We're
in complete control of the asteroid now."
"Where's Madera?"
"He finally got a full sleep, then went back into the complex. He can't
wait to find out how it all works. He's hoping that Richard will put
him in charge of the exploration team."
Joe scooped a large helping of potatoes into his mouth, then talked
around it to ask, "Well, when do we leave?"
"I'm excited about this place, and would like to explore a bit myself,"
said Zip, "but more than anything, I'd like to go home. We can leave
any time we want to."
"I'd like to see Mr. Madera one more time before we go, and then take
off for home."
A day later, the Star Ranger was well on its way to Amundsen City. The
Starmen were relaxed, seated comfortably at a small table in the
lounge, with the ship on automatic pilot. The strains of Bach's Little
Fugue filled the ship.
Joe asked, "Is that the disk Montezuma Vly gave us?"
"No," said Mark. "That was destroyed when Lather melted the Vigilant
Warrior. This is just part of our standard library. Beautiful piece.
But I sure wish we hadn't lost that disk Montezuma gave us. What a
tragedy!"
"Yes, well, Vly did say that we could visit him again. Maybe he'll give
us another."
"I'd like to see him again, but not for a while. I don't want to leave
home for a long time!"
At the end of their journey, the Star Ranger touched down gently on the
tarmac at Amundsen Base, near the south pole of the Moon on the edge of
the largest city in the Earth-Moon system-Amundsen City, with over
eight million inhabitants.
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