Mike Resnick by The Incarceration of Captain Nebula

Author:The Incarceration of Captain Nebula
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2012-01-08T12:40:21+00:00

Memo to Dr. Weaver:

In response to your query, I see no change whatsoever in the patient, which makes me think he is only pretending to take his medications. In fact, I would feel much more comfortable if one of our male attendants accompanied me whenever I must go to his room. I don’t like the way he looks at me.

—Nurse Fiona Ralston

I have had four more sessions with Captain Nebula since my last entry here, and to be honest, I will almost hate to see him finally cured. I wish I could eradicate our space hero’s delusions while leaving the values that accompany them intact. I realize that nobility and self-sacrifice are somewhat outdated concepts in our modern era, but I can’t find anything wrong with them. I’m reminded of when I’d go to the movies as a kid, and the sergeant who was about to storm an enemy position would give a little speech to his men about patriotism and honor and courage and, yes, sacrifice, and we all snickered—but later, when I thought about it, I couldn’t figure out why we snickered. Probably because we knew we’d never be able to live up to those ideals.

Captain Nebula is clinically insane, there is no question of it, and I imagine that if we turned him loose he might decide that the mayor and the governor were Drago and his henchman and attempt to kill them, so until he’s cured he must remain here … but in a non-professional way I shall be sorry to see him become just another man on the street: selfish, lacking compassion, looking for shortcuts.

Today I asked him why, if he’s from another star, he cares what happens to Earth. His answer was simple and straightforward.

“If I turn my back on Earth, then why not turn it on every world Drago covets? If I will not save your children from living their lives in bondage, why should I save anyone’s, including my own?”

“Have you any children?” I asked. “I thought they were supposed to be dead.”

“If I do or if I don’t, would either invalidate my answer?” he said, and I had to admit that it wouldn’t.

Later I asked him what he planned to do when the war is over.

“I do not expect to survive it,” he replied.

“Even though you are Captain Nebula?” I said.

“Precisely because I am Captain Nebula.”

I asked what he meant by that.

“It is my job to carry the battle to the enemy, and to be a lightning rod. If I weren’t here, he would concentrate his attacks on those who cannot defend themselves as well as I can. If I do not keep showing myself, if I do not remain in the vanguard, then he will be free to concentrate his forces elsewhere. He might even choose Earth.”

“Why would you sacrifice your life for Earth?” I asked.

“It is not Earth I would sacrifice myself for, but freedom,” he responded.

And I am going to “cure” that. Sometimes I wish I were a ditch digger or a used-car salesman.

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