Read Online Saturn by Ben Bova - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ben Bova
Tags: Science-Fiction, Fantasy
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smoothly, everybody doing their jobs as they should. Some trouble with one of the solar mirrors a few days ago, but the maintenance crew went out in spacesuits and fixed it. Now it was swiveling properly again, keeping sunlight streaming through the long windows while the habitat rotated along its axis.
We need sunshine, Holly thought. No matter where we go, no matter how far from Earth we travel, human beings need sunshine. It's more than simple biology, more than the need for green plants at the foundation of the food chain. Sunlight makes us happy, drives away depression. Must be awful back Earthside when they have clouds and storms and they don't see the Sun for days and days. No wonder the flatlanders are a little crazy.
She glanced at her wrist again. He'll be here, she told herself. He's always on time. Why's he want to see me up here, though? Just the two of us. She felt a nervous thrill race through her. Just the two of us.
Maybe he feels about me the way I feel about him. Maybe just a little, but —
"There you are."
She whirled and focused her attention on Eberly, who was walking slowly across the rooftop's slightly rubbery surface toward her. He really is handsome, she saw. So full of energy. But he ought to dress better, Holly thought, scrutinizing the baggy gray slacks and darker shapeless tunic that hung a size or so too big from his shoulders.
"I wanted to have a word with you outside the office," he said as he stopped an arm's length from her.
"Sure, Malcolm." She had to make a conscious effort to keep her hands from fidgeting.
"There are too many listening ears down there," he went on, "and what I have to say is for you only."
"What is it?" she asked, trembling.
He looked over his shoulder, as if expecting to find someone hiding behind him.
Turning back to Holly, he said, "I see from your reports that you are ready to launch the naming contests."
Business, Holly realized, crestfallen. He wants to talk about business.
"You are ready, aren't you?" he asked, oblivious to her letdown.
"Right," she said, thinking, Nothing but business. I don't really mean a thing to him.
"You've set up the rules for each contest?"
Holly nodded. "It was pretty easy, f'real. And I think that using a lottery to pick the committees for judging each individual contest is the best way to go."
"I agree," Eberly said. "You've done a fine job."
"Thanks, Malcolm," she said glumly.
"I'll have to get Wilmot's approval, and then we can launch the contests. I should be able to make the announcement within a few days."
"Fine."
His face grew serious. "But there is something else, Holly."
"What is it?"
He drew in a breath. "I don't want you to think of this as a reprimand — "
"Reprimand?" A pang of alarm raced through her. "What did I do?"
He touched her shoulder with one extended finger. "Don't be frightened. This is not a reprimand."
"But... what?"
"You and I have been working together for several months now, and in general your work has been excellent."
She could see there was bad news coming. She tried not to cringe or let her fear show in her expression.
"However, there is one thing."
"What is it, Malcolm? Tell me and I'll fix it."
The corners of his lips curled upward slightly. "Holly, I don't mind you addressing me by my given name when we're alone," he said softly, "but when we are with other people, that is altogether too familiar. You should call me Dr. Eberly."
"Oh." Holly knew from Eberly's dossier that his doctorate was honorary, awarded by a minor Web-based college that sold courses on languages and public speaking.
"When I introduced you to Colonel Kananga a few days ago," he went on, "it was altogether improper for you to address me by my first name."
"I'm sorry," she said in a small voice. "I didn't realize..."
He patted her shoulder in a fatherly manner. "I know. I understand. It really isn't all that important, except that for persons such as Kananga and Morgenthau and such, respect is very
We need sunshine, Holly thought. No matter where we go, no matter how far from Earth we travel, human beings need sunshine. It's more than simple biology, more than the need for green plants at the foundation of the food chain. Sunlight makes us happy, drives away depression. Must be awful back Earthside when they have clouds and storms and they don't see the Sun for days and days. No wonder the flatlanders are a little crazy.
She glanced at her wrist again. He'll be here, she told herself. He's always on time. Why's he want to see me up here, though? Just the two of us. She felt a nervous thrill race through her. Just the two of us.
Maybe he feels about me the way I feel about him. Maybe just a little, but —
"There you are."
She whirled and focused her attention on Eberly, who was walking slowly across the rooftop's slightly rubbery surface toward her. He really is handsome, she saw. So full of energy. But he ought to dress better, Holly thought, scrutinizing the baggy gray slacks and darker shapeless tunic that hung a size or so too big from his shoulders.
"I wanted to have a word with you outside the office," he said as he stopped an arm's length from her.
"Sure, Malcolm." She had to make a conscious effort to keep her hands from fidgeting.
"There are too many listening ears down there," he went on, "and what I have to say is for you only."
"What is it?" she asked, trembling.
He looked over his shoulder, as if expecting to find someone hiding behind him.
Turning back to Holly, he said, "I see from your reports that you are ready to launch the naming contests."
Business, Holly realized, crestfallen. He wants to talk about business.
"You are ready, aren't you?" he asked, oblivious to her letdown.
"Right," she said, thinking, Nothing but business. I don't really mean a thing to him.
"You've set up the rules for each contest?"
Holly nodded. "It was pretty easy, f'real. And I think that using a lottery to pick the committees for judging each individual contest is the best way to go."
"I agree," Eberly said. "You've done a fine job."
"Thanks, Malcolm," she said glumly.
"I'll have to get Wilmot's approval, and then we can launch the contests. I should be able to make the announcement within a few days."
"Fine."
His face grew serious. "But there is something else, Holly."
"What is it?"
He drew in a breath. "I don't want you to think of this as a reprimand — "
"Reprimand?" A pang of alarm raced through her. "What did I do?"
He touched her shoulder with one extended finger. "Don't be frightened. This is not a reprimand."
"But... what?"
"You and I have been working together for several months now, and in general your work has been excellent."
She could see there was bad news coming. She tried not to cringe or let her fear show in her expression.
"However, there is one thing."
"What is it, Malcolm? Tell me and I'll fix it."
The corners of his lips curled upward slightly. "Holly, I don't mind you addressing me by my given name when we're alone," he said softly, "but when we are with other people, that is altogether too familiar. You should call me Dr. Eberly."
"Oh." Holly knew from Eberly's dossier that his doctorate was honorary, awarded by a minor Web-based college that sold courses on languages and public speaking.
"When I introduced you to Colonel Kananga a few days ago," he went on, "it was altogether improper for you to address me by my first name."
"I'm sorry," she said in a small voice. "I didn't realize..."
He patted her shoulder in a fatherly manner. "I know. I understand. It really isn't all that important, except that for persons such as Kananga and Morgenthau and such, respect is very
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