
In a bleak future where three worlds cling to survival, a lone fighter named Cadmus prepares for a desperate gamble. Raised on a barren asteroid by a Venusian scientist and his companion, he’s been conditioned to forget most of his past, carrying only a crude energy gun and a sword as his only hope against an unstoppable mechanical deity known as the Gray God. As the pressure dome of his lab shudders under an endless night, he steps into a matter transmitter, ready to be whisked to the Martian city of Akal‑jor and a destiny that could decide the fate of the entire system.
The story opens with Cadmus’ tense departure, the looming worship of the Gray God, and the oppressive presence of Consar III, a tyrant who thrives on the exploitation of the dying civilization. With the clock ticking toward a day of ritual and annihilation, the stage is set for a high‑stakes confrontation that will test Cadmus’ courage, his fragmented memories, and the fragile hope of a people on the brink.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (58K 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
2021-02-26
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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