# To Be Taught If Fortunate - Author: - Genre: #### Kindle Highlights #### Notes This story provided a great sense of science realism. The astronauts lived in a state of torpor then activeness to perform the duties of exploration of the celestial bodies designated for research. Each of the objects they visited, ranging from moons to planets offered their own discoveries, no matter how small or grand. The manner in which it depicts not just the engineering required of the human element but of the life forms was pretty incredible & believable. I appreciated the various attitudes & perspectives of each of the astronauts, from devout meteorologist, interested biochemist, adventurous geologist, & dedicated engineer. The way in which they survived the perils of interstellar space travel was one that I could really see being practical to maintaining the human condition. They utilized a bio-engineered method that altered their physiological state to accommodate whatever was required for them depending upon the needs of the environment they were in. From cold moon, increased gravity of a planet two times larger than Earths, an aquatic planet & even a barren desert moon(?). The question asked of what it means to be responsible explorers is posed along with what it means to be galactic citizens. Ultimately they are faced with the question of how they should move forward given that a cataclysmic event has affected Earth, leaving them with no real direction given their circumstance of being light years away from their home. With no communications from Earth, they leave a final message to whomever may receive that their path forward is up to those that answer it. Do they return home to Earth or elsewhere for the sake of continued exploration...