Eternal Zemmd Must Die!

An aging planetary correlator convenes an emergency council when a string of sabotages and thefts—missing isotope shipments, stolen industrial secrets, tampered solar reflectors, canal breakdowns, and a resurgence of a Venusian narcotic—threaten interplanetary stability. Delegates trade reports and grow suspicious as patterns point to deliberate subversion rather than accident. The correlator hypothesizes an alien intelligence capable of seizing minds in positions of trust, and a plan to inflame discord across the Federation follows. A small team traces clues to a swamp where they encounter a strange, pulsing, sentient light that may reveal the origin and methods of the invader, setting the stage for a confrontation.