For the first time, McCormack looked uneasy.
«There’s no immortality ‘story,’» Don said testily. «We’ve simply reported the conclusions of various studies and experiments. We’ve been absolutely truthful.»
«And you’ve allowed the senators to believe that if they life in orbit they can all become Methuselahs.» Petty laughed. «Well, a couple of biologists from Harvard and Berkeley can shoot you down inside a week—with the proper press coverage. And I can see to it that they get the coverage.»
Don gripped the arms of his chair and tried to hold onto his temper. «Senator Buford is dying and you’re already trying to tear down everything he worked to achieve.»
Petty grinned mischievously. «You bet I am.»
«What do you want from us?» McCormack asked.
The Senator’s grin faded slowly.
«I said we’re here to deal with you,» McCormack added, speaking softly. «The President is very anxious to keep this program going. Its effect on the national economy has been very beneficial, you realize.»
«So you say.»
«What do you want?» McCormack repeated.
«The ground-based medical center that’s going to be built as part of your life-extension program…»
«In your state?»
«Yes.»
McCormack nodded. «I see no reason why that can’t be done. It would be rather close to the Mayo Clinic, then, wouldn’t it?»
«And one other thing,» Petty said.
«What is it?»
He pointed at Don. «I want this man—Senator Buford’s dear friend—to personally head up the space station operation.»
Don felt his incipient ulcer stab him as McCormack’s face clouded over.
«Mr. Arnold is program manager for the space station program already,» McCormack said, «and also serves as liaison to the advanced shuttle program office.»
«I know that,» Petty snapped. «But I want him up there, in the space station, with the first permanent crew.»
Don stared at the Senator. «Why… ?»
Petty gave him a smirk. «You think living up in space is such a hot idea, let’s see you try it!»
Senator Buford’s intensive-care bed looked more like a spacecraft command module than a hospital room. Electronics surrounded the bed, monitoring the dying old man. Oscilloscope traces wriggled fitfully; lights blinked in rhythm to his sinking heartrate; tubes of nutrients and fresh blood fed into his arteries.
Don had to lean close to the old man’s toothless sunken mouth to hear his wheeze:
«‘Predate your comin’ to see me… got no family left, y’know.»
Don nodded and said nothing.
«Looks like I cain’t hold out much longer,» the Senator whispered. «How’s the space station comin’ along?»
«We’ve got Petty behind it,» Don answered. «For a price.»
Buford smiled wanly. «Good. Good. You’ll get th’ whole Senate behind you. They’re all gettin’ older. They’ll all want to go… up there.»
«I’m only sorry that we’re not ready to take you.»
Cackling thinly, Buford said, «But I’m goin’! Ah made all the arrangements. They’re gonna freeze me soon’s I’m clinically dead. And then I’m gonna be sent up to your space station. I’ll stay froze until the science fellas figure out how to cure this cancer I got. Then they’ll thaw me out and I’ll live in orbit. I’ll outlive all o’ you!» He laughed again.
«I hope you do,» Don said softly. «You deserve to.»
«Only trouble is, once I’m froze I won’t need that advanced shuttle to boost me into orbit. Coulda saved th’ taxpayers all that money if I’d known. I can ride the regular ol’ shuttle, once I’m dipped in that liquid nitrogen stuff.»
He was still cackling to himself as Don tiptoed out of his room.
«I’m coming home, honey! For once, I’ll be home in time for the twins’ birthday.»
Don was floating easily in his «office»: a semicircular desk welded into a bulkhead in the zero-gee section of the space station. There was no need for chairs; a few looped straps sufficed to keep one from drifting too far from one’s work.
Don took a good look at his wife’s face as it appeared in the telephone screen of his desk. Her mouth was a thin, tight line. There were crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes. Her hair was totally gray.
«What happened to your hair?» he asked. «It wasn’t like that the last time we talked, was it?»
«I’ve been dyeing it for years and you never noticed,» Judy said, her voice harsh, strained. «The style is gray this year… now I dye it so it’s all gray.»
«That’s the style?» Don glanced at his own reflection in the darkened window above his desk. His hair was still dark and thick.
«How would you know anything about fashion?» Judy snapped, «—living up in that tin can in the sky.»
«But I’m coming home early this year,» Don said. «Things are going well enough so I can get away a whole month earlier than I thought. I’ll be there in time for the twins’ birthday.»
«Don’t bother,» Judy said.
«What? But the kids…»
«The kids are nineteen and they don’t want their Mommy and Daddy embarrassing them, especially on their birthday. They want to be with their friends, out on the farm they’ve set up.»
«Farm?»
«In Utah. They’ve joined the Church of the Latter Day Saints.»
«Mormons? Our kids?»
«Yes.»
Don felt confused, almost scared. «I’ve got to talk with them. They’re too young to—»
But Judy was shaking her gray head. «They won’t be here to talk with. And neither will I.»
He felt it like a body blow as he hung there weightlessly, defenselessly, staring into the screen.
«I’m getting a divorce, Don,» Judy said. «You’re not a husband to me. Not two months out of every twelve. That’s no marriage.»
«But I asked you to come up here with me!»
«I’ve been living with Jack Hardesty the past six months,» she said, almost tonelessly, it was so matter-of-fact. «He’s asked me to marry him. That’s what I’m going to do.»
«Jack Hardesty? Jack?»
«You can live up there and float around forever,» Judy said. «I’m going to get what happiness I can while I’m still young enough to enjoy it.»
«Judy, you don’t understand—» But he was talking to a blank screen.
Don had to return to Earth for the official opening ceremonies of Space Station Alpha. It was a tremendous international media event, with special ceremonies in Washington, Cape Canaveral, Houston and the new life-extension medical center in Senator Petty’s home state.
It was at the medical center ceremonies that Petty pulled Don aside and walked him briskly, urgently, into an immaculate, new, unused men’s room.
Leaning on the rim of a sparkling stainless steel sink, Petty gave Don a nervous little half-smile.
«Well, you got what you wanted,» the Senator said. «How do you feel about it?»
Don shrugged. «Kind of numb, I guess. After all these years, it’s hard to realize that the job is done.»
«Cost a whale of a lot of the taxpayers’ money,» Petty said.
Gesturing at the lavish toilet facility, Don riposted, «You didn’t pinch any pennies here, I notice.»
Petty laughed, almost like a little boy caught doing something naughty. «Home-state contractors. You know how it is.»
«Sure.»
«I guess you’ll want to start living here on the ground full-time again,» Petty said.
Don glared at him. «Oh? Am I allowed to? Is our deal completed?»
With an apologetic spread of his hands, Senator Petty said, «Look, I admit that it was a spiteful thing for me to do…»