A Madman on Board

"A Madman on Board" by Robert Silverberg is a science fiction story from the 1950s. It examines themes like feeling hopeless, making up for past mistakes, and how bad decisions can affect a life, all happening on a space station circling Earth. The story centers on Dave Conroy, once a respected scientist but now struggling with alcoholism. As punishment for his actions, he's stuck working in a dangerous part of Earth's Wheel, a space station prison. Escaping from his fellow prisoners, Dave finds his former girlfriend, Janet Merrill, is on board to see her father, Commissioner Merrill, secretly planning to attack Earth with a powerful weapon. Dave must deal with both the threat of this attack and his own personal struggles. As he faces one challenge after another, eventually leads to a showdown with Commissioner Merrill, he uncovers a more serious plan than he originally imagined. Through these difficult events, Conroy aims not only to protect lives but also to find his way back from his mistakes.