The UMP Cruiser is wading its way through a cloud of particulate matter, making the crew a little bit stir crazy. Stewart decides to occupy everyone’s time with the creation of a message announcing the ship’s – and humanity’s – presence in this universe, to be broadcast when the Cruiser emerges from the cloud. Karen and Michael are assigned to get the ship’s ansible ready to transmit, which involves sending A.R.T. outside to perform the maintenance without risk of human life, though Zalian is concerned about his robotic friend’s welfare (with good reason, as it turns out). Stewart, Kent and Tina work on the content of the message itself, unable to agree on whether they should present themselves as powerful aggressors or passive, harmless beings. Of course, if A.R.T. meets a terrible fate outside the ship, the message will never be sent.
written by Jacob Young
directed by Lucia Aniello
music by Orr Rebhun & Erica Weis
Cast: Trace Beaulieu (A.R.T.), Neil Casey (Kent Woolworth), Eugene Cordero (Michael Newman), Joel Hodgson (Zalian Fletcher), Conor Leslie (Natasha), Bess Rous (Karen Lipinski), Karan Soni (Stewart Lipinski), Milana Vayntrub (Tina Shukshin), Dave Franco (Chad), Sherry O’Connor (A.R.T. Puppeteer #2)
Note: The term “ansible” – a transceiver capable of faster-than-light communications – was first used by SF author Ursula K. LeGuin in 1966, though the (still fictional) concept of FTL communications has been around nearly as long as knowledge of the speed of light.
LogBook entry by Earl Green