y hospitals."

"Sounds great."

"We'll have to plan on press parties, special stuff for the magazines
and networks. I've got a plan for some Hollywood promotion to counteract
all this Destination Space garbage they've been turning out. And as for
television--"

He talked on for another hour, feeling mounting excitement for the job
he was doing. Tom wasn't sure that he liked the aims of Homelovers,
Incorporated, but the challenge was enjoyable. Even at dinner that
night, in Livia's snug apartment, he rattled on about the PR program
until the girl began to yawn.

The bedroom was still monochrome. Only Livia had transformed it
magically into powder blue. Tom slept blissfully until morning, and went
into the office that weekend for sheer love of what he was doing.

After less than a month, his efforts started producing results. On a
crisp December morning, he found the following in his mail:

_"EARTH SONG"
A Screenplay
by
Duncan Devine_

_Roger Tenblade, a dashing young rocket pilot in the UN Air Force,
yearns to join the Space Expeditionary Force now planning the first
landing and colonization of the planet Mars. Despite the protest of
his lovely fiancee, Diane, he embarks upon the journey. The trip is
fraught with hazards, and the ship is struck by a meteor en route.
Every member of the crew is killed, except Roger, who heroically
brings the vessel back to home base. However, Roger is exposed to
large amounts of cosmic radiation. When he is so informed by the
medical authorities, he realizes that he can never make Diane a
normal husband. So rather than return to her and ruin her life, he
changes his identity and disappears to South America, where he takes
a job as a shuttle pilot for a third-class airline._

_Meanwhile, Diane marries Harold Farnsworth, scion of one of
America's wealthiest families ..._

Tom Blacker chuckled, and slipped the scenario back into the envelope.
He marked the manuscript "O.K. for Production," and turned to the other
mail.

There was the prospectus of a television series that sounded
interesting. He looked it over carefully.

_"CAPTAIN TERRA"
Half-hour Television Series
written by