"Confirm and update."

NINETEEN

Hawkins blew his cool. "Look at the G.o.dd.a.m.ned monitor for Chris- sakes. Just look!" He yelled into the intercom.

EIGHTEEN

"Holy . . .who"s . . .please confirm, local a.n.a.lysis," the sober voice sounded concerned for the first time.

SEVENTEEN

"Confirmed anomaly." "Confirmed." "Confirmed." "Confirmed."

The votes streamed in.

SIXTEEN

"We have a confirm . . ."

T-MINUS 15 SECONDS AND COUNTING.

TEN

"We have a go for main engine start."

SEVEN

SIX

FIVE

"We have a main engine start . . .we have a cut off."

"Columbia, we have a monitor anomaly, holding at T-minus 5."

"That"s a Roger, Houston," the commander of s.p.a.ce Shuttle Colum- bia responded calmly.

"We have a manual abort override. Columbia"s on board computers confirm the cut-off. Can you verify, Columbia?"

"That"s a Roger."

The huge block letter message continued to blaze across the monitors. Craig Volker spoke rapidly into his master intercom system. "Cut network feed. Cut direct feed. Cut now! Now!" All TV networks suddenly lost their signal that was routed through NASA"s huge video switches. NASA"s own satellite feed was simul- taneously cut as well. If NASA didn"t want it going to the public it didn"t get sent.

CNN got the first interview with NASA officials.

"What caused today"s flight to be aborted?"

"We detected a slight leak in the fuel tanks. We believe that the sensors were faulty, that there was no leak, but we felt in the interest of safety it would be best to abort the mission.

Orbital alignment is not critical and we can attempt a relaunch within 2 weeks. When we know more we will make further informa- tion available." The NASA spokesman left abruptly.

The CNN newsman continued. "According to NASA, a malfunctioning fuel monitor was the cause of today"s aborted shuttle launch.

However, several seconds before the announced abort, our video signal was cut by NASA. Here is a replay of that countdown again."

CNN technicians replayed one of their video tapes. The video monitors within Mission Control were not clear on the replay. But the audio was. "Look at the G.o.dd.a.m.ned monitor for Chrissakes.

Just look." Then the video went dead.

Steve Billings received an urgent message on his computer"s E- Mail when he got home from cla.s.ses. All it said was

PHONE HOME

He dialed NEMO directly this time.

>>>>>

He chose CONVERSATION PIT from the menu. La Creme was there, alone and probably waiting.

What"s the panic?

YOU DON"T KNOW? >

Just finished exams . . .been locked up in student h.e.l.l . . .

NASA ABORT . . .SHUTTLE WENT TO s.h.i.t. >

So? More Beckel fuel problems I s"pose.

UH . . .UH. NOT THIS TIME. NASA GOT AN INVITATION. >

From aliens? SETI finally came through?

NOPE. FROM CHRISTA MCAULIFFE. >

Right.

SERIOUS. SHE WELCOMED THE CREW OF COLUMBIA. >

Get real . . .

I AM. CHECK OUT CNN. THEY RECONSTRUCTED THE VIDEO SIGNAL BEFORE NASA SHUT THE FEED DOWN. THE MONITORS HAD A GREETING FROM CHRIS- TA. ABORTED THE d.a.m.n MISSION. >

I don"t get it.

NEITHER DO I. BUT, DON"T YOU PLAY AROUND IN NASA COMPUTERS?

>

Sure I do. Poke and Play. I"m not alone.