William's spaceship tore through space with a sharp, continuous swish, its hull cut cleanly through the dark expanse as it headed north toward the World Academy ground station.
The stars outside the viewing screen stretched into thin streaks of light, bending and shifting as the spacecraft maintained its speed.
He had already decided that he would not approach within 100 miles of the academy's territory and draw unnecessary attention.
Instead, he planned to stop several hundred miles away and complete the remaining distance on foot, keeping his return quiet and unremarkable.
William leaned slightly forward and pulled out the mission slip he had issued from the mission hall before leaving.
The thin sheet rested lightly between his fingers.
As his eyes scanned the contents again, a faint bitterness surfaced in his chest.
The man mentioned in the mission slip was already dead, long before William had even reached the experimentation base.
