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Ahead the green blue planet loomed, its surface features finally settling and falling within the resolution of the onboard cameras, new command routines only before tested while the probe was on ground set about changing the operation of the probe, reports about status and trajectory relayed back to the home planet, the primitive computers on board began testing the imaging equipment, adjusting for contrast and drift, crude electric heating elements warmed the reactants in the fuel tanks in preparation for orbital insertion.

The systems onboard waited for the confirmation of a transmitted message from the home planet, a message that would nonetheless take minutes to travel the distance, and which would have to be adjusted for any sensible information to be gathered.

The orbiter continued to verify the sensors onboard, every pixel of crude CCD’s were scrutinized for error or for damage, checks made on circuits, and their corresponding backups. Finally the echo arrived, the faint radio transmission received by the large dish that dominated the sunward side of the probe, the digital stream interpreted into numbers, and finally corrected for time differences, repeat messages were then received stating the same, the probes fate was decided.

Gases were leaked form their pressure vessels, combined, and ignited, the vacuum sucked at the reaction, the stream of particles propelling the craft on a new course, the burn only lasted a few seconds, and many longer ones would be required to finish the maneuvers required for it achieve its mission, but already the planet lay directly ahead, the probes destination clear.

Soon the gravity of the looming planet would consume the freedom of the probe, it would no longer have enough propellant to escape its pull, and so the destination became inevitable.