Counterpoint.

• Author: Yates, Donald H.
• Position: Fiction

The Traveller settled his head back on his couch. He gazed out of the observation window into the deep black void, sprinkled with pinpricks of light which stretched all the way home, then on to infinity. His replacement would arrive soon, ending his solitary tour of duty. All he wanted now was to go home and get some R and R.

He smiled at his use of Earth jargon. It amused him to think that it gave him an edge over his robot which, in tribute to his unwitting earthly hosts, he had called Passepar 2. They were leaving for a final tour of the globe, coincidental with the last day of the Christian second millennium.

Passepar 2 took the lead, monitoring and recording everything for the Traveller as it went. It became clear that present conditions were running parallel to their records of human behaviour at the end of the previous millennium. He pondered why man's sensitivity had not matched his creativity.

Across Asia, the Indian sub-continent and Africa, tribal customs and spiritual doctrines still segregated the teeming millions. Stark contrasts remained between slums and palaces. Only a privileged few in cities like Tokyo, Hong Kong, Delhi and Durban celebrated, emulating their far west cousins. For the vast majority, the day was as unremarkable and unremitting as any other. Despite being "of the faith", most Australasians were not to be deflected from their worship of the outdoors and of their insides. The event extended their celebrations.

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