《Periodic Table Oxygen》作者： - Michael Swanwick【EPUB】

zaq

Michael Swanwicks Periodic Table of Science Fiction 94 Pu Plutonium 244Pure Science The surface of Pluto is covered in ices. Methane ices nitrogen ices and carbon dioxide icesmostly but also a scattering of exotics like oxygen that warmed only a few degrees Kelvinsublime into gases. The waste heat of our vacuum suits was enough to do the trick. With everystep the ground exploded underfoot and billowed up overhead. Ken and I had to keep moving if wewanted to see at all. Behind us like Sodom burning was the giant updraft caused by the Bonestell melting a craterinto the ice. I didnt look backit would have turned my heart to stone. What now I saidtonelessly. Keep walking Ken said. We did. Is there a point to this I asked after a while. Yes. Its called basic research. Oh. You got something better to do Other than dying I laughed maybe a little shrilly. No nothing at all. We loped along scanning the land before us. Pluto was surprisingly hilly for such a tinyplanetalmost as small as its partner-moon Charon and by some definitions a planetesimalrather than a full world. It was I supposed basely possible wed chance upon something worthfinding before our oxygen ran out. Though I couldnt imagine what. Check it out. Ken gestured at a discolored streak that moved with imperfect straightnesstoward the horizon. Melted. And then Lets follow it. We did in long low bounds. Think theyll ever find us I asked. Oh yeah start at the crater follow our trail. Even if they mothball