A Mobile Utopid Asterome was a settlement in space, circling the earth at Libration Point 5, a quarter of a million miles behind the moon’s position, equidistant from earth and moon. The tourist screen at the end of the shuttle aisle showed a diagram: The screen switched to an occasional view of earth, stars, or moon, always returning to the diagram as if to a test pattern. Sam turned and looked at Janet; she ignored him, staring ahead, hands clasped in her lap. She had failed to reach Richard from Quito, and it had been difficult to get her on the shuttle. Margot had taken her side, but after some discussion both women had been convinced to board the moonbus. Sam was not happy about leaving, either, but Orton had insisted that Richard would follow with Mike Basil. All four of them now understood that there was very little they could have done by staying behind, whether Richard followed or not. For the moment, Sam told himself, there was no reason to think that Richard was in danger.
