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The crews aboard the `copters take off their headgear relaxedly. They`re all women. Attractively so. The women amongst the hostages gravitate towards them in a friendly way as compatriots would. The men look vaguely displeased and glower at each other. The women ignore them. Some of the men gather in a small group and look intensely into each other´s eyes as if they have something of great unspoken moment to communicate. Others of them stare angrily at their feet in their shoes. A few are seen staring out of the `copter at the streets far below and the buildings as they zoom past on their way elsewhere. The giant blue birds seem to be heading off towards the mountains that can be seen close to the city from this perspective. But as they near one of the giant hotels on the periphery of the metropolis near the sea and the beach it becomes clear that the machines are going to land there. The rotor blades flip up above the hotel rooftop and the `copters descend noiselessly. The women in their blue suits disembark and begin walking with the passengers over to a door in the roof which has an elevator inside.

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Bright, Robin
SF critic, ´Robert A. Heinlein: Theologist?´ in the British SF Journal: Foundation, 1992, # 54, `Male And Female He Created Them Both: Beyond The Archetypes` in Foundation, 2011, # 112. Science Fiction, ´All For Naught Orphan Ufonaut´ in Tyree Campbell (ed.), Shelter of Daylight, Sam´s Dot Publishing, 2010, pp. 75-8.

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