461 The Farthest Frontier

During the terrorist attacks, the asteroid belt.

In the silence of space between Mars and Jupiter, a rocket engine had been decelerating for a few days as it neared the first marked object in the main asteroid belt of the solar system.

Many such vessels had been sent, each of them targeting specific asteroids in the belt. This one in particular was approaching 4 Vesta. Its velocity had already decreased to a point where it would survive if it impacted its target, but the engine continued slowing it down as it approached for a soft landing.

*Initiating anchors.... Initiated. Deploying anchors for catch maneuver,* the VI responsible for monitoring and controlling the vessel logged and reported back to the central AI.

*Approaching target. Distance 600... 500... 450....* It continued reporting and logging the flight data as it approached 4 Vesta, continually updating the record as it happened.