Delta-v, page 47
The sound of helicopters soon reached his ears. Tighe turned to see a couple of Mi-8 Hips headed their way.
Chindarkar stood shakily next to him, as did Jin.
“Well, here we go.”
The three of them linked arms.
Tighe said, “You two are the most important people on Earth to me. I will never forget that.”
Jin and Chindarkar nodded.
They turned as the helicopters closed the distance and alighted 20 meters away, the chopper wash flattening the grass even more.
A dozen soldiers disembarked, as did a few civilians. And then Tighe suddenly saw a face he recognized approaching—Sevastian Yakovlev.
The bearded ex-cosmonaut stormed forward, grinning as he opened his arms. “Welcome to Earth!”
Chindarkar laughed and hugged him. He kissed her on both cheeks.
“It is so good to see you alive!” He turned to Jin. “What a pilot!”
Jin struggled as he got bear-hugged and kissed on both cheeks by Yakovlev as well.
Then Yakovlev turned and gave Tighe the same treatment.
“Goddamn, it’s great to see you, Yak.”
Yakovlev held up a hand. “I know all is not happiness. But today is great day! My friends have returned to Earth.”
Tighe then turned around to see Kazakh military people, male and female, examining the capsule. He looked searchingly back toward the choppers. “So, still no Eike?”
Yak grew more somber still. He gripped Tighe’s shoulder. The look in the Russian’s eyes said it for him. “I could not tell you. Please understand.”
Tighe felt the world shift. “No.” He knelt back down on the grass. He held his head in his hands. “No.”
Yakovlev knelt close. “She had an accident in the Dolomites. A year and a half ago. I am sorry, J.T. They said it was instant.”
Tighe wrapped his head in his hands. “No.”
Chindarkar and Jin came over to Tighe and each placed a hand on his shoulder. Tighe gripped Chindarkar’s hand. He couldn’t help but recall Dahl’s worries about the Konstantin. The variables were known, she had said.
Tighe felt waves of grief—but also joy at being alive—washing over him all at once. He was confounded.
Several land vehicles approached, and in a few minutes an armored car pulled almost right up to the Soyuz capsule. A Kazakh customs officer in a peaked hat got out as the side door opened. He loomed over Tighe and said in English, “Travel documents, please.”
Tighe looked up. “Yes. Of course . . .” He dug into his flight suit pockets and handed over his US passport and FAA launch paperwork.
Jin and Chindarkar handed over their Chinese and Indian passports and launch paperwork as well.
The official examined the documents, stopping first at Tighe’s. He frowned. “This is error. NASA officials have recorded incorrect launch and return dates.”
Tighe sighed. “Yeah, about that . . .”
Yakovlev stepped in, sweet-talking the official in Russian, but they quickly started bickering. A glance at Jin’s launch paperwork made things worse.
“This will need to be taken to my superiors.”
Tighe unzipped his flight suit again, and after a moment he withdrew a jagged, uncut diamond the size of a throat lozenge. “Maybe we can take care of it here. Will this cover our fine?”
The official made a doubtful expression.
Tighe placed the diamond in the man’s hand.
The official held it up to the sunlight, then pushed his hat back skeptically. Turning away, he swept the stone across the bulletproof side window of his armored car.
It left a deep scratch.
The official then turned to Tighe, smiled broadly, and held out his arms. “Welcome to Kazakhstan!” He then embraced Tighe and kissed him on both cheeks.
CHAPTER 50
Earthlings
JUNE 20, 2038
Jin Han exited Terminal 3 of Beijing Capital International Airport and was enveloped by a beautiful spring day. Dressed in a suit jacket and open-collar shirt, recently tailored for him in Hong Kong, he relished the air and the life all around him as he crossed the wide sidewalk toward the taxi stand. Crowds of travelers moved around him. He couldn’t help a smile. To be alive. To have purpose. To have limitless horizons. These were now his.
Suddenly he slowed to a stop.
Waiting there at the curb was his father’s Mercedes limousine, with black SUVs ahead and behind. Jin’s father stood in his path on the sidewalk in his usual pinstripe suit, a security detail around him. And yet something was different.
Jin felt no fear.
He and his father stared at each other for several moments.
Then Jin proceeded to walk past.
His father fell to his knees, hands together and head bowed. “I did not know. You must believe me.”
Jin stared for a moment more and then said, “It hardly matters, Father.” He continued walking, leaving his father on the sidewalk as Jin hailed a taxi.
* * *
—
Erika Lisowski stood alone in the oppressive heat and humidity of a Florida afternoon, the sun beating down on her. The memorial park in suburban Rockledge was not, itself, memorable—just a sweeping lawn dotted with plaques, carnations in cellophane, and the occasional tiny, faded American flag.
She knelt next to a humble granite marker set in the grass. It bore the inscription:
GERARD ZYGMUNT LISOWSKI
1942–2034
APOLLO PROGRAM ENGINEER
Tears filled her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. She brushed aside grass clippings from the marker and placed her palm on the cool stone.
More than anything, she wanted to be a little girl again, sitting at the kitchen table, listening to this kind genius teach her about the universe. Or to be able, at this moment, to lean close to this kindred spirit and whisper in his ear, We did it, Dziadek. We finally did it.
* * *
—
James Tighe and Priya Chindarkar walked through the carpeted hallways of a luxurious hotel, past oak panels and beneath large crystal chandeliers. The hotel was an ivy-strewn redbrick landmark not far out of Sheboygan, Wisconsin—one that Tighe had known of since childhood but had never entered.
Today he wore a navy blue suit with a tie—the first he’d worn in decades. Chindarkar looked beautiful in an off-the-shoulder gray chiffon gown and heels, sans jewelry.
They entered the hotel’s Grand Hall of the Great Lakes ballroom, where a sign on an easel at the entrance proclaimed: “Vinter Reception.” Glancing around, Tighe saw there were easily four hundred people in the place, but few he recognized.
Chindarkar motioned for them to keep walking as they looked for their names on place settings. “I’m still not used to seeing so many people.”
“I was never used to it.”
Eventually Tighe found his name on a half-empty table at the very rear of the ballroom. The far side of the large round table was occupied by a portly middle-aged man in a plaid suit and two teenagers consumed with their phones.
Chindarkar picked up her name tag and read it aloud. “‘James Tighe plus- one.’ Don’t expect me to answer to that.”
“Sorry. I gave them your name.”
She studied the ballroom. “Any farther back and you’d be beyond your family’s gravitational influence.”
“Very funny. Have a seat.”
Chindarkar smiled at the middle-aged man across from her. “It was a lovely ceremony, wasn’t it?”
The man smiled, shook her hand. “Did you hear about this UN treaty on genetic modification? It’s all over the news.”
Confused, she shook her head. “No, we’ve been away.”
“What kind of world are we living in these days?”
“I’m sure I don’t know.”
Someone clanged a spoon against a glass, and others joined in.
Tighe looked toward the front of the room. There, the groom—his stepnephew Morgan Vinter—smiled as he kissed his new bride. They stood near a table, speaking with Tighe’s mother. Next to her was Tighe’s stepsister, Jillian Beris, looking slim and sophisticated. Older than Tighe, she was now a partner at a Milwaukee law firm. Tighe’s mother laughed, clearly reveling in the event.
Tighe and Chindarkar had met the bride, Helen, for the first time after the ceremony, and he knew nothing about her—except that she was friendly and kind enough to invite Tighe to her wedding.
Chindarkar leaned in. “They make a lovely couple.”
“Yes, they do.”
All around, Tighe family members abounded. People shook hands, glad to see one another. Children in suits and dresses ran around.
Chindarkar studied the room.
At the table next to them two young boys, one Asian and one Caucasian, were playing with what appeared to be astronaut action figures. Chindarkar smiled and leaned toward them. “Spacemen, eh?”
The Caucasian boy held up his action figure. “We’re landing on Mars.”
Chindarkar nodded. “I hear that’s coming up soon.”
They both nodded.
The Asian boy said, “I’m going to live on Mars.”
“No, I am!” the other one said.
Chindarkar looked to Tighe. “You hear that?”
Tighe chuckled. “Joyce would be turning in his grave.”
He noticed one of the men at the table look toward Tighe and whisper to his wife. The woman leaned down to the two boys. “Mason, Trevor, play over here. Stop bothering those people.”
Chindarkar turned back toward Tighe and raised her eyebrows.
“You want a drink?”
“Definitely. White wine, please.”
“Be right back.” Tighe went to the bar, moving through distant relations and other strangers. He wasn’t even sure why he was here—except for the emotion he’d felt when he’d learned he’d been invited.
After a few minutes in line, Tighe returned with a scotch and a glass of Chardonnay—only to see his brother-in-law, Ted Vinter, in a tuxedo, thicker and older than he remembered, and sitting next to Chindarkar.
Vinter turned to him as Tighe handed Chindarkar her Chardonnay.
“There he is.” Vinter extended his hand. “Good to finally see you again, Jim.”
Tighe gestured to Vinter. “Priya, this is Ted, my brother-in-law.”
“Father of the groom.”
“Yes. Ted, this is Priya Chindarkar.”
“A pleasure.” He shook Chindarkar’s hand.
“It was a lovely wedding.”
“Thank you. It better have been for what it cost.” Perfunctory greetings out of the way, he grimaced. “This is awkward, Jim. But your mother has asked that I speak to you.”
“What about?” Tighe sat.
“This is a special day for us, and your mother wants to avoid unnecessary drama.”
“Unnecessary drama.”
Vinter sighed. “Right, we all know you ‘went away’ for five years, and suddenly you seem to have some money. The family doesn’t want any part of whatever you’re caught up in—especially today. Your mother wants you to stay clear of the bride and groom.”
“They’re the ones who invited me.”
“They were raised to be polite. No one thought you would attend. Given the circumstances, it would have been better not to accept the invitation.”
Chindarkar narrowed her eyes at Vinter.
Vinter held up his hands. “I just want what’s best for everyone.”
Chindarkar leaned in. “You have no idea—”
He side-eyed her. “No, I don’t.” He turned to Tighe. “So let me ask; where have you been, Jim? Have you really been crawling around in a cave for five years? Couldn’t write? Couldn’t call?”
Tighe said flatly, “Priya and I traveled to the far side of the Sun to mine an asteroid.”
Vinter nodded. “Great. I see you haven’t changed. How can we trust you when you won’t be honest with us? I wish you’d finally grow up.” He stood.
Tighe grabbed Vinter’s sleeve. “Wait.” He took an envelope out of his jacket and handed it to Vinter. “This is for Morgan—since I won’t be talking to him.”
Vinter took the envelope. “By the way, you still owe me money.”
Chindarkar watched him go, her mouth open. “Oh my god. What an asshole.” She turned to Tighe. “But I think I understand you a little better now.”
Tighe took a sip of his scotch. “Good. Maybe you can explain me to me.”
“You’re the black sheep of your family.” She smiled and put her arm around him. “So am I.”
He laughed lightly. “You want to get some air?”
She nodded vigorously. “Please.”
* * *
—
Tighe and Chindarkar stood on a terrace next to a vine-strewn railing in the evening air, sharing his scotch. The night was beautiful, with crickets sounding all around them.
Chindarkar took a deep breath. “This is what I missed most about Earth—living things everywhere.” She turned to Tighe.
“Thanks for coming with me, Priya.” Tighe put his arm around her, and they both looked up at the Moon. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. They had friends out there, and it weighed on his mind.
His phone warbled.
Chindarkar looked at him.
“Only five people on Earth have this number.” He pulled the phone out of his jacket and frowned. He answered on the third ring. “Lukas?”
“J.T., did I catch you at a bad time?”
“No. It’s fine. Priya’s here with me. Let me put you on speakerphone . . .” He tapped the screen and placed his phone on the thick stone railing. “Can you hear us?”
“Yes. I have news—about the Konstantin.”
Tighe and Chindarkar leaned close.
“The new owners apparently sent a ship and a crew to retake control of the Konstantin. Their vessel arrived a few weeks after yours left.”
Chindarkar grabbed Tighe’s shoulder. He felt his own heart sink. “Jesus. What happened?”
“We don’t know, but we do know the new crew arrived safely—and that the owners have since lost contact with them. We lost our own link to the laser transmitter, too.”
“So we lost contact with Isabel and Ade?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
Tighe and Chindarkar looked at each other.
“If we are to help them, we need resources. Toward that end, I came to a preliminary deal with a new group of investors—to establish our own asteroid-mining venture. The three of you, after all, know the trajectory of thousands of tons of valuable resources high above Earth’s gravity well.”
“You mean the eight of us—the others get their full share.”
“As you wish. I’ve discussed this opportunity with Han, and he’s on board. All that’s needed is both of your approvals to proceed.”
Chindarkar asked, “What sort of deal, Lukas?”
“The outside investors would have a minority stake—while we . . . nine . . . would hold a majority share. I hope my participation is not a problem.”
“We could use a good space lawyer on the team.”
Chindarkar gripped Tighe’s arm. “This would help Dave’s daughters. And we could rescue Ade and Isabel.”
Tighe nodded. “What’s the plan, Lukas?”
“We would use the mined resources coming back in the next year to set up the first cislunar commodity exchange in a lunar DRO. And to invest in other startup space enterprises—for example, one capable of building you a new ship.”
Tighe narrowed his eyes. “What about Joyce’s creditors—aren’t they going to come after us?”
“The geostrategic nature of those materials you harvested buys a lot of forgiveness. And friends. It’s like Nathan Joyce once told me: in space, possession is 99.99999 percent of the law.”
Chindarkar said, “Lukas, what about Nicole, Dave, and Amy? The Ryugu expedition was historic. Is the world really just going to pretend this never happened?”
“Priya, you might be surprised how many powerful people already know. And more people will know every day. In fact, your expertise will be in much demand.”
Tighe and Chindarkar looked at each other.
“So are we in business together? I’m telling you, asteroid mining is the future.”
Tighe studied Chindarkar’s face.
She nodded.
Tighe spoke into the phone without turning his eyes from her. “Count us in.”
Further Reading
You can learn more about the science, technologies, and themes explored in Delta-v by visiting www.daniel-suarez.com or through the following sources:
The Age of Reconnaissance: Discovery, Exploration, and Settlement, 1450 to 1650 by J.H. Parry (University of California Press)
Asteroid Mining 101: Wealth for the New Space Economy by John S. Lewis (Deep Space Industries)
An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth: What Going to Space Taught Me About Ingenuity, Determination, and Being Prepared for Anything by Colonel Chris Hadfield (Little, Brown and Company)
The Darkness Beckons: The History and Development of Cave Diving by Martyn Farr (Vertebrate Publishing)
Electrostatic Phenomena on Planetary Surfaces by Carlos I. Calle (Morgan & Claypool Publishers)
Federal Aviation Regulations / Aeronautical Information Manual 2017 by FAA Aviation Supplies and Academics
The Long Space Age: The Economic Origins of Space Exploration from Colonial America to the Cold War by Alexander MacDonald (Yale University Press)
Money As Debt by Paul Grignon (www.moneyasdebt.net)
Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach (W. W. Norton & Company)
