The Outward Path Read online

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  Dr. Aless Inge, planetary geologist, was glued to the viewport, forgoing the detailed sensor readouts to watch the approach of the planet with her own eyes: a vast, orange disc, swirled with grey, cut in half by the black terminator of night. Smooth craters and mountain ranges and seas of cooled lava spattered the planet like brush strokes. There were a hundred million planets just like it, but Dr. Inge knew this one was special.

  “Look, the mountains, the craters, everything’s been weathered, probably recently. But I don’t see an atmosphere.”

  Sanesh stood next to her, his shoulder pressing against hers. The bridge was the largest room on the ship, complete with four secure chairs, each coupled with command consoles bolted to the floor, and a long, forward-facing viewport. Martin had declined to join them.

  “Why weren’t you at the funeral, Aless?”

  Aless clenched her jaw, before continuing as though she had not heard the question, “If you look on the screen there, you can see patterns in the flat areas, like debris was dragged across the surface. It all points the same way, too. Command needs to send more satellites here, I don’t care how ghosted this sector is. One satellite can’t possibly give us enough coverage. Even if the observation net was working, it wouldn’t be enough. Look, do you see an atmosphere?”

  Sanesh squinted. He planted his hands on the long, metal table in front of the viewport, careful not to touch any of the screens or other equipment, and looked at the edge of the planet for a sheen that might indicate an atmosphere.

  “No, I don’t.”

  “Good,” she smiled.

  He leaned with his back to the viewport, watching her face, but she was as unreadable as ever. As beautiful as ever, too, he thought.

  “OK. Do you see the rings around the equator?” She pointed to the segmented bands of loose rocks and ice orbiting the planet. The inner bands sparkled like silver, the outer bands were the color of rust.

  Sanesh turned around and squinted, “They look sort of bent.”

  “They’re thin, yes, but you can tell by their size that this planet has enough mass for an atmosphere. I checked, there are plenty of volatiles in this system, water vapor, hydrocarbons, but no atmosphere.”

  “Any theories?”

  In management training, they had taught Sanesh how to phrase questions to sound like you were in control.

  “Something might have siphoned it off. It might have evaporated, but I can’t see how, there are no sources of heat close enough. Initial readings indicated this planet was First Gen, but I’m not seeing any moons. I need to get a drone down there for samples.”

  “What happened to the satellite’s drone?”

  Aless shrugged, “If the satellite isn’t responding, I assume the drone won’t either. We’d need to re-establish a connection with the satellite to find out for sure.”

  “Let’s hope it’s as easy to repair as the other ones.”

  Her finger thunked against the glass as she pointed at the planet, “This has to be a find. A real find, Sanesh. Please, you have to ask Command for more satellites.”

  Sanesh stroked his chin, pretending to contemplate his options, something else he’d picked up in training, “I’ll try. But we need to give them something, first.”

  “Give them what? The satellite is unreliable, our data suggest it was unreliable before it even entered orbit. All we have is our observation.”

  She gave him that look, that urgent, pleading look which sent a sensation right through his insides.

  “Did Martin say we could salvage any of the data?”

  The look evaporated. Aless turned back to the viewport and crossed her arms.

  Oh, I get it, he thought.

  “Aless, how long has it been since you’ve talked to him?”

  She tilted her head away until her hair fell over her face.

  “Priya, why didn’t you go to Bill’s funeral?

  A dusting of small, solid particles showered against the viewport, and dissipated. Aless’s eyes brimmed with tears. In the months he had known her, he had only seen her like this when she told him about her parents. Sanesh wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer.

  “I couldn’t go see him. Bill- he seemed like someone else, the past few weeks.”

  “He was happy.”

  “He was addicted.”

  “Do you blame Martin for that?”

  She clenched her fists, and for a moment Sanesh thought she might bang on the viewport, “Of course I blame Martin. Why did you let him bring that stuff on the ship? Why did you even sign him on?” Aless swallowed hard, shaking her head ‘no’, “I hate him. I hate all of them. They’re everywhere and none of them know how wrong they are. He’s just as deluded as the rest of them.”

  Though Sanesh would never tell her, he felt much safer with Martin on board. Martin was great at his work, despite what had happened to Bill.

  Poor Bill, Sanesh thought, Even though it was his fault.

  I feel so guilty, Sanesh,” she slid her arms under his, and squeezed her face to his chest, “Bill and I…”

  “I know. I remember. He demanded that I sign you on, you know.”

  She looked up at him, and he bent down to kiss her.

  “I just wish there was something I could have done.”

  “Priya, there was nothing to be done. It was an accident, nobody could have foreseen this.”

  He hated lying to her, But, sometimes, he thought, the truth won’t help anyone. They stood in silence, enjoying each other’s warmth.

  “I’m writing a message to Bill’s sister, to tell her about … about what happened.”

  “That’s good, Aless. That is important.”

  “I’m having trouble with it. I can’t explain to her how it happened.”

  Blood rushed to his cheeks and his mind rushed to come up with something, “Give her the truth. The atmosphere was sucked out, and Martin said Bill was unconscious within a minute. He didn’t feel a thing. Aless, I need to ask you something.”

  Sanesh didn’t pause long enough for her to question his explanation. She cocked an eyebrow, but did not interrupt him.

  “I told Command we’d already fixed this satellite, and we were beginning return prep.”

  Aless pulled away from him, eyed him darkly, “You told Command we’d already finished the mission.” It wasn’t a question. “What if we can’t fix the satellite?”

  “We fixed the other nineteen, didn’t we?”

  She surprised him by snorting.

  “Sanesh, this is your first mission as captain. These lies are going to cause trouble one day. But,” She ran a finger over the fabric on his chest, “I think ambition suits you.”

  Another shiver shook his insides. How does she do that?

  “OK, go. Get ready, I’ll be here when you’re ready to get on the repair craft.”

  “Thank you. I promise I’ll help you with the letter when I get back. And I’ll take recordings while I’m out there.”

  They broke apart, but Aless clasped his arm before he could walk off the bridge.

  “Are you sure you’re safe to fly?”

  Smugness pulled at the edges of his smiles, “They didn’t make me Captain for nothing, Priya. I’ll be in and out before you notice.”