
A weary survivor drifts alone onto a strange, pristine shore after his world collapses in fire and war. The sand glitters white, the sky burns blue, and alien trees whisper faintly, offering a fragile sense of peace. He is rescued by a small crew from a battered space‑cruiser, each still wearing the faded uniforms of the Galactic Guard, and they guide him to a dilapidated radar shack that will become his temporary refuge.
Inside the shack, the man confronts the lingering tension between duty and desperation as his former comrades grapple with the end of a conflict that has ripped the solar system apart. With the war officially over yet danger still lurking, he must decide whether to trust the few loyal fools who know his whereabouts or risk venturing into an uncertain future. The story balances stark survival with the lingering echo of past hierarchies, inviting listeners to wonder how humanity endures when the world it once knew has vanished.
Language
en
Duration
~31 minutes (30K 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
2009-06-22
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1906–1972
Known for razor-sharp twist endings and a sly sense of humor, he moved easily between science fiction and mystery. His stories could be startlingly brief, but they left a lasting mark on both genres.
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1917–1983
Known for big-idea science fiction with a practical, satirical edge, this prolific American writer explored politics, class, and economics long before those themes became common in the genre. His stories were especially popular in magazine science fiction from the 1950s through the 1970s.
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