
In the wake of a cataclysmic atomic fire that engulfs Earth, a handful of desperate survivors scramble onto a battered warship racing toward the stars. Emmett Corbin, a humble carpenter turned reluctant hero, finds himself thrust into the chaos alongside a striking red‑haired secretary, Gloria White, and a sharply dressed stranger whose composure masks sheer terror. As the ship shudders under relentless enemy fire, the crew and passengers must don suits, cling to fading control panels, and confront the terrifying reality that they may be the last living humans fleeing a doomed world.
The narrative follows their frantic scramble for safety, the uneasy alliances forming in the cramped corridors, and the stark contrast between ordinary lives and extraordinary circumstances. With each alarm blare and tremor, the story builds a tense, claustrophobic portrait of survival, courage, and the fragile hope that humanity’s future might still be salvaged among the cold void of space.
Language
en
Duration
~19 minutes (19K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2009-06-29
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects
b. 1930
A prolific paperback writer, he worked across science fiction, adventure, and other popular genres, often under a range of pen names. His stories appeared in magazines and mass-market books, giving him a long, varied career in accessible genre fiction.
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