 What would have happened if Phil had gone on the mission?
Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Astounding Science Fiction December 1955. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. BREAKAWAY BY STANLEY GIMBLE Illustrated by Freas She surely got her wish ... but there was some question about getting what she wanted. Phil Conover pulled the zipper of his flight suit up the front of his long, thin body and came into the living room. And the faint lines around his dark, deep-set eyes were accentuated when he smiled at his wife. His wife was sitting stiffly on the flowered couch that was still not theirs completely. He came to her and touched his hands to her soft blond hair, raising her face until she was looking into his eyes. "Yes, I think so. Yes, I'm sure you did," she said, finishing the ritual; but her voice broke, and she turned her head away. Phil sat beside her and put his arm around her small shoulders. "It isn't going to be bad. We know exactly how it will be. If anything could go wrong, they wouldn't be sending me; you know that. I told you that we've sent five un-manned ships up and everyone came back without a hitch." "Mary, you know I can't back out now. You know how much I've wanted to be the first man to go. Nothing would ever be right with me again if I didn't go. "I've got to get started, Mary.
 He would still have been disappointed after fulfilling his dream because of how things ended with Mary.
 Mary would have forgiven him for following his dreams and they would work together to continue their relationship.  His anger would've caused him to make a mistake that would have ended in his death.  He would have been ecstatic to finally have lived his dream, and gone on to live his life.  He would still have been disappointed after fulfilling his dream because of how things ended with Mary.