Incredible Science Fiction #31

In "You, Rocket," a disembodied brain—once that of a deceased rocket engineer—becomes the sole guidance system for a deep-space mission, its neural pathways trained to steer the ship through the void. As the rocket launches into the infinite dark, the brain’s fragile control begins to unravel under the weight of isolation and fear, its thoughts spiraling in the silence of space.

In "Fulfillment," a pair of human tourists—Jo and her companion—find themselves stranded on the distant planet Millus III after their robot navigator veers them off course. There, they become unwitting deities to the planet’s inhabitants, who revere their crashed ship as the god Ra, worshiping it in a land they call Egypt. As their rescue arrives and they prepare to leave, the natives watch in sorrow, their faith in Ra now a quiet echo beneath alien stars.

In "Time To Leave," Dr. Carter journeys to the far future and is greeted by Garvin in the mysterious Control Chamber, where he’s urged to return quickly. Though skeptical at first, the doctor is struck by the eerie uniformity of the city—identical people, identical homes, and lives dictated by rigid schedules—until he begins to question whether his own time might be the real anomaly.

In "Has-Been," a 15-year-old rocket captain faces heartbreak when he’s grounded during an interplanetary war, not for failure, but for being too old—too old to fly, too old to lead, even though his mind still burns with purpose. The story quietly captures the weight of youth and age in a universe that values speed over wisdom.