The Precipice (18 page)

Dr. Kristine Cardenas's name was neatly printed on a piece of tape stuck above her door number. Dan rapped once, and opened
the door.

It was a small office, hardly enough room for the desk and the two plain plastic chairs in front of it. A good-looking young
woman sat at the desk: shoulder-length sandy hair, cornflower blue eyes, broad swimmer's shoulders. She wore
an unadorned jumpsuit of pastel yellow; or maybe it had once been brighter, but had faded after many washings.

“I'm looking for Dr. Cardenas,” said Dan. “She's expecting me. I'm Dan Randolph.”

The young woman smiled up at him and extended her hand. “I'm Kris Cardenas.”

Dan blinked. “You… you're much too young to be
the
Dr. Cardenas.”

She laughed. Motioning Dan to one of the chairs in front of the desk, she said, “I assure you, Mr. Randolph, that I am indeed
the
Dr. Cardenas.”

Dan looked into those bright blue eyes. “You too, huh? Nanomachines.”

She pursed her lips, then admitted, “It was a temptation I couldn't resist Besides, what better way to test what nan-otechnology
can do than to try it on yourself?”

“Like Pasteur injecting himself with the polio vaccine,” Dan said.

She gave him a sidelong look. “Your grasp of the history of science is a bit off, but you've got the basic idea.”

Dan leaned back in the plastic chair. It creaked a little but accommodated itself to his weight. “Maybe I ought to try them,
too,” he said.

“If you don't have any plans to return to Earth,” Cardenas replied, with a sudden sharpness in her voice.

Dan changed the subject “I understand you're working with the Mars exploration program.”

She nodded. “Their budget's being slashed to the bone. Beyond the bone, actually. If we can't develop nanos to take over the
life-support functions at their bases, they'll have to close up shop and return to Earth.”

“But if they use nanomachines they won't be allowed to come back home.”

“Only if they use nanomachines in their own bodies,” Cardenas said, raising a finger to emphasize her point “The IAA has graciously
decided they can be allowed to use nanotechnology
to maintain and repair their equipment.”

Dan caught the sarcasm in her tone. “I'll bet the New Morality was thrilled with that decision.”

“They don't run the entire show. At least, not yet.”

Dan huffed. “Good reason to live off Earth. I've always said, When the going gets tough, the tough get going—”

“—to where the going's easier,” Cardenas finished for him. “Yes, I've heard that.”

“I don't think I'd be able to live off-Earth forever,” Dan said. “I mean… well, that's home.”

“Not for me,” Cardenas snapped. “Not for a half a dozen of the Martian explorers, either. They've accepted nanoma-chines.
They have no intention of returning to Earth.”

Surprised, Dan said, “I didn't know that.”

“There hasn't been much publicity about it. The New Morality and their ilk have a pretty tight grip on the news media.”

Dan studied her face for a long, silent moment. Dr. Cardenas was physically youthful, quite attractive, a Nobel laureate,
the leader in her chosen field of study. Yet she seemed so indignant.

“Well, anyway,” he said, “I'm grateful that you've taken the time to see me. I know you're busy.”

She broke into a pleased smile. “Your message seemed kind of…” she fished for a word, “… mysterious. It made me wonder why
you wanted to see me in person, rather than by phone.”

Dan grinned back at her. “I've found that it's always easier to discuss matters face-to-face. Phones, mail, even VR meetings,
they can't replace person-to-person contact.”

Cardenas's smile turned knowing. “It's more difficult for someone to say ‘no' to your face.”

“You got me,” Dan replied, raising his hands in mock surrender. “I need your help and I didn't want to tell you about it long-distance.”

She seemed to relax somewhat. Easing back in her chair,
she asked, “So what's so important that you came up here to see me?”

“Down here. I came in from Selene.”

“What's your problem? I've been so wrapped up with this Mars work that I haven't been keeping up with current events.”

Dan took in a breath, then started, “You know I'm the head of Astro Manufacturing.”

Cardenas nodded.

“I've got a small team ready to build a prototype fusion rocket, using nanomachines.”

“A fusion rocket?”

“We've tested small models. The system works. Now we need to build a full-scale prototype and test it. We're planning a mission
to the Asteroid Belt, and—”

“Spacecraft have gone to the Belt on ordinary rockets. Why do you need a fusion system?”

“Those were unmanned vehicles. This mission will carry a crew of four, maybe six.”

“To the Asteroid Belt? Why?”

“To start prospecting for the metals and minerals that the people of Earth need,” Dan said.

Cardenas's face turned stony. Coldly, she asked, “What are you trying to accomplish, Mr. Randolph?”

“I'm trying to save the Earth. I know that sounds pompous, but if we don't—”

“I see no reason to save the Earth,” Cardenas said flatly.

Dan gaped at her.

“They got themselves into this greenhouse mess. They were warned, but they paid no attention. The politicians, the business
leaders, the news media… none of them lifted a finger until it was too late.”

“That's not entirely true,” Dan said softly, remembering his own struggles to get the world's leaders to recognize the looming
greenhouse cliff before it struck.

“True enough,” Cardenas replied. “And then there's the New Morality and all those other ultraconservative cults. Why do you
want to save them?”

“They're people,” Dan blurted. “Human beings.”

“Let them sink in their own filth,” Cardenas said, her words dripping acid. “They've earned whatever they get.”

“But…” Dan felt completely at sea. “I don't understand…”

“They exiled me.” She almost snarled the words. “Because I injected nanomachines into my body, they prevented me from returning
to Earth. Their fanatics assassinated anyone who spoke in favor of nanotechnology, did you know that?”

Dan shook his head mutely.

“They attacked Moonbase, back before it became Selene. One of their suicide killers blew up Professor Zimmerman in his own
lab. And you want me to help them?”

Shocked by her vehemence, Dan mumbled, “But that was years ago…”

“I was there, Mr. Randolph. I saw the mangled bodies. And then, when we won and even the old United Nations had to recognize
our independence, those hypocritical ignoramuses passed laws exiling anyone who had accepted nanomachines into her body.”

“I understand that, but—”

“I had a husband,” she went on, blue eyes snapping. “I had two daughters. I have four grandchildren in college that I've never
touched! Never held them as babies. Never sat down at the same table with them.”

Another woman might have burst into tears, Dan thought. But Cardenas was too furious for that. How the hell can I reach her?
he wondered.

She seemed to recover herself. Placing both hands on her desktop, she said more mildly, “I'm sorry for the tirade. But I want
you to understand why I'm not particularly interested in helping the people of Earth.”

Dan replied, “Then how about helping the people of Selene?”

Her chin went up a notch. “What do you mean?”

“A working fusion drive can make it economical to mine hydrates from the carbonaceous asteroids. Even scoop water vapor from
comets.”

She thought about that for a moment. Then, “Or even scoop fusion fuels from Jupiter, I imagine.”

Dan stared at her. Twelve lords a-leaping, I hadn't even thought of that. Jupiter's atmosphere must be loaded with hydrogen
and helium isotopes.

Cardenas smiled slightly. “I presume you could make a considerable fortune from all this.”

“I've offered to do it at cost.”

Her brows rose. “At cost?”

He hesitated, then admitted, “I want to help the people of Earth. There's ten billion of them, less the millions who've already
been killed in the floods and epidemics and famines. They're not all bad guys.”

Cardenas looked away from him for a moment, then admitted, “No, I suppose they're not.”

“Your grandchildren are down there.”

“That's a low blow, Mr. Randolph.”

“Dan.”

“It's still a low blow, and you know it.”

He smiled at her. “I'm not above a rabbit punch or two if it'll get the job done.”

She did not smile back. But she said, “I'll spin this Mars work off to a couple of my students. It's mostly routine now, anyway.
I'll be back in Selene within the week.”

“Thanks. You're doing the right thing,” Dan said.

“I'm not as sure of that as you are.”

He got up from his chair. “I guess we'll just have to see where it all leads.”

“Yes, we will,” she agreed.

Dan shook hands with her again and then left her office.
Don't linger once you get what you want. Never give the other side the chance to reconsider. He had Cardenas's agreement,
no matter that it was reluctant.

Okay, I've got the team I need. Duncan and his crew can stay Earthside. Cardenas will direct the construction job.

Now to confront Humphries.

“
A
nd he's madder'n hell,” Pancho finished.

Dan nodded somberly as they rode an electric cart through the tunnel from the spaceport to Selene proper. Pancho had been
at the spaceport to meet him on his return flight from
Nueva Venezuela,
looking worried, almost frightened about Humphries.

“I guess I'd be ticked off, too,” he said, “if our positions were reversed.”

The two of them were alone in the cart. Dan had deliberately waited until the four other passengers of the transfer ship had
gone off toward the city. Then he and Pancho had clambered aboard the next cart. The automated vehicles ran like clockwork
along the long, straight tunnel.

“What do you want to do?” Pancho asked.

Dan grinned at her. “I'll call him and arrange a meeting.”

“At the O.K. Corral?”

“No,” he said, laughing. “Nothing so grim. It's time he and I talked about structuring a deal together.”

Frowning, Pancho asked, “Do you really need him now? I mean with the nanotech and all? Can't you run this show yourself and
keep him out of it?”

“I don't think that would be the smart thing to do,” Dan replied. “After all, he did start me off on this fusion business.
If I tried to cut him out altogether he'd have a legitimate gripe.”

“That's what he expects you to do.”

Dan watched the play of shadows over her face as the cart glided silently along the tunnel. Light and shadow, light and shadow,
like watching a speeded-up video of the Sun going across the sky.

“I don't play the game the same way he does,” he said at last. “And I don't want this project tied up by lawyers for the next
ninety-nine years.”

Pancho grunted with distaste. “Lawyers.”

“Humphries brought the fusion project to me because he wants to get into Astro. I know how he works. He figures that he'll
finance the fusion work in exchange for a bloc of Astro's stock. Then he'll finagle some more stock, put a couple of his clones
on my board of directors, and sooner or later toss me out of my own company.”

“Can he do that?”

“That's the way he operates. He's snatched half-a-dozen corporations that way. Right now he's on the verge of taking over
Masterson Aerospace.”

“Masterson?” Pancho looked shocked.

Dan said, “Yep. Half the world drowning and the rest cooking from this double-damned greenhouse, and he's using it to snatch
and grab. He's a goddamned opportunist. A vampire, sucking the life out of everything he touches.”

“So what are you gonna do?”

“Keep his investment in the fusion project to a minimum,” Dan said. “And keep the fusion project separate and apart from Astro
Corporation.”

“Good luck,” she said glumly.

Dan grinned at her. “Hey, don't look so worried. I've been through this kind of thing before. This is what the corporate jungle
is all about.”

“Yeah, maybe, but I think he'll get rough if he doesn't get his way. Real rough.”

With a brash shrug, Dan replied, “That's why I keep Big George around.”

“Big George? Who's he?”

Dan had made his quick trip to
Nueva Venezuela
without George. He didn't feel the need for a bodyguard once he was off-Earth. In fact, he hadn't seen the Aussie since they'd
arrived together in Selene for his meeting with Doug Stavenger.

“I'll have to introduce you to him.”

The cart reached the end of the tunnel and stopped automatically. Dan and Pancho got off; he grabbed his travel-bag and they
walked to the customs inspection station. Dan saw that the two uniformed inspectors were still checking the quartet of people
who had arrived on his flight On the other side of the area, by the entrance gate, an elderly couple was saying goodbye to
a young family with two children, one of them a tot squirming in her mother's arms.

“So whattaya want me to tell Humphries?” Pancho asked ‘He'll wanna know how you did with Dr. Cardenas.”

“Tell him the truth. Cardenas is joining the team. She'll be here in a few days.”

“Should I tell him you want to set up a meeting with him?'

Dan thought it over as they stepped up to the customs desk. “No,” he said at last “I'll call him myself as soon as we get
down to our quarters.”