The Castaway

A routine patrol of the asteroid belt turns into a puzzling rescue when Lieutenant Brait and the crew of the Antigone spot a lone, bearded figure sprawled on a tiny rock. The man is barely alive, his skin scorched by space, his voice a thin whisper of gratitude, and no wreckage surrounds him. The crew’s curiosity spikes as they learn his name—Paul Moran—has been missing for years, the subject of a cryptic government notice promising a hidden fortune.

As the ship’s captain, the steadfast McNeally, and the ragtag officers tend to the stranger, they begin to wonder whether he is the legendary “castaway of space” spoken of in hushed tones, a mad scientist, or something far stranger. The mystery deepens with each clue, setting the stage for a chase across the void that will test loyalty, greed, and the limits of human endurance.