“Ut unus passus parvus pro viro, saltus gigans pro humanitate,” said Christopher as he bounded off the ladder and alit, the first human being on a celestial body that was not the Earth. “Palermo Control, I stand upon Luna; I repeat, I am standing upon the surface of the Moon. Over to you.” He observed with relief that he was not sinking into the dust, and made a note to collect on the 50-lire bet with Leonardo to that effect, once he’d returned.

After an infinite pause, the Baconian-wave silence was broken by riotous, ecstatic cheering over the suit intercoms. “We hear you, Aquila, magne et clare. That looks beautiful from here. Over.”

“As it does from here, Palermo.” Christopher made a few awkward jumps forward, feeling the reduced Copernican force. He turned to see young Magellan follow down the steps, quite probably to be forever forgotten as merely the second man on the Moon. A pity, thought Columbus, since the Lusitanian truly was a fine navigator.