Unspecialist

"Unspecialist" by Murray F. Yaco is a science fiction story about two space officers, Banner and Harcraft, who are stuck hauling fertilizer and tractor fuel, a far cry from their usual exciting patrol duties. Their world is turned upside down when they meet Arnold, a passenger labeled a "Bean Brain," whose strange gardening and chemistry skills seem pointless to them. The story takes a sharp turn when they stumble upon a hidden asteroid with a sleeping alien fleet. Suddenly, Arnold's odd knowledge becomes their only hope, allowing them to craft a clever plan using their seemingly useless cargo to wipe out the aliens. The officers soon realize that being good at many things can be more valuable than being an expert in one, challenging everything they thought they knew about intelligence and how to survive in the vast unknown.