Chapters (90)
- Glossary of Acronyms
- Cast of Characters
- 1.Emissary
- 2.Launch
- 3.Financial Concerns
- 4.Departure
- 5.Being an Asteroid Miner
- 6.Trying Another Location
- 7.Tallying Results
- 8.Paydirt
- 9.Checking it Out
- 10.Infection
- 11.Recovery
- 12.Investigation
- 13.Situation Analysis
- 14.Adverse Reaction
- 15.Deja Vu
- 16.We’ll Handle It
- 17.Continuing Infection
- 18.Strategy Meeting
- 19.Writing Home
- 20.ICDC
- 21.A Difficult Conversation
- 22.Consternation
- 23.The Chrome Man
- 24.The Way Things Must Be
- 25.Crew Reaction
- 26.In the Common Room
- 27.Most Paranoid Wins
- 28.Taking Courses
- 29.Arrival
- 30.Quarantine
- 31.First Looks
- 32.Status
- 33.Looking Over His Shoulder
- 34.Unrest
- 35.Screaming
- 36.Discussion
- 37.Enemy Threats
- 38.Investigations and Discoveries
- 39.The Continued Threat
- 40.It Hits The Fan
- 41.Putting It in Perspective
- 42.In the News
- 43.Reconsiderations
- 44.Interlude
- 45.Retrieval
- 46.Press Release
- 47.Anomalies
- 48.Finally
- 49.More News
- 50.Summary of Findings
- 51.Discharge Day
- 52.Release
- 53.Unbelievable
- 54.Demands
- 55.It’s Moving
- 56.Failsafe Implementation
- 57.Escape
- 58.Detonation
- 59.Finding Refuge
- 60.Calling with News
- 61.Vessel Released
- 62.An Unexpected Call
- 63.Purchase
- 64.Reports of My Death
- 65.Humanity’s Options
- 66.Naval Exercise
- 67.Strike Force
- 68.Counterstrike
- 69.Collateral Damage
- 70.Arrest
- 71.Visiting
- 72.Preparations
- 73.Second Assault
- 74.Reconfiguration
- 75.Waiting for The End
- 76.Defensive Strategy
- 77.Surveil
- 78.Approach
- 79.Attack
- 80.Response
- 81.Found
- 82.Discussion
- 83.Reaction
- 84.Face-Off
- 85.Aftermath
- 86.Conversation
- 87.Funeral
- 88.Coda
Judy’s eyes had that look—lots of white, pupils dilated, the shine of incipient tears. Shock. Her mouth moved a few times, but no sound came out. Finally she said, “Show me.”
Ivan had decided to be as matter-of-fact as he could. The more he acted horrified, the more Judy would feel that. Without comment or buildup, he held up a hand into frame.
Judy’s hand went to her mouth and a whimper escaped. Unbidden, tears began to flow. Ivan felt his own eyes well up in response.
“Ivan, I’m scared. Will it stop? Will you be able to come home?”
Ivan gazed at his wife, the only woman he’d ever loved. He had no answer.
22.Consternation
22.Consternation
Seth came into the common room. “Word is we’re going to be quarantined at one of the military stations.” He sat down and plunked his coffee on the table with a thump. “Probably the Lagrange Four Navy station.”
“So the military is taking over?”
“Naw,” Aspasia answered. “The ICDC has a number of canned protocols for different scenarios. Some of them involve getting help from the military.” She paused and sipped her coffee. “For an incoming ship that needs to be quarantined, the ICDC doesn’t have any standing space assets. The military steps in, in these situations, and provides hardware and facilities.”
“How do you know about this stuff?”
“Friends in high places,” Aspasia grinned. “Actually, relatives in the Navy. You learn a lot at Christmas dinners.”
Tenn looked over from where he’d been nursing his coffee. “If that moron noob hadn’t touched the thingamahooie, we’d be heading home as heroes. Rich heroes.”
“Oh for chrissake, Tenn,” Seth retorted. “We all went over to the Baby Rock. You invited yourself over. You placed a bet with him. Hindsight is wonderfully convenient.”
Tenn sneered. “That’s all very moral and everything, Robinson. But some people can’t seem to stay out of trouble. They’ll always choose the riskier action, they’ll always stick their hand in to test something, and they’ll always be there when trouble happens. The sprout is turning out to be a bit of a Jonah.”
“Say, aren’t you a billionaire, nowadays?”
“Yeah, nothing to do with him, Robinson.”
“But the presence of an alien artifact is all his fault. Nice cherry-picking, Davies.”