The lucky members of this epic mission were summoned to Zalateya, the science research moon which was also the construction site for TSD-1 vessel. As the moon’s atmosphere was very thin due to its weak gravity, the whole engineering process was done on the surface, rather than in orbit. The carefully selected crew members, the pioneers as they called them, arrived at the location.
The first and foremost was the ship’s captain. Her name was Celeste, a meticulous scientist in fields of anthropology and physics, famous for her unique skills in diplomacy and particle physics. Although the term "anthropology" applies to Earthlings, in this case, it refers to studies of the Zygnian past, their culture, their behavior, and their development as a species. Celeste came from a long line of scientists and explorers, both physical and telepathic. Zygnians were able to venture out into space without physically leaving their home planet; for them, the telepathic exploration was on par with the physical one, as there was no difference in sensory input or perception. Although this posed a safe and engrossing way to explore the nearby systems, this form of exploration was limited to their own galaxy, the Zygnus-GX.
Every vessel, alien or otherwise, needs a capable chief engineer aware of all the vessel’s technological nuances. A’Meki was the perfect candidate. Peculiar type he was, exclusively telepathic and endowed with a talent for improvisation. Mending and combining seemingly incompatible technologies was one of his specialties. He was the oldest member of the crew, one of the first graduates of Zaryssa academy of advanced mechanics. His ancestry, which he was immensely proud of, boasted skilful engineers who had made a number of important scientific contributions to the Zygnian communal mind.
With all the automation of TSD-1 and the telepathic mind-network, a skillful navigator was still of utmost importance. Venturing into the unknown was no easy task, not even for highly advanced societies such as this one. Even the wisest minds in the field of cartography lacked one crucial character trait; the comfort of their own home far outweighed the zeal for exploring the universe. Fortunately, one such prodigy emerged from one of the educational facilities of Prozius. Vorta was her name, and her reputation preceded her. She was obsessed with mapping, passionate about star charts, or any kind of maps for that matter. She was an esteemed master of navigation, and a perfect candidate for the voyage into the uncharted galaxies.