Three days later, more chaos set in.

The GSA Headquarters was organized into four Mission Directorates: Aeronautics Research; Exploration Systems; Science and Space Operations; and Space Technology. Each had an Associate Administrator (AA) for direct oversight of all their activities. Someone to keep them in check.

Too bad that about three of those AAs were complete pushovers. Their degrees and PhDs did not do them much good when it came to confrontations. It was one of the reasons why the launch of the Inter-Galactic GG-20 has been pushed so far. It was the reason that the executives have found numerous excuses to get ten whole status reports out of them. It was also the reason that it usually fell on Logan’s shoulders to give those status reports.

All the AAs wanted was to do their jobs. Convincing the fatcats of GSA that time was of the essence and the space rocket couldn’t possibly be more ready than it already was, was not one of them. Cowards.

The Associate Administrator of Logan’s directorate— the Science Mission Directorate —however, was anything but easy meat. Dr. Borja did not “climb out of poverty with nothing but her big brains to end up cowering before people with barely a quarter of her intelligence.” Her words.

She was one of the few people who had been actively pushing for the launch of the Inter-Galactic GG-20 in the past year. She was the head of Science and Space Operations; Logan’s boss.

The chaos was thanks to her. He did not mind it.

The GSA's Science Mission Directorate explored all sorts of scientific conduct that was enabled by access to space. With observatories in Earth orbit and deep space, as well as spacecraft traveling to the Moon and other planetary bodies, the department extended humanity's perspective into space— including robotic rovers, sample return missions, and landers.

In addition to being the Chief Scientist, Logan Foxxman was the Senior Climate Advisor. He provided research data focused on reducing carbon-dioxide emissions around the globe and broad climate impacts. The goal was to achieve net-zero emissions economy-wide by 2050.

From space, in space, and about space, GSA's science department aimed at practical questions such as hurricane formation, the potential for lunar resources, and behavior under zero gravity.

By the 12th of January, Logan was sure he had said everything about everything there was to know about the galaxy itself. He, along with a bunch of other representatives from across various departments, had had to communicate all that research to the headquarters for three days back-to-back. He was exhausted.

Since the day Mr. Gambetti graced GSA with his presence, ergo their first real chance of getting the project off the ground, 'busy' became the company motto. AA Borja started barking orders no sooner than their August visitor had left.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Set up a meeting with the headquarters. Commence all ground and flight tests. Re-do all ground and flight tests. Collate the available research files for the coming meetings with the headquarters.

Flight testing was usually done when very little data existed to prove that a vehicle would be safe and perform as desired. The Inter-Galactic GG-20 did not fall under such a category. However, Dr. Borja was not taking any chances.

The representatives have arrived in New York City for three days, and there was still so much to do. Logan swiped his black key card through the magnetic door lock of his hotel room with a little more force than was necessary.

He'd been talking all day. It was night now. All he wanted to do was hit the hay.

The employees who were selected for the headquarters in New York lodged in a five-star hotel on the ninth, courtesy of the company. Only the best data analysts, engineers, astrophysicists, physicists, and astronauts.

It was the farthest they had gotten in the past year since the Inter-Galactic GG-20 had been completed. There were people other than Ryan Palmer and the rest to speak to for a change.

Galaxie Hotel was immaculate. Standing about 1,150 feet tall, the building was a perfect oval-shaped skyrise.

Among its several hectares of land space were numerous rows of well-trimmed trees. It encompassed the building in a circle like a round line of healthy greens, with at least a 30 ft away from the actual structure at all sides.

Inside was even more elegant. Chandeliers. Squeaky clean tiled floors. Fancy flush-mount lights. Glowing escalators. The GSA had good taste, which was for sure.

When Logan walked into his suite, the bulb overhead lit up the doorway and he took off his shoes. His mind drifted away as he untied the laces, so he ended up fumbling with them till he kicked off his chukka boots in annoyance.

"If it isn't Dr. Foxxman."

Logan jumped. "Who's there?" The other side of the room was shrouded in darkness but when he moved closer, the entire place lit up. The bulbs were motion-detecting. "Why are you sitting in the dark, Char?"

"Well, hello to you too."

"I didn't mean it like that," he said with a soft laugh. "Hey, sweetheart."

Charlotte smelled of lavender and honey. Her brown hair was short and cut in a stylish bob; one side slightly longer than the other. She was barefoot but still in her lab coat, leading him to believe that her meetings probably just ended as well. Her station was the Exploration Systems Mission Directorates.

She tilted her head to the left. "You look like crap."

Far be it from his girlfriend to sugarcoat anything. "I'd prefer 'exhausted' but okay."

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "That would be putting it nicely."

Logan sighed. He was sure he looked as tired as he felt. "How was your day?"

Charlotte snorted. "I spent an hour explaining not only the difference between a space rocket and a space shuttle but also why we need both for the project. So, take a wild guess."

He could imagine. The New York executives might be more interested— perhaps even more knowledgeable —compared to the ones back in Delaware, but the incessant meetings were still a hell of a hassle.

"I still need to radio in the astronauts from GG-140 to return back to Earth in the next week. Parts of their shuttle are due for maintenance," she continued. Her eye bags were visible as she looked up at him.

Logan checked his wristwatch. 9:50 pm. "You should get to it then so you can get some sleep before tomorrow."

"Trying to get rid of me, huh?"

Logan let out his first genuine smile of the week as he placed a chaste kiss on her lips. "I wouldn't dream of it."

"You're right though. Big day tomorrow." She shimmied her fingers sarcastically as she stepped out of his embrace.

Logan had no reply for that. He didn't have to. His belly had been churning in anticipation all day because of it anyway.