The Merchants of Venus

A desperate Earth looks to the clouds of Venus for relief, and the fledgling colony hinges on a fragile roster of farmers, technicians, and a handful of scientists. Rod Workham, the hard‑nosed personnel director, is suddenly swamped with resignation notices that could leave the whole venture crippled before it even lifts off. Pressed by a demanding general and a parade of bureaucrats, he must balance the project’s survival with the moral weight of sending hopeful colonists back to a crowded world.

As the deadline looms, Rod summons psychologists, interviewers, and even a gambling historian to sift through the records and find anyone still willing to stay. The story follows his uneasy negotiations, the absurdities of inter‑planetary paperwork, and the quiet moments where the cost of humanity’s expansion is measured against personal ambition. It’s a tense, character‑driven glimpse into the early, uneven steps of building a new society on an alien world.