
In a future where the Solar Federation monitors every mind, Dr. Jonathan Ward finds himself at the center of a terrifying accusation: his obsession with a hidden, ant‑like alien race called the Mo‑Sanshon has branded him a paranoid threat. Confined in a stark, high‑rise “Verdict Cube,” he faces a cold, bureaucratic sentence that promises total reconditioning—erasing his memories and identity. As the walls pulse with sterile light, Ward’s frantic search for proof of the insects’ covert influence drives him to the brink of panic.
When a mysterious stranger intervenes, the fragile balance shatters, and Ward’s desperate fight for truth becomes a deadly game of trust and betrayal. The story thrusts listeners into a claustrophobic contest of wits, where the line between human authority and alien manipulation blurs. It’s a tense, atmospheric tale of a lone mind confronting an unseen menace that may already be shaping humanity from within.
Language
en
Duration
~58 minutes (55K 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
2021-01-15
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1918–1988
A prolific American pulp writer, he moved easily between science fiction, mystery, suspense, and early television. His stories often pair fast-moving plots with an interest in fear, pressure, and the strange corners of ordinary life.
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