Eight Keys to Eden

"Eight Keys to Eden" by Mark Clifton is a science fiction tale that follows a communications supervisor, a pilot, and a Junior Extrapolator as they face a serious problem: a missing report from a colony on the new planet Eden. The story explores science, what it means to be human, and the dangers of bad communication when people are cut off from the rest of the world. A communications operator notices the report is late, which kicks off a series of events as they try to get in touch with Eden, and some characters express doubt about the colonists while unease grows. With the pilot now determined, the mystery about the fate of the colonists pulls the reader into the unknown of space and into understanding human behavior, as well.