A community lives by a lake inside a huge dome which supposedly protects everyone from the toxic air outside. A group of them plan to be the first for over 100 years to leave the safety of the dome and they journey on two boats, down two rivers, that flow to the outside. Some of one group are stranded and they travel across land to try and meet up with the second boat, which is travelling down the other river, but a virus has already caught up with them. The planet seems unsuitable for habitation, but there are 100,000 people who need to know for sure.
English author R.W. Mackelworth doesn't have a huge body of work and I'm not surprised as this short story is drab. The writing itself is fine but the plot is dull and goes nowhere. The 'hope for mankind' optimistic ending does nothing for a cynic like me and I'd forgotten the characters and narrative within minutes of finishing reading.
Overall:- 4/10
Included in:-
New Writings in SF-17 edited by John Carnell (24 pages)
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