I mean:

Suppose that, for some reason, feasible inter-stellar space travel [i.e., consisting of journeys to far stars, even in neighboring galaxies, that take place well within the subjective lifetime of the inter-stellar space traveler, and are not longer than a few subjective months of his life, to get to destinations a few millions of light-years away, and to return from them--in effect, when, due probably to our first mastery of nuclear fusion, the universe will lie before us, inviting and, owing to the new quality of our ships and our expert use of the astrolabe, accessible as never before: the world as it appeared to Francis Drake. Exploitation? Well, Trade.  I cannot, dare not, hope to deliver the Caca-Fuego, (she shits fire) Nuestra Señora de la Concepción; but let's say that I might, safely, promise Trade and Dazzling, virtually Infinite Scholarship. Imagine what there is to be known in a dozen galaxies! What would be the Life of Academe that was 10,000,000,000 years old?] developed as slowly and steadily as all the anti-hysterics want us to believe that it must, and not otherwise, develop; with no explosions, or eruptions, or scandalous revelations--[and suppose that] it stuck there, in prime business mode, for a very long time, with few innovations in the quasi-magical physics of atomic fusion and time travel, in the temporal frame of the deliberations of which, the protocol of the science which produced inter-stella space travel might advance but slowly, over subjective centuries of the travelers' lives. Such that, in the end, say, 500 or a thousand years hence, everyone might have his own, favorite universal settings--just as everyone now has his cell phone, and is, so to speak, god.

It is to be remembered that Drake had, with all the singers and instrumentalists in his crew, a fairly sizable consort of musicians aboard the Golden Hind, listening to whose music he much enjoyed, especially at dinner, and which much impressed both the Portuguese and denizens of the Spice Islands.  I Remember it, and think it, and Jahangir's organ*, the two coolest damned things that ever happened in the history of music and the world.

*which that amazing man and Mughal emperor, Jahangir, greatest of bisexuals, father of Shah Jahan (Taj Mahal), had made for himself and shipped to him from England, and himself played, being particularly fond of English music, such as Tallis and Byrd--Our relationship (and soul-connectedness) goes way back.