The Orthogonal Galaxy Read Online Free PDF Page A

provided
them with the statistics. The universe is—well, it’s universal.
With the vast number of class G2 stars out their, the mathematical
models provide compelling evidence a copy of earth is out
there.”
    Dean Scoville sat back
down in his black leather chair, leaned over his dark walnut desk,
and looked Professor Zimmer straight into the eye. “Carl, when are
you going to find that needle?”
    Zimmer hung his head
again. He had no answer, and was starting to see his lifelong dream
slipping away from his reach.
    Hanging and shaking his
head slowly, Carlton responded. “I don’t know Ballard… I just don’t
know.”

Chapter
    3

    As Paol Joonter took his
seat at the defense table, he poured himself a cup of water from
the pitcher in front of him. He looked down at a legal pad and
scribbled a few notes. The notes were intended as a distraction to
keep him from looking up at the jury or the district attorney,
actions which his lawyer suggested could cause him to appear
desperate, and that could sway the jury against him.
    “ Warron?” Paol whispered
leaning somewhat to the left to get closer to his lawyer. With his
chin resting in the palm of his hand, the lawyer bent his ear
towards Joonter’s head, after which he spoke a brief statement that
only the lawyer was able to hear.
    Scribbling quickly on a
corner of his legal pad, Warron ripped off the note and turned back
to hand the scrap to a paralegal, who nodded and quickly departed
the courtroom.
    As the door to the back of
the courtroom opened, the court bailiff announced, “All rise. The
honorable judge Walldar J. Etherton presiding.”
    All stood in unison as
directed and watched as the judge entered and assumed his seat at
the front of the room. Looking down at a flurry of papers in front
of him, he put on a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles, assessed that
all was in order and looked up at the courtroom. He counted the
jury and studied the counsel tables to make sure all were accounted
for. Looking at the audience, he saw many of the same individuals
who had been present for the duration of the case.
    He observed the concern on
the face of Joyera Joonter, who sat as normal directly behind her
husband within arm’s reach. He saw a few additional individuals
seated on the opposite side of the courtroom, and understood that
more of the victims’ family members were showing up now that the
case was nearing its conclusion. To say that it was a somber
setting would be an understatement. Faces devoid of color hinted at
anxiety. Dark shadows expressed a lack of sleep. Bloodshot eyes
betrayed the tears that flowed freely previously.
    “ Please be seated,” he
instructed. Looking at the district attorney, he continued, “Is the
prosecution prepared for closing remarks?”
    “ Yes, your Honor,” stated
the lawyer with his hands folded over his legal pad.
    “ Please proceed,
then.”

Chapter
    4

    For Garrison O’Ryan, it
was the experience of a lifetime. As the most common route taken on
nearly all manned space missions these days, astronauts call it
“the interstate” of space travel. As a 26-year old astronaut,
Garrison was making his first journey along this well-beaten path.
NASA engineers are quick to point that this interstate is actually
safer than the one frequented during the morning commute. There had
never been any incident along this well-traveled corridor, and
Garrison was confident that he wouldn’t be the first, even though
he was a bit nervous about having to fly solo.
    As it turns out, there are
actually two legs to “the interstate.” The first leg is a
relatively short 250,000-mile two-day trip from Kennedy Space
Center on the Florida coastline to the “rest stop” at Camp Moon.
Garrison will stop here and take a day to get several hours of
rest. From there, he will leave his rocket-intensive Moon Shuttle
behind for the more cramped but speedy design of the Mars Shuttle,
on which he will travel the second leg of “the interstate” all