“When we arrive at this farm, the exit ramps of all shuttles will remain closed until all four shuttles have landed. The command shuttle will power ...own, but the remaining shuttles will remain at standby power. Once the command shuttle has powered down, it will drop its exit ramp, the remaining shuttles will not drop their ramps or power down until instructed to do so.“When we are instructed, the escort party will march down the ramp in two columns of six with me at the rear post position. As. O'Brian," he said formally. "And Sergeant, provided that your major agrees, I think you as well. But no others," he added loudly as several of the others began clamoring to be present. For the rest of the trip back he declined to be inveigled into any conversation at all.Shaw was waiting at the lander portal when they docked, and immediately moved to Igwanda. "My quarters, Carlos, Maj. Miller is already there," he said quietly. When Igwanda explained briefly, they gathered Zo and O'Brian and. Stilton would do it cheerfully, and of course, she would do it well."Good morning, Mrs. Stilton!"Just before entering the outer office, Mrs. Stilton passed the cutest set of twins she'd ever seen. She replied, wondering just how they knew her name. She didn't believe that they were friends of her son; they were quite a bit younger, or at least appeared to be. The wealthy socialite had forgotten that her picture had been published in the weekly student paper, and that her impending visit had. That way, I didn’t have to think about what had just happened, or about the whole of the last week. Hell, I didn’t have to think about the whole of the last year and more. And it kept that damn voice out of my head.I guess she was scared.I know I would have been if had I been a passenger.Every turn was a challenge. Every dip and bump in the road was a test. And every set of headlights that blinded me, a trial.More than once, on the sharpest bends, an image of Dad driving along a similar road,.