“Yeah,” she said.
“So in exchange for a lifetime of staying out of your business, let me nose in just this once. What are you not telling me?”
She fell silent for several seconds. Finally, she said “They have a plan.”
“Who?”
“There’s always have a plan,” she said. “They work out everything in advance.”
“What plan?”
“They picked me to survive. I’m youngest. I have the skills necessary to get home alive. And I’m the smallest and need the least food.”
“What happens if the probe fails, Beth,” her father asked. This time, he was uncharacteristically firm.
“Everyone would die but me,” she said. “They’d all take pills and die. They’ll do it right away so they don’t use up any food. Commander Lewis picked me to be the survivor. She told me about it yesterday. I don’t think NASA knows about it.”
“And the supplies would last until you got back to Earth?”
“No,” she said. “We have enough food left to feed six people for a month. If I was the only one, it would last 6 months. With a reduced diet I could stretch it to 9. But it’ll be 17 months before I get back.”
“So how would you survive?”
“The supplies wouldn’t be the only source of food.” she said.
He widened his eyes. “Oh… oh my god…”
“Just tell Mom the supplies would last, ok?”
“Perfect launch,” Venkat said enthusiastically.
“Of course,” said Zhu Tao.
“You guys really came through for us,” Venkat said. “And we’re grateful!”
“Naturally.”
“And hey, you guys get a seat on Ares 5. Everyone wins.”
“Mmm.”
Venkat looked at Zhu Tao sideways. “You don’t seem too happy.”
“I spent 4 years working on
“In the end, we built a beautiful probe. The largest, sturdiest unmanned probe in history. And now it’s sitting in a warehouse. It’ll never fly. The State Council won’t fund another booster like that.”
He turned to Venkat. “It could have been a lasting legacy of scientific research. Now it’s a delivery run. We’ll get a Chinese astronaut on Mars, but what science will he bring back that some other astronaut couldn’t have? This operation is a net loss for mankind’s knowledge.”
“Well,” Venkat said cautiously, “It’s a net gain for Mark Watney.”
“Mmm,” Zhu Tao said.
“Distance 61m, velocity 2.3m/s,” Johanssen said.
“No problem,” Martinez said, his eyes glued to his screens. One showed the camera feed from docking port A, the other a constant feed of the probe’s telemetry.
Lewis floated behind Johanssen and Martinez’s stations.
“Visual contact,” Beck’s voice came over the radio. He stood in Airlock 3 (via magnetic boots), fully suited up with the outer door open. The bulky SAFER Unit on his back would allow him free motion in space should the need arise. An attached tether led to a spool on the wall.
“Vogel,” Lewis said in to her headset. “You in position?”
Vogel stood in the still-pressurized Airlock 2, suited up save his helmet. “Ja, in position and ready,” he replied. He was the emergency EVA if Beck needed rescue.
“All right, Martinez,” Lewis said. “Bring it in.”
“Aye, Commander.”
“Distance 43m, velocity 2.3m/s.” Johanssen called out.
“All stats nominal,” Martinez reported.
“Slight rotation in the probe,” Johanssen said. “Relative rotational velocity is 0.05rps.”
“Anything under 0.3 is fine,” Martinez said. “The capture system can deal with it.”
“Probe is well within manual recovery range,” Beck reported.
“Copy,” Lewis said.
“Distance 22m, velocity 2.3m/s.” Johanssen said. “Angle is good.”
“Slowing her down a little,” Martinez said, sending instructions to the probe.
“Velocity 1.8… 1.3…” Johanssen reported. “0.9… stable at 0.9m/s.”
“Range?” Martinez asked.
“12m,” Johanssen replied. “Velocity steady at 0.9m/s.”
“Angle?”
“Angle is good.”
“Then we’re in line for auto-capture,” Martinez said. “Come to papa.”
The probe drifted gently to the docking port. Its capture boom, a long metal triangle, entered the port’s funnel, scraping slightly along the edge. The port pulled the boom in, aligning and orienting the probe automatically. After several loud clanks echoed through the ship, the computer reported success.
“Docking complete,” Martinez said.
“Seal is tight,” Johanssen said.
“Beck,” Lewis said. “Your services won’t be needed.”
“Roger that, commander,” Beck said. “Closing airlock.”
“Vogel, return to interior,” she ordered.
“Copy, Commander,” he said.
“Airlock pressure to 100%” Beck reported. “Re-entering ship… I’m back in.”
“Also inside,” Vogel said.
Lewis pressed a button on her headset. “Houst- er… Jiuquan, probe docking complete. No complications.”
“Glad to hear it, Hermes,” came Mitch’s voice over the comm. “Report status of all supplies once you get them aboard and inspected.”
“Roger Jiuquan,” Lewis said.
Taking off her headset, she turned to Martinez and Johanssen. “Unload the probe and stow the supplies. I’m going to help Beck and Vogel de-suit.”
Martinez and Johanssen floated down the hall toward docking port A.
“So,” he said, “who would you have eaten first?”
She glared at him.
“Cause I think I’d be tastiest,” he continued, flexing his arm. “Look at that. Good solid muscle there.”
“You’re not funny.”
“I’m free range, you know. Corn-fed.”
She shook her head and accelerated down the hall.
“Come on! I thought you liked Mexican!”
“Not listening,” she called back.
Chapter 20
