In January 1965, unnoticed and unmourned by the general public, Project Orion died. The men who began the project in 1958 and worked on it through 7 strenuous years believe that it offers the best hope, in the long run, of a reasonable programme for exploring space. By “a reasonable program” they mean a program comparable in cost with our existing space program and enormously superior in promise. They aimed to create a propulsion system commensurate with the real size of the task of exploring the solar system at a cost which would be politically acceptable, and they believe they have demonstrated the way to do it. Now the decision has been taken to follow the road no further.


Professor Freeman J. Dyson writing an article entitled “Death of a Project” in SCIENCE Magazine 9 July 1965.


CHAPTER 1. SUMMER IN THE 60'S


“I’ve got a knife here Holder.”

“Nah. You 'a'n’t got nothin.” Arthur Holder tried to sound hard.

“Oh yeah? Look!” Godfrey Norton held a boy scout pen knife.

“Oh?” Arthur wanted to cry, but Susan was watching. “You baint got guts to use it though. 'ave 'ee.” Arthur couldn’t be yellow in front of Susan. She had the kind of beauty boys only see in their first loves, and remember for eternity.

“Oh yeah?” Godfrey held the blade to Arthur’s neck. “What you got a say now you mont?” Godfrey’s face crinkled with menace.

Then Arthur realised how tall he'd become. Taller than Godfrey. Much taller. Godfrey was looking up at Arthur, and squinting into the Sun.

“Uh, nyuhh. You sod off nice.” Said Arthur. Godfrey would knife him now. “Bleedin sod off. Pov kid.”

“What? Well, after school. You wait. An' if you ever splits on us having a smoke, I’ll do you. I’ll bane you good an proper.”

“Oh 'ark at 'ee. Sure you will.” Arthur was more confident now.

“You'm crap you are.” Said Godfrey. “Crap. Lying gobbo boy, tha's you. You'll wind up down Barrow Gurney1. Even if you splits, no un’s going to believe ee. Not after all that 'bout a space ship. Thas real crap that was. An' youm the real pov kid.”

“But I do 'ave a model space ship.” Said Arthur getting angry. “A real German one.”

“My Dad said they Nazis only had the V2. They never 'ad no space ships. You'm talking bollocks. Bollock boy. Lying gobbo bollock boy.”

Susan Cushing tossed her long black hair, took a puff at her fag and blew the smoke out with a sophisticated sort of pout. “Leave him alone. He won’t tell. You won’t will you Arfur. No harm in me and Godfrey smoking a fag is there. God dursn’t want to hurt ee. You won’t will you God.”

“No.” said Godfrey. “Not this time.”

“Come on then God. Time we was back.” Susan linked arms with Godfrey and led him through the gate, past the 6th form cottage behind Ashton Park Comprehensive School, Bristol.

Then she returned to Arthur. “Thee casn’t tell. I’ll be in real shit if our Ma finds out I smokes.”

“No. I wont tell.”

“S’oright then.” Susan stood on tiptoe and kissed him.

On the lips. Susan Cushing kissed Arthur. A girl had kissed him on the lips. A girl with breasts had given Arthur a proper kiss. On the lips.

“Ere.” Said Godfrey “What you doing?”

“Nothing.” Susan stepped on her fag end and walked after him.

Arthur trembled. His first kiss. From Susan. He was out of breath. He had a hard on. Susan. The most beautiful girl in his year. His hard on almost hurt. A kiss from Susan Cushing. He was grown up. He’d had a kiss.

But should he have done something? Grown ups snogged with arms round each other. Would she tell he couldn’t kiss properly? What if she told other girls and they laughed? Girls told each other everything. They were always whispering and giggling. Laughing at boys. He’d never get another kiss, ever.

But he must have been OK. She'd have said. Wouldn’t she?

Girls outside the science block were back combing each others hair. Just young. Nothing like


This page has been visited 13 times. Legal and copyright information can be found here.