Blish,James – And all the Stars a Stage

very large brilliant stars, like our old one, are pretty rare, and they

aren’t necessarily the only type which might bear planets suitable for us.

Even back home, from the lunar observatory, it was possible to detect four

faint nearby stars, each of which had at least one planetlike companion; so

actually planets must be relatively common.

“In other words, if the computer has made a mistake,” Ailiss said, “we hope

it’s a happy accident.”

“You could put it like that.”

“We’ll close in,” Ertak decided. “But cautiously. Birn, I want a tangential

approach, arriving at right angles to a radius of the total system at a

distance of about a light year. Thereafter we’ll spiral inward, making sure

we don’t miss any planets on the way; if we do make a landing, I don’t want

anybody on the back of my neck that I’m unaware of. Ailiss, begin to scan

for patterned electromagnetic disturbances of any kind and keep at it until

further orders. If the computer thinks there might be an inhabitable planet

here, it may very well be inhabited as well … Dr. Kamblin, you have that

expression of mild indigestion again. Any comments?”

“Nothing serious. But at the rate this star is burning its hydrogen, it

can’t be much more than a thousand million years old. There’s a question in

my mind as

106 fames Blish

to whether any of its planets can be far enough along in their evolution to

support life in any form.”

“That will wait upon inspection. What else?”

“I think a light year is unnecessarily far out. A sun this small couldn’t

support a solar system much larger than half that diameter.”