With a sigh Nicola pushed herself away from the desk and the mountain of work piled up on her terminal. Her back cracked as she straightened in the chair then let herself slump down again. She checked the clock. Almost ten at night. She’d worked right through dinner again without realising it. She’d definitely earned a break.
She pushed her way out of the chair with a groan and moved to the far side of her office where she flicked a control. The entire wall slid smoothly back, revealing a floor to ceiling armoured glass window. She sank into the couch facing the window with a much happier sigh and stared at the planet just below.
Even after nearly sixty years it was still a sight that mesmerised her. Multi-coloured streamers of gas swirled across the massive surface, dominated by
