Free The Martian Race by Gregory Benford Page A

“Probably Chinese, maybe Euros.”
    Axelrod agreed. Julia ground her teeth. “I would like to confront Marc. How can he betray his country by working for a foreign group, after all the years at NASA?”
    She regretted it the moment she said it. He's there because you got him bumped …
    “He's a private citizen and this is not a classified project—it's a public competition,” Axelrod said, smiling grimly.
    “We all know Marc fairly well,” Raoul said. “He's like us. He dreamed of going to Mars all his life. And look, Julia, you didn't hesitate to have him dumped in favor of Viktor.”
    “I didn't! That was not my decision to make.”
    “It got made at your instigation,” Katherine said mildly, not looking at Julia.
    “I was going to quit—”
    “So you say,” Katherine shot back. “It sounded a little Machiavellian to me and—”
    “I just didn't want to leave Viktor,” Julia sputtered. “You have no right—”
    “I'm only saying what a lot of people around here—”
    Julia jumped to her feet. “Damn it, I had no idea—”
    “Oh, come on—”
    “Quiet!” Axelrod's booming voice cut through. “Sit.” Julia sat.
    Viktor held up both hands, palms out, and said to all, “We do not run this show, remember.”
    Axelrod sat back, watching the strained faces slowly rotate toward him. “Right. I take responsibility. At the time I sure didn't think I was making things easier for a competitor, but that's how business works. There's always somebody coming in on your blind side.”
    Julia seethed inwardly at Katherine's remark. She felt guilty enough about her part in Marc's dismissal, but to be accused of having planned it… Still, her training told her to put the conversation back on a less emotional plane. “Marc is determined to get to Mars any way he can. They can't possibly carry out the trials we would have to just getting a nuclear rocket to a reliable state. He and Claudine and whoever else—they're risking their lives, big time.”
    Raoul sat back, folded his arms. “We all know that the Chinese have been cutting corners on space for decades. This is new, cutting a corner nobody else has before.”
    Viktor's mouth twisted into sour agreement. “They are good. Skipped building space station, gained a lot of advantage. But nuclear!”
    Axelrod's incisive gaze momentarily rested upon each astronaut in turn. “So you all think this is a credible threat?”
    They all nodded.
    “Dangerous,” Katherine said, “but credible.”
    “Could work. A big advance, if it does,” Raoul said.
    “But we get to Mars first,” Viktor said. “Tell Airbus, fine. We will leave a light on the porch for you.”
    They all laughed, but to Julia's ear there was a hollow ring to the sound.

7

    JANUARY 11,2018

    A FTER DINNER IT WAS TIME FOR THEIR REGULAR VIDEO TRANSMISSION . No groaning allowed.
    They pulled Consortium logo shirts over their waffle-weave long johns and prepared to look presentable. In fact, they wore as little as possible when in the hab—loose clothing didn't aggravate the skin abrasions and frostbite spots they suffered in the suits. They kept the heat cranked up to compensate, but then nobody had to pay the electric bill, Marc pointed out. Competition was keen for creams and ointments for their dry skin rashes.
    “My turn, I think,” said Marc.
    Julia smiled. “Janet on the other end tonight, then?”
    Janet Conover was a former test pilot who had trained with them, and clearly had hoped to make the trip. Janet was a good mechanic, but Raoul was better. The Consortium had made a careful selection: individual talents balanced with strategic redundancy. The crew of four had to cover all the basics: mission technical, scientific, and medical. They fit together like an intricately cut jigsaw puzzle.
    Tonight's broadcast was going to be somewhat sticky. They were going to have to describe Viktor's injury while reassuring their millions of regular viewers that they were okay and the mission