
Part 1
Part 2
In a bleak, high‑altitude city where power is scarce and hope flickers like the distant searchlights, a mysterious ship from Mars descends, carrying a promised new source of energy that could revive the dying world. The streets hum with anticipation, yet the everyday survival of the downtrodden remains a struggle, embodied by Ryd Randl, a weary former helio‑man nursing a drink in the dimly lit Burshis’ Stumble Inn.
Ryd’s routine night takes a sharp turn when a striking stranger in an iridescent hat grips his arm and offers a chance at work—an opportunity that could pull him from the margins of society. The encounter hints at hidden motives and a larger, unseen game that could decide the fate of the city’s power and its people. Listeners are drawn into a tense, atmospheric start where survival, intrigue, and the promise of fresh energy collide, setting the stage for a high‑stakes struggle in a future on the brink.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (58K 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
2020-08-21
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1924–1990
A pulp-era science fiction writer and teacher, he built a reputation on sharp, imaginative short stories that appeared in major magazines of the genre’s Golden Age.
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