 What could the moral of the story be?
For eighty years now, they’d been sending out the little ships that vanished at greater than the speed of light, equipped with every conceivable device to make them return automatically after taking pictures of wherever they arrived. He barely mentioned being married on the way or his dozen children, but filled most of the frame with glowing description and a plea for his father to join him there! The discovery that men could live practically forever had put an end to most family ties; sentiment wore thin in half a century—which wasn’t much time now, though it had once seemed long enough. Pre-setting a course may take centuries, if we can ever master it. Heroism had belonged to those who knew their days were numbered, anyhow.
 Mortality is crucial to enjoy life to the fullest.
 People will make sacrifices like the one Giles made at the end for the greater good.  Mortality is crucial to enjoy life to the fullest.  Given the chance, humans will chase after immortality.  Fear of aging is normal, but aging is unavoidable.