The Comet Killer

– So, do we have a chance of finding intelligent life outside our planet or not? – If it's difficult to find intelligent life on Earth, imagine outside of it! No chance, Arthur! We haven't even left the gravitational influence of Mars and the two jokers on the crew have already started their philosophical discussions. Our spacecraft, the Kosmos Pioneer, has finished its acceleration towards Earth, and we can turn off the main thrusters (powered by hydrogen and oxygen) and initiate the artificial gravity system (a rotational movement of the module, counterbalanced by the main thrusters, in the opposite direction). – The possibility of having found traces of microbial life on comet Wild 2, in a vein near the spacecraft's docking site, is already a resounding scientific advance. This fact alone, duly confirmed, demonstrates that life outside Earth is possible. – So, have we found possible extraterrestrials, Elena? – If life on Earth originated from one of the countless comets that struck it, the conclusion is that we are all extraterrestrials, our origin is extraplanetary. – Well, then all a person has to do is go out on the street and they'll find aliens, just like them? – You guys can joke about anything, can't you, Artur and Mateus? – It's just that I take my sense of humor very seriously. Mateus's laughter echoed through the intercom, but was promptly cut off by the melancholic and incisive tone of Sofia Sokolova, our co-pilot. Her voice was as calm as an iceberg, coming directly from the advanced navigation panel. – The habitation module has completed the necessary rotation. The transition of the centripetal force is creating an artificial gravity gradient of 0.9g, a very pleasant environment for our journey. But if you start floating and gesticulating like frightened gazelles, the way you did on the outward journey, you'll induce an unnecessary moment of oscillation in the external balancing tanks.