There were those who argued everything outside of their atmosphere was a hoax. Even as space travel became mundane, no longer a mad fantasy of the most daring dreamers but a common chore, there were people proselytizing its falsehood.

Fanatics in the street, on late night TV.

Takasugi paid them no mind.

"Ah. Of course. The aliens that brought you here want you to prove yourself." Of that he's sure, though the rubric is a mystery to him. After all, he'd spent a year sewing distrust and they'd returned his ship to him.