2010 Odyssey Two

THE TRIAL Chapter 7: LUCIFER RISING Chapter 54 Between Suns
The Russians, thought Floyd, are going to miss Walter's songs and wisecracks on the way home. After the excitement of the last few days, the long fall Sunward - and Earthward - will seem a monotonous anticlimax. But a monotonous, uneventful trip was what everyone devoutly hoped for.

He was already feeling sleepy, but was still aware of his surroundings and capable of reacting to them. Will I look as dead when I'm in hibernation? he asked himself. It was always disconcerting to look at another person - especially someone very familiar - when he had entered the long sleep.

Perhaps it was too poignant a reminder of one's own mortality.

Curnow was completely out, but Chandra was still awake, though already groggy from the final injection. He was obviously no longer himself, for he seemed quite unperturbed by his own nakedness or Katerina's watchful presence. The gold lingam that was his only article of clothing kept trying to float away from him, until its chain recaptured it.

'Everything going okay, Katerina?' asked Floyd.

'Perfectly. But how I envy you. In twenty minutes, you'll be home.'

'If that's any consolation - how can you be sure we won't have some horrible dreams?'

'No one's ever reported any.'

'Ah - they may forget them when they wake up.'

Katerina, as usual, took him quite seriously. 'Impossible. If there were dreams in hibernation, the EEG records would have revealed them. Okay, Chandra - close your eyes. Ah - there he goes. Now it's your turn, Heywood. The ship will seem very strange without you.'

'Thanks, Katerina... hope you have a nice trip.'

Drowsy though he was, Floyd became aware that Surgeon-Commander Rudenko seemed a little uncertain, even - could it be? - shy. It looked as if she wanted to tell him something, but couldn't make up her mind.

'What is it, Katerina?' he said sleepily.

'I haven't told anyone else yet - but you certainly won't be talking. Here's a little surprise.'

'You'd... better... hurry...'

'Max and Zenia are going to get married.'

'That... is... supposed... to... be... a... surprise?...'

'No. It's just to prepare you. When we get back to Earth, so are Walter and I. What do you think of that?'

Now I understand why you were spending so much time together. Yes, it is indeed a surprise... who would have thought it!

'I'm... very... happy... to... hear...'

Floyd's voice faded out before he could complete the sentence. But he was not yet unconscious, and was still able to focus some of his dissolving intellect on this new situation.

I really don't believe it, he said to himself. Walter will probably change his mind before he wakes up.

And then he had one final thought, just before he went to sleep himself. If Walter does change his mind, he'd better not wake up.

Dr Heywood Floyd thought that was very funny. The rest of the crew often wondered why he was smiling all the way back to Earth.