
A quirky space‑faring duo finds themselves orbiting a massive, slowly turning asteroid, turning a routine reconnaissance into a comedy of calculations. Captain St. Simon and his earnest mechanic Jules exchange dry humor while they fire a precise liquid torpedo, watch a glittering splash mark the rock’s surface, and crunch absurdly precise numbers to prove that the asteroid’s centrifugal force outweighs its minuscule gravity. Their banter, peppered with mock‑German and slang, brings a light‑hearted tone to the hard‑science backdrop, inviting listeners to marvel at the blend of physics and far‑c‑side charm.
The first act sets up a delicate landing challenge on a world where even a centimeter‑per‑second pull feels like a triumph. As the crew measures the spin, the narrative balances meticulous detail with playful dialogue, hinting at the larger mystery of why this oddly shaped stone spins at all. Listeners are drawn into a witty, speculative adventure that feels both technically grounded and delightfully eccentric.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (102K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
Nov 20, 2007
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1927–1987
A prolific American science fiction and fantasy writer, Randall Garrett is best known for the clever Lord Darcy mysteries, where magic functions as a rigorous science in an alternate twentieth-century world. His energetic short fiction and collaborations helped make him a memorable voice of mid-century speculative literature.
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