40.It Hits The Fan
  43. 41.Putting It in Perspective
  44. 42.In the News
  45. 43.Reconsiderations
  46. 44.Interlude
  47. 45.Retrieval
  48. 46.Press Release
  49. 47.Anomalies
  50. 48.Finally
  51. 49.More News
  52. 50.Summary of Findings
  53. 51.Discharge Day
  54. 52.Release
  55. 53.Unbelievable
  56. 54.Demands
  57. 55.It’s Moving
  58. 56.Failsafe Implementation
  59. 57.Escape
  60. 58.Detonation
  61. 59.Finding Refuge
  62. 60.Calling with News
  63. 61.Vessel Released
  64. 62.An Unexpected Call
  65. 63.Purchase
  66. 64.Reports of My Death
  67. 65.Humanity’s Options
  68. 66.Naval Exercise
  69. 67.Strike Force
  70. 68.Counterstrike
  71. 69.Collateral Damage
  72. 70.Arrest
  73. 71.Visiting
  74. 72.Preparations
  75. 73.Second Assault
  76. 74.Reconfiguration
  77. 75.Waiting for The End
  78. 76.Defensive Strategy
  79. 77.Surveil
  80. 78.Approach
  81. 79.Attack
  82. 80.Response
  83. 81.Found
  84. 82.Discussion
  85. 83.Reaction
  86. 84.Face-Off
  87. 85.Aftermath
  88. 86.Conversation
  89. 87.Funeral
  90. 88.Coda

This revelation brought smiles around the table. A satisfied silence settled over the room as people sipped their coffees.

“I’m probably being silly…” Generus finally said, in a deliberately offhand tone.

All heads turned to her. “What is it, Lita?” asked the captain.

“I’m sure I’m just being paranoid. But the Baby Rock is only a couple hundred meters from the big rock. Are we inviting trouble by leaving it there?”

“You want to move it?” Jennings looked at MacNeil. “Can we?”

“There are several different ways we could do it. The easiest would be to attach a couple of RIVA units. They’re designed to stop rotation on a big rock, they can certainly be used to move a small one. It’ll require careful control, though. And if we accelerate too hard, the suit arm could just fall off the rock, given the miniscule gravity.”

“And we should put a fail beacon on it,” Micoroski added. “And alert the military to the danger.”

“Not sure about that,” Aiello said quickly. “If military command gets too paranoid, they could interdict Big Rock as well.”

Captain Jennings sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. Not reporting the danger would be gross negligence. Losing the claim would be devastating for the entire crew.

He opened his eyes and scanned the faces around the table. “We have to report the danger. We can’t not do so. But we don’t have to create an association between the two. No one will go near this area until after the next lottery.”

“And then it’ll be like the California Gold Rush.” Aiello looked around the table. “Everyone that can float a boat will be flying out to this sector, looking for another rock like ours.”

“Right.” Captain Jennings rubbed his face in thought. “Let’s get the paperwork done on the claim. The sooner that gets finalized, the sooner we can start getting bids from the megacorps. Meanwhile, MacNeil, please put together a plan to get the Baby Rock out of the area, with the suit arm and the anomaly on it. We’ll wait a week or two, and report it as a separate incident.”

Jennings knew what they were doing wasn’t strictly illegal, but it was a distortion of basic moral principles. He realized with a heavy heart that even he was not immune to normal human failings.

14.Adverse Reaction

14.Adverse Reaction

“A metal arm. A freakin’ metal arm!” Tenn seemed to be stuck in a loop. This was the fourth time he’d said it. Even to other people just as much in shock, it was getting old. Seth tried to keep his face neutral, although the urge to roll his eyes was close to overpowering.

“How did it replace his arm?” Will asked. Willoughby Todd, the crew’s amateur artist-in-residence, was sketching arms and hands as they discussed the situation. Seth had to admit the sketches were damn good.