02363cam a22003613u 4500 74098 UtSlPG 20260610134720.0 m cr n 260607r20241928utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d UtSlPG en iso639-1 PS Linebarger, Paul Myron Anthony, 1913-1966 War No. 81-Q Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg, 2024 1 online resource : multiple file formats text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier The Instrumentality of Mankind "[T]his story was later rewritten; this is the original." Release date is 2024-07-22 Alex White & the online Distributed Proofreaders Canada team at https://www.pgdpcanada.net "War No. 81-Q" by Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger, published under the pseudonym Cordwainer Smith, is a science fiction short story that first appeared in a high school publication in the late 1920s. Set in a futuristic world of 2127 A.D., the story explores the absurdity and mechanics of warfare in a future dominated by technology and strategic control, particularly focusing on aerial combat using remotely piloted ships. The narrative centers on a war between the United American Nations and the Mongolian Alliance, specifically over the Radiant Heat Monopoly. As the two sides prepare for a highly regulated and peculiar war with strict rules governing combatants, spectators eagerly anticipate the spectacle. The young pilot, Jack Bearden, unexpectedly finds himself in command of multiple ships during this unusual aerial battle. His initially overwhelming task leads to a series of chaotic and accidental maneuvers that ultimately result in the destruction of the enemy's ships. The outcome declares Bearden victorious and heralds him as a hero, spotlighting themes of chance, the folly of war, and the blurring of human presence in combat. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Originally published: New York City: Ballantine Books, 1928 Science fiction Short stories War stories The Instrumentality of Mankind https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/74098 114823 114823