Artemis

Chapter 1

I bounded over the gray, dusty terrain toward the huge dome of Conrad Bubble. Its airlock, ringed with red lights, stood distressingly far away.

It s hard to run with a hundred kilograms of gear on--even in lunar gravity. But you d be amazed how fast you can hustle when your life is on the line.

Bob ran beside me. His voice came over the radio: Let me connect my tanks to your suit!

That ll just get you killed too.

The leak s huge, he huffed. I can see the gas escaping your tanks.

Thanks for the pep talk.

I m the EVA master here, Bob said. Stop right now and let me cross-connect!

Negative. I kept running. There was a pop right before the leak alarm. Metal fatigue. Got to be the valve assembly. If you cross-connect you ll puncture your line on a jagged edge.  

I m willing to take that risk!

I m not willing to let you, I said. Trust me on this, Bob. I know metal.

I switched to long, even hops. It felt like slow motion, but it was the best way to move with all that weight. My helmet s heads-up display said the airlock was fifty-two meters away. I glanced at my arm readouts. My oxygen reserve plummeted while I watched. So I stopped watching. 

The long strides paid off. I was really hauling ass now. I even left Bob behind, and he s the most skilled EVA master on the moon. That s the trick: Add more forward momentum every time you touch the ground. But that also means each hop is a tricky affair. If you screw up, you ll face-plant and slide along the ground. EVA suits are tough, but it s best not to grind them against regolith. 

You re going too fast! If you trip you could crack your faceplate!

Better than sucking vacuum, I said. I ve got maybe ten seconds.

I m way behind you, he said. Don t wait for me.

Andy Weir built a career as a software engineer until the success of his first published novel, The Martian, allowed him to live out his dream of writing fulltime. He is a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of subjects such as relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. He also mixes a mean cocktail. He lives in California.

Praise for Artemis:

An action-packed techno-thriller of the first order the perfect vehicle for humans who want to escape, if only for a time, the severe gravity of planet earth. The pages fly by. USA Today
 
Revitalizes the Lunar-colony scenario, with the author s characteristic blend of engineering know-how and survival suspense...Jazz is a great heroine, tough with a soft core, crooked with inner honesty. Wall Street Journal
 
Smart and sharp Weir has done it again [with] a sci-fi crowd pleaser made for the big screen. Salon.com

Makes cutting-edge science sexy and relevant Weir has created a realistic and fascinating future society, and every detail feels authentic and scientifically sound. Associated Press
 
Out-of-this-world storytelling. Houston Chronicle

"Weir excels when it comes to geeky references, snarky humour and scenes of ingenious scientific problem-solving.   Financial Times 
 
Weir has done the impossible he s topped The Martian with a sci-fi-noir-thriller set in a city on the moon. What more do you want from life? Go read it! Blake Crouch, New York Times bestselling author of Dark Matter
 
Everything you could hope for in a follow-up to The Martian: another smart, fun, fast-paced adventure that you won t be able to put down. Ernest Cline, New York Times bestselling author of Ready Player One

A superior near-future thriller with a healthy dose of humor. Publishers Weekly (starred review)
 
An exciting, whip-smart, funny thrill-ride one of the best science fiction novels of the year. Booklist (starred review)
 
Narrated by a kick-ass leading lady, this thriller has it all a smart plot, laugh-out-loud funny moments, and really cool science. Library Journal (starred review)