Free Fantastic Voyage: Microcosm by Kevin J. Anderson Page B

degrade rapidly,” Sujatha said. “However, I am certain we will be able to keep our exploration team intact for the maximum five-hour time allotment.”
    All movement inside the sealed miniaturization chamber had ceased. No ventilation stirred, no machinery hummed. Hunter waited, unable to dispel his ever-present tension.
    “We're at the one-minute point,” the disembodied voice reported. “Prepare for re-enlargement.”
    The prismatic grid hummed again. Hunter instinctively shielded his eyes, but studied the focal point in the center of the beams until a black dot appeared and expanded rapidly into a discernible shape, a rectangular cage on a table. Everything looked normal.
    Hunter held his breath. The rabbit twitched. Fluffy Alice sniffed about, her pink nose wiggling, ears erect.
    “We've already had our quota of mishaps for one mission,” Devlin said, reassuringly. “Have faith in us, Felix. The rest will be smooth sailing.”
    When the interlocked plates ceased glowing and the enormous machines fell silent, an all-clear signal sounded from the loudspeakers. With a loud thunk, the electronic security seals on the doors unlocked.
    “Nothing to worry about.” Disheveled from his long round-trip drive and eager to get ready, Devlin turned to go. “I'm going to see Captain Wilcox in the infirmary, if he's awake by now. Trish Wylde will still be putting our UFO expert through the paces before our final briefing. Still in an hour, sir?”
    “Yes, and Team Proteus is scheduled for miniaturization at sixteen-hundred hours this afternoon.”
    Putting his mask and gloves back in place, Sujatha ran to check Fluffy Alice. He removed the plump rabbit from her cage, holding her up for a cursory checkup. He gave a thumbs-up sign and petted the animal before putting her back inside. “I am pleased, sir, that you do not require us to dissect our specimen after each journey.”
    “I'm sure Fluffy Alice appreciates that too,” Hunter said. “It's the only way we can study the effects of repeated miniaturization. Your rabbit has been shrunk down more times than any other living creature.”
    “Fluffy Alice is happy to serve.” Carrying the wire cage, Sujatha strode toward the exit. Hunter knew the Bengali doctor would reward his precious test rabbit with snippets of carrots and parsley.
    “Bring the Mote through the hangar doors and position it in the field,” he instructed the other workers. “No time to waste.”
    Hunter headed out of the miniaturization chamber, back toward his office. He had to pick up the dossiers and prepare for the briefing. He hoped the specialists he'd selected for this first, all-important mission would return in one piece, just like Fluffy Alice.
    Chapter 9
    Thursday, 12:24 p.m.
    When Garrett Wilcox returned to consciousness, the last thing he wanted to see was the man who would replace him on the mission.
    Devlin stood by the recovery bed in the infirmary, arms crossed over his chest. “Can't leave you alone for a second, can I, Garrett? I go away for a simple pickup, and look what happens.” He regarded the blond-haired patient with a frown. “What is it they say about young fighter pilots—balls the size of grapefruits, brains the size of peas?”
    Struggling to raise his head off the pillow, Wilcox managed a smile that looked a little like an attack of gas pain.
    While the Proteus infirmary did not have the equipment of a large medical center, Wilcox received the full attention of the project medical staff. If they had taken the time to airlift him to the nearest hospital after the accident, the young captain's burned limb might have needed amputation. Here, at least, the surgeons had salvaged his leg.
    Still fighting off the painkillers and the anesthetic, Wilcox tried to focus his eyes. “Sorry… guess I'm just an attention grabber.”
    Devlin feigned a disappointed frown. “Roger that, and now I'm stuck taking your place on the Mote. Man, I wanted to watch my soaps this