My Journal: The Cicuta Trip               

Chapter 2: Passing Mars

[S'BUS EN ROUTE TO SUN FOLDPOINT STATION] Awake again. People are beginning to stir, We must be passing Mars (the current Station route swings around it). I see the Phobos SpaceBeacon. I wonder if Saku is still there. She was my best friend at EU; we used to wag off and do all sorts of dinkum things, and sometimes get caught...

    I'll try to gig her.                                           

    Hey! I got a reply: [Cooee Gilli, Long time... I still manage the Beacon, but sneak over when I can to the Miners Gatherum. Boy, do hear some great stories! The rest of the time I write like mad on my novel. If I didn't have inspectors arriving any moment (gotta keep my job), I'd try to skitch to the Station and see you. But gmail me about your trip and what you're up to and I'll do the same. Mustn't lose touch again. —Saku]

     Oh, here comes another message... [It's me, Saku, again. I was so surprised that I totally forgot to tell you...Did you know that your Uncle Cyril actually came here in the late '30s to try mining. Evidently he wasn't much of a miner, but his bar room antics are not forgotten. He was here for the Unfolding in 2040. You remember that the Mars miners, being closest, were the first to report the foldpoint opening. One of the oldtimers said Cyril went to the Station as soon as they started hiring.]

LATER: I spent a long time writing Saku a detailed gmail, catching her up, asking lots of questions, thinking about old times. Hope she can find out more about Uncle Cyril...hmm... so he helped build the Station...

     There's the signal. We should be coming into the Station pretty soon now. Got to rouse Weller. He needs to get some vizes of our approach. I suppose someday this will be commonplace and boring—but not yet. I'm really excited.