 Why did Amanda know Giles so well?
Giles made the expected comments, smiled the proper smiles and greeted his staff by the right names, but it was purely automatic. But with the Procyon shuttle arriving yesterday, there was no telling what might turn up. For eighty years now, they’d been sending out the little ships that vanished at greater than the speed of light, equipped with every conceivable device to make them return automatically after taking pictures of wherever they arrived. So far, none had ever returned or been located. This was the first hope they’d found that the century-long trips between stars in the ponderous shuttles might be ended and he should have been filled with excitement at Jordan’s hasty preliminary report. Giles dropped the report wearily and picked up the personal message that had come on the shuttle. It had been the bitter quarrels over that which had finally broken Giles’ fifth marriage. He barely mentioned being married on the way or his dozen children, but filled most of the frame with glowing description and a plea for his father to join him there! GILES SNORTED and turned to the third frame, which showed a group picture of the family in some sort of vehicle, against the background of an alien but attractive world. The discovery that men could live practically forever had put an end to most family ties; sentiment wore thin in half a century—which wasn’t much time now, though it had once seemed long enough. Earth was becoming a backwater world; no real progress had been made in two centuries; the young men were sent out as soon as their first fifty years of education were finished, and the older men were too conservative for really new thinking. Pre-setting a course may take centuries, if we can ever master it. Mr. Giles, we’ve got to have the big ship. NO SANE man would risk a chance for near eternity against such a relatively short wait. Heroism had belonged to those who knew their days were numbered, anyhow. Giles turned from the blank screen to stare out of the windows, while his hand came up to twist at the lock of hair over his forehead. Like an automaton, he bent forward, his other hand groping for the mirror that should be in one of the drawers. It was only two blocks to Giles’ residence club, but he had to stop twice to catch his breath and fight against the pain that clawed at his chest. Dubbins was at his side almost at once, with a hand under his arm to guide him toward his suite.
 she had worked with him for over 100 years
 she had worked with him for over 100 years  they had dated once  she paid attention to what he liked and didn't like  it was her job to do so