
In a glittering metropolis where science and surveillance intertwine, Dr. Halder Leorm walks a razor‑thin line between breakthrough and betrayal. When an alarm on his wrist‑watch pulls him into a hidden radiation room, a quick scan reveals his new assistant lying unconscious in a distant apartment—an unsettling glimpse that hints at forces watching from the shadows. The urgency of a whispered call to a distant colleague, a hastily arranged lunch, and a hidden cache of exotic microlife set the stage for a race against an unseen authority.
As Halder darts through bustling tube stations and covert lockers, he must decide which devices are tools and which are traps. The story explores how perfect replicas can betray their creators, and how a single misstep may ignite a cascade of revelations about identity, loyalty, and the fragile veneer of a society built on engineered perfection. The tension builds with every pulse of the scanner, inviting listeners to wonder just how far a counterfeit can truly go.
Language
en
Duration
~38 minutes (37K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2009-11-03
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1911–1981
Best known for lively space opera and unusually capable heroines, this German-born American writer helped broaden what mid-century science fiction could look like. His stories move fast, think big, and still feel fresh.
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