Lifeline

Linda Arnando—Personnel/Admin Division leader, later chief assessor for Curtis Brahms

Dr. Daniel Aiken—research scientist, biochemist

Sheila Aiken—Daniel’s wife

Stephanie Garland—Miranda shuttle pilot

Allen Terachyk—Research & Development Division leader, later chief assessor for Curtis Brahms

Duncan McLaris—Production Division leader, later acting administrator for Clavius Base

Jessie McLaris—Duncan’s daughter

Diane McLaris—Duncan’s wife

Dr. Karen Langelier—research chemist, polymers

Tim Drury—Maintenance/Services Division leader

Curtis Brahms—acting director, Orbitech 1

Sigat Harhoosma—metallurgist

Hiro Kaitanabe—gardener

Roha Ombalal—director, Orbitech 1

Nancy Winkowski—chemical technician and laboratory assistant, later Watcher

KIBALCHICH (L-5)

Dr. Anna Tripolk—chief biochemist, in charge of research

Commander Stepan Rvrik—Kibalchich commanding officer

Alexandrov Cagarin—political officer

Illimui Danskoy—activist

Grekov—technician

Orvinskad—technician

Sheveremsky—technician

Prologue

L-4: AGUINALDO—5 Years Before Day 1

He thought the experiment would work, but even if it failed, he knew he could bluff his way through. The Filipinos held their Dr. Luis Sandovaal too much in awe for them to doubt anything he did.

Sandovaal ignored the crowd around him. President Magsaysay stood quietly by the airlock, along with the rest of the Council of Twenty. Sandovaal stared past the group, past the habitats and experimental fields, and gazed instead upon the sweeping curve of the cylindrical colony’s far side, where Filipino children played floater-tag in the zero-G core.

Sandovaal’s whole life revolved around success: taking outrageous chances, working long hours until he felt absolutely sure his experiments would prove out. Admitting to being only “second best” seemed as bad as conceding defeat. The field of applied genetics evolved too fast for stragglers.

That had always made it necessary for Sandovaal to take certain … chances … with his bioengineering research so he could remain the best, the most innovative. He had come to carry on his researches at L-4, the gravitational stable point 60 degrees ahead of the Moon in its orbit, four hundred thousand kilometers away from Earth—where the rest of the planet would be safe in case anything went wrong.

That self-imposed exile had proven a blessing, giving him unlimited academic freedom and free reign to direct his own research laboratory on board the Filipino colony Aguinaldo, the largest of the three human stations at L-4 and L-5. The Filipinos were proud of his presence there, to the point of designating him the colony’s chief scientist.

Sandovaal drew himself up to his full five-foot stature and spoke to the crowd in front of the airlock. With his blue eyes and shock of white hair, he didn’t look much like the other Aguinaldo inhabitants.

“President Magsaysay, distinguished senators. Today the Aguinaldo is a mere shell of what is to come. Generations from now the empty fields behind you will be filled with our children’s children, and because of the design of our colony, living space will still be plentiful.

“But adequate living space does not imply that there will always be room for growing our food. Plants need open area to grow—area that will be at a premium several years from now. People will not be willing to live in crowded conditions so that their food may flourish. But I have discovered a solution. Although the Aguinaldo may be limited in its area, there is a way to tap an infinite amount of space in which to grow the crops that can sustain us.”

President Magsaysay gave the hint of a smile. “Good, Luis. The Council of Twenty are all proud of you and your accomplishments.” He swung an arm around the airlock bay. “But why did you bring us out here, away from your laboratory?”

Sandovaal nodded to his assistant. “Dobo, prepare to eject the organism.” It was a hybrid that combined the nervous system and motor capabilities of a Portuguese man-of-war jellyfish with the cellular structure of a plant—a transgenetic organism that extended Sandovaal’s research beyond the simple wall-kelp that was even now supplementing the feed for their small population of animals.

Sandovaal turned his attention back to the Council. “This problem concerned me for some time. I tried several ways of genetically forcing plants to become denser, use less light, so that they would not take up so much room. Then I realized that we have all the space and light we need outside the Aguinaldo.”

Dobo Daeng ran his fingers over the control panel. A green lightcell changed to red. Sandovaal motioned the Council of Twenty to the viewport. The Filipinos murmured questions in low voices and crowded next to Sandovaal as they peered out the large crystal port. Sandovaal gave a smug smile.