Jackie was dumbfounded. She quickly fired off a message to Mike.
From: Jackie Miller
Subject: Your status
Date: Aries 28, 0031 06:15
To: Michael Miller
(CLT): 8 min 6.47 sec
Michael,
My darling, please let me know if you are all right. What is happening there? I just got a very strange and disturbing email from an old gymnastics teammate from China. I am very worried about you and your safety. I need to hear from you immediately.
Love, Jackie
< ≡ ♂ ≡ >
Jackie’s mind was in a dither as she dispatched the email. Bolo One had been in Mars orbit for nearly two and a half weeks, waiting for the dust storm to subside. They were all becoming impatient, itching to get down to the planet’s surface and begin their work. How could she justify any compelling reason for turning back to Earth now that they were so close to landing? But, without a good rationale, how could she ’cause’ the mission to abort. ‘That’s called sabotage,’ she deliberated. What would that process involve? Was there a way she could actually ’cause an accident’, so that it would appear genuine and not look like sabotage? On the other hand, Kaiying said they would pay her ten times the wealth she would otherwise receive for completing the mission. Jackie shook her head from side to side, in denial. This was all senseless. How could she believe a word Kaiying had written? Plus, even if she did co-operate, there were thugs at her house and what would prevent them from murdering Mike if and when they no longer needed him?
Jackie took a quick look at the clock. Now, after sending the message, it would be another sixteen plus minutes before she could expect a reply. She had been in her quarters on scheduled slumber time for nearly an hour and a half. She should be asleep, but with this latest crisis, how could she even think of closing her eyes? Still fully dressed, Jackie stumbled across the common area and into the galley for a cup of herbal tea, longing instead for a good stiff drink. Valerie was there, sipping a cup of tea and inquired, “Are you still up and about? Anything wrong?”