The Bonding Read Free

his new bride,
Pippa. “You know, as much as I love the missions, it’s so much harder to go
now, knowing that I’m leaving you down here all alone.”
                She
stroked his cheek and gave him a quick kiss. “I know. I feel the same way. It is different now that we’re married.”
                “However,
one good thing about going away is that I always have something very wonderful
waiting for me when I return.”
                She
smiled and kissed him again. “Thank you my love. That is so sweet.”
                “Yes,
every time I get back you have my favorite meal sitting on the table.”
                She
slugged him on the arm. “What?”
                He
grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap. “You know I’m just joking, love. I go
crazy thinking about you anytime we’re not together. I can’t wait to see your
beautiful smile and kiss those ruby lips.”
                “Oh,
Oliver.”
                He
picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. “What about dinner?” she asked.
                “That’s
why we have a microwave.” He dimmed the lights and closed the bedroom door. “I
can’t wait to start raising a family with you.”
                “I
love you, Oliver.”
                “I
love you too, Pippa.”

 
                The
next few days were filled with preparations for both the shuttle mission and
the celebration ceremonies. News and talk show hosts were already contacting
the members of the three shuttle crews - Janet, of course, being the main
attraction. She was, by far, the most beautiful woman ever to grace the space program.
Her position as a shuttle commander, along with a very interesting life story,
made her a hot commodity on the news market. Also, the public was dying to know
if one of the most eligible single ladies, in America, was going to marry one
of the most eligible bachelors, Commander Ron Seiger.
                It
amazed both of them how, only a week ago, their names were hardly known by
anyone outside of the space program. But now, as news of the moon base
completion filled the headlines, they were becoming household names.   All sorts of rumors flourished, usually
stirred up by the gossip papers, those trashy ones you see at the supermarket
checkout. The headlines read everything from ‘Shuttle Commanders want more
Space between them’ to ‘Sex on the Shuttle! What's it like in zero gravity?’
                Mostly,
Ron and Janet kept their personal lives private, which drove a lot of the
reporters crazy. They had discussed marriage, but never really got serious
about it.   Their relationship was
wonderful just the way it was. They felt comfortable, yet not committed, and
liked it like that. Janet even shocked the press once when she remarked, “I've
got a great job, a great guy and great sex! Who could ask for anything more?”
    Chapter
Two

 
                Launch
day had finally arrived. Everyone was getting strapped into the shuttle as the
ground crews scurried around, making last minute inspections of all the
systems.   The shuttle was an
awesome sight. From the tip to the tail it was nearly three hundred meters,
much larger than the early models. The tremendous booster rockets attached to
it were equally as awesome.
    The ground crew was finishing up inside
the shuttle.
    “We’re ready Commander,” the crew chief
said. “Anything else you need before we go?”
    She looked up and smiled. “No, George.
We’re ready to roll.”
    George nodded and took one last look
around the cabin. “Have a good flight, Commander. See you in a few days.”
Satisfied that everything was ready, he closed the shuttle door and left. The
launch tower elevator took them down to ground level, and a van drove them back
to a safe distance. Everyone was at their stations, going down the prelaunch
checklists. A