Security

"Security" by Poul Anderson is a science fiction story set in a future controlled by a strict government where safety comes before freedom. It tells the story of Allen Lancaster, a physicist, who gets caught up in a secret government space project after being contacted by a Security agent. The project involves developing a special material that could change the power structure if the rebels get ahold of it. As Lancaster makes scientific breakthroughs, he also struggles with tough ethical questions while navigating the controlling reach of the government. In the end, he must pick a side between loyalty to the state and his own sense of freedom, leading up to a major clash with what he believes about safety and liberty in an oppressive world.