“They’re legally within their rights to reclaim their stolen ship, that’s true.” Valerie seemed unconcerned. “But it’s worth noting that not every country has agreed to the treaty or ratified it into law, and the UN isn’t terribly strong anymore anyway. It’s difficult to enforce things from ten and a half light years away. I can’t imagine it’d be worth the effort as long as we’re not building a military base and planning to attack Earth.” She drained the last of her tea. “If we could make Cavendish our world entirely,” Valerie said, leaning forward, her face animated, “if we could build it from the ground up, set the rules for everyone, how would you want it to function?”

“You’re asking us to build a utopia?” Naomi asked.

“Sure. Thought exercise.”

“No such thing as utopia,” Lebedeva said. “People mess it up.”

“Or one person’s utopia usually means someone else’s dystopia,” Hart agreed.

“Come on,” Valerie said. “Try, at least.”

They thought about it as the fireworks kept up their slow dance.

“Well, if the ground belongs to all of humanity, then there shouldn’t be borders,” Hixon said. “No nationalism getting in the way of things. Freedom of movement.”

“Not sure we’ll be able to shift humanity’s penchant for tribalism so easily,” Hart said. “Can we throw rampant capitalism out the window? Not saying we need to go full communism, but the whole desperate reliance on growth and inflation, the bubbles and the pops of the economy—that can go.”

Valerie held up her hands. “As an ardent capitalist myself, sure. Though most of my money’s gone now, anyway. Liquidated as we speak.”

“Free education,” Naomi said. “And placing emphasis on art and creative play as well as science.”

“Good one,” Hart said.

“No plastic,” Lebedeva said. “No fossil fuels. Eco-friendly from the beginning.”

“No factory farming or meat industry,” Hart said. “I mean, we’re basically all vegan once those meat packets run out anyway, if you consider meat grown without a nervous system vegan.”

“No men?” Hixon joked. “Though I guess that plan is already kaput with the backup crew.”

“We don’t have to wake them up on day one of landing,” Valerie said. “We can have a few weeks of a women-only planet, I’m sure.” Her tone was teasing.

They drank more tea and kept building their idea of utopia. It was a nice way to spend an evening. They changed the VR background to a rainforest, the sound of rain dripping through green leaves and the caw of now-extinct birds soothing.