Chapter Ten: Year Five

Twin Paradox Book One

Tonight we begin Part 3: Journey and Conquest. A lot has been covered in the first nine chapters but we now know the true function of the soon-to-be obsolete Santa Maria galactic exploration vessel. During its voyage to Kapteyn B it will be laying a path for something much bigger to follow: a ship many times its size which will be constructed over the course of the next fourteen years, able to travel at ten times the speed of light, making the journey in just under thirteen months. The role of the crew - especially Kelvin and his colleagues from the Away Team - is going to be all the more crucial to the future of mankind.
Not that anyone cares back on Earth. They've moved on; all those Earthlings who'd been so thrilled with the news that the Santa Maria was about to embark on a deep space mission to colonize an alien planet. They've returned to their daily lives, enjoying their favorite pastimes. Meanwhile, the crew of the ship are trying desperately to maintain their sanity as they hurtle through the galaxy toward Kapteyn B.