Page 19 of Project Hail Mary

“Yeah, you mentioned that earlier,” I said. “But I have to believe there are more qualified people to do this than just me.”

“Scientists all over the world will be looking at them, but I want you to be the first.”

“Why?”

“It lives on or near the surface of the sun. Does that sound like a water-based life-form to you?”

She was right. Water simply can’t exist at those temperatures. After about 3,000 degrees Celsius, the hydrogen and oxygen atoms can’t stay bound to each other anymore. The surface of the sun was 5,500 degrees Celsius.

She continued. “The field of speculative extraterrestrial biology is small—only five hundred or so people in the world. And everyone I talk to—from Oxford professors to Tokyo University researchers—seems to agree that you could have led it if you hadn’t suddenly left.”

“Gosh,” I said. “I didn’t leave on good terms. I’m surprised they said such nice stuff about me.”

“Everyone understands the gravity of the situation. There’s no time for old grudges. But for what it’s worth, you’ll be able to show everyone you were right. You don’t need water for life. Surely that must be something you want.”

“Sure,” I said. “I mean…yeah. But not like this.”

She hopped off her stool and headed to the door. “It is what it is. Be here on the twenty-third at sevenp.m.I’ll have the sample for you.”

“Wha—” I said. “It’ll be in Russia, won’t it?”

“I told Roscosmos to land their Soyuz in Saskatchewan. The Royal Canadian Air Force will recover the sample and bring it directly here to San Francisco via fighter jet. The U.S. will allow the Canadians use of the airspace.”

“Saskatchewan?”

“Soyuz capsules are launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, which is at a high latitude. The safest landing locations are at that same latitude. Saskatchewan is the closest large, flat area to San Francisco that meets all the requirements.”

I held up my hand. “Wait. The Russians, Canadians, and Americans all just do whatever you tell them?”

“Yes. Without question.”

“Are youjoshingme with all this?!”

“Get accommodated with your new lab, Dr. Grace. I have other things to deal with.”

She walked out the door without another word.

—

“Yes!” I pump my fist.

I jump to my feet and climb the ladder to the lab. Once there, I climb that ladder and grab hold of the Mystery Hatch.

Just like last time, as soon as I touch the handle, the computer says, “To unlock hatch, state your name.”

“Ryland Grace,” I say with a smug smile. “Dr.Ryland Grace.”

A small click from the hatch is the only response I get. After all the meditation and introspection I did to find out my own name, I wish there’d been something more exciting. Confetti, maybe.

I grab the handle and twist. It turns. My domain is about to grow by at least one new room. I push the hatch upward. Unlike the connector between the bedroom and the lab, this hatch slides to the side. This next room is pretty small, so I guess there wasn’t room for the hatch to swing in. And that next room is…um…?

LED lights flick on. The room is round, like the other two, but it’s not a cylinder. The walls taper inward toward the ceiling. It’s a truncated cone.

I’ve spent the last few days without much information to go on. Now information assaults me from every direction. Every surface is covered with computer monitors and touchscreens. The sheer number of blinking lights and colors is staggering. Some screens have rows of numbers, others have diagrams, and others just look black.

On the edge of the conical walls is another hatch. This one is less mysterious, though. It has the wordAIRLOCKstenciled across the top, and the hatch itself has a round window in it. Through the window I can see a tiny chamber—just big enough for one person—with a spacesuit inside. The far wall has another hatch. Yup. That’s an airlock.

And in the center of everything is a chair. It’s perfectly positioned to be able to reach all screens and touch panels easily.