"I understand that you did get some climate data from the south, Darren,” Hadar tells me when we next make contact. “I have to admit to being surprised by their sudden openness.” She’s still sitting in the same office, at the same desk, but this time she is alone. I would be, if it wasn’t for the now ever-present figure of Rob just behind me.

“And in return, I have to admit,” I tell her amiably, “we were just as surprised. I’m afraid that we haven’t finished crunching the numbers on our hypothesis just yet. There is a lot of data to assimilate, bearing in mind all the other stuff we are figuring out. Might I ask how you know about the data transfer?”

“We do have our sources – as I’m sure Stenheld does within our government. We have been in this conflict for a very long time now.”

“Of course. Taking that into consideration, do you require me to explain our gateway technology as I did to your opposite number?”

“I don’t believe so. I’d be grateful if you can have someone speak to our scientific council about it if you would, but I think I already know you well enough to trust what you say.”

“Thank you, Madame President,” I manage with some formality.

“Now, I should also apologise for contacting you outside our scheduled meeting times. Thank you for taking this call,” she says, relaxing slightly in her chair. “Particularly when I just want to chat.”

“I’m afraid it’s only me available. I was still awake. Our differing day/night cycles are a little difficult to manage as yet.”

“Is that a problem between your different worlds?”

“It is. Every one of them has a whole range of differences that need to be managed. Different lengths of days, different year lengths, different gravity, different oxygen content in the atmosphere. As you might imagine, we need them to all be within a working range, but there is much variation.”

“And you are from the world called Sevrin?”

“Yes. Perhaps the strangest of our current colonies. It is a large moon in orbit around a gas giant. The day/night cycle there is truly alien to anyone from a solar-centred planet.”

“It is one of your worlds that was colonised conventionally? By travellers on one of the ships?”

“Yes, the first of them to leave, but the second to be established. Several hundred colonists in suspended sleep. Singularity communication was only developed after they left Earth. It took half a century to re-establish communications with the colony. Such travel is difficult and dangerous.”

“Then, these matter gateways are developed from this technology?”

“Yes, jointly by scientists on Earth and Sevrin. My great-great-grandfathers.”

“Grandfathers? I’m not sure I understand.

“I’m sorry, it is another thing that might need some explanation. I hardly knew either Aidan or Jordan, but their story is quite a legend.”

“Please, I have time to hear a part of it.”

“Okay. Aidan was a teenage scientist on Sevrin, assigned to try and improve our singularity technology to see if it was possible to bring some microscopic mineral samples through to Sevrin. Materials that could not be obtained there. There was a non-urgent medical and social need for one element in particular and our administrations were prepared to expend a lot of resources on the research. The alternative was a thirty or forty year wait to try and send a cargo by ship.”

“Jordan was in a similar position within the same team on Earth and they were assigned to work together. Of course, they could easily communicate through the existing singularity network and work at a distance.”

“They found that they were attracted to each other, falling in love despite the distance between them both. Keeping this tale short, this simply made Grandpa Aidan much more determined to make things work. He was a true genius, gifted with a mathematical brain that might never be equalled. I only met him a couple of times before he died. He had, as I recall, a wicked sense of humour, even in his old age.”

“In a grand reveal, they made the gateway work far better than anyone ever thought possible. Jordan was the first to step through that gateway, into Aidan’s waiting embrace. Considering that they were being watched by more than six billion people, it was quite a moment. Possibly the most famous kiss in our history.”

“Love is a powerful motivation for many,” Hadar admits. “Whether for progress or for peace, many of us are driven by it. Your planetary population is so large, then?”

“Yes. There have been cataclysmic declines and periods of equally dangerous growth, but now our populations are steady on Earth and growing sensibly on the other worlds.”

“And that includes children for same-sex couples?”

“Well, we have long had the ability for successful in-vitro gestation, so even same-sex couples can have directly related offspring without surrogacy. Without such technology, I would not be here at all. Actually, neither would Grandpa Aidan.”

“You truly are so far ahead of our people, in so many different fields.”

“Yes. Somewhere between 500 and 600 of our years by our current estimates. Around that time, we had considerable advancement, but also considerable conflict and violence. Our history is not dissimilar to your present situation. Power blocks vying for dominance.”

“There are so many differences between us and our southern enemy,” Hadar tells me wearily. “You mention same-sex relationships so casually. Take care with the south. It is not something they consider normal Persecution there is real.”

“This is not so in the north?” I ask.

“No, we have had a much more tolerant society for many decades.  Couples in our society have basically the same rights, regardless of the genders of either party. Having children, however is not a possibility for them without surrogacy or adoption. Sadly, in our present climate, there are always orphans needing such adoption.”

“It’s a good job Jack left me after all,” I mutter mostly to Rob behind me. “Can you imagine if I’d been asked to a formal function down there and brought him along?”

“Yeah, me too,” Rob replies, causing me to go wide-eyed for a moment that doesn’t go unnoticed on either side of the link.

“Perhaps I should leave the two of you to the rest of your evening?” Hadar suggests with a smile.

“Well, we haven’t eaten yet,” I admit. “Thank you for calling, Hadar. We will almost certainly speak tomorrow, regarding orbit and possibly landing.”

“I look forward to it. Good night from Nimheld.”

“Goodnight.”

“Presidents just calling you for a chat now,” Rob asks me when the call ends. “You’ll get ideas above your station.”

“I’m already far above that station already,” I admit to him. “I am so far out of my depth that I can’t see the bottom or the shore now. It’s actually comforting to know that you’re right there behind my shoulder, just in case.”

“You looked genuinely surprised a moment ago. Didn’t you read any of my profile?”

“Honestly, no. I just haven’t had the time. Besides, it doesn’t normally have information regarding sexual orientation or anything else that personal.”

“Well, the military side of my records do. It’s considered useful information for them to know about a soldier. You only had to look. Does it bother you?”

“Obviously not. Now, however, I have to admit to a degree of attraction towards you. I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings and we do need to be professional.”

“Well, I’ll try my best not to out you to the southern leadership then,” Rob suggests with a wry smile. “If we’re being professional, then I have to tell you that the attraction may not be one-sided.”

“You know this isn’t the time or the place to be exploring this further, don’t you?” I ask.

“I do, but I understand that members of your family have a history of getting caught up in workplace romances.”

“That’s a little below the belt. True,” I admit, “but below the belt.”

“Sorry. Anyway, it’s far too late to be having this conversation tonight.” Rob gets to his feet and begins to head out. “I hate to ruin the mood, but I’m going straight home for a shower and bed. I think tomorrow is going to be a very big day.”

“You’re being far more practical than I feel like being,” I tell him as we head out of the building. “I’m pretty sure I’m not going to be able to sleep, but I accept you’re right about needing rest.”

Rob’s apartment is a fair degree closer to the office than mine and the short walk to his turn-off is made in silence. I stop for a moment at the turn. “Well, I’ll see you in the morning, then?” I ask.

“Sure,” he replies and starts to turn away. He stops, hesitates for a moment and then turns back for a moment. “This will help you to sleep tonight,” he tells me as he closes the gap between us and kisses me softly on the lips.

I’m caught completely by surprise and my only thought and reaction is to start to kiss him back. He breaks off quickly, a big smile on his face.

“Goodnight, Darren,” he murmurs as he turns away for real this time and walks away.

I manage to mutter something in reply before spinning slowly on the spot and slowly continuing my walk towards my flat. That was nice. Rob’s lips were soft, even though the kiss promised to be hard if I wanted that.

He was right about one thing, though. I did manage to sleep very well.