Looking Forward by Kenneth Jr. (snow like ashes .txt) 📗

watch, spellbound, as the fight continues. They have read that twentieth-century television showed fights and murders. They know little children in that society sometimes spent from four to eight hours a day watching such vicious programs and learning these folkways. Hella, however, has never seen any of these films. She knows they are available upon request from Corcen. She has just never been curious about such obscenity.

The man who started the fight seems to be losing. Blood is streaming from his nose. Suddenly, the jealous man picks up a metal bar and brings it down with a crunching impact on the head of the man who came to the woman’s rescue. His legs crumple, and he slumps to the floor. He is dead in minutes. The custodians watch incredulously.

The murderer is locked in a room by two other thawees. The next day a court is set up with a lawyer who thinks he should go free and a lawyer who asks for his death. A judge is appointed, and a jury is selected. Although the custodians have read of these tribal customs, they have never had an opportunity to experience them emotionally. It seems almost impossible that human beings could behave in this manner.

After several hours of verbal courtroom ritual, the jury labels the man “guilty,” and the judge informs him that the group will take his life. They tie the man’s hands behind his back and put a rope around his neck. They pull him several feet off the ground and watch self-righteously while he chokes to death.

Most of the custodians who observe this ritual become physically sick and vomit. They keep the recorders working, but they turn off the screen and walk outside to take deep breaths of fresh air. As they look over the vast Pacific Ocean, they manage to overcome their feelings of nausea at this strange spectacle of man’s inhumanity to man.

Acceptance of Death

This strong reaction has not been caused by a fear of death. The people in the twenty-first century regard death as a natural phenomenon and accept it when it comes. They put their energy into living fully while they are alive. Every resource of medical science is used to keep bodies functioning, but each individual calls a halt when he feels that physical deterioration has gone too far. When the torch of life has burned brightly, they do not hesitate to pass it on to another. Each individual realizes that upon his death a new baby will be permitted to enter into the world. They don’t fight this natural progression beyond a certain point. In the future immortality may be possible. But until then—no problem.

While they are breathing the fresh ocean air, Hella asks where the other frozen bodies are kept. She is informed they are in the Antarctic vault near the frozen animal specimens. Hella is sure that they will remain there for some time. Perhaps thousands of years in the future when aggressive behavior is only a vague, theoretical concept, an intrepid group might wish to thaw additional specimens to observe this phenomenon. It seems unlikely that these frozen bodies could ever be functioning citizens in a contemporary society. Each year the antiquated associations locked in their frozen brains become more and more inappropriate to the rapidly changing world.

Hella wants to share these vivid experiences with Scott as soon as she can. Although she enjoys the intimate company of many men, for years her closest feelings have been toward Scott because of the parallel depth of intellect and feeling they share. Soon after she has recovered from the shock of witnessing the dual taking of life, Hella contacts Scott on the space research satellite.

“This place is busier than a frying molecule,” Scott tells her. “We’ve been asked to find other quarters for our research. Since much of my work requires a cold minimum gravity area almost free of atmosphere, I’m moving to the moon. Labs are being installed right now. Come on up and join me.”

“It sounds wonderful,” she says. “I guess my feelings are a little too tender to continue with these twentieth-century animals at first hand. I’d much rather read about them. If you could have seen their faces, Scott—the deep insecurity, the hatred, the fear in their eyes. I’ve got to talk to you and be close to you.”

Hella immediately informs the custodians of her plans. She is completely open and does not attempt to deceive them by saying that she has to go to the moon to help Scott set up a research station. Although this is true, it would be impossible for her to deal with a fellow human on any basis other than the full truth of her feelings. She describes her feelings and her apparent limited tolerance at this time for further observation of these relics from the twentieth century. Everyone understands what she is talking about. Were it not for their self-imposed responsibility, they would go with her.

To the Moon

Hella explains to Corcen her emotional need to get to the moon rapidly to be with Scott. Corcen always recognizes the feelings of humans and organizes the resources of the new world to meet their needs. A craft is diverted to pick her up within minutes. She arrives at a South American spaceport within forty minutes of her talk with Scott. Within six hours she is on the moon.

Although most of the structures on the moon have been built underground to simplify life-support systems and give protection from meteorites, there are several observation rooms above the surface. These rooms are formed by six-inch-thick, transparent metal domes.

When he first sees Hella, Scott can tell that she has been through an unusual emotional experience, and he understands her need to talk. He obtains an observation room that is not going to be used during the evening. How good it feels to be together again! Although they have not missed each other—for their lives have been busy with fulfilling activities which they shared by teleprojection—they both