Summary Of The Cold Equations By Tom Godwin

In the short story “ The Cold Equations” by Tom Godwin the author creates the thematic opposition of doing what’s morally right versus what’s expected or guidelines that must be followed. In the end following the guidelines prevails even though it causes some pain but saves other people from having a similar fate as that of the girls. In the story there’s a man that is flying on an EDS short for Emergency Dispatch Ship and this man is flying to help group one on the planet of Woden. And in doing so he discovers that a stowaway had hidden on his EDS, but what shocks the pilot the most is that the stowaway wasn’t some petty thief or wanted fugitive but rather a teenage girl. As standard procedure for something like that happening the stowaway

Throughout the story one major part comes up where the guy knows what has to be done tries to prolong and even divert the fate of the girl despite knowing clear and well that he should’ve already done the standard protocol. This crucial point in the story shows that the EDS was trying to divert the situation despite the standard protocol, “"Different?" the commander interrupted, impatience in his voice. "How can they be

So you called me in the hope I could do something?’ Without waiting for an answer he went on. "I'm sorry—I can do nothing. This cruiser must maintain its schedule; the life of not one person but the lives of many depend on it. I know how you feel but I'm powerless to help you. I'll have you connected with Ship's Records." This shows that the EDS was trying to get the girl back where she belonged even though the law had been stated clearly and instead of doing what the law stated he just waited until the girl was prepared. This supports the theme because the EDS was not following standard procedure and therefore disobeying the law and was attempting to prolong the situation and even completely dissolve the situation as a whole. Another thing that the EDS did to try and prolong the inevitable was slow down his shuttle even though it also made it take longer to dissolve the situation. The pilot, he said, then turned to the control board and cut the deceleration to a fraction of a gravity; knowing as he did so that it could not avert the ultimate end, yet doing the only thing he could do to prolong that ultimate end. The sensation was like that of the ship suddenly dropping and the girl's involuntary movement of surprise half lifted her from the