“She’s got more education, she’s more cautious. But she’s not better than you. Close, but not better. Anyway, if you go, I want you to have another woman pilot with you. Guys get funny ideas after a couple of weeks locked up in an aluminum can.”
The plan was to carry an engineer/technician and at least one geologist or planetary astronomer on the flight. The mission was designed to be more than a mere test of the fusion drive; it was supposed to bring back results. It had to.
“I can handle the guys,” Pancho said.
“Yep, I’m sure you can. But why bring up the problem?”
“You don’t think Mandy’ll cause a problem?”
Randolph laughed softly in the darkness. “I see your point. She can raise temperatures when she wants to.”
“Even when she doesn’t want to.”
“I had a long talk with Amanda yesterday. She’s going to be prim and proper during the flight. No bedroom eyes. No tight uniforms. She agreed to behave herself.”
Pancho was shocked. The little sneak never said a word to me about talking with the boss.
“She’ll be strictly business. She promised.”
“I don’t know if she can help herself,” Pancho said.
“You think I should take her off the mission?”
Pancho blurted, “No, I think you should take me off it.”
“You? Why?”
Don’t do it! She raged at herself. Don’t go blabbing it out to him. He’ll fire your butt out of here like a hot rocket and then make sure nobody’l1 ever hire you again. But he trusts me. He’s hangin’ his whole world on me because he trusts me to get the job done even when his personnel office doesn’t.
“Why should I take you off the mission?” Randolph insisted.
Cursing herself for six kinds of a fool, Pancho said, “Martin Humphries hired me to spy on you.”
“He did, huh?” In the starlit darkness, Randolph sounded much less surprised than she thought he would. “When was this?”
“More’n six months ago,” Pancho said, barely able to get the words out. “Last time I was up at Selene.”
Randolph fell silent and resumed pacing slowly along the seawall. Pancho walked beside him, listening to the sighing of the wind, the grumble of the surf, waiting for him to explode or snarl or say something.
At last he started to laugh. Not loud, joyful laughter. Just a low, cynical snickering. “I knew the sonofabitch would try to plant snoops in my drawers, but I never figured he’d recruit you.”
“You can fire me if you want to.”
“What did he offer you?”
“Money.”
“Is that all you’re after?”
Pancho hesitated a heartbeat. “I got… family to take care of.”
“Your sister, yes, I know.”
“You know?”
“I told you, I went over every nanobit of data about you. I know about your sister.”
“Well…” Pancho had to take a breath before she could repeat, “You can fire me, I guess.” She was surprised at what an effort it was to say the words.
“Why would I do that?” Randolph sounded genuinely puzzled.
“’Cause I’m supposed to be spyin’ on you.”
“That’s all right. No need to panic, kid. Go ahead and spy all you want. I knew he’d plant a few spooks into Astro. I’m glad you told me about it. I appreciate your honesty—and loyalty.”
“But-”
“No, no it’s okay,” Randolph said, his tone almost bantering now. “You go ahead and report everything you’re doing to him. I’ll even make it easier for you. I’ll transfer you and Amanda to Selene. That’s where the sonofabitch is living, isn’t it?”
“I think so, yeah.”
“Good,” Randolph said. “I ought to go there myself. It’s a lot healthier there than here, that’s for sure.”
“Healthier?”
“Climate controlled. Decontaminated air. I don’t need filter plugs stuffed up my nose when I’m there.”
Before Pancho could ask why he needed filter plugs at all, Randolph grasped her by the shoulder and turned her gently to look up into the darkening sky. A half-Moon rode among the scudding clouds, the unwinking brilliant beacon light of Selene visible along its terminator between night and day.
“That’s where you’re going, kid. To Selene.”
Pancho wondered if Randolph was truly pleased with her confession, or if he was exiling her to the most remote spot he could find.