April 14, 2072
Mining Ship Ardotien Sunrise
Orbiting Saturn
It's hard not to feel alone out here.
I know there are at least 50 other mining outfits working the rings now, I
mean you can always hear them chatter on the comm channels, but with hund-
dreds of rings each over 100,000 miles in diameter - well I've never
actually seen another ship in all the years I've been out here. Ok I
guess I'm assuming you know all about this so I'd better explain a little.
Astronomers knew over a century ago that many of the ring layers around
Saturn are composed of huge amounts of carbon so it was always assumed
that these ring sections probably contain diamonds. Today we have giant
automated ships that align themselves to a ring path and proceed to scoop
ore like giant vacuum cleaners. Diamonds are separated and collected for
grading and cutting. This is what I do.
It's a view no one ever forgets. Across the view portals Saturn commands
most of the sky while huge rings like eerie highways floating in subtle
hued clouds travel away on an infinite path. As you experience different
periods dawn, dusk, dark side and full opposition of the sun you realize
the color combinations are truly amazing.
It's hard not to feel utterly alone here.
I usually spend 3-4 hours a day actually working on grading or cutting the
diamonds, large ones are rare so 80% or so of the stones get cut by machine
and the rest of my time is spent wandering through different intellectual
pursuits and my garden.
4 years have gone by this time, frequently now my thoughts turn to earth
and a home that was once there. When I return I'll be wealthy and live
well but most of those I remember will be someone else by then. I have
fantasized of someday the ship's ore collector signalling the alarm that
an unknown element has been collected. Then when I investigate I'd find
the remains of some ancient alien craft destroyed long ago in the rings.
I'd return famous forever hahah oh well it's fun to think of things like
that. It's hard to believe that after all this time of searching we are
still completely alone.
I turn the comm chatter up at bedtime, it helps me sleep.
