Polaris and Precession

The beginning of an (incomplete) novel, as part of NaNoWriMo 2014

1

Elizabeth Bennet’s breath misted on the large circular window, her nose leaving a slight smudge on its polymer-crystal surface. The Aurora Borealis was in full flight far below her, dazzling in red, green, and pink. In the dim dark of the observation cupola, the quiet enveloped her like a soft mohair blanket.

A movement caught her eye. A star was moving against the sea of constellations. A pinprick of light, flashing, like a heartbeat. It was moving towards the aft of Hertfordshire, where the main hangars were. Pots and metallic flasks clattered and echoed from somewhere below her, soon joined by her mothers voice cutting shrill above the din.

“My dear Mr. Bennet,” she could hear yelled. “Have you heard? Mr Bennet! Where are you?”

“Here my dear... in the control room...” came her fathers reply.

“You will never guess. The Near-field Observatory has been let at last!”

Elizabeth’s ears pricked. Near-field! Who, she wondered? She scanned for the light she had just seen but it had disappeared. She let go of the hold next the window and slowly somersaulted in the microgravity, before kicking off towards the noise coming through the access tube.

“Do you not want to know who has taken it?” cried Mrs Bennet impatiently.

“You want to tell me, and I have no objection to the hearing of it.”

Her mother took a breath.

"Mrs. Long, from Observatory 4 you know, radioed me this morning. She said she had heard it was a young man of large fortune from a much higher orbit; that he came down on Monday in a sub-light craft, and was so much delighted with the place that he agreed to take possession in a week!”

“What is his name?”

“Bingley”

"Is he a scientist?"

"He is single! A single man, in possession of a large research grant. What a fine thing for our girls!"




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