Travel at Light Speed

[Verse 1] A fleet appears against the stars And stops as if on cue. The speed is gone. The energy? Does that just vanish too? Dump all that energy as heat— The walls begin to bow. You won't just hit the cabin wall— The whole ship's plasma now. [Chorus] Light-speed travel—your life's at stake; A sudden stop can kill. The hull becomes a plasma cloud Before the ship stands still. And if you live to make it home, Who'll still be there for you? The years have taken those you loved And everyone you knew. [Verse 2] Take ninety-nine point nine percent Of light speed—start to brake. Hold one gee steady all the way— How long does braking take? Three years, eight months aboard this ship— That's what the crew lives through. Meanwhile, back home, the years add up To nearly twenty-two. [Chorus] Light-speed travel—your life's at stake; A sudden stop can kill. The hull becomes a plasma cloud Before the ship stands still. And if you live to make it home, Who'll still be there for you? The years have taken those you loved And everyone you knew. [Verse 3] Luke trained while Chewie played his chess; We felt the time go by. But older ships in newer films Just cut from sky to sky. Say seventy thousand light-years— How long to fly that far? Light speed times seventy thousand: A year to reach that star. [Verse 4] If light speed plus a half's your boast, Who'll hear what you have learned? 93,000 years have passed By the time you've returned. One gee of thrust till halfway there, Then brake at one gee too. Some twenty years aboard that ship Before the flight is through. [Verse 5] Obi-Wan flew beyond the Rim, Confined to one small chair. He steps outside—why doesn't he Just stretch out his legs and back and arms? What did you eat along the way? And where'd you go to pee? Or does the Force take care of that? Explain that trick to me. [Bridge] To dump the waste, just vent to space And blow it out of sight. But in that seat, how do you wipe? The cockpit's far too tight. [Final Chorus] Light-speed travel—your life's at stake; A sudden stop can kill. The hull becomes a plasma cloud Before the ship stands still. That evil Emperor you feared? A myth the old songs tell. The people who once sang those songs May all be gone as well.