"We haven't discovered life yet."
"I know. He said he wouldn't set foot on the planet if he was sober. Said if there isn't life there, he couldn't take it—unless he was drunk."
Captain Wiley grunted. "All right."
They looked at the world.
"Wouldn't it be wonderful, Captain? Just think—to meet another race. It wouldn't matter what they were like, would it? If they were primitive, we could teach them things. If they were ahead of us, they could teach us. You know what I'd like? To have someone meet us, to gather around us. It wouldn't matter if they were afraid of us or even if they tried to kill us. We'd know that we aren't alone."
"I know what you mean," said Captain Wiley. Some of his emotion overflowed the prison of his body. "There's no thrill in landing on dead worlds. If no one's there to see you, you don't feel like a hero."
"That's it, Captain! That's why I came on this crazy trip. I guess that's why we all came. I...."
Captain Wiley cleared his throat. "Lieutenant, commence deceleration. 6 G's."
"Yes, sir!"
The planet grew bigger, filling the entire visi-screen.