ECS3 Argo arrives at Venture Station [SS5: Krueger 60] from Thule Station [SS7: Ross 248]; sent to Galileo Station [SS6: EV Lacertae].

ECS6 Polaris arrives at Glory Station [SS4: Ross 154]; sent to Alpha Station [SS1: Barnard's Star].

ECS9 Beagle reaches Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti] from Viking Station [SS11: E. Eridani]; sent to Viking Station [SS11: E. Eridani].

ECS10 Challenger reaches Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti] from Viking Station [SS11: E. Eridani]; sent to Eldorado Station [SS9: UV Ceti].

ECS4 Golden Hind reaches Galileo Station [SS6: EV Lacertae]; sent back to Venture Station [SS5: Krueger 60].

ECS2 Valiant arrives at Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti] from Eldorado Station [SS9: UV Ceti]; sent to Eldorado Station [SS9: UV Ceti].

ECS11 Mercury reaches Alpha Station [SS1: Barnard's Star], sent to Glory Station [SS4: Ross 154].

Legendary ECS5 Atlantis reaches Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti]; sent to Eldorado Station [SS9: UV Ceti].

ECS10 Challenger reaches Eldorado Station [SS9: UV Ceti]; sent to Sol.

ECS7 Santa Maria arrives Beta Station [SS2: Alpha Centauri] from Sol, discovers station deserted, with some dead; it is surmised there was an evacuation to some ship which was built there but which is now lost or enroute.

No word is ever received from the three hundred colonists of Beta Station [SS2: Alpha Centauri], who become legendary among flying dutchman stories.

ECS9 Beagle reaches Viking Station [SS11: E. Eridani] from Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti]; sent to Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti].

ECS4 Golden Hind reaches Venture Station [SS5: Krueger 60] from Galileo Station [SS6: EV Lacertae]; sent to Thule Station [SS7: Ross 248].

ECS7 Santa Maria leaves Beta Station [SS2: Alpha Centauri] for Sol after search.

ECS11 Mercury reaches Glory Station [SS4: Ross 154]; sent to Alpha Station [SS1: Barnard's Star].

ECS8 Gloriana arrives at Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti] from Eldorado Station [SS9: UV Ceti]; sent to Eldorado Station [SS9: UV Ceti].

Neutrino message reaches Sol from Beta Station [SS2: Alpha Centauri] about missing colony, setting off wave of xenophobia.

Isolationists candidates are elected in some countries on Earth; they in turn promote anticolonials to the higher echelons of the Earth Company.

ECS6 Polaris reaches Glory Station [SS4: Ross 154] from Alpha Station [SS1: Barnard's Star]; sent to Alpha Station [SS1: Barnard's Star]. 2168 ECS2 Valiant arrives at Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti] from Eldorado Station [SS9: UV Ceti]; sent to Eldorado Station [SS9: UV Ceti].

ECS7 Santa Maria arrives Sol from dead Beta Station [SS2: Alpha Centauri]; held for debriefing: event classified.

Call for investigation.

ECS3 Argo arrives at Thule Station [SS7: Ross 248] from Galileo Station [SS6: EV Lacertae]; sent to Olympus Station [SS8: Groombridge 34].

ECS4 Golden Hind arrives at Thule Station [SS7: Ross 248] from Venture Station [SS5: Krueger 60]; sent to Venture Station [SS5: Krueger 60].

ECS9 Beagle reaches Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti]; sent out with Mariner Station [SS12: Van Maanan's Star] Module.

ECS5 Atlantis reaches Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti]; sent to Eldorado Station [SS9: UV Ceti].

ECS10 Challenger leaves Sol for Eldorado Station [SS9: UV Ceti], glad to get away and having a very bad impression of Terrans, of whom they have some passengers in a pusher-module.

ECS6 Polaris reaches Alpha Station [SS1: Barnard's Star] from Glory Station [SS4: Ross 154]; sent to Glory Station [SS4: Ross 154].

ECS11 Mercury reaches Alpha Station [SS1: Barnard's Star]; held two years for particle damage repair.

Research into shielding accelerated.

ECS5 Atlantis reaches Eldorado Station [SS9: UV Ceti] from Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti]; sent to Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti].

ECS11 Mercury sent out from Alpha Station [SS1: Barnard's Star] to Glory Station [SS4: Ross 154], with improved shielding.

ECS3 Argo reaches Olympus Station [SS8: Groombridge 34] from Thule Station [SS7: Ross 248]; sent to Venture Station [SS5: Krueger 60].

ECS9 Beagle reaches Mariner Station [SS12: Van Maanan's Star] from Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti].

ECS7 Santa Maria arrives at Alpha Station [SS1: Barnard's Star] from Sol with orders to stand fast; sent to Glory Station [SS4: Ross 154], which is showing signs of panic.

ECS6 Polaris reaches Glory Station [SS4: Ross 154]; refuses to take colonists aboard; returns to Alpha Station [SS1: Barnard's Star] with demands.

ECS9 Beagle leaves Mariner Station [SS12: Van Maanan's Star] for Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti].

ECS5 Atlantis reaches Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti] from Eldorado Station [SS9: UV Ceti]; goes to Mariner Station [SS12: Van Maanan's Star].

This is mutiny against the Company which the people of Glory Station [SS4: Ross 154] think is insensible to their needs; and ECS11 Mercury is not too keen on dying in a particle incident as seems likely on this run.

ECS4 Golden Hind reaches Olympus Station [SS8: Groombridge 34]; sent to Venture Station [SS5: Krueger 60].

Transmission from Mariner Station [SS12: Van Maanan's Star] reaches Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti].

ECS3 Argo arrives at Venture Station [SS5: Krueger 60] from Olympus Station [SS8: Groombridge 34]; sent to Thule Station [SS7: Ross 248].

There is nothing ECS7 Santa Maria can do but return to Alpha Station [SS1: Barnard's Star] and report the fact; by then it will be too late.

ECS6 Polaris Alpha Stationreaches [SS1: Barnard's Star] from Glory Station [SS4: Ross 154]; sent to Glory Station [SS4: Ross 154].

ECS1 Gaia reaches Alpha Station [SS1: Barnard's Star]; sent to Sol.

Mariner Station [SS12: Van Maanan's Star] building Module destined for Cyteen Station [SS13: Lalande #46650].

ECS9 Beagle arrives at Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti] from Mariner Station [SS12: Van Maanan's Star]; sent to Mariner Station [SS12: Van Maanan's Star].

ECS10 Challenger comes into Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti] and is delayed again while the inhabitants of Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti] try to figure out their new inhabitants and try to get the temperature of Sol, whom they distrust.

ECS5 Atlantis reaches Mariner Station [SS12: Van Maanan's Star] from Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti]; sent to Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti].

ECS10 Challenger is rewarded with a guaranteed double run to Eldorado Station [SS9: UV Ceti].

ECS4 Golden Hind arrives at Venture Station [SS5: Krueger 60]; sent to Bryant's Star Station [SS3: 61 Cygni].

ECS6 Polaris reaches Glory Station [SS4: Ross 154] and finds the station mothballed neatly and the people missing; a message from Alpha Station [SS1: Barnard's Star] straightens it all out and send ECS6 Polaris on to Bryant's Star Station [SS3: 61 Cygni].

ECS8 Gloriana arrives at Thule Station [SS7: Ross 248] from Olympus Station [SS8: Groombridge 34]; sent to Bryant's Star Station [SS3: 61 Cygni].

ECS1 Gaia reaches Sol; sent back to Alpha Station [SS1: Barnard's Star].

ECS9 Beagle arrives at Mariner Station [SS12: Van Maanan's Star] from Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti]; sent to Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti].

Relayed message from Mariner Station [SS12: Van Maanan's Star] reaches Sol, establishing transmission link.

ECS10 Challenger reaches Eldorado Station [SS9: UV Ceti] from Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti]; sent to Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti].

The eleven year Olympus Station [SS8: Groombridge 34] to Eldorado Station [SS9: UV Ceti] run, so hard on a ship, is now guaranteed to be followed by the four year Eldorado Station [SS9: UV Ceti] to Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti] run, considered a plum.

This increases the number of ships willing to do it.

ECS7 Santa Maria reaches Sol from Alpha Station [SS1: Barnard's Star]; sent to Eldorado Station [SS9: UV Ceti].

ECS10 Challenger reaches Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti]; sent to Mariner Station [SS12: Van Maanan's Star]; sent with Cyteen Station [SS13: Lalande #46650] Module.

ECS1 Gaia arrives at Alpha Station [SS1: Barnard's Star] to riots and disturbances, since there has been some distress over the situation and some are demanding to be transferred up the line to Sol and thus to the Ceti stars. There is talk of reactivating Glory Station [SS4: Ross 154], but it is agreed Glory Station [SS4: Ross 154] never was profitable on its own; no ship is willing to undertake a ten year link that would be necessary to connect Alpha Station [SS1: Barnard's Star] with Bryant's Star Station [SS3: 61 Cygni].

Consulting with Sol is a twelve year operation; ECS1 Gaia cannot wait about for that. It is determined finally to move to Bryant's Star Station [SS3: 61 Cygni], a long voyage of great discomfort for ECS1 Gaia, aided only by the fact that they are pushing a module which keeps them and the colonists separate.

ECS4 Golden Hind arrives at Venture Station [SS5: Krueger 60]; sent to Galileo Station [SS6: EV Lacertae].

ECS5 Atlantis arrives at Mariner Station [SS12: Van Maanan's Star]; sent to Cyteen Station [SS13: Lalande #46650].

ECS11 Mercury reaches Bryant's Star Station [SS3: 61 Cygni] with the now-penitent mutineers of Glory Station [SS4: Ross 154].

The case is handled locally, but the personnel of ECS11 Mercury refuse to surrender and the whole matter is hushed up as the entire package is sent on to Galileo Station [SS6: EV Lacertae].

ECS4 Golden Hind arrives at Galileo Station [SS6: EV Lacertae]; sent to Venture Station [SS5: Krueger 60].

ECS2 Valiant reaches Pell Station [SS10: Tau Ceti] from Eldorado Station [SS9: UV Ceti]; sent to Viking Station [SS11: E. Eridani].

Part 4 | Part 6