Saturn Rukh Read Free Page A

spacecraft can be pared down in size so it can accomplish the mission. That’s why Space Unlimited was chosen to be responsible for the operational phase of the mission.”
     
    “How risky are we talking?” she asked, blinking nervously.
     
    “The fuel you need to get from Saturn back to Earth is going to be stored in orbit around Saturn,” Art started. “You have to rendezvous with it to get home.”
     
    “Not much risk there,” said Chastity confidently. “Rod and I have to do a rendezvous mission every time we refuel a freighter.”
     
    “You go down with only enough fuel to bring you to a halt under a parachute in the upper atmosphere. The balloon has to deploy and develop lift before the parachute drifts down to the level in the atmosphere where the pressure and temperature become too high for the spacecraft to survive.”
     
    “I won’t ask the odds on that happening,” said Chastity. “I’m sure the parachute and balloon designers will do as good a job as they can. And, taking along a little extra fuel to extend the hovering time will just postpone the inevitable.” She paused and turned to look at Rod.
     
    “Will we fry or be squashed?”
     
    “The walls of the crew quarters will collapse before the inside temperature reaches the protein coagulation point. They were designed that way.”
     
    “Good.” She swallowed heavily and turned back to look levelly at Art. “What else?”
     
    Art paused, not wanting to answer, and looked over to Rod for help.
     
    “We have to make our own meta before we can leave,” replied Rod.
     
    “Suppose something goes wrong with the meta plant?”
     
    “We have to make our own meta before we can leave,” repeated Rod.
     
    “That is risky.” Chastity turned to look questioningly at Art. “I know it’s because of the hours-long time delay between Earth and Saturn, that you need humans at Saturn in order to monitor and control the plant. But why aren’t you just dropping the meta plant down into Saturn, and leaving the crew in orbit to run things through telerobots?”
     
    “We priced out that option,” said Art. “In order to cover all possible contingencies that might arise, the telerobot systems for the meta factory and its support facility became so complicated that the total mission costs ballooned to thirty billion. The project was a no-go at that price. Putting humans in for telerobots brought the price of the equipment down to an affordable three billion. That’s why you’ll be getting paid a billion dollars,” explained Art.
     
    “Is each crewmember getting a billion? Or is Rod getting more because of his age and experience?”
     
    “You’re not getting paid for your talent,” said Art. “All the crewmembers are tops in their fields. You’re getting paid for the risk. Same risk—same pay.”
     
    Chastity looked at Rod, who nodded his confirmation. She turned back to Art.
     
    “How many in the crew?”
     
    “Six,” replied Art. “The consortium raised ten billion dollars for the mission—six billion for the crew and three billion for the equipment.”
     
    “Who gets the last billion?” asked Chastity, suspiciously.
     
    The look in Art’s eyes suddenly shifted from friendly to cautious. “Space Unlimited,” he finally answered.
     
    “What!?” exploded Chastity. “We’re taking all the risk. Why should you get paid the same amount we are?”
     
    Art knew that Chastity was in no mood to hear explanations of how much Space Unlimited had invested so far in putting this consortium together, and how much his business could potentially lose if the budget went over the ten billion target. A billion was a fair return for the business risk he was undertaking. If the project was successful and meta production started, he could then expect an even higher return, since Space Unlimited owned 5 percent of the consortium shares.
     
    “If you’re not interested in the job, I’ll have to go to the next name on the