The Fishdollar Affair

Aboard the Galactic Patrol cruiser Carly — still adjusting to the quirks of sub‑space navigation — the twenty‑four‑year‑old Ensign Stephen Welnicki finds his routine watch interrupted by a startling transmission. The colonist freighter S.S. Rubberjack, carrying a thousand settlers to a new world, has been seized by a self‑proclaimed Republic of Fishdollar Five, whose leader demands an independent settlement and refuses the Patrol’s authority. Welnicki must weigh his duty against the audacious claim of a fledgling nation, all while the ship’s computer spins its baffling equations in the background.

The story blends sharp humor with classic space‑opera tension, offering witty exchanges and a keen eye for the absurdities of interstellar bureaucracy. Listeners are treated to a lively portrait of youthful idealism colliding with rigid protocol, as the young officer navigates a diplomatic standoff that could reshape a sector of the galaxy. The first act sets the stage for a compelling clash of honor, loyalty, and the strange politics of a universe still learning its own rules.