The Sam Gunn Omnibus

Statement of Juanita Carlotta Maria Rivera y Queveda (Recorded at Mt. Esperanza, Ecuador)

“I have no time to speak to you about Sam Gunn. That phase of my life ended long ago. Believe me, directing the construction of the first space elevator on the Earth keeps me quite busy, thank you.”

Even in the small screen in Jade’s office the space elevator was impressive: a massive tower that rose from the mountaintop and disappeared into the clouds high above.

Juanita Rivera y Queveda looked impressive, too. Her face was round, the skin golden brown, her hair thick and midnight dark. Jade couldn’t see much of her outfit, but it seemed to be more like a general’s braid-heavy uniform than the simple coveralls of an engineer.

“Look at it!” she said, gesturing toward the elevator off in the hazy distance. “Even in its half-finished condition, is it not magnificent? A tower to the heavens, an elevator that rises from this mountaintop all the way up to the geosynchronous orbit, nearly forty thousand kilometers high! Ah, these are wonderful times to be alive.”

Jade started to ask a question, then realized it would take nearly three seconds before the woman’s answer could cover the round-trip distance between Earth and the Moon.

“As you undoubtedly know,” the Ecuadorian went on, “my husband is the former president of Ecuador, as was my father. But I have never been involved in politics, except for that brief time when Sam Gunn intruded into my life. In fact the first time I heard of the idea of a space elevator, it was Sam who told me about it. He called it a ‘skyhook.’ I thought it was foolishness then, but now I know better.

“What can I tell you that you do not already know? Sam was a whirlwind, a force of nature. He was constantly in motion, always tumbling and jumbling everything and everyone around him. It was like living in a perpetual hurricane, being near Sam.

“I understand that he died out in deep space somewhere. Too bad. I am not interested in him, whether he is dead or alive. My interest is in this space elevator, which you in the media call the Skyhook Project. When it is finished, people will be able to ride from our site in my native Ecuador all the way up to the geostationary orbit for pennies! Merely the price of electricity to operate the elevator, plus a modest profit for our company.

“Yes, it is costing billions to build the elevator, but we have had no trouble in finding investors.

“Of course, if Sam were here among us he would be one of our biggest investors, certainly. But what chaos he would cause! We are much better off without him.

“Oh, I suppose I really do hope he is not dead. I miss him, to tell the truth. But I’m glad he is not here! This project is too important to have him involved in it.”

The woman stopped speaking. Her eyes seemed to focus dreamily on something in the past.

Jade took the opportunity. “Couldn’t you tell me just a little about Sam? Your impression of him? How he affected your life?”

Juanita Rivera y Queverda smiled, a little sadly, Jade thought.

“Very well,” she said softly. “I will take a brief break and have a cafe con leche while I will speak of the time I worked for Sam Gunn. And the revolution. But only one cup! Then I must get back to my work.”