Pocks

They had boosted off from Pocks and now would come within view of the Watcher within seconds.

Across The Sea Of Suns Benford, Gregory, 1941- 1984

The roughened hull of the Watcher loomed above Pocks.

Across The Sea Of Suns Benford, Gregory, 1941- 1984

Pocks had light gravity, so pressure built only a tenth as fast as on Earth, but now he felt his suit creak.

Across The Sea Of Suns Benford, Gregory, 1941- 1984

He glided above Pocks, bound with parabolic grace toward the Watcher.

Across The Sea Of Suns Benford, Gregory, 1941- 1984

This was the secret that Pocks had to teach: that at a moon's core, nuclear isotopes collected and sputtered and delivered up their warmth to an ocean of elemental matter, and that was enough..

Across The Sea Of Suns Benford, Gregory, 1941- 1984

He could hear them all-EM, Skimmer, humanfrom Pocks, no need to voyage back to Earth, and the incessant mad organic talk would go on.

Across The Sea Of Suns Benford, Gregory, 1941- 1984

They had to do this while the Watcher was on the other side of Pocks, so that their activity did not catch the Watcher's interest.

Across The Sea Of Suns Benford, Gregory, 1941- 1984

When he returned Carlos was out of his mood and was explaining to Nikka that he had successfully applied for a job on the ground team on Pocks.

Across The Sea Of Suns Benford, Gregory, 1941- 1984

Using override command, he called for a closeup of the Watcher as soon as its outline nudged above the tightly curved horizon of Pocks.

Across The Sea Of Suns Benford, Gregory, 1941- 1984

And in a moment, as if in answer to the life-filled balloon, the silhouette of the Watcher would poke above the smooth roundness of Pocks.

Across The Sea Of Suns Benford, Gregory, 1941- 1984