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Donald Garrett sat in his copilot seat, holding the shuttle's position so they could retrieve Gloria. He reached up, rubbed his blue eyes, and then ran his hand through his black hair as he leaned back and looked out the plasma shield toward Mars. He was tired of working and he wouldn't have minded some rest. But he had no desire to associate with the crew. He knew how everyone felt about him. Moreover, he didn't care much for them either. After all, it was he who was passed over as the Mars I commander for an inexperienced former Air Force colonel.
"Hmm."
Donald turned his seat around and looked at Isaac Cooper, now working at his own computer terminal. "What is it?"
Isaac looked back toward him with a look of concern on his face. "I'm getting some massive gravimetric readings."
"Where?"
"Uh ... I think they are somewhere near our orbit."
Don didn't say anything. He turned his chair back toward the plasma shield and looked out, searching for whatever the computer was searching for. He scanned past Mars and out into starry space. Suddenly, Mars I shuddered. He looked down at his readings and then out into space again. At his eleven o'clock, the stars on which he focused appeared to ripple. In an instant, the distortion exploded into a bright light and a gigantic span that seemed ready to engulf Mars I.