Added by 3 members
Crockett is a very lucky man. He lives inside an alien habitat, making a rich living as a guide to rich tourists, and this happens to be one of those rare, special days when the local volcano erupts. Crockett is hoping to meet a pair of beautiful ladies during that spectacle. But then his wish comes true, and he realizes that his luck has changed and he is sure to die.
"Whenever the hamlet was jammed with strangers, outsiders were hired to fill critical jobs. Included in their ranks was a platoon of security officers, human and otherwise. Judging the age of immortals was difficult, but those two women carried a palpable, delicious sense of youth. They smiled constantly -- weightless, untroubled grins common to barely grown people. In their walks and the secure tilt of their heads, they looked unaffected by responsibility. Another clue was their skin, as smooth and clear as any Crockett had ever seen: After centuries of life, most humans cultivated artful wrinkles near the eyes, hinting at wisdoms that might or might not exist. If appearances could be believed, the duo was thrilled to be living in the hamlet, however briefly. They patrolled together and whispered to each other constantly, sharing giggles and various knowing looks; and several times, Crockett had spied them standing in the middle of a crowded street, ignoring the shoving bodies and lustful glances while they held gloved hands, gazing up at the distant rim of the caldera and the curtain of fresh steam that rose into the gloom and then froze, falling where the winds let it fall as this spring's first snow."
Robert Reed has written many stories about the Great Ship, plus hundreds of stories about other vessels and worlds and impossibilities and odd certainties. Reed won a Hugo Award for his novella, "A Billion Eves."
Genre: Science Fiction
"Whenever the hamlet was jammed with strangers, outsiders were hired to fill critical jobs. Included in their ranks was a platoon of security officers, human and otherwise. Judging the age of immortals was difficult, but those two women carried a palpable, delicious sense of youth. They smiled constantly -- weightless, untroubled grins common to barely grown people. In their walks and the secure tilt of their heads, they looked unaffected by responsibility. Another clue was their skin, as smooth and clear as any Crockett had ever seen: After centuries of life, most humans cultivated artful wrinkles near the eyes, hinting at wisdoms that might or might not exist. If appearances could be believed, the duo was thrilled to be living in the hamlet, however briefly. They patrolled together and whispered to each other constantly, sharing giggles and various knowing looks; and several times, Crockett had spied them standing in the middle of a crowded street, ignoring the shoving bodies and lustful glances while they held gloved hands, gazing up at the distant rim of the caldera and the curtain of fresh steam that rose into the gloom and then froze, falling where the winds let it fall as this spring's first snow."
Robert Reed has written many stories about the Great Ship, plus hundreds of stories about other vessels and worlds and impossibilities and odd certainties. Reed won a Hugo Award for his novella, "A Billion Eves."
Genre: Science Fiction
Visitors also looked at these books
Used availability for Robert Reed's The Caldera of Good Fortune