they going
to get the materials to make the plastic?" she asked wrinkling
her nose.
Nick
shook his head. "Ethylene remember?" Wendy stared. "It's
the basic ingredient of just about every form of plastic there is,"
he explained patiently.
Wendy
caught on and whistled appreciatively. "And since Zubrin's new
in situ plant puts out ethylene instead of methane..." Nick
nodded.
"Right,"
he smiled. “Biggest bang for the buck, we need to get as much
to Mars as we can, we won’t have a second chance,” he
sighed.
Wendy
chuckled. "They are really pushing this whole colony agenda
aren't they?" she asked softly.
Nick's
face took on an innocent look. Her eyes narrowed as she studied him.
"Oh don't play innocent with me; I know you’re in it up to
your scrawny neck," she mock growled. Nick grinned as Wendy
scowled mockingly.
"Go
on, get out of here before someone catches you and gets you to put
your size thirteen shoes in your size eight mouth," She waved.
Nick
chuckled as he drained the coffee and got up. "I was going
anyway; I have a meeting on the hill with Senator Friday. She wants
an in depth explanation of the program and its cost benefit analysis
that the GAC drew up," he grimaced.
So
did Wendy. "Good luck, with that old battle ax, you’re
going to need it," she said. Nick waved as he left.
...*...*...*...*...
The
group filed in as Luigi looked up. "What's going on?" Benny
sat down. Julia smiled hands behind her back. She stood behind
Benny's chair. There were about a half a dozen people with him
including Julia. He recognized all of them of course, they were the
first team.
"So
much for chivalry Benny," Luigi sighed shaking his head. Benny
had a tendency to forget the little things in the heat of the moment.
"Huh?"
He looked up at Julia. "Oh, sorry." She shrugged it off.
When he went back to looking at Luigi Julia motioned like she was
going to strangle him with her hands. Luigi snickered. Benny looked
up fast but didn't catch her.
"What
are you doing?" She put on her best innocent expression. Luigi
snorted. Nick chuckled. "So what's up?"
"Well,
we have a few people to introduce here."
Luigi
stood. "Luigi, these are the Hans, they are the number one
astro, I mean cosmonauts from China," Julia said. The Hans had
missed the team training exercises for some odd reason.
Luigi
shook hands as he bowed. "I am glad to finally meet you."
He smiled tentatively. The woman was short, with strong bones and a
classic Chinese profile. Her cheeks were broad as she smiled.
"Nice
to meet you too," the china doll said. She bowed over his hand.
"Mrs.
Han is a biogeochemist, and a medic. I believe she has a BA in
geology as well." She turned and nodded politely to Nick. "Mr.
Han has his Doctorate in Geology, but has some piloting skills to go
along with it."
Luigi
nodded. "The more the merrier. We need all the scientists we can
get."
Nick
smiled. "The young woman beside me is Miss Tessa Vladicova. She
has a Masters in aerospace engineering, and is an experienced
cosmonaut. She has had two tours on the station." Luigi smiled
at the short blond.
"I'm
starting to feel like a giant here," he joked. She dimpled. Her
blond hair was done up in a tight braid. She wore a conservative
brown suit.
"You
know Commander Bowers of course." Luigi nodded to the Mocha
skinned naval commander.
"Commander,
you got the short straw?" Tess and the Hans turned to him. He
nodded.
"Zubrin
said he needed a good watch dog to ride herd on you lot," the
commander replied. He smiled.
Luigi
chuckled. "Yeah. So, two engineers, three scientists, one pilot
commander, who are we missing?" He looked over to Nick.
"Betsy
Lawless sir, she made the cut as well. She is still on the phone,"
Nick waved to the door. Luigi could just make out the New Zealander
on the other side of the entryway talking on the phone quietly. He
chuckled. "Good luck getting that away from her. I swear she
should have been a communications specialist instead," he
sighed.
Nick
shook his
to get the materials to make the plastic?" she asked wrinkling
her nose.
Nick
shook his head. "Ethylene remember?" Wendy stared. "It's
the basic ingredient of just about every form of plastic there is,"
he explained patiently.
Wendy
caught on and whistled appreciatively. "And since Zubrin's new
in situ plant puts out ethylene instead of methane..." Nick
nodded.
"Right,"
he smiled. “Biggest bang for the buck, we need to get as much
to Mars as we can, we won’t have a second chance,” he
sighed.
Wendy
chuckled. "They are really pushing this whole colony agenda
aren't they?" she asked softly.
Nick's
face took on an innocent look. Her eyes narrowed as she studied him.
"Oh don't play innocent with me; I know you’re in it up to
your scrawny neck," she mock growled. Nick grinned as Wendy
scowled mockingly.
"Go
on, get out of here before someone catches you and gets you to put
your size thirteen shoes in your size eight mouth," She waved.
Nick
chuckled as he drained the coffee and got up. "I was going
anyway; I have a meeting on the hill with Senator Friday. She wants
an in depth explanation of the program and its cost benefit analysis
that the GAC drew up," he grimaced.
So
did Wendy. "Good luck, with that old battle ax, you’re
going to need it," she said. Nick waved as he left.
...*...*...*...*...
The
group filed in as Luigi looked up. "What's going on?" Benny
sat down. Julia smiled hands behind her back. She stood behind
Benny's chair. There were about a half a dozen people with him
including Julia. He recognized all of them of course, they were the
first team.
"So
much for chivalry Benny," Luigi sighed shaking his head. Benny
had a tendency to forget the little things in the heat of the moment.
"Huh?"
He looked up at Julia. "Oh, sorry." She shrugged it off.
When he went back to looking at Luigi Julia motioned like she was
going to strangle him with her hands. Luigi snickered. Benny looked
up fast but didn't catch her.
"What
are you doing?" She put on her best innocent expression. Luigi
snorted. Nick chuckled. "So what's up?"
"Well,
we have a few people to introduce here."
Luigi
stood. "Luigi, these are the Hans, they are the number one
astro, I mean cosmonauts from China," Julia said. The Hans had
missed the team training exercises for some odd reason.
Luigi
shook hands as he bowed. "I am glad to finally meet you."
He smiled tentatively. The woman was short, with strong bones and a
classic Chinese profile. Her cheeks were broad as she smiled.
"Nice
to meet you too," the china doll said. She bowed over his hand.
"Mrs.
Han is a biogeochemist, and a medic. I believe she has a BA in
geology as well." She turned and nodded politely to Nick. "Mr.
Han has his Doctorate in Geology, but has some piloting skills to go
along with it."
Luigi
nodded. "The more the merrier. We need all the scientists we can
get."
Nick
smiled. "The young woman beside me is Miss Tessa Vladicova. She
has a Masters in aerospace engineering, and is an experienced
cosmonaut. She has had two tours on the station." Luigi smiled
at the short blond.
"I'm
starting to feel like a giant here," he joked. She dimpled. Her
blond hair was done up in a tight braid. She wore a conservative
brown suit.
"You
know Commander Bowers of course." Luigi nodded to the Mocha
skinned naval commander.
"Commander,
you got the short straw?" Tess and the Hans turned to him. He
nodded.
"Zubrin
said he needed a good watch dog to ride herd on you lot," the
commander replied. He smiled.
Luigi
chuckled. "Yeah. So, two engineers, three scientists, one pilot
commander, who are we missing?" He looked over to Nick.
"Betsy
Lawless sir, she made the cut as well. She is still on the phone,"
Nick waved to the door. Luigi could just make out the New Zealander
on the other side of the entryway talking on the phone quietly. He
chuckled. "Good luck getting that away from her. I swear she
should have been a communications specialist instead," he
sighed.
Nick
shook his
Similar Books
