Free DS02 Night of the Dragonstar by Thomas F. Monteleone, David Bischoff Page A

a moment, then smiled broadly. “Of course. I knew I wasn’t the star, but I wanted to have a bit of fun with you.”
    “Very well.” Phineas was beginning to have enough of the old gaffer’s humor and just plain nuttiness. “What we have planned is for you to be picked up next week by one of our IASA limo-jets. You would then be flown down to Vandenberg AFB and taken on board one of the lunar shuttles. You would be met at Copernicus Base by some of my officers and staff, and we would personally escort you up to the Dragonstar, which is orbiting at Lagrange Point 5. You would arrive in plenty of time-enough to afford you ample opportunity to tour the lunar installations as well as a complete inspection of the Dragonstar itself.”
    Neville did not reply, but simply sat watching him with a strange look on his face.
    “Is there something wrong?” Phineas asked.
    “Wrong? No, of course not. It’s just that I’ve never been in space before. Seems kind of silly, doesn’t it? The world’s greatest SF writer, and he’s never been in space.”
    Neville threw back his head and laughed somewhat maniacally. Then he stopped suddenly and stared at Phineas with a look of mock seriousness. For a moment, the man looked quite mad.
    Phineas didn’t know what to do. “Well, there’s a first time for everything,” he heard himself saying.
    “What’s the matter, Doctor?” Nurse Wilkins asked. “You’re not becoming afraid in your declining years, are you?”
    This seemed to ignite something in Neville. He erupted like a dormant volcano. “What? Long Jack Neville afraid of anything?”
    The writer moved to his feet quickly. Some lights on a console by Nurse Wilkins started blinking, and a warning klaxon began to bleat out its insistent message that something was amiss.
    “Watch it, Doctor,” Nurse Wilkins said. “You’re setting off your life-support monitors.”
    She made a few radio-remote adjustments to her console and Neville started to calm down. The klaxon died out, and Neville stared solemnly at Phineas.
    “Never let it be said that Long Jack Neville was afraid to go out into fucking space.” The writer’s face was somewhat contorted, and the life-support monitors chimed lightly. Then he relaxed again.
    Phineas had to laugh openly as he watched and listened to old Neville. The guy was a real character, that was for certain. “Please, sir,” Phineas said softly. “Take it easy. No one’s going to be saying anything of the sort.”
    “Of course not,” Neville gathered his composure once again. “If the truth be known, I’d be ready to go instantly. When am I supposed to get down to Vandenberg?”
    Phineas grinned. “ASAP, sir. I can have a limo-jet up here within the hour if you’d like.”
    “That fast, eh? Well, I suppose I’ll have to pack, and things like that ... and I’ll be needing to take along my life-support monitors, and probably the old bag over there as well.”
    “No problem with that,” Phineas said. “Have you ever wanted to take a trip to the Moon, Ms. Wilkins?”
    The nurse giggled appreciatively, and for a moment appeared to be a young girl again. “God, yes. You won’t have to ask me twice. Do you think I’ll be able to see the Sauries?”
    Phineas winced at the mention of the media word for the Saurians, but he covered it quickly with a smiling nod. “Oh yes, if you’re going to be accompanying the good doctor, I don’t see how you could miss them.”
    Neville took a long pull from his Jack Daniel’s bottle and seemed to sink a little deeper into his command console chair. “Well, then, I guess there’s not much else to discuss, is there, Colonel?”
    “Just when you would like to leave?”
    “Couldn’t I wait until you’re ready to go back, and just ride with you?” For the first time Neville seemed to be less manic, more concerned and serious.
    Phineas sighed audibly. “Normally, perhaps, but I have some additional business to take care of here on Earth. I’m