
Transcriber's Note:
At the heart of a continent‑spanning electronic shield project, engineer Roger Strang faces an intimate threat: his twelve‑year‑old son, David, has survived not one, but two impossible attacks that leave no bullet wounds yet hint at a deliberate attempt on his life. As Roger pieces together the circumstances of each incident, he is drawn into an investigation that forces him to question the safety of his family and the loyalty of those around him. The story blends the cold logic of a high‑tech laboratory with the urgency of a father's instincts.
Set in 2078, a world still scarred by a brief but devastating atomic war, the narrative unfolds against the looming pressure to complete the Barrier—an immense coastal defense meant to stave off further conflict with the Eurasian Combine. The relentless work schedule and political stakes amplify the suspense, as every breakthrough in the lab carries the weight of global survival. Amid this backdrop, Roger’s personal quest to uncover the truth becomes a race against time, offering a tense mix of science‑fiction intrigue and familial drama.
Language
en
Duration
~56 minutes (54K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, Greg Weeks, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
Feb 8, 2010
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1928–1992
A physician as well as a science-fiction writer, Alan E. Nourse brought medical expertise and human concerns to stories about medicine, science, and the future. Writing for both young and adult readers, he also explored popular medicine under the name “Doctor X.”
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