For an acquaintance:
A shiny helmet was found on an archaelogical dig and based on the theory that cave paintings depicting aliens/ufos are correct, a spaceship is sent out to find them. The years pass and I can’t even remember if they are successful, I think I can remember a big row if they should abandon the mission and return to Earth. Eventually they return to Earth and the ending is rather sad, as a lot more time has passed on Earth, so they aren’t welcomed as heroes, merely as relics from a distant past.
Time to correct answer starts…now
Is it a short story? I think I remember reading something like that. Did something go wrong which sparked the fight about abandoning the mission?
No additional info–it’s not my memory, I’m asking for someone else. Is the the longest a “what’s this story” has gone un-answered?!?
Ask the acquaintance for more information. In what year did they read it? Was it in a magazine? Which magazine and how old was it? Was it in a book? How old was the book and was it hardback or paperback? What was on the cover of the book? Did they buy the book or borrow it from a liberary? Where did they read this book? How old were they when they read it?