After I docked with the ship, I stayed outside for a moment to look at the stars. There was no hint of motion; the ship just hung there against its velvet-and-snow backdrop. But I knew we were going somewhere. I looked ahead, along the axis of the ship, to the bright star directly ahead.
Alpha Centauri beckoned us onward, the only light at the end of the tunnel I needed.
Editor’s Note: This story is a sequel to “Unfinished Business” (October 1996), “The Spectral Stardrive” (November 1996), “Holiday Spirits” (January 1997), and “Cease and Deceased” October 1997.