Mr. Loneliness

Far out on the asteroid GT-8, space outposter Pace has spent more than a year surrounded by machinery, harsh winds, and an endless view of darkness. His fellow spacemen joke that he is a human clock, but their good-natured teasing cannot disguise the strain of living so long without a real human connection.

The Authority sends visitors to keep isolated workers sane, and everyone is counting on the arrival of Laura, the much-loved “Sweetheart of Space.” When illness disrupts those plans, Pace’s loneliness deepens, revealing that his troubles reach beyond missed companionship. As his colleagues urge him to find a hobby, Pace quietly works on a mysterious carving made from the asteroid’s coal-like mineral. In this stark, psychologically charged science-fiction tale, the routines of space duty begin to feel less dependable—and the need for company becomes more powerful than anyone wants to admit.