Installment #8

Chapter 15

Snyder walked up and interrupted their conversation.

"Mr. Masters," Snyder started, handing Adrian a clipboard he was carrying, which had a large stack of papers straining against the clip, "here is the manifest of the supplies you specified in the subspace communications that you sent on your way here. Please check it over to see if everything is accounted for. If so, please initial here, here and here," Snyder pointed at three underlined blanks clearly marked 'Initial here.'"

Adrian frankly didn’t remember exactly what he had requested. However, he didn't want Snyder to know that he was a bit hung over when he sent the transmission. So, he carefully read the page of the manifest simultaneously racking his brain to recall what he had asked for, and whether the list was complete – or even intelligible. He was surprised that the list seemed to be comprehensive, and it even made sense for the task at hand. Perhaps he hadn't been as hung over as he thought, or maybe he can function even when a bit under the weather.

Either way, the list looked complete. He couldn't think of anything missing. The list was divided into three sections. The first were the tools that he traditionally took with him on every job. He had learned over the years that it was impossible to anticipate exactly what tools would be needed for a particular job, so he had established a comprehensive list of tools that were versatile enough to cover virtually every eventuality. If he found himself in need of a particular tool that was not part of his "toolbox," he could always improvise. These include various drugs, antidotes for poisons, radiation, and biological hazards.

The second section included those specialized tools he imagined he would need for this particular job. He wasn't trying to put out an oil fire, like on Andreas 3; nor did he imagine he would be dealing with man-eating plants, like on Scarternian; or with a minefield as on Regula 2a. Unfortunately, it was easier to decide what he was not likely to run into than to predict what he might run into. He had thought of space pirates even before talking to Snyder, since those scumballs where a problem everywhere. That is why he had asked Campbell to provide a contingent of grunts to protect his team. Beyond that, he had thought of a whole slew of possibilities, which led him to make a somewhat eclectic list of tools and protective gear.

The third section included testing gear, lab equipment and autopsy supplies that would permit his team to (hopefully) track down or diagnose any unknown conditions, ailments or diseases that may have befallen the restart team.

It looked like it was all there, so he initialed the form with a flourish and handed the clipboard back to Snyder. When he turned to resume his conversation with Strong, he was gone.

Chapter 16

Two men across the dock were having what appeared to be an argument. Both Professor Nordhoff and Mr. Gill had been on prior missions with Adrian, but he hadn't seen them for quite some time and, frankly, didn't understand why they would have been chosen for a rescue mission such as this.

Professor Martin Nordhoff had been one of these kids that drop out of college to "see the world," or in this case, see the solar system. He had been a young, impetuous boy when Adrian had first met him on Io. Martin didn't do well in a structured educational environment. While Adrian didn't know all of the details, Martin had apparently been "asked" to take a leave of absence from his undergraduate chemical engineering studies at MIT. There was something about an explosion in one of the lab that Martin either caused or was somehow involved in. Several people were injured, including Martin. Fortunately, no one was killed. So his parents had shipped him off to Io to work on one of the mining operations. Adrian had been called in due to, what else, an explosion in the mine. It could have just been a coincidence, but Adrian was suspicious anyway. They never got to the cause of the explosion, but Martin returned to Earth shortly thereafter.

But despite his youth and recklessness, he had impressed Adrian. A few months later, Martin contacted him and asked him for a job. Adrian was wary, but Martin had won him over with his charm and obvious intelligence. He had been a good worker and earned Adrian's respect – which wasn't something given lightly to anyone. He had stayed with the company for several years before returning to his studies. But Adrian remembered him, and as Martin worked his way through the ranks to a full professorship in cryo-chemistry, Adrian had seen articles on this "whiz kid" who was revolutionizing low-temperature chemistry. What he was doing here was hard to imagine.

"Professor Nordhoff, so good to see you," Adrian said as he strode up to the pair. "Whatever brings you to Jupiter?"

"A good question. Matt Campbell asked that I join your group. He was a bit vague on why, but when Mr. Campbell asks you something, you do it."

"What would motivate a highly regarded professor, with tenure at a prestigious university, to risk life and limb to come way out here," Adrian asked curiously.

"Money," Martin responded, matter-of-factly. "You see, Juno Mining has been funding my research for the last decade. He established the chair at the university, built the building my lab occupies, and provides millions in research grants each year. The university would have closed the cryo labs years ago but for Juno. So, as a practical matter, Campbell owns me. He has asked little from me in the last ten years, except to keep him apprised of my research results. So, when he personally called to ask that I join your little expedition here, I couldn't say no – literally, I couldn't say no. I wanted to, but I couldn't. And, it is good to get out of the lab for a change. I haven't been on an adventure like this since we worked together almost 20 years ago."

"Well," Adrian replied, "I would take a lab job anytime over this. Living out of a duffel bag and not knowing where your next paycheck is coming from gets really old afterwhile. The idea of a steady job, getting to go home every night to a wife and family – those are things that I find more appealing every day."

"Stability is not all that it is cracked up to be," Martin replied.

Adrian reached into his backpack and pulled out a thick envelope made of nanopaper with the same security device attached to it that was on Adrian's envelope. "Here," Adrian said, handing Martin the envelope, "Campbell asked that I give this to you once we were boarding the transport. You know how the security device works?"

"Yes," Martin replied, "Campbell is fond of security, even when it is not necessary. Thanks." Martin walked over to a corner of the dock and opened the envelope.

Adrian then turned to Sam Gill. "And what's your story, Sam? Why are you here?"

"Same as the professor, money," Gill responded somewhat defensively. "I have a bit of a gambling habit, and money's been short. This gig will help to replenish the back account, at least for a while."

Gill was known as a good "utility" man in the business. He could do pretty much anything. He wasn't an expert at anything, but his versatility often came in handy when something unexpected popped up. Gill could do everything from construction to demolition. He had been a soldier in a past life, before his gambling ended up getting him drummed out of the corp. So he knew his way around guns as well. In the military he had been part of the constructions corps, so he could jury rig virtually anything. Adrian had been reminded of Gill some years ago when he was on Calcitram 4. One Saturday night he had been sans date and decided to go to a cinema that showed "classic television." That night they showed several episodes of a quaint show called "McGyver." The character could make a weapon out of spaghetti. It reminded him of Gill.

"Any idea why you're here," Adrian asked.

"Nope. The agency just said it was a good job, good pay, little risk and the possibility of a big payday. That's all I had to hear."

Adrian was somewhat uneasy about Gill's presence. Compulsive gamblers had a tendency to take unreasonable risks, not just at the tables, but in their lives as well. And broke, compulsive gamblers were even worse. Adrian didn't need someone around that was going to take risks, since that would expose everyone to greater risks as well. But he couldn't really kick him off the team at this point. He might come in useful. And anyway, Campbell had hand picked him. Adrian would just have to keep an eye on him.

Just then a group of men, dressed in uniforms, walked down the dock. This was obviously the flight crew. Their job was relatively straightforward. Take the team to the mine site, make sure they were in, and then come back when called later. They didn't leave the transport, didn't get involved in whatever was planned, and basically would do nothing to endanger themselves or their ship. The captain strode up to Snyder and spoke to him briefly, looked through the manifest, scanned the passengers standing around the gangway, and turned and headed into the ship with his rest of his cres.

Snyder walked to the center of the dock and spoke loudly. "Ladies and gentlemen, the flight crew has arrived. There are a couple crates left to be loaded and then we need to get aboard for an on-time departure to Site 209. Any questions?" Not waiting for any, Snyder walked to the gangway, signaled to his team and walked down the gangway.

The members of Adrian's group followed. Adrian hung back and waited for Nordhoff to catch up to him. "Well, professor, what did our benefactor have to say?" nodding to the envelope.

"Nothing that I can share with you, Adrian. Just some tests that he wants me to run when we get to the station. I don't think they have much to do with the rescue mission at all, so it looks like the best thing I can do is stay out of your way while you secure the site, locate any survivors and restart the station again."

Martin clutched the envelope tightly under his arm, and walked down the gangway with Adrian.

[Word count this installment = 1,789]
[Total word count = 14,692]