
In a future where humanity has engineered near‑perfect bodies, those who fall short are forced to the margins, labeled outcasts and denied any real place to belong. When a small group petitions the ruling Solar Committee for a chance to leave their sterile world, their request is flat‑out rejected, leaving them with little hope but one whispered rumor: a remote asteroid called Handicap Haven, a sanctuary built for the “handicapped” yet far from the utopia it was meant to be. The story follows Dr. Cameron, a weary medic caught between bureaucratic indifference and the simmering unrest of the rejected, and Docchi, a charismatic leader whose frustration fuels a daring plan.
As tensions rise, the characters navigate cold, clinical corridors and the stark, desolate landscape of the asteroid, where survival is a daily negotiation. Their quest to secure a vessel for an “accidental flight” becomes a battle of wills, exposing the fragile humanity beneath the polished veneer of a flawless society. The first act sets the stage for a high‑stakes escape that could change everything for those deemed unfit.
Language
en
Duration
~2 hours (122K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Sankar Viswanathan, Greg Weeks, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2010-05-30
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1915–2004
A sharp, idea-driven writer from science fiction’s magazine era, he paired engineering know-how with a knack for brisk, imaginative storytelling. His best-known work includes the novel Address: Centauri and a run of memorable short fiction from the 1950s.
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