Short Fiction · Chapter
Mr. Meek—Musketeer explained
Oliver Meek, a fifty-year-old bookkeeper, resigns from Lunar Exports, Inc.
What happens
Oliver Meek, a fifty-year-old bookkeeper, resigns from Lunar Exports, Inc. to fulfill a thirty-year dream of exploring the Solar System in his own ship. He visits Asteroid City on Juno, where he meets Old Stiffy Grant, who tells him about the Asteroid Prowler and the Lost Mine. After a series of adventures, Meek decides to leave his newfound fortune behind and continue his solitary journey, determined to see the rest of space.
Themes in this chapter
The Pursuit of Dreams
Meek's thirty-year dream of exploring space drives him to resign and set off on his own journey.
Adventure and Escapism
Meek seeks the thrill and romance of space, contrasting his mundane office life with the exotic dangers of Asteroid City.
Loneliness and Isolation
Meek's solitary journey and his difficulty expressing friendship to Stiffy highlight his isolation.
Characters to notice
- Oliver Meek
The protagonist, a middle-aged bookkeeper who resigns to explore space in his own ship.
- Mr. Richard Belmont
President of Lunar Exports, Inc., who tries to dissuade Meek from resigning.
- Grant
Old Stiffy Grant, a grizzled asteroid veteran who befriends Meek and tells him about the Asteroid Prowler and the Lost Mine.
Key passages
“For years, I've been planning a trip. …”
Meek tells Belmont he has been planning a trip for years.
Meek announces his resignation and his long-held plan to explore space.
“I'm going out to see the Solar System.”
Meek declares his intention to travel through the Solar System.
Meek explains his goal to Belmont.
“I have a ship of my own.”
Meek owns his own spaceship.
Meek reveals he has saved for and purchased his own ship.
“Thirty years of watching through a window while rockets, outbound, dug molten pits into the field.”
For thirty years, Meek watched rockets launch from his office window.
Describes Meek's long years of longing and observation.
“I didn't come out here to find radium. Or to arrest gangs. Or even to capture an Asteroid Prowler. I just came out to look around.”
Meek explains he only wanted to explore, not to seek fortune or adventure.
Meek clarifies his simple, peaceful intentions to Stiffy.
“He had a beak. And eyes. Danged if them eyes weren't something. Like they were reaching out and trying to grab you.”
Stiffy describes the Asteroid Prowler's menacing appearance and hypnotic eyes.
Stiffy recounts his encounter with the Asteroid Prowler.