It's eighty six years later, isn't it?
Time dilation. Just like we predicted.
JEREMY
It would seem so.
ALEC
If you're still alive, then...
JEREMY
No, Alec. I'm sorry. I've already done
the research.
ALEC
So it's true. Everyone's really dead.
Kristin, Steve, all my family, all my
friends...
JEREMY
To be honest, I never found out what
happened to Kristin but eighty six years
is a long time.
Alec's eyes lose focus. He reflects in silence for several
minutes before regaining his composure.
ALEC
How old are you?
JEREMY
A hundred and eight.
ALEC
What have you been doing all these years?
JEREMY
Actually, that's something we need to
discuss.
ALEC
Okay...
JEREMY
I stole the crystal from you. The one in
your sub was a blank.
ALEC
Come again?
JEREMY
I discovered hidden information on the
alien data crystal so I switched it with
a blank. I was concerned that the
information might be lost if something
happened to your sub.
ALEC
Wow, that was pretty uncool, dude.
JEREMY
But it totally paid off.
ALEC
If you say so. Does this payoff have
anything to do with the reason you're on
this military base?
JEREMY
Not really.
ALEC
It can't be a coincidence that you're
here right after they picked me up.
JEREMY
It's no coincidence. I tracked your sub
as it approached. It seems that three
ships followed you back here but we don't
have any information on them yet.
ALEC
That's pretty scary. So what was this
hidden information you found?
JEREMY
Schematics for your neutrino engine for
starters. Also, the complete genome for a
microbe that we bred and used to
terraform Venus.
ALEC
Venus has been terraformed?
JEREMY
Sort of. The microbes excreted carbon as
a waste product and it built up in the
atmosphere to form a sort of shell around
