
In a bustling orbital dock where massive space‑boats grind against concrete walls, a once‑brilliant pilot named Rhiannon drifts through the haze of radiation‑induced madness. He’s reduced to a childlike hulking figure, clinging to fleeting moments of clarity, while an odd, tentacled creature named Tweety perches on his arm like a mischievous sidekick. The dock’s cacophony—cranes, clanking monorails, and the low chant of workers—frames a world where even the most skilled aviators can become “tubemonkeys,” barely remembering their own names.
Enter a pair of scheming officials who see Rhiannon’s broken mind as a perfect tool for a risky mission. They promise a chance to pilot a ship again, hoping his lingering brilliance will guide them through hostile territory, even if his memory falters. As Rhiannon straps into the lift, the story teeters between gritty space‑opera and dark comedy, inviting listeners to wonder whether a damaged genius can still navigate the treacherous currents of war and redemption.
Language
en
Duration
~26 minutes (25K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2021-03-02
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1923–1998
A sharp, imaginative voice in mid-century science fiction, this writer helped shape some of the genre’s most memorable stories on the page and on screen. Best known for "It’s a Good Life" and classic work for Star Trek and The Twilight Zone, he had a gift for big ideas with an unsettling edge.
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