Earth Bound by Emma Barry & Genevieve Turner Read Free Book Online Page B

graceful as all the rest.
    “How many do you mean by some?” He was snarling at her now, and still she wouldn’t look up.
    “Dozens.”
    He felt light-headed for half a moment. Dozens . Dozens of circuits to be repaired.
    Parsons turned back to Hal. “Why aren’t the girls working on the calculations, then? We need those numbers.”
    Hal’s tongue came to his top teeth, his throat working, but before he could say anything, she cut in. “They are. But they’re not as fast as the machine.”
    “I know.” If his jaw clamped any tighter, his teeth would crack. He couldn’t tell what made him angrier—that the computer was down, or that Hal let her absorb his diatribe without even trying to step in. “When will this be fixed? When will I have my numbers?”
    She glanced at the clock, and he could see her calculating. “The machine should be operational in approximately one hundred and sixty-three minutes.”
    “And for the girls to confirm the calculation?”
    Dr. Eason took up the soldering iron again. “Maybe three hours?”
    Too long. Too goddamn long. His neck burned and his collar began to strangle him. He needed these numbers or else he would have to contemplate yet another delay. This mission could not be scrapped and it could not fail. Didn’t anyone else understand? “I want this machine working now.”
    She turned then, the hot iron held tight in her hand. “Really? Would you like to help with the soldering, then? Please, be my guest.”
    Perhaps that was what cut at him the most—not that he was deeply, deeply attracted to her, or that she was smart as hell, or that she was the most competent member of the computing department.
    It was that she mocked him. And she seemed to think he was so humorless he didn’t know what she was doing.
    Well, he did.
    “Get this machine on line.” He swung his clipboard up to jab at Hal. “You should be helping her with the soldering. You and anyone else who won’t foul it up. I want all hands on this.”
    Dr. Eason turned back to her work, and he had the distinct sensation she was dismissing him rather than the other way around.
    Parsons made his way back to his office, engineers again scrambling out of his way when they caught sight of his face.
    He was going through yet another pre-flight checklist when she appeared in his doorway, exactly one hundred and seventeen minutes later.  
    She looked as composed and lovely as always. He would never have guessed she’d spent the past few hours hunched over a workbench, doing tediously delicate work. She held up a sheaf of papers. “I have the numbers, from both the electronic computer and the women computers. Also, the machine is running again.”
    He took the papers from her and rifled through them. Everything looked to be in order. The mission wouldn’t have to be aborted. If the chimp came back safely, America would finally catch up to the Soviets.
    This was the point where he was supposed to say thank you . Or well done . But he didn’t want to be polite. He wanted to be surly and sullen and savage her if she came too close.
    “Without these numbers,” he said, “we would have had to delay the mission. Again.”
    “I know.”
    Of course she knew—it was why she’d worked so hard to get the machine running again. He knew. She knew. There was no point in saying it. She didn’t need her ego fluffed.
    She turned to leave, because she also knew he wouldn’t say thank you.
    “Wait.” He tossed the papers she’d given him to the desk. Missing this deadline had not been her fault, and he wanted to make sure it didn’t happen again. He didn’t like how he felt when she disappointed him. “What would you need to have backup circuits on hand for the computer?”
    Her eyes widened. She hadn’t thought of such a thing. That was the problem with scientists—they very often forgot the practical details. “Materials. Time.”
    “Do it then. Tell Hal to get you whatever you need. And if he balks, come to