Destination—Death

"Destination—Death" by Wilbur S. Peacock is a science fiction story set on the frozen planet Uranus, where two astronauts face deadly challenges and shocking betrayals. The story is centered on Bart Caxton and Tom Headley, partners in a mission to find a valuable mineral. After a meteor strike leaves them stranded with a failing oxygen supply, their relationship crumbles as suspicion and personal ambition take over. Caxton, driven by greed, decides to kill Headley to secure the kronalium and proof of their discovery for himself. But his actions lead to a grim twist, where the very elements he underestimated become his downfall. The freezing pools he feared were actually liquid oxygen, and Headley had survived his murderous attack. Ultimately, Caxton's actions lead to his own destruction, revealing the bitter consequences of betrayal and the fierce struggle for survival in a cold, unforgiving world and cruel twist of fate of his making.