Transcriber's Note:
This etext was produced from Analog Science Fact & Fiction March 1963. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.
THE HAPPY MAN
More's "Utopia" was isolated—
cut off—from the dreary worldoutside.
All Utopias are....
by GERALD W. PAGE
ILLUSTRATED BY GEORGE SCHELLING
elson saw the girl at the same time she saw him. He had just roundedan outcropping of rock about ten miles from the East Coast Mausoleum.They were facing each other, poised defensively, eyes alertly on eachother, about twenty feet apart. She was blond and lean with theconditioning of outdoor life, almost to the point of thinness. Andalthough not really beautiful, she was attractive and young, probablynot yet twenty. Her features were even and smooth, her hair wild abouther face. She wore a light blouse and faded brown shorts made from acoarse homespun material. Nelson had not expected to run into anyoneand apparently, neither had she. They stood staring at each other fora long time; how long, Nelson was unable to decide, later.
A little foolishly, Nelson realized that something would have to bedone by one of them. "I'm Hal Nelson," he said. It had been a longtime since he had last spoken; his voice sounded strange in thewilderness. The girl moved tensely, but did not come any closer tohim. Her eyes stayed fixed on him and he knew that her ears werestraining for any sound that might warn her of a trap.
Nelson started to take a step, then checked himself, cursing himselffor his eager blundering. The girl stepped back once, quickly, like ananimal uncertain if it had been threatened. Nelson stepped back,slowly, and spoke again. "I'm a waker, like you. You can tell by myrags." It was true enough, but the girl only frowned. Her alertnessdid not relax.
"I've been one for ten or twelve years. I escaped from a Commune inTannerville when I was in my senior year. They never even got me intoone of the coffins. As I said, I'm a waker." He spoke slowly, gentlyand he hoped soothingly. "You don't have to be afraid of me. Now tellme who you are."
The girl pushed a lock of almost yellow hair from her eyes with theback of her hand, but it was her only show of carelessness. She wasstrong and light. She was considerably smaller than he and couldprobably handle herself as well as he in this country. The landscapewas thick with bushes, conifers and rocks. She would have no troublein getting away from him if he scared her; and he would scare her withalmost any sudden movement. It had been too long for Nelson to keeptrack of when he had been accompanied by others and he hungered forcompanionship; especially for a woman. The patrol that had capturedSammy and Jeanne and the old man, Gardner, had also gotten Edna andalmost had gotten him. The fact that the girl was alone now more thanlikely meant that she had no one either. They needed each other.Nelson did not want to scare her off.
So he sat down on the ground with his back to a large rock andrummaged in his pack to find a can.
"You hungry?" he asked looking up at her. He couldn't be sure at thedistance, but he thought that her eyes were brown. Brown,