Descending Road - MIRIAM by Dana W. Paxson

MIRIAM

2414 CE

A NEW WORLD PROSPECTUS, the message headline announced. Miriam Parker read on, excited. She had spotted this announcement late last night, just before Plugout, but there hadn’t been time to read it before the lights went off. It was early afternoon, now, near the start of her next shift at hospital, and she finally had time to read it all.

Her display wall flickered, dimmed, steadied again as the tall building’s backup supplies smoothed out some new breaks in the Grid. The Abols, angry with the mass arrests in Cape Town, had hit the power net again.

Miriam groaned in frustration. “Come on, stay long enough for me to read it,” she begged. The message floated in front of her; she scanned greedily. Allan would want to see this.

Space. A century before we populated Mars and Europa and Trojans One and Two, space was called the final frontier. Now it has become a completely new frontier. We are finally going to the stars.

In the farther reaches of the Solar System, Hau Ren Enterprises is assembling a fleet of six hundred giant ships. We are seeking the starfarers: adventurers, leaders, scientists, colonists, builders, dreamers. The privileged readers of this prospectus. You.

Miriam‘s wall dimmed almost to blackness; she shouted, “Damn you, not now!” and banged it with her fist. Grudgingly the image returned. The sawing of high-speed weapons fire sizzled in the distance outside her apartment.

Three million of you are going. We have reserved places for the best, and we expect to hear from you. We offer a new world to call home, new and unsoiled air to breathe, new water and new land, and life forms no one has ever seen before.

Become parents, with no permit required.

Walk the clean soil of your own personal land, many days’ journey from end to end.

Grow your own food, fresh and natural.

Write the laws of a new society, YOUR society.

Live a new and free life.

And when the day ends, lift up your head to a brand-new sky of stars.

It is yours, Doctor Parker. Simply contact us at Hau Ren, with your authentication and our signature below. We will provide the details for your next step – to a brand new world. Remember, this offer is strictly confidential.

A focused appeal! Hau Ren, a sprawling Sinese combine that owned most of the interplanetary transportation business, had singled out Doctor Miriam Parker and others like her, narrowcasting their message to those they felt qualified. Maybe Allan had gotten one too. But to the stars? How was Hau Ren doing this?

Miriam had to get to work at the hospital. She frantically poked at the electronic signature, stuffing it into a safe-folder before the power went out again. The ripping of thousand-rounds-a-second zipperguns in the streets below heralded a final flash and a blackout. She winced and gathered her medical gear.

But to leave Earth forever! No! How could she do that, leave her family behind, and what if Allan wasn’t invited? The questions surged through her mind like cross-driven sea waves. This was crazy. It was the kind of thing Allan would think of, no, more, he’d lust after it. She’d never make a star explorer. It was too much even to think about. Time to leave for work.

Story List	SURPRISE ME	Author Page
USER SURVEY	PUZZLE ME	MAKE ELM MARK

HOVER Lucida Bright BARE	HOVER Lucida Bright FULL	HOVER Palatino Linotype BARE
HOVER Palatino Linotype FULL	HOVER Times New Roman BARE	HOVER Times New Roman FULL
PAD Arial BARE	PAD Arial FULL	PAD Lucida Bright BARE
PAD Lucida Bright FULL	PAD Times New Roman BARE	PAD Times New Roman FULL


	MIRIAM 2414 CE A NEW WORLD PROSPECTUS, the message headline announced. Miriam Parker read on, excited. She had spotted this announcement late last night, just before Plugout, but there hadn’t been time to read it before the lights went off. It was early afternoon, now, near the start of her next shift at hospital, and she finally had time to read it all. Her display wall flickered, dimmed, steadied again as the tall building’s backup supplies smoothed out some new breaks in the Grid. The Abols, angry with the mass arrests in Cape Town, had hit the power net again. Miriam groaned in frustration. “Come on, stay long enough for me to read it,” she begged. The message floated in front of her; she scanned greedily. Allan would want to see this. Space. A century before we populated Mars and Europa and Trojans One and Two, space was called the final frontier. Now it has become a completely new frontier. We are finally going to the stars. In the farther reaches of the Solar System, Hau Ren Enterprises is assembling a fleet of six hundred giant ships. We are seeking the starfarers: adventurers, leaders, scientists, colonists, builders, dreamers. The privileged readers of this prospectus. You. Miriam‘s wall dimmed almost to blackness; she shouted, “Damn you, not now!” and banged it with her fist. Grudgingly the image returned. The sawing of high-speed weapons fire sizzled in the distance outside her apartment. Three million of you are going. We have reserved places for the best, and we expect to hear from you. We offer a new world to call home, new and unsoiled air to breathe, new water and new land, and life forms no one has ever seen before. Become parents, with no permit required. Walk the clean soil of your own personal land, many days’ journey from end to end. Grow your own food, fresh and natural. Write the laws of a new society, YOUR society. Live a new and free life. And when the day ends, lift up your head to a brand-new sky of stars. It is yours, Doctor Parker. Simply contact us at Hau Ren, with your authentication and our signature below. We will provide the details for your next step – to a brand new world. Remember, this offer is strictly confidential. A focused appeal! Hau Ren, a sprawling Sinese combine that owned most of the interplanetary transportation business, had singled out Doctor Miriam Parker and others like her, narrowcasting their message to those they felt qualified. Maybe Allan had gotten one too. But to the stars? How was Hau Ren doing this? Miriam had to get to work at the hospital. She frantically poked at the electronic signature, stuffing it into a safe-folder before the power went out again. The ripping of thousand-rounds-a-second zipperguns in the streets below heralded a final flash and a blackout. She winced and gathered her medical gear. But to leave Earth forever! No! How could she do that, leave her family behind, and what if Allan wasn’t invited? The questions surged through her mind like cross-driven sea waves. This was crazy. It was the kind of thing Allan would think of, no, more, he’d lust after it. She’d never make a star explorer. It was too much even to think about. Time to leave for work.