Ryan triple checked his calculations and breathed a sigh as he realized that he still had 15 minutes left before check in. He had already gone over his notes at least twice in their entirety.
Orion Andromeda Sterling, or Ryan (as he insisted on being called), was a student at the academy for space exploration, or ASE. He and his family were explorers on the planet X-9147 in the Andromeda Galaxy. Humans had long ago left earth and now traveled the stars, ever outward, to compensate for their immense population. After 5 generations, an ASE would be established on a planet, and the students of that academy would then set out to the next nearest habitable planet to settle it. This was the cycle of the human race for nearly 4,000 years. Ryan looked back through his notes one last time, and headed for the line.
It was time for his final exam.