المعادلات الباردة

by Tom Godwin, أحمد صلاح المهدي (Translator)

على متن سفينة فضائية صغيرة مخصصة لمهمة إنقاذ عاجلة، إلى أحد الكواكب النائية، يكتشف قائد السفينة راكبًا غير متوقع يُمثِّل وجوده على متنها مشكلة تقنية خطيرة، ويضع قائدها أمام معادلة حسابية لا مجال فيها للمشاعر، وعليه اتخاذ قرار مصيري؛ الرحلة إلى الكوكب النائي أصبحت الآن اختبارًا أخلاقيًّا قاسيًا... فهل يمكن للمشاعر أن تنتصر على قوانين الفيزياء الصارمة؟ وهل تكفي «النية الطيبة» للبقاء حيًّا في الفضاء؟
واحدة من أكثر القصص إثارةً للجدل والنقاش في تاريخ الخيال العلمي الكلاسيكي. كتبها «توم جودوين» بأسلوب بسيط ومباشر، لكنه بالِغ التأثير، ونجح من خلالها في تحويل مسألة علمية جافة إلى مأساة إنسانية لا تُنسى.
لا تدور القصة حول الخير أو الشر، بل حول اصطدام العاطفة البشرية بـ«معادلات الفيزياء الباردة». إنها ليست قصة عن «الأشرار» بل هي عن عالَم تحكمه قوانين غير قابلة للتفاوض. وهنا تكمن قوة القصة: هي ليست عن الإدانة، لكن عن الفقد والانكسار أمام قوانين تفوقنا.
اختارتها «رابطة كُتَّاب الخيال العلمي الأمريكية» واحدة من أفضل قصص الخيال العلمي القصيرة المنشورة قبل عام 1965.
شكَّلت القصة أساسًا لفيلم تلفزيوني من بطولة «بيلي كامبل» و«بوبي مونتجمري»، عام 1996.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Classics, Audiobook

ebook

Published January 1, 2025

About the author

Tom Godwin (1915 - 1980) was a science fiction author. Godwin published three novels and thirty short stories. His controversial hard SF short story "The Cold Equations" is a notable in the mid-1950s science fiction genre. He also had three novels published, but these stayed more firmly in John W. Campbell's preferred styles and are less notable. Graduated from Bay Village High School in Bay Village, Ohio.

Reviews

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

At the beginning of this year, I decided to read more of a loved but neglected genre, science fiction. I'll pat myself on the back a little bit and say so far, I have done well. I have read several novels but have focused more on short stories and small novellas. I have read some that are good, some very good, a few I consider just okay, along with a couple of stinkers. Then I came across this one, for me it's magnificent.

You may thing the word magnificent, a little strong, maybe. This story is wonderfully written, grabbed my attention in the first couple of paragraphs and kept me spellbound till the end. More importantly this story is emotional and will scar you a little, for good or bad, you will undoubtedly remember this story for the rest of your life.

If twenty-five years from now I see the title of this story I will remember it. Maybe not the words, but the emotions. I will remember how it squeezed my heart and choked my throat, while I kept on reading, praying for a satisfactory ending, knowing that life can be savage and hard.

Side Note:
This story was written in 1954. It has only been rated by 44 Goodread member's and only six members have reviewed it. It never fails to amaze me at how some of the greatest things I have ever read fall into obscurity.

[Terris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Truly memorable!

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not usually one to nitpick plot holes but the no-win scenario here was so poorly thought out that I couldn’t suspend my disbelief enough to engage with the story.

[Will Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

”Maybe I’ll come to you in your dreams with my hair in braids and crying… maybe I’ll be the touch of a breeze that whispers to you as it goes by…”

Such a great short story. Sad and haunting.

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh my god this brought me to tears

[Marta · Rating 5 out of 5]

How is this wonderful story not known by more? How could I have missed such a beautiful and poignant story written over 70 years ago?!
I'm not a cryer but the last time I was so emotionally overcome by a story was 60 years ago when I read Where the Red Fern Grows.

[Kiya · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Class Read 📚*

This was pretty depressing but it also was very interesting and a great way to explore the classic trolley problem!

[Phantomº · Rating 5 out of 5]

— how long could he let her stay?
“How long can I stay?”

[lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

well that was awfully depressing

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The central theme of this short fiction is the harsh reality of an indifferent universe. Unlike traditional science fiction stories where human inventiveness might find an amazing solution, Godwin presents a scenario where logic and physics domineer sentimentality. The certainty of Marilyn’s fate forces the reader to confront the unyielding laws of nature and the moral dilemmas they create. Set in a future where interstellar travel is a reality, the story follows pilot Barton, who is transporting vital medical supplies to a colony planet in a small Emergency Dispatch Ship (EDS). His journey takes a disastrous turn when he discovers an unexpected stowaway—a young girl named Marilyn, who had hoped to reunite with her brother. Inopportunely, the ship's fuel calculations allow for no extra weight, and the "cold equations" of physics dictate that Marilyn’s presence will doom them both unless she is ejected into space. Godwin’s writing is stark and efficient, intensifying the emotional heft of the story. The tension builds as Barton struggles with his duty, and Marilyn transitions from disbelief to tragic acceptance. Her innocence contrasts sharply with the cold rationality of the situation, making her fate even more heart-wrenching. Another key theme is the idea of responsibility—both personal and systemic. Marilyn’s fate is not the result of malice but of ignorance. Her lack of understanding of space travel’s unforgiving nature leads to an irreversible mistake, highlighting how ignorance of natural laws does not exempt one from their consequences. Despite its grim premise, this is widely regarded as one of the most powerful and thought-provoking stories in science fiction. It has been adapted multiple times and remains a staple in discussions about the genre’s exploration of morals, determinism, and human limitations. Please give this story a go.

[Martyna Y · Rating 5 out of 5]

“There is no margin of safety along the rim of the frontier; there can’t be until the way is made for the others who will come later, until the new worlds are tamed and settled. Until then men will have to pay the penalty for making mistakes, with no one to help them, because there is no one to help them.”

“Existence required order, and there was order; the laws of nature, irrevocable and immutable. Men could learn to use them, but men could not change them.”

“The laws were, and the universe moved in obedience to them.”

“To him and her brother and parents she was a sweet-faced girl in her teens; to the laws of nature she was x, the unwanted factor in a cold equation.”

“‘You’re fading out, Gerry,’ she said. ‘You’re going out of range. I wanted to tell you—but I can’t now. We must say goodbye so soon—but maybe I’ll see you again. Maybe I’ll come to you in your dreams with my hair in braids and crying because the kitten in my arms is dead; maybe I’ll be the touch of a breeze that whispers to you as it goes by; maybe I’ll be one of those gold-winged larks you told me about, singing my silly head off to you; maybe, at times, I’ll be nothing you can see, but you will know I’m there beside you.’”

“‘Think of me like that, Gerry; always like that and not—the other way.’
Dimmed to a whisper by the turning of Woden, the answer came back: ‘Always like that, Marilyn—always like that and never any other way.’”

[Mohamed Osman · Rating 3 out of 5]

كل شيء يبدو بسيطا في البداية، مجرد سفينة، وشحنة طبية، وفتاة، لكن في بعض الأحيان تكون البساطة خادعة، كالحياة حين تضعنا أمام اختبار اختياراته لا تشبهنا

في قصة قصيرة لا تتعدى صفحات قليلة، ينجح توم جودوين في محاصرة القارئ بين معادلات الفيزياء الباردة، والعواطف الإنسانية الدافئة، حيث العاطفة الإنسانية الدافئة قاتلة، والمعادلة الباردة منجية، تدور الأحداث حول مركبة فضائية تحمل شحنة طبية طارئة، ثم يكتشف الطيار وجود فتاة صغيرة مراهقة تسللت في لحظة أمل وشوق لزيارة شقيقها، قد يبدو خطأ برئ، لكن الخطأ هنا لا يقاس بالنية، حيث كل جرام محسوب بدقة من أجل الوقود، وجودها سيخل بالتوازن، ومعادلة الوقود الباردة تقول إنها يجب أن تلقى إلى الفضاء، وإلا هلك الجميع، نهاية حتمية لا تقبل الجدال أو المساومة، لا توجد فرصة للهروب، ولن تخلق معجزة في اللحظة الأخيرة

حبكة بسيطة في ظاهرها، لكنها مشحونة على نحو لا يحتمل، لا توجد مطاردات أو مؤامرات، بل توتر داخلي يتصاعد مع كل حوار، مع كل لحظة يقف فيها الطيار في مواجهة مصير لا يملك أن يغيره، الشخصيات محدودة، لكن الكاتب يمنحها وزنا إنسانيا، حيث تمثل الفتاة البراءة والسذاجة، أمام نظام مقيد بمعادلة لا ترحم، والطيار ليس جلادا قاتلا، بل موظف مقيد بنظام مجرد من المشاعر والعواطف الإنسانية

قصة قاسية صادمة حيث لا يكتب توم جودوين عن الفضاء، بل عن الفراغ الذي يتسع داخلنا حين نصطدم بما لا يمكن تغييره، عن تلك اللحظة التي يصبح فيها القرار الصحيح هو الأكثر قسوة، حيث لا تنقذ الطيبة أو البراءة، بل نذبح إنسانيتنا من أجل البقاء في عالم لا يراعي مشاعرنا أو عواطفنا الإنسانية الدافئة، فهل نستطيع الحياة في هذا العالم الذي لا يعترف بمشاعرنا!؟

[ياسين سعيد · Rating 4 out of 5]

قصة خيال علمي بلا فضائيين ولا سفر عبر الزمن ولا ملاحم كبرى، وإنما فقط حسابات علمية جافة توقع قائد سفينة فضائية في معضلة صعبة، إذ تسللت شابة صغيرة إلى سفينته، بينما تم حساب كمية الوقود بدقة، فينص القانون على إعدامها بإجبارها بالخروج إلى الفضاء، ليس من باب القسوة والردع، ولكن لأن قلة الوقود ستؤدي إلى هلاك السفينة في كل الأحوال، وبذلك سيموت من ستنقذ السفينة حيواتهم، فإما أن تموت وجدها وإما أن تموت ويموت الجميع.

[Andrew Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have your children read this!

A short story with true fifties spirit, with an important moral perspective,! Today's average American has no idea of this important lesson, but other parts of the world DO! Only 34 pages, i made it mandatory for all the kids I've raised, you should too!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a chilling tale. I can think of nothing to say about the plot without giving it away. It is a short-story. Read it!

Thanks to Bob, who said he dreamed of it afterward...I get that, I expect it to haunt me.

[Nicole Korczyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

In space, the smallest mistake can have the biggest repercussions. Y'all, I'm sitting at a service desk at work crying after reading this story. I took off one star because no-win scenarios are deliberate tear-bait, but tear up I did.

[Ariane · Rating 2 out of 5]

That Godwin submitted other drafts in which the girl was saved, and John Campbell rejected each one indicates to me that Campbell wanted the girl dead no matter what. That doesn't sit well with me. Wanting the ending that this story has seems cruel to me.

[Penelope Osier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was FORCED to read it for dual credit and I kinda liked it and I’m not rlly upset we had to read it

[Ryan McCarthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh. Okay then.

Frustrating that the main plot point could have been avoided if they just shipped with more fuel.

[Jeff Ferry · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute masterpiece. Looks at the cold reality of space travel like few others. Must read.

[Karen K - Ohio]

A heartbreakingly sad story of the cruelty of space.

[Tony Ciak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scifi short story by a master, well done!!

[Rylee · Rating 4 out of 5]

You bet your ass I’m counting the short stories I have to read for English class towards my goodreads! This story was lowkey depressing but I was hooked.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Give it credit for sticking by its guns. Certainly would have been startling in its time.

[J_BlueFlower · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read it some years ago. Book got deleted/invalidated on Goodreads. Excellent story though.

[kennedy c]

trolley problem but in space