 What would've happened if Captain Llud tried to turn around and change course from Earth?
He had already set up on the calculator a course that would carry them to Earth. Certainly the building of this ship and its two sisters, the immense expenditure of time and labor and energy stores that went into them, left Earth's economy drained and exhausted. It would be a one-way journey—even if enough fuel remained, there would be little point in returning to Earth after more than forty thousand years. "That was why the planners limited our voyage, and those of the other Quests , to less than a thousand years Earth time. The stars had claimed his heart—but he was still a part of Earth, and not even nine hundred years of space and time had been able to alter that.
 They probably would've been shot at and the passengers would've died eventually with low resources.
 They probably would've been shot at and the passengers would've died eventually with low resources.  They would've tricked one of the ships into housing all of the passengers and flying home on that ship instead of the Quest III ship.  They would've been left alone by the Earthen ships and accepted once they discussed matters some more.  The Earthen ships would've trapped and invaded the Quest III ship and held the passengers hostage.