Egocentric Orbit

A lone astronaut on a third orbital mission performs routine system checks while reflecting on two predecessors who returned alive but mentally withdrawn. He experiences exhilaration at continuous weightlessness, the vivid clarity of stars, and a panoramic, distanced view of Earth's continents, oceans, and city lights. Scientific examinations had failed to explain the earlier crewmembers' mental collapse. Immersed in an expanding sense of power and significance from solitary presence in space, he deliberately disables remote de-orbit controls and settles into another circuit, choosing to remain aloft.