One midmorning a week before launch found our Heroines jogging around the track at LunaCor's Albuquerque training center. Daria lagged behind Jane's quick pace. Both wore white T-shirts and blue shorts soaked in sweat.

"C'mon, Jane, I'm dyin' here!" Daria huffed. "Can't we take a break?"

"Not yet, Morgendorffer! You remember what the flight surgeon said. We've got to get conditioned now so it will be easier for us to stay in shape once we're on the moon."

"Well, it's easier for you, Jane. You've been running for years," Daria said. "The fastest I've ever moved was to grab the last slice of pizza at the Prince."

Jane flashed an evil grin. "And you're paying for it now, aren't you? Well, I guess we've had enough." They broke stride, walking to cool down.

"Damnit, Jane, I didn't think we would have to run to the moon."

"They thought about it, but our suits could never get rid of the heat we'd generate." Jane gestured at a bench at trackside. "Let's sit here. I've got a rock in my shoe." They sat down.

"Finally," said Daria. After a few minutes of panting, she said, "So, about the patch. Have you come up with any ideas?"

Jane's thoughts went back to that morning. Mission Director Ron Sanders had called them in after breakfast. "Ladies," he said, "I realize that this is short notice, but the Powers That Be kind of threw this mission together at the last minute. Anyway, Jane, I would like you and Daria to design a mission patch - something you can wear on your uniforms and that we can use on press releases, PR and all that.

"What about royalties?" Daria asked. "Would we get a lump sum, or a percentage of sales?"

Sanders grinned. "I could tell that your mother's a lawyer. Hmmm-" he thought a moment. "NASA is not for profit, but LunaCor is a contractor, and we are definitely for profit. How about a split? 50% for the NASA scholarship fund, and 50% in scholarships for you and Jane after you get back to Earth.

"40/60," Jane said. "My paints are kind of expensive."

"Agreed," Sanders said. "Speaking of paints, be sure you turn in that list of supplies you need to Environmental Systems. We have to make sure that they're compatible with Shoemaker's life support. See you later."

Jane's mind snapped back to the present. "Well, I think that the patch should reflect our various disciplines - visual arts for me and writing for you."

Daria said, "Yeah, I was thinking along those lines. I think it needs a Latin motto, too. Maybe "Innfirmus, Tristis Mundus."

Jane laughed. "Even I know enough Latin to know we'd never get away with that. When we get back to the dorm let me see what I can come up with on the computer."

Later, Jane showed Daria her screen. "I didn't want to make the shape too complex, so I used a round patch," Jane typed on the keyboard and made a few swipes with her mouse, the circle filled with black, and shapes appeared. "A palette and brush for me, a scroll and quill for you."

Daria leaned forward and drew a curve on the screen with her finger "How about the moon right here?"

Jane complied, and an arc with craters appeared at the bottom of the screen. She typed in "Lane - Morgendorffer" in a curve at the bottom of the patch and then turned to Daria. "The motto?" She asked.

"Astrum in fabrica, fabrica in astrum," Daria replied. "Stars into art, art into stars."

"I like it. One more thing," said Jane, and put in a short string of fuzzy pearls in the upper left of the patch, balancing the moon in the lower right.

"Perfect," said Daria. "Send a copy to Quinn. If it passes her review, our patch may be on millions of chests soon."

"Or butts," replied Jane.