“…it.”

                Conrad didn’t remember the stasis field activating. The last thing he remembered was giving the go-ahead with a thumb up and thinking, “This is…” It was clear to him that his brain was finishing the thought as he woke up. It was definitely something to note in the report for the engineers on Earth. He brought his arm up and examined the wrist-mounted digital assistant. The device was suspended but it was definitely working. Conrad chuckled. He always had an affinity for these older models that didn’t have the flashy features of the newer ones like neural links and holographic projection capability but could survive practically anything. This was not the time for petty nostalgia. This was Conrad’s moment of destiny!

                For the sake of practicality there were no separate rooms. Awakening from the stasis pod Conrad found himself looking at the main control panel. The heads-up display read, “Entering orbit…” Everything was going according to the simulation’s rendering of the trip from back in training. Unfortunately, as things of a nature as complex as Conrad’s mission tend to experience, something went wrong.

                Alarms blared a few minutes into the attempt to enter a stable orbit. Conrad checked the computer’s report and learned of missiles headed toward him. There wasn’t much time to think let alone make contact with the surface, analyze the language, and signal the intention for peace. He needed to lose the missiles. It would have been easy enough to lose them by going back out into space, but that would use up the precious reserve fuel he had left for maneuvering at a suitable planet. No, Conrad needed to lose the missiles but not the planet. There was only one option.

                “Oh well. Here goes nothing!”

                Commandeering control from the computer, Conrad sent his small ship into a dive straight through the atmosphere.