Hi. I'm a friend of Mike's (i_am_nyman), and he showed me this story of yours. Just thought I'd leave you a comment to let you know I liked part 1! The mood it left me with was similar to the mood I feel every time I read "The Cold Equations" by Tom Godwin -- one of my favorite sci fi stories. That's a good thing, I promise. You definitely know how to write sci fi. :)