Cum Grano Salis

"Cum Grano Salis" by Randall Garrett is a science fiction story about astronauts struggling for survival on an unfamiliar world. Colonel Fennister and his team are stranded on Alphegar IV when lightning destroys their food, leaving them with limited rations and an uncertain future. The crew desperately searches for edible plants, and one crewmate, Broderick MacNeil, discovers he can eat a local fruit called a banana-pear without getting sick, while the others suffer fatal consequences because of their incompatibility. The story shows the tough decisions and rising tensions that come with fighting for survival, emphasizing the unpredictable and potentially dangerous nature of alien life.