
Part 1
In the bustling Boston Spaceport, private pilot Ralph Garvey readies his sleek yacht for a daring departure, only to have his launch halted by a surprise customs inspection. The authorities are hunting for violations of the controversial Sexual Morality Act—a law that bans the transport of illegal human‑shaped surrogates—making any breach punishable by decades in a lunar penal colony. As Garvey scrambles to conceal a mysterious, ten‑foot crate hidden in the aft cabin, the pressure mounts and his calm façade begins to crack.
The inspector who steps aboard turns out to be Eddie Starbuck, an old college buddy turned law‑enforcer, whose sudden appearance turns the tense standoff into a nostalgic yet uneasy reunion. Over drinks they reminisce about their reckless university days while Starbuck outlines a recent crackdown on an underground sex‑surrogate operation, hinting that Garvey’s cargo could be the last missing piece. With the inspector’s true purpose unclear, Garvey must decide whether to bluff, fight, or risk the severe consequences of the act.
Language
en
Duration
~23 minutes (22K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
New York, NY: Royal Publications, Inc., 1957.
Credits
Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2023-10-12
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1928–2005
Best known for sharp, funny science fiction that could turn absurd in a heartbeat, this American writer made a specialty of stories that feel playful on the surface and unsettling underneath. His work helped define the satirical side of mid-20th-century SF.
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