X Marks the Asteroid

"X Marks the Asteroid" by Ross Rocklynne is a science fiction story that takes place in the future. The story follows Ralph Unterzuyder, who is also known as Carruthers Straley, as he tries to find an asteroid where his family is sleeping. He has to deal with his family's bad reputation and make some tough choices about who he can trust and what he really wants. He gets help from some settlers and faces off against people like Bigger Bailes, who also wants to find the asteroid for a reward. Ralph finds out that the map to the asteroid is tricky and that some people, like the Beecher family, are trying to trick him. As Ralph travels through space with his crew, he has to balance his own goals with keeping everyone safe. Along the way, he finds love and thinks about what it means to be honest and ambitious.