This story may, in a sense, be tongue-in-cheek. But the underlying struggle,if you look into the characters' hearts, is terrifyingly real and human—thekind of struggle so many of us go through. But Sam Meecham was lucky.He not only got what he wanted, but something he hadn't realized he wanted.
the
odyssey
of
sam
meecham
by ... Charles E. Fritch
Sam Meecham did not realize that his chance discovery of unlimitedpower would bring back that which he had lost eight long years ago.
To look at Sam Meechamyou'd never have dreamed he wasa man of decision and potentialexplorer of the unknown. In fact,there were times when Samwouldn't either. He was a pink,frail-looking person with a weakchin and shoulders used to stooping,and stereotyped thinking immediatelyrelegated him to theranks of the meek and mannerly.These, oddly enough, happenedto be his characteristics—but thatwas before he discovered thehyperdrive.
In his capacity as an atomicengine inspector, his work wasmost uncreative. He was a smallcog in a large cog-laden machine.A government worker helping toproduce engines that would sendsupplies and immigrants and touriststo the U.S. Sector of theMoon Colony.
Day after day, week after week,freshly made engines would comesliding down the conveyor belt.And mechanically Sam Meechamwould attach to each two wiresthat led from a machine by hisside, flip a switch, and if the dialon his machine read at least fifty,he could pass the machine on asbeing adequate for the job ofMoon ferry. He'd been attachingthose two wires in place andwatching fifties for five years, andit looked as though he'd be doingit for fifty-five more.
Then one day a defectivelywired machine came sliding along,and dutifully Sam hooked it upand flipped the switch. Automatically,his eyes glanced disinterestedlyat the dial showingComparative Thrust. His eyesbugged. The needle had passedfifty, had gone to the 100 mark(never before reached), struckthe metal projection, bent, andwas whirling in a rapid circle!
Sam quickly cut off the motor,then he glanced furtively about tosee if anyone had noticed. Theroom was a flurry of men busy atroutine tasks and none of themseemed particularly interested inanything that was going on at histable.
Sam checked his own machineand found the tester in perfectworking order. He hesitated abrief moment, then flipped theswitch again. He was preparedfor the whir of the dial now butstill it frightened him a little.There must be something wrong;no atomic engine could have thatmuch Comparative Thrust. Yet—thetester was perfect.
Sam Meecham shut off thetester and stood very still for aminute and thought about it. Hisglance fell on the intricate wiringwithin the atomic engine and hesaw with a start that it lookeddifferent from usual. Wires werewhere wires had never been before,where wires were not supposedto be.
With another quick glanceabout him Sam began copying thewiring pattern on a sheet of paper.He thrust the paper into hispocket as the foreman came upto him.
"Say, Meecham," the foremansaid, "that last engine okay?"
Sam Meecham hesitated briefly,then said, "The wiring was a littlefouled up. Busted the dial on thetester."
The foreman shook his head."I was afraid of that. Some wiremanon the third floor came inhalf drunk a few minutes ago.That was only his first machine, sothe others ought to be okay." Hejabbed a finger at the engine."You'd better send it back up."
When the foreman was goneSam checked the wiring with hisdiag