Free Spindrift by Allen Steele Page B

him. “Yes, well…it’s a small job, but it’s mine.”
    â€œAnd you do it well.” Apparently at ease with where he was, he patiently awaited his turn to leave the ferry. “Not like other individuals, at least…”
    Collins cast him a hard look. “Let them do their work,” she said, “and see to your own.” She paused, then lowered her voice. “Sorry, but there’re no Savants aboard. You’re just going to have to make do with us normal humans.”
    He scowled and looked away, and Collins left him alone. She didn’t know whom she distrusted more: him or the captain.
    Â 
    With six extra passengers aboard, Deck C was more crowded than usual. Emily carefully made her way through the circular passageway surrounding the hab module’s central core, trying to avoid collision with scientists searching for their assigned quarters while, at the same time, adjusting to microgravity. The Millis-Clement field wouldn’t be activated until the diametric drive torus was deployed; until then, everyone aboard would have to maneuver around each other in free fall. This didn’t pose a problem when Galileo ’s complement consisted of nine seasoned spacers. Add six eggheads who’d only recently completed deep-space training, and the potential for chaos was magnified a hundredfold.
    Fortunately, Ted was on hand to get the mess under control. Emily found him directing the members of the science team to their compartments while trying to deal with their individual problems. At the moment, it appeared to be Tobias Rauchle’s turn to lodge a complaint.
    â€œI’m sorry, Dr. Rauchle, but we don’t have any rooms with connecting doors.” Holding on to the ceiling rail, Harker spoke to the team leader as if he was a hotel concierge handling an irate guest. “Dr. Kaufmann is in the next compartment, though, so…”
    â€œNo, that’s not satisfactory.” Rauchle glared at him in a way that might have been intimidating if the physicist hadn’t been upside down; as it was, Rauchle was making his demands to Harker’s knees. “Robert and I are research collaborators. We have important discussions that we need to do in private…”
    â€œThen you’ll just have to go to his quarters, or him to yours. Or you can talk in the lounge on Deck D when no one else is…”
    â€œToby, it’s all right.” Kaufmann hovered behind the senior scientist, his arms laden with their duffel bags. Although he didn’t have hold of the handrail, at least his head was in the direction of the ceiling. “We can work this out.”
    â€œNo. That simply will not do.” Trying to reposition himself upright, Rauchle spread out his hands and, touching the narrow walls of the passageway, attempted to perform a cartwheel. Right idea, wrong technique; all he succeeded in doing was bumping his head and nearly kicking Kaufmann in the face. “If you can’t give us connecting compartments, then you could at least reassign one of us to a larger…”
    â€œNo one aboard has larger quarters,” Emily said. “Except the captain, but I wouldn’t try talking him out of it.” Then she slipped her hand around Ted’s waist, letting her fingertips brush his rear. “Besides,” she added, smiling at both men, “I’m sure the two of you can work something out. We always have.”
    Rauchle’s face became scarlet, while a smile briefly flickered across Kaufmann’s. Jorge Cruz chose that moment to flounder through their midst, muttering apologies to everyone as he clumsily hauled his bag behind him. Rauchle waited until the astrogeologist was out of earshot. “Yes, of course,” he muttered. “My apologies, Commander. I suppose you’re right.”
    â€œSorry we can’t be more accommodating.” Harker leaned past him to push the button that caused the