It wasn't unusual for her to be more than a little sappy with him, but she was hamming up her performance for the benefit of their audience. The whole situation was almost too perfect, and she was grinning ear to ear as she heard him talking to the shuttle crew.

"Keep on this course for another 2000 meters, then you'll have to adjust to avoid another of the radiation spirals. When I tell you, slow to quarter impulse and switch to bearing 080 mark 162. You'll be nearing the center of the phenomenon, so keep an eye on radiation." This was an important research opportunity, but not worth John or anyone else getting radiation poisoning.