The further apart we are, the closer I feel. The Goliath will be nearing its maximum velocity, and you’ll give the order to reverse the engines and begin the twenty-day deceleration, riding plasma fumes towards the Mars colony. After a six-day layover to rest, refuel and exchange cargo, you will come home.

Detroit leaned forward and turned off the recorder, ending another message that would never be sent home. The scavenger's autopilot beeped steadily, following the radio beacon from Cleveland. The 360° showed a total whiteout but it'd been that way since he passed through Akron.

Bronwyn stared at the unopened letter on the table as if it might come alive any minute and bite her. The postmark on the envelope read San Francisco, dated three weeks ago. The only person she knew outside of Manhattan who was too cowardly to call was her supposed boyfriend, George Westinghouse III. Nearly seven months ago he boarded a zeppelin heading west, claiming to have found business associates eager to invest in the new Westinghouse Industries. She hadn’t heard from him since.