One of the best of Arthur's later novels was "The Songs of Distant Earth", published in 1986, although it was based on a 1958 short story. Arthur said it was his favourite of all his novels. This novel is mostly set in the 39th century after Earth is destroyed by The Sun going Nova. The starship Magellan, which left Earth just before its destruction, stops off at the planet Thalassa which is occupied by an Earth colony.
What happened on Thalassa after Magellan departed? Everything belongs to the late, great Sir Arthur Charles Clarke.
#######################
Three months after the departure of Magellan it made its last transmission to Thalassa.
"Dear friends on Thalassa, this is Captain Bey on Magellan. We are now at our maximum interstellar velocity and are on course to Sagan 2. Hopefully the temporary repairs we made to your communications antenna mean that you will receive this transmission. I recommend that you get the communications antenna properly repaired so you can send us your news as we travel to Sagan 2. Get Owen Fletcher and his Martian comrades to take charge of the repairs, in spite of our differences I still think Mr. Fletcher is a good engineer.
There are just 10 of us still awake, after this transmission we will all go into suspended animation for the next 200 years. Thank you again for everything on our visit to Thalassa, we will never forget you. Bey out."
The next day Mirissa Leonidas gave birth to her son Kumar Lorenson.
#######################
Three years later President Sarah Noguchi had a visitor.
"Ah, Mr. Fletcher, thank you for coming today. How are enjoying life on Thalassa, do you miss your starship."
"Life is good Madam President, I am happy to be here, my daughter was born last month. How are you enjoying being President?"
"Six more months, then my time is up and I can get back to being Professor Noguchi at the University. I have invited you here to thank you for your efforts in getting the communications antenna back operational so quickly."
"Thank you Madam President, I had a lot of help with the work. We have just sent a test message to Magellan, they are about ten light months distant so hopefully we should get an automatic reply in twenty months. Then we can let my old shipmates know what is going on here."
Before the President could reply her desk communicator started buzzing
"Excuse me Mr. Fletcher. This is the President, why am I being interrupted, you know I have a visitor? Krakan, are they OK?"
"Is there a problem Madam President?"
"There certainly is Mr. Fletcher, two divers on the sea bed have been attacked by Sea Scorpions!"
