SANDIA BASE DESTROYED ENEMY BOMBING ATTACK STAVES
The dull throbbing ache started in his chest, and he knew that it might live with him for the rest of his life. He let the message fall.
"If you get a list of dependent casualties, call a conference immediately."
"Yes sir. Anything else, sir?"
He forced himself to forget Lynne and Karen and concentrate on the new problems. He moved to the deck-port and kicked open the cover. On their shortened orbit they were moving in relation to the earth's surface now; the west coast of Africa lay below.
"Did Cargo One get launched?"
"No, sir. Destroyed while fueling."
One of the problems, then, would be starvation; Cargo Two was months from completion. But at least, if they could survive, they'd have a chance to prove themselves; to prove the value of the Platform in war as well as peace; to save the tiny satellite for its intended use. He turned to Goldstein.
"Pass the word for that conference now. We've got some high-powered IQ's up here and there's a war going on. Maybe we can make it the last one...."