21

‘We have lost half our rations,’ said Franklin, ‘but luckily, we still have enough to make it to Jupiter.’

‘What about the return trip?’ asked Ge Ge.

‘Completing the mission doesn’t include getting home?’ asked Hood.

‘I am confident we will find some trace of the Aliens at Jupiter,’ said Franklin. ‘They won’t let us starve.’

‘That’s ridiculous,’ said Back.

‘The fact of the matter is that we no longer have enough food to make it to Jupiter and back,’ said Franklin.

‘We have to turn around,’ said Hood.

‘It’s not like in the movies,’ said Akaitcho. ‘Even if we burned all our remaining fuel, it wouldn’t get us headed back toward Earth’s orbit.’

A gloom spread over every countenance.¹ When Franklin didn’t add anything to this but continued in silence, Richards said, ‘The people on Earth think they can get us back. There’s this dwarf planet called Ceres that will come close to our course. They say we can make a minor burn to adjust our orbit so we intercept Ceres. Then we can use the planet’s gravity and what’s left of our fuel to put us on a path that will get us back to Earth. It means a longer trip, and we will have to reduce rations. But they are confident it will work.’

This communication was joyfully received by the crew, and relief was evident on every face.² Back even laughed a little.

‘We’re going to be okay,’ said Greenstockings.

‘We’re going home,’ said Hood.

‘As acting commander of this expedition, I believe we should proceed on with the mission,’ said Franklin.

It is unclear why Franklin insisted on this. He was not the sort of man who wanted to be a hero, but I believe he had a psychological need to complete what he was set out to do. In many of the other instances of his life, Franklin exhibited a similar desire to do a good job at what he was assigned. It was not a competitive drive. I think he felt it was righteous.

He continued to insist on continuing to Jupiter, and for a while it looked as though Barrow and the rest of the people on Earth would doom them all by agreeing with him. But in the end they received a communication that said Welles had overruled even Barrow and decided that they should attempt to return by Ceres.