Free Solar Express by L. E. Modesitt Jr. Page A

Science …
    Tavoian could even remember the quote without looking at her last message—“Passion is the genesis of science, but then, passion has been the genesis of everything.” While he remembered it, he wasn’t ready to comment on the content. Not directly, anyway.
    In return, I’ll offer another extract from Observations. “‘Truth’ is a judgment placed on the facts, not the facts themselves, a point irrelevant to both politicians and pathological liars.” From what you’ve said and what I’ve read, true scientists try to avoid using the word “truth.” Maybe the rest of the human race might give that a try …
    When he finished the message to Alayna, Tavoian sent a second, and much shorter one to his parents, just saying that he was being transferred to LL1 station on temporary duty and that he’d let them know more when he knew. He dispatched a copy to his sister Katherine. Kit continually insisted on knowing where he was stationed, and what he was doing. He always let her and his parents know what he could, and he tried to do so in a way that wouldn’t worry them. Even when you’re worried … like now.
    Then … he looked at his orders—again—trying to read something into them that clearly wasn’t there, wondering when LunaCon would release him and his ship for the very short hop to LL1.

 
    10
    HOTNEWS!
    3 A PRIL 2114
    [Image Deleted for Off-Earth Transmission]
    Another rumor that’s no longer rumor. Remember that Sinese “robotic science mission” to investigate Jupiter’s moons? It didn’t fail. Not from what HotNews! has discovered. It found something out there, but the Sinese aren’t talking. When they don’t talk about science, it’s not science.
    [Image Deleted]
    EC Chancellor Rumikov—he’s at it again! Hot-ice and then some. Another non-denial denial by the double-dexed man-around. The woman he visited in Paris on the way back to Moscow from the Madrid meeting of regional EC ministers? She’s not his mistress. His daughter? Could be. Accepting that her mother is a male double-sexer. Nothing about rumored billion Euro trust fund set aside in an unnamed hidden overnet bank, either.
    [Image Deleted]
    As for the question of higher quotas for EC Hel3 coming off the lunar el? Not a word from Noram Prexy Dyana Yates. No Artemis there.
    [Image Deleted]
    Diva Eleana denies the full-body leaked netwide is her. She shouldn’t. Better shape than hers. Could it be that the denial’s to make the leaked image seem real? Her career’s not the only thing sagging.
    [Image Deleted]
    Senator Khelsey Armstrong, no Venus there! Not for the Moralist candidate for the Noram presidency. HotNews! hears that her ex has let that be known. She can say yes, to the right one. Even no, if only to her ex, unlike Dyana, who speaks a lot and says nothing. Too bad no pics.
    [Image Deleted]
    Mighty India’s PM Ravindra shaking the Indra stick again. Much good that’ll do him. The last thunderbolt that had any effect was an American aircraft in a losing war. Sorry about that, antiquarians. Facts is facts.
    [Image Deleted]
    Latest on the Bollywood scene. Transgen Tanya isn’t. Transgen, that is. She’s a she … and always has been. Make that “has been.” All that surgery … just to make her features and figure match the image …
    [Image Deleted]
    Noram’s DOEA Secretary insists the increase in Noram FusEx production was “strictly for commercial reasons.” What about that Memo of Understanding with the Department of Defense concerning transfers of propulsive assets? What assets? Could they be missiles? Naughty, naughty … isn’t there a treaty about not militarizing outer space?

 
    11
    L UNAR L OW O RBIT S TATION
    3 A PRIL 2114
    Tavoian was still waiting for word from LunaCon Operations on Monday morning, sitting