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electronic signature of any kind?”
    “If you’re asking whether the object has power, the answer is yes. No lights or anything like that, but it’s got functioning electronics on board.”
    “Holy cats.”
    “Yes.”
    “I’d think we would kill to get a look at the technology.”
    “Of course. That’s why we started Prometheus. We needed a way to get out there that wouldn’t take ten years.”
    “And they didn’t want China or somebody turning it into a race.”
    “Exactly. Which is why it’s essential that you say nothing.”
    “But we found out about this thing —what?—fifteen, sixteen years ago, and we still haven’t done anything. Do you by any chance have a secret mission en route as we speak?”
    “No.”
    “So when—?”
    “I don’t know, Gordon. We don’t have the funding.” He closed his eyes and took his head in his hands. “They were talking about it last month, but they went back into Iraq instead.” He was staring at Gordon again. “So what are you going to do?”
    “You’re saying that we can’t put together a Neptune mission because we have to go back into Iraq. Do I have that right?”
    “Yes. So what are you going to do?”
    “The story will be in tomorrow’s paper.
    “You know it’ll ruin me, Gordon—.”
    “I’m sorry, Tom. It’ll be a rough ride for a time. But we’ll give you whatever support we can. Nobody wants to go back into the Middle East. This should be all we’ll need. Just keep your head down and you’ll come out the other end a national hero.”

    “You sure you’re doing the right thing?” asked Molly.
    “Absolutely.”
    “So what do you think is out there?”
    “Nobody knows. But it’s time we found out.”

    * * *

    Jack McDevitt has been described by Stephen King as “The logical heir to Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke.” He is the author of twenty-one novels, twelve of which have been Nebula finalists. His novel  Seeker  won the award in 2007. In 2003, Omega  received the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for best science fiction novel. McDevitt’s most recent books are the Priscilla Hutchins origin adventure Starhawk, and Coming Home, an Alex Benedict mystery, both from Ace.
    A Philadelphia native, McDevitt had a varied career before becoming a writer. He’s been a naval officer, an English teacher, a customs officer, and a taxi driver. He has also conducted leadership seminars for the U.S. Customs Service. He is married to the former Maureen McAdams, and resides in Brunswick, Georgia, where he keeps a weather eye on hurricanes.

What would the space race be without the Russians, our age-old nemesis? In truth, the loss of funding for NASA has found us relying on them in ways we once never imagined. In this next story, Soviet-born Alex Shvartsman imagines his fellow countrymen’s efforts to send the first man to reach a new target in . . .

    THE RACE FOR ARCADIA

    by Alex Shvartsman

    “There’s nothing new under the sun,” said Anatoly, his voice carried via skip broadcast across millions of kilometers of space from the command center at Baikonur.
    Aboard the Yuri Gagarin , Nikolai concentrated on the exposed panel in the inner wall of the ship. He winced at the sight of the cheap Ecuadorian circuitry as he used the multimeter to hunt for the faulty transistor. Damn contractors couldn’t resist cutting corners. He sighed and looked up. Anatoly’s face filled the screen. Nikolai didn’t mind the banter. It broke the routine. He pointed at the opposite screen, which displayed the live feed from outside of the ship, a vast blackness punctured by tiny pinpricks of light. “Which sun?”
    “Our sun. Any sun.” Anatoly shrugged. “You’re a cranky pedant, aren’t you?”
    “Matter of opinion,” said Nikolai, his gaze returning to the uncooperative panel.
    “As I was saying, there’s nothing new under the sun,” Anatoly said. “We won the original space race, when we launched Sputnik a hundred years ago, and we’re