Read Online Beneath the Ice by Alton Gansky - Free Book Online Page B

weren’t you?” The
voice came over the comm system in Gwen’s hooded suit. She turned
to see Sarah standing just behind her.
    “How long have you been here?”
    “Just a minute. Long enough to note where
your gaze was directed.”
    Gwen returned her attention to the small
group of men as they gathered around a large, plastic-wrapped wood
crate. “I don’t know who you’re talking about.”
    “He’s a hunk and a half, isn’t he?”
    “You mean Mr. Sachs?”
    “Yes, I mean Perry. Don’t
feel bad, I can’t get him off my mind either.”
    Gwen started to object but remained silent.
Each protestation that came to mind rang hollow. She felt warmth
around her cheeks. “My brother has questions,” she said changing
the subject.
    “Your brother always has questions,” Sarah
said. “Are they opening the tractor?”
    “I don’t know. Griffin was asking about what
they were going to use to lift the cryobot.”
    “Oh good,” Sarah said with obvious joy.
“I’ve only seen this on paper. Come on.” To Gwen’s surprise, Sarah
took her gloved hand and began to tow her in the direction of the
others. They arrived in time to see Perry, Jack, and Gleason prying
off the lid of the wood container.
    “This was fabricated by the boys at CAT,”
Perry was saying.
    “The company that makes the big tractors?”
Griffin inquired.
    “Exactly. They’ve customized things for us
before. Our construction needs can be unique. We often rely on the
engineering prowess of others. The people at Caterpillar are
experts at blending heavy engines with heavy steel.”
    “I’ll check the battery,”
Gleason said. Sarah watched him move away.
    Perry and Jack lowered the
sides of the container to reveal an amorphous blob of plastic sheeting that formed a
translucent cocoon. “Everything has been
sanitized,” Perry explained, “even the heavy equipment.”
    Gwen estimated the covered object to be as
long as a car but not as high. She couldn’t see it clearly, but she
was sure she had never seen anything like it.
    Perry began stripping away the sheeting and,
with Jack’s help, uncovered the mechanical beast.
    “Where is Larimore when you need him?” Jack
asked.
    “His Seabees are loading the plane for its
return trip,” Perry said. “Division of labor and all that.”
    As the last sheet of plastic was removed,
folded, and set aside, Gwen saw a strange device. It was painted a
bright yellow and had a pair of two-foot wide tank treads. Unlike a
tank, it had no true top to it. Instead, it was low and flat with
its upper surface a scant thirty inches above the ice. Resting on
the mechanism lay a tower similar to the one just raised by Perry
and the others. Perry had a slight smile on his face. Gwen could
see the pride he felt for the device.
    “Shall I?” Gleason asked.
    “Absolutely. Let’s see what this thing can
do.” Perry stepped back as Gleason removed a box from its holder at
the back of the tractor.
    Perry looked at Griffin then at Gwen.
Smiling, he asked, “Ever been to the Kennedy Space Center in
Florida?”
    Both said they hadn’t.
    “You should go,” Perry said. “There’s a lot
to see. When the space shuttle is moved from the V.A.B. to the
launch site, it is moved by a device like this, only much, much
larger.”
    “V.A.B?” Gwen asked.
    “Vehicle Assemble Building,” Sarah said
before Perry could reply. “The shuttle is moved to the launch site
in a vertical position on the Mobile Launcher Platform.”
    “Right,” Perry said. “It’s
moved along a special road designed to hold the weight of the
shuttle and its transport vehicle. We’re mov ing something much smaller, but we have to do it in a closed
environment with little overhead space.”
    “What do you call this thing?” Griffin
wondered. He was frowning.
    Jack answered. “After much
soul-searching we’ve dubbed it ‘the Crane.’ ”
    “Inventive,” Griffin said, shaking his
head.
    “It has flair, doesn’t it?” Jack said.