Prologue

Video diary of the commander of the intergalactic cruiser Myr
Log entry No. 2791

My beloved little daughter,
Never before have words come to me with such difficulty…

This morning you were sleeping sweetly on my shoulder, and I watched in fascination as your chubby little cheeks rose and fell almost imperceptibly. I stroked your tousled hair, still slightly damp from sleep, and wished with all my heart that this moment could stretch on forever.

Even then, I was gripped by a premonition of inevitable separation, so when the phone rang, I already knew what awaited me on the other end.

An hour later, a silvery channel of the cosmic teleporter was carrying me at tremendous speed to the far edge of the galaxy.

You are still so very small, and perhaps you don’t yet know what a “teleporter” is. Imagine a gigantic subway system, where instead of ordinary stations there are entire planets. My task is to reach one of them.

They say it resembles our Earth. Slightly smaller, true, but overall quite suitable for life. I am to study it thoroughly. Still, it is hard for me even to imagine how many weeks—or perhaps months—that will take.

For a few seconds, concern flickered across his face. He tried to calculate the time difference, but the calculations required too much concentration, so he went on.

I love you very much. Be a good girl and listen to Mommy.
Kisses.

— Captain!

The first pilot’s address tore him away from the monitor.

— What is it, Lieutenant?

— Permission to report. The intergalactic cruiser Myr has entered the orbit of T-431. Shall we proceed with landing?

— We’ll wait until morning. A new day—new discoveries.

The commander followed the pilot with his gaze as he slowly left the cabin, then stepped closer to the porthole.

The bluish haze of the unknown planet looked strikingly similar to Earth’s, and its glow made the captain’s chest tighten. He recalled a carefree, sunlit morning filled with the scent of peonies and freshly cut grass drifting through open windows, the gentle flutter of curtains stirred by the warm breath of summer. In his memory arose his daughter’s tender face, her ringing laughter, and the quick patter of nimble little feet that always preceded another attempt to wake Daddy.

“I am here, my little one, even if thousands of light-years lie between us,” he whispered, staring into the dark abyss of space.