The Space Station - Chapter 1 - Page 9

Functionary remained a fairly senior middle-ranking official likely to be given postings of significant responsibility with accompanying pay and status. In the scheme of things, Functionary appreciated that there were many reasons why he should be thankful for his lot and optimistic about his prospects. Both his present and his likely future were both a good deal better than that most others in the System experienced or could expect. Nevertheless, whatever he could logically understand, Functionary just could not embrace his present or his future in a positive or optimistic light. There were some good objective reasons for this pessimism. Comparatively and dynamically, his life was changing for the worse. While, if compared to many others in the known universe his life could be seen as both better in terms of his material conditions of existence and in terms of the opportunities still open to him, it was the case that his own prospects had now moved from a promising fast tracked career to a more pedestrian and grinding vocation which hinted at the possibility of limited promotion and a rare movement between posts. Thus he had some status and seniority and a little opportunity for betterment. But, in comparison with what he had known, it was not enough. He would have some freedoms and control over his life that others did not possess. He would have enough rank to have some command over others and to have control over his day-to-day work. He would have enough income and status to ensure that he would have reasonable accommodation and be able to procure a reasonable standard of life. Nevertheless, he would not escape the stress, responsibility and vexation of having to account regularly to an immediate superior. Ultimately, he had not enough status to avoid being at someone's beck and call. He would have to watch-on from the side-lines while others around him came and went, fast-tracked onwards to bigger and better things. Clenching his teeth, bitterly he reflected he had not enough status and prospects to "get the girl". Not enough status to avoid being sent to some dim and distant planet, to some lonely space station with little chance of retrieval for many years. Again, "she" had been right her analysis of his condition. Self-deprecatingly, he considered that she had probably been right-minded to desert him, to abandon him to his future lifestyle as an administrative eunuch serving others, more empowered, better paid and, undoubtedly better sexed.