Star Song & Other Stories

1 Point Man © 1987 New Destinies 1

Narrator Third Engineer Travis, always at "the wrong place, the wrong time" is the only crew member with any military Services tactics (one class, 2/3 points remembered) of unarmed space freighter *Volga*, only resistance stopping the Drymnu hive mind ship that destroys remote outpost and heads towards the rest of human civilization.

2 Hitmen - See Murderers © June 1991 Amazing Stories

Printer Radley Grussing gets an unusual edition of the New York Yellow Pages phone book listing criminals - murderers, embezzlers, rapists, thiefs - but his girlfriend Alison wants him to burn the Book.

3 The Broccoli Factor © Feb 1990 Analog

After lunch with equally aged senior scientist friend and co-worker Banning, Hayes with three-year old grandson borrows artificial intelligence Junior at level of two-year old, to confine hot plasma in containment center without touching sides.

4 The Art of War © March 1997 The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction

Narrator Stane Markand 18 found internship by parents to fading UnEthHu Convocant politician Sutherlan for gap year. On errand to planet Quibsh, meets pretty Tawnikakalina, most promising apprentice artisan in verloren (fourth of lost spaceship colonies, hitherto unknown) community under Kailth warrior protection. Her gift sculpture both calms and invigorates him. Ambitious young politician Devaro scoops youth for brain-scans, claiming sculptures are weapons.

5 The Play's the Thing © Feb 1997 Analog

Narrator Lebowitz is drafted along with alien Fuzhtian delegation because two-ton behemoth likes his hammer, but has appropriate Broadway connections for species raised on earth entertainment broadcasts. Greedy for apparent whizbang technology, the Pentagon entourage buy out nine-seats for Fuzhtie but it jumps on stage to perform instead.

6 Star Song © July/ Aug 1997 Analog

Narrator Captain Smith hires his ship to Scholar Andrula Kulasawa, who claims to know location of one of five lost hollow asteroid colony ships sent out over hundred years before. Technology of Jovian drive long forgotten, now priceless, replaced by alien flapblacks. Musicmaster Jimmy 19 programs specific melodies to attract particular color wave-length flapjacks that wrap and transport spaceships vast distances, but Andrula and the asteroid have secrets.