OORT STATION PRIME—CHAIRMAN JOHN BUTLER’S OFFICEButler looked from his FeSFo head, Adm. Jerry Culp, to the holoimage of eCulp, Jerry Culp’s upload. They were indistinguishable, except that Adm. Culp wore his uniform, a sky-blue jumpsuit with a U.S. flag-patch at the top of his right arm designating his place of origin and a symbolic representation of a spiral galaxy, his admiral rank designator, on his collar tips. His left breast carried the Oort Federation insignia—a spherical impression of the Oort Cloud.
“I’ve been following the portal enhancement progress,” Butler said. “I’m impressed with their efficiency. But that’s not why you’re here.”
“No, Sir,” Culp said. “Thorpe’s, I mean eThorpe’s, office has special security enhancements, as does the office in the Kuiper Belt that Daphne an
