Waiting to calm Molly’s worries had been a nuisance, but probably worth doing, and Jenny had certainly been quick enough with her analysis. Of course there was nothing dangerous outside. No oxygen, no chlorine, none of Carol’s stinging nitrosyl chloride. Carbon dioxide, methane, and ammonia were all harmless. The ammonium carbamate and other dusts that the gases were constantly forming seemed inactive enough.
He opened the inner lock door, speaking reassuringly as he went—the Human still looked anxious. As quickly as possible without actual rudeness he closed it behind him and keyed open the outer valve. The ship trembled slightly as he did so, and simultaneously the voices of the high-gravity women roared confusingly through his translator.
Even if he could have untangled the messages, they would have been too late. There was no word for wind in Joe’s vocabulary or that of his communication device. His home world wasn’t quite airless—there was pressure enough to keep body fluids liquid—but no one had ever been blown away.
Until now. It was surprising that gas could transfer so much momentum, he thought rather blurrily as the landing boat spun out of sight.
Of course, his species had not used rockets for a long, long time.
Chapter Two
Datum Two: Carol
The little Shervah dashed through the near-darkness at the top of her speed. With so little gravity, this meant an awkward series of leaps rather than a graceful run, but she could see ahead well enough in the beam of her hand light to be willing to risk that. There was no time to waste; there was life, however unlikely that might be, and, if her own eyes could be believed, all competing explanations for Enigma’s retention of atmosphere had to take second place. Biology just did too many improbable things.