I would never have believed we could have so much in common with a bunch of aliens. But I watched Kwylla sign on for a flight that might take her away forever from her home, and do it for the sole purpose of staying with her mate. And it clarifies a possibility: Maybe there really are no aliens. Maybe we are all brothers and sisters adrift in a universe that doesn’t give a rip about us.

—Friday, August 22, 2256

36.

There are occasions when there’s a stranger in the room, and one has no choice but to trust him. When that happens, close your eyes, and step forward.

—Gregory MacAllister, “Options,” Baltimore Sun, October 19, 2251

Arin surprised everyone by bringing a rifle onto the lander. The weapon was clumsy, but it could obviously cause damage. Hutch wondered if he just didn’t trust them and was sending a message. Or whether someone in the bureaucracy had insisted on it. When Derek, watching from the Eiferman, was alerted by Hutch, he grumbled but told her to let it go.

Kwylla and Korsek were also on board. On the way back to the ship, she asked how the Volarians were taking the news. “As far as I’m aware,” Korsek said, speaking through Tasha, “nothing has been released. We’ve been told not to talk about it. I don’t think they want this getting out until we’re certain what we’re dealing with.”

Hutch changed the subject by admiring the rifle. And getting within visual range of the Eiferman helped. All three were entranced by the size and design of the vehicle, and by the time they drew alongside, their attention was fixated on it. After turning them over to Derek, she returned to the temple to pick up two more Volarians. They were Rampol Tok and Droo Haka. Rampol was identified as a “stargazer.” It was unclear whether the reference was to astronomy or astrology. Droo was introduced as a science advisor to the governor. Korsek had explained that he was one of the people responsible for maintaining “reasonable living conditions across a wide area.” He was also given credit for being the driving force behind organizing the effort to recover the lander. This time, Hutch tried to stay away from mentioning the coming catastrophe, but her passengers could talk about nothing else.

Derek had waited until all five were aboard before showing off the front porch technology. If they were surprised by the appearance of the Eiferman, their level of astonishment rose to an even higher level after the cabin’s interior blinked off and was replaced by mountains, waterfalls, and coastlines.

Hutch was not aware that anyone had picked up the native terms for “impossible” or “incredible” or “magnificent.” But it was hard to miss them during those early moments. Arin stared at Ken and demanded an answer to a question that could only have been How do you make this happen?