g_hafner%wookie.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (09/07/84)
From: g_hafner%wookie.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (Gerry Hafner) >From: Caro.PA@XEROX.ARPA > >I personally have not read this book, but my aunt did, so this >description is second hand: >The story takes place in the future, where resources are scarce. My >aunt recalls a description of taking a shower, with a five minute >hot water allotment. >On an asteroid, some <thing> (machine, device, computer) directs >adventurous individuals on a random expedition. These expeditions >are exploratory. If a valuable astronomical body is found (like a >double star), then the adventurers can claim overwhelming rewards. >More often that not, however, the adventurers never return alive. >The story has a humorous tone. The hero is a bumbler. It turns out >that the crew that he gets shipped out with does indeed find a >double star, but they have trouble escaping from it's gravitational >pull. To get away, they decide to jettison one of the pods of their >two pod ship. They put all the heavy unnecessary stuff in one pod, >and they climbed into the other ... all but the hero that is. By >his clumsiness, he and his girlfriend were stuck in the pod about to >be jettisoned. Somehow, by deciding to sacrifice himself and stay >in the bad pod, he manages to get his girlfriend over into the good >pod. > >But something happens and the HERO gets saved, and the other pod, >with the rest of his crew, gets shot into the middle of the double >star. > >In the end, he feels regret, for he knows that although years have >passed for him (he's wealthy now for the discovery), because of the >near light acceleration of the other pod, his crewmates are still >suffering and have not yet died! > >Doubtless this description is HIGHLY distorted, having come second >hand, ACROSS A LANGUAGE BARRIER (my aunt is German and she can't >remember if she read the story in German or English). But if anyone >recognizes it, the author and title would be greatly appreciated by > >Perry ************** SLIGHT SPOILER ************* The story your aunt described has to be "Gateway", by Frederik(sp?) Pohl. The "trips" were volunteer missions in 'Heechee' ships, found parked in a hollow asteroid, and, yes, they were more often than not one-way rides. The main character, Robinette Broadhead, became quite wealthy when he became the sole returnee from the last trip he made, where he left his girlfriend and several other people behind (I can't remember if it was accidental or on purpose, it's been a while since I read it). However, I would like to point out one thing: the last trip he made ended up, I believe, coming into a reasonably close orbit around a black hole, rather than a double star. I can't say more without ruining the ending, though. I suggest you read it, if you're this interested, you'll probably enjoy it. By the way, I highly recommend the next book in the series, "Beyond the Blue Event Horizon" (don't know the date, my copy is paperback and at home), I thought it carried along the ideas from Gateway quite well. Gerry Hafner DEC Littleton (MA) UUCP: {decvax|ihnp4|allegra|ucbvax|...} !decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-wookie!hafner ARPA: hafner%wookie.DEC@DECWRL.ARPA