Dapper left with his hand on Jasper’s shoulder. The boy wondered about the mountain scene that he saw on the commander’s hullercast door. Peering up at Dapper, he asked, “Does the commander like mountains?”

“No. He likes the ocean. It was his wife who loved the mountains.”

•

They entered the bridge and walked to the chair where Jasper’s blanket and pillow were waiting for him. Taking his pillow in his hand, Jasper asked, “Will I get to see rest of the ship when I wake up?”

“Yes. I promise you will get a personal tour tomorrow,” Dapper said.

He opened up the blanket, expecting Jasper to get into the chair. Looking over the top of it, he realized that the boy was gone. Turning around, he found him at the NV table, peering into it. Letting out a sigh, Dapper went to retrieve the child. Jasper was gently running his fingers along the top, while laying his face against it.

“Jasper,” said Dapper quietly. Jasper lifted his chin. The two just looked at each other before the moment of silence was broken. “Do you want to see what an NV table looks like when it is on?”

Jasper beamed at the white-haired man and straightened up. Dapper smiled, rested his hands lightly on the edge of the table, and said, “Watch the top.”

The boy stared into the table to see it instantly light up from within. Inside, an image of part of the galaxy appeared, complete with the planets, moons, comets, and cosmic debris. Each planet and moon looked real, as if it had been captured in space, shrunk, and put into the table.