
Part 1
A newly married couple, Liddell and Linda, have just taken up their first posting with the interstellar Transfer Service, a job that shuttles travelers across the eerie, featureless void of sub‑space. Their cramped living quarters double as a control hub, where a blank, gray screen is the only sign of the mysterious realm they must master. As they fumble through protocols, jokes, and home‑cooked meals, the pair’s banter reveals both the excitement and the underlying tension of stepping into a domain that is “nothingness” yet promises instantaneous travel between distant worlds.
When the transfer screen finally flickers to life, the couple realizes they are not alone—an unexpected visitor is about to arrive, and their debut as a team will be put to the test. Their blend of nervous anticipation, scientific curiosity, and personal chemistry sets the stage for a suspenseful first encounter that could reshape their understanding of the cosmos.
Language
en
Duration
~30 minutes (29K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United States: Greenleaf Publishing Company, 1955.
Credits
Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2021-11-12
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1928–2008
A prolific American novelist who moved easily between science fiction, mystery, and historical fiction, he is especially remembered for the globe-trotting private eye Chester Drum and for imaginative novels built around figures like Columbus, Cervantes, and Poe.
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