Free Orb by Gary Tarulli Page B

requiring us to use a bit more imagination—was the Square itself: Not nearly as level as its Russian counterpart, but dwarfing it in size. Here, an immense plateau of flat rock had fissured and cracked, forming steps and accessible shallow inclines that spanned the distance between the base of the spires, which formed an imposing backdrop, to the water’s edge and beyond. The clarity of the ocean water allowed for an unimpeded view of the stone slabs as their random size and structure formed inviting pools and shallows beyond the shoreline, and outward further still, where they descended steeply into the abyss and disappeared from view.
    “Incredible,” said Kelly.
    Even Melhaus, who had characteristically shown little emotion, shifted in his seat to get a better look.
    “How weathering alone could produce such unusual formations,” Paul said, “I am presently unable to venture a guess. Do you believe you can come up with a purely geological explanation, Bruce?”
    The casual remark, viewed as a challenge by Thompson, was more than sufficient to clinch the island as the preferred landing site. There was, however, one task that required tending to first and it was arguably the most important task of the entire mission.
    Thompson purposefully headed
Desio
away
from the island to locate deeper water. With the assistance of Doctor Melhaus,
Ixodes
was forcibly detached and sent plunging headlong into the ocean, where it became fully operational, as planned and without mishap.
    Moments later, on 11 June 2233, after six months of training and three months of travel, at a place we were now calling Red Square, the crew of
Desio
gently touched the ocean planet.
    “We have arrived,” said Thompson, and with these simple words he activated the external hatchway, six steps thudding mechanically into place.
    “Captain, sir,” said Diana, inflating her deference to Thompson by providing him a military rank he did not have. “May I have your permission to be the first to leave the ship?”
    The request was unusual, a departure from long-established protocol: Being first on the planet was the prerogative of the expedition leader. Thompson, who had little use for formality, could not deny her.
    “We’ll be right behind you,” he said. The look on his face said more. He knew Diana well enough to expect she had an ulterior motive hiding behind her request. He wasn’t disappointed.
    As she set foot on the surface of P5, with Thompson and the rest of us close behind and an onboard camera recording for all posterity, she exclaimed in a clear, steady, voice, “That’s one small step for woman, one giant leap for womankind.”
    Thompson, unperturbed, raised an eyebrow at her and said, “Working on the male-female theme today?”
    Diana gave him an unabashed look. “What can I say? Waited two-hundred-fifty plus years to rectify that.”
    The prior expedition had been comprised of five males. Diana was not only the first female on P5 but, remarkably, the first female on a planet outside of our own solar system. There was no reason to be anything but amused at what she said. Only for some reason, maybe nervous tension concerning what we were expected to accomplish, Melhaus wasn’t at all entertained.
    “What I…” he began, then corrected himself, “…what
we
are about to accomplish here doesn’t deserve to be trivialized by you, or anyone else, in some ill-conceived attempt to right some perceived wrong.”
    The remark did not go over well. This time Thompson, Paul, and Kelly all seemed intent on wading into the pending fray. Diana abruptly preempted them.
    “Why, Larry,” she shot back, “I see your ego, perhaps like your reputation,
exceeds
you.”
    “I have no time to waste participating in a juvenile insulting match,” Melhaus countered, his voice tight with restrained anger.
    That was more than enough for Thompson.
    “
And I
,” he said, emphasizing each word while staring hard at Diana, and harder at Melhaus,