Vienna Station Read Online Free PDF Page A

stations. It is a very responsible position.”
    My eyebrows go up. “Let me get this straight. Beck, Osama, Vienna and the others cooperate on mining the asteroids?”
    Mozart shrugs. “Why not? Whatever their differences, they all like money.”
    Alex follows Kelly into the practice room. Kelly touches a screen and her holo-violin becomes a plastic and steel contraption. She drops it on a counter. It lands with a clatter. She loosens her bow. Alex approaches her, leans close and speaks softly, “There’s a good deal of money in this for you.”
    Kelly inspects her bow and says nothing.
    Alex continues, “A very great deal.”
    Kelly looks at him. “You want me to betray a friend and colleague for money?”
    Alex smiles. “Not betray. Never betray. Simply give her a small gift, one provided by me. Perhaps in celebration of the concert’s success?”
    Kelly says nothing.
    Alex looks down. “No spying. No further action of any kind. Simply perform one small favor for me.”
    Kelly looks away. After a moment, she asks, “How much?”
    Mozart leads me through a narrow hatch into darkness. He reassures me, “Come right ahead. It’s okay. The deck is flat and unobstructed.”
    I step ahead, though the darkness is absolute. “What is this place?” I ask.
    “Next to the mountain habitat, it’s my favorite on the Station. Ready?”
    “Ready? Ready for what?”
    He chuckles. “Ready for me to open the window?”
    “Sure,” I reply doubtfully.
    He chuckles again. I hear a faint hum from above. Then the darkness is gone.
    Mozart says, “This observation deck is unique, I believe, among all the stations.”
    I say nothing. I can’t. I’m speechless. Imagine being inside of a giant’s eye and then having the lids of that eye open to reveal fields of burning jewels, stars. Mozart takes my hand and pulls me forward.
    He says, “It is a bit overwhelming at first. I dialed the magnification back to 200% for your first time.”
    “Thanks,” I manage to gasp.
    We stand for an unmeasured time and experience infinite vistas of light. At last, he speaks again. “I’m the youngest, you know.”
    I swallow. “The youngest?”
    He nods. “The youngest brother.”
    “How old are you?”
    “Technically, I’m twenty-three. By the calendar, I’m ten.”
    I drop his hand. “Ten!”
    “Yes.”
    I take a deep breath. “Ten.”
    Mozart peeks at me sideways. “You liked my concerto?”
    “Yes, I liked it.”
    “Nothing more? What did you think of it? Honestly?”
    I take another deep breath and look at him. “Your concerto was the greatest, most beautiful work I’ve performed.”
    He smiles. “Thank you. I’ll have to write down the piano part when I have time.”
    I feel like I’ve been punched in the stomach. I speak carefully. “You haven’t written the part yet?”
    Mozart shrugs. “I knew basically what I wished to do, but I wanted to leave myself free to improvise. You played so beautifully! It turned out better than I had imagined.”
    I shake my head in wonder and say nothing.
    He continues, “I wanted it to be a gift to you, an apology for the way I treated you.”
    I smile at him. “Apology accepted.” I take his hand. “Have you ever been kissed by a cellist before?”
    Mozart grins. “What kind of question is that to ask a ten year old boy?”
    Our lips touch.
    A face exactly like Mozart’s, though pale and shrunken, peers intently at a view screen. It is Felix. His wasted body is immobile and attached to many tubes. Sensors and instruments surround him. Suddenly, he smiles.
    A woman’s voice, soft and rich, reverberates through his cockpit. “You’ve done very well. All is ready. “Felix’s face brightens with angelic joy. The voice continues, “Soon, a few days at most, you will save your brother from the monsters on Earth, save us all. Be patient, dear. Be patient.”
    Felix nods to himself.
    I stretch and push a yellow comforter away from my eyes. The room, wood-paneled and full of