Free Farthest Reef by Karl Kofoed Page A

radar imaging to the maps.”
    “Just a simple match-up,” said Alex drily. “Piece of cake.”
    The Professor glowered at him for a moment, then continued. The plan called for Alex and Tsu to be pilot and co-pilot while Mary and Sciarra would operate the communications and radar posts. “I’ll be guiding the mission from my magic bubble.” Johnny concluded with an amused look. “Like old times,” he added. “Basically the same crew. Right, Tony?”
    “Just don’t dump me in the reef again, okay?” Sciarra said to Alex.
    Alex laughed. “Tsu might dump you for fun. Right, Connie?”
    “Why don’t I fly the ship and you can tell jokes,” Tsu hissed, glaring at Alex.
    Johnny held up his hand. “Okay …” he said. “Since Connie has brought up an issue …”
    “Issue?” Alex looked at Connie. “What issue?”
    Johnny began to explain. “Tsu feels that she’s a certified pilot with recent experience and you …”
    “Have been toiling in the mines,” interrupted Alex. “Is that what’s bugging you? I’ve flown the reef twice, Connie. In my ship, I might add. I thought that’s why I’m here. But if you want to pilot her, be my guest.”
    “Just a minute,” said Johnny. “Alex …”
    “No.” Alex held up his hand. “Why not let Tsu do the flying with me as advisor? If we run into trouble, I’m there. What say, Johnny?”
    Johnny frowned. “I don’t know,” he said, swiveling his chair back and forth.
    “You see, Connie,” said Alex, looking bemusedly at her. “There’s nothing I can do. Stubbs has his mind made up.”
    Tsu folded her arms across her chest and stared angrily at the viewscreen. The computer had built a 3-D model of the reef and was now projecting clicker men population centers, showing as red and yellow dots. They all watched intently as it rendered the image. Finally it was set into motion and a soft focus image of Jupiter was layered over it.
    “Not bad,” commented Alex. “But how does that really match up with what’s going on there now?”
    “Good question,” said Johnny. “We’ve positioned orbiters over the spot starting, oh, a year after you left the place. They have been radar mapping it daily since then. We think it’s fairly accurate.”
    “Fairly accurate,” repeated Alex, looking at Mary skeptically. Her expression told him to keep his mouth shut.
    Alex took a deep breath. “The clicker men,” he said. “What about the abduction issue? I keep asking myself how Joe Citizen on Earth would feel if he or a loved one were snatched away and taken to meet aliens on another star.”
    “What’s your point?” asked the Professor.
    Alex coughed with astonishment. “Have you considered it from that viewpoint?”
    Baltadonis hung his head. “We think it’s necessary, Alex. Everybody thinks it’s necessary.”
    “I don’t,” said Alex. “I still don’t see how taking one along …”
    Connie stood up. “There must be billions of those clicks flying around down there, Alex. So we take one along. Jesus, Alex. This is a big mission. Why are you making such a case …?”
    Mary groaned. “This was not supposed to be an argument, was it? Or did I miss that on the agenda?”
    On the screen, the reef of life rotated like a liquid windmill, and inside it, buried fifty kilometers or more beneath the clouds, were what appeared to be cities, megacities, and hinterlands; a vast red and yellow web that filled a thin layer of the reef.
    “Have you seen this before, Tony?” asked Alex, pointing to the screen.
    “I sure have,” said Tony.
    “Seen what?” asked Johnny. “This display? Of course he has.”
    “Have you chosen a site?” Mary asked, looking at the display.
    “As I said before, that depends on how our map matches up with what you see on radar.”
    “You said you were keeping track.” Mary faced the Professor.
    “Does it really matter?” asked Alex. “Those buggers are everywhere down there. Look at ‘em.”
    Johnny went to the console