Ship Commander, Captain Martin Hawkins of the Perimeter Patrol, based on the planet Rondos, is reprimanded by Commandant Luther Mynot. Mynot was treated roughly as a subordinate to Hawkins’s father, and now plans to put Martin through the fire. On board his ship, the Penumbra, which is assigned to patrol the planetoids Menos, Pako, and Gykos, Hawkins discovers that the Commandant assigned his son, Lieutenant Groll Mynot, to the crew, and assumes that Groll is there to spy on him. Gykos is the location of an experimental hydroponic station, and their first mission is to check on Gykos to ensure the natives aren’t causing problems for the scientists. On the trip, Groll is stricken with “space sickness” and goes insane. While it is standard procedure to set a sufferer of space sickness adrift in a “life rocket,” leaving them to die, Hawkins considers the tragedy of the Commandant losing his only son and decides to return to Rondos, to take the younger Mynot to a hospital. The scientists on Gykos call for help against an uprising of Gykosians, led by the Gykosian Great One. The Commandant reprimands Hawkins for his disobedience, which he blames for the rebellion, and banishes him to the lonely outpost of the planetoid Malooka. On Malooka, Hawkins finds that Gykosians have captured the scientists there, forcing them to create a fungus that will grow over Perimeter Patrol ships, making them inoperable. Hawkins tries to stop them, but succumbs to superior numbers. Back on Rondos, Groll Mynot’s health improves. Once he recovers, Mynot asks his father to call for Hawkins in order to thank him for saving his life. The Commandant will have none of it, instead telling his son to forget Hawkins. When Mynot is fully recovered, he’s given command of the Penumbra. His patrol orders are the same, but he changes course for Malooka to rescue Hawkins from his undue banishment. The Gykosians see the ship coming and launch “fungus grenades” at them. The fungus instantly grows, consuming the ship. The crewmen watch Hawkins running at the ship with a flaming torch and lighting the fungus on fire, killing it. This sends the Gykosians into a fury. The crewmen fight back, and the Gykosians are defeated. Mynot takes Hawkins to his father. The Commandant pretends at first to chastise his son for insubordination, but instead begs Hawkins forgiveness. Mynot and Hawkins are sent off on space patrol, with the Commandant looking on proudly.
Description Ship Commander, Captain Martin Hawkins of the Perimeter Patrol, based on the planet Rondos, is reprimanded by Commandant Luther Mynot. Mynot was treated roughly as a subordinate to Hawkins’s father, and now plans to put Martin through the fire. On board his ship, the Penumbra, which is assigned to patrol the planetoids Menos, Pako, and Gykos, Hawkins discovers that the Commandant assigned his son, Lieutenant Groll Mynot, to the crew, and assumes that Groll is there to spy on him. Gykos is the location of an experimental hydroponic station, and their first mission is to check on Gykos to ensure the natives aren’t causing problems for the scientists. On the trip, Groll is stricken with “space sickness” and goes insane. While it is standard procedure to set a sufferer of space sickness adrift in a “life rocket,” leaving them to die, Hawkins considers the tragedy of the Commandant losing his only son and decides to return to Rondos, to take the younger Mynot to a hospital. The scientists on Gykos call for help against an uprising of Gykosians, led by the Gykosian Great One. The Commandant reprimands Hawkins for his disobedience, which he blames for the rebellion, and banishes him to the lonely outpost of the planetoid Malooka. On Malooka, Hawkins finds that Gykosians have captured the scientists there, forcing them to create a fungus that will grow over Perimeter Patrol ships, making them inoperable. Hawkins tries to stop them, but succumbs to superior numbers. Back on Rondos, Groll Mynot’s health improves. Once he recovers, Mynot asks his father to call for Hawkins in order to thank him for saving his life. The Commandant will have none of it, instead telling his son to forget Hawkins. When Mynot is fully recovered, he’s given command of the Penumbra. His patrol orders are the same, but he changes course for Malooka to rescue Hawkins from his undue banishment. The Gykosians see the ship coming and launch “fungus grenades” at them. The fungus instantly grows, consuming the ship. The crewmen watch Hawkins running at the ship with a flaming torch and lighting the fungus on fire, killing it. This sends the Gykosians into a fury. The crewmen fight back, and the Gykosians are defeated. Mynot takes Hawkins to his father. The Commandant pretends at first to chastise his son for insubordination, but instead begs Hawkins forgiveness. Mynot and Hawkins are sent off on space patrol, with the Commandant looking on proudly.
