Part 31 (1/2)
”The Subaru Telescope, the one Ajmal admires from the last century. He wants to develop a whole new generation of telescopes for use on moons, including this one,” he said in a low voice, grinning.
”Wasn't that operational at the beginning of this century?” Peter asked, lowering his tone.
”It first saw light in January 1999.”
Stepping into the main office, Peter saw that the walls were adorned by programmable screens, operated from the rectangle of small ergonomic workstations facing them. Under the screens were cabinets of a type in which crystals storing huge quant.i.ties of data were carefully filed along with additional compact devices that he did not recognize but took for astronomical data-recorders. On the far wall, across from the entrance was a wide window of dark gla.s.s; beneath it was an elaborate control panel with storage cabinets below. A clearly marked airlock facility undoubtedly gave access to the telescope chamber. A locker to the right of that was plainly labeled ”EMU.”
Only one station was occupied. Captain Opitz and Dr. Pienarr looked up when Peter and the major paused on the threshold.
”Ah, Major, Mr. Reidinger,” the blond Opitz said, quickly skirting the desk, while the astronomer moved more slowly to greet his guests. ”Let me give you the safety spiel all visitors get.” Mockingly she changed her voice to a fruity low contralto. ”Emergency masks are situated at intervals,” and she pointed to Peter's right and the one nearest him, ”and there are two airlocks, right and left,” and she indicated them. ”Don't try the one on the far wall. That's the observatory. No air in there.” She had very blue eyes, like Amariyah's, Peter thought, which the slate-gray fatigues seemed to emphasize, rather than dull. Her uniform fitted her mature form very well.
On the other hand, Dr. Pienarr looked as if he had grabbed the first coverall to hand that morning, evidently from under a pile of heavier objects that had left creases in it. There were coffee stains down the front and on the right cuff. He was balding, with wisps of dark hair across his skull and a thicker ma.s.s over each ear in need of tr.i.m.m.i.n.g. But his hazel eyes were bright and his smile easy, one hand extended.
”I am so very glad to have you in our facility, Mr. Reidinger. Oops, hand-shaking's bad manners with psychics, I'm told,” and he shoved his right hand into a pocket.
”Not at all, Dr. Pienarr,” Peter said, holding his out. He was pleased with every chance he had to show a new digital dexterity.
”Oh, I say, thanks muchly.” Pienarr's grip was firm and quick. ”Afternoon, Vin. Thought you'd be the guide here. Got those spectroscopy images you wanted. I think,” and he patted the various pockets of his coverall.
”Here,” Simona Opitz said, handing him a thick white envelope.
”Oh, yes, thanks, See,” and the exchange was made with thanks from Cyberal. The captain gave a little smile and executed an about-face, walking briskly to an arc of the workstations on the lower level, where she began to slot crystal data cubes into a reader.
”Now,” and Pienarr rubbed his hands together, ”what would you like to see? We have several projects at the moment. We always do. The SPOT . . .”
”The what?” Peter asked politely, not recognizing the acronym.
”SPOT,” Pienarr repeated as if to an inattentive student, ”the Solar Polar Ozone-finding Telescope.”
”I didn't realize that it was operational,” Peter said, retreating from that gaffe. The major hadn't mentioned that in his rundown of the observatory's connections.
”Oh, yes, five years now.” Pienarr's manner was as if he expected criticism. ”Well, with all the zodiacal dust, we had to do something to avoid the extinction that bollixed clear shots of some of the more interesting nebulae. Hubble did well enough in its day with detail down to less than one hundred milliarcseconds across. YEAST improved on that, of course, but SPOT frees us from the interplanetary dust within our own system. But importantly, it checks ozone layers of any likely planet for free oxygen in the atmosphere. It's a well-trained telescope.”
Peter struggled to translate the acronyms from his earlier Teacher astronomy studies. He saw Cyberal's lips twitch.
”SPOT's a Sirius one, you see,” Cyberal murmured close to Peter's ear, and then turned back to Pienarr with a carefully attentive expression.
Peter cleared his throat hastily to stifle a groan over the pun.
”Oh, yes,” said Pienarr, ”we spent over a year investigating the Dog Star.”
Peter determinedly recalled scanning the technical arguments about where to place the newest generation of s.p.a.ce telescopes after YEAST-just beyond the heliopause or in an orbit around the sun, highly inclined to the plane of the ecliptic where all the planets lie. The Solar had won since it was easier to achieve a polar orbit by sending the ferrying s.p.a.cecraft to Jupiter and using Jupiter's gravitational pull as a slingshot.
”We have several hours on SPOT today for our latest project,” Dr. Pienarr said smugly, and pointed to the workstation to which Simona had returned. ”Simona is reducing our last spectrophotopolarimetric data of a likely star system within the constellation Aquila.” Columns of figures now came up on the wall screen facing Simona Opitz. ”Likely in that the G-type primary might have satellites so we'll also check ozone layers for free oxygen. We need a completely sampled coronographic image of the system. Now Farside Number One is looking for s.p.a.ce ice,” and he gestured to another workstation on the upper level.
”s.p.a.ce ice?”
”Yes, you know, frozen water, even possibly the water that was once used by a higher life-form than that which we found on Mars. One would have to purify such ice but even if it is only good for irrigation, it's a very valuable commodity.” Dr. Pienarr gave Peter a telling glance for his surprise at such basic husbandry in s.p.a.ce. ”Well, that's what Farside Number One is doing, you probably pa.s.sed it to starboard,” he c.o.c.ked his head inquiringly.
”We did,” Peter admitted, and diplomatically said nothing else.
”Farside Number Two is doing a survey of the M-type asteroids of the Patroclus group,” Ajmal said, very pleased. ”s.p.a.ce Authority has been nagging us for details so they can begin mining operations. Certainly would increase resources.”
”Won't that cause problems?” Vin Cyberal asked.
”Not unless they had to be moved,” Ajmal said.
Moved, Peter echoed in his thoughts. ”You could move an asteroid?”
”Are you asking if you could, telekinetically?” Ajmal asked, his eyes twinkling.
Peter laughed not only as an answer to the astronomer, but also to relieve his startled reaction to the very idea. Not that he thought he was likely to do so. Could he?
”Technically,” Pienarr continued, and Cyberal grinned at Peter, ”I suppose that could be done with the newest rockets SA has developed. Attach 'em, blast it out of its current orbit. G.o.d knows there're enough asteroids.
”That's another problem we monitor-generally on FST Number Three” and Ajmal waved toward the workstation diametrically opposite them. ”Then, on that scope,” and he gestured almost contemptuously to the rear wall, and the window that looked onto the Schmidt-Ca.s.segrain, ”we constantly track NEOs and the PHAs. There were several close ones in the late twentieth century-1989CF, 1997XF 11, and most particularly 1999 AN 10. Do you know what NEOs are?” His eyes fixed on Peter as a teacher's will on a student suspected of ignorance.
”Yes, I do,” Peter replied easily. ”Wasn't it First Base that identified the very close crossing of the 1998HH 49 in 2028?”
”Yes, it was. The Station was just operational,” and a look of regret crossed Ajmal's round mobile face, ”but I was not onstation then. Indeed I hadn't even decided on astronomy as a career in 'twenty-eight.” He sighed. ”Well, that PHA was unusual even for its whimsical type. I'm sure you understand that many small bodies cross Earth's...o...b..t without incident. We certainly are extremely careful not to cry 'wolf' to the s.p.a.ceForce. Any PHA is well doc.u.mented and ephemerals constantly projected so there's plenty of warning and no last-minute panic about Doomsday or Armageddon or Nemesis.” He raised his eyebrows and widened his eyes in despair of such dramatics. ”October, it was, the sixteenth, and although HH49 should have pa.s.sed within 560,000 miles of Earth, its...o...b..t was perturbed by the pa.s.sage of the Comet Enzuka in 2027 so action had to be taken and the PHA was rather neatly disintegrated. Of course, with a united world government, the suspicions and paranoia of the late twentieth century simply can't recur.”
Peter sensed that Dr. Pienarr was about to exercise one of his favorite hobbyhorses and interposed his request.
”If it's possible, I really would like to see what you're looking at now in the Patroclus group,” Peter said, eagerly.
Ajmal stepped agilely up to the nearest workstation, gesturing for them to follow him. ”What we've been focusing on isn't as spectacular as . . .”
”Oh, don't change it just for me,” Peter exclaimed, but Ajmal had already typed in an altering set of commands.
”Nonsense. Even I know you're not the usual visitor. I'll just bring up one of the more impressive ones in the Patroclus group. I've saved the coordinates of the search pattern so it'll be no trouble at all to track back. Ah, here we are,” and with a grand flourish of one hand, he indicated the monitor that lit up with images.
Peter was awed to have such a sharp focus on the distant object whose orbit was following Jupiter. Seeing was required for believing, as it hung in s.p.a.ce, moving just perceptibly against its backdrop of asteroids and stars, Jupiter not visible in this frame.
”t.i.thonus,” Ajmal announced, tucking his hands under his biceps as he viewed the spectacle. Unnecessarily, the doctor repeated the information running along the bottom of the screen activated by his workstation. ”Number 6998 in IAU, inclination 1.7, eccentricity 0.068, with a 28 km diameter. That'd be a handy one to move, at least, if you're really considering that, Vin,” and Ajmal gave Cyberal a sly look. ”Just fire the rockets in whichever direction you want to break it free from the L-5 point and inject it into a new orbit.”
Peter could even make out what looked like ”dust” on the uneven surface of t.i.thonus. In his previous expeditions to observatories, the emphasis had been on the main planets of this solar system or observations from the faint object spectrographs of systems that were then the subjects of intense colonial interest.
”You seem fascinated, Pete,” Cyberal said in the sort of voice one used to break into intense concentration.
”Oh, sorry. Yes, I am fascinated. Thank you, Dr. Pienarr.”
”Oh, not the t.i.tle, please.” Ajmal gave a testy wave of his hand. ”Does get to you, though.” His attention had returned to the image.
”I wouldn't mind your going back to the M-asteroid. I would rather not interrupt your work any more than I have to,” Peter began politely. Then he pointed to the window and control panels of the telescope. ”May I have a look?”
”But, of course, my dear boy, of course. Though,” and Ajmal's tone became almost derogatory, ”it's of a much earlier generation than the ones we now work with.” After a pause, he added, ”It was built in situ.”
Peter glided over. The wide part.i.tion window seemed to be one of those that would turn opaque at a touch. Yes, there was a toggle clearly marked ”window” on the control board. Accustomed to the usual dome protection, he was at first surprised to see the huge barrel-at least twelve meters long-just sitting out in the open. But there were no elements to guard against, only the full rays of the sun. Another control was marked ”deflector s.h.i.+eld” and he would have looked further but suddenly there was noise coming from the foyer.
Over Cyberal's shoulder, because the major stepped in front of him, Peter saw Corporal Hinojosa backing in a step ahead of several white-coated figures. Peter swallowed, getting a flashback of a scene during Barchenka's Mutiny.