The ship was speeding up. All the sensors agreed on that.

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” I announced to the passengers. “Please take your seats for a very special occasion. Kiki’s Time Travel and Emporium want you to know this is the first time in Human history and you are the first people to see this.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we are now heading for our First Contact with a non-earth race. Yes, truly. That ship you see before you is completely alien. Please remain seated while we introduce ourselves.”

“What the hell you go and tell them that for?” Arni demanded.

I flicked through the sensor settings trying to make out anything, any detail that would give us some advantage in this dilemma.

“What did you want me to do?” I shot back. “Ignore it and wait till 3000 people started to panic? You really rather face that scenario?”

“Yeah,” Arni admitted, after thinking for a moment. “You’re right.”

“Come on,” I pulled him over. “We gotta get something on that thing before it does something to us.”