 What is the meaning of the lag between Herell’s radio and the Jodrell Bank?
Whatever it was, he had no business in it; for five minutes before he had been spaceborne, on the Long Jump from Earth to the thriving colonies circling Betelgeuse Nine. There simply was no way for him to get from a warm, bright navigator's cubicle on Starship Jodrell Bank to this damned, dark, dismal hole of a place where everything was out to hurt him and nothing explained what was going on. Item, a short time ago—subjectively it seemed to be minutes—he had been aboard the Jodrell Bank with nothing more on his mind than completing his check-sighting and meeting one of the female passengers for coffee. "This is Herrell McCray, calling Jodrell Bank .
 Because the radio transmits faster than the speed of light, the lag indicates Herrell is nearly 500 light years away from his ship.
 Because the radio transmits faster than the speed of light, the lag indicates Herrell is nearly 400 lightyears away from his ship.  Because the radio transmits faster than the speed of light, the lag indicates Herrell is too far from his ship to ever be rescued.  Because the radio transmits faster than the speed of light, the lag indicates Herrell is nearly 500 light years away from his ship.  Because the radio transmits only a bit slower than the speed of light, the lag indicates Herrell is only 500 light years away from his ship.