O destino da tripulação do Enviado no Estranho de Heinlein em uma Terra Estranha

Perto do final do capítulo 4, Ben conta a Jill uma parte da história que ele recebeu de alguém que leu o registro do Envoy.

Dr. Ward Smith delivered his wife of child by Caesarian section - and she died on the table. He seems to have worn his horns complacently until then. But what he did next shows that he knew the score; with the same scalpel he cut Captain Brant's throat - then he cut his own.

Além disso, eu não acho que como eles morreram foi especificamente mencionado. Está claro em um relatório do campeão:

Rocket Ship Envoy located. No survivors.

Que toda a tripulação original do Envoy estava morta.

Havia 8 pessoas no Envoy, a missão original (primeira parte, ch I):

Captain Michael Brant, commanding—pilot, astrogator, relief cook, relief photographer, rocketry engineer;

Dr. Winifred Coburn Brant, forty-one, semantician, practical nurse, stores officer, historian;

Mr. Francis X. Seeney, twenty-eight, executive officer, second pilot, astrogator, astrophysicist, photographer;

Dr. Olga Kvalic Seeney, twenty-nine, cook, biochemist, hydroponicist;

Dr. Ward Smith, forty-five, physician and surgeon, biologist;

Dr. Mary Jane Lyle Smith, twenty-six, atomics engineer, electronics and power technician;

Mr. Sergei Rimsky, thirty-five, electronics engineer, chemical engineer, practical machinist and instrumentation man, cryologist;

Mrs. Eleanora Alvarez Rimsky, thirty-two, geologist and selenologist, hydroponicist.

Três deles são contabilizados (parte I, ch IV):

“It’s a nasty story. I got that much before my informant sobered up. Dr. Ward Smith delivered his wife by Caesarean section—and she died on the table. What he did next shows that he knew the score; with the same scalpel he cut Captain Brant’s throat—then his own. Sorry, hon.”

Jill shivered. “I’m a nurse. I’m immune to such things.”

“You’re a liar and I love you for it. I was on police beat three years, Jill; I never got hardened to it.”

“What happened to the others?”

“If we don’t break the bureaucrats loose from that log, we’ll never know—and I am a starry-eyed newsboy who thinks we should. Secrecy begets tyranny.”

Tanto quanto eu posso dizer, não há mais menção aos outros cinco tripulantes. Não é uma resposta muito satisfatória, mas aí está. A menos que Heinlien tenha respondido em algum outro local, o destino do restante da equipe de Envoy permanece desconhecido.