I finally reach a spot of hull that seems right for the job. I’m aft of the entire pressurized portion of the ship, well past the part where it widens out. If I’m right, I’m standing on a big empty tank that used to be full of Astrophage. If I breach the hull here, it shouldn’t matter.

I pull out a hammer and chisel. Not the most elegant way to do this, but I can’t think of anything better. I start by putting one corner of the chisel on the hull and giving it a little tap. There’s a notable dent. It doesn’t take much to get through this outermost layer.

I use the hammer and chisel to separate a 6-inch circle of hull material. There’s a layer of something underneath. I can feel it with the chisel. Probably insulation.

I have to pry the circle out with the chisel. The underlayer holds strong, but then gives way suddenly. The hull sample flies off into space.

“Shoot!”

I leap off the ship. I get a hand on the circle right before my tether snaps tight. I breathe for a second, thinking about how dumb I am, then pull myself back along the tether to the ship. Looking at the circle it seems like there’s a light, foam substance attached to the underside. Styrofoam, maybe. Probably something more complicated than that.

“I hope you guys watched all that,” I say. “Because I’m not doing it again.”

I throw the hull chunk at the Blip-A.

By doing this right in front of them, they’ll know for sure I’m sending them a sample of the hull. I hope it’s enough for what they want to do. I don’t even know if they wanted it or needed it. They might be looking at their screens right now and saying, “What is this idiot doing? Is he poking a hole in his own ship? Why?”

I stay on the hull and watch as the chunk tumbles in the Taulight. The multi-armed robot on the Blip-A’s hull slides along its rails for the reception. Once positioned, it waits for the hull chunk to arrive and makes a perfect catch.

And then, I swear to God, it waves at me! One of its little arms waves at me!

I wave back.

It waves again.

Okay, this could go on all day. I head back toward the airlock.

Your move, guys.

Their move is taking a long time and I’m getting bored.

Wow. I’m sitting here in a spaceship in the Tau Ceti system waiting for the intelligent aliens I just met to continue our conversation… and I’m bored. Human beings have a remarkable ability to accept the abnormal and make it normal.