Click on image to enlarge.

	Regular				Club
You Pay:	$0.99				$0.84

eBook Category: Science Fiction
eBook Description: Ron's vacation trip to the moon is on a passenger shuttle piloted by his favorite brother Jake, and his handicap becomes an asset when the routine flight gets into trouble.

eBook Publisher: Fictionwise.com, Published: Analog, 1998
Fictionwise Release Date: December 2000

79 Reader Ratings: Great Good OK Poor

Available eBook Formats [MultiFormat - What's this?]: Adobe Acrobat (PDF) [103 KB], eReader (PDB) [36 KB], Palm Doc (PDB) [23 KB], Rocket/REB1100 (RB) [23 KB], Microsoft Reader (LIT) [42 KB] - PocketPC 1.0+ Compatible, Franklin eBookMan (FUB) [92 KB], hiebook (KML) [89 KB], Sony Reader (LRF) [49 KB], iSilo (PDB) [20 KB], Mobipocket (PRC) [25 KB], Kindle Compatible (MOBI) [52 KB], OEBFF Format (IMP) [38 KB]
Words: 6945
Reading time: 19-27 min.
Microsoft Reader (LIT) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Format:  Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud DISABLED
All Other formats: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED

This story pushes the edge of current technology just a little bit, envisioning a public shuttle service for travelers who wish to spend a leisurely vacation on the moon, and crews building orbiting space stations around Mars and Neptune. When a man's handicap becomes a crucial asset during an emergency in earth's orbit, the experience opens up possibilities that he could only envy of his brother, the pilot of the stricken space vessel. Burstein's characters are closely real, with all the doubts and inspirations that would accompany career disappointment, family struggles, and personal success during any period of human history ... real or imagined. Above all, this is a story of triumph in the face of adversity, and wins my personal award for the top Fictionwise Feel-Good Story. -Daniel Jorissen, Staff Recommender

The silence was deafening, which was ironic in its own way.

Jacob Galiano tapped the side of his helmet again in an attempt to get the radio to work. Nothing. He sighed and continued crawling along the outside of the Urshanabi. The metal foil of his emergency EVA suit crinkled as he flexed his muscles. He made sure to face only the surface of the cylindrical spaceship; its continual rotation brought him into the sight of the Sun every minute or so, and despite the protection of the visor, he didn't want to risk directly exposing his eyes.

Jake grabbed another handhold and pulled himself across. His senses confused him. He liked to think of the Earth as being down and the Moon as being up, but that didn't work in free fall, especially when clinging to a rotating spaceship that pointed towards neither.

Another handhold, another foothold, and Jake pulled his slender frame another few meters towards the passenger cabin. He cursed silently to himself. He was a shuttle pilot, not a repair technician. If security had been better, and the computer still functioned, he wouldn't have to be out here, risking his neck to save everyone's life.

Including that of his brother, Ron.