The Highest Frontier by Joan Slonczewski

Author:Joan Slonczewski
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Science Fiction
ISBN: 9781429984744
Publisher: Tor Books
Published: 2011-09-13T00:00:00+00:00

26

The lunar express took Friday night returning to Earth, then Saturday morning Dylan came back to Frontera. On the way, Fritz called from Berkeley. “Dad—how could you?” His curly-haired son was the picture of filial outrage. “Just imagine what could have happened.”

“Thanks for your … concern, tío.”

“Think how Pop feels. That car—all through everyone’s windows. The whole universe saw it.”

Dylan had blocked all his media windows. He hadn’t yet heard from Clare. “How was your benefit for Marmota monax?”

“The band was fab, especially the Lennon.” Fritz shook his head gloomily. “But we may be too late. It’s been a decade since a groundhog’s been seen in PA.”

“Why not send us a breeding pair?”

Fritz’s face lit up, the picture of youthful hope. Then he remembered to frown. “You better watch yourself, Dad. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

As he neared Frontera, Dylan tried again to reach Clare, but he still wasn’t answering. Qué desastre. Orin called, before the lift had even docked. “Congratulations!” chortled the financial officer. “Three new positions. Wait till the Board hears. Witherspoon bet me you wouldn’t do it—he owes me a new set of irons.”

Helen called as well. “The faculty will be thrilled.” The toyprints mounted higher than ever on her desk. “Three new positions—just what we need for Antarctic Studies.”

Dylan winced, recalling that the faculty had yet to approve his frog seminar plan.

Helen added, “There are matters requiring your prompt attention. The ultraphyte in Reagan Hall—”

“Of course. Arrange us a meeting pronto.”

Clare’s window had disappeared.

Dylan felt a shock, and he nearly lost his footing. What had become of Clare? Was Clare even still here in the hab? He fought down a rising sense of panic. Life without Clare—it had been years since he had imagined such a thing. In college, before his liver transplant, Dylan had been the life of every party, yet inside he felt achingly alone. Then one day Clare had appeared in the bookstore, the golden-haired frog printing out a pile of books that weren’t even assigned for class. Life without Clare would be like life without books.

Stuck down below, on outer level, the three screening lines were interminable. After an age he got up to ground level and rushed home. But Clare wasn’t home. Wherever would Clare be on a Saturday afternoon?

Feeling light-headed, Dylan sank into the couch. Overhead, the Sistine God separated light from dark. Dylan was famished; the lunar express no longer served food. The bowl by the couch had one apple left, and he bit into it. The rush of sweet juice cleared his head.

How to find Clare?

He blinked for the toymaker.

Zari appeared in a conference room at the Toynet Support Center, the vast hidden labyrinth of toyrooms and electronic hardware that connected all Frontera residents with each other and with planet Earth. The teddies were coming in and out of toyrooms, a couple of them snoozing on their little nap rugs. “Welcome back!” Zari’s dark brow arched expressively. “We’re in training for Toy-five. It plugs all those security gaps, especially Ebola.

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