 How might the story's conclusion have differed if Phil, in the beginning of the story, had agreed to Mary's wish?
Yes, I'm sure you did," she said, finishing the ritual; but her voice broke, and she turned her head away. But I don't think I ever really believed it was possible—not until this morning when you said tonight was the take-off. It existed only because of the huge ship standing poised in the take-off zone five miles away in the desert. Its future as a town rested with the ship, and the town seemed to feel the uncertainty of its future, seemed ready to stop existing as a town and to give itself back to the desert, if such was its destiny. Phil turned the car off the highway onto the rutted dirt road that led across the sand to the field where the ship waited.
 The conclusion would likely not have differed -- Phil would lose his sense of purpose and thus his vitality in a relationship
 The conclusion would likely not have differed -- Phil would lose his sense of purpose and thus his vitality in a relationship  Phil would have agreed to Mary's wishes, but left to go on the mission without telling here  Phil would eventually come to accept Mary's fear and let go of his dream to go to the moon  Phil would have tried to keep a positive attitude and wait his turn for the next mission