Sex on the Moon by Ben Mezrich Read Free Book Online Page A

different locations around the JSC, as well as places outside of NASA.”
    “What sort of samples?”
    “That’s the really cool part. Up until now, it’s been mostly lunar rocks. Or more accurately, lunar dust, because we’re usually talking about a gram here, a gram there. But lately it’s more about meteorites. Because some of those come from a lot farther than the moon—and that’s what everybody’s interested in now.”
    Thad looked at the various rocks splayed out across the steel counter.
    “You mean some of these are moon rocks?”
    “Of course not. Do you know how valuable moon rocks are?”
    Thad shrugged.
    “Actually, I don’t.”
    “Very. Fucking. Valuable. And they have to be kept in really pristine conditions. You should see the Lunar Lab. We’re talking Plexiglas cabinets filled with high-purity nitrogen. You go in wearing bodysuits, through these clean-air purification chambers—really sci-fi kind of shit.”
    Thad could only imagine what his new lab partner was talking about. He’d never worked with dangerous chemicals or biohazards before, so he only knew what he’d seen on TV, but he guessed it would be pretty cool to see the Lunar Lab in person.
    “In this lab,” Helms continued, “we practice on regular Earth rocks. You’ll learn how to shave off little pieces, mimicking the ones from real lunar and meteorite samples that are often sent around to high schools as part of NASA’s educational outreach program. I’ll also show you how to put together a desiccator, which is a really cool device that keeps moisture out. For museums, we use these bigger glass spheres. They’re usually filled with nitrogen to keep the rocks in good shape.”
    “So you pretty much run this lab?” Helms was just a co-op, but he seemed amazingly confident, like he’d been doing things on his own for a while.
    Helms grinned, shaking his head.
    “I’m just a wannabe like you. The division chief is Dr. Cal Agee. His assistant is David Draper. They’re basically our mentors here in astromaterials. They’ll come around now and again to make sure we’re not setting the place on fire, or playing catch with the moon rocks. But just walking around the halls, you’re going to meet a lot of scientists with as many letters after their names as you’ve got in yours. That’s the best part of this place, hobnobbing with guys who play with space toys for a living.”
    “And we also get to work with astronauts?” Thad asked.
    Helms gave him a sideways look.
    “That a big deal to you?”
    “Of course. I mean, scientists are cool, but astronauts are rock stars.”
    Helms laughed.
    “I guess I’m a little jaded. Growing up around them kind of shakes some of the moon dust off.”
    “You grew up around here?”
    “A few miles away. My mom is an engineer, did a lot of contract work with the agency.”
    Helms began removing his second rubber glove, struggling a bit to get it over his spindly fingers.
    “A couple of days, and that wild look in your eyes will fade. You’ll be having lunch, and suddenly realize that the guy sitting next to you once flew the space shuttle. And then you’ll go back to your Fritos. Back to your textbooks and test tubes—and you’ll realize this place is a job, as much as it’s a dream.”
    Gloves off, Helms headed toward the door, gesturing for Thad to follow.
    “We’ll have plenty of time to talk about this later. You’re going to the pool party, right?”
    “Pool party?”
    “Happens every couple of weeks. A few of the girls live in a complex with a common pool, and they throw pretty kick-ass parties. It’s kind of a ritual. People get drunk, talk about things they maybe shouldn’t. You’ll find that this is a really social place—despite its stiff reputation.”
    Thad followed his new friend to the door. Even though he had been at college many years now, he hadn’t attended too many parties. Partly because he was married, partly because of his upbringing; he’d never