“Hangar doors opening, clear the bay.”
Everyone left the conference room and hurried back to the observation level. “Captain, contact the Colossus!”
“Yes, Primus.” They watched as the doors opened and the Earth shuttle left at full power.
“Captain Alpha or whatever you are called. I am Primus Amalie Dorr of Mars. You have one Earth hour to break orbit and leave Mars space or you will be fired upon.”
“Primus, how did you know? How did you know he would go off like that?”
Amalie smiled. “Any good politician can read people. It was his eyes. He did not like what he saw and was antagonized that someone would dare speak to him as I did.”
“Did you catch what he called us? Sapes. Could he mean Homo Sapiens?”
“I do believe that he might at that. Be sure that tape gets to intelligence immedi
