At 82 Eridani And Beyond

"The Voortrekkers."

The eighth narrative passage, on pp. 264-270, is five and a half pages in length and is a third person account. Organic Joel and Korene cannot survive on a planet of 82 Eridani and receive a terminal injection from robot Korene.

The ninth and concluding narrative passage, on p. 270, is less than a page in length and is a first person plural account by ship Joel and robot Korene. Because of their scientific discoveries in space, organic human beings become able to cross interstellar distances with short transit times and to colonize uninhabited planets. Joel and Korene also bring cultural contact with many other intelligent species and:

material wealth for each individual greater than that of former nations;

growing calm and wisdom learned from manifold reality;

decreasing strife on Earth.

They visit Earth, are greeted graciously and return to space:

"Two in the deeps, two and two on the worlds, we alone remember those who lived, and those who died, and Olaf and Mary." (p. 270)

The two in the deeps are ship Joel and robot Korene. Do they leave a robot Joel and Korene and an organic Joel and Korene on each planet? Olaf and Mary are remembered. Most of the names used in the story are resonant.