For Laura Gilroy it was a wonderful boondoggle. She had started out life as a civil engineer who worked on mundane projects, but she had graduated to airport construction. When UNSA had decided they needed a spaceport, she had put in the bid. Her firm won.

She never ceased to be amazed by the UN bureaucracy. It was an infectious disease that led to much inefficiency. Yet, given the state of the world, there was no other organization that could take on some of these large-scale projects. When UNSA had been formed, the scientific community applauded and the politicos groaned. The European Space Agency was now a joke since the EU had split up. NASA was tottering on the brink of extinction. Even the Chinese, who maintained the strongest foothold in space, preferred to lose control of some of the costlier programs rather than foot the whole bill. Of course, that was what bothered the politicos - the loss of control.

Yet Susan found it exciting. She had already been to the moon. She wanted to go to Mars, too, but that might not happen. She figured she could make it happen sooner by working on the spaceport.

"As you gringos say, a penny for your thoughts?"

She realized that she had stepped out into the plaza and was staring at the mountains that formed a backdrop to the pueblo. A priest on a scooter had stopped behind her.