“As for us, we have to do schedule of maintenance around here. We let it slip working on ERV so much. Could use help from tech staff to make sure we have forgotten nothing.”
She was amazed how Viktor could carry on as if it had been just a normal day. But maybe that’s how he copes. A familiar routine is calming.
For her part, Julia was exhausted. Flu and worry combined to make her very sleepy. After Marc and Raoul left, taking the dune buggy, she decided to hide out in her cabin, reading backed-up e-mail and catching up on long-neglected correspondence. That way she would have a plausible excuse not to be on camera.
The hab felt strange, with just the two of them. They’d been alone before, when Marc and Raoul had taken days-long trips in Red Rover, but this felt different. They didn’t talk about it in the public rooms—out of long habit they saved such talk for their cabins, out of range of ears and cameras.
Julia went to bed early. She brought her usual evening mug of hot cocoa in with her, and stretched out under the covers blissfully.
Viktor joined her a short time later, saying, “Is too quiet out there.”
“A li’l spooky. Why do you think they really left?”
“Easier to hatch plans alone.”
“You think they still want to attack the nuke?”
“Raoul is very unhappy man, but not crazy.”
“Yeah. I’m more afraid they’ll try to cut a deal with Airbus.”
“With what?”
“With whom, you mean.”
“Ah, the women.” He propped up on one elbow. “Tell me what you think.”
“For starters, we’ve all noticed Marc and Claudine. Maybe Raoul wants Marc where he can watch him.”
“Yes. Good thinking. But what about Gerda with Raoul?”
She shook her head. “I don’t sense any interest there, and I remember seeing her once or twice with typical Germanic types. But we never talked about anything personal, so I really have no idea what she likes.”
“Eight months in a rocket can change tastes.”
“For sure, but we don’t know anything about those kind of arrangements on the nuke.”
“Is something we must watch from now on, for sure.”
“Yeah, I think so too. Even though you won this morning, fair and square. I was so relieved. What great luck!”
“Good commander never relies on luck.”
“What?”
“Marc was right. Was never in deck.”
“Viktor! Don’t tell me you cheated! A gentleman doesn’t cheat at cards.”
“Am captain, not gentleman.”
She put her hand to her chest theatrically. “I’m shocked, shocked, to discover that you would do something underhanded!” She frowned. “But you looked so relieved when you turned over the ace. I’d have sworn it was genuine.”
“It was. I wasn’t sure trick would work. Had only done it once before.”
33
JANUARY 31, 2018
JULIA AWOKE FEELING MUCH BETTER. AFTER THE INITIAL SHOCK, SHE’D recognized her virus as an absolutely standard Earth-type bug. Viktor still showed no signs of catching it, but that was no surprise—they rarely shared colds. In fact, they joked about whether that was good or bad news for their future children. Either they’d catch none, or get twice as many colds as anyone else.
They rattled around at breakfast, just the two of them. She thought of calling over to the ERV just to say hi, but Viktor discouraged her with a shake of the head. As they all had been early in the mission, she was aware of the intrusion of the camera. By unspoken agreement, she and Viktor did not allude to the problems the crew was having while on camera. Having to hide things put her on guard.
Viktor was obviously enjoying the privacy. She realized that with the others he was forced to be always on duty: Viktor the captain, not the man. This being together felt more like it had been in their apartment on Earth, so long ago.
They both took advantage of it to be physically affectionate, something she had missed over the long months of enforced togetherness. She even indulged him with a neck rub as he read his London Times.
He grunted with pleasure. “Could get used to this, easy.”
“Say, look—” She stopped and pointed. “They’re taking the dune buggy.”
Marc and Raoul were already churning away in the open light rover. “Going north,” Viktor said.
“Toward Airbus.”
“There are other things north.”
“Sure.”
