（外文电子版资料）Ben Bova - Death On Venus.pdfVIP

Analog -- Death on Venus July 11 @ 9:00 p.m. EST Spider Robinson holds Callahan’s Key (The new Callahan novel from Bantam). Find out more. Home What is Analog? Forum Chats Features Subscribe Death on Venus Ben Bova My name is Van Humphries. I will be the first human being to reach the hell-hot surface of the planet Venus, or I will die in the attempt. My father gave me no other choice. All my life my father had looked down on me; despised me and my illness, sneeringly called me Runt. Sick from birth, I’d been born with a form of pernicious anemia because of my mother’s drug addiction. She had died giving birth to me, and my father blamed me for her Illustration by Vincent Di Fate death. He claimed she was the only woman he had ever truly loved, and I had killed her. Father--Martin Humphries--lived in Selene City on the Moon where he played his chosen roles of interplanetary tycoon; megabillionaire; hell-raising, womanizing, ruthless corrupt giant of industry; founder and head of Humphries Space Systems, Inc. My older brother, Alex, was the apple of Father’s eye. But three years ago Alex was killed on the first human mission to Venus. His ship entered the clouds that totally cover our sister planet, but never came out again. It should’ve been you, Runt! Father howled when we got the news. It should’ve been you who died, file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Bova,%20Ben%20-%20Death%20On%20Venus.htm (1 of 10)22-12-2006 12:11:47 Analog -- Death on Venus not Alex. Father stewed in helpless fury for months,