Indeed - but the bulk of my reply to that remains, even if there's not a (smirk) boatload of teenagers around. As to the duration question, that never left my mind - there is absolutely no choice for the ship but to turn back, just the two days spent partying and recovering from said party means they can only make it back to Starbase Two at Alpha Centauri rather than Sol - the original calculations gave a bit more of a comfort zone in reserve, but were based mainly on scaling up data from the smaller cola/uncola powerplants built up to that point, which turned out to be a little over-optimistic. Suggestions were of course made to press on, make first contact, and bank on the ability of aliens capable of extrasolar exploration to give them a ride back or an engine upgrade, or if they were unwilling to cut away the emptied fuel tanks to reduce mass, but all such were vetoed in the end - there's no point to any of it if the chances taken didn't pan out, and they never return with the news. The Miranda is turning back, immediately, and will only be doing flybys in the last few stars on their direct course on the way home.
That trip will therefore push the Recreation subdepartment of Medical to new heights to keep everyone occupied, but the best morale booster will remain they they have succeeded - they have found new life, and a new civilization, even if no direct contact was established.
- CDSERVO: Loook *deeeeply* into my eyes... Tell me, what do you see?
CROW: (hypnotized) A twisted man who wants to inflict his pain upon others.
For the next 72 hours, Itachi intoned, I will slap you with this trout. - Spying no Jutsu, chapter 3
"In the futuristic taco bell of the year 20XX, justice wears an aluminum sombrero!"hemlock-martini
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows
That trip will therefore push the Recreation subdepartment of Medical to new heights to keep everyone occupied, but the best morale booster will remain they they have succeeded - they have found new life, and a new civilization, even if no direct contact was established.
- CDSERVO: Loook *deeeeply* into my eyes... Tell me, what do you see?
CROW: (hypnotized) A twisted man who wants to inflict his pain upon others.
For the next 72 hours, Itachi intoned, I will slap you with this trout. - Spying no Jutsu, chapter 3
"In the futuristic taco bell of the year 20XX, justice wears an aluminum sombrero!"hemlock-martini
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows