Needler

The aftermath of a fierce space conflict leaves the Interstellar Fleet scrambling to tend to crews who survived the battle but are trapped in a semi‑catatonic state. Doctors and commanders shuttle the wounded to the main base on Kandoris VI, where the Civilian Research Corps is pressed to make sense of an alien weapon that seems to “bollix” the brain itself. With no clear evidence to work from, the fleet’s higher brass toss the problem to the Special Weapons Group, hoping a fresh angle will reveal a countermeasure.

In a stark, plastic‑walled office, Chief Psychometrist Bilford brings Captain Gisser—a once‑impeccable fighting man—under the gaze of Roysland Dwyn, the imposing head of the group. The captain answers only when forced, reciting dates with mechanical precision but showing no voluntary thought. As the two men probe the limits of the captives’ awareness, they confront a mysterious psychic “hole” left by the Enlissa’s new weapon, setting the stage for a tense quest to understand—and eventually stop—a threat that attacks the very mind.