Beyond the Stars Read Online Free Page A

would be prefabricated in the walls of the tanks prior to launching to help facilitate the construction process.
    “Why? Will you miss him?” said Tess, probably insinuating that there might be something going on between Noah and me.
    “ Oh , no, I’m just used to seeing him every day. That’s all,”
    I said flatly, as if I wasn’t interested. Even though our relationship was disappointingly platonic, I liked spending time with him. I thought Noah was very good-looking, but he was just a friend. Besides, he treated me like I was one of the guys. He frequently told me about girls he had dated with little censorship. I could never tell if he was trying to get my opinion or if he was only bragging about his active social life.
    “Do you have a boyfriend, Sami?” she asked softly.
    “Currently, no … not right now. I don’t have time for that,” I said defensively.
    “Well, I enjoy being single, too,” she quickly replied, sounding like she was sorry she had asked. “But, you do make time for fun, right? All work and no play isn’t good for anybody.”
    “Sure, I love to read and knit, and I run almost every day,” I said proudly, cutting her off. This was a touchy subject for me. I felt comfortable in my own little group of friends but never was much of a social butterfly.
    “ Oh , good, ” she stated sarcastically. “I was afraid you might just go home every day and be a hermit,” she surmised, as if she could read my mind. “You know—a night out on the town might be fun once and a while. I’ll have to take you out with me sometime.”
    “Sure, sounds great,” I answered without thinking.
    What was it with people always trying to make me do something? I was happy living my life just the way it was. My parents had always made me try everything as a child in hopes it would make me a well-rounded person. They liked to take me horseback riding and taught me how to snow ski and water ski. Sometimes I think it was just to appease their personal sense of parental accomplishment. But I always agreed to oblige them in whatever they wanted me to do. I found it very hard to disappoint my parents. They had given me everything and more. I chalked it up as a drawback to being an only child. They both seemed to have an endless supply of energy and money when it came to me. Man—I’m glad I moved out.

CHAPTER 3

    FRIDAY
     
    Tess and I worked on many different projects at a time. It helped to keep our minds fresh and made the job exciting. Today, Tess and I worked on trying to design functional and practical living quarters for the Space station and resort with all the comforts of home, while utilizing the least amount of square footage as possible. We studied cruise ship schematics as well as hotel layouts. The development of an Outer Space paradise that mirrored a five-star hotel was not a new idea. It just wasn’t feasible in the past. Previous Space companies failed to get the project off the ground due to the lack of funds and available resources required to support such an endeavor. The Space Island Group brought the idea to life by opening channels to private investors and utilizing existing technology. Physicists, engineers, and designers around the globe eagerly signed on to help make our quest a reality. Money was no longer an issue as public interest grew, and the budget became practically limitless due to all the investors. Problems were being resolved at incredible rates due to the sharing of information and the conglomerate of great minds. This was truly an exciting time to be privy to all the technological advancements taking place.
    Friday came, and Tess seemed to remember our conversation from a few weeks earlier regarding my social life. “Sami, we’re all planning on going to happy hour at the Honi Bar after work today. You must join us,” she stated, as if it was an order.
    “Really? Who all is going?” I asked curiously.
    “Everyone. Josh, of course, and Michael will come for a little