Quiet Invasion(49)

“Are you going to be leading the research on the laser?” Vee asked, as she picked up one of the blue pastries. “And do you know what these are?”

“That’s crab rangoon, dyed blue to preserve some of the mystery of life,” said Josh promptly. “And the research on the laser is actually what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Oh?” Vee arched her eyebrows. “Shall we get out of traffic?”

“Good idea.”

Vee paused to collect a small plate of blue things and followed Josh over to one of the little round tables covered with a white cloth that always seemed to spring up like mushrooms at these gatherings.

Vee sat and pushed the pastries toward Josh, who shook his head. Vee took one and nibbled the edge. Yep, crab.

A flash of orange in the clouds caught her eyes. A delicate flurry of sparks spiraled up through the mist, tiny petals of brightness scattered through the impenetrable fog.

“Star trails.” Vee smiled at the beauty of the small event. “We must be going over one of the volcanoes.”

Josh checked the position readout set in the floor. “Yeah, Xochiquetzal Mons. It went active, I guess twenty years ago now.”

“They’re beautiful.” As Vee watched, the clouds swallowed the sparks whole, but a fresh trail swept along the wind as if these new sparks wanted to follow their friends.

Josh nodded in thoughtful agreement. “Make me nervous, though.”

“Why?” Vee cocked her head at him.

A look of frank surprise crossed his face, followed by a sudden realization. “You didn’t get down to the surface last time you were here, did you?”

“No need.” Vee shook her head and nibbled another pastry. “I was just here for the clouds.”

Josh took off his cap and smoothed his hair down before replacing it. His face said he was considering some internal question. Then, apparently, he got his answer.

“Well,” he said, “you met Michael Lum, right?”

Vee nodded. In fact, she could see him through the crowd, pacing alongside Philip Bowerman talking about whatever spooks and spies talked about. Vee found herself wondering where Angela Cleary had gotten to. She did not seem to be in evidence anywhere.

“Michael’s a good guy,” Josh went on. “He’s a v-baby. Born here. His parents were almost the first people on the station when Helen opened it up. His father, Kyle Lum, was a climatologist, and he was out doing some surveys of the lower cloud layer when the scarab ran into a star trail.” He stared out at the sparks as they danced away into the clouds. “Sheered off one of the wing struts, dropped the entire scarab. They got their parachute out, fortunately, but they slammed into the side of one of the mountains. The rescue team dropped after them, within minutes, but when they got there”—Josh shook his head—“the hull had ruptured. There was nothing left.”

Vee glanced back at the fading sparks. A shiver ran up her spine. “I think I’m glad I didn’t know that when I was photographing them.”

Josh laughed a little. “Sorry. Not the best subject of conversation, especially with a newcomer.”

Vee waved his words away. “Don’t worry about me. So”—she brushed a few crumbs from her skirt—“what about the laser?”

Josh took off his cap again and smoothed his hair down once more. “It’s not actually about the laser,” he said. “It’s about getting a look at it.”

“How so?”

He blew out a sigh that puffed his cheeks, put his cap back on, and looked down at his fingertips as if to see his words written there. Vee waited.

“I work on Venera on a regular basis. I do my stints here for about nine months at a time and then go home and do the lecture and paper routine. I was on Earth when the news about the Discovery dropped into the stream. When I heard about the laser, I didn’t even think about it. I just got myself onto the next ship back. I assumed…” He shook his head and started again. “I assumed, since I was known and had a longtime affiliation with Venera, that I’d be able to get on the short list for a look at the thing, maybe even a chance to help in the analysis.” He lifted his gaze. “But, no, that’s not the way this is going to play. The laser is your territory for now, they’re telling me. After that, maybe we’ll see, but in the meantime, it’s just you.”

“I see,” said Vee, and she really thought she did. “And you think I can get you a piece of this?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “But it seemed worth a shot.”

“Why the rush?” she asked breezily. “It’ll be there after I’m done with it.”