burst. She
sighed. "Do you really think it is a good idea to let them bait
you or bite back at reporter’s Wendy? The administration isn't
going to like it," the aide asked. She glared at the aid then
straightened.
"Some
things just happen," she shrugged. "We're just going to
have to deal with it; it was no surprise that the greens are having a
frothing fit over the nukes, and the reporters adding fuel to their
ire was to be expected," she sighed. "They just have to
build up the drama to get the ratings." She took a pad from a
secretary and glanced over it. "Thanks for the note." She
read the note then smiled. "Boss says to get your ass out of
there?" She looked up and chuckled. "Nice." She signed
the tablet and then handed it back to the secretary who moved off.
"Just
being my usual helpful self," he chuckled.
"So
are the Mario brothers sure about the tests Wendy?" She turned
to see the Vice President standing behind him with his secret service
detail.
"They
are as sure as anyone sir. Luigi is still a little put out that we
didn't let him shoe horn the magsail into the first craft,"
Wendy answered with a smile.
The
VP frowned. "Is he still on about that? For god sakes the super
conductors were nearly a half a billion, no way could we get that to
fly on the first try, congress would have shit a brick."
Wendy
chuckled. "Yeah, I could well imagine."
The
VP waved. "They should be grateful they got the extra payload. I
heard some NASA bovines weren't happy at all about that."
Wendy
grimaced. "Zubrin has it in hand. I hope," she replied
cautiously. They were getting some flack about moving too fast too
soon by the old school crowd. They had a point in some ways, but the
window was closing, both the launch window and the political one.
The
VP nodded. "Okay, I will see you tomorrow at the next briefing.
Good work, but try to keep your temper next time." Wendy
grimaced as the VP gave her a warning look.
"I'll
try sir," she sighed.
"See
that you do. We need to keep the reporters on our side. Not that I'd
mind biting the heads off a few myself," he chuckled as he left.
Wendy
entered her office and frowned at Nick. She sat heavily in her chair
as Nick smiled over his cup of coffee. "Make yourself at home
why don't you."
Nick
saluted her with the cup. "I intended to since you sent for me
your high and mightiness."
Wendy
chuckled sitting back. "Save the kudos for the people on the
hill and in the admin. Why are we flying twelve tons in the first
lander?" She sat back watching Nick as he stirred his coffee.
She didn't buy the vague answer she'd gotten in her brief.
"Well,
we're going to test the refrigeration, make sure it will work as long
as it is billed for." Nick answered.
Wendy
nodded. "So why not fly twelve tons of water? Why Hydrogen?
Didn't I read somewhere about boil off or something?"
Nick
looked up surprised. "Good catch. Yes, Luigi pointed out the
boil off problem that is why we are sending Hydrogen instead of
water, methane or ethylene. Actually, there is a small tank of
ethylene as well come to think of it." Nick took out his phone
and scrolled through it for a moment. “Yes, here it is, one
five hundred pound tank." Nick looked up to Wendy who was
tapping her teeth with a stylus.
"Really?
Why? Testing the rocket fuel too?" the spokeswoman asked.
Nick
nodded. "The ethylene is used for the rovers too."
Wendy
nodded. "I'm not so sure about some of this other hardware. What
is a Reprap? And a plastic extruder?" she asked concerned.
Nick
smiled. "A Reprap is a fabricator; with it the crew can make
plastic parts. The extruder is to make the plastic," he
explained. Wendy frowned.
"I'm
not sure about that, the greens will have a fit about waste, not to
mention the manufacturing concerns..." she said waving her
hands.
Nick
shook his head. "Purely a test bed and back up to repair the
ship in an emergency. I think Mars is a bit far for FedEx to
deliver."
Wendy
chuckled. "Yeah, okay, I'll buy that. But where are
sighed. "Do you really think it is a good idea to let them bait
you or bite back at reporter’s Wendy? The administration isn't
going to like it," the aide asked. She glared at the aid then
straightened.
"Some
things just happen," she shrugged. "We're just going to
have to deal with it; it was no surprise that the greens are having a
frothing fit over the nukes, and the reporters adding fuel to their
ire was to be expected," she sighed. "They just have to
build up the drama to get the ratings." She took a pad from a
secretary and glanced over it. "Thanks for the note." She
read the note then smiled. "Boss says to get your ass out of
there?" She looked up and chuckled. "Nice." She signed
the tablet and then handed it back to the secretary who moved off.
"Just
being my usual helpful self," he chuckled.
"So
are the Mario brothers sure about the tests Wendy?" She turned
to see the Vice President standing behind him with his secret service
detail.
"They
are as sure as anyone sir. Luigi is still a little put out that we
didn't let him shoe horn the magsail into the first craft,"
Wendy answered with a smile.
The
VP frowned. "Is he still on about that? For god sakes the super
conductors were nearly a half a billion, no way could we get that to
fly on the first try, congress would have shit a brick."
Wendy
chuckled. "Yeah, I could well imagine."
The
VP waved. "They should be grateful they got the extra payload. I
heard some NASA bovines weren't happy at all about that."
Wendy
grimaced. "Zubrin has it in hand. I hope," she replied
cautiously. They were getting some flack about moving too fast too
soon by the old school crowd. They had a point in some ways, but the
window was closing, both the launch window and the political one.
The
VP nodded. "Okay, I will see you tomorrow at the next briefing.
Good work, but try to keep your temper next time." Wendy
grimaced as the VP gave her a warning look.
"I'll
try sir," she sighed.
"See
that you do. We need to keep the reporters on our side. Not that I'd
mind biting the heads off a few myself," he chuckled as he left.
Wendy
entered her office and frowned at Nick. She sat heavily in her chair
as Nick smiled over his cup of coffee. "Make yourself at home
why don't you."
Nick
saluted her with the cup. "I intended to since you sent for me
your high and mightiness."
Wendy
chuckled sitting back. "Save the kudos for the people on the
hill and in the admin. Why are we flying twelve tons in the first
lander?" She sat back watching Nick as he stirred his coffee.
She didn't buy the vague answer she'd gotten in her brief.
"Well,
we're going to test the refrigeration, make sure it will work as long
as it is billed for." Nick answered.
Wendy
nodded. "So why not fly twelve tons of water? Why Hydrogen?
Didn't I read somewhere about boil off or something?"
Nick
looked up surprised. "Good catch. Yes, Luigi pointed out the
boil off problem that is why we are sending Hydrogen instead of
water, methane or ethylene. Actually, there is a small tank of
ethylene as well come to think of it." Nick took out his phone
and scrolled through it for a moment. “Yes, here it is, one
five hundred pound tank." Nick looked up to Wendy who was
tapping her teeth with a stylus.
"Really?
Why? Testing the rocket fuel too?" the spokeswoman asked.
Nick
nodded. "The ethylene is used for the rovers too."
Wendy
nodded. "I'm not so sure about some of this other hardware. What
is a Reprap? And a plastic extruder?" she asked concerned.
Nick
smiled. "A Reprap is a fabricator; with it the crew can make
plastic parts. The extruder is to make the plastic," he
explained. Wendy frowned.
"I'm
not sure about that, the greens will have a fit about waste, not to
mention the manufacturing concerns..." she said waving her
hands.
Nick
shook his head. "Purely a test bed and back up to repair the
ship in an emergency. I think Mars is a bit far for FedEx to
deliver."
Wendy
chuckled. "Yeah, okay, I'll buy that. But where are
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