6 SECRET MISSION

6 SECRET MISSION Lunar day 188 Afternoon I was so startled, I forgot all about the tangerine in my pocket. I reflexively locked the door and asked, "How did you get in here?" "Everyone in security has a master key," Zan explained. "I know coming in here like this was wrong, but I didn't know what else to do. It's of great importance that no one see me talking to you." "Why?" I asked. Zan waved to the InflatiCubes arranged around

our SlimScreen table. "Sit down. Eat your tangerine. This might take a while to explain." I sat and Zan sat across from me. "How'd you know I had a tangerine?" "I can smell it." I pulled it out of my pocket. "Do you want any?" Zan smiled. When she did, her whole face seemed to light up. "That's very nice of you to offer, but it's yours. I had several on the rocket." I started to peel the fruit. "Why do you think Dr. Holtz was murdered?" Zan stared at me, as though trying to decide where to begin. Now that I was close to her, I noticed that her eyes were extremely unusual. They were an amazingly brilliant blue that reminded me of the shallow water above the coral reefs in Hawaii. Just looking at them made me feel homesick. "Before I get into that, there's something you ought to know," Zan told me. "Although I work for the security division, I'm not here as an investigator. My official duty is to upgrade and assess the base security systems." "You're a temp," I said. "Right. When the rocket returns to earth in two days, I'll be on it. And I don't have any authority to

investigate crimes here. That's Nina's jurisdiction." "But Nina says there wasn't a crime at all," I pointed out. "So I've gathered. Which is unfortunate, because I think she's wrong." Zan suddenly locked her bright blue eyes on mine. "There's something very suspicious about Dr. Holtz's death." I hesitated before responding. After all, I'd just met Zan and wasn't completely sure whether or not to trust her. I wondered if this was all a trick of some sort, something Nina had cooked up with NASA to see if I was going to disobey a direct order from her. So I tried to be as cautious as possible. "Why do you say that?" "I knew Ronald," Zan replied. "Quite well, in fact. He would never have done something so risky as a solo moonwalk. Not when death was a possibility. Living at this base was his dream, the culmination of his life's work.." "Maybe he was going crazy," I said, echoing Roddy. "Maybe he got some sort of space madness." "If that had been the case, he wouldn't have kept it a secret. And there were no indications that he was losing his mind. In fact, according to his most recent medical reports Dr. Holtz was in complete

control of his mental faculties. He wouldn't have gone out that air lock alone on purpose. Especially not right now. Not with what he was working on." Zan suddenly lowered her eyes and bit her lip. It looked like she was about to cry. I decided this wasn't a trick Nina had cooked up. Zan was genuinely upset about Dr. Holtz's death. "You know about that?" I asked. "I know he was on the verge of revealing something exciting, but that's it." "How?" "Like I said, we were friends. We've been talking a lot lately." I sat up, struck by a thought. "I overheard Dr. Holtz in the bathroom the night before he died. He was speaking to someone on the phone about a new discovery. Was that you?" Zan met my eyes again, surprised by this piece of information. "No, I wasn't on the phone with him. Did you hear what the discovery was?" I shook my head. "Dr. Holtz didn't say. But he was extremely excited about it. He said it would make history. He and whoever he was talking to planned to announce it first thing this morning. That's why I don't think his death was an accident.

Why would he do something so dangerous before the announcement?" "I don't know." Zan held my gaze. "But I want to find out." I nodded, pleased that someone with authority was finally willing to listen to me, but then I thought of something. "If you didn't know I'd overheard Dr. Holtz's call, how did you know to come to me?" "Nina reported you were making waves," Zan said. "Asking too many questions about Dr. Holtz's death. She thought maybe I could keep an eye on you while I was here." "But she didn't ever think you might agree with me." I smiled, pleased by the idea of Nina's plan backfiring. "No, she didn't," Zan said. "Unfortunately, Nina isn't the only one who's concerned that a murder investigation would be bad press for MBA. My superiors agree with her." "Even though they run security and we're talking about a murder here?" "None of them knew Ronald like I did. And since they were responsible for vetting the Moonies, they don't think it's possible that one of you committed murder. Instead they think the real problem here is

you saying there was a murder at all." I put another piece of tangerine on my tongue. Somehow it didn't taste as good anymore. "So... they don't want you to investigate?" Zan turned away, as though ashamed. "My official orders are, if anything, to make sure that there isn't an investigation. I'm to quash any suggestion that there was a murder." "That's why you're here?" I asked, upset. "No. Those are my official orders. But as a member of the security division, I feel it'd be a dereliction of duty to not look into this matter." I relaxed, feeling better. "However," Zan continued, "given that my superiors—and their superiors—don't want me to do this, any investigation will have to be conducted secretly. Which is where you come in." "Why?" "I can only do so much. As a temp, I don't have all the privileges you do. Therefore, I need your help." "Sure." I was surprised by how quickly I agreed, given that there was certainly some potential for trouble. But then I figured that if there was a murderer on the loose at MBA, someone ought to