Trajectory to Taurus

By LES COLLINS
ILLUSTRATOR FINLAY
Out in the reaches of space an ultimate disaster raced at light-speeds toward Earth. Only a massive sacrifice could save Mankind now. And so he turned, as always, to his Eternal Mother.
Fred Kirr, stomach twisting with shock, turned from the viewscreen and looked directly into the deep blue eyes of the girl. Would you repeat that? he asked, fighting to keep urgency from his voice.
Ordinarily, JoAnn Chase's eyes danced merrily in tune with her vivacious personality; now, however, they were filled with an inner light akin to fanaticism, and Fred felt his scalp crawl. Without taking her eyes from the planet, in a hypnotic-like state, Jo answered, I just said, 'Oh, my God!'
I know, Fred interjected hastily. We were in complete agreement up to that point. But what did you say next?
It's indescribably lovely, heavenly! Compared to it, Earth is a desiccated old hag, a vapid, colorless rock that tediously circles the sun.
Fred thought silently: When we left Earth, a few days ago, you looked back and called her a blue-green jewel. Then, to check himself, he looked once more at the planet, even now perceptibly larger in the center of the screen. Heavenly? Far from it, a diametric opposite, for he still saw in it a face that might have been dredged from the nightmare horror of his unconscious. It was a face from hell, and he couldn't shake the impression. Even if he wanted to be dispassionate in evaluation, he'd still have to call the cancerous blob a desert planet....
Jo! Fred's call was a plea for help, I've got to speak to you—
The girl interrupted with an impatient shake of her blonde locks, put a finger to her lips. For a moment, Fred was reminded of a small boy being quieted during the Sunday sermon. His confusion and fear came boiling out as aggression. After all, this was only a planet; Jo hadn't the right to make it a religious ceremony. He stamped away ... but soon was wrestling with the problem again; Fred was too well trained in the scientific method not to. Given: two reasonably competent observers. Event: a planet that the expedition had set out to find. Descriptions: completely opposite. Conclusion: well, what? Is sanity to be questioned? Whose? And be honest with yourself. Add the overtones of what could be emotional involvement with a girl you've only recently met.