Chapter 58

"Good evening and welcome to Action News Now" The helmet of hair was back. This time Bambi had teased, spray, supported, and finally suspended it into a bouffant, no , really just a mane of hair. "I am Bambi Ambromowitz Hernandez. This evening we have a developing situation in the Mission District and a note from our science department. First the murder in the mission."

The camera switched to a reporter on Army Street standing in front of several police cars, each with their lights on. There were five bodies in the background and the police were putting chalk marks around each. A photographer was detailing the scene. "I am Michael Gonzalez Yue, reporting from the Mission District....." It went on and on. At about 6:25 and five murder scenes later, they got around to Harold's story. Bambi was back and her hair was even more fluffy. "This evening Dr. Harold MacAnish, the inventor of the Venusian BioAtmospherics project announced that humans would be included on the next trip to Venus. These individuals would be permanent settlers and the trip would be planned as a one way mission. Dr. MacAnish indicated that the planet has reached a point where human survival would be possible on the surface. NASA states that they are in the planning stages of mission development and design. Dr. MacAnish told reporters that he would be among the first group of Venusian settlers. He will take his wife and child, and possibly fifty other scientists to the first Venusian Colony. That's news for us at Action News Now. Tune in at eleven for sport highlights and the latest on the murders in the Mission.

George had been watching the news quite intently. The phone rang almost immediately at the beginning of the news story about Harold. He had an unlisted phone number and never gave out his number, but someone always was able to figure out his number and give it to the press. He let it ring for about ten minutes. Each caller let it ring ten or twenty times. They would then give up. The ringing would stop for a few seconds, and then begin again in earnest. Finally, George couldn't take it any more. He had been staring at the phone. But he finally picked it up. "George Stone, what can I do for you? Yes it is true, yes he is going, no I am not. Fifty people, wow! No I like earth and I am going to stay."

Chapter 59

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