Titan

Professor Wilmot’s oral diary

Extraordinary. This lonely outpost at the edge of human civilization has become the center of the scientific world’s attention. Hordes of scientists are traveling all the way out here to examine the alien nanodevices that Wunderly and Negroponte discovered. The two women are in line for a Nobel Prize, and politicians on Earth and the Moon have been forced to admit that there has been an alien presence in the solar system. How long ago the extraterrestrials were here, whether or not they’re coming back, whether or not they are still here observing us—no one knows. The politicians and the media pundits are all in a lather over it.

I must admit that the question is fascinating, even a bit frightening. Who are they? What are their intentions toward us?

I’m not sure that I want to find out.

The irony is, of course, that Dr. Urbain died just before achieving the success that he had worked so hard for. In a sense, his Titan Alpha rover killed him. His widow has already left for Earth, where Urbain will at last receive the recognition and honors that had eluded him while he was alive.

On a much more local issue, Holly Lane won a stunning upset victory over Malcolm Eberly in the election. Her proposal to mine comets for their water turned the tables on Eberly completely Of course, her championing of the women’s right to have babies was a major factor in her rather impressive rout of Eberly.

So Holly is being installed as our chief administrator and Eberly is out in the cold. At last. Can’t say I’m disappointed by that. Never liked the man. I wonder what he’ll try to do now that he’s out of power?