Zephyr, Tau Ceti, 16.27.775 CW 23.7 megaseconds since the catastrophe One by one, the conferees returned, and one by one they stopped dead in their tracks and watched impossibility unfold in front of them. None were quite as piquant in their epithets as Espinoza had been. Karenski

Humanity's Hold, Sol, 4053.22.11 CE 23.7 megaseconds since the catastrophe The uproar in the council room went on for a few minutes, at least. Gianetta could not have given a rational accounting of the time. Despite having come freshly to the whole scheme, she was

Zephyr, Tau Ceti, 16.27.775 CW 23.7 megaseconds since the catastrophe Zephyr's boat bay was wide enough to accommodate two shuttles simultaneously, so an order was contrived whereby Karenski would come across a bit early. Donato would arrive just a little ahead of Josefilo as befit

Humanity's Hold, Sol, 4053.22.11 CE 23.7 megaseconds since the catastrophe Gianetta had expected the council to convene within a day or two of her uncle Neal being laid to rest. In this, she was not merely disappointed, but somewhat bewildered. In fact, the council kept

DSS Baldursdottir, in far orbit of LHS 1140 23.5 megaseconds since the catastrophe Legend had it that back when the original Outbound Project was vetting systems to send Dream of Spring, LHS 1140 was high on the list. It boasted a super-Earth as the outermost of two planets,

Zephyr, Tau Ceti, 16.25.775 CW 23.5 megaseconds since the catastrophe Elyah Singer once again awoke in a pleasant tangle of limbs, without an immediate memory of how she got that way. Memory returned faster, this time. Three-or-so megaseconds ago, she'd been hungover from

Phase Three, Sol, 4053.11.11 CE 22.7 megaseconds since the catastrophe Her name was Rowan Moran. On this particular day, at this particular hour, it was not a famous name. Even within Humanity's Hold, few people knew who she was. Her area of study was so

DSS Vincent Capozza, David's Star, Tisha b'Av (9 Av) 2541 AS 22.7 megaseconds since the catastrophe If Jonathan Donato, Admiral of the Outbound, had been forced to name his mood at this moment, the only word that would have suited would be, "cranky"

Humanity's Hold 4053.11.10 CE 22.6 megaseconds since the catastrophe In the end, it was a couple of days before Gianetta Carson could get anywhere near her uncle's office to present the ring. Family obligations came first, and everyone had wanted Uncle Morris there,