diff --git a/db.go b/db.go
index cdbc8ff..c245411 100644
--- a/db.go
+++ b/db.go
@@ -68,13 +68,43 @@ func setupDb() {
 	planetsData()
 	edgesTable()
 	playersTable()
-	// fillEdges(db, idx)
+	fillEdges()
 }
 
-func fillEdges(db *sql.DB, planets map[int]System) {
-	for i := 0; i < len(planets); i++ {
-		for j := i + 1; j < len(planets); j++ {
-			log_info("distance from %s to %s: %v", planets[i].name, planets[j].name, planetDistance(planets[i], planets[j]))
+func fillEdges() {
+	row := db.QueryRow(`select count(*) from edges;`)
+	var n int
+	if err := row.Scan(&n); err != nil {
+		log_error("couldn't get number of edges: %v", err)
+		return
+	}
+	if n > 0 {
+		return
+	}
+	for i := 0; i < len(index); i++ {
+		for j := 0; j < len(index); j++ {
+			if i == j {
+				continue
+			}
+			if index[i] == nil {
+				log_error("wtf there's nil shit in here for id %d", i)
+				continue
+			}
+			if index[j] == nil {
+				log_error("wtf there's nil shit in here 2 for id %d", j)
+				continue
+			}
+			dist := index[i].DistanceTo(index[j])
+			log_info("distance from %s to %s: %v", index[i].name, index[j].name, dist)
+			_, err := db.Exec(`
+                insert into edges
+                (id_1, id_2, distance)
+                values
+                (?, ?, ?)
+            ;`, i, j, dist)
+			if err != nil {
+				log_error("unable to write edge to db: %v", err)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 1cef70a..25d24b2 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -96,6 +96,18 @@ func handleConnection(conn *Connection) {
 					})
 				}(otherSystem)
 			}
+		case "nearby":
+			neighbors, err := planet.Nearby(25)
+			fmt.Fprintf(conn, "fetching nearby star systems\n")
+			if err != nil {
+				log_error("%v", err)
+				break
+			}
+			fmt.Fprintf(conn, "found %d nearby systems\n", len(neighbors))
+			for _, neighbor := range neighbors {
+				other := index[neighbor.id]
+				fmt.Fprintf(conn, "%s: %v\n", other.name, neighbor.distance)
+			}
 		case "quit":
 			return
 		default:
diff --git a/system.go b/system.go
index 1d0e6a2..341ecb7 100644
--- a/system.go
+++ b/system.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ var (
 )
 
 type System struct {
+	id      int
 	x, y, z float64
 	planets int
 	name    string
@@ -59,10 +60,44 @@ func (e System) Store(db *sql.DB) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (s *System) DistanceTo(other *System) float64 {
+	return dist3d(s.x, s.y, s.z, other.x, other.y, other.z)
+}
+
 func (e System) String() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("<name: %s x: %v y: %v z: %v planets: %v>", e.name, e.x, e.y, e.z, e.planets)
 }
 
+type Neighbor struct {
+	id       int
+	distance float64
+}
+
+func (e *System) Nearby(n int) ([]Neighbor, error) {
+	rows, err := db.Query(`
+        select planets.id, edges.distance
+        from edges
+        join planets on edges.id_2 = planets.id
+        where edges.id_1 = ?
+        order by distance
+        limit ?
+    ;`, e.id, n)
+	if err != nil {
+		log_error("unable to get nearby systems for %s: %v", e.name, err)
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	neighbors := make([]Neighbor, 0, n)
+	for rows.Next() {
+		var neighbor Neighbor
+		if err := rows.Scan(&neighbor.id, &neighbor.distance); err != nil {
+			log_error("error unpacking row from nearby neighbors query: %v", err)
+			continue
+		}
+		neighbors = append(neighbors, neighbor)
+	}
+	return neighbors, nil
+}
+
 func countPlanets() (int, error) {
 	row := db.QueryRow(`select count(*) from planets`)
 
@@ -92,13 +127,12 @@ func indexPlanets(db *sql.DB) map[int]*System {
 	defer rows.Close()
 	index = make(map[int]*System, 551)
 	for rows.Next() {
-		var id int
 		p := System{}
-		if err := rows.Scan(&id, &p.name, &p.x, &p.y, &p.z, &p.planets); err != nil {
+		if err := rows.Scan(&p.id, &p.name, &p.x, &p.y, &p.z, &p.planets); err != nil {
 			log_info("unable to scan planet row: %v", err)
 			continue
 		}
-		index[id] = &p
+		index[p.id] = &p
 	}
 	return index
 }