When Maya goes to verify this, Computer responds efficiently for the first time during this crisis. Under the command of Captain Michael, she reads, a mother ship and four Swifts left Earth in 1996 on an interstellar voyage of discovery. Their fate is a mystery due to a sudden break in communications. Her history lesson is interrupted by the pilot requesting permission to land. In spite of the emergency, the Alphans are intrigued by this eccentric character. Koenig clears the Swift for landing. He and Helena Russell go to meet the visitor...but find the ship empty.