Chapter Two
Drew came inside to sit down on my bed, and I went back to leaning against the wall.
“What’s up?” I asked, as soon as the door was shut.
“I think I found a way to get there, man,” he said eagerly, eyes shining.
“Are you still hung up on that stupid moon idea?” I asked, and Drew looked a little hurt.
“Yeah, I am. And you ought to be, too, if you care about saving your own sorry hide,” he said. I sighed.
“Sorry. . . I’m just stressed out to the max, I guess,” I apologized.
“Well, yeah, no doubt. But listen. Like I said, I think I found a way to get us there,” he repeated.
“I’m all ears,” I said.
“Okay, so I was talking to Dr. Weiss this afternoon, and- “ he began, and my jaw dropped.
“You told Dr. Weiss!” I exclaimed, horrified.
“No, no, I just had a hypothetical discussion with him, that’s all. I didn’t really tell him anything,” Drew explained hastily.
“Okay, go on, then,” I said.
“He told me about one of the new space planes they’re working on out at MacDill, the XR-339’s. His wife works out there with my dad, you know,” he said.
“Yeah, I know. What about it?” I asked.
“Okay, well, he said the XR-339 could take off from a runway just like a plane and enter low-Earth orbit without needing any rocket boosters. It’s got a thorium-228 nuclear reactor for power instead and it’s got a good enough range to reach the space stations and make it back. They’ve tested it several times and it’s come through with flying colors,” Drew explained.
“And?” I asked.
“So then I went home and asked my dad about it, and he told me pretty much the same thing. He said a trip to the moon was a lot farther than it was rated for, but he couldn’t think of any reason why it wouldn’t make it,” Drew explained, smugly.
“I’m surprised they told you all that,” I asked, skeptically.
“It’s not like it’s classified information or anything, Tyke. They’ve had XR’s forever. They used to have old clunky ones even back when the Terraform Project was still going on. It’s just that nobody uses them anymore because rockets are so much safer and cheaper. That’s what Dad and Mrs. Weiss are working on; trying to build an XR plane which is safe and cost-competitive,” he said.
For the first time, I started to feel the first twinges of hope.
“Are they hard to fly?” I asked guardedly.
“Nope, not at all. Anybody who knows how to pilot a plane can fly one, no sweat,” Drew said.
“Yeah, but I bet they guard that place like Fort Knox, Drew. We’d never get in there to see one of those planes, much less leave with one,” I pointed out.
“Most people, yeah, that’s probably true. But we got connections, buddy. Peggy Weiss can get in there any time she wants to, and so can my dad. They could slip the rest of us in there, and then we can pinch that ship like taking candy from a baby. No sweat,” Drew explained.
“Maybe,” I said, doubtfully.
“I’m telling you, it’ll work. We just have to convince my dad and the Weisses, that’s all. That’s where you come in, Tyke. You’re the one who hacked that computer and got the data. You’ll have to explain everything to my dad first, and then he can help with the Weisses; they’ve been friends forever. Then we’re good to go!” Drew said confidently.
“How many people are we talking about taking along on this trip?” I asked. I still couldn’t believe I was letting myself get sucked into his whole crazy Moon scheme, although I had to admit I couldn’t think of anything else to try. When there’s only one option on the table, then all you can do is go along with it. No matter how crazy it is.
“Dad said they’ve got thirty-one seats, and that’s including the pilot and copilot chairs. There would have been thirty-two but they had to leave extra space on one side for part of the airlock,” he said soberly.
“So we can only take thirty-one people?” I asked.
“That’s about the size of it,” he agreed reluctantly.
That bothered me. How do you pick just thirty-one people and offer them a slim-but-real chance to survive a catastrophe, and then leave the rest behind? That’s a hard choice to have to make.
I didn’t want to think about it right then, so I changed the subject.
“Have you talked to anybody except Dr. Weiss and your dad?” I asked.
“I talked to Tabby and Aron, that’s all,” he said, and I nodded. Tabby was his sister and Aron Anderson was his best friend, so I would have expected those two, at least. I knew Aron pretty well myself since his parents were good friends with Philip and Joan, but I couldn’t exactly say that I liked the boy all that much.
“Nobody else? They won’t talk to anybody, will they?” I asked.
“Nope. I told them to keep their mouths shut. Aron’s got no friends to tell, anyway, and Tab wouldn’t talk if I told her not to,” he said.
I thought about that.
“I have to tell Jesse, though,” I said abruptly.
“Well. . . whatever you think. Anyway, I told Mom I invited you over for supper tonight at seven o’clock. I didn’t tell her why, but that’s your chance to convince Dad, so you better have all your ducks in a row. Me and Tab will do our best to help you out, but this’ll mostly be your thing, Tyke,” he said.
“Gee, thanks,” I murmured, and Drew sighed.
“It was the best I could do, buddy. You know that, right?” he asked earnestly, and I nodded.
“I know, Drew. I’m sorry. I’ll be there at six-thirty and then we’ll see what happens,” I said.
“All right, see you then!” he said, and a few minutes later he was gone.
It was already almost five, so I went to one of the computer labs in the dormitory and signed on. It took me almost forty-five minutes to download my data and organize it in such a way that it looked respectable, and then I took a few minutes to shave and comb my hair. Drew’s parents had seen me often enough that I knew they wouldn’t be impressed just because I gussied up before I came to supper, but I was nervous and it helped me calm down a little bit.
Drew lived about six or seven blocks from the Academy, in a little brown bungalow down by the river. There were a couple of sickly-looking palm trees in the front yard and it was nothing special as far as houses go, but I think they stayed there mostly so Drew and Tabby could live at home while they went to high school. As soon as those two graduated, I was pretty sure the Breyers would move out to Citrus Park or Treasure Island or one of the other nicer suburbs. I’d heard them mention it a time or two.
There was a sea breeze blowing in off the Gulf, and it was cool enough by then that I didn’t mind the walk. Drew and Tabby were sitting on the front deck when I showed up, and I waved to them. Drew waved back, and Tabby, as usual, did not. She seemed to live with a permanent grudge against the whole world in general and other human beings in particular, and she was close to the most unlikable individual I’d ever met in my life. Her only redeeming features were that she adored Drew and she was incredibly smart. She was the only girl in the aerospace engineering program at the Academy, and she well deserved her spot.
She said nothing as I climbed the steps, even while Drew clapped me on the back and ushered me into the house.
Mr. Breyer was sitting in the living room watching the news, and Mrs. Breyer was in the kitchen cooking. It smelled like meatloaf, which was just fine with me. They both said hi when we entered the house.
“When do you think I should talk to him?” I whispered.
“Wait till after supper; that’s always the best time to tell him anything,” Drew whispered back.
So in the meantime we sat down at the kitchen table and chatted about school and computers and unimportant things, with Mr. and Mrs. Breyer throwing in a comment or two now and then when they weren’t too involved with the cooking or the
news. I enjoyed myself, just like I always did; that house had always felt like a second home to me, almost since the first day I came to the Academy. Besides Jesse, Drew was my best friend.
The meatloaf was tender and delicious when we finally got to eat, and even the salad was good. I always liked to say that I hated rabbit food, but Gina Breyer could whip up a salad even I enjoyed.
But all good things end eventually, and after the plates were loaded into the dishwasher and the five of us were sitting together in the living room, I knew the moment of truth had come. I waited for a commercial break, and then cleared my throat.
“Um, Mr. Breyer, there was something I wanted to talk to you about, if you’ve got a little time,” I said.
“Sure, sport. What’s on your mind?” he asked, glancing at me.
“I guess you heard about what’s been going on in India, right?” I began carefully. I didn’t really think he would have heard anything yet, but it seemed like a good way to break the ice.
“No, can’t say that I have. What do you mean?” he asked.
“I heard about a new kind of bacteria this morning, over there in Calcutta. It’s called the Orion Strain,” I said.
“Really?” he asked, like he wasn’t too interested. I needed to get his undivided attention, so I decided this was no time to be delicate.
“The reason I mention it is because I think that bacteria is about to wipe out the whole human race,” I said bluntly.
“Surely that’s a bit much, don’t you think?” he said, laughing a little.
“No, sir, I really don’t think it is. In fact, I know it’s not. I hacked into the World Health Organization computers today and found out all about it. I’ve got the data right here,” I said, pulling out my papers.
Mr. Breyer furrowed his brow and clicked off the TV with his remote. He knew me well enough to know that I could certainly have hacked into a government computer if I’d wanted to. Any other time he might have lectured me about how irresponsible it was to break into other people’s databases and so forth, but not that night.
“I see,” he said.
“So far, it’s been a hundred percent fatal, and not just to humans, either. It’s deadly to all birds and mammals, too. So far the only cases have been in Calcutta, but I ran an analysis this morning and it’ll spread exponentially. If nothing changes, then it’ll be here in Tampa no later than a week from now, and all over the world within two weeks. I don’t think we can stop it,” I said neutrally, doing my very best to stay calm and reasonable. If you get upset then people stop listening, and I desperately needed him to believe me.
“I’ve looked at the data myself, Dad; I think he’s right,” Drew chimed in.
“Can I see that booklet, please?” Mr. Breyer asked expressionlessly, and I wordlessly handed him the data I’d printed earlier.
“Come here, honey; help me look at this,” he said to his wife, and she moved closer beside him so she could see. She was a social director at one of the ritzy retirement communities in Citrus Park, so I’m not sure why he thought she’d know much about biology or even statistics, but I didn’t say a word. Both of them read the papers silently, and I watched them grow pale as they grasped the significance.
“Have you told anyone else about this?” he asked suddenly, looking back and forth between me and Drew.
“No, just Tabby,” Drew said, and I shook my head.
“Have you told anybody, Tab?” Mr. Breyer asked, looking at his daughter.
“No, Dad,” she said.
Mr. Breyer rubbed his temples and thought hard.
“This is pretty serious stuff, kids. I won’t lie to you; I hope you’re wrong. I hope we all missed something, because if not. . . “ he shook his head, leaving the rest unspoken. We all knew what he meant.
“We should ask Rob and Peggy about this,” Gina said, referring to Dr. Weiss and his wife. That was exactly what I’d hoped one of them would say, because if we were to have any chance at all of getting ourselves a ticket to the Moon, then we’d have to get Peggy Weiss on our side first.
She went to the phone to call them, and after a hurried conversation the Weisses agreed to come over. In the meantime, Mr. Breyer kept on rubbing his temples and thinking.
“If this is true, then there’s nothing we can do. Nothing. We might as well quit our jobs and enjoy the time we’ve got left,” he said after a while. It sounded like the ideal time to mention the escape plan, and I glanced meaningfully at Drew.
“Dad, we did think of one possible solution,” he said, and Jason Breyer looked at his son.
“What is it, Drew?” he asked, as if his mind were a thousand miles away.
“We could always go to the Moon,” Drew said.
For a second, it was almost like the idea didn’t register in Mr. Breyer’s mind, but when it did he smiled.
“You mean the XR-339. That’s why you asked me if it could make it to the Moon earlier!” he cried.
“And you said yes, it probably could,” Drew reminded him, smiling himself. Mr. Breyer must have been almost as much of a Moon fanatic as his son, because he didn’t ask any questions about whether or not we could survive up there for twenty years or what the conditions might be like or anything else like that. And of course, I’m sure he already knew all there was to know about the XR-339 and what it might be capable of. He had the kind of look on his face that a man gets when he’s just won a million dollar lottery.
Then his smile faded.
“There are only thirty-one seats on that plane, Drew. That’s enough for me and you and Mom and Tab, and Tycho, and the Weisses and their two kids, maybe a few other people. What happens to everybody else?” he asked.
It was the same question I’d been thinking about earlier, and there was no good answer for it, of course. Then Tabby spoke up.
“Dad, you always told us we should do everything we can for humanity, didn’t you?” she said gruffly.
“Yes, Tab, and that’s exactly what concerns me right now; escaping to safety ourselves and abandoning all these other people to die,” he said.
“Would it save them, if we stayed behind?” she asked.
“No,” he admitted.
“Can we take them with us?” she asked.
“No,” he said.
“Then we haven’t done them any harm, by trying to save ourselves if we can,” she pointed out. It sounded harsh, but there was no way we could argue with her.
“But how do we choose who to save and who to leave behind, Tab? That’s what worries me,” he said.
I never got to hear Tabby’s answer to that, because just then Dr. and Mrs. Weiss arrived, with Johnny and Bethany in tow. Neither of them were students at the Academy, so I didn’t know them all that well even though we were all roughly the same age. I knew Johnny went to school at the music conservatory downtown because I’d heard Drew mention it before, but I wasn’t sure about Bethany.
I was braced to have a tough time convincing Dr. Weiss of anything because I knew how demanding he could be in class. The way he grilled his students over every tiny step in their research was legendary. You never made a careless statement in front of that man unless you were prepared to back it up, that was for sure. It made my palms sweaty just remembering some of the sessions I’d endured with him.
But surprisingly, it didn’t take all that long to convince him. He just read the data report and listened to Drew’s idea, and then immediately started making plans to put it into effect. Maybe it helped that he was such a brilliant and logical man; he could read the data and figure out instantly what had to be done, without the slightest hesitation. Most people in a situation like that would have been tempted to sit back and take a wait-and-see attitude about things, to find out whether the threat was real or not before they acted. But there are occasions when waiting too long to take action will get you killed, and Dr. Weiss was smart enough to see the writing on the wall while there was still time.
<
br /> Peggy Weiss agreed that she and Mr. Breyer could probably find a way to smuggle a group of people into the hangar where the XR-339 was kept, and then come up with some excuse to get us inside the plane. She could fly it, once they managed that.
They were busily hashing out all the details when Mr. Breyer finally broached the delicate subject of who should be taken along. But Dr. Weiss had an immediate answer for that, too.
“We have to take people who can repopulate the human race. We need as many healthy young people as we can find; hopefully some intelligent ones,” he declared, and Peggy Weiss quickly nodded her agreement.
That seemed like a distasteful way of choosing people, at least to my way of thinking. I like to think I’m worth something besides just breeding stock. If that’s all human beings were good for, then why bother to preserve the human race at all?
But I kept my thoughts to myself and said nothing. Dr. Weiss wouldn’t have listened to me, anyway.
After several hours of discussion, it was decided that the best source of people to take would be students from the Academy, if we could find any, and that me and Drew and Tabby should discreetly approach some of our friends to get a feel for who might be willing and able to join such a desperate mission for survival.
I honestly couldn’t think of anyone at school that I liked and trusted enough to ask, other than Jesse. Drew had already talked to Aron, and maybe those two would be able to think of more. Dr. Weiss also insisted that there had to be equal numbers of boys and girls; more of his breeding regimen, I guess.
It was agreed that we’d all keep in touch and that all potential recruits would have to be personally approved by Dr. Weiss. I didn’t like that part of the plan, either, but since he was the one with the keys to the ship, I didn’t have a lot of say-so. We also agreed that if all went well, we’d try to launch the ship no later than the day after tomorrow.
Time was running short.
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