John McGreevey

Name: The Brave Walk Alone
Author: John McGreevey

The Brave Walk Alone

Summary

“The Brave Walk Alone”, is a work by John McGreevey. It explores elements such as Dirk, Caliban and Terra.

Quotes from The Brave Walk Alone (John McGreevey)

John McGreevey, The Brave Walk Alone

“ With fumbling hands, he put on his own space suit. What would his father say? What could he say? Words would only make it worse. And Commandant Jemson was not a man to seek out the kind word, the gentle phrase. His speech resembled his tactics—raw, direct, uncompromising.
Slowly, Dirk moved into the compression chamber and from it into the murk of the world known as Caliban. Even protected as he was by his space suit, Dirk could sense the slimy chill in the atmosphere. It was as if wet, fibrous hands pushed at his suit; as if oozing tendrils slithered across his visor plate. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

John McGreevey, The Brave Walk Alone

“ Dirk remembered only the spring green of the low, rolling hills around his home; the smell of lilacs battered by April rains; the cry of fledgling birds in the pink-grey of summer dawns; the crisp sound of snow under sled runners; and the gentle caress of water in a blue-green lake. Dirk remembered these things, and abruptly, he changed his course.
"What are you doing?" His father checked him from the audio-visor. "You've changed your course. You're headed for the sun, Dirk!"
"I can't land on Terra, dad. You heard Tabor. I can't destroy Terra to save my own skin." He looked down at his shoes. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

John McGreevey, The Brave Walk Alone

“ In the background, Ensign Petley had murmured explanations to the watchers. Closer and closer whirled Deimos. Dirk's hands had faltered over the degravitator. Somehow, the movement of the universe had communicated itself to him. His mind, his heart, his stomach all swam in a whirlpool of black motion.
"Now, Dirk!" Petley's voice was sharp. "Now! Show the class!"
The eyes had been on him—the urgency in the voice had been great—but the hypnotic spinning of Deimos in the visi-shield was irresistible. With a little sigh, Dirk had blacked out. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

John McGreevey, The Brave Walk Alone

“ Then with the butt of his disinteray, he smashed the audio-visor. He was alone; alone with the horror that inched toward him.
He concentrated on the visi-shield. The disc of Terra was plainer now, but safely to his right. Ahead lay the blazing furnace of the sun.
Dirk braced himself and waited. He tried not to think of the smothering ooze which crept slowly up to possess him. Instead, he thought of the purifying, purging white heat of the sun toward which they plunged; he thought of the sound of his father's voice saying: "I'm proud of you, son. I'm proud of you." ”

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Source: Gutenberg

John McGreevey, The Brave Walk Alone

“ With an effort, Dirk pulled his eyes away from the Thing and looked through the visi-shield. Dead ahead lay the disc that was Terra—his home—a chance at life. To the left was the glimmering white brilliance of the sun. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

John McGreevey, The Brave Walk Alone

“ Tabor's face seemed to fill the screen and his eyes caught and held Dirk. "Don't you see? Even if you get out of the ship on Terra, the thing will follow. There'll be no stopping it. Eventually, it will engulf the whole earth."
"No!" Dirk's voice was a hoarse whisper. "No!"
"There will be nothing to stop it there. It will have all the oxygen it needs. I didn't know you were taking off. I'd have warned you. It's my fault." Tabor's voice trailed away and again the visor went blank. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

John McGreevey, The Brave Walk Alone

“ But Dirk knew it was hopeless. His father knew only one life and that his son could want another was beyond his comprehension.
"You'll never have a chance to fail anyone else."
"What do you mean?"
The Commandant pushed a parchment across the table. "Your discharge. Dishonorable. You'll return to Terra at once. They're fueling a small ship for you now. You'll have to manage it alone. I can't spare anyone to pilot it for you." ”

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Source: Gutenberg

John McGreevey, The Brave Walk Alone

“ His audio-visor suddenly flickered and hummed. Who would be calling him? Only someone on Caliban. His father? But why? Unless....
The face rippled onto the screen. His father's face—but it seemed that the face had aged twenty years since the interview short hours before.
"Dirk," the voice said. "Dirk—have you checked your ship?"
He pushed the talk-back. "Yes, dad. There's something ... something that looks like jelly. It's growing. The disinteray doesn't stop it."
"You've got to turn back, Dirk. Nothing will stop that jelly-thing. As long as it gets oxygen, it'll keep growing! ”

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Source: Gutenberg

John McGreevey, The Brave Walk Alone

“ For, after all, promotions must not come too rapidly. He was the son of a famous man and sons of famous men are closely observed by the Universe. When he rose, it must not be the result of family, but because he was well qualified and experienced.
His days as a Lunar navigator were as happy as any Dirk had known, but they were not to last. Commandant Jemson was planning another voyage of exploration—the most audacious in his long and brilliant career. The goal was the dark satellite known as Caliban. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

John McGreevey, The Brave Walk Alone

“ The man at the microscope only half-turned. "This is the most amazing cell I've ever examined. Incredible. Apparently it's the effect of oxygen on the organism. What a sensational announcement this will be on Terra. Sensational."
Dirk nodded at Tabor's back. Why should he have thought the scientist would be interested in his going? He was just another space officer washing out. Wearily, he donned his space suit once more. The gelatine was everywhere. An expanding pool of it stood in the compression chamber. Idly, he wondered if it could be the specimen causing Tabor's excitement. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

John McGreevey, The Brave Walk Alone

“ Proud of a weakling who puts his own comfort above the lives of his crew?" He stared again at the polished table surface, as if he might read there an answer to the dilemma. "If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it."
"Not all men are alike, dad. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

John McGreevey, The Brave Walk Alone

“ Soon enough he would have to face his father. And what could be said? There were no excuses. He had failed. If Allen had not been quick, the ICARUS would have been lost; perhaps the entire Armada jeopardized. No. ”

John McGreevey

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Quotes from The Brave Walk Alone (John McGreevey)

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