Read The Blue People of Cloud Planet for Free Online

against you and you can walk away from this with no effect whatsoever on your career.’
     
    He moved to his coat and pulled out a wad of envelopes. ‘Each of you has proved themselves exceptionally in the last three months and you are all promoted to Senior Rank Astronaut, effective today. You are the elite of our profession.’
     
    He handed out the envelopes amongst murmurs of thanks, surprise and appreciation and continued.
     
    ‘However, you must make your choice as a team – I cannot accept one person from one pair and one from another and you must both freely volunteer in each of your groups. Tomorrow, I will be back in this conference room from 10.00-10.15 a.m. lunar time and whichever teams walk through that door will be considered for the mission. Any final questions?’
     
    ‘What if no one turns up?’ queried Angus.
     
    ‘I hope that will not be the case, but if so we will wait for LifeSeeker-2 and then proceed with the mission.’
     
    ‘And if more than two teams volunteer?’ this from Scott.
     
    ‘Then I will have a difficult decision to make. See you all at five.’
     
    The General gathered his jacket and left the room.
     

Chapter 9
     
    Decision Time
     
     
     
    During dinner they discussed Project Omega at length but Scott could hardly keep his eyes off Olivia’s stunning dress. Made of creamy satin with a plunging back, it moulded itself to her perfect figure.
     
    After coffee, the General excused himself and reminded everyone of tomorrow’s deadline. The teams started to disperse and Olivia picked up a nearly full bottle of red wine from the table along with their glasses.
     
    ‘We’ve got a decision to make,’ Olivia whispered to Scott, ‘let’s make it in my room.’
     
     Scott did not need any persuasion.
     
    Later they luxuriated in the large bath facing each other with legs entwined and completely at ease. Olivia noticed a sad look on Scott’s face.
     
    ‘You thought it might have been your Dad when you heard that distress call, didn’t you?’ Olivia said softly.
     
    ‘For a moment yes, but the General shook his head when our eyes met and I knew it wasn’t. And how could he have been 10 light years away?’
     
    He paused and looked into Olivia’s eyes, ‘I was six when, with my Grandfather, I watched Dad take off for the stars. At least that’s where Gramps said he was going and that he would be back for my 12th birthday. But all contact was lost 5 years later after that huge solar flare in 2125 and that was 25 years ago.’
     
    She was touched by the sorrow in his voice. She sat forward, soapy water draining from her shoulders and breasts, and cupped Scott’s face. ‘Never give up hope,’ she said and kissed him tenderly.
     
    Scott regained control and looked at Olivia. ‘That was more than a bad dream in Borneo, wasn’t it?’
     
    ‘Yes, it was my recurring nightmare,’ Olivia paused and then continued. ‘I’ve never told anyone but when I was six, that’s funny I was six too, I was on holiday with my parents in Italy. We were having a picnic and I wandered away towards the edge of the forest where there were huge rock formations. A dark hole in the rock caught my eye and, being the adventurer, I entered the cave entrance. Even though it grew dark quickly I wandered on and turned left and then right.’ Olivia shuddered and now Scott gently held her shoulders as she continued. ‘And then it was black, I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face and then, ......then, I tried to retrace my steps and banged my face against the wet, foul-smelling cave wall – and I screamed and shouted until eventually my parents found me – a quivering, lump of jelly!’
     
     
     
    ‘I only found this out recently. I have all Olivia’s records - academic, medical, psychiatric. I find it difficult to believe that this inner fear did not reveal itself at the many demanding interviews during her training programme. It is another factor demonstrating her