Dirk quirked his eyebrows at this confident and oh, so powerful, young man.

"Remember," Peter said softly, "we have to 'see' what we're lifting-at both ends. Then we 'tune' ourselves to do the job."

"Peter-no, Mr. Reidinger," Dirk's face burst into a huge grin and he grabbed Peter's hand, pumping it fiercely, "you'll get that new contract. h.e.l.l, you'll get 'em all." He dropped Peter's hand, shook his head in awe, and thrust his big fist upward in triumph. "Yes! The stars are ours!"

Peter felt his heart about to burst; Ceara's rea.s.suring hand gripped his shoulder, her empathic bond telling her how deeply he was moved by this moment.

He had so wanted to be a part of Earth's s.p.a.ce Program. Now he was the s.p.a.ce Program.

Softly to himself he said: "Or what's a heaven for?"

H I S T O R I C A L N O T E S.

2082.

The second A-ship, the Arrakis, Arrakis, was launched from Padrugoi with a complement of four thousand colonists and crew, bound for a "likely" planet in Procyon, eleven light years away. As with the was launched from Padrugoi with a complement of four thousand colonists and crew, bound for a "likely" planet in Procyon, eleven light years away. As with the Andre Norton, Andre Norton, most of the pa.s.sengers would remain in cryogenic suspension. most of the pa.s.sengers would remain in cryogenic suspension.

The keel for the third projected A-ship, the Avalon, Avalon, was laid in the construction facility at Padrugoi s.p.a.ce Station. was laid in the construction facility at Padrugoi s.p.a.ce Station.

2084.

The first Mars colony was established at the former s.p.a.ce Authority Mars-polar site near the southern pole where sufficient water had been discovered to sustain a colony. This installation would also supply and a.s.sist Asteroid Mining, a branch of the s.p.a.ce Authority, which started "claiming" the suitably named and numbered asteroids they would use. If the person named on the IAU files was still alive, they received royalties. There is no record of any such transactions in the last decade of the twenty-first century.

2086.

Using the highly specialized Gadriel Gestalt Generators, the Talents moved the asteroid t.i.thonus from the Patroclus cl.u.s.ter to a new orbit around Callis...o...b.. kind permission of s.p.a.ce Authority and with a deed of grant in perpetua, in perpetua, for services rendered by an organization known as Federated Telepath and Teleport. FT&T was registered with a board of directors including managing directors, Peter Reidinger and John Greene (retired U.S. s.p.a.ceForce). Also listed were Lance Baden, Madlyn Luvaro Sakai, Amariyah Bantam, and Scott Gates. Rhyssa Owens Lehardt, David Lehardt, Professor Emil Gadriel, and Sascha Roznine were listed as consultants. for services rendered by an organization known as Federated Telepath and Teleport. FT&T was registered with a board of directors including managing directors, Peter Reidinger and John Greene (retired U.S. s.p.a.ceForce). Also listed were Lance Baden, Madlyn Luvaro Sakai, Amariyah Bantam, and Scott Gates. Rhyssa Owens Lehardt, David Lehardt, Professor Emil Gadriel, and Sascha Roznine were listed as consultants.

2088.

Construction began for an atmosphere dome on the former asteroid t.i.thonus, now Callisto's satellite in a stable orbit about its adopted primary. Immense generators were buried deep in the asteroid while a blunt structure rose above the surface. Miners seeking supplies or just a change of scenery called it the "Tower"-or Callisto Tower.

2090.

Federated Telepath and Teleport was licensed by the World Congress and the s.p.a.ce Authority to become formally chartered as communicators and transporters on a first-come, first-served basis. FT&T guaranteed the training and supervision of all its parapsychic talents who were graded from Talent 1, or Prime, since the recipient of that t.i.tle had to be both a strong telepath and telekinetic, down to minor abilities at Talent 12.

2100.

The first B-type ship, the Bradbury, Bradbury, was teleported by Callisto Tower forty-five light years away, guided by the time-resolved imaging spectrophotopolarimetric of their destination in Capella. was teleported by Callisto Tower forty-five light years away, guided by the time-resolved imaging spectrophotopolarimetric of their destination in Capella.Table of Contents PEGASUS.