"Why? I'm as qualified as you, Bill Drake. I made a test flight in the
plasma ship along with Dr. Spartan and Mr. Ludson. I've passed every
test you and the others passed and I've made a flight to the moon."
"You've already been assigned to a project," I told her, hoping it
would end the talk.
"That can wait," she insisted. "Besides, there are others who could be
trained for my job and there's time to train them, whereas Operation
Jehad begins its final phase in five days."
"I wasn't selling your qualifications short," I said. "What I meant
was--you're a woman."
"Good Lord! Would Dr. Spartan discriminate against me because I'm not a
man?"
"Dr. Spartan wouldn't care if you were an ape. But a lot of people
would wonder what one pretty girl was doing up in space with five men."
"Not really! You mean they'd think my honor and virtue would be--lost?"
For an instant there was the faintest trace of a smile on her face.
"Exactly," I said. "This world has some queer standards of
propriety--especially the good old U.S.A. with its puritan traditions.
A lot of people would take the stand that an unmarried young woman
could hardly expect to spend two-and-one-half years in close quarters
with five unmarried men and expect to come back chaste."
She laughed and I joined her.
"Ridiculous."
"Yes, but that's what they'd think," I insisted.
"Do you imagine I give a hoot about what people think?" she asked. "And
what does Victorian decorum have to do with going to Mars?"
"Nothing at all, but there are bureaucrats and politicians who could
spike Project Jehad on moral grounds. These hypocrites wouldn't give
you credit for being a virtuous young woman, nor us credit for being
gentlemen with restraint. No doubt they'd judge us all by their own
past behavior."
"There were no objections when I went on a test flight with _two_ men."
"You weren't gone overnight. At least, it wasn't night on the puritan
side of the earth," I explained. "These people think all sins occur
at night. Besides, you were in communication with the earth the whole
time. You had a radio chaperon."
"Holy cow!" she said. "Can't we make people see that it doesn't matter
if the world thinks I'm a fallen woman? The success of the project is
more important than my reputation, my morals, or even my life. I'm
going to offer to go in Willy's place."
"Good luck," I said, quite certain she wouldn't have any.
Axel Ludson was waiting for us outside the bunker with the bad news.
Although the Navy had been alert and had done everything possible to
reach the scene of the capsule's landing, it had been too far away to
arrive in time. Helicopters had been sent aloft immediately, but they
arrived at the capsule just in time to see it sink into the ocean, a
mile and a half deep at that point.
"How horrible!" said Gail.
"We're not sure he could have survived his injuries," said Axel. "The
medical observers believe his neck was broken and that he was dying as
his capsule floated down to the sea."