Leviathans of Jupiter by Bova Ben

Author:Bova, Ben [Bova, Ben]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Tor Books
Published: 2011-01-31T16:00:00+00:00

Katherine Westfall tapped her foot impatiently on the plush carpeting of her sitting room. Those fools! She said to herself. Those doddering old fools!

The latest message from IAA headquarters on Earth had her seething with frustrated anger. The council was divided on the question of forbidding Dr. Archer to send a crewed mission into Jupiter’s ocean. Split almost evenly down the middle, nine in favor of banning the mission, seven against the motion. Westfall’s own vote would make it ten to seven, but the chairman of the council—a geriatric case who should have been put out to pasture long ago, in Westfall’s view—ruled that the vote fell one short of the two-thirds majority needed for such a critical decision.

Two-thirds majority! Westfall wanted to throw something, she was so angry. She actually picked up a small decorative vase from the end table by the couch and raised her hand, but stopped herself.

The chairman was a scientist, she knew. Undoubtedly a friend of Archer’s, or at least he’s in sympathy with a fellow scientist’s aim. Westfall shook her head. They don’t care about who has to risk her life. Who might get killed. They’re blind to the risks: All they want is to learn new knowledge, regardless of the costs.

She carefully replaced the vase on the end table and sat herself on the couch, trying to relax the tension that was knotting her like a rope.

And what do you want? she asked herself. Retribution for your sister’s death? Don’t kid yourself. You never really knew her. She’s an excuse, not a reason. Why do you want to stop Archer? The answer flashed in her mind immediately: Because Grant Archer is in line for membership on the governing council. And once he’s on the council he could swiftly rise to the chairmanship. He’s that kind of person: quiet, unassuming, friendly—and single-minded in his determination to put science ahead of everything else. He won’t seem to want the chairmanship, Westfall knew. He’ll act surprised when they offer it to him. But he’ll take it. Oh yes, he’ll take it and run the council his way and I’ll be just another member out in the cold, without any real power.

Westfall felt a pang of fear clutching at her innards. She remembered her mother telling her over and over, You’re not really safe unless you’re on top. You’ve got to be in command, otherwise they can walk all over you. Clenching her tiny fists, she told herself, I’ve got to stop Archer, one way or another.

She stared at the empty armchair across the coffee table. Only a few hours ago Deirdre Ambrose had sat in that chair and dutifully reported that Archer was encouraging her to become part of the crew that was going down into the ocean.

Westfall could see that Deirdre was clearly afraid of the idea. But they’ll cajole her into going, she knew. They’ll make it clear that if she wants any kind of a career in scientific research she’ll have to do what they tell her.

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