By Earthlight

One of the three men was talking, explaining things to Barlow about the rocket, about the pressure suit he was to wear. Barlow listened and got it all straight. Barlow was helped into the suit. It weighed 700 pounds, and after they had encased him in it all but the huge helmet plate he lay there absolutely helpless, on a dolly, waiting to be rolled into the rocket's compartment. The anonymous faces he'd never seen before, and would never see again, looked down at him. He blinked several times and moistened his lips. The suit was like a lead coffin. He didn't feel dead, but supposedly dead and unable to tell any one.