（外文电子版资料）George R. R. Martin - The Second Kind of Lonliness.pdf

A man can be alone in deep space, far removed from all human company. And he can also cut himself off from companionship, no matter where he is. GEORGE R.R. MARTIN June 18 My relief left Earth today. It will be at least three months be-fore he gets here, of course. But hes on his way. Today he lifted off from the Cape, just as I did, four long years ago. Out at Komarov Station hell switch to a moon boat, then switch again in or-bit around Luna, at Deepspace Sta-tion. There his voyage will really be-gin. Up to then hes still been in his own backyard. Not until the Charon casts loose from Deepspace Station and sets out into the night will he feel it, really feel it, as I felt it four years ago. Not until Earth and Luna vanish behind him will it hit. Hes known from the first that theres no turning back, of course. But theres a difference be-tween knowing it and feeling it. Now hell feel it. There will be an orbital stopover around Mars, to send supplies down to Burroughs City. And more stops in the belt. But then the Charon will begin to gather speed. It will be go-ing very fast when it reaches Jupiter. And much faster after it whips by, using the gravity of the giant planet like a slingshot to boost its accelera-tion. After that there are no stops for the Charon. No stops at all until it reaches me, out here at the Cerberus Star Ring, six million miles beyond Pluto. My relief will have a long time to brood. As I did. Im still brooding now, today, four years later. But then, theres not much else to do out here. Ringships are infrequent, and you get pretty weary of films and tapes and books alter a time. So you brood. You think about your past, and dream about your future. And you try to keep the loneliness and the boredom from driving you out of your skull. Its been a long four years. But its almost over now. And it will be nice to get hack. I want to walk on g