People with disabilities -- Fiction; Science fiction
"Do I? Well, for once I'm inclined to agree with you," said Docchi.
"But you never can tell with Anti. Sometimes she comes up with
surprising things. She's not scientifically trained but she has a good
mind, as good as her body once was."
"And how good was that?" asked Cameron ironically.
"Look it up in your records," said Jordan shortly. "We don't talk about
it ourselves."
* * * * *
The women didn't come back soon, and when they did Cameron wasn't sure
that the weird creature that floated into the control compartment with
Nona _was_ Anti. He looked again and saw shudderingly what she had done
to herself. "You _do_ need psychotherapy," he said bitingly. "When we
get back it's the first thing I'll recommend. Can't you understand how
fool-hardy you're being?"
"Be quiet," growled Jordan. "Anti, explain what you've rigged up. I'm
not sure we can let you do it."
"Any kind of pressure will do as far as the outside of the body is
concerned," answered Anti, flipping back the helmet. "Mechanical
pressure is as satisfactory as air. I had Nona cut the spacesuit in
strips and wind them around me, very hard. That will keep me from
squishing out. Then I found a helmet that would cover my head when the
damaged part was cut away. It won't hold much air pressure even taped
tight to my skin. It doesn't have to as long as it's pure oxygen."
"So far it makes sense," admitted Docchi. "But what can you do about
temperature?"
"Do you think I'm going to worry about cold?" asked Anti. "Me? Way down
below all this flesh? Mountains and mountains of it?"
"I've heard enough," said Cameron, standing in front of Anti. "Now
listen to me. Stop this nonsense and take off that childish rig. I
can't permit you to ruin my career by deliberate suicide."
"You and your stinking career," said Jordan disgustedly. "You don't
know what success is and what it means to give it up. Stay out of this.
We don't have to ask your permission to do anything." Cameron retreated
from the toaster and Jordan turned to Anti. "Do you understand what the
risk, is, Anti? You know that it may not work at all?"
"I've thought about it," said Anti. "On the other hand I've thought
about the asteroid. I don't want to go back."
"We should have viewers outside," said Docchi. "One directly in back,
one on each side. At least we'll know what's happening."
At the control panel Jordan began flipping levers. "They're out and
working," he said at last. "Anti, go to the freight ramp. Close your
helmet and wait. I'll let the air out slowly. If everything doesn't
work perfectly let me know on the helmet radio and I'll yank you in
immediately. Once you're outside I'll give you further instructions.
You'll find the tools and equipment that opens to space."
Anti waddled away. Huge, but she wasn't any bigger than her
determination.
Once she was gone Jordan looked down at his legless body. "I hate to
do this but we've got to be realistic about it."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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