Thunderbird by Jack McDevitt

“Let’s take the next step,” he said.
    â€œWhat did you have in mind, James?”
    â€œWe have two functional links at the Eden station that we haven’t used. Let’s pick one and find out where it goes.”
    â€œMagnificent!” He knew she was raising a fist as she tended to do when she got excited. “All right.” She was trying without much success to keep her voice level. “Just one? You don’t want to try both?”
    â€œLet’s do one at a time. See where it takes us. Do you want to lead the mission?”
    â€œI can do that.”
    â€œGood. Let’s figure on a team of five. Besides you and security. I’ll give you the next five names off the list.” The list, of course, had originated in the White House. “I want Adam Sky to go on this one. And probably Paula.”
    â€œBad idea,” said April.
    â€œWhat’s a bad idea?”
    â€œSending a
team
. Why don’t you let Adam and me make the crossing? Give us a chance to look around a little. So we don’t get any surprises.
Then
send the team.”
    â€œApril, Adam will go first. If everything’s okay, he’ll send a message back the way we normally do. If there are dinosaurs or something, we’ll just go no farther. Where’s the problem?”
    â€œI think it would be safer to know what we’re dealing with before we put a crowd together.”
    â€œThat would be fine if there weren’t a political side to all this. Every big scientific name in the country wants to go through the Roundhouse. They’ve been applying pressure. On me and on the president.”
    â€œSo put them on a backup team. As soon as we’re sure where we’re headed, they get to go, too. I doubt anybody will have a problem with that.”
    â€œYou don’t seem to get it, April. Being on the backup team doesn’t quite make it with these people. They want to be part of the initial operation. Do you recall who was the
second
person to walk on the Moon?”
    â€œYeah. Buzz Aldrin.”
    â€œAll right. You know that, but most of the rest of us have missed it. Everybody wants what
you’re
getting. To be first on a new world. Now, let’s drop the debate. It’s the way the president wants it, and that’s the way we’ll go. We also have a couple of astronauts coming in to show everybody how the pressure suits work.” He paused. “What are the Eden links?”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œWhat do they look like? The icons?”
    â€œOne’s an octagon. The other’s a set of three parallel lines.”
    â€œAll right. Which one do we want to use?”
    â€œI hadn’t thought about it, James. Flip a coin.”
    â€œOkay. Do the parallel lines.”
    â€œGood enough. May I ask a favor?”
    â€œYou may ask.”
    â€œI promised my former boss I’d arrange for him to go along on one of the missions. He’s a physicist. Retired now.”
    â€œWhat’s his name?”
    â€œHarvey Keck.”
    Walker put the list on his screen. “There’s no Harvey Keck here.”
    â€œHe doesn’t have a political connection anywhere.” It was hard to miss the annoyance in her voice.
    Walker could add the name to his security force. But no. This was a chance to demonstrate that the tribe had some influence. “All right. Add him as a sixth participant. He won’t fall down and hurt himself, or do anything like that, will he?”
    â€¢Â Â Â â€¢Â Â Â â€¢
    W ALKER TOOK THE secure phone out of his desk and made the call. Alice Worthington picked up. “Yes, Mr. Chairman?”
    â€œHello, Alice. Is the president available?”
    â€œHe’s in a meeting, sir.”
    â€œCan you tell him I called?”
    He got back to Walker within the hour. “James,” he said. “What’s going on?”
    â€œWe’re sending a mission out. Through