(...escape route)


Lt R. Sheckley awoke from his nightmare. He was quite disoriented--it had been terrifying: that absolute catastrophe which he had feared ever since that child from Jupiter had been allowed to land on Earth. But it was just a bad dream. He shook his head, spraying sweat across the room in the low gravity of Callisto. The 3V was mumbling something and he focused in on that.

Oh yeah, New Year's Eve on Earth, the New Century. One felt pretty removed from all that out here in timeless space with Jupiter the only real clock to refer to.

Jupiter scared the shit out of him. What was that planet? And those things in it down there? And, for example, that light shining out from Jupiter 6 days ago?

The mumblings from the 3V became more intense. He looked. Hey, it's her! The baby! And Maru--god, I loved her, but what could I do? I tried to keep her here. Of course, there was still Niels, but at least I could see her...what's going on? Wait, now I remember, this is that big party that was supposed to happen at Maru's family estate. There's Niels, hi guy.

The baby...Juno, what are you doing? Flying, shining, is this a trick? Look at her! And listen...

"Bless you, little Juno, bless you. I was wrong about you, happy new..." he looked up through the vacuum screen at Jupiter filling the entire sky, "Happy New Jupiter."

3R


this was the good guys win ending, hope you're satisfied now, UNLESS...