“I’m outta here!” Braxton said as Ishtar vanished.
Six-and-a-half minutes later, everyone in the room watched the platform expectantly. Thirty seconds passed…nothing. Forty-five…nothing. A minute-and-a-half…still nothing. Kimberly burst into tears, and Daphne put a comforting arm around her shoulders. Sally’s eyes brimmed, but she managed to hold onto her tears. Nevertheless, Brad reached out and held her. Dale stood quietly with a stunned expression, and Fredricks tried valiantly to control his quivering lower lip.
With the passing of the fifteen-minute mark, Sally and Brad spent a futile few minutes trying to pull any data from the Earth-Moon L-2, Mercury-Sun L1, and Earth-Sun L3 swarms. Their readouts were completely normal. Ishtar and Braxton had transited each successfully. Finally,
