Free Spaceport West by Giles Chanot Page A

module until the biome was complete. Additional skylights had been fitted to give the baby plants some chance of success. And they were experimenting with heat lamps over the hydroponic tables.
    “Truth, hand me that pH meter would you? Thanks,” said Aster.
    “So Aster, congratulations on winning Colonist of the Week, you must be chuffed?” said Truth.
    “What? Oh yeah, that was nice. Doesn’t really mean anything.”
    “It’ll look good on the show - you’re going to have a whole episode dedicated to you aren’t you?”
    “Yes apparently,” she said with a self-deprecating grimace. “They want me to talk about my childhood, aspirations, all that nonsense. They’re also going to interview my family back on Earth and intersperse that into the programme.”
    “Who would have thought - Aster the celebrity!”
    “Don’t exaggerate. Hey, these courgettes are doing remarkably well aren’t they,” she said, eager to change the subject. “They’re enormous!”
    “Yeah I’d call that one a marrow. You clearly have green fingers,” said Sian enviously.
    “I really didn’t expect to be any good at this. Oh there’s Freddie, I need to speak with him, I’ll be back in a minute.”
    Aster followed Freddie down the tunnel back to the main living quarters, where he had disappeared surprisingly quickly. He must be avoiding me again, she thought.
    What Aster saw next was like walking into an acrylic sheet.
    “Freddie, why didn’t you tell me you’d been promoted? That’s marvellous!”
    “Oh, you know Katy, it’s just section supervisor, nothing much.”
    “But that’s the first step, isn’t it? You are still ambitious enough to aim for higher things, right? You’ve talked about running one of the satellite camps.”
    “Absolutely - but that’s a long way off, we haven’t even finalised the construction of those yet. Could be years away.”
    Aster was confused. She had assumed Katy was still on Earth - how had she got here so quickly? And what was Freddie up to, chatting up Sian when his own girlfriend, assuming that’s who she is, had arrived at the colony? It didn’t make sense.
    “Hey, Aster! You know Katy, don’t you?”
    No, Aster thought. “Oh yeah, hello.”
    “I hear you’re flavour of the month darling!” gushed Katy, as she gave Aster an exaggerated double air-kiss. Katy was exceptionally slender, youthful and attractive. Not Freddie’s type at all.
    I’ve got to get out of here, thought Aster, and excused herself.
    🚀
    “Beauchamp, can I have a word, in my office?”
    “Yes Captain.”
    “Close the door Tiggy. Now, you’ve been here…”
    “Four weeks today, sir.”
    “Yes that’s right. So as you know, there’s the opportunity to rotate back to Earth at this point. We need someone to take a transport back with some soil samples. Also, UK Space Command want to be briefed, in person, on progress at the colony. What do you think?”
    “Oh right…” Tiggy had known this might be a possibility. She had to think quickly. “I’ve not really given it any thought, but now you mention it I wouldn’t mind the chance to go home for a bit.”
    “You’d be able to return here quite soon, if you so desire. You’ll be one of the few officers to have made the return trip, and as such, you’ll probably be the first choice for piloting the regular Earth-Mars shuttle.”
    “Okay sir, you’ve convinced me!”
    “Excellent, I knew I could count on you Tiggy.”
    Tiggy walked out feeling chuffed. She had to admit, her career in the Space Corps was going as well as anyone could have hoped for. Very few people would have the opportunity to switch between the two planets at will, which was a great privilege. Tiggy had thought she’d arrived, but perhaps she needed to reset her ambitions and aim even higher.
    As a result, she was on such a floaty bubble of pleasurable smugness that she walked smack into Sky and Filo. Sky was impatiently trying to explain to the flummoxed android the