Double Jeopardy
The idea came to me slowly as I stared into the depths of the Axis. I’d been on so many different journeys that one more would scarcely add to their sum. Having come this far it made no sense to turn back now. Someone had to go. That much was obvious and surely I was the most expendable member of the expedition. Back onboard Galileo, it was not a view that Tanya had much sympathy with.
I can still remember her expression as we sat together in Module One: the crew flight deck, the disbelief plain on her face. "You're not actually suggesting one of us goes inside that thing?”
“Why not?” I replied. “We can hardly pretend it isn't there.”
“Why not send a probe?”
“Because we don't have one,” I said.
“That doesn't mean we couldn't make one. We have some great engineers onboard. It doesn't have to be anything elaborate.”
“We're back to the old debate: man versus machine.”
“In this case I vote for the machine to go. It's a hell of a lot safer.”
“I'm not convinced,” I said. “It may be safer but a probe won't be able to send back much data and a simple malfunction could put it out of action. One of us has to go. Or maybe two of us should”
Tania looked exasperated. “Now the ideas twice as crazy.”
“I really don't see why,” I responded. “Our EV suits will protect us and the manoeuvring units will let us travel inside the Axis.”
“So you think I should go with you?,” asked Tanya, still more than a little affronted by the whole notion.
“It’s my idea, so I have to go.”
I could see she was thinking the mission through, speculating on how to prepare for the journey. Still shaking her head she conceded: “We’ll have to modify the EV suits.” Then after a pause: “I suppose I can do that…as far as I can.” She looked back up at me. “How soon are you planning to do this?”
“As soon as possible. I can see no reason to wait.”
“You’re crazy, Michael Ryan. You know that?”
But there was the beginning of a smile on her face that said otherwise; that suggested that maybe I wasn’t so crazy after all.