passengers-jon-spaihts

42.AURORAJim, you’ve had more than a year!There has to be a flight plan orsomething...They search the Comm Center and find a map table showing theExcelsior’s position relative to the Occupied Worlds.Aurora fiddles with the controls. Interstellar flight plansappear: a spiderweb of starship tracks between the worlds.There!AURORA (CONT’D)They inspect the threads of light - an icon on each threadrepresenting a starship. Even Jim is excited now.AURORA (CONT’D)How do we tell how far away they are?JIMThe computer knows. Give me a ship.AURORA(peering at the star map)The starship Zephyr.JIMRound-trip message lag...ninety-nineyears.AURORAThe starship Andromeda.JIMOne hundred thirty-two years.AURORAThe Maximilian.JIMEighty-one years.Jim and Aurora deflate visibly.AURORAThat’s the closest one.GRAND CONCOURSE - EVENINGThe ship’s lights turn the cool blue of evening. Jim andAurora walk across the plaza.