Intimate Space: A Galactic Adventure

By Cindy Burke

Dismayed by a major blow to her fledgling career, journalist Alison James is given a second chance with an offer from the monolithic WorldGov, the sovereign power on Earth. The catch is that she'll have to travel to a raw new planet in a faraway solar system.

Yearning to explore the universe, Alison ignores her misgivings and dives into preparations for a one-way trip across light years. The wrenching decision to abandon everything is fueled by a chance for adventure and the desire to make something out of her life.

As her trip begins, Alison encounters the voluptuous and engaging Rosalia Czartoryska. Thrown together as communication specialists, they have plenty of time to explore the attraction between them during the six-month journey to Tau Ceti.

Will the rewards gained be worth what was forfeited back on Earth? Follow along as Alison encounters love, danger and a new life in this tumultuous odyssey among the stars.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cindy Burke
• Release date: Feb 27, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311669872

Cindy Burke

Cindy Burke has had a lifelong interest in journalism and fiction writing. She started as a newsroom assistant and has contributed several articles to local newspapers. Her science fiction book, "Intimate Space: A Galactic Adventure," was republished in November, 2018. This version has tighter copy editing and new, exciting cover art (see below). Burke was born in Savannah, GA and lived for several years in San Diego, Atlanta and West Palm Beach before moving to Upstate South Carolina in 1998. She's a social justice advocate and member of Clemson LGBTQ+ Alumni, a group that supports diversity at Clemson University through networking and student scholarships. She has two sons, one in the U.S. Navy and one in the Coast Guard. Burke lives with her husband, a computer analyst and fellow sci-fi and fantasy buff. She writes from their home nestled in the foothills of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. "Intimate Space" is now available on Amazon.com and Smashwords.

Book preview

PROLOGUE

1 job hunting

Do you want some eggs? asked Margot. 

I sat in my bathrobe, scanning the job boards on the holopad in my hand for the umpteenth morning in a row. No thanks, but could you make us some coffee?

My sister flip-flopped into our shared kitchen with her ridiculous fluffy slippers, nodding her towel-wrapped head. Soon, she would retreat to the bathroom and emerge after twenty minutes, hair and makeup perfect, ready for her day at the office. Her slender figure was just right for whatever clothing she put on, and she kept her long, fine blond hair piled up elegantly when she was on the job.  

I tried not to let ugly little demons of jealousy bubble up in my breast. I was truly happy that she had a job she liked, and one that paid more than just a decent salary, except when I compared it to my own circumstances. 

I was 24 years old and, after getting my Journalism degree from the University, had snagged my first real job just this year. Before that, I had to put up with being the office flack for a couple of different marketing agencies – proofing and editing, making copies and fielding phone calls. Finally, I found a job as an Assistant Editor for an industry publication called Corporate Solutions. I loved the job, my editor loved me, and life was good for nearly a year.  

Then, through a merger with WorldGov, Corporate Solutions Magazine was gobbled up by the pervasive Galaxy Project and half of the staff was laid off, including me.

I just couldn’t face taking a step backward and becoming one of the minions again after a year of having had real responsibility. I even had my own office – not a cubicle or virtual office, but an eight-foot-square room with a desk and holoboard of my very own! 

Margot emerged from the kitchen with a steaming mug of coffee and put it down to the right of my holopad. So, what’s your plan for today? She never nagged or pushed me to look for work, even the couple of times when she came home at 5:30 pm to find me still in my bathrobe, watching a vid. I knew that her interest was genuine. 

I don’t know…there’s nothing here except the same jobs I applied for last week and a bunch of others in completely different fields. 

My sister put her hand on top of mine and gave it a little squeeze. Well, give yourself a break. Since there’s nothing you can do right now, why don’t you take a nice long bubble bath, then go out to lunch? I’d meet you, but today I have to work straight through.

She fished in her purse until she found the right scrap of plastic. Here, this has just enough left on it for lunch. Why don't you eat at one of the outdoor cafes on Bixby, next to all the Hightowers? It’s beautiful there, and the fresh air might give you some inspiration. You could bring your holopad and jot down any ideas you come up with, if you want. 

I ducked my head slightly, pretending to examine the plastic chit in my hand, and managed to conceal the tears that sprang to my eyes. Neither of us remembered our father and, since Mom passed away two years ago, Margot had ramped up her protective big sister tendencies considerably. I knew that she felt responsible for me and I hated being such a drain on her. I had to find a job!  

Margot would continue to support me as long as I needed it, and I would do the same for her if the situation were reversed. But sitting here submitting applications and making countless fruitless phone calls hadn’t gotten me a job yet. Maybe she was right, and a change of pace would spark some ideas.

Thanks sweetie, I said as I gave her a peck on the cheek. I glanced at the time. You better get moving! 

Margot jumped up and headed for the bathroom as I finished my coffee.

After she left, I opted for a hot, stinging shower with the nozzles turned up full-blast. Refreshed, I dressed quickly and scooped up my holopad just as the phone chimed. I considered letting it pick up automatically, but at the last minute called out, Phone…answer.  

The phone bot connected and politely asked for the identity of the caller. This is Janice Horner and I’m calling to speak with Alison James was the cultured reply.

Janice! She had been my Editor at the magazine and I hadn’t heard from her since being laid off three months ago. Briefly, I imagined she was calling to give me my old job back. But logically, I realized that this was just wishful thinking. Janice and I had become friends, and she was probably just checking up on me to see how I was doing. 

I replied to one of the ubiquitous hidden receivers embedded in the walls of the apartment. Janice, it’s good to hear from you! How are you doing? 

She answered in her cool, polished voice, I’m doing well thanks, and wondered if you could join me for lunch today? Unless you’re on your way somewhere? 

In her tactful way, she didn’t come right out and ask if I was working, and I appreciated that. Actually, I’m at loose ends today and would love to see you! I replied. 

Good! Can you meet me at that sandwich shop near Bixby where we used to have lunch all the time? 

We arranged to meet at 11:30, to beat the crowds and get a good table. I looked in the hall mirror and ran my fingers through my hair, which was the opposite of Margot’s – a thick, springy shoulder-length brown mop. Matching brown eyes stared back at me and I wondered if I should take the time to put on some makeup. In the end, I decided to kill the time by throwing on some laundry instead, to try and earn my keep. 

2 OPPORTUNITY

When the time for our tryst rolled around, I entered the sandwich shop to see Janice sitting in one of the booths near the back. She looked as unruffled and professional as always, with her short platinum hair carefully arranged in a conservative yet flattering style. She was wearing a stylish jacket, one of my favorites, a deep turquoise that deepened the blue hints in her hazel eyes.

She had tuned the wall vid so that it looked like a window in an ancient plastered wall looking out on wine country somewhere. A bright sun shone over gnarled grapevines and the thin sliver of a trickling stream could be heard faintly, as if muffled by antique glass windowpanes. This was a new one since the last time she and I had eaten here.  

We went through the formalities of greetings and hugs, ordered from the servo, and then settled down to catch up. I decided to assuage her curiosity immediately. I’ve been haunting the job boards for weeks now, but there just doesn’t seem to be anything in our field.

It was only then that I noticed the expression on my friend’s face. Janice had that air of suppressed excitement that she used to get when we were on the verge of a breakthrough in one of our marketing campaigns. As I tried to puzzle this out, she said, "I may have a line on a really great job for you." 

She said this in a perfectly calm voice and even stressed the may, so I didn’t let my hopes start rising prematurely.

She continued, When WorldGov took over Corporate Solutions, I was one of the employees who survived the transition. And now they have offered me a promotion. She held up a hand to forestall my congratulations. I had to turn it down, for reasons I can’t go into at the moment. But Alison, I think you would be perfect for the job! It’s challenging, it involves creativity and it’s definitely a ‘career’ position.  

She went on to outline the steps she had taken to place me at the forefront of the competition for the job. It seemed that WorldGov was trying as much as possible to draw their new hires from within the corporations it had swallowed for the Galaxy Project.

As head of the Editorial Department, Janice had been one of their first choices but, since she didn’t want the job, she had labored to stamp my influence all over any project we had worked on together. If I got hired, I just hoped I could live up to the image she had created for me! 

I gave her a hug as we parted and thanked her again. In my hand I clutched the card that she had just given me, with the name and phone number of the WorldGov recruiter. Janice couldn’t give me many details about the job, saying only that it would involve writing, editing and public relations.  

As soon as I got back to the apartment, I called the recruiter, whose name was Doug Fortner. He was expecting my call and arranged for an interview at the offices of WorldGov the following day. He had a deep, pleasant voice and sounded like he might be in his fifties. 

When Margot got home, I told her about the day’s events. At first, I tried to be blasé about it, pretending that I didn’t really think anything would come of it. But she saw right through me and we ended up holding hands, jumping up and down, screaming with excitement.

In case you’re wondering, she was 27 at the time, just three years older than me. Back then, like now, we shared a tendency toward enthusiasm and high spirits. 

PREPARATION

&

DEPARTURE

3 logistics

Sometimes it seemed overwhelming to Fortner, filling all the personnel slots for the Galaxy Project. He had to tread a fine line to keep applicants in the dark about the nature of their jobs until they could be fully qualified.

It wouldn’t do to let it be generally known that an entire new city was planned for the recently discovered habitable planet Thera and that a major influx of personnel would be needed. All of the cranks would come out of the woodwork to have a shot at space travel.

The job had to be the first priority for any candidate and, of course, out of every fifty qualified job applicants only two or three would consider such a permanent posting. Of those, at least one dropped out before training was completed.  

Often, it wasn't possible to fill jobs with workers who had long-term experience. Instead, WorldGov had to give a chance to those people who were only beginning to make an impact in their various professions. Like Alison James, the recruit Fortner was assigned to evaluate today. 

The WorldGov strategy of absorbing major corporations and then picking off the best and brightest for space projects had been successful for generations. For the settlement of Thera, enlistment of the architect who would design and construct the new city was a major coup that had not required such a merger.

Gannet Godwin was not only one of the best architects of the twenty-fifth century, but his first career had been in engineering. This had enabled him to work in a symbiotic relationship with the Richey Group, a team of construction engineers. They had been recruited along with him. Godwin had been instrumental in convincing Steven Richey, the driving force behind many of the first Hightower skyscrapers, to direct his expertise toward the Galaxy Project. 

Now that the major departmental appointments and the rank and file jobs had been filled, it was vital to complete the roster with a press core that would put the proper spin on the progress of the Galaxy Project. It would be no small task to keep it firmly in the public consciousness for the intervening twenty-five years until the Galaxy spacecraft returned from its round-trip voyage. The flow of information on Thera, the new planet, would be just as important.  

People worked and adapted much better if they stayed informed of what was happening around them. It was generally accepted social theory that a feeling of powerlessness was a major impetus of civic discontent, and WorldGov wanted to keep up the appearance, if not always the fact, that channels of communication were wide open. That’s why it was critical to find the right Chief Information Officer. 

When Alison James entered the massive front doors of the WorldGov lobby, his first thought had been that she seemed too young for the job. But that actually wasn’t a major drawback, since the bulk of the new recruits were under thirty-five. They were an overwhelming percentage of those willing to begin a new life with no realistic possibility of seeing many of their loved ones again. 

It was harder to pry people away from homes, family networks and lifestyles they had been attached to for decades. It was a huge commitment to travel at light speed and lose touch with everyone in a person's former life.  

Judging by her appearance today, Fortner would have estimated that Alison James was in her late twenties if he didn’t know better. But he had already absorbed every statistic in her dossier. At twenty-four, she was barely old enough to have mastered all of the skills her mentor, Janis Horner, had claimed for her.  

As he sat looking at the reports that were sliding past his viewer in the conference room, he waited for her to finish the holoboard testing. She definitely had strong technical skills. He and his team had thoroughly reviewed samples of her work with Corporate Solutions Magazine and she showed signs of having a creative flair.

Now it was time to brief her about the requirements of the job. As soon as a chime went off indicated that she was finished with testing, he rose and headed down the hall. 

4 INTERVIEW

Alison had taken a ground car early that morning, leaving it parked in the collection area closest to the magnificent edifice of WorldGov Headquarters. She thought the building was more stylistically impressive than any of the soaring skyscrapers in the Hightower district, especially the artistically sculpted archway highlighting the entrance. She entered a lobby that provided a contrast to the graniteplaz intricacy of the facade because of its lack of ostentation.  

The marble walls and parquet floors were set off by inviting reception desks and overstuffed chairs that actually looked comfortable enough to sit in. Even though she was ten minutes early, she was immediately greeted by a man who strode across the lobby. He looked at ease in a tailored suit, and he had dark brown hair that was cut above his ears in a short, military style. His eyes were dark and he had a hawkish nose, which combined with an olive complexion to create an imposing yet attractive appearance. 

Hello, I’m Doug Fortner. You must be Alison James, he said in the low, reassuring voice she remembered from the phone call. Alison noticed that he was younger than she had expected. He held out his hand and shook hers firmly. Janice told us a lot of good things about you and I’m looking forward to talking with you. 

She had worn her power suit that morning and, with help from Margot, had attempted to wrestle her semi-curly hair into an elegant chignon. Although she was nervous, she hoped that she appeared poised and confident as she replied, that would be lovely, thank you.

Fortner led her to two sets of tall, burnished bronze elevators facing each other at the back of the lobby. He slid a card into a slot next to the rear one on the left, causing the doors to open immediately. As they stepped in, he keyed a floor number into the panel and the elevator doors closed in front of them. 

If you don’t mind, the first thing we ask of prospective employees is that they take a skills test. The most important one for you, naturally, is the holoboard. I’m sure you’ll do fine with your background in writing and editing.

His warm baritone flowed over her, soothing her jangled nerves. She began to believe that she would do well on the test and that maybe even that some of the complimentary things Janice had said about her were true. She wondered if Fortner had a bit of hypno ability. She wouldn’t be surprised, considering that he seemed to hold a fairly important position at WorldGov.  

She realized that the elevator hadn’t started moving yet and opened her mouth to say something. But before she could, the doors slid silently open, exposing an aerial view from the vast floor to ceiling windows to the left of the elevator. It was then that she noticed Fortner watching her with a smile on his face. 

Do you like the new technology? he asked. We’ll be using this for all five elevator complexes in our latest project." 

It’s amazing, she replied. Is this something that you’ll mass market soon? 

As they strolled across the open foyer area and down a hallway to the testing room, Doug Fortner explained that all of the new breakthroughs emerging because of the Galaxy Project would trickle down eventually, just as they had centuries ago when space exploration was in its infancy. At that time there were great leaps in technology, health, medicine... 

He stopped speaking as they approached the door to the holoboard testing room. As they entered, Alison saw a board similar to the one she had used at Corporate Solutions. However, some of the features were different and she wondered if this was an example of the latest technology for h-boards. At her old job, the staff had been provided with the newest and best of everything, but she supposed it should be expected that WorldGov would be even more technologically advanced. 

Fortner indicated several short assignments that were spread out on the table. You may finish these in any order you like. There’s no time limit, although time will be a factor in the evaluation. 

She looked at the holoboard and noted the similarities between it and the one she had used in her job. It was the differences that worried her. She fought to stem a rising tide of anxiety. This seems to be a more advanced model than the holoboard I’m used to working with. Would you mind giving me a short tutorial before I begin? 

Of course. 

He seemed to expect the question and she wondered if that was part of the evaluation. In just