“What info would be most useful to you?”
Holy cow! Laura thought. Gene Kranz was asking her directly what to prioritize. She worked hard to keep her tone professional.
“Characteristics of the hole: size, surrounding debris differences, angles of repose, exposed bedrock. A look directly down inside would be the ultimate, to understand the interior lower wall structure—smooth or rough. If possible.”
Gene put her on the spot. “How close would you walk to the edge?”
Laura swallowed, realizing that this was a pivotal moment in her life. All the years of study, the fieldwork, staring at photographs, writing endless grants and reports. All was in preparation for this.
“I recommend caution, FLIGHT. Nothing has disturbed that regolith in maybe a billion years. It’s probably compacted and solid, but it could be ready for a landslide. Chad will be fine on the flat, but if it were me, I’d stay clear of where the slope gets at all steep.”
Would I really? she wondered. Probably not. Geologists were explorers.
Gene nodded and looked at Kaz. “Let the crew know.”
Close, but not too close, Chad summarized in his head. Typical. Everyone sitting in comfortable chairs, sipping coffee, congratulating themselves on their good judgment. Leaving the real risk to someone else.
To me.
He let go of the handcart and took a step forward, describing as he went, hyper-aware that everyone was hanging on his every word.
“Hard to judge distances, but the hole looks to be about fifty feet across and maybe fifteen feet below the surrounding plain. The slope steepens as it gets closer to the hole, interrupted by small ridgelines of bedrock sticking up. I’m going to walk along one of those outcroppings as they stay level closer to the edge.”
“Okay, Chad, understood, but err on the side of caution. Where you are now is already giving us info we’ve never had before.”
No shit. “I’m taking pictures as I go. The surface color is unchanged, and there’s no perceptible difference in the soil surrounding the hole. Same mix of dust and stones.”
He walked to his left, following a higher ridgeline that led towards the hole.
“Okay, I’m seeing deeper down into it now.” He stretched in his suit, craning his neck. “I can see the far rim of the hole in the bedrock. The rim is thin—maybe a yard or so—and it’s just black below.”
Gene Kranz said, “Tell him that’s far enough, CAPCOM.”
Kaz transmitted, “Chad, hold there while we talk about it.” He turned to Laura. “What do you think?”
“With the angle of the sunlight, he won’t see the bottom unless he gets right to the edge.” She left the implied decision to Kaz.
He held her gaze as he pushed the button. “Chad, once you’re done taking photos, we’d like you to back away and head back to Bulldog. We’ll have you come back to collect samples later if there’s time.”
Chad took a step closer, and then another, which brought him near enough to see the end of the harder rock that held up the narrow ridge he was on.
“Copy, Kaz.”
He took another step, feeling a rush of exhilaration. This was the same as flying a jet close to the ground at high speed, away from where any prying eyes or radar could stop him. Feeling the danger of the trees and rocks whipping past, the risks all supremely controlled by him, and him alone. His skill. His decisions. He took another step.
Svetlana was watching, alarmed, and rapidly decided the risk of speaking was worth it. She’d known pilots like this, and they often crashed. She calculated that Houston would think she was watching out the windows of the lander.
“Ostorozhna!”
The female Russian voice cut through Chad’s reverie. Still, he stayed where he was, defiantly, and decided to take one more step forward, to just a few yards from the edge. The ground was angling away from him now.
The translator clarified for the room. “She said, ‘Be careful.’ ”
Kaz pictured her watching from the distance, seeing Chad doing something dangerous. He had no idea yet as to how Chad was going to achieve the new military aim of disabling Lunokhod discreetly with the cosmonaut there as a witness. Calmly, he instructed, “Chad, as you’re walking back, please describe for the geologists what you saw.”
Enough, Chad thought, his face breaking into a triumphant smile. No one has ever done that! He retraced his steps, turning when he had enough room. Ignoring Svetlana, he grabbed the cart’s handle and started towards Bulldog. He said, “At my closest approach I could just see deep enough to catch sight of sunlight on the inner wall of the hole. It looked smooth and curved.”