They’d found a particularly large stretch of glass-smooth ice south of the landing field, perfect for an impromptu round of what BJ had called Fun with Physics.
They clung to one another’s suits, gripping the carry handles set into each side of their PLSS backpacks, and continued to step and kick in unison, increasing the speed of their spin. Lucky’s visor was pressed against BJ’s, and he could see her laughing features, murky behind the dark polarization of their helmets, centimeters from his own. The flat, icy background whipped past behind her head, the rotations marked off by the small, inner gasp of surprise that occurred each time the sun or the swollen immensity of Jupiter swung rapidly across the sky. It was almost in full phase now, with the sun in the opposite sky low in the west. Their shadows stretched out across the ice, whipping across the mirrored surface like a long, black blade.
“Ready!” BJ said over the company channel. “Ten…nine…eight…”
“Seven…six…five…four…” He chanted the countdown with her, as it was echoed by the Marines standing in a broad, loose circle around the two of them. They pulled themselves even closer as they spun, battling the powerful, magnetic repulsion between them.
“Three…two…one…release!”
They let go of one another at the same instant. The repulsion of their suit shields, augmented by the centrifugal force of their spin, blasted them apart.
On that slick surface, they rocketed back from one another in opposite directions, both losing their balance and falling onto the ice, but slowly enough to do no damage. Lucky landed on his backside and began spinning as he slid rapidly across the ice. Two of the watching Marines stepped aside to let him sail past. Then he hit a patch of rougher ice, felt a cobblestone kind of vibration through the seat of his suit, and quickly came to a stop.
Jesus Garcia had stepped up to the point where Lucky and BJ had parted company and faced first him, then BJ, using his suit’s laser rangefinder to measure the distance traveled. “All right!” he exclaimed. “Sixteen point one one meters for Beej…and Lucky gets a big sixteen point two one meters…and another new record!”
“Way to go, Lucky!” Coughlin said, shouting above the cheers. He helped Lucky to his feet, then clapped him on the helmet. “Not bad for doin’ it with a real girl, huh?”
“Screw you, Cog!” but he laughed as he said it. The fact that he preferred simulated sex to the real thing was the subject of endless jabs and jibes within the platoon, but he was good-natured about it. And it wasn’t that he didn’t like the real thing.
“Aw, lay off him, Cog,” BJ said. “The poor boy’s just confused. He’ll get his priorities straight one of these days.”
“Yeah,” Lucky said. “You wanna help straighten me out, BJ?”
“In your dreams!”
“Ha! Which is exactly what I do with virtual sex! In my dreams, and anytime I want it, any way I want it!”
“What the hell do you people think you’re doing?” The voice was Sergeant Major Kaminski’s. He strode into the circle, then planted himself there, a glowering giant, fists on hips. “Leave you jerk-offs alone for five minutes, and what happens?”
“C’mon, Ski, they weren’t doing any—” Gunnery Sergeant Pope began.
“You people were goddamn screwing off in an environment where one wrong step will get you dead!” Kaminski shouted. “My God! The Skipper links in through Campanelli’s helmet camera, and what does he get? A point-blank bellyful of Leckie’s face! It’s enough to turn your stomach!”
“It was my responsibility,” Pope said.
“Yeah, you’re right there, mister. You’re on report. You’re all on report. All of you, gather up your shit and fall in. We’re marching back to the barracks.”
A chorus of groans sounded over the comm channel. Marching on Europa was slow, tedious, and prone to embarrassing falls. The order amounted to administrative discipline.
As Lucky was picking up some of the welding gear, he found himself near Campanelli. He chinned in a private channel request.
“Hey,” he said when she acknowledged. “Thanks for the dance.”
“Anytime, Lucky.”
“I could use one of those drinks now.”
She laughed. “I’m not sure Warhorse is gonna cut us any slack. But as soon as we’re back on Earth…”
Back on Earth. Lucky turned and looked up at the grossly swollen surprise of Jupiter, low in the east. A tiny red sphere was transiting the gas giant’s face, chasing its own round, black shadow—Io.