[ WP ] Space has become the future of humanity , unlocking a new age of innovation , colonization , and economic prosperity . But , life 's not great for all . Tell an emotionally-charged story of a working class man in space .

The buzzer rings to start the day, my entire body aches, but I do n't care because today is my last day, my rotation is over, by tomorrow morning I'll be descending back to Earth for the first time in five years. 
 The lights flick on throughout the station and I see a few suspended drops of blood in my sleeping pod, floating in zero-G. It's been happening more often lately, but today I do n't care, I'm too excited to care. I look at the picture of my family taped in the corner. Tomorrow I'll see them for real. 
 The foreman calls us to breakfast; bagged coffee, bagged potatoes, bagged everything. Tomorrow I'll be eating real meat in an Earth restaurant. I've been planning that meal for the last five years, just me my wife and my son, not having to worry about money for once. 
 The foreman barks at us to go to exercise. I run on the treadmill faster than even before despite the full body ache, somehow lighter than usual even though I'm always weightless. After that, into the spacesuits, my last time having to put that horrid thing on. My last time having to go through the hatch to assemble deep space exploration probes. My last time being bombarded by more radiation than we had ever evolved to handle for eight straight hours. 
 The shift ends and I say a bittersweet goodbye to the other workers, my brothers and sister for the past five years. The workers whose contracts are over file into the shuttle. I keep the picture clutched in my hand. I'll get to see them soon, my son will be so much older, almost a man. I ca n't wait to tell him that his dad made it, finished a five year contract in space construction and earned the paycheck, we would barely have to worry about money again. His future was secure, mine less so. 
 I took one last glance at the photo before strapping in for re-entry. Space construction crews work in high radiation environments with barely adequate shielding, that's why it pays so well. Workers rarely get a long retirement. I tuck the picture of my wife and son in my pocket and strap in. If I'm lucky I'll live long enough to see him graduate.
