April 19, 1373

Note - parts of this section are excerpted from the writings of Arthur C. Clarke.


"The Jump was successful. We are entering the Alpha Centauri star system."

Gradually the view outside reverses itself. Violet stars become visible at the edge of the field of view and gradually take on their normal colours as the black void shrinks towards the centre of the view. The constellations reappear...but the arrangement of the stars is subtly different. Finally the star that had been in the centre of field comes back into view...slightly off centre, and now you see it as a pair of full blown suns: one yellow-white, the other tinged with orange; while a third, much fainter red sun hangs off to one side.

The Bill Gates continues to decelerate. With apparent suddenness the Amalda space station comes into view: a vast tangle of interconnected tubes, girders, globes and cylinders, it stretches for tens of miles before you. Lights upon the various structures that comprise the station blink at apparently random intervals.

The XP class scout cruises slowly towards a large cylinder with an enormous opening in one end. As you pass through the opening there is a bit of a sparkle from outside, and then the darkness is lit by a myriad of lights, illuminating an enormous flat area. It is mostly barren, though you see what appear to be a half a dozen other ships parked along one side of the area.

The Bill Gates lands at the end of this line.

You leave the ship.

Standing there outside to greet you are three beautiful women: Amalda1, Amalda2 and a third woman of similar appearance but with some definite Elven characteristics.

"You came back, Tully," says Amalda1, stepping close to him. "I missed you."

"And we see you brought a friend," adds Amalda2 as she embraces Zanax.

Tully smiles and says, "I missed you too, Sweetheart. Only death will stop me from coming back."