Jupiter's Reef by Karl Kofoed

perform his analysis, Alex began to understand the relentless discipline and attitude necessary for professional research. It boggled his mind to see the Professor joyfully crunching numbers and checking details. There was a purpose and rhythm to the man’s work.
    Watching Johnny, a real scientist, examining his data convinced Alex that nothing would really be proven until humans went back to Jupiter and mounted a serious exploration of the reef. And Alex’s radar plots would be the template used to plan the mission.
    Many times during Johnny’s examination of Alex’s disks, he stopped work to congratulate Alex on the fine work he and Mary had done. He complimented details like the long duration camera work; those times that Diver just cruised the reef wall and watched.
    Alex listened happily to all of Johnny’s praise, but if he suspected that despite the congrats there was doubt lurking behind the Professor’s smile Alex was never able to pull it out of the man.
    Eventually Alex lost interest in the analysis. His mind wandered ahead, past Earth and the publication of his discovery to what he now realized was a necessary conclusion to his odyssey; the return to the Reef.

3 Mary kept busy on the exercise machines, wisely trying to ready her slender frame for the rigors of one full gee when they arrived on Earth.
    It seemed to take forever but they finally reached the halfway point between Mars and Earth. On the morning of that day, Mary called for a celebration with some synthetic bubbly and passed out the squeezers.
    “Today we start decelerating for Earth,” she announced. “We should celebrate, don’t you think?”
    Johnny had gotten used to sleeping in an upright position. He opened his eyes and unstrapped himself from his chair and stretched. “You’re suggesting we drink our breakfast?”
    Alex emerged from the shower stall in time to hear the conversation.
    “Up late again last night, Professor?” he said, toweling his hair. “Like a kid with a new toy. You and those data cubes.”
    Johnny sat up, and his grey eyes looped around the room as he rediscovered weightlessness. “It’s tough waking up to this. You seem at home in zero gee but me, I’ll never get used to it.”
    While the Professor worked his data, Alex had erected a makeshift wall tarp so that the bathroom area was more private. Behind the white fabric, he watched the Professor try to orient himself.
    “Okay,” said Alex, “Tell me.”
    “Tell you what?”
    Alex ignored the Professor’s question while he finished putting on his flight suit. Then he unsnapped the privacy curtain from the wall. All this took concentration in zero gee.
    “Shower, anyone, or shall I stow this?” he asked, looking back at Mary and the Professor.
    No one seemed interested, so he snapped the fabric tight to the wall and, with a push, catapulted himself toward his seat.
    “Tell you what?” repeated old Johnny as Alex lowered himself into the pilot’s chair.
    “The but ,” said Alex. “All your shmoozy praise was setting me up for something. The ‘ but . What is it?”
    Johnny looked at his squeezer of Mary’s bubbly, the stuff she called her stab-in-the-dark synthetic champagne, and raised it to his lips. “Maybe this isn’t such a bad idea after all,” said Professor Johnny and he took two long gulps. “Christine would have my butt for drinking this,” he added, smacking his lips.
    Alex didn’t seem to wait for an answer. He looked over the console as though ready to take control of the ship, but all he did was punch key pads and watch the displays.
    “Let’s hear it,” he said. “Captain’s orders.”
    It’s simple, really, Alex. You have data. But you have no proof. Specifically no physical evidence. No specimens.”
    “Oh sure,” said Mary, nearly spitting bubbly all over herself. “Become the quarantine stars of the outer rim.”
    “She’s dead right,” said Alex. “It’s on the record that we burned the goo off our hull when