
On an ordinary October morning in the quiet suburb of Parkville, a peculiar, six‑foot‑wide object drops into Harold Ferguson’s backyard, sparking a swarm of flashbulbs and a chorus of curious reporters. The townspeople, led by a petition‑signed council, treat the craft as a nuisance, while Harold’s strained marriage and his sister‑in‑law’s departure add personal pressure. Orville Close, the man officially credited as the first to set foot on the Moon, watches the scene unfold with a mix of disbelief and reluctant curiosity.
Orville nudges Harold toward the strange hull, suggesting it could become a carnival attraction, but the interior proves nothing like a sleek spacecraft—instead it is a jumble of junkyard parts and makeshift contraptions. As neighbors demand injunctions and the media hounds every step, the two men find themselves thrust into an unlikely partnership, each weighing the promise of fame against the risk of legal battles. The story balances small‑town drama with the wonder of an unexplained arrival, leaving listeners eager to see how the community confronts the mystery.
Language
en
Duration
~40 minutes (38K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2010-05-07
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Best remembered for the lively science-fiction tale First Man, this elusive writer left behind a funny, fast-moving lunar adventure from the magazine era of mid-century SF. Very little biographical information is easy to confirm, which gives the work an extra air of mystery.
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