No Moving Parts

"No Moving Parts" by Murray F. Yaco is a science fiction story that explores a world where technology is so advanced, its inner workings are alien even to its creators. The story follows Hansen, who works at a spaceship communications hub, as he deals with the crippled spaceship Euclid Queen and its VIP passenger. A simple malfunction—a door that won't open—becomes a mind-bending puzzle for the ship's captain, engineers, and eventually, a resourceful outsider named Candle. Candle confronts the problem with old-fashioned ingenuity in a world obsessed with complexity. The narrative satirizes dependence on overly complicated technology and celebrates human resourcefulness when faced with the absurd failures of "perfect" machines.