“I saw it the moment you opened your mouth,” said Aurora. She was not yet sure exactly what active psi talents she possessed herself, other than healing and—well, she was still awaiting an opportunity to tell him how, since soon after her memories had returned, she had often been able to “read” his thoughts. She regretted her lack of training and guidance.
She continued, “At first you thought that we would start—had started—this whole psi ball rolling, by getting together. That if I hadn’t come back in time, psi would still be a random and unpredictable power.... OK, I admit it: yes, that was going through my mind, too, back on Mars when I made that broadcast.
“But then you just defeated your own argument by suggesting that it’s the radiation from solar flares and living in space that have caused psi powers to appear.
“I shouldn’t worry about it if I were you. You’ll hurt your brain!”
Little Themor certainly wasn’t worrying about it. He was too busy making the little airplane loop the loop.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
DAVID A. HARDY is internationally renowned as one of the world’s leading astronomical, space and science-fiction artists. His cover illustrations have appeared on most major science-fiction magazines, including Analog, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (some seventy covers since 1971), and Interzone, and he has done countless interior illustrations for magazines and books, as well as much advertising work. A retrospective of his art, with text by Chris Morgan, appeared in 2001 as Hardyware.
Non-fiction books written and illustrated by Hardy include Challenge of the Stars (with Patrick Moore), Galactic Tours (with Bob Shaw), Atlas of the Solar System, and Visions of Space. Hardy’s 2004 book with Sir Patrick Moore, Futures: 50 Years in Space, received the Sir Arthur Clarke Award, and was nominated for a Hugo. His short stories and factual articles have appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers, including New Scientist and Astronomy Now. A second novel is in progress.
He is a Fellow, Board Member, and Vice President (Europse)of the International Association of Astronomical Artists (IAAA), Vice President of the Association pf Science Fiction & Fantasy Artists (ASFA), a Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society, and a recipient of the Lucien Rudaux Memorial Award. He has an asteroid named after him.
His website is at http://www.astroart.org
Table of Contents
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
CKNOWLEDGMENTS
ACT ONE
ANY PORT IN A STORM
ACT TWO
THE MUSICIAN
ROCK
ACT THREE
ARSIA MONS
MEMORIES
NOCTIS LABYRINTHUS
A MARTIAN MYSTERY
DISCOVERY
ARTIFACT
OPEN SESAME!
ANOTHER DISCOVERY
INSIDE THE SPACESHIP
“WE HAVE A PROBLEM....”
ANOTHER WORLD
EXPLANATIONS
WHERE IN THE UNIVERSE—?
DISRUPTION
LIFT-OFF
A NEW LIFE
REVELATIONS
HOMECOMING
ACT FOUR
THE VISITOR
THE JOURNEY
ARRIVAL
EPILOGUE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aurora Page 25