Uncle Nick was this old fizzler on the Hill. The grownups called him Nicholas Baker and the kids all called him Uncle Nick, but the army couldn't fool me. I knew he was Niels Bohr, the world's greatest atomic scientist, all the way from Denmark.

Kadara was of great interest to the Andromeda Initiative after it appeared on long-range surveys. Seemingly abundant liquid water and an oxygen-mix atmosphere made it a strong candidate for settlement, earning it the designation Habitat 4. Closer range surveys now reveal that Kadara's water sources are tainted and unpotable.

He was arrested for fomenting a riot; after all, it's bad enough being in a riot but starting one is much worse.

The moment I saw the man standing there, registering respectful attention, a weight seemed to roll off my mind. I felt like a lost child who spots his father in the offing. There was something about him that gave me confidence.