Free The Return of the Manhattan by Lee Ecker Page B

also bring you a group who will establish a colony that is if the planet is big enough for you and them too.”
    “Enough and to spare. The mountains are majestic; the water is clean although we have already despoiled part of this pristine world by drilling for oil. If we don’t spoil it entirely, it will be a thing of beauty for a long time. It’s paradise! The temperatures are moderate except at the poles and there are few natural disasters. We have seen evidence of earthquakes or should I say planet quakes, but storms are mild. I hope you plan to spend some time with us.”
    “We will be there only long enough to unload our cargo and passengers and to take on the maximum oil that our tanks will hold. That could be several months.”
     
    On her seventh birthday, David allowed Laura to join Kevin in the cockpit of one of the shuttles that would carry the first party to the surface. She made the most of it and Kevin let her do much of the flying. “Just like the simulator,” he said. And it was except she thought it was much easier. She orbited the planet from lower altitudes at high speeds sending sonic booms reverberating through the mountain valleys. They enjoyed the scenic view, but for posterity and future earthbound researchers, everything was recorded with high resolution cameras and all sorts of probes for temperature, winds, pressures, and sensors to determine the presence of all known elements. As the scientists from the Pathfinder had indicated, the atmosphere was ideal, almost identical to that on the earth with the same balance between, oxygen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and most of the other inert gases. In sharp contrast, the only exception was that they found little pollution.

CHAPTER 15
    Kevin and his crew of pilots immediately began to shuttle the empty containers to the surface and return full loads back to the ship, a process would go on around the clock for several weeks. Most of the remaining crewmen were pressed into service moving the full tanks from the hangar deck and securing them in the various storage areas throughout the ship. Kevin organized the group rotating schedules to allow for ample rest and relaxation, and for all who desired to spend off duty time on the planet. Laura flew many of the trips under Kevin’s direct supervision. He reported to David that Laura could fly the missions by herself, but David wouldn’t allow that much latitude even though Laura pleaded again and again to be allowed to fly solo. He was adamant and finally quieted her by handing out his ultimatum. “If you don’t quit that incessant begging, you will not fly at all! I don’t want to hear anything more about it. I must admit, you have the skill, but you lack the years of experience that all the other pilots have. You will have years to become a pilot like your mother was. Enjoy your flying with Kevin.”
    Within the fenced in boundaries of the colony established by the crew of the Pathfinder, everything was safe and civilized. It was like living on the western frontier of the United States in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. There, the colonists fled to safety behind stockades from wild animals and the ferocious Indian tribes that were often on the warpath. On this planet, there were no known natives to contend with, although much of the planet had not been explored. However, there were uncharted continents with many unknown species of wild animals, large and small, but some of the colonists regaled them with tales, describing their encounters with wild beasts as ferocious as lions and tigers and compared their temperament with that of grizzly bears. Most of their tales were grossly exaggerated, but the forests were alive with insect infestations which were more of a nuisance than a hazard, although there were many bee-like insects with venomous stingers as long and hard as thorns. They were not a problem when left alone, and undisturbed.
    David spent as much time with Laura as he could