A Planet for Your Thoughts

In a distant future where the grape‑headed Uvans of Planetoid Uva have taken over all thinking, humanity lives under a seamless system of formulas and answers supplied by these uncanny beings. The once‑crucial act of imagination has become a relic, and most people simply follow the calculations the Uvans provide, trusting their flawless logic to run everything from fuel supplies to everyday chores.

Bill Petrie, a hard‑won freebooter who still clings to the idea of original thought, finds himself thrust into a crisis when a new problem threatens the interplanetary fuel monopoly. Sent to Uva to retrieve a synthetic etheroel formula, he is captured and bound in a medieval‑style pillory, forced to confront a world that no longer values the messy, human process of invention.

As he struggles against his restraints, Bill must decide whether to rely on the Uvans’ perfect solutions or to trust the flicker of his own daring ideas—an act that could reshape the balance of power across the stars.