The spectral winds of the wormhole blow your tiny spaceship out into the calm black of space. Star-charts reveal that you've been deposited halfway across the galaxy. "Long range scan," you tell the computer.

As the computer's quantum circuits hum you study the nearest star. Unlike the yellow star of your home system, this one is red-giant. Though you're a stick-jock first and a physicist second you estimate it to be more than a thousand times the mass of earth's tiny Sun.

"Scanning complete," the computer announces in its gentle, feminine voice. "Women," Mike can't help but snicker, "doesn't matter if they're made of cells or microchips they're all the same... Thanks toots," you add mockingly to the computer before taking a look at the image diagrammed on the screen before you.

Though a miniature representation of the planets, the holo-screen captured all of their grandeur and detail, right down to the wind patterns of their atmosphere and the number of moons. To your shock, all five planets, are flanked by the flashing green text 'Life.' "All five are populated," you say to yourself, "how can that be."

Keeping one eye on the picture, you check your fuel guage. "Damn, only enough antimatter to get me to one of these rocks. No way I'll be able to break atmo a second time... Gotta choose..."