Calling the Empress

"Calling the Empress" by George O. Smith is a science fiction story that throws readers into a time when space travel is new and tricky, but essential. The story follows the efforts to solve the problem of how to communicate between planets and spaceships. When a deadly illness from Venus threatens the spaceship "Empress of Kolain," two resourceful people, Don Channing and Walt Franks, stationed at Venus Equilateral, race against the clock. They are trying to figure out how to send a message to the ship while it's flying through space, something that has never been done before. Battling technical problems and time, their hard work pays off thanks to the unexpected help of a young boy, leading to a thrilling moment when the warning finally reaches the ship, underscoring the importance of teamwork and never giving up when everything is at risk.