expedition, Sanchez had peppered his team with dozens of inquiries, and that had only been a Class-3 survey. This trip was not only more dangerous, it was also far more complex. Two timeships working in tandem, with the extraction of two contemporaries from a potentially hostile environment and replacing them with two researchers who would be in situ during a major disaster ⦠any one of several dozen things could go wrong at any time. Not only that, but once he and Lea were aboard the Hindenburg and it was in flight, there was no way the mission could be aborted.
Nonetheless, Sanchez seemed to be accepting their prognosis at face value. Was the Commissioner becoming complacent? Or, as the thought suddenly occurred to Franc, was he preoccupied with some other matter?
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. From the corner of his eye, he saw Lea do the same. The mimosaur stood up in Sanchezâs lap, yawned and stretched in an oddly feline way, then hopped upon the warm surface of a data unit and curled up to take a nap. After a while, Sanchez grunted with what might have been satisfaction and rotated his chair to face them.
âYour preliminary report appears to cover all the foreseeable factors,â he said, âand as you probably expect, I have quite a few questions to ask. But thereâs something Iâd like to bring to your attention first ⦠an incident that occurred during our last expedition.â
âThe last expedition?â Franc glanced at Lea, then back at Sanchez. âIf you mean the C320-29, we didnât â¦â
âNo, no.â Sanchez shook his head. âThe C320-29 was flawless. If it hadnât gone well, I would have never approved of the proposal for C120-37.â He smiled slightly. âAnd, yes, Dr. Lu, if this expedition is successful and your team delivers useful new information, Iâll consider taking your proposal for the C120-12 to the Board.â
Franc took a deep breath. The C120-12 was his dream mission: an expedition to Southampton, England, in 1912 to place two or more researchers aboard the HMS Titanic before it embarked upon its doomed Atlantic crossing. Within the CRC, this was widely considered to be the Mt. Everest of historical surveys, mainly because of the extraordinary risks it presented. In many ways, the C120-37 was a rehearsal for the C120-12; if he and Lea could prove that two CRC researchers could record the Hindenburg disaster and survive, then putting historians aboard the Titanic would be considered feasible.
âThank you, sir,â he said. âI appreciate your support.â
âThatâs beside the point. Iâm referring to the last expedition. The one which returned last week.â He peered at him through the bars of his desk. âThe C314-65. The Miranda expedition to New Mexico. You havenât studied the final report?â
He knew about the mission to which Sanchez was referring, but he was embarrassed to admit that he hadnât been keeping track of it. Lea stepped in to save him. âMany apologies, sir,â she said. âWe were so involved with our own work, we didnât have a chance to â¦â
âNot acceptable, Dr. Oschner. All researchers are required to read reports from previous expeditions. The objectives may be different, but thereâs much to learned from â¦â Sanchez sighed, looked away. âIâm sorry. Perhaps I should know better. Thirteenth-century North American history isnât your area, and youâve been preoccupied with the C120-37.â Then he looked back at them. âYou say you havenât spoken with Hans Brech? He was the Miranda âs pilot for that mission, and for your own as well.â He hesitated. âBy the way, Vasili Metz will be your pilot on the Oberon . Any objections?â
Franc pursed his lips and hoped that Sanchez wouldnât pick up on his distaste for Metz. He was a good timeship pilotâone of
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