The Scamperers

"The Scamperers" by Charles A. Stearns is a science fiction story that takes place on the planet Ophir, where Lieutenant Wellesley from the Rift constabulary is assigned to look into possible genetic problems in a remote colony. The story explores ideas about genes, the problems of closed-off breeding, and the existence of mutants as Wellesley finds out strange facts about the isolated people he is sent to study. Wellesley arrives in Aidennsport and faces a dangerous place and odd people. While doing his job, a strange girl cautions Wellesley of the risks in crossing the community of Aidennsport. After fighting off the poison of the local stingbats and losing his sight, Wellesley is helped by the mutant girl, and it forces him to confront the complex social dynamics of the ophirian society. When Wellesley decides he has to take the girl away for her own safety, the truth about Aidennsport comes into the light, making us question who we are and where we belong, and the balance between what is lawful and what is just in a world where survival and doing what's right become intertwined.