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11 - Earthbound · Astounding Sci-Fi Audiobook Library

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Earth Bound by a Lester Delray. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: by Dale Grothman. He wanted, above anything else, to go
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: into space. He had been waiting for it a long time.
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: Earth Bound by Lester Delray. It was an hour after
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: the last official ceremony before Clifton could escape the crowd
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: of planet lovers with their babblings, their eligible daughters, their
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: stupid self admiration. They'd paid through the nose to get
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: him here, and they meant to get their money's worth.
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: The exit led only to a little balcony, but it
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: seemed to be deserted. He took a deep breath of
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: the night air, and his eyes moved unconsciously toward the stars.
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: Coming back to Earth had been a mistake, but he'd
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: needed the money. Space Products Unlimited wanted a real deep
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: space hero to help celebrate its hundredth anniversary. He had
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: just finished the regulation of Rigel, so he'd been picked.
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: Damned them in their silly speeches and awards, and damned Earth.
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: What was one planet when there were billions up there
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: among the stars. From the other side of a potted plant,
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: there was a sigh. Clifton swung his head, then relaxed
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: when he saw the other men was not looking at him.
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: The eyes behind the dark glasses were directed toward the sky.
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: Al debaron serious deneb alpha centauri. The voice whispered. It
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: was a high pitched voice with an odd accent, but
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: there was the poetry of ancient yearning in it. He
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: was a small, shriveled old man. His shoulders were bent
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: a long beard, and the dark glasses covered most of
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: his face but could not entirely conceal the deep wrinkles
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: even in the moonlight. Clifton felt a sudden touch of
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: pity and moved closer, not quite knowing why didn't I
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: see you on the platform. Your memory is very good, Captain.
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: I was awarded publicly for fifty years of faithful service
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: making space boots. Well. I was always a good cobbler,
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: and perhaps my boots helped some men out there. The
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: old man's hand swept toward the stars, then fell back
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: to grip the railing tightly. They gave me a gold watch,
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: though time means nothing to me, and a cheap world
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: cruise ticket, as if there were any spot in the
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: world I could still want to see. He laughed harshly.
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: Forgive me if I sound bitter, but you see, I've
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: never been off Earth. Clifton stared at him incredulously. But everyone,
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: everyone but me, the old man said, Oh. I tried.
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: I was utterly weary of Earth, and I looked at
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: the stars and dreamed. But I failed the early rigid physicals. Then,
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: when things were easier, I tried again. A plague grounded
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: the first ship, A strike delayed another, Then one exploded
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: on the pad, and only a few on board were saved.
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: It was then I realized I was meant to wait
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: here here on Earth, nowhere else. So I stayed making
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: space boots. Pity and impulse forced unexpected words to Clifton's lips.
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: I'm taking off for Rigel again in four hours, and
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: there's a spare cabin on the merry Loo. You're coming
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: with me. The old hand that gripped his arm was
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: oddly gentle. Bless you, captain, but it would never work.
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: I'm under orders to remain here. Nobody can order a
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: man grounded forever. Your coming with me? If I have
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: to drag you, mister a Hazardus. The old man hesitated,
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: as if expecting the name to mean something. Then he
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: sighed and lifted his dark glasses. Clifton met the other's
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: gaze for less than a second. Then his own eyes dropped,
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: though the memory of what he had seen was already fading,
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: he vaulted over the balcony railing and began running away
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: from a Hazarus, toward his ship and the unconfined reaches
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: of space behind him. The eternal Wanderer tarried and waited.
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: The end of earth Bound by Lester del Rey