The Abyss of Time

Chapter Fifteen

     Miller was still at home with his family the next morning when his newly installed phone rang. He answered it to hear Caroline Bennett's voice coming from the Operations room. "How's it going, Skipper?" she asked.

     "Fine," he replied. "Rogers is making himself at home in the brig and Lucy's pretty much recovered from the excitement. I was just about to make my way back up there."

     "Good," said the navigator. "We've got something to show you."

     "What?"

     "Well, we're coming around to the day side of the planet and getting our first good look at it and we're seeing something quite extraordinary. We've called Felgin up to get his thoughts on it."

     "On what? What have you found?"

     "Probably simpler if you come up here and see for yourself. I'll just say that the planet may not be as dead as we thought."

     "Why? What have you found?"

     "Probably simpler if you..."

     "Dammit Carol! Just tell me!" Beside him, Zanele had emerged from the bedroom and was staring at him curiously. Miller waved her back and pressed the handset to his ear.

     "There's something at the planet's north pole. A round green area where the Arctic circle would have been back on Earth. It looks an awful lot like vegetation."

     "I thought there couldn't be plants down there. No CO2 in the atmosphere, meaning no photosynthesis."

     "I'm just saying that's what it looks like. You coming up here or what?"

     "On my way. See you in half an hour."

     He hung up, then told his wife what the navigator had just told him. "Probably just chemicals in the atmosphere," he added. "Released by a volcano or something and trapped in the jet stream. Nothing to get excited about."

     "What isn't?" said Lucy, emerging from her own bedroom and holding a dressing gown around herself. Miller quickly repeated what he'd told her mother.

     "Don't leave the apartment," he told them as he changed into his uniform. "In case you bump into some of the lynch mob. They might still be upset that you denied them their hanging."

     "They should be afraid to bump into us," said Lucy defiantly. "They're the guilty ones, not us."

     "Just give it a day or two for things to settle down," said Miller. "Give hot blood a chance to cool off."

     "We won't be prisoners in our own home..."

     "It's alright, Lucy," said Zanele placatingly. "Your father's right. We've got everything we need right here. There's no need for us to go anywhere."

     "What about all my friends?"

     "You'll have the rest of your life to see them when we're down on the planet," said Miller calmly. "Just give it a day or two, okay? Those people were ready to commit murder and they have reason to be upset with you."

     Lucy stared after him in disbelief. "You don't really think..."

     "I just don't want to take the chance. Promise me, okay? If you absolutely have to go somewhere, get one of the guys to go with you. Greg perhaps, or Rolf."

     "Not Rolf," said Zanele firmly. "I don't trust him with Lucy."

     Lucy laughed at him. "You can't be serious! Rolf's a teddy bear. I know he fancies me, but he knows I don't feel the same way. He's not going to rape me or anything."