The Inheritance

MICKEY THOMPSON did everything except claim a 400-mph record. His son, Danny, did it for him.

- Elana Scherr

Aman stands alone on an alien surface. Nothing grows there, although a few flying insects brave the empty airspace above the salt floor. A spaceship of sorts sits behind him, glowing deep blue beneath a speckled, briny crust. They are not separate man and machine. It is a joining, a summation of many lives and minds and dreams. They have been on a quest, and now it is ended. The man slumps forward. His suit hangs loosely at his waist. The setting sun paints his bare torso shades of red and gold. He is a fit man, but not young. He’s spent 67 years on this planet. Even in the flattering light, you can see that this has been a long journey, and he is tired. Finally, his father is revenged, and he can return to the woman who loves him. Maybe he’ll start a new dream, all his own.