81.

After completing medicals on the two new guests, it pleased Sylvia Thompson and Aaron Gray to find that future physiology will have changed very little. Generations or at least a couple of generations of life on a new world will not do much to aid any sort of physical evolution. If Humanity is a descended of a race from another world, then what might come down the line of life surviving on a new world?

Aaron being naturally curious would have some questions to ask of Gerrard especially with the fact that Gerrard had his physical examination after Matthew had completed his leaving Gerrard in the medical facility with Matthew having returned to quarters.

'You didn't say very much back when you and your friend met our command team.'

'To say that myself and Matthew are friends, well that would not be an accurate statement. He is an elder and I am his student.'

'Elder? Matthew looks no older than any average middle-aged man'.

'Yes, he may still have plenty of life left ahead of him, though he is more than twice my age. In our society an elder or older person will take on a junior or student to teach with all the knowledge and experience they have gained throughout their life. In our time, the world you travel to is still ... developing.'

'Still, I don't understand why you were so quiet.'

'In the company of an elder, a junior only speaks when he is requested to.'

'Really? ... How interesting.'

***

No matter the fact that the two new guests may be able to direct The Pathfinder to where it needs to go, Mandy still goes and visits an almost completely recovered Simon. He originally had found those star charts and he had plotted a course to a new world and both the star charts and the plotted course is of course erased but Simon is likely to remember a thing or two about therm.

'Hey, I hear you have yourself a nickname?'

'Don't remind me ...'

This moment is one Simon has both been looking forward to and dreading. He his has met his grandson, his and Mandy's grandson. He can't help but believe that this may make any get together between him and her a little or possibly a whole lot awkward.

'Maria has asked me to inquire as to what you remember about the star charts and the course you had plotted.'

'Yeah, I still have a fair bit of that stuck in my head, but I hear we have two new guests who could help us out.'

'We do ... yeah.'

And here comes a moment of silence that Simon had been dreading. It doesn't last long for Mandy has something else to say.

'So ... a grandson, huh?'

'Who'd have thought it?'

'What else do we know? How many children do we have? How many grandchildren do we have or will have? Boys? Girls?'

The ice has definitely been broken. Whatever changes to the future timeline may be made because of what has already occurred; it is safe to say that Simon and Mandy will journey forwards together.

***

Late afternoon Tuesday the twenty first and Matthew has requested another meeting. He and Gerrard would once again meet the command team in the strategy room. Aaron would make his way to the strategy room from having been in one of the animal centers The Pathfinder has had since leaving Earth. He would bring with him one of his furry little friends. Gerrard would watch with amazement as Aarons little friend scurried up his right arm then across the back of his shoulders and come to a rest on Aaron's left shoulder. This creature would appear to look directly at Gerrard and Gerrard would stare right back at it in amazement.

'What?' asks Aaron directing his question to Gerrard, 'haven't you ever seen a ferret before?'

Gerrard offers no reply.

'First thing first' speaks Maria, 'how did the medicals go?'

'Physically ... all is well with our two new guests' responds Aaron.

'Apart from some slight differences it would appear that this new world that we are to come across will affect human physiology ever so slightly' speaks Sylvia.

'We have talked with your pilots and have plotted a course towards a planet that you are soon to call home' says Matthew, 'taking in places that you may find to be of interest. We estimate that it will take approximately between six and seven of your weeks to arrive at your final destination.'

'Excellent, your help is greatly appreciated.'

Before Maria could suggest that the journey should get underway Matthew would speak again.

'Very shortly, there will be an event you might find to be of interest taking place in this region of space we are in right now. We understand that from where you come from, a comet known as Halley's Comet would periodically pass in close proximity to your former world. If my calculations are correct, then there will be something similar though more spectacular coming in contact with this region of space within the next three days. It might be a sight you would like to see.'

'Well, if all are in agreement that it may be wise to remain where we are and take in this phenomenon.'

Maria receives nods of agreement from all those in attendance. Aaron becomes so engrossed with the prospect of what is to come that he temporarily allows his attention to drift away from the fact that he has a ferret with him, and this caused his friend to jump to the ground and run off down towards the far end of the room. With a gasp Aaron would begin to give chase.

'Freddie, get back here.'

'What? That thing actually has a name?' asks Maria with a slight laugh.

'Freddie the ferret, oh boy' says Sylvia with a sigh and a smile.

Sixty-seven hours passed and the phenomenon that Matthew spoke of is about to come clear for all to see. This would not just be one comet travelling on a journey through space but rather a cluster of comets all set together on a mission of its own, being destined to travel indefinitely, oblivious to the awe it would inspire.

The Pathfinder would follow and manoeuver allowing all on board to be able to view the spectacular wonder which had graced her with its presence. It is enormous, bright with one heck of a trail and it travels freely and at one heck of a pace.

Half an hour of travelling alongside the comets, the com system would open ship wide. Maria has an announcement to make.

'Ladies and gentlemen of The Pathfinder, my friends, my family, the final leg of our journey is about to begin. Maybe it is something we did not expect to come so soon into our journey away from Earth though it is coming, and it is very real. We all have been through so much in the short time we have spent together on this ship of ours and we still have so much ahead of us, so much to look forward to ...

... Even though our journey has come out of necessity I know that I can say I am so proud to be part of this. The time has come. This is our time. Our future is at hand. Ladies and gentlemen, let's go home ...'

***

Not much time would pass before Maria would find herself standing in the center of a crossroads for one final time. It initially appeared that she was completely alone though when she managed to completely take in her surroundings, Maria could see Brandon standing a couple hundred meters away from her and to her left. He nods once and gives a wave. Maria waves back and watches as Brandon turns and begins to walk away, taking a few steps before being joined by who Maria can only presume are his wife and son and together a threesome vanish into thin air.

Maria could only smile as her eyes begin to well up. She takes on the task of clearing out the quarters which had belonged to both Brandon and Stanley. She could have left cleaning crews to do this, but she wanted to do it herself. She had been in Brandon's quarters before though while clearing it out she comes across a framed photo for the first time. It is a photo that does confirm to her that she had observed Brandon vanish with his family ...