Descending Road - SHIFTING EXPECTATIONS by Dana W. Paxson

SHIFTING EXPECTATIONS

2416 CE

“Don’t we get to see space on the way out?” Allan asked. He and Miriam sat in an old, cramped office with pictures of the ancient Mir space station adorning bug-smeared walls.

“No,” the black-jacketed paramedic from Hokkaido said, adjusting her collar in the heat. “You’re going into the sleep right here in Quito Base. It’ll let us add payload for every breath you don’t take, every cake you don’t bake, every thirst you don’t slake, and every love you don’t make.” She tittered at her own witticism, and at Allan and Miriam‘s intertwined fingers. “You’ll need that extra payload at the other end, when you wake up. We’ll just shuttle you up to orbit, and send you off to Uranus and the stars while you dream. Quite a voyage, neh?”

Miriam‘s disappointment loosened her grip on Allan; he patted her hand. She’d had visions of saying goodbye to a shrinking Earth, but now she’d have to face her parents and friends on the ground, with tears and anger at the end.

All along, the Hau Ren people had doled out bits of bad news this way, slowly, ignoring all questions. They had treated the payload lists the same way, restricting personal effects to a few wisps of memorabilia weighing only a few grams. They had announced the food choices for the arrival and offered no exceptions. And with the in-flight repair procedures, they had waffled carefully over the steps to be used for returning to the long sleep for those awakened to manage repairs too difficult for the automated systems.

It made Miriam uneasy, but the memory of the destroyed faces and bodies of the many she hadn’t saved, along with the hope of the family she and Allan could have, overrode the disquiet in her nerves.

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


	SHIFTING EXPECTATIONS 2416 CE “Don’t we get to see space on the way out?” Allan asked. He and Miriam sat in an old, cramped office with pictures of the ancient Mir space station adorning bug-smeared walls. “No,” the black-jacketed paramedic from Hokkaido said, adjusting her collar in the heat. “You’re going into the sleep right here in Quito Base. It’ll let us add payload for every breath you don’t take, every cake you don’t bake, every thirst you don’t slake, and every love you don’t make.” She tittered at her own witticism, and at Allan and Miriam‘s intertwined fingers. “You’ll need that extra payload at the other end, when you wake up. We’ll just shuttle you up to orbit, and send you off to Uranus and the stars while you dream. Quite a voyage, neh?” Miriam‘s disappointment loosened her grip on Allan; he patted her hand. She’d had visions of saying goodbye to a shrinking Earth, but now she’d have to face her parents and friends on the ground, with tears and anger at the end. All along, the Hau Ren people had doled out bits of bad news this way, slowly, ignoring all questions. They had treated the payload lists the same way, restricting personal effects to a few wisps of memorabilia weighing only a few grams. They had announced the food choices for the arrival and offered no exceptions. And with the in-flight repair procedures, they had waffled carefully over the steps to be used for returning to the long sleep for those awakened to manage repairs too difficult for the automated systems. It made Miriam uneasy, but the memory of the destroyed faces and bodies of the many she hadn’t saved, along with the hope of the family she and Allan could have, overrode the disquiet in her nerves.