The Cripples

“The Injured” — a small adventurous space opera, whose main hero (pilot Alex) has traveled a long way since “Genome.” Now he has a new ship, a new crew, and new work. Alex leads the crew of the “Tame”-ers— the best team in the galaxy for reprogramming combat ships. The military ordered from another race the most powerful and most perfect combat ship in the galaxy; the order was fulfilled after eight years. But the new ship refuses to fight—it agrees to join the line only if the human proves his right to command, if the human proves himself worthy. Alex and his crew will have to break the resistance of a stubborn ship that’s been programmed to impose inflated demands on the crew.