$-- Copyright (C) 2019 Jason Self $-- SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later "B, get out of the compactor," says Tomás Alves, before he pilots their ship away from Sierra One towards the distant planet of Geptok. The three-legged Ujuian leaves the trash compactor alone when it gets too bumpy onboard The Star-sprinter. He rifles through the cabinets in search of fuels and foods. All of which he finds floats freely. "Ah, how I have been put off by the gravity of your family's ship," says Bxnak. "What are you looking for in there?" asks Tomás. "We have snacks around the cockpit for the trip, so you don't need to raid the cabinets just yet." "Listen here, Earthling, it's a long journey to Geptok," says B. "We, Ujuians, know how to claim our dibs early on." "I should have known you were only thinking about yourself," says Tomás. Aboard the space station, life resumes normalcy. For the majority of the station's staff this means it's time to return to sterilizing the atmosphere. Since the shadowy figures onboard the space station have already bid farewell to those aboard The Star-sprinter, life must find a way to move on without fear of what might happen if Sierra One fails in its mission to purify the atmosphere of toxic fuels. Toxins have been getting poured into Earth's ecosystems ever since the industrial revolution and factories first began pouring out fumes. Over centuries the atmosphere of Earth has been slowly contaminated with highly toxic, radioactive elements. These elements might erupt at any moment and cause the abysmal demise of the entire planet, unless a skilled group of technicians aboard the space station find a solution. With operations underway, the The Star-sprinter must continue forward with their sub-mission of contacting an outside source to assist with neutralizing the elemental threat. Signals from a far away planet have indicated an alternative fuel source might be the answer to all of these problems, but the alien lifeforms in charge of this substance need something in return. The substance is a rare recompository substance capable of rearranging elements that are undesirable, and it helps reconstitute such particles with its gluey nature. Yet, the folks aboard Sierra One have no idea how long it will be before Tomás returns with the substance or if he can obtain it at all. In the meantime, they must begin working on processing the atmosphere toxins on their own. Captain Alves has a tear come to his eye as he thinks about how long it might be before his son returns to the space station. "My son," says Captain Alves, "if you are my son, then you possess the same steadfast spirit of our ancestors. I know this spirit is strong in you, for I have seen it flare up beyond what I recall possible in my youth. In my days, I lived for the thrill of such an adventure, but the only way to find such adventure was to study biochemistry. Learning to fly a ship in space like you have learned to do in your youth is an opportunity that only the most lucky individuals of all time have found." Captain Alves bows his head to the glass window that overlooks the cargo bay of Sierra One, where The Star-sprinter was recently docked. The hoards of scientists have already filed away into the space station, and he is left alone with his reflection in the glass. No one is around to hear his deepest thoughts. On the The Star-sprinter, Tomás and B have plenty of time to become acquainted with one another. The Ujuian and Earthling duo spent time together in the academy on Sierra One, but their differences kept them from discussing anything outside of hydro fuel, and nano-shifting. The ship is piloted by automatic means, as their bodies are flung through the void of space towards Geptok. "Do you hear that dripping?" asks B. "I think I hear dripping from the cryo-hatch. Have you been playing with the controls, Earthling?" "I had some trouble getting the record machine working earlier, so I had to flip some switches," Tomás confesses. "There was a switch marked 'Skip Track' that wasn't responding. This must me an Ujuian-made machine, eh?" "Ujuian made?" asks the infuriated Bxnak. "I'll show you what is Ujuian-made tomorrow when I fix some eggs benedict you would never have thought was possible." "I think I'll pass," says Tomás. "Those eggs are rotten, B." Bxnak puts the rotten eggs he has been holding under the seat before examining the switches on the control panel of the ship. "You flipped this switch?" he asks. "Yep," says Tomás, "that one doesn't work. Trust me. Or else I would find something else to listen to on our ride besides jazz." Jazz music softly plays, but it turns off when the ship begins speaking: "In case you haven't realized, there is a leak in Sector 4." "Yes, we've realized," says B. "Can we contain the leak? Computer, what can you tell us about Sector 4?" "It was fine until someone flipped a switch to adjust the mechanisms we're using to pilot towards our destination." On Sierra One, Captain Alves is going into a panic when he sees the direction The Star-sprinter has started heading. He shakes his digital mapping system. "What's wrong with them?" he asks a nearby technician. "It appears that the tracking systems used to guide their ship's autopilot have been disabled, Captain," says the helpful technician. "Hello onboard Star-sprinter," says Captain Alves into his communicator. "Are you aware that you're heading in the wrong direction? You're veering off course, son. Hello? B, can you hear me? Can anyone onboard The Star-sprinter hear me?" There's no answer. The lonely space station's communicator beacons blink brightly in their vast empty area of space between the Earth and Mars. Meanwhile, dangerous toxic elements drift outside the window that Captain Alves peers through.