computations of field-vector resultants collected from the
satellites had been right; there certainly had been something big
down here-and it hadn’t been just ore deposits.
“Ma-an,” breathed Stanislow, after staring for a long time. “So
that’s it, huh?”
“That is big!” Peters added with a whistle. The aides echoed the
sentiments dutifully.
Stanislow turned to Mills. “Ready for the big moment, then,
Captain?”
“Yes, sir,” Mills confirmed. He indicated a point about two hundred
feet away where a group of figures was gathered close to the wall
of the hull, surrounded by an assortment of equipment. Beside them
a rectangular section of the skin about eight feet square had been
cut away. “First entry point will be there- approximately
amidships. The outer hull is double layered; both layers have been
penetrated. Inside is an inner hull. . .” For the benefit of the
visitors, he gestured toward a display positioned near the
observation window showing the aperture in close-up.
‘Preliminary drilling shows that it’s a single layer. The valves
that you can see projecting from the inner hull were inserted to
allow samples of the internal atmosphere to be taken before opening
it up. Also, the cavity behind the access point has been
argon-flooded.”
Mills turned to Cameron before going on to describe further details
of the operation. “Lieutenant, carry out a final check of
communications links, please.”
“Aye, aye, sir.” Cameron walked back to the supervisory console at
the end of the room and scanned the array of screens.
“Ice Hole to Subway. Come in, please.”
The face of Commander Stracey, directing activities out near the
hull, moved into view, encased in its helmet. “All checks completed
and go,” he reported. “Standing by, ready to proceed.”
“Ice Hole to Pithead. Report transmission quality.”
“All clear, vision and audio,” responded the duty controller from
the dome far above them.
“Ice Hole to Ganymede Main.” Cameron addressed screen three, which
showed Foster at Main Base, situated seven hundred miles away to
the south.
“Clear.”
“Ice Hole to Jupiter Four. Report, please.”
“All channels clear and checking positive.” The last acknowledgment
came from the deputy mission director on screen four, speaking from
his nerve center in the heart of the mile-long Jupiter Mission Four
command ship, at that moment orbiting over two thousand miles up
over Ganymede.
“All channels positive and ready to proceed, sir,” Cameron called
to Mills.
“Carry on, then, Lieutenant.”
“Aye, aye, sir.”
Cameron passed the order to Stracey, and out by the hull the
ponderous figures lumbered into action, swinging forward a
rockdrill supported from an overhead gantry. The group by the
window watched in silence as the bit chewed relentlessly into the
inner wall. Eventually the drill was swung back.
“Initial penetration complete,” Stracey’s voice informed them.
“Nothing visible inside.”
An hour later, a pattern of holes adorned the exposed expanse of
metal. When lights were shone through and a TV probe in-
serted, the screen showed snatches of a large compartment crammed
with ducts and machinery. Shortl3~ afterward, Stracey’s team began
cutting out the panel with torches. Mills invited Peters and
Stanislow to come and observe the operations first-hand. The trio
left the control room, descended to the lower floor, and a few
minutes later emerged, clad in spacesuits, through the airlock onto
the tunnel floor. As they arrived at the aperture, the rectangle of
metal was just being swung aside.
The spotlights confirmed the general impression obtained via the
drill holes. When preliminary visual examinations were completed,
two sergeants who had been standing by stepped forward.
Communications lines were plugged into their backpacks and they
were handed TV cameras trailing cables, flashlights, and a pouch of
tools and accessories. At the same time, other members of the team
were smoothing over the jagged edges of the hole with pads of
adhesive plastic to prevent tearing of the lines. An extending
aluminum ladder was lowered into the hole and secured. The first
sergeant to enter turned about on the edge of the hole, carefully
located the top rung with his feet, and inch by inch disappeared
down into the chamber. When he had found a firm footing, the second
followed.
For twenty minutes they clambered through the mechanical jungle,