Quiet Invasion(65)

The U.N. investigators climbed into the airlock. Josh closed the interior hatch and found a place on one of the benches. The pressurization pump’s steady chugging filled the air. Next to him, Terry Wray fussed with the camera on her chest. Her normal band rig wouldn’t be able to tolerate the conditions out there, so she’d have to make do with the equipment that came with the suit and from the look on her face, it did not meet her standards. He watched Julia Lott’s lips move as she removed something on her private log channel. Next to her, Troy Peachman did the same. It looked like the two of them were holding a whispered conversation. Vee, sitting on the bench between them, flashed Josh one of her mischievous grins.

“Some fun, eh?” Her voice sounded harsher than normal through the intercom. Josh wondered if she might actually be nervous.

“Not yet,” he answered. “But trust me, it will be.”

Now, Josh could feel the tension winding the whole team tight. The small talk and idle speculation picked up pace, as did the meaningless shifting of weight and all the other little movements restless people make when waiting. There were the usual complaints about trying to use helmet display icons that relied on eye movement and how the water-straw kept bumping up against your chin. Finally, Troy Peachman heaved himself to his feet and started pacing between the inner hatch and the outer.

Veronica watched him for about two minutes before she apparently had enough. “Oh, sit down, Troy, it’s not going anywhere.”

“How do you know?” he asked with the bluff humor he apparently cultivated. “Aliens put it here. Maybe they’re out there taking it away again.”

Terry tried folding her arms and found that didn’t work. “If they were going to do that, they would have notified me.”

“You?” asked Troy, surprised.

“Yeah. I’m a media drone. We’re all aliens. Didn’t you know that?”

“I had wondered,” replied Troy blandly.

A brief collective laugh filtered through the intercoms. Before it died, the light above the outer hatch flashed green, indicating pressurization was complete.

Instantly, everyone was on their feet. Josh worked the locking lever on the outer hatch. With a clank and a thump, the hatch swung inward to reveal the rough, intensely colored world beyond.

“Have a good trip,” said Adrian as Josh stepped out. Dust and stone crunched beneath his boot. To the right loomed the cliffs of Beta Regio, with its volcano thrusting up toward the boiling sky and ribbons of lava trailing down its sides. On the edge of his vision, Josh saw Scarab Fourteen creeping down beside a fresh, flowing lava stream, and he wondered how Charlotte Murray and her crew were holding up with their load of tourists.

Then he saw the Discovery’s entrance squatting in front of them, and the rest of the world went away. He took three heavy steps forward before he remembered he was supposed to be leading a team out here.

His eyes found the intercom icon and opened the general channel. “Okay, everybody, try to step where I step. The ground is pretty lumpy out there.”

They only needed to cross about ten meters to the hatchway. The hardsuits and the uncertain footing made it slow going, but with every step, the hatchway got a little bigger, a little clearer. He could see the handles on the side of the lid, make out the dim reflections on the curve of its gray ceramic sides, see the little scores and pits that had been made by the burning sand brushing past on the lazy wind.

Then he was standing next to it. It was there, under his glove. He couldn’t feel anything, but he could see his hand on the lid.

It was a long moment before he realized the others had ringed the hatch and stood waiting for him.

“I’ll open the hatchway now.” Josh grasped two of the handles, bent his knees, and shoved. The cover swung aside, just as he’d been told it would. Julia clapped her hands in silent applause. Veronica stooped and ran one gloved finger over the handle he’d just used, and grunted. Peachman tromped forward eagerly.

“Hold on,” said Terry. “Can we get a shot of the empty shaft?”

“Sure.” Josh stepped back and let Terry come forward and point her camera and light down the steep well with its ladder. Just don’t take too long. He laughed silently. Get a hold of yourself. Vee was right, it’s not going anywhere.

“Got it,” Terry said, sounding satisfied. She stepped back from the hatch and turned toward him.

“Okay,” said Josh, trying to keep his voice calm, as if he had already climbed down into the Discovery a hundred times. “I’ll go first and show you how it’s done.”

Josh planted his boots onto the first rung and, moving carefully, started climbing down the well. Darkness engulfed him and his suit’s lights clicked on, illuminating the black rock with its charcoal veins. He had to keep himself pressed close to the rungs to prevent his backpack from scraping against the shaft wall. His throat tightened. He’d never been inside Venus before, and he could not escape the feeling that he was being swallowed.