2001 NIGHTS wo.

1
-----

THIS 16
ORION. WE'VE
SHUT OFF OMS-Z,
ENTERING THE
REQUIZED ORBIT
ON SCHEPULE.
ALL POINTS
CLEAR.
DONT OPEN
THE CARGO
BAY, THE
RADIATOR
WON'T BE
ЕХРОбЕР.

PAYLOAD15
IMPORTANT
ENOUGH TO
ENDANGER:
THE OEION--
NOT To
MENTION
орг ге

MIGHT SEE А
MUSHRODM CLOUD
OVER THE
PERSIAN GULF,
CAPTAIN.

БЕЏЕМЕ
THE ZUMOR
THAT THEY'LL
USE NUCLEAR
WEAPONSAT
THE МР EAST
FONT?
HOGWAGH!
ARE YOU
SAYING THAT
THE STAKES OUT OUR NEXT
ARE HIGH INSTRUCTION.
ENOUGH IN YOU'RE THE
THE MIDDLE PILOT, BEN.
EAST 1060 TLL LEAVE
ALL OUT? IT TO YOu.

OKAY,
CAPTAIN,
PREPARE
FOR COURSE
CHA--
WHAT77

THERE'S
SOMETHING IM TRYING
2 ТО IDENTIFY IT
FOR You, BEN
THERE ÅRE MORE
THAN TWO THOU-
SAND SATELLITES
IN EARTH ORBIT
ALREADY... SEVENTY
PERCENT
OF THEM
MILITARY
JOBS.
 А SATELLITE LIKE ITS OF
THATS A WITH ONE SOVIET
> KILLER SHOT! MANUFACTURE
> SATELLITE P
,
 LET'S GO BUT, CAPTAIN--
SLOW, ВЕМ-- THIS ORBIT 16.
BUT STICK LIKE RUNNING
To THE THE GAUNTLET/
COURSE AS THE SCREEN 16
PLOTTED FULL OF THEM!
r

A MISSILE
LAUNCHERZ A
CHEMICAL LASER
WEAPON? NO
MATTEZ WHAT WERE ALL THIS
CARRYING, 115 TRAINING--
BOUNP TO MEAN
TROUBLE / MISSION OF
BRINGING
WAR TO THE
STARS!
HEY! DONT
LEAVE your
SEAT?
 THE GUYS
STUCK AT
MISSION
CONTROL...

DON'T EVER
GET To
FEEL HOW
FREE, HOW
UNLIMITED,
SPACE
REALLY 15.

BUT NO ONE
UNDERSTANDS,
THOSE BASTARDS
AT THE PENTA-
SON SURE AS
HELL DONT
UNDERSTAND
,

WEVE
FINALLY
BROKEN
FREE, WE
HUMANS..

ЈЕ THEY \ ALL OUR

FIGHT NOW, EFFORTS--
U HAW ЛС MEANINGLESS
BEEN FOR \ r
NOTHING.” "1 =
 Т4

om | „За
LOOK!
THEL.N. | am
TOLSTOY ч NER
7 Ü JUMBO
В STATION...

«I DIDN'T
KNOW IT WAS
ALREADY
COMPLETED
WEVE BEEN
BEATEN AT MY бор?
OUR OWN THAT CHAIN OF
GAME... KILLER SATELLITES
WAS JUST те
FRONT LINE no.
DEFENSE. NEVE У ЈЕ
EALL
STEPPEP IN CANTқ
IT Now,
CAPTAIN /

ULTIMATE
MISSION
BE THE
DESTEUCTION
OF
TOLSTOY
7
ra)
IN THE
MIDDLE
DECK-- WEAR Рой"
THE IN CASE OF
AVIONICS* ENERSEN

FIRE
А EXTINGUISHING
>» SYSTEM

MISSION
CONTROL
ГА

AIZ COOLING Er:

SYSTEM HAS т
OVEEHEATEP
DUE TO OUR к
INACCESSIBLE Sam
RADIATOR!

FIZE UNDEE ч)
CONTROL, BUT G)
PLEASE GIVE US
INSTRUCTIONS!

|СА =>
CONTROL
TO ORION! 18
EVERYTHING ALL
RIGHT WITH THE
CARGO БАУ? 16
те LIFE SUPPORT
SYSTEM IN NOR-
MAL OPERATION
=

X SPACE NAVIGATION ELECTRONIC CONTROL SYSTEM

жж PORTABLE OXYGEN SYSTEM
 6 THE
LOAD IN THE
CARGO БАУ
SOMETHING
HUMAN
7'

NO TIME TO FORTUNATELY,
EXPLAIN! JUST THE SHUTTLE SEEMS
FOLLOW YOUR TO BE OPERATING
ORDERS! PERFECTLY. NOW,
BAY ozs!

SUSPICIOUS
MOVES IN
THIS
SITUATION
COULD BE
 МЖ

SOVIET ФРАСЕ

E SHIP SOYUZ WILL

NOW APPROACH
YOU FOR DOCKING.
PLEASE REMAIN
MOTIONLESS,
E]

ww

GENTLEMEN,
THANK YOU
FOR THE
COMFORTABLE
TRIP.

I KNOW
ITS IMPOLITE,
BUT I LISTENED
то your
CONVERSATION
WITH GREAT
INTEREST.
I WOULD LIKE
TO TALK FACE
TO FACE WITH
YOU ON OUE
WAY BACK.

Y AÑ
CAPTAIN...
I KNOW
IVE HEARD
THAT VOICE
SOMEWHERE...

A
WONDERFUL
SPACE
STATION,
ISN'T IT?

TOLSTOY."
WAE--
ANP
 SEE THE
EARTH. 20 AT LAST, I
BEAUTIFUL, UNDERSTAND
ФО BLUE." THE WORDS OF
Your НЕТ
COSMONAUT..

Ef 7 LONGED то
БЕ TALK WITH
YOU LIKE THIS, WHY WOULD
AT A PLACE #
WE POSSIBLY WANT
WHERE МЕ TO SPLIT SUCH
CAN SEE THE BEAUTY IN wor
BARTH... FROM THIS
VANTAGE POINT,
THE REAL
ISSUES BECOME
60 CLEAZ--

CLEAR ТО
BOTH OF us,
TOGETHER,

NEVER
BEFORE HAS
SUCH A MEETING
BEEN POSSIBLE,
TECHNOLOGY,
COOPERATION--
POWERFUL
THINGS.
 NOW, ME. ~
PREMIER, LETS
TALK ABOUT MAT-
TERS ON THAT
PLANET FOR A WHILE.
THERE ARE A LOT
OF PROBLEMS TO
SOLVE BEFORE
WELL BE READY
TO TAKE TO
THE STARS,

>

BEAUTIFUL
PLANET IT
16. FULL OF
THE GLOW OF
LIFE AMIP6T
THE
DARKNESS
OF THE
UNIVERSE.
 E ERTILITY

1
i
С „С >
mease =
KING. MG

IVE HEARD ME. FOSST

ALMOST THE WHOLE THEY HAVE
STORY ON THE RECOVERED
WAY. IM PREPARED MY LITTLE
To VIEW HIS
ZEMAINS. I KNOW
HE HADN'T НАР
OXYGEN FOE
A LONG TIME,
zzzzr-
I AM SINKING...
INTO THE BOTTOM OF A
DEEP BLUE SEA...
897”, SINKING IN AN
OCEAN FULL OF LIVES,
TWINKLING... 22227 қ

THIS 16 THE
LAST ZEPOZT
FROM PETE. IT
WOULD SEEM
THAT, ALONE
UNDEZGROUND,
HE WAS
SOMEHOW
INVOLVED IN
AN ACCIDENT.
 AS YOU KNOW,
THE MOONBAGE 18
LOCATED AT THE
CENTER OF THE
SEA OF FERTILITY.
WEVE BEEN CON-
DUCTING TRIAL
DIES AT A РЕМ
PLACES AROUND
ТНЕЕЕ.

OUR MOST
RECENT
FINDS HAVE
BEEN OLD
METEORITE
CHUNKS,

THIS 12 ONE
OF THEM. IT
SEEMS YOUR

INTERESTING
ENOUGH TO го
SOME INVESTI-
GATING ON
HIS OWN.
You WISH,
DIRECTOR
STEPHENS.
WELL JUST
CONSIDER
IT AN
Ом-тне-врот.
INSPECTION.

ILL ACCOMPANY
YOU. THE MOON
BUS WILL LEAVE
HERE IN ONE
HOUR. ITS oug
LAST SEARCH
PARTY, IM
MATHESON WAS
SUPPOSED то
SD BACK TO
EARTH ON
ARIES TOPAY--
HIS ELEVEN-
YEAR TERM
12 Up.

ITS NOT FAIR!

MY SHIFT 16
OVER I
I WON'T STAY
HERE ANOTHER

IM FEP ЫР
WITH ALL THIS
CRAP! TAKE HIM
TO MEDICAL
AND SHOOT HIM
FULL OF TRANKS/
MAKE HIM ZALM
PONNI
 —

THE MOON T
` MAKI
PEOPLE'S
HEARTS
FROZEN, MY
SISTER...
 THIS was
ONE OF THE
FIRST PLACES
WE VISITED, ме
STEPHENS, WE
NAMED IT “THE
SEA OF FERTILITY.”
IT REVEALS THE
MOON'S ORIGINAL
FORM.

vo you
UNDERSTAND
WHAT IT
STAYED on = WOULD BE LIKE
THE MOON FOR то LIVE IN
JUSTA FEW SUCH A WORLD,
DAYS, BUT WEVE А WORLD WITH
LIVED HERE NO BLUE ØKY,
ALMOST A NO SMELL OF
YEAR NOW, А, NO SOUND
OF WINPT

ENDLESS
WORLD,
BARREN
ANP STILL
AS DEATH.
IT TRIES
PERHAPS
WE SHOULDN'T
COME TO
SUCH A
PLACE.
vo You
UNDERSTAND
2
KNOW THE — Т. JE 16 THE TRIAL
POSITION 5 på y DIGGING OF
IM IN, Í s В MINERAL
DONT g RESOURCES
YOUT — š | GOING AS
ч a SCHEPULEP

КЕ
 YOU KNOW
HOW MUCH OF
THE NATIONAL
BUDGET 16
SET АФІРЕ ТО те МУ
MAINTAIN THE тов То RAISE
MOONBASE, THE FUNDS FOR
DONT your ІТ-- АМ? THAT
MEANS MORE
THAN JUST
тё THE KEEPING POLI-
LARGEST TICIANS HAPPY.
PROTECT IVE ALGO бот
IN UB! TO INTEREST
HISTOZY THE MAJOR
у CORPORATIONS,

THEY WANT WITHOUT е 2С

DOF TH, Я
о тр THEV'LL
INVESTMENT WITHORAW å
WILL TURN A
PROFIT.
ЈЕ THAT
HAPPENS,
WE САМ
KISS THE
MOONBASE
СООРВУЕ--
AND My JOB
WITH IT”

KID, МЕ-- ARE THERE

ANY
HAVE Mark
BEEN ANY
PROMGINS
MINERAL
RESULTS FROM RESOURCES
THE TRIAL

SISTER,
THERE
16 ONE
SECONDS
DELAY
BETWEEN
ив.
 THIS 16 NOTA
PLACE FOR HUMAN
BEINGS. IT 16 A
WORLD COMPLETELY
CUT OFF FROM БИТ THERE
EVEZYTHING THAT в SOMETHING
COMFORTS THE WORSE THAN
HUMAN MIND JUST THE
BARRENNESS
OF THE MOON
CAN You
GUESS WHAT
тет

IMAGINATION.
WHAT IF
THE WHOLE
UNIVERSE
16 LIKE THIS7
THEN WHAT
т

CRUEL ANP ЈЕ
EMPTY... THERE
16 NO SIÓN WHAT
ANYWHERE KIND OF
OF LIFE.
MEANING
CAN WE
EVER HOPE
TO FIN
та

TOWARP
WHAT END
DOES MAN ENOUGH
VENTURE OF YOUR
FORTH INTO CRYING, кору
AN ETEENAL HAVE You
NIGHT OF FORGOTTEN
DEATH? WHO 627
YOU тО THE
MOON IN
THE FIZET
PLACEZ
 WE FIGURE
A METEOEITE
AT LEAST
TWO BILLION
YEARS AGO
CAUSED THIS
IMPACT
CRATER. ITS
A DEEP
ONE.

EVEN 60,
IF IT WERE
ON EAETH,
WEATHEEING
WOULD HAVE
WIPED OUT
EVERY TRACE
BY NOW.

WHAT WE CALL “EAS”

ON THE MOON WERE
ONCE VAST FIELDS
OF LAVA, ALTHOUGH
OVE TRIAL DIGGING
HAS PICKED UP A
SMALL AMOUNT OF NT

=
PRECIOUS ORE.. INTO, ISN'T
IT?
 THIS CAVE WAS
PROBABLY FORMED
WHEN A GAS
BUBBLE SØT
ТЕАРРЕРAS THE
LAVA SEA
SOLIVIFIER

[7..EvEN THOUGH,
IVE FINALLY
ME TO

OF COURSE,
THE GAS ESCAPED
LONG AGO, BUT
THE METEORITE
НАРРЕМЕР TO
CRASH INTO THE
SPACE THAT
REMAINED

LAST ТЕР WE
SEARCHED FOR
PETE IN THIS
AREA. LETS 60
ТО THE MORE
NAEEOW SIPE
THIS TIME.
ШЕ
ШИ)
(и!
ly
|M

те STRONG, ALL
RIGHT! I CANT
те WORTH
INVESTIGATING.
CHARLIE, BRIAN--
YOU STAY HERE.
WELL KEEP
GOING DOWN.

OUR FEET--
вт.

ЕДИ y
ФА
вийыт:SURFACE,
BUT-THIG 15
SEDIMENTARY
ROCK, ENT IT?
16 SUCH A
THING POSSIBLE
ON THE MOONT
 METEORITE
BROKE INTO
THE 646-FILLED
CAVERN, THE
HISH- PRESSURE
GAG ESCAPING
COULP HAVE
CUSHIONED
THE BLOW.

METEORITE,
ITS SPEEP
THUS REDUCED,
COULD BE
LEFT ALMOST
UNDAMAGED та. ITS
ALMOST A
MIRACLE,
COULD А
METEORITE
FZOM TWO
BILLION
YEARS AGO
STILL BE
INTACT?

GET LIGHTS IT'S THE BACK

TOSETHER/ OF THE METE-
HURRY UP/ ORITE! A LAYERS
BEEN EXPOSED--
THERE MIGHT
BE SOMETHING...

LOOK HERE!
PETE NOTICED
THE METEORITE
AND DECIDED
TO INVESTIGATE.
НЕ GOT Too
ABSORBED
AND FELL-
A
LARGE
URANIUM
DEPOSIT AFTER
WAS FOUND HEARING THE
BENEATH NEWS, PEOPLE
THE MOONS WiLL RUSH
SURFACE. HERE TO SEEK
EVEN MORE
PROMISING
RESOURCES,
FIRST TO THE
MOON.
THEN (NTO
SPACE...

„AND FOR Mil

OWN HEART, >
WHICH HAS BEEN
FROZEN,

DONT KNOW
WHERE THE
FOSSILIZED
SCHOOL OF
FISH CAME

MEANS...

„ШЕЕ, Г
SUPPOSE,
FROM THE
SEA ФЕ,
some /
DISTANT `
PLANET... \,
IN SOME
DISTANT
PAST...

15 THIS
EMPTY SPACE
WE SEEK TO
SINCE THE
EXPLOITATION OF
USEFUL MINERAL
RESOURCES ON
THE MOON BEGAN,
SPACE DEVELOP-
MENT HAS BEEN
ACHIEVED STEAPILY
WITH SO-CALLED
*SELF- SUPPORT WE BUILTAN

FICIENCY” y AND
SENGEN FROM THERE EX-
РАМРЕР OUR
BASES TO MARS.
FROM MARS WE
BEGAN TAPPING
THE HUGE MIN-
ERAL RESOURCES
OF THE ASTER-
сүр! BELT.

THE MASS OF THE

ASTEROIPS COMBINED
18 ONE THOUSANPTH
OF THE EARTH--BUT
THEY AZE JUST
FLOATING IN SPACE,
EASY PICKINGS
FOR MINERS.

WE BEGAN
WITH A FULL
INVESTIGATION
OF MINERAL
DISTRIBUTION,
SCANNING
BACH
ASTEROID
AND
NOTING ITS
==
COMPOSITION,

40
 THE HUSE NUMBERS
OF ASTEROIDS APPEAR
TO BE TRACES ОБА
CRASH BETWEEN
TWO CELESTIAL БОР-
IES BILLIONS OF
YEARS AGO, THE
ASTEROIPS, MAINLY
SUN BARTH MARS датерор SCATTEREP BETWEEN
BELT JUPITER ANP MARS,
MEASURE FROM A
FEW METERS 72
HUNDREDS OF kil-
OMETERS IN
DIAMETER.

THE HELIOGYROS
BOPY /S AS LIGHT
AS POSSIBLE.
INSIDE 15
SOPHISTICATED
LASER SURVEY
EQUIPMENT AND
LWING QUARTERS
FOR A CREW
OF TWO MEN.

THE MAIN
INSTRUMENT OF
THE ASTEROID
SCANNING MIS-
SION EPITOMIZES WERE SPLITTING
“SELF-SUPPORT DAY ANP NIGHT
AND SELF- SHIFTS, SCANNING
SUFFICIENCY! THE BELT WITH
THE HELIOGYRO, QUE HELIOGYZO
LIKE A HUGE
CLARA--
SPACE WINDMILL, UNTIL JUST A
REQUIRES MINUTE 460.
NEITHER
ROCKET PRO-
PULSION мож
FUEL.
41
 WE JUST GOT
722 CLOSE. WE
FLY WITH ASPEED
OF AFEW THOUSAND
KILOMETERS PEZ
HOUR, THE
HELIOGYZO 15 OF
SUCH LIGHT CON-
STRUCTION THAT
THERE IS NO
WAY TO SURVIVE
А HIT.

THE TINY
ASTEROIP SLICED
THROUGH THE
RESIDENTIAL
SECTION AS IF
IT WAS BUTTER,
TAKING THE
AZ, SOME
EQUIPMENT,
ANP Му
PARTNER
WITH IT.

WHEN I BEST Z
ALWAYS МЕДЕ A
HELMET AND
PROTECT MYSELF
IN CAGE OF
EMERGENCY.
THE ROS WORKS
AUTOMATICALLY
THAT SAVED
МУ LIFE.

42
 ROGER I
SHE SEEMS
TO BE
ACCELERATING
AS SHE MOVES
AWAY. EVEN
AT FULL
SPEED, IT
WILL TAKE
TEN HOURS
72 CAPTURE
THE GYZO.

THIS 15:
MOTHER.
WEVE GOTTEN
NO RESPONSE
FROM THE
THIRD буг,
CLARA,
RESPOND,
SHUTTLE,

CALCULATIONS
ARE CORRECT,
IT WILL
TAKE TEN
HOURS FOR
THE SHUTTLE |
ТО INTERCEPT

SFARE OXYGEN
TANKS GONE,
ONLY MY
#05 ANP
THIS TANK
ON MY BACK
ARE LEFT

IVE ONLY
бот.
SEVEN
 COMMUNICATION
ANTENNAS
ARE ENTIRELY
DESTROYED,
BLAPE-PITCH
ADJUSTMENT
18 OUT OF
ORDER.
POSITION
CONTROL
SYSTEM 18
NONFUNCTIONAL.

THE COMPRESSED
GAS PRESSURE
FOR EMERGENCY
EXIT 15 DOWN.
THE SOLAR
PANEL POWER
15 AT TWENTY
PERCENT.

WITHOUT CONTROL,
ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO
REDUCE THE SPEED AND IN THE
OR ТО REBOUND. I MEANTIME, THIS
CAN'T EVEN USE EVRO CONTINUES
THE EMERGENCY TO ACCELERATE
SYSTEM TO CUT OFF ENORMOUSLY.
THE BLADES FROM WEVE LOST
THE RESIDENTIAL THE WEIGHT
QUARTERS. OF sO MUCH
EQUIPMENT--
ANP DAVE...
 THE SUN EMITS A
VAST STREAM OF IONIZED
GAS, WHICH RISES LIKE
A WIND IN A HUGE
SPIRAL AS IT 15 PRAGGED
BY THE SUN'S ROTATION.
THE PRESSURE OF THIS
WIND POWERS THE
HELIOSYRO.

EACH OF THE
HELIOGYRO'S
TWELVE BLADES
15 А HUGE
”SAIL" TEN
KILOMETERS
LONG.

GARTH. THE
THIS BIETHPLACE
NEVERENDING OF
WIND FROM HUMANKIND...
THE SUN 16 16 330
READY TO MILLION Kik-
PUSH THE OMETERS
HELIOGYZO FROM HERE--
OUT OF THE JUST ANOTHER
SOLAR POT IN THE
SYSTEM, SKY GETTING
FARTHER
ANP FARTHER
AWAY,
45
 YOU KNOW THAT
THE MOON'S GRAVITY
15 ONE SIXTH OF
EARTH'S 50 IT MAKES
IT EAGIEZ ЕСЕ THE
НЕДЕТ TO WORKT

THAN EARTHANS.

WHEN
I GET
MARRIED
I WANT
те HAVE
Å BABY AT
 MY EX-WIFEI
I PONT
HAVE ANYTHING
TO SAY TO
Yous
ONE MORE
CALCULATION...

AND THEN
FIGURE IN THE
BLADE'S ANGLE OF
GYRATION WITH
RESPECT TO THE
SHUTTLE'S COURSE
AND-AS Z
THOUGHT? THE
MAXIMAL FORCE
истог DOES
POINT TOWARD
THE SHUTTLE,
TOWARP THE
SUN.

EVEN IE I MANAGE
72 ESCAPE THE
HELIOBYZO, MY
INERTIA 15 ONLY
SOING TO KEEP
ME ON THE SAME
COURSE ANP

ZA AN
Å EMERGENCY
WAVE
TRANSMITTER--

гы. RUN
OUT OF

THE WAY TD
GET CLOSER
72 THE
SHUTTLE.
 JUPITER,

ON THE
PLANET,
THERE IS
Å HUGE
HURRICANE
WHICH COULD
SWALLOW
THE EARTH
SOME
TIME IN
TUE FUTURE
THERE MAY

MEN WILL
FIGHT
WITH IT:

BUT NOW I
HAVE 72 MOVE
AGAINST THE
MAELSTEOM
OF THE SOLAR
WING, EREATER
BY FAR THAN
JUPITER"
PITIFUL STORM,
ANP z
MUST po
IT WITH
MANMADE
ROTARY
MOTION.

А6 І
REACH
THE SAILS
ТІР THE
ENORMOUS
CENTRIPETAL
FORCE
MAKES ME
FEEL
THE TWELVE
BLADES,
WAICH
ROTATE
THREE
MINUTES,
DRAW А
CIRCLE
OF TEN
KILOMETER
RADIUS.

ROTARY
SPEEP
BECOMES ITS
MAXIMUM-
1200 RELEASE
KILOMETERS AT THE
PER HOUR-- EXACT
Ar THE MOMENT
CIRCUMFERENCE. THIS
BLADE
MACH ONE
ON EARTHS PACES THE
SUN...
 OLYMPIA,
Me
PALGHTER...

VOLCANO
OF MARS...

PAY WHEN
YOU, A
MODNAN,
АТ LAST
BECOME
A MARSAN.

BUT IT'S
STILL TOO
EARLY
72 ВЕ
ше ОМ
EARTHANS...

IM FRANK
с. BORMAN, АМ
ASTRONAUT, AN
ЕАЕТНАМ WHO
RIDES THE
MAELSTROM
OF SOLAR
WIND...
* POST ERITY
.
 THE
COMET WE
INTENP TO USE
FOR THIS PROTECT
16 NAMED
OZMA Ш.

IT 16 РЕЕСІСТЕР
TO TAKE ACOMPLETE
HYPERBOLIC ORBIT WITH
Å HIGH SPEED OF
BO KILOMETERS PER
SECOND TWO YEARS
FROM NOW, IT
WILL LEAVE OUR
SOLAR SYSTEM
FOZEVER--ON А
COURSE WE
HAVE ALREADY
CALCULATED.

WE WILL CATCH
UP WITH THIS
HIGH-SPEED
COMET AND
ATTACH A THERE
SPACESHIP APPEAR TO
то те BE NO
NUCLEUS. TECHNICAL
PROBLEMS,
ANP THE COST
WILL BE
RELATIVELY
LOW,
 AS YOU KNOW,
THE NUCLEUS OF A COMET
16 LIKE AN ICE BALL,
MADE MOSTLY OF
FROZEN HYPKOGEN,
WATER AND DIRT.
IN THE CASE OF
OZMA Ш, ITS
DIAMETER 16
ESTIMATED AT
FOUR KILOMETERS,

HITCHHIKER N
CAN DIZECTLY
REPLENISH ITS
SUPPLIES FROM
THE COMET'S WA-
TEK AND RICH EN-
EREY RESOURCE:
SUCH AS HEAVY
НУРЕОВЕМ.
рлы
Р
т WILL
BE LIKE
UTILIZING
THE COMET
ITSELF AG A
SPACESHIP.

4
„AG А
NATURAL,
INTEE-
SIDEREAL
SPACESHIP.
 BUT EACH OF
OUR LIVES 16 ALGO
WAGER, AMONG
ALL THOSE WHO
VENTURE OUT, ONL
THOSE GIFTED WITH
STRENGTH AND
LUCK WILL FIND
А HOME FOR
THEMSELVES,

EACH
OF OUR
LIVES BEGINS
WITH A
JOURNEY...
 WE WILL
REPEAT THE
PROTECT SEVERAL
TIMES, М AND
MRS. ROBINSON, IN
THE HOPES THAT
ONE TRIAL 15
SUCCESSFUL.

«WILL BE
COMPLETELY
we FROZEN WITH
REALLY нае
APPRECIATE NITZOGEN
YOUR COOP- AND LOADED
ERATION. ON THE
WHAT SPACESHIP.
YOU'VE
PROVIDED...
 WHAT
WILL
HAPPEN
TO...UH,
THEM...
IF THERE
ISNT A
HABITABLE
PLANET?

IN 6UCH A CASE,
THE FZEEZING
SYSTEM WILL
BE SHUT DONN
FOREVER--
ACCORDING
ONLY
WHEN AN
IDEAL
PLANET 15
ІРЕМТІНЕР
IN THE
DESTINED
SIDEREAL
SYSTEM
WILL THE
FERTILIZATION
ВЕ СОНРОСТЕР

LEVEL OF
TECHNOLOGY,

COMPLETELY THE ASTRO-

HOPELESS. NOMICAL
‘COST,

FOR пет `
SUCH REASONS, \
EVEN
UNMANNED
INTERSIDEREAL
EXPEPITIONS
HAVE NOT BEEN
ATTEMPTEP
SINCE
DISCOVERY
TWENTY
YEARS
_ 460.
 ФО WE
CONCEIVED
OF SPACE
TRAVEL UTILIZING
COMETS--BUT
IT HAS ONE
FATAL
PROBLEM.

THE UNIVERSE
16 VAGT. HOW LONG
Ро YOU THINK IT
TAKES A COMET, WITH
HIGH SPEED OF EIGHTY SIXTEEN
KILOMETERS А бЕС- THOUSAND
OND; ТО REACH ALPHA YEARS! |F Å
CENTAURI, THE NEAREST FIXED STAR №
FIXED ТАК TO OUR MORE THAN TEN
SOLAR SYSTEM? LISHT-VEARS AWAY,
THATS 4,5 LIGHT THE JOURNEY
YEARS AWAY... WOULD
= TAKE MORE
THOUSAND
YEARS!

TO COME up
WITH A MEANS oF
ACCELERATING THE
PROCESS. AFTER
CANNIBALIZING ALL
THE COMETS
RESOURCES, WE
WILL EXPLODE
 THEN THE
SPACESHIP WILL
REACH SPEEDS
OF TEN THOUSAND
KILOMETERS AN
HOUR! IN THIS
WAY, WE DECREASE
THE AMOUNTOF
TIME NECESSARY
TO JUST SEVERAL
HUNDRED

А NORMAL
HUMAN БОРУ,
HOWEVER,
COULD NEVER
STAND SUCH А ONLY
RAPID ACCEL- MACHINES
ERATION. AN?
COMPLETELY
FROZEN OVA
AND
SPERMATOZOA
САМ
WITHSTAND:
т.
 тиеуге оше,
BABIES,
"FAR AWAY
> IN THE
l 2 теу + UNIVERSE,
BORN... ALL BY
THEMSELVES
7
 LETS HAVE
OUR BABY,
АМ ©
22%
* OWN BABY.
 HES THE
TWENTY-THIRD
CHILD, ISNT
 THAT'S
TAU CETI--

IVE ЕБАР
THAT IN THE TWEN-
ПЕТИ CENTURY THERE
{| WAS A RESEARCH
РЕОТЕСТ NAMED OZMA.
THEY TRIED ТО
RECEIVE ELECTRIC
WAVES FROM OTHER
CIVILIZATIONS IN THE
UNIVERSE. ITS FIZST
TARGET WAS TAU CETI.
 THAT'S WHY
ГАР NAMED THIS
SECOND PLANET OF
TAU 'OZMA." IT WAS
ALSO THE МАМЕ OF
THE COMET THAT
BROUGHT US HERE.

DEAR.
couLp ури
ALSO CHECK
THE ANGLE OF
THE SOLAZ
PANEL Т
IT семе
WE GOING
TO LAND
THEZE Z

Е
COMPUTER
WILL DECIDE.
THE WHILE
COMPUTER WE ARE
FOUNP THIS IN Ойт,
PLANET. ІТ 18
SEARCHING

HUMAN BEINGS
TO LIVE. (ENT
THAT RIGHT,

WHILE THE
COMPUTER HAS
BEEN CHECKING,
YOU GUYS WEZE YOU'LL
BORN AND LAND
BEGAN TO SOON...
GROW UP...
 WELL, THE
EAETH WAS
A BEAUTIFUL
BLUE PLANET
LIKE THIS
ONE, KAREN..
 A LONG
TIME AGO, THERE
NERE MANY
PEOPLE WHO
IMAGINEP MANY
THINGS WHILE
LOOKING AT A
STARRY SKY--
JUST LIKE THEY `
us,
THOUSHT,
“SOMEDAY, I
WANT TO 60
TO THAT
STAR. WILL
THERE EVER

VISIT THE
STARST"

THAT
STAR 16 FROM
THE SUN,
KAREN. THE EAETH, `
TAU СЕТ
TRY TO WOULD BE
REMEMBER TWINKLING
IT, OKAY
ка WAY,
WOULDN'T

МАМУ
PEOPLE
LIVED AND
DIED
DEEAMING THE FIRST
SUCH TIME, WE
HAVE COME
TO ONE
 он,
CHRIS!
WHAT
HAPPENED? МО РАР!
WHY 60 THE CAPSULE
SUDDENLY 16 OUT OF
т ORPER RIGHT Ñ
NOW!

THEN
LETS USE
THE OXYGEN €
SYSTEM. TOBY-

KAREN,
BRING THE CHRIS,
MEDICINE CHRIS? YOU
FROM THE ARE ALL
CABINET IGHT,
” AREN'T You?
YOU'LL
BE ALL
RIGHT.../
 NOW,
TOBY, MARK,
AND ELLEN--
BLOW IT
OUT АТ THE
SAME TIME,

AND HERE'S YOUR

PRESENT-- THE
SEEDS OF WHEAT.
AN? FOR ELLEN,
THESE SUNFLOWER LANDING
SEEDS. MAKE ON OZMA,
THEM GROW MAKE THE
CAREFULLY. PLANTS OF
EARTH
FLOURISH,
ALL
BISHT?
 SEE THE
MOUNTAINS?
 THE TWENTY-TWO
CHILDREN LANDED
ON PLANET OZMA
OF THE TAU СЕП
SYSTEM IN CETUS,
UP LIGHT YEARS
AWAY FROM EARTH.
TWELVE YEARS
LATER, THE FIRST
RADIO REPORTS
ЕЕАСИЕР EARTH.

THOSE
DIRECTLY
INVOLVED
IN THE
PROTECT,
HOWEVER,
NEVER
KNEW 1 ү
OF ITS IT HAD
SUCCESS. J BEEN
375 YEARS
SINCE THE
SPACESHIP
HAD LEFT
THEIE
SOLAR
SYSTEM.

78 Night 4: fin