Read "Starman's Quest" by Robert Silverberg online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
The _Valhalla_ touched down on Earth at 1753 on the nose, to nobody's very great surprise. Captain Mark Donnell had not missed schedule once in his forty ship years in space, which covered a span of over a thousand years of Earth's history.
Landing procedure was rigidly set. The Crew debarked by family, in order of signing-on; the only exception to the order was Alan. As a member of the Captain's family -- the only other member, now -- he had to wait till the rest of the ship was cleared. But his turn came eventually.