Two days previously …

Chiang Goff glanced around the other members of the small sub-committee, and sighed. As one of the Parliamentary representatives to Blue Sun, he found it increasingly tedious to deal with these scientific types, and was close to forgetting he was a politician. However, he held back on saying exactly what he thought of them, and merely listened to the conversation.

“And she was able to direct them?” Amelia Ross asked, peering over the top of her glasses at the man on the vidscreen.

Goff looked down at his hand, making a mental note with one part of his mind to have a manicure appointment made, while another part wondered why Ms Ross didn’t just have corrective surgery on her vision. Probably just liked the effect, he decided. There certainly couldn’t be any other reason why she hid her curves in that ridiculous white coat, nor put her hair up in a bun at the back of her neck. He entertained himself for a moment with picturing her naked, her reddish-brown locks draped over pearly white shoulders, glasses held in one long-fingered hand, tapping against bright red lips as she gave a lecture in front of an audience of one. Namely, him.

“Yes, with surprising accuracy.” Dr Forrest Petty looked satisfied, like a cat who’d just cleaned the bowl of cream. “The mission fell well within acceptable parameters, and although there was some resistance the withdrawal was completed on schedule.”

He made it sound like an exercise, Goff thought. Although to Petty it probably was. Still, it was time to take matters forward. He coughed slightly, getting everyone’s attention, before speaking, his voice carrying clearly. “Dr Petty, I am sure we are all fascinated by your findings, but I for one fail to see any concrete proof. None at all.”

The new link was working well, making it possible to have an almost real-time conversation with the facility, and there was only a slight delay before Dr Petty responded.

“I actually don’t understand your comments,” he said. “My report w