Political fiction; Science fiction; Space travelers -- Fiction
Robert Craig folded the flight jacket tightly and stuffed it into the
cylindrical carton. A sleeve unwound just as he did so, making it
difficult to fit into the place he had made for it. Exasperated, he
refolded it and jammed it in place. Smaller rolls of underclothing were
then fitted in. When he was satisfied with the layer, he tossed in a
small handful of crystals and began to fill the next layer. After the
carton was completely filled, he ignited the sealing strip and watched
as the plastic melted into a single, seamless whole. It was ready for
irradiation. Probably in another ten years his son-to-be would put it
on and play spaceman. But Craig swore he'd make sure that the kid knew
what a stinking life it was.
At 1300 hours, the ferry bumped heavily alongside the starboard lock.
It was the signal for relief in the passengers' quarters; many were
beginning to feel a reaction to the short free-fall flight from the
headquarters satellite.
The audio called out: "Flight Officer Robert Craig. Flight Officer
Robert Craig. Report to Orderly 12. Report to Orderly 12 through the
aft door."
With pangs of anxiety he could not completely suppress, Craig obeyed.
Orderly 12 handed him a message container.
"Who's it from? Somebody on Terra?"
"From a private spaceman named Morgan Brockman."
"_Brockman?_"
"He was with you in the grav tank."
"The old man!"
The message container produced a battered punch card. Craig
straightened it and was about to reach into his pocket for a hand
transcriber. But then he noticed the card bore only a few irregular
punches and was covered with rough hand printing.
Son, when the flunkies get around to giving you this, they'll have
shot me out the tube. How do I know? Same way you know when your
turbos are going to throw a blade. It's good this way.
There's something you can do for me if you want to. Way back, some
fifty years ago, there was a woman. She was my wife. It's a long
story I won't bother you with. Anyway, I left her. Wanted to take
her along with me, but she wouldn't go.
Earth was a lot different then than it is now. They don't have to
tell me; I know. I saw it coming and so did Ethel. We talked about
it and I knew I had to go. She wouldn't or couldn't go. Wanted me
to stay, but I couldn't.
I tried to send her some units once in a while. Don't know if she
ever got them. Sometimes I forgot to send them at all. You know,
you're way out across the Galaxy, while she's home.
Go see her if you can, son. Will you? Make sure she gets the unit
transfer I made out. It isn't much out of seventy years of living,
but she may need it. And maybe you can tell her a little bit about
what it means to be out there. Tell her it's open and free and when
you got hold of those levers and you're trying for an orbit on
something big and new and green.... Hell, you remember. You know
how to tell her.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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