Day's End

1

"Stars. You ever seen 'em, Joss?" Renny McCall asked, as the two men shifted bins of waste into the composting recycler. The massive recycler light blinked yellow as it filled.

"Naaaah. No night on Anula. Ringworlds don't have night. We always face the sun. The architects started built night shields, and ours moved out of geosynchronus orbit and broke up a few years after the colony arrived. And those architects never returned. We only have daylight, 24 hours a day." Joss Anders checked the readout on a recycling tank.

"Why didn't they come back and fix things? It's been 121 years."

Joss shrugged. "History says there was a war between us and the Grolons and the Doxites. Don't know who won or if it's still going on."

The last of the green waste slopped into the recycler bin. The load lights turned red and a warning beeped shrilly. Joss checked the mixture. "Mmmm, OK. Good mix of green waste and brown. Make good compost for the farms in the Ohio Province. The Agro Director has an emergency order."

Renny stood on tiptoe to peer over his shoulder. "Hunh. Waste is down. I know we had two bins more every day five months ago."

Renny was correct about the reduced waste turnover, but Joss shrugged and pushed the pads to close the recycler. With a hum the machinery started decomposition of organic scrap into rich compost for the farms and gardens of Ringworld.

The five-o'clock alarm sounded. "Workday's over," said Joss. "Let's check out and go home."

Soon the men were waiting for the monorail that would ferry them to the residential apartments west of Hemmler City.

"I've seen stars," said Renny. "In the Skyterrium."

"So have I," said Joss. "Those are only old 3-D pix and virtual reality holograms from the founding."

"I know, I know, but they're lovely. I suppose days are lovely too, but what do we have to compare day to? Without night. Sunset and dawn. Sure, there's rain, every three days, and rainclouds. Rainbows, too." Renny shook his head. "That can't be like night, and, and stars, can it?"

"I don't think so. Rainy skies don't look like night. I'd give anything to see stars. Here on Anula, we orbit the sun, and then orbit it again."

Renny whispered, "there's been talk. The rain isn't falling every three days like it's should. I've heard the crops are smaller in the Third Grass Province. Not as much fruit."

"Rumors," said Joss. "I've heard them, too." He grinned at his shorter friend, blond and stocky. "We're still recycling, and where would the rain go?" The battered gray monorail, labeled 15, Hilltop Rd., identifying its route, whuffed and ground to a stop. The doors squealed open, and the two men got on and found seats by the door. The ancient monorail shivered, gathered power, and rolled away from the recycling factory.

"I'm off tomorrow," said Joss. "Want to go to the Falling Star tonight? Pick up women?"

Renny hesitated. "Yeah, sure. I want to see the new show at the Skyterrium." He stared wide-eyed at Joss. "Beginnings. They'll show the old vids of the stars and the journey here." He sighed. Stars." He rubbed his arm, where a tattoo of the Ormolu star cluster that included their sun was drawn in yellow and red.

"I hadn't heard that. I'll check it out one day."

Groaning and clanking, the monorail creaked to a stop nearest Joss's room. He stood up and moved to the doors. "Meet you at the Falling Star at nine."

"Make it eight," said Renny. "More women than men there at that time. Ladies are easier to deal with and less likely to throw a punch."

"Eight it is." Joss stepped on the platform and headed down the steps as the monorail whuffed on.