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 1. nature
 2. futures
 3. article

Long orbit
Download PDF
 * FUTURES
 * 29 November 2024


LONG ORBIT

A change of course.
   By
 * Robert Sommers0

 1. Robert Sommers
    
    1. Robert Sommers has written fiction, poetry and reviews that have appeared
       in markets such as After Hours magazine, Dreamwatch, Southeast Performer
       and the DAW Books anthology Zombiesque.
    View author publications
    
    You can also search for this author in PubMed  Google Scholar

 * Twitter
 * Facebook
 * Email

Illustration: Jacey

You have full access to this article via your institution.

Download PDF

Download PDF

By the time you receive this I will be dead. Hopefully not dead dead, but close
enough. And for a long time. Most of the stasis tubes were damaged in the
explosion, along with nearly everything else, but SpaceCorp assures me the
jury-rig will work and I’ll go into cold-sleep.

They tell me there’s a lot of public interest in my story. I’m not sure why.
This isn’t the first accident in space and it won’t be the last, but SpaceCorp
says people are interested and I should record this before I go into stasis. So
here I am.

SpaceCorp doesn’t yet know exactly how long I’ll have to be in cold-sleep. The
ship’s still tumbling and venting air from somewhere, so they haven’t been able
to get a good fix on her new orbit. I’m still trying to stabilize the ship with
what’s left of her manoeuvring fuel.

They say they’ll figure out the new orbit soon. But not before I run out of air
and have to go into the tube. I’m guessing it’s going to be a long one, so
unless SpaceCorp can figure out a way to come get me in a hurry, I don’t think
I’ll be back any time soon. So close enough to dead dead.

*****

I passed Jupiter’s orbit just before starting this recording. The planet was too
far away — our new orbit meant we couldn’t make the rendezvous, so the station
there couldn’t help. They’re tracking me, but they can’t reach me.



Read more science fiction from Nature Futures



Someone told me that I’ll soon make it farther than anyone has ever been from
Earth. They said I should feel proud of that, but it’s not like I had anything
to do with it — and I certainly didn’t want to break that record. All I did was
survive the explosion.

Speaking of which, I guess I should let you know that Dal, Sara and Gideon are
secure in hold two. I tried to be as gentle as possible when I moved them there.
I couldn’t get to Alex. I don’t think there’d be much left of her anyway. I’m
sorry. Tell their families they were … they were … Tell them I’m sorry this
happened to them. If it helps, I don’t think they had time to know what was
happening.

*****

The psychs keep asking me how I’m feeling about this, but between trying to
stabilize the ship, repairing the stasis tube, moving the … getting everything
done, I haven’t really let myself think about it. I guess I should be scared. I
mean, I am scared, but not as much as you might think. I was much scareder —
more scared — when the Ares Olympus collided with the Sirius. And I was even
more frightened during my first lift off. I know I was supposed to be excited
about that, but I was just terrified. This is actually the third major accident
I’ve been in since I joined the corps. Maybe it’s me. But I made it through
those. And I’ll make it through this one. Somehow.

I guess what I’m feeling the most is sadness. I’m not leaving a lot of people
behind, but I’ll miss them. I’ve recorded a couple of private messages, but I
haven’t sent them yet. I’m not really sure if I will. I guess I should.

I’m sad for the others in the crew. And their families. SpaceCorp is still
saying they hope to rescue me, but let’s be honest, if — when — I finally get
back to the inner system, the world I know will be gone. You never know, things
might be really cool. But it won’t be the same and I kinda like the way things
are now.

*****

I’ve managed to get the ship under control, but I had to use the last of her
manoeuvring fuel and I won’t be able to alter her course any more. Still no word
from SpaceCorp on the orbit.

*****

I’ve held out for as long as I can, but I’m down to the last of the reserve air
now. I did some quick calculations before shutting down the nav comp. Too many
of the instruments are out so it’s a pretty rough guess, but at least I have
some idea of how long I’ll be out here. Maybe SpaceCorp has known the whole time
and just didn’t want to tell me.

I want to be brave and noble and face this with at least some dignity, but now
that it’s time, I guess I’m more frightened than I thought. But that’s OK. I can
be frightened and still do what I have to do.

I’ve taken the drugs and I’ll be strapping into the stasis tube as soon as I
finish this, and I’ll be in cold-sleep before this reaches anyone. They tell me
that I won’t be aware of the passage of time. I hope not, because it’s going to
be a while. I’ve never been in cold-sleep, but I’ve heard stories. I hope
they’re just tales old timers tell to freak out the newbs.

So, this is it. When the ship returns to the inner system it will be in vacuum,
so I won’t be able to get out of the tube by myself. I’ll need someone to come
and get me. Assuming everything goes right — and, deep breath, that’s what I’m
going to assume — I’ll be back in about a thousand years. Try not to forget
about me.


THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY

Robert Sommers reveals the inspiration behind Long orbit.

I have been interested in space and the space programme for as long as I can
remember. Growing up in central Florida, one of my earliest memories is waking
up in the middle of the night to drive with my family to Cape Canaveral to watch
the launch of Apollo 16. We were also thrilled later to be able to get to the
Cape for the first two space-shuttle launches. I even interviewed for a job at
Space Camp as a starry-eyed college student.

I have also long been fascinated by stories of people in extreme circumstances —
trapped on the summit of Everest during a driving snowstorm or adrift alone on
the ocean for endless days or any number of equally hopeless situations. People
facing such impossible odds and yet prevailing.

While letting my mind wander, I began to wonder about the most extreme situation
an astronaut might find themselves in. This story is the result.



doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-03884-3




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RELATED ARTICLES

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 * Sample by Mimi Cloutier

 * A sequence of memories by Eva Papasoulioti

 * The Ice Age by Nathalie Béchon

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