User:DoctorWho42/A Triptych

"A Triptych" is a short story by American author Barry N. Malzberg under the pseudonym K. M. O'Donnell. It was first published in the July 1969 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Publication history
"A Triptych" was first published in the July 1969 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. In 1969, it appeared in the book Final War and Other Fantasies. In 1970, editor Robert Silverberg included it in the book Alpha 1. In 1971, it reappeared in the book Universe Day.

Plot
The narrator knows the two other astronauts hate him. Thomas checks the equipment, while Miller inspects himself for lice. The narrator is working on charts. Miller remarks if the retrorockets fail to fire he will spend the last week of his life telling ground control via radio what he thinks of them. Thomas says the retrorockets won't fail. Miller insists they'll have television too. Control tells the crew to be on good behavior during broadcasts with Earth for public relations reasons. Thomas agrees but Miller admits he won't if the retro rockets fail. Previously, an astronaut called X was banned from transmission because of his vulgarity. There are no restrooms on the space capsule. Waste is sealed in their spacesuits. The stars are not very bright in space. Despite this, Control is still interested in the astronauts' perspective on space. Thomas comments on Earth, but Control did not quite hear it. Thomas is the commander of the space mission. He is ten years older than the narrator. The narrator is closer in age to Miller. When he first learned that the narrator and Miller were assigned to the mission, he would have them over for dinner with his family. Both the narrator and Miller were unmarried. Thomas argues that the best should be in space while Miller believes they're unseparable from the worst. This is why Thomas banned profanities during transmission. However, Miller assumes he means banning sex on space missions. The narrator remarks on course corrections. The narrator cannot sleep. He imagines millions of eyes watching him. He tries instead to count and think of open fields with sheep. Miller thinks in fifty years matters on Earth will be far worse. As a distraction, there will be fourteen television channels for each space colony. The space colonies would be populated with people like Thomas to hide the corruption back on Earth. The space capsule begins its orbit of the Moon. Thomas tells them they will begin a transmission with Earth in fifteen minutes. Miller puts his helmet back on. Thomas uses a rag on his spacesuit. The retro rockets fired and drive the astronauts to the back of their seats. Thomas remarks the danger was fabricated to increase tension. Miller is silent. Thomas notes Miller's speech would've went great. Miller admits he would be too scared to attempt it, whereas Thomas would've been brave enough to admit the truth. The narrator reflects they're closer in perspective in space than on Earth.

Reception
Upon its publication in 1969, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction editor Edward L. Ferman called it a "strangely unsettling story." In 2018, Rich Horton opined "perhaps the earliest of Malzberg's "astronaut" stories."