Flash Fiction: “Homecoming: Worlds”
It was a rare sight on the exploration ship’s monitors, and Explorer Jonse was relieved when she saw the yellow star and its planets. The early sensor readings hinted at living conditions on at least two planets, both within the habitable zone of the G2 star.
Duty comes first, her mental programming reminded her when she considered setting a direct course for the habitable zone. Instead, she set a course to gather as much data about the system as she could, and prepared the probes to explore and survey the system’s other planets. Jonse would be busy on the most promising planet.
Planet III was well within the habitable zone of the system, and exploration protocol demanded that the Explorers survey the best candidate for settlement first and in person. Jonse settled in for the journey.
The hours passed, the sensor readings became clearer and the comp refined the analysis further every minute. Just before ship arrived in the habitable zone. The analysis reached the confidence threshold, and the computer sent a first stage report back to the colony fleet.
Jonse wondered why her presence was necessary at all: Everything was automated, and she didn’t have to— The proximity alert pulled Jonse out of her thoughts as the ship was about to enter orbit around the third world. The lander module was made ready, Jonse saw as she checked the lander monitor, and she grabbed her skin-suit.
It was time to set foot on a new world.
