Starquake.pdf

"Hmmm." Pierre considered the options, then said, "I think I'd better talk with Commander Swenson
and the rest of the crew."
They gathered in the viewport lounge to discuss the question. Doctor Wong blackened the viewport in
the floor as they entered. No one objected. It would be hard enough to make a
decision without having the bright yellow image of Sol flickering through the port.
"Commander Swenson says the decision is up to us," Pierre replied. "Her only conditions were that there
be a secret ballot and that the decision to let the cheela use Otis be unanimous."
"It would be a lot easier to say 'Yes' if the chances were better," Jean said. "Eight percent is not very
good odds."
"Eight and a third percent," corrected Seiko. "We must also remember the number of intelligent beings
involved. By putting our five lives at risk, we prevent the demise of an entire intelligent civilization."
"I just don't like the way we have to go," said Abdul. "Starving to death is not my idea of fun. I'd rather
go quickly."
Cesar spoke up. "I would like to remind everyone that just over three hours ago, all of us would have
experienced a quick death if it had not been for the efforts of the two cheela, Admiral Steel-Slicer and
Engineer Cliff-Web, who now ask for our help."
Pierre waited for more discussion. There was none, so he passed out blank sheets of paper.
"Write 'Yes' if you agree to let the cheela use Otis, and 'No' if you think the risk is too high." Then Pierre
collected the ballots and went through them quickly.
"There are four 'Yes' votes and one 'No.' I will inform Admiral Steel-Slicer that they will have to find
another way of getting down to Egg. Then I will program the herder rockets to change Otis's orbit so we
can go home."
"Just a minute," Abdul spoke up. "I change my mind. Switch my vote to a 'Yes.' It wasn't the fault of the
cheela that Amalita was taken away and it's stupid to be mad at a neutron star. It doesn't care."
10:25:02 GMT TUESDAY 21 JUNE2050
Steel-Slicer and a newly rejuvenated Cliff-Web watched from a scout ship as the cargo ship brought the
first batch of north monopoles from the distant monopole factory and dumped them into the human
deorbiter mass. The monopoles scattered into a diffuse cloud from their mutual repulsion as they were
released from the hold of the cargo ship. The cloud was sucked up by the gravity field from the deorbiter
mass and disap-
peared beneath the fuzzy surface of the kilometer-sized ball. Later they would have to shoot the
monopoles into the magnetized ball with an electromagnetic accelerator.