You nervously open the letter to discover you’ve been chosen as the first of seven pioneers to found a Mars colony. Your body is in perfect health to face the harsh challenges of extended space travel. This is the call to serve you’ve both been dreading and anticipating. You feel your body tremble with excitement and fear. Do you tell them now?

What would your wife think when she discovers you’v...

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Sitting, my eyes glaze over the floor. The letter appeared in pink and yellow. I took a second to sip my coffee before slouching down off the stool to pick up the small letter.

Addressed to me, the back wrote in large black letters, the senders address. I didn’t want to but I opened it anyway. Tasting the coffee drip off the side of my hand, the fingers sticky from jam, the letter was easy to op...