Somebody Else's Space Program
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Chapter Sixty Five
"Twelve thousand, half million, million or more,
Picnicking out on the warm-water shore."
"How are your girls doing?"
Ross turned and looked at the speaker. "What are you talking about?"
Valmiiki waved at the simulator. "Envyss and Narayana. Are the numbers keeping up to specs?"
"Yes." Then Ross repeated, "Girls?"
"Sorry. I imagine that's treason."
"Hardly. But it's irritating. Does it bother you that much?"
Valmiiki shook his head, smiling a little. "It's amusing. I wondered why Envyss was paired with a female instead of another man."
"Four of the fliers for this phase are women. Two of them are on mixed teams, and we have one team that are both women. Val, we don't _know_ what's going to work best. So we try everything. Talk to Meds -- he set the teams up as much by compatability of personality as by needed skills." Ross made notes of the readings on the simulator.
"And if Envyss decides he's really compatable with her?"
Ross laughed. "For two years, every female in Akshobhya threw herself at him, and I was hundreds of miles away. He came back to me. Even if he tries her out, he's not leaving me." Something else occurred to Ross. "Do you have some idea that there's privacy in a capsule? Just the medical monitors would scream bloody murder, and the sound pickups."
---
Envyss was tagged as pilot, which meant that Narayana was going to get the EVA time. But they both got to practice in the pool with the floatation simulator. "That's the new reactionless boltdriver. Narayana suggested more handholds for the worker. Footholds, actually."
Ross nodded. The medical monitors showed that the two in the water were a bit exerted, but well within acceptable parameters. The overhead crane motors started to power-up -- experiment over. The two suited figures were lifted from the water and deposited on the side of the pool. The harnesses were clipped onto stays on the pool-edge -- one of the early fliers had almost drowned half-way out of his suit when he overbalanced and fell back into the pool. The open suit was too heavy to swim in, and filled rapidly with water.
Narayana got her helmet off first. She was still sweating a bit, even with the cool air flowing out of the air suppply. "That is work. You don't expect it to be."
"Weight isn't mass. You don't lose your mass in orbit."
Envyss lifted his helmet, handed it off to an attendant, held his hands out to have the suit gloves removed. He smiled over at Ross. "That was very odd. Is someone working on making the suits more flexible?"
"Of course. But there isn't going to be a change in time for your flight. Get used to it."
"I think I'm going to start running with a full pack every morning. That ought to help."
"It should."
---
"Valmiiki's worried about you alone with Narayana in orbit."
"Alone? Is someone planning to sabotage the radio?"
"I tried to explain that, but... "
"Tell him to worry about Gallagher and Cisihlte. They're both straight and Gallagher's having problems with his partner."
"Is that a recommendation for a psych down-check for Gallagher?"
"No. His wife has just found out that most of our people don't have marriages the way she thinks of them, and she is not taking it well."
"Is this a problem with the other outlanders in the program?"
"Most of your other outlanders are pilots, not techs. Pilots think of themselves as being privileged, in certain ways. And their partners get used to it. Or turn a blind eye."
"Outlander pilots."
Envyss grinned. "Yes. Our pilots don't expect any treatment the rest of us don't get normally." He stood and carried his dishes into the kitchen, started to run water in the sink. Half muffled, he said, "Hahnemann made a pass at me today."
Ross froze -- what was he supposed to say? Hahnemann was one of the outlander fliers -- probably even shyer than Ross had been about hunting. So he had approached one of two men he _knew_ had the same orientation... "Is there going to be a problem?" Did he take "no" for an answer? Did you even _say_ "no," love? By your people's rules...
"I steered him over to someone who was available." Envyss turned just a little, until he could see Ross's expression. "Last time I saw him, Tarrell had dragged him behind the suit rack. Tarrell likes blonds, too, but he has more sense to try for you."
"What... would happen if someone did? Back when my people had kings, if the king's wife took a lover, she was guilty of treason, and so was the lover."
"Legally? Nothing at all. Got your eye on someone? Want me to make myself scarce so he won't run?"
"No. I've got what I want."
"You wouldn't be giving me up."
"Envyss, I don't think that way. One person, that's it. If you choose to walk away from me... "
"It's not going to happen."
"Good."
---
Gallagher's wife left him, left the country, went home. Meds sighed, checked the psych tests, made notes... there was less stress now, but was the combo right for in the confines of a two-seater capsule?
"I might just bump them back a few missions. Envyss, are you ready to move up?"
"Bad idea, both cases. The missions have specific research goals -- you would have to retrain someone to do Gallagher's work. I'd rather stay with my own mission, too."
"Alright. But I'll be watching him."
---
"Narayana and I want Ross to be CapCom. I can understand him perfectly, and Narayana has less problems with his accent than with the native speakers."
Flight's eyebrow rose. "Narayana? Did Envyss push this on you? Or Ross?"
"No. I've been spending a lot of time with Ross and Envyss. Ross is very clear to my ears."
A lot of time with both of them? Now _that_ was interesting.
---
Launch day, the first two-man crew. Theniol was assigned as CapCom. Envyss was hovering around as his deputy, ready to step in for an instant if needed. Ross was being followed by a reporter, while Ross's deputy flitted from console to console, recording figures.
The reporter was out of earshot for an instant, something having caught his eye on a screen. "I wish I had a double right now."
Envyss grinned, "Well, other than the obvious benefits from my point of view, something in particular?"
"I can't do my job with him on my heels."
"I'll take care of it."
Envyss whispered something to Theniol, then headed for the reporter. Ross saw his partner lead the reporter away -- good enough, let's get this bird launched.
---
"This is my capsule-mate Narayana. She's got all the particulars of the current flight as well as for some of the future ones."
"She's going up? Which mission?"
"Dual Mission Five, with me. Nara, I've got to get back on the wire."
Narayana nodded curtly, then smiled at the reporter. "Let's go where we can oversee the entire operations room."
---
Envyss nodded at Ross when he re-entered the room. "Does she resent that?"
"No." The speaker crackled -- Envyss picked up a headset and put it on. Theniol spoke softly to the command pilot.
Minus ten minutes and holding for final checklists. The reporter had a clipboard and was following the reports. Finally, Flight reported, "Director, we're go for launch."
"Lift the hold. Resume the countdown."
A bit of a stir at the entrance -- Josgoroth had slipped into the room, with only a few guards. Envyss looked up at the noise, called Ross's attention to him with a chin-point. A bare nod -- don't bother me _now_, I've got a launch in progress.
"Minus three minutes and counting."
"Flight, give me a last round of go/no go."
Reports. All nominal, exactly where they needed to be. Forty seconds and counting.
At twenty, Ross noticed Josgoroth standing next to him, watching the screens with the same avidity as his cousin.
"Ten. Nine. Eight..."
Ignition at three, hold downs released at zero. From the command pilot "Clock is started." A low murmur in mission control. Readings from the ship, both the pilot and the command pilot. "It just got quiet here."
"We copy," Theniol said. "You're go for staging at my mark." Silence, then, "Four three two one..."
The pilot, "Okay, we had staging." A muffled cheer went through the room.
Then the command pilot, "Wow. Look at that horizon."
"Bring us home some pictures, 'Keetays. Meds wants some readings..."
Josgoroth spoke quietly to Ross. "Congratulations."
"Thank you. Let's get them down safely though, alright?" Ross leaned over and read a figure off the notes Theniol was taking. "Check that. I don't like it."
Theniol relayed the request, a new number came back, better but still not to Ross's satisfaction. "Lord Protector, if you'll excuse me..."
"You don't need me breathing down your neck. I understand."
---
There wasn't a lot of work being done in Nat Drummond's shop that day. Someone had brought in a television from home, and jury-rigged a connection to the big antenna. The image was still snowy, but it was better than just the radio broadcast. Pat had that running, too, which was fine for the actually Mission Control talk, but the cross talk of the commentators was a confusion and a half.
"Hey. Isn't that your old buddy Ross Colburn?"
Drum nodded, distracted, trying to understand the hruss underneath the translation. "Pat, can you get me an untranslated broadcast? I have the feeling our people are skipping over parts they don't understand."
Pat pulled on a headset and started fiddling with dials. After a while... "Here you go." Straight from the hruss, no intervening commentary or translations.
Drum sat with the headset, barely watching the video. He started to scribble notes. "Pat, see if you can get me ... damn... Ross would talk to me, but I think they have him buffered."
"Mairyonven."
"Excuse me?"
"She was here when Ross visited. I think she's their king's sister or aunt or something. I might be able to reach her, and then ..."
"Try it."
Informal communication channels were always delightful. "Who's that?" Drummond asked. "He... " The video flashed up with Envyss's name, and that he was the Lord Protector's cousin. "Envyss looks like ... what was his name... Jheraind? the old Lord Protector's son?"
"Josgoroth's father. Envyss is Mairyonven's son. And Ross's lover."
Drum grinned, "Openly? I'm astonished. He's almost as pretty as a girl, though... I remember the crush I had on the kid's mother, back when I met her. Oh, well. I wonder if I missed a chance."
---
"I've got six photos for you, Flight. About to cross the terminator."
"Watch your temperature gauges. Transfering you to the next ground control station."
Theniol waited until he heard the next CapCom pick up the conversation, caught some of the temperature readings. "They'll be back around in a little while, Ross. Envyss, stand watch for me while I stretch and get a bite... Lord Protector!" Theniol shot up out of his chair. A quick babble in archaic hruss, which Josgoroth waved away.
"Do your job. You need a break, get going. Ross, how long are they going to be up?"
"Six days. Four more orbits and main crew here trades off with the next shift." Ross looked around, and in a somewhat louder voice, "And we _are_ going to go and get some sleep, gentlemen?"
Muffled laughter and the occasional, "Yes, sir," or , "Of course, Director."
"Are _you_ going to get any sleep?" Josgoroth asked.
"Eventually. Envyss ..."
Too many reporters around for the obvious question of _how_ Envyss was going to get Ross relaxed snough to sleep. "What are you going to do when it's _him_ in orbit?"
Ross shook his head. "Lose a lot of sleep, I imagine. I can't even just go off somewhere and drink -- he and Narayana want me as CapCom."
"Even if you weren't anything but director, I don't see you hiding during any of your flights. That's not you."
"You're right."
---
Heated sandwiches, drinks with caffeine in them. Josgoroth disappeared for a short while and returned wearing a tech's uniform. He circulated, and everyone officially ignored his presence, except for answering questions when he posed them.
"All right, we're back online here. Welcome back, 'Keetays, how's she behaving?"
"A bit of a shimmy problem -- the techs gave us a couple of fixes, they haven't eliminated it. Here's the new data."
Envyss wrote down a second copy as Theniol wrote. He studied it... "Tell them," he murmured to Theniol, "to check the edges of the air intakes. I think something loose is depressing one of the controls."
Theniol nodded, relayed the instructions. Ross turned to Envyss, "Explain?"
"Everything ends up at the air vents. But... something on its way there might hit a button en route."
'Keetays let out a bitten-off curse. "Shard of plastic had worked its way next to one of the buttons. It was triggering just every once in a while."
"Get me new figures."
"Well, the shimmy has pretty well stopped. And we've stopped that tiny fuel leak we thought we had."
"Good. Figures anyway, gentlemen."
---
Sleep was on a pair of cots in Ross's office. "I'm going to get you a fold-out couch for in here."
"No. Then I'll be taking too many mid-day breaks with you. We should have gone home."
"Ross. You _live_ here. Where you stay between missions is unimportant. I think we can get a small apartment set up, with at least a decent sleep space for you. And somewhere to have a meal without a mission report in reach."
"There is no such place."
"I can get Josgoroth to issue an order."
"He can replace me, too."
Envyss glared at his partner, then sighed. "No, he can't. But he can treat you better."
Ross propped himself up on one elbow and looked at the young man on the other cot. "I don't see how. I'm doing work that I love, have a comfortable place to live, and you. What can he do to improve that?"
---
The floor was more comfortable than the cots. And the floor wouldn't collapse under the weight of two moderately active adults. A soft knock at the door some hours later instead of a phone call. "Yes?"
"Director Colburn, there's a call for you down at the main switchboard. A Doctor Drummond."
"Have them patch it through here." Ross made a long arm and snagged the phone off the desk, bringing it to rest next to him on the floor. Envyss muttered something in his sleep and snuggled in closer. A quarter of a ring and Ross answered it. "Drum. Can you call back in about three hours... oh, okay, you aren't sure they'll patch it through again. What's your number?" Ross reached for paper, was handed a notepad and pen by his partner. "I'll give you a call back when I wake up. Sure, it's going well... Oh. Tell her I'm spoken for. Look, I have to get back to sleep. Bye." Ross hung up.
Envyss took the phone and put it above their heads, but still on the floor, and put the notepad with it. "Her?"
"Patricia something. Drum introduced her to me as Patrick and... well, there was a minor unpleasantness. I thought she would know better by now."
Envyss grinned and shook his head. "Ross, you're too pretty. We won't mention the 'good and wise and kind' parts. I can't see anyone ever getting over you once they like you."
"I don't mind being liked. I mind being ... Oh, go back to sleep. You know what I mean."
"Will she go away if you give her some kids?"
"Not until after I get _you_ pregnant."
---
Breakfast as scheduled, then back down to mission control and pick up on the night's developments. Ireomela hadn't been able to sleep in microgravity -- Meds was going to have him take a pill and try again. There were some jokes around about other relaxation methods, but they were all noted to either be too messy or too likely to puch the wrong buttons.
---
No Josgoroth today. When control was passed to the next ground station, Ross ducked into his office and called Drummond. Apparently they were on skewed sleep schedules from each other. "What did you want?"
"I'd like to visit for your next launch. Do you know how hard it is to get a good picture here of what you're doing?"
"I'm not sure you'll be allowed."
"Our people barely got one man off the ground. We're no threat to you."
"And the hruss want it to stay that way. I'll see what I can do, but be prepared to not take anything home with you -- not paper, not photos, possibly not even clothes. And a thorough inspection on the way in, too."
"Suspicious bastards."
"We lost one of our original fliers to a bomb in his car. We still haven't traced the source. We're not taking chances."
Ross heard a deep sigh. "I hadn't heard about that. You're right. Maybe I should not bother. Not for a while, at least."
"No. Come visit. But tell Patricia that..."
"You told me last night."
"I was thinking of something else. Drum, don't bring anyone with you that you aren't willing to lose."
"What? Oh. In case someone gets put in prison?"
Ross laughed, "Not exactly. I never went home."
---
Orbits. And days. Ireomela got his sleep, finally, when Meds threatened him that if he didn't take a pill this was his last flight. Not much of a threat at the time, but...
"Any dropsickness, other nausea?"
"Only medical problem other than the sleep was when 'Keetays didn't get the shade closed in time when the sun came around. Dazzled himself for a few minutes."
"Roger that."
Nat Drummond arrived two days before scheduled splashdown with only the clothes on his back, and Patricia. "I thought I would just buy clothes here -- save your troops from having to search them."
"That might work. Dr. Nathaniel Drummond, Miss LaRoque." Quietly, and shifting to their language, not hruss. "I'd like to introduce you to my husband, Prince Envyss."
She had expected "companion" or "friend." But "husband." Not even "wife." "Husband."
Some of the closer technicians snickered. She stiffened, "I'm pleased to meet you, Your Serenity." Well! At least she had that much of her homework done.
Envyss nodded, "Miss LaRoque. What do you think of our operation so far?"
She smiled at the princeling. "I'm impressed." And startled -- he spoke her language flawlessly. Then again, his mother? had as well. Pretty young man... But he looked at her... then looked at Dr. Drummond with apparently more interest, then back at his partner. No, no chance at that one, either.
Drummond started to ask questions, in passable hruss. Ross waved one of the technicians over and had her take Drum and Pat to a briefing room for a quick fill-in.
---
"I think you solved her problem," Envyss said, once the door was firmly shut behind the two outlanders.
"Is that what you call it?"
"I... didn't think you would say that. 'Partner' is hard enough for your people to wrap their minds around, when it's two men or two women."
"Yes, it was. But 'husband' has other literal meanings. Like 'caretaker.' You are stavehleth to me, _and_ khymreth. 'Husband' is both."
"Yes."
---
Re-entry. The blackout period was longer than expected -- "I have to go over my figures on that. The time was logged... "
"Ross, breathe."
Ross growled, "I _am_ breathing. I am just annoyed. I'm not taking something into account, and it is going to get someone killed."
"Drum's got better computers. He can help."
"His government won't let him."
A faint smile. "I think we can persuade them. Or him."
---
"I can't just pack up everything and move to your country."
"We are not asking you to. I want to buy some computer time from you."
Drum paced. The phone cord was long enough to follow him across the room in both directions. "This needs to go through diplomatic channels. We can't do this on a 'neighbors talking over the fence' basis."
"I have a lot of authority with my people. What do you think your people will want?"
"Minimum, sending up satellites on your boosters."
Laughter over the phone. "Building a new computer system would be cheaper."
"You're probably right. How many lives are you willing to pay while you develop and build it?"
Ooh. Ross had learned some new curse words since he was a teenager.
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