Chapter 15. Rondeu in Space

3.2.1.

Let's mission.

Let's see. After an unspecifiable length of time, Bond opened his eyes.

Only a slight trembling of the fuselage suggested movement.

Beside him, Holly reached forward and pressed a row of buttons.

Immediately screens situated near the roof showed pictures of the other moon-rakers.

That's the rest of the fleet.

Bond looked incredulously at the banks of instruments, and we don't have to do anything.

We can't do anything.

We're locked into a preset flight program.

To break it and go over to manual, we'd have to call control.

Not a good idea, said Bond.

Have you any thoughts about where we might be going?

Holly flicked some more switches and a monitor showed a number of superimposed dotted lines.

No, but we're all headed

for the same rendezvous in space. We'll just have to wait and see. Bond glanced out of the

window beside him and sucked in his breath. Above him, through wispy cloud, he could see what

looked like a page of an atlas. Clearly recognisable was the isthmus of Central America.

The sense of isolation provoked by this site was profound.

They were flying upside down. The unknown stretched ahead. You wonder whether they would ever be able to find their way back.

A light on the control panel started to flash and Holly spoke with warning in her voice.

...