Four Minute Delay

>“Well, for the next few years this is home, and
Two crew on an interplanetary exploration craftyou have friends here.” She replied. He stared
discussing the feeling of being isolated from Earth,at the wall, expressionless. She shifted in her seat.
and finally deciding that a four minute delay“Hey, we aren’t really out of contact.
means nothing when it comes to email. ColonelWe have a permanent laser link.”
James Black sat down across from the“Well yes, but it only goes at the speed of
ship’s physician, hands folded in his lap.light.”
“Captain asked me to chat with you.” It wasShe shrugged. “So it takes nearly two minutes
a bland statement, delivered in a monotone voice.to travel the thirty million kilometers? Do you
Major Jessica Stone sighed, “Let’s benotice?”
honest. She asked you three days ago. Today“That is one hundred and twelve seconds each
she ordered you to stop avoiding me, so youway. Plus, it gets a little longer every day, every
finally made this appointment.”hour, every… You can’t avoid noticing
“I haven’t been avoiding you.” Nowwhen talking to people back there. Three minutes
he sounded irritated. “I told her that, too.”and forty four seconds go by between me
At least irritation was an emotion. “Colonel, thespeaking and seeing them react and answer.
ship’s longest axis is less than four hundredTalking to anyone just makes me more aware
and forty meters, and there are only eight of usthat they are so very far away, getting further,
on it. It’s obvious when any one of theevery minute.”
crew is avoiding the other seven. The rest of usJessica smiled. “Have you stopped emailing your
are worried about you. Not only are you ourfamily and friends?”
friend, but you are the chief engineer. Our lives“Yes.” He frowned. “Why?”
depend on you, until we get all the way to Mars“That is my question. It usually takes at least
and then back to Earth.”half an hour to get a reply to an email. If it takes
“I’m fine.” His voice was flat again,another four or five minutes, is anyone going to
and his face blank.notice?”
“There are ten million kilometers of hard“Well…” He looked confused. “But,
vacuum between us and-.”I…”
“More than thirty three million.” His correction“Personally, I’ve actually made some
was flat and automatic.friends since we left. I found some email lists on
“Okay, Thirty three million. You keep talkingtopics that always interested me but which I
about getting out and walking home.”never had time for. Now I have time to spare,
“That was just a joke.” He shiftedand so do you.”
uncomfortably in his chair. “Well, jokes.”“Well, email lists aren’t friends, are
“Do you regret having signed up for this?”they?”
She watched his face as she went on. “Is it“No.” Jessica nodded. “But I’ve
the cramped conditions? The danger? Thefound people on those lists I get on with, and so
isolation?” She stopped, watching his eyes flickI’ve emailed them off-list. Started what
back and forth.could be long friendships, by the time we return
After a long silence he looked at her, “I knew itto Earth.”
would be tough, being at the forefront. Boldly“They’re just pretending to be your
going, as it were.”friends because you’re famous.”
Jessica settled in her chair as Black stared at theJessica stared at Colonel Black. Did he look
back wall towards distant Earth. “Don’tfearful? Did he worry his friends weren’t
get me wrong, I’m glad to be out here,real and true? “You don’t have… I try
one of an elite crew. I’ve never had ato avoid telling them where I am. So far none of
problem with being inside. In fact, I’mthem know I’m even on the UN
vaguely nervous about open spaces, unlessExploration Ship to Mars.” She stared at the
I’m in a plane.” He patted the nearestback wall. “Talking to them, about ordinary
wall like a person stroking a faithful pet. “It isthings, gives me another piece of normality. We
tough being isolated from my family, and all myneed chunks of ordinary life during this crazy trip
friends back home.”down a three hundred million kilometer rabbit hole.