In a future where interplanetary travel is routine, a cargo vessel named _Persephone_ embarks on a journey to Pluto, carrying two passengers: Jayjay Kelvin, a businessman, and Jeffry Hull, a sociologist. As they travel, they engage in discussions about the reliability of space fiction versus reality, particularly regarding the dangers of space travel. During their journey, the _Persephone_ experiences a catastrophic event when it collides with a piece of debris—a rag discarded from another ship, the _Mordred_. This collision causes significant damage, leading to the loss of the ship's rear section and leaving the crew and passengers in a precarious situation. The ship begins to spin uncontrollably, and the crew must assess the damage and their chances of survival. The captain, Atef al-Amin, and the remaining crew members, including Kelvin and Hull, discover that their emergency communication devices, known as screamers, are malfunctioning due to a design flaw. Each component of the screamer had been tested individually, but the overall unit failed to function because of a mismatch in the threading of the plugs, preventing a proper connection. As the crew grapples with their dire circumstances, they work together to stabilize the ship and devise a plan to repair the screamer. Kelvin, leveraging his knowledge and experience, proposes a solution involving the use of the ship's electric drill to create a makeshift tool that can remove the excess metal preventing the connection. Through teamwork and ingenuity, they manage to create a functioning device, allowing them to send a distress signal to the Interplanetary Police. The crew's efforts culminate in their rescue, but not without Kelvin vowing to ensure that such design flaws are addressed in the future, emphasizing the importance of reliable equipment in space travel. The narrative explores themes of human ingenuity, the importance of teamwork in crisis situations, and the consequences of oversight in technological design, ultimately highlighting the fragility of life in the vastness of space.
By Randall Garrett · First published 1971 · Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure, Thriller