Pull the Plug

Hi, my dear friend,

I have been thinking about this for a while. I should have told you earlier, but as you know, I haven't done so yet.

Now, I want to tell you a story, I hope it's worth listening to. I recommend paying attention to what I will tell you because sometimes the main meaning is hidden.

Before I continue, I suggest reading it carefully and try to keep an open mind to what you'll discover.

It was 4:30 A.M. on the Earth, and most of mankind was in Morfeo's arms. 

Meanwhile, on the space station KS - 917 a woman was entering the tunnel. The woman had just disembarked from the space shuttle and was heading towards the main entrance.

The Space station has been in orbit since its construction, a day forever remembered as "Rebirth Day".

The woman checked in and passed through all the checkpoints. Nearly an hour later she had gone beyond the first sterilization point, all that just for the simple act of connecting the Plug into its socket.

Each morning began with a routine: a frugal breakfast of cereal and milk. She isn't picky about cereal, she usually buys the cheapest one on the supermarket shelves. She showers and gets dressed, then heads out to the RD center, where she boards her shuttle.

Her days revolved around a relentless dance, back and forth between the space station and the Earth. Her own life is a distant memory. Now, her existence is defined by the repetitive act of connecting the Plug. No more spare time, no more friends, no more laughter, no more wind on her face, no more sun on her skin, no more water to swim in, now she swims into emptiness. All she has now is the suffocating silence, the sterile lights, the absence of connection, a life reduced to nothing.

Every day the cycle begins anew, and it ends as well as ended the previous day. She travels millions of miles from the Earth to the space, and she speaks to no one, she just plugs in. Every day, the same task, the same Plug, the same socket.

One day, gazing out the shuttle window, the Earth loomed larger with each passing moment, and suddenly something dawned on her; who the heck disconnects the Plug every day? This question gnawed at her for days, and it went on till when she reached a decision. It was time for her to pull the Plug herself, and pack it in!

Now, she had bought suncream and a pair of sunglasses, embracing long-forgotten leisure activities. Surrounded by friends, she shares laughs and occasionally arguments, a spice in the rich stew of friendship. 

She takes up swimming and breathing freely without a ventilator. Finally, her life is her own again. The Plug itself? Maybe it is lost to the vast emptiness of the space,  a silent sentinel to her rebellion. What matters is, that she is no longer the person who connects the Plug, but the person who pulls the Plug. She is the author of her own destiny.

• should have told: Should have + bare infinitive
• haven't done;   have + past participle
• worth listening to: worth + -ing
• recommend paying: recommend + -ing
• suggest reading: suggest + -ing
• try to keep: try + infinitive
• mankind: Humanity
• picky: very selective person
• revolve: turn
• relentless: persistent
• loom: look big, intimidating
• gnaw at [sb]: worry, trouble 
• a spice in the rich stew of friendship: the entire phrase means that disagreements, while not always pleasant, can add a positive element to a strong friendship.