Rainbow Mars Read Online Free PDF

cloud.
    Svetz crawled up into the chair and jabbed the talker. “We’re here,” he told listeners in the far future. “Nothing to see. We’re in a hurricane, typhoon, whatever.”
    Willy Gorky said, “That was quick.”
    Svetz heard strangled laughter and rapid explanations. He saw Miya’s lifted eyebrow and said, “Far as they’re concerned, we just left. I’m taking us up now.”
    They couldn’t feel the cage lifting. Texture in the darkness streamed past them, then the Moon blazed above a mountain of cloud, lightning flickering within.
    The storm dropped away. The sun flashed over a horizon now curved. Miya said, “Wow.”
    â€œEight hundred klicks and no problems. Thousand. Twelve hundred,” Svetz said. “Don’t look at the sun, Miya!”
    â€œ I know that!”
    The Earth was a blazing crescent. “Fifteen hundred klicks. How high do you want me?”
    Ra Chen’s voice: “Are they high enough?”
    Gorky: “No. Can you get at least to geosynchronous? That’s 35,700 klicks.”
    Svetz: “I’ll try.” He waited, watching the altimeter. Minutes passed.
    â€œI’m at 35,700. Stop here?”
    Ra Chen: “Just because you can get higher doesn’t mean the big X-cage can. Svetz, stop there. We’re sending the large extension cage.”
    A great glass sphere hovered beside them in the instant Ra Chen finished speaking. Miya flinched, then said, “What took so long?”
    â€œIt’s here,” Svetz told his listeners. The first probe module nestled inside the big transparent shell. He tap-tapped, and the shell opened like a flower. “Look it over, Miya.”
    â€œIt’s the Orbiter. We want it in a pole-to-pole orbit around Mars.” She reached past him and activated the launch.
    The probe lifted. In seconds it was gone from sight, but Svetz could see the large extension cage shuddering, the antigrav beamers turning to follow it.
    *   *   *
    â€œWe’re pulling the large X-cage home,” Ra Chen said.
    â€œGood,” said Svetz, and the great mass was gone.
    Miya broke a small dark brick and handed half to Svetz. “Ration bar.” She bit into her half. She saw his distrust and said, “It’s dried dole yeast. I’ve got twenty flavors here.”
    He bit. “Not bad.”
    The link chimed. Gorky’s voice: “Miya? We’re go for the next load. Ready?”
    â€œBoss, how did you … never mind,” she said, and laughed.
    Willy Gorky laughed too. “Quick enough for you? Took us three weeks to assemble the Collector module and get it aboard. Shall we send it now? Or give you some nap time?”
    â€œNow,” she said, and the large extension cage hovered beside them with the Collector and fission rocket booster inside.
    *   *   *
    The Collector was a low-built tractor with a chemically fueled rocket in its belly, mechanical arms and a pressure storage bin. They launched it, then took a break before launching the third and fourth. Miya kept up a running commentary.
    The Orbiter would go pole-to-pole above Mars and relay messages from Pilgrim probes on the surface.
    When the Collector returned a cargo to orbit, the Orbiter would carry it back to archaic Earth and a waiting X-cage.
    The third probe held twelve toy-sized Pilgrims. Those would wander out in twelve directions from the martian equator. Their senses would watch and listen and taste the soil and the wind—“Hanny, I’m not getting enough thrust here. The Pilgrims mass too much.”
    â€œI can’t keep the large X-cage. Ra Chen, pull it back.”
    â€œWe need”—the large extension cage vanished—“more thrust!” Her small fist whacked his shoulder.
    Svetz said, “Talk to her, Boss.”
    â€œMiya?” Ra Chen’s voice. “We’ll put the large cage through